Weeknight Hong Kong Clay Pot Rice

Upon her return from a trip to Hong Kong last year, Zoe Yang made it her mission to duplicate the iconic clay pot rice dishes it is famous for. Since then she has created many variations on the flavorful, crispy-bottomed rice dish topped with all manner of smoky, meaty goodness, perfecting her technique for a home stove. She even makes clay pot rice (bo zai fan, 煲仔饭) on a weeknight. And she thinks you can too!

"Here, I’ve provided instructions for one of  the simplest and arguably most classic variations around: bo zai fan with lap cheong, or Chinese sausage, plus some larou (wind-cured pork belly) or shiitake mushroom. I always keep a package of sausage in the fridge since they never go bad. Interchangeable with lap cheong are any of the other Chinese regional cured meats: duck from Jiangnan, larou from Sichuan, or ham from Yunnan.

"In all cases, the salty fat melts as it steams on top of the rice and you get delicious aromatic oily rice. This version comes with the traditional accompanying sauce—made with both light and dark soy sauces, plus some oyster sauce and seasonings—that punches up the sausage’s umami and sweet notes.

"In Hong Kong, you can get everything from salted fish to frog legs on bo zai fan. You can try adding a variety of different ingredients to your homemade version and in time, you’ll discover your favorites and learn to tweak your methods accordingly."
 

Beer-Stewed Duck From Eastern Yunnan

While oyster sauce is used most frequently in southeastern China, where it originated, it is one of those cooking ingredients/condiments that is in pantries all over China—and all over the world. Much to her surprise, Georgia even found it as a key ingredient in a dish in small-town eastern Yunnan. 

"The most memorable duck dish I ever had while exploring this part of Yunnan was a fragrant bowl of beer-stewed duck (or “yellow duck,” huángjiǒng yā, 黄炯鸭) at Dragon Spring Restaurant, a popular spot run by a Zhuang family in the town of Babao. 

"Babao is on the eastern edge of the Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, in a primarily Zhuang area, so for dinner we made a beeline to the largest, busiest Zhuang-style restaurant in town. The two-story spot was packed with local families enjoying a range of delicious-looking dishes, so when it came time to narrow down the choices and order dinner for my family, I did what I often do when I’m in Yunnan: I asked the owner, Wei Hanyaan, what the restaurant’s specialties were. (As usual, I also explained that I was researching Yunnan’s foodways for a cookbook and asked if I could watch the cooks prepare my food, so I could write down the recipe.)

"She recommended a few Zhuang-style dishes including some beautiful purple sticky rice and this stewed duck cooked in local beer and seasoned with ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, sesame oil and a hint of local chili bean paste."
 

Both Excellent, But for Different Reasons

• Yangjiang Extra Pure Fujian Oyster Sauce: 75% oyster, with a full, savory oyster taste. First taste on the palate is oyster, followed by salt and slight sweetness. Thick consistency. Has no additives and no preservatives. Includes wheat.
• Thailand's Megachef Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce: mild, sweet oyster taste. First taste on the palate is sweet, followed by salt and a hint of oyster. Pourable consistency. Is gluten free. Includes preservatives. 

Oyster Sauce Chicken

Oyster sauce is very often a player in a stir-fry or braise, but in this case it is the star of a scrumptious sauce. I adapted this recipe for Oyster Sauce Chicken from our affiliate The Woks of Life. They used large thigh/leg quarters, and I used just the thighs. In China a dish like this would use thighs cut into chunks, but it is easier and faster to skip that step sometimes, merging Western and Chinese methods. I've also streamlined the other steps to just the essentials. (Excuse the photo; this was dinner, not a recipe photo shoot.)

1. Wash and pat dry 4-5 chicken thighs. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a cold wok and place thighs in the wok skin side down. (Starting with a cold wok keeps them from sticking.) Cook over medium heat until the skin is nicely browned.
2. Turn the thighs over and add a couple tablespoons thinly sliced ginger and 3-4 cloves thinly sliced garlic. (We use extra ginger.) Cook briefly, then add the sauce: 1 cup chicken stock (or water), 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine, 3 tablespoons Yangjiang Extra Pure Fujian Oyster Sauce, 2 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably Zhongba), 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil, and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (optional). Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes. 
3. Remove the lid, turn chicken skin-side down again, and continue cooking at a simmer for 5 minutes. Flip chicken over one last time and add 3-4 scallions, cut into 2-inch lengths. Cook until done, around 5-10 more minutes, or to an internal temperature of 165°F. Remove chicken to a serving plate. 
4. Turn heat to medium high and reduce sauce to consistency of your liking, 3-4 minutes. Pour sauce over chicken and serve hot with rice. 
    

Gailan With Crispy Shallots and Oyster Sauce

Who can resist blanched gailan sauced with punchy oyster sauce, fragrant shallot oil and crispy shallots? Mmmm.