Chinese
👍 Beginner Friendly
15 mineasy
ChineseDinner
Recipe Story
origins & traditionsClay Pot Rice is a beloved Cantonese comfort food that transforms simple ingredients into an extraordinary meal. This one-pot wonder combines fluffy jasmine rice with savory lap cheong (Chinese sausage), earthy shiitake mushrooms, and crisp bok choy. The magic happens when the rice develops a golden, crispy crust at the bottom called socarrat, prized for its nutty, toasted flavor. The dish is finished with a fragrant sauce made from soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil that seeps into every grain. Traditionally cooked in earthenware clay pots over charcoal, this recipe adapts beautifully to stovetop cooking while maintaining authentic flavors. The gentle steam cooking method ensures each grain remains separate yet tender, while the ingredients infuse the rice with rich, complex flavors. Perfect for busy weeknights, this complete meal delivers restaurant-quality results with minimal hands-on time.
Instructions
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Rinse 2 cups jasmine rice under cold water until water runs clear, drain well and set aside.
Slice 3 lap cheong sausages diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces. Remove stems from 8 shiitake mushrooms and slice caps into quarters.
Mince 4 cloves garlic and slice 2 scallions, separating white and green parts.
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons water. Set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add garlic and white parts of scallions, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add rinsed rice to the pot and stir to coat with oil for 1 minute.
Pour in 2.5 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to low.
Arrange sliced lap cheong and shiitake mushrooms on top of rice. Do not stir. Cover with tight-fitting lid.
Cook on lowest heat for 15 minutes without lifting lid.
After 15 minutes, quickly place bok choy on top of rice, cover immediately and cook for 5 more minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes.
Drizzle prepared sauce over the top, sprinkle with green scallions and serve directly from pot, scraping up the crispy bottom rice.
Clay Pot Rice with Shiitake and Lap Cheong
4.2 (22)
A traditional Cantonese one-pot meal featuring fragrant jasmine rice cooked with Chinese sausage, shiitake mushrooms, and tender greens, finished with a savory soy-based sauce that caramelizes at the bottom creating crispy rice.
medium
55 min
4 servings
Ingredients
0 of 10 checked
Main
- 2 cups rice-white, rinsed and drained
- 8 pieces mushrooms, stems removed, caps quartered
Aromatics
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoons ginger, grated (optional)
- 2 pieces green-onions, sliced, whites and greens separated
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy-sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster-sauce
- 1 teaspoons sesame-oil
Cooking
- 1 tablespoons vegetable-oil
Vegetables
- 4 cups bok-choy, halved lengthwise
Chef Tips
expert advice•For the best crispy rice bottom, use a heavy pot with a thick base and resist the urge to stir during cooking.
•If you cannot find lap cheong, substitute with Chinese BBQ pork or omit for a vegetarian version.
•The key to perfect clay pot rice is maintaining very low heat after the initial boil - if your burner runs hot, use a heat diffuser.
•You can customize this dish with additional proteins like marinated chicken thighs or shrimp added in step 9.
•For extra crispy bottom, increase heat to medium for the last 2 minutes of cooking, listening for a crackling sound.
•Baby bok choy works best but you can substitute with Chinese broccoli or regular bok choy cut into smaller pieces.
•Make the sauce in advance and store refrigerated for up to one week.
•Leftover clay pot rice can be transformed into excellent fried rice the next day.
