Baozaifan: Rice in a Pot

Votes: 1

Time: 40 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Nutritional value per serving:

Calories 787, total fat 27 G., saturated fats 5 G., proteins 20 G., carbohydrates 114 G., fiber 2 G., cholesterol 40 mg, sodium 1359 mg, sugar 2 G.

Bao zaifan is a delicious clay pot rice dish popular in many parts of China, especially Hong Kong. Its distinctive feature is a layer of crispy rice (fan jiao) at the bottom of the pot, which harmoniously complements the fragrant, fluffy rice on top. The rice is typically topped with various proteins and other fillings, including Chinese bacon, dried fish, pieces of marinated chicken, and vegetables, but in Hong Kong, bao zaifan is most often prepared with Chinese sausage, and this recipe reflects this tradition. Bao zaifan rice is typically soaked, but we've simplified the cooking process so the dish is ready in just 40 minutes.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

3 cups jasmine rice
3 tbsp + 1 tsp neutral vegetable oil
220 g Chinese sausage (about 6 sausages)
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
0.5 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 green onion, thinly sliced
Special equipment: a heat-resistant clay pot with a capacity of approximately 2 liters.

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

We recommend

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Place the rice in a large bowl and add enough cool water to cover. Stir the rice with your fingers to remove excess starch and drain as much water as possible. Repeat 2 more times (3 times total) or rinse until the water runs almost clear. Drain again.
Place the rice in a 2-quart clay pot (see Note). Drizzle the rice with 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Add 2.5 cups of cold water and bring to a boil, covered, over medium heat, for about 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, rinse the sausage under hot water until no visible white dust remains. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
Once boiling, remove the lid from the pot and gently stir the rice with a spatula. Once the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 3 minutes later, remove the lid and add the sausage. Cover and simmer over low heat until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
With the pot covered, drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil over the rim of the lid. Cook over medium heat, tilting the pot at various angles to brown the rice on the sides and bottom, about 2 minutes per corner, for a total of 8–10 minutes. Wear oven mitts, as your hands will be close to the heat.
Remove the lid from the pot and carefully transfer the sausage to a cutting board using chopsticks or tongs. Slice the sausage thinly diagonally and arrange the slices on top of the hot rice. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of soy sauce dressing and sprinkle with green onions. Let sit, covered, for 10 minutes until the rice cools slightly and crisps up.
Remove the lid and scrape the bottom of the pot with a spoon to mix some crispy rice with the soft rice on top. Divide among 4 plates. Serve hot, with more soy sauce dressing if desired.
Note

The oven-safe clay pot we used for this dish was 20 cm in diameter and 8 cm deep. Season your clay pot according to the manufacturer's instructions. Gently wash the pot with warm, soapy water. Rinse it, and then let it dry uncovered overnight.