Cantonese Lap Cheong Claypot Rice

腊肠煲仔饭

Cantonese Lap Cheong Claypot Rice — CantoneseGuangzhou home cooking.

Ingredients

• jasmine rice
• Chinese dried lap cheong (hard, sweet-cured pork sausage)
• light soy sauce
• sesame oil
• scallion greens, finely sliced

Instructions

1. Rinse rice thoroughly, then soak in cold water for 20 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
2. Heat a 6-inch (15 cm) unglazed claypot over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Add 1 tsp neutral oil and swirl to coat. Sauté reserved scallion whites and 1 minced garlic clove (optional) until fragrant, about 30 seconds. (Oil shimmers lightly; scallions soften but don’t brown)
3. Add drained rice and spread evenly. Pour in 360 ml (1 ½ cups) boiling water — just enough to cover rice by 0.5 cm. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly with lid, and simmer for 12 minutes.
4. Arrange lap cheong slices on top of rice. Cover again and continue cooking on low heat for 8 more minutes — steam will cook the sausage through and render its fat into the rice.
5. Turn off heat. Let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Drizzle with light soy sauce and sesame oil. Garnish with scallion greens. Serve immediately — scrape crispy guō bā from bottom with a spoon. (Rice is tender, slightly moist; lap cheong is plump and glossy; thin golden crust forms at pot bottom)