I was recently fortunate enough to pick up a clay pot for only USD $2.99 at one of the many popular "99 Ranch" Asian grocery stores here in Southern California. Since then, my regular pots have been collecting dust in the sidelines. My tastebuds, on the other hand, aren't complaining about the more tender and flavorful dishes produced with my new "toy".
Clay pot cooking is very much like a steaming process. Before cooking, soak the clay pot in water for about 15 minutes. That way, the water that's absorbed in the clay is released as steam during the cooking process, thus sealing the juices of the dish inside the clay pot while keeping any meat moist and tender.
Clay Pot Rice and Clay Pot Noodles are two of the more popular clay pot recipes in the Cantonese cuisine. I can't wait to whip both of them up anytime soon. But for today, since I'm short on Chinese sausage and salted fish, I'm going to stick with one of my mom's that I enjoyed growing up - Clay Pot Chicken and Mushroom recipe.
Clay pot cooking is very much like a steaming process. Before cooking, soak the clay pot in water for about 15 minutes. That way, the water that's absorbed in the clay is released as steam during the cooking process, thus sealing the juices of the dish inside the clay pot while keeping any meat moist and tender.
Clay Pot Rice and Clay Pot Noodles are two of the more popular clay pot recipes in the Cantonese cuisine. I can't wait to whip both of them up anytime soon. But for today, since I'm short on Chinese sausage and salted fish, I'm going to stick with one of my mom's that I enjoyed growing up - Clay Pot Chicken and Mushroom recipe.
Other than shitake mushroom, I'm also going to use some "cloud ear" mushroom that I've been saving for this dish. The shitake mushroom is for the flavor whereas the "cloud ear" mushroom is for that interesting crunchy texture that I enjoy. The "cloud ear" mushroom may also be substituted with it's thicker cousin, the "wood ear" mushroom, like the ones you might find in hot and sour soups.A final word on the clay pot before I move on to the recipe. Dish-washing detergent should not be used to clean them because it will absorb into the clay. I've read that scrubbing them with salt is the preferred cleaning method.
Clay Pot Chicken and Mushroom Recipe
Ingredients :
1 whole chicken ( about 2 lbs, cut into serving pieces )
green onion strips
ginger strips
3 tbsp shaoxing hua tiao wine ( OR any other chinese cooking wine )
cloud ear mushroom ( soaked and cut )
shitake mushroom ( soaked and sliced )
4 tbsp oyster sauce
white pepper
sesame oil
cornstarch solution
sugar and salt to taste
Method :
1) Saute the ginger, green onion, cloud ear and shitake mushroom in the clay pot until fragrant.
2) Add the chicken in, pan fry the chicken pieces on both sides until lightly browned.
3) Mix in the oyster sauce, chinese cooking wine, white pepper, sesame oil and water. ( up to your preference on how saucy you like it to be )
4) Cover the clay pot, and cook on medium-low heat for an additional 20 minutes.
5) Add sugar and salt to taste, cornstarch solution to thicken the gravy and mix well.
2) Add the chicken in, pan fry the chicken pieces on both sides until lightly browned.
3) Mix in the oyster sauce, chinese cooking wine, white pepper, sesame oil and water. ( up to your preference on how saucy you like it to be )
4) Cover the clay pot, and cook on medium-low heat for an additional 20 minutes.
5) Add sugar and salt to taste, cornstarch solution to thicken the gravy and mix well.
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