The comforting meal of clay pot rice known as bo zai fan in Cantonese is popular in many parts of China, particularly in Hong Kong where this version takes its inspiration. A layer of crispy rice on the bottom of the pot, known as fan jiao, is a hallmark of the dish and a delicious counterpart to the fluffy, flavored rice above. Various proteins and toppings for bo zai fan abound, including ingredients like Chinese bacon, dried salted fish, morsels of marinated chicken and various vegetables, but Chinese sausage is a favored one in Hong Kong so we’ve called for it here. Restaurant and some home-cooked versions of the dish call for presoaking or par-cooking the rice, but we’ve streamlined the cooking technique so you can have a meal on the table in just about 40 minutes. And regarding tilting the pot to maximize the amount of that crusty browned rice the dish has: If you’re not comfortable holding and tilting the pot so that fan jiao forms on the sides as well as the bottom of the pot, that’s totally fine; you’ll have a wonderfully tasty meal, just with more fluffy and less crispy rice.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 40 min |
| Active: | 35 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 cups jasmine rice
- 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as vegetable or canola oil
- 8 ounces (about 6 links) Chinese sausage
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 scallion, sliced
Instructions
- Place the rice in a large bowl and fill with enough cool water to cover. Gently massage the rice a few times to wash off any excess starch and drain off as much water as possible. Repeat the rinsing steps 2 more times (for a total of 3 times) or until the water runs mostly clear. Drain again.
- Place the rice in a 66-ounce (about 2-quart) clay pot (see Cook’s Note). Coat the rice with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Stir in 2 1/2 cups cold water and bring to a boil, covered, over medium heat, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, rinse the sausage under hot water until no visible white dust remains. Set aside.
- Mix the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar and white pepper in a cup. Set aside.
- Uncover the pot after it boils and gently stir with a rubber spatula to even out the rice. When the rice has absorbed most of the water, about 3 minutes longer, uncover and top with the sausage. Cover and cook over low heat until the rice is cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Leaving the lid on the pot, drizzle the remaining 3 tablespoons oil around the edge of the lid. Cook over medium heat, tilting the clay pot at different angles, to scorch the rice on the sides and bottom, about 2 minutes per angle for a total of 8 to 10 minutes. (Wear heatproof oven mitts since your hands will be close to the fire.)
- Uncover the pot and carefully transfer the sausage to a cutting board with chopsticks or tongs. Slice the sausage thinly on a slight diagonal and place the slices back on top of the hot rice. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the seasoned soy sauce and sprinkle with the scallion. Let rest for 10 minutes, covered, to cool down a bit to release the crispy rice from the pot.
- Uncover and scrape the bottom of the pot with a spoon to mix some of the crispy rice with the fluffy rice above. Divide between 4 bowls. Enjoy piping hot, adding more seasoned soy sauce if you like.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 787 |
| Total Fat | 27 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 114 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 40 mg |
| Sodium | 1359 mg |