Claypot rice, or 煲仔饭 (bo zai fan), is pure comfort in a pot. It’s warm, hearty, and incredibly easy to make, plus its super customisable! but the best part...the extra crispy rice at the bottom; it gives the dish a mixture of crunchy and fluffy rice all in one bite!

ingredients

5 pieces chicken wings (can replace with other cuts of chicken eg thighs cut into bite size pieces)
130g jasmine rice
130–135ml water
½ inch ginger, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 spring onions, minced (keep whites and greens separate)
1 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), soaked in hot water, skin removed and chopped
1 egg
Fresh coriander, to garnish
Oil, as needed

chicken marinade:

½ tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp white pepper

claypot rice sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1½ tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp scallion oil or sesame oil
(I used 1 tsp scallion oil with a drop of sesame oil)
1 tsp dark soy sauce

method

1. Marinate the chicken - marinate the chicken with all of the marinade ingredients for at least 15 minutes.
2. Wash & Soak Rice - rinse the jasmine rice 2–3 times, then soak the grains in water for 30 minutes. After, drain the water well from the rice and keep aside.
3. Brown chicken wings - heat a claypot over medium-high heat with a little oil. Sear the chicken on both sides until lightly golden, about 1–2 minutes per side. Remove and set aside
4. Saute aromatics - add more oil if needed, then sauté the garlic, ginger, and white parts of the spring onion until fragrant.
5. Add soaked rice & water - add the drained rice and stir-fry briefly until the aromatics are evenly mixed through the rice before pouring in the water and bringing it to a boil.
6. Cook rice - cover, reduce to low heat, and cook for 10 minutes.
7. Add chicken and sausage - open the lid, arrange the chicken and Chinese sausage on top and cover again.
8. Cook the toppings - cook for 10–15 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. (Cooking time may vary depending on whether you use bone-in or boneless chicken.)
9. Crisp up the rice - once the chicken has been cooked, drizzle oil around the edges of the claypot and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 2–3 minutes to develop a crispy rice base - you should be able to hear the rice crisping up.
10. Pour sauce - turn off the heat. sprinkle over the green parts of the spring onion, crack an egg on top, and drizzle the sauce evenly over the rice. Cover and let the residual heat cook the egg for about 3 minutes.
11. Garnish and enjoy - Top with fresh coriander, mix well, and enjoy immediately!

notes

• No claypot? No problem! You can use a Dutch oven, stainless steel pot, non-stick pot, or even a rice cooker (though I haven’t tested that one myself!)