Garlic Mushroom Claypot Rice
I’ve had a claypot for years but it spends most of its life sitting forgotten in the dark corner of a cupboard gathering dust. How sad!
I recently had the most delicious Shanghainese pork and veggie claypot rice at a restaurant. Big plump kernels of rice with bits of bok choy and pork belly, with just the right amount of grease covering each fat kernel, and a crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the claypot. I want to eat it all the time but I suspect it’s not the healthiest, so I started experimenting with claypot rice dishes at home, and came up with this garlic mushroom claypot rice recipe.
Claypot cooking turns rice from the canvas for food into the main attraction. I’ve been experimenting with claypot rice recipes and wanted a healthier version with max umami flavor. Restaurant claypot rice is usually quite heavy and full of pork fat. I used mixed mushrooms sautéed in garlic until caramelized, and cooked the rice in chicken stock, sake, and butter. The resulting flavor is super flavorful and rich, and mixed with a runny egg, it’s a great one pot meal.
Serves 2 main or 4 side dishes | 1 hour
- 2 medium shallots
- 24oz (~1.5 lb) mixed mushrooms, sliced (oyster, cremini, shiitake, enoki, maitake, etc.)
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked medium or short grain rice
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup sake
- 2 tbsp mirin
Optional Garnishes
- Poached egg
- Dried bonito flakes
- Finely chopped nori (dry roasted seaweed)
- Finely chopped shiso leaves
- Togarashi
- Furikake
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- Generous squeeze of lemon juice
- 2 bunches scallions, finely chopped
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté shallots and 2 minced garlic cloves in a splash of canola or olive oil, until fragrant but not brown. Add half of the mushrooms and sauté for 10 minutes. Push cooked mushrooms to the side of the pan and add second half of mushrooms, and cook for another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add sake and mirin. Cook until all liquid has evaporated, and mushrooms turn golden brown on the edges.
2. While mushrooms are cooking, add 4 minced garlic cloves and the butter to a clay pot. Heat clay pot over medium-low heat, and cook garlic for a minute, making sure to not let the garlic burn. Add washed rice and sauté for a couple minutes, then add chicken stock. Cover and cook over low heat. Check at the 10 minute mark, stir and sample rice for doneness. Once cooked, turn off and set aside. If you need more cooking liquid, add more chicken stock a little at a time.
3. Prepare dressing by combining all ingredients, and adjust to taste.
4. Add cooked mushrooms and dressing to clay pot. Over medium heat, mix all ingredients together and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring to keep rice from burning. Adjust seasonings to taste – I like my rice more vinegary. Garnish with any combination of poached egg, bonito flakes, roasted seaweed, shiso leaves, furikake, or togarashi. Mix and enjoy!
