Jīròu Bāo Zǐ Fàn Chinese Clay Pot Rice with Chicken and Mushrooms

Yield: Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

Rice: 1 Cup Jasmine Rice (Tàiguó Xiāng Mǐ) - can substitute long grain white rice 1 Cup Chicken Stock (Jītāng) 1 Tbs Oil - can use vegetable, canola, or rapeseed oil ¼ tsp Kosher Salt (Yàn)

Chicken and Marinade: 2 lbs Boneless/Skinless Chicken Thighs (Jītuǐ Ròu) - cut into bite sized pieces (apx ¼" strips) 1 Green Onion (Cōng) - minced ½ inch piece Fresh Ginger (Jiāng) - peeled and finely julienned 1 ½ Tbs Cornstarch (Yùmǐ Diànfěn) 1 Tbs Light Soy Sauce (Shēng Chōu) 1 Tbs Dark Soy Sauce (Lǎo Chōu) 2 tsp Oyster Sauce (Háoyóu) 1 tsp Shao Xing Rice Wine (Liàojiǔ) 1 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil (Zhīmayóu) ½ tsp Granulated Sugar (Táng) ⅛ tsp Ground White Pepper (Bái Hújiāo) - or to taste

'Veggies and Garnish': 8-10 Dried Black Mushrooms [AKA Shiitake] (Xiānggū) 3 Tbs Dried Black Fungus [AKA Wood Ear OR Cloud Ear Mushroom] (Yún ěr) 6-8 Dried Lily Buds (Bǎihé Yá) 2 Green Onions (Cōng) - chopped -OPTIONAL- ½ lb Chinese Broccoli (Jiè Lán) - cut into 2 inch pieces

Taz Doolittle www.TazCooks.com

Jīròu Bāo Zǐ Fàn Chinese Clay Pot Rice with Chicken and Mushrooms

Preparation:

1) Place your dried black fungus and dried lily buds in a small bowl and cover with water - Set aside for 15 minutes 2) Place your dried black mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water - Set aside for 30 minutes 3) After 15 minutes, rinse the black fungus and lily buds with clean water - Trim off the woody stems from the lily buds and cut them in half - Return the black fungus and lily buds to the bowl and cover with clean water - Set aside for another 45 minutes 4) At the same time you rinse and trim your black fungus and lily buds, drain your black mushrooms and cut off the stems (these can be very tough) and then rinse with clean water - Return the mushrooms to the bowl and, again, cover with hot water - Set aside for another 30 minutes 5) Rinse your rice until water runs clear - Place rice in a container and cover with water - Allow to soak for 30 minutes 6) After 1 hour (your black fungus/lily buds, black mushrooms and rice should all now be soaked), drain your lily buds, black fungus, and black mushrooms - Slice the black mushrooms and rough chop the black fungus if desired (you can leave them whole or just cut the black mushrooms in half if you wish) - Set aside until needed - Drain your rice and set aside 7) Mix together the chicken and marinade ingredients in a medium bowl until the chicken is well coated - Set aside until needed 8) Place your soaked rice and the remaining 'rice ingredients' into your clay pot (you can use a Dutch oven if you don't have a clay pot) and give it a good stir - Place your clay pot over medium heat and bring to a boil - Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cover - Allow to simmer undisturbed for 5 minutes 9) After 5 minutes (liquid should be just below the top of the rice), place the Chinese broccoli on top of the rice (if using) - Toss together your rehydrated mushrooms/lily buds and the chicken with its marinade - Pour over the top of the rice (make sure you get all of the marinade) 10) Cover it back up and simmer for another 15-20 minutes or until all of the liquid has been absorbed/evaporated, the chicken and broccoli are cooked through, and a 'crispy' layer of rice has formed on the bottom/sides 11) Garnish with the chopped green onion and serve hot - Give it a good stir to loosen the crispy rice from the pot and mix everything together at the table

Taz Doolittle www.TazCooks.com