Hong Kong Claypot Rice with Lap Cheong
A comforting and flavorful one-pot meal, this claypot rice is cooked with Chinese sausage (lap cheong) and often includes cured pork belly, creating a rich aroma and a desirable crispy rice crust at the bottom.
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 cup Short-grain rice
- 1.25 cup Water(adjust based on rice and claypot size)
- 2 Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong)(thinly sliced)
- 100 g Chinese cured pork belly (Lap Yuk)(thinly sliced (optional))
- 1 tbsp Vegetable oil(for oiling the claypot)
- 2 cloves Garlic(minced)
- 1 Green onions(white and green parts separated, chopped)
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 0.5 tsp Dark soy sauce(for color)
- 1 tsp Oyster sauce
- 0.5 tsp Sesame oil
- 0.5 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Water(for sauce)
- 1 Egg(optional, for topping)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Soak the rice in fresh water for at least 30 minutes, then drain well.
- 2
Lightly oil the inside of a claypot with vegetable oil. Add the drained rice and 1.25 cups of water. Stir in the minced garlic and the white parts of the green onions.
- 3
Place the claypot over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, or until most of the water is absorbed and the rice is partially cooked.
- 4
Arrange the sliced lap cheong and lap yuk (if using) on top of the rice. Cover again and continue to cook on low heat for another 10-15 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and a crust has formed at the bottom.
💡 Tip: Listen for a crackling sound, which indicates the rice is crisping up. - 5
While the rice is cooking, prepare the sauce by combining light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 1 tbsp of water in a small bowl. Stir well.
- 6
Once the rice is cooked, turn the heat up to high for 1-2 minutes to further crisp the bottom. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat.
💡 Tip: You can rotate the pot over the flame for more even crisping. - 7
If using an egg, crack it onto the center of the rice and cover for a minute or two until the egg white is set but the yolk is still runny. Drizzle the prepared sauce over the rice and top with chopped green onions.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓A traditional claypot is recommended for the best crispy bottom, but a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven can be used as a substitute.
- ✓The amount of water for the rice is crucial; too much will result in mushy rice, too little will burn it.
- ✓The crispy bottom (guoba) is a prized part of this dish.
🔄 Variations
- Add other toppings like marinated chicken, beef, or shiitake mushrooms.
- Include blanched greens like choy sum or bok choy for added color and nutrition.