Braised Rice with Chicken and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms: Controlling the Formation of Crispy Rice and Soy Sauce Recipe
Hello everyone, I am Ali. Today we are making 'Braised Rice with Chicken and Dried Shiitake Mushrooms.' This method is invented by Ali, and you can quickly cook a pot of this dish using a home gas stove and a very inexpensive clay pot. Moreover, you don't need to control the heat or rotate the pot—it’s very easy to handle. The final dish looks and tastes excellent: the rice is soft, chewy, and distinct, the chicken is smooth and flavorful, the mushrooms are tender and juicy, and the crispy rice is just right. Some friends told Ali that their clay pots crack easily. In fact, Ali’s clay pot also cracks easily, but cracking doesn’t affect its usage. The key is to reinforce the pot with some iron wires. Even if it cracks, it can still be used, and it will develop a unique “flavor” over time! Isn’t it like a family? Even with some ups and downs, life goes on. With a bit more care, tolerance, and understanding, things can get better, richer, and more flavorful.
Ingredients
Steps
First, take out the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and bring them to room temperature. If you don’t know how to do this, check out Ali’s tutorial on 'Rehydrating Shiitake Mushrooms.' You can also use dried shiitake mushrooms for rehydration.
Wash 150g of indica rice a few times, then soak it in water for over 30 minutes until the grains turn white.
Clean the chicken meat thoroughly, dry off the moisture, and cut it into bite-sized pieces. Crack an egg, use half the egg white, and mix it well with 3g of cornstarch. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes, which will make it more tender and smooth.
Prepare a few onions (cut into slices), cut ginger into shreds, and chop spring onions, separating the white and green parts.
Mix light soy sauce (15g), oyster sauce (10g), dark soy sauce (2g), and fish sauce (2g) evenly. In a pan over low heat, add a small amount of peanut oil and stir-fry the onion slices until fragrant. Add two mushroom broth ice cubes (refer to Ali’s ‘Rehydrating Shiitake Mushrooms’ tutorial). If unavailable, replace with 20g of water. Then add 2g of sugar, less than 1g of salt, and the prepared sauce mix, stir evenly, and bring to a gentle boil before turning off the heat. This is 'Ali’s Special Braised Rice Soy Sauce.'
Bring the rehydrated shiitake mushrooms to room temperature. Set aside three whole mushrooms and slice the rest into strips. To bring the mushrooms to temperature naturally, avoid soaking them in water; instead, place them in a slightly warm area like a pot with warm water.
Take the chicken out of the refrigerator, sprinkle a little pepper powder, and mix it with 3g sugar, 5g light soy sauce, 5g oyster sauce, 1g salt, ginger shreds, and spring onion. Mix thoroughly. If the color seems light, add a bit of dark soy sauce. Finally, add sesame oil and sliced mushrooms, combining everything well. Marinate for about 20 minutes.
Drain the soaked rice lightly and transfer it to a clay pot. Use hot water to speed up the process. Since the soaked rice has absorbed plenty of water, the water level should just cover the rice by about 5mm. Flatten the surface with chopsticks and ignite the stove. Ali’s high-heat cooking method for clay pot rice does not need heat adjustments throughout. Do not cover the pot lid before the water on the surface is absorbed. Once the water starts boiling, add a bit of lard (or another oil of your choice).
Use chopsticks to poke holes in the rice. As the water further evaporates, quickly place the chicken pieces on top. If you're not confident, you can initially turn off the heat, arrange the chicken, and then resume cooking. Once the chicken is placed and the water on the surface dries, cover the pot lid. Drizzle a bit of peanut oil on top. Here, Ali heats for about 40 seconds before turning off the heat.
For convenience, this time Ali used a timer. With experience, you’ll be able to gauge the timing by the sound and aroma. After 2 minutes, turn on the heat; turn off after 1 minute; wait another 3 minutes, turn on again for 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Let it rest for 1 minute before adding the remaining egg white to the rice. Let it rest further according to your preferred egg doneness. Ali rested it for 1 minute here as a reference. Sprinkle with chopped onions and fried onion slices, cover, and serve.
When you dig into the rice, you’ll find it glossy, distinct, and full, perfectly complemented by 'Ali’s Special Braised Rice Soy Sauce.' The final 1-minute heating is critical for forming crispy rice. You can adjust the length of this time to control the crispiness according to your preference. Enjoy a piece of the juicy mushroom, bursting with flavor upon biting. Follow it with a perfectly golden crispy chicken—succulent, tender, and full of flavor.