Chinese Clay Pot Rice (Bao Zai Fan)

Ingredients

• 400 g jasmine rice, standard long-grain, not glutinous
• 480 ml water, cold; ratio 1:1.2 rice to water
• Topping
• 2 lap cheong (Chinese cured sausage), sliced on the diagonal
• 150 g salt fish or pork ribs or beef, cut into bite-sized pieces
• To finish
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• To season pot
• 1 tsp neutral cooking oil, for pre-seasoning the clay pot

Method

1. 1
   Soak the clay pot in cold water for at least 15 minutes before use to prevent cracking under direct heat. Drain and dry. Coat the interior lightly with neutral oil, then set over gentle heat until the oil is absorbed; this seasons the clay for a better non-stick surface. The pot is ready when it no longer smells raw.
2. 2
   Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs nearly clear. Place the rice in the seasoned clay pot and add the measured cold water at a ratio of 1 part rice to 1.2 parts water. Set the pot over high heat. The lower water ratio — less than the standard absorption method — is what makes crust formation possible.
3. 3
   This is where the dish lives or dies. Watch the surface of the rice closely. The moment vigorous steam rises and the water has nearly — but not entirely — absorbed, immediately lay the topping (lap cheong, salt fish, pork ribs, or beef) across the top of the rice in a single layer, then reduce the flame to its lowest setting. Acting at exactly this moment ensures the toppings cook through at the same rate as the rice and that the crust forms correctly; too early and the toppings steam to mush, too late and the base burns before the top is done.
4. 4
   Cover the pot and continue cooking over the lowest possible heat for a further 8–10 minutes. A faint, dry, nutty smell rising from the base of the pot signals that the guoba crust is forming. Do not lift the lid during this period.
5. 5
   Remove the pot from the heat. Immediately drizzle the dark soy sauce and sesame oil over the surface of the rice and toppings. Replace the lid and allow the residual heat of the clay — which continues cooking at the table — to carry the dish for 2 minutes. The clay pot is done resting when the hiss from the base falls silent.
6. 6
   Bring the pot to the table intact. Stir the contents at the table to distribute the soy and sesame oil, then serve. Use a spoon to lift and present the guoba — the crispy bottom crust — which should release in amber, crackling sheets. It is properly formed when it sounds hollow under a light tap.