Chicken And Rice In A Sandy Clay Plot

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Title: CHICKEN AND RICE IN A SANDY CLAY PLOT
Categories: Chinese, Chicken
Yield: 2 servings

Stephen Ceideburg
2 c Long-grain rice
2 1/4 c Cold water
6 Chinese dried black
-mushrooms
1/4 c Dried lily buds
6 Chicken thighs, preferably
-with the skin
2 Lean Chinese sausages (about
-2 ounces each)
1 tb Peanut or corn oil
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
3 Quarter-sized slices fresh
-ginger, peeled
1 tb Fermented bean curd (fu yu),
-mashed (optional)
4 Green onions, including the
-green tops, cut into 2-inch
-lengths
1 ts Corn starch
1/2 c Chicken stock
2 tb Rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 ts White pepper
CHICKEN MARINADE:
1 1/2 tb So sauce
1 1/2 tb Rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 ts Sugar
1 ts Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 ts Corn starch

For entertaining, this recipe makes a fun presentation
when prepared in four individual two-cup clay pots. To
season a new sandy clay pot and lid, submerge both in
cold water overnight.

Rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Drain
thoroughly. Put rice and water into a 2 1/2 to 3-quart
sandy clay pot; set aside.

In 2 separate bowls, cover the mushrooms and lily buds
with water until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes.
Drain. Cut off and discard mushroom stems; cut caps in
half. Cut off and discard hard ends of each lily bud;
tie each bud into a knot. Set aside.

Using a heavy cleaver, chop the chicken crosswise into
3 pieces cleanly through the skin, meat and bone
leaving no jagged chopped bones.

Toss chicken with marinade; set aside for 20 minutes.
Cut sausages into thin diagonal slices.

In a preheated wok add oil, garlic and ginger.
Stir-fry over medium heat until fragrant, about 10
seconds. Increase heat to high; add chicken and
sausages and stir occasionally until lightly browned,
about 5 minutes. Add mashed fermented bean curd to
center of wok; toss with chicken mixture. Add
mushrooms, lily buds and green onions and stir-fry 30
seconds.

Mix cornstarch with chicken stock, wine and pepper to
a smooth mixture. Pour into the wok and stir until
sauce thickens, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat.

Place clay pot over medium-high heat. Boil rice and
stir with chopsticks to loosen grains. Continue
boiling until surface water is absorbed (about 5
minutes). Pour chicken mixture over rice, cover,
reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off
heat, do not remove lid; let sit for 10 minutes longer.

PER SERVING (4 servings): 850 calories, 39 g protein,
84 g carbohydrate, 36 g fat (10 g saturated), 141 mg
cholesterol, 777 3 fiber.

Marion Cunningham writing in the San Francisco
Chronicle, 10/2/91.

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