Claypot Chicken Rice

I had never eaten Claypot Chicken Rice until I went over to West Malaysia for college. I first tasted it in Subang Jaya and have since then craved it occasionally. I found the following recipe online a few years back and thought that it tastes pretty much like the ones I used to eat in Subang Jaya more than a decade ago now (boy, I feel OLD) :). Over the past years however, I have tweaked the quantity of a few of the ingredients to increase the flavor even more and my measurements will be the ones shown here. If you don’t have a claypot, don’t worry. You don’t need one to make this dish; you can cook the rice in a rice cooker or a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. This is a fairly simple and utterly delicious one-pot meal. Give it a try. You’ll love it!

2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
1½-inch ginger (¾ ounce trimmed), minced or zested
1½ teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons light (thin) soy sauce
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
5½ cups water (Personal note: may replace part of the water with chicken broth next time)
3 tablespoons oil
3 large shallots (3¾ ounces trimmed), sliced thin
¾ ounce dried sliced Shiitake mushrooms (about 8 whole mushrooms), soaked in water until softened and if using whole mushrooms, sliced into ¼-inch strips
2 Chinese sausages, sliced ¼-inch diagonally (optional)
Dark Soy Sauce
2 stalks green onion, chopped

1. In a medium bowl, marinade the chicken with the ginger, salt, and light soy sauce for 20 minutes. Then, coat the chicken with the cornstarch.
2. Meanwhile, place the rice and water in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer.
3. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the shallots and cook until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it is cooked through. Add the mushrooms and Chinese sausages (if using) and continue to fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside for a moment.
4. When the rice is almost cooked (when most of the liquid is absorbed), place the cooked chicken mixture on top of the rice, cover, and continue to cook over low heat until rice is done.
5. Remove the Dutch oven from the heat source and let the rice/chicken rest, covered for about 10 minutes. Then, dribble dark soy sauce all over on top of the rice and chicken, and stir to mix. Plate and garnish with chopped green onions; serve hot.