煲
Cantonese Home Cooking · 廣東家常

臘味煲仔飯

Clay Pot Rice with Cured Meats

A winter staple of Hong Kong dai pai dongs — fragrant jasmine rice cooked under a fan of cured meats until the bottom forms a deep, golden crust. The fat from the sausage drips down, the rice steams above, and a glossy sweet soy sauce ties it all together at the end.

Serves2
Soak30 min
Cook25 min
LevelMedium
材料Ingredients

The Ricejasmine, soaked

  • Jasmine rice1 cup
  • Water (1 : 1.25 ratio)1¼ cups
  • Neutral oil (for the pot)1 tbsp

The Cured Meatsany style — what's in your fridge

  • Lap cheong (Chinese sausage)2 links
  • Lap yuk (cured pork belly), optional60 g
  • Or: any preserved meat you like~150 g total

The Saucestore-bought works — but this is better

  • Light soy sauce2 tbsp
  • Dark soy sauce1 tsp
  • Oyster sauce1 tbsp
  • Sugar (or rock sugar)2 tsp
  • Shaoxing wine1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil1 tsp
  • Water3 tbsp

The Greenschoy sum, gai lan, or yu choy

  • Choy sum or gai lan1 small bunch
  • Garlic, smashed2 cloves
  • Neutral oil & pinch of saltto taste
做法Method
  1. Soak the riceRinse jasmine rice until the water runs nearly clear, then soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain well. Soaking is what gives you grains that cook evenly without a chalky middle.
  2. Cut the meats & greensSlice lap cheong and any cured pork belly thinly on a steep diagonal — you want long ovals that fan out across the rice. Cut greens into 3-inch lengths and split thick stems.
  3. Mix the sauceStir all sauce ingredients together until the sugar dissolves. For a glossier finish, simmer in a small pan for 1–2 minutes until just thickened, then set aside. (Or skip it and use a store-bought clay pot rice sauce — no shame.)
  4. Oil, water, rice — bring to a boilRub the inside of the clay pot with oil. Add drained rice and water. Bring to a boil uncovered over medium-high heat until the surface is dimpled with bubbles and most of the water at the top has been absorbed (about 4–6 minutes).
  5. Turn down, lay the toppingsDrop the heat to low. Fan the cured meats over the rice and scatter the greens around them. Cover and cook 15 minutes — do not lift the lid. Halfway through, drizzle a teaspoon of oil around the rim of the lid so it trickles down the sides; tilt the pot every 2 minutes to rotate which side touches the flame, building the crust evenly.
  6. RestKill the heat and let the pot sit, covered, for 5 minutes. The crust (飯焦) firms up here — this is not optional.
  7. Sauce & serveOpen the lid at the table. Pour the sauce over everything and toss gently from the bottom to lift the golden crust into the rice. Eat straight from the pot, while the bottom is still crackling.

A Note from the Kitchen

The whole point of clay pot rice is the 飯焦 — the golden, brittle layer at the bottom. Three things make it: enough oil on the pot wall, low and patient heat, and a hand that doesn't lift the lid. If you smell toasted rice and hear a faint crackle, you're there. If you smell scorch, the pot's too hot — slide it half-off the burner.

For cleaner greens, blanch them separately in salted boiling water for 20 seconds, shock them in cold water, and toss with garlic oil and a splash of the sauce on the side. Tossing them into the pot is faster (and what most home kitchens do) but the leaves go olive-yellow under the lid. Both are valid — pick your battle.

No clay pot? A heavy enameled cast iron or a small Dutch oven gets you 80% of the way there.