Abalone Claypot Rice
3-4 Servings
00:30 Prep
1:00 Cook
Moderate - You'll be right
This recipe was created in partnership with Eyrewoolf Abalone.
If you’re after a dish that is both sumptuous and mouth-watering, you cannot go past this claypot rice recipe. Additive-free canned blacklip abalone is the star of this dish, braised with chicken and shiitake mushroom, and served on a bed of fragrant rice. A slightly tricky dish to execute but guaranteed to bring the WOW-factor when you’re next entertaining.
Growing up, every time mum brought out the claypot, our family knew we were in for an extravagant meal. One of her specialties was claypot rice: rice cooked in a claypot to scorch its outer edges, creating a textural layer that is topped with braised ingredients such as chicken, mushrooms, Chinese sausages and abalone.
Only on very special occasions would she serve this dish, and while my brother and I would fight over the abalone and shiitake mushrooms, Dad would wait until everyone was finished before indulging in the crunchy scorched rice stuck to the sides of the claypot.
It’s an art to achieve the scorched rice and my best tips are to add oil to the sides of the claypot and to maintain its heat. Once the claypot gets hot, it takes a lot of time for it to cool down. To maintain this heat, keep the heat on a low-medium flame. The only time to have the heat on medium for a prolonged amount of time is when it is certain the rice is not scorched. In this case, rotate the sides of the claypot around the stove until the rice is scorched.
Another tip is to serve claypot dishes with a soup on the side such as Vietnamese pumpkin soup. The rice can sometimes stick to the pot but a few ladles of soup will help to loosen it. Within minutes, the rice will come away from the claypot giving you a delicious bowl of rice and soup with a hint of nuttiness from the scorched rice.
Finally, a claypot is not something that’s found in the average kitchen cabinet. If you fall under this category and are keen to test the waters with this recipe before committing to adding a claypot to your cookware collection, a cast iron pot with lid would be a worthy alternative.
If luxuriously tender abalone tickle your fancy, head to Eyrewoolf Abalone and grab a can of additive-free blacklip abalone then, give this delicious claypot dish a whirl to impress your friends and family.
Ingredients:
Chicken Marinade
2 small boneless chicken thighs (300g), cut into small chunks
15g ginger, julienned
1 Thai shallot, crushed
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (optional)
½ teaspoon anchovy salt
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon MSG (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon cracked white pepper
1 tablespoon potato starch or corn starch
Other
25g (3) dried shiitake mushrooms
300g Jasmine rice
425g canned Eyrewoolf abalone, sliced 0.5cm thick and liquid reserved
Neutral cooking oil
1 handful coriander (optional)
1 small handful spring onions, sliced (optional)
1 long red chilli, sliced (optional)
Cracked white pepper
Method:
How to prepare shiitake mushrooms:
1. In a medium bowl, cover shiitake mushrooms in water and soak overnight in the fridge. Place a small plate on top to keep mushrooms steeped.
2. In a small pot, add the rehydrated mushrooms with the water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil then cover and simmer on low for 30 minutes, or until firm but tender.
3. Remove mushrooms and reserve the water for the rice. Allow shiitake mushrooms to cool then squeeze well to remove moisture before cutting into quarters (bite-sized pieces).
Duncan’s tip: Keep any leftover mushroom liquid and stems in the fridge or freezer to add to your next broth.
How to make claypot rice:
1. In a medium bowl, add all chicken marinade ingredients and mix well. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes, or for best results in the fridge overnight.
Duncan’s tip: Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms and marinate the chicken the night before to save time.
2. Add cooked shiitake mushrooms into the same bowl and mix well.
3. Rinse 300g rice under water a few times until water runs clear to remove excess starch. Add to a large claypot along with 300 ml of liquid, made up of all the abalone brine and some of the shiitake mushroom liquid and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
Duncan’s tip: If you do not have a claypot, use a small-medium cast iron pot with a lid.
4. Cover claypot with lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Duncan’s tip: Refrain from turning heat on high as this may cause damage to the claypot.
5. Spread chicken and mushroom mixture evenly on top of the rice and drizzle 2 tablespoons of neutral cooking oil around the edge of the claypot. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes.
Duncan’s tip: The drizzling of the oil is critical to scorch the rice and give a crispy result.
6. Top with sliced abalone just to warm through, and drizzle a touch more oil around the sides of the claypot. Cover and cook on medium for 2 minutes then remove from heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
7. Garnish with coriander, chopped spring onions, sliced red chillies and cracked white pepper.
