Clay Pot Rice (Hong Kong Style)

Prepare the ingredients

1. Slice the air-cured pork belly and sweet sausage into thin slices. Set aside.

Soak the rice

1. Rinse the rice carefully and then soak it with clean water for around 30 minutes.

Make the sauce

1. Add all the ingredients for the sauce together. Simmer until the sugar dissolves completely. Set aside.

Set up the clay pot and cook the rice

1. Take a small brush and coat the surface of the clay pot with vegetable cooking oil.
2. Strain the soaked rice and then add extra water to cover the grains ( recommend around 0.5cm higher ).
3. Start with middle to high fire and bring the content to a boiling. You can watch the small bubbles on the edges of the pot.
4. Slow down the fire to the lowest and let it simmer for around 10 minutes. Then the rice should be cooked well.

Place the proteins and ingredients

1. Lay the lop cheung and cured pork on top. If you use other proteins, the ingredients should be added at this step too.

Add oil and make the crispy bottom

1. If you are cooking on a gas stove, rotating the pot (we have shown the process in the video) for evenly heating can help to create more crispy bottoms.
2. Also, pouring around 1 tablespoon of vegetable cooking oil along with the edges of the clay pot can help to avoid a burnt bottom. Then move from heat and set aside for 5 minutes.  we will prepare other ingredients during this setting time.

Blanch the vegetables

1. During this time, bring a pot of water to a boil, add a pinch of salt and drops of oil, and cook vegetables for 1-2 minutes. Transfer out.

Assemble the claypot rice

1. Place the blanched vegetables and around 2 or 3 tablespoons of sauce. Enjoy after stirring everything together. Serve with Bok Choy and other pickles(optional but highly recommended).