Clay Pot Rice with Chicken and Lap Cheong

Cut the chicken thigh into 2–3 cm pieces. Mix with oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, salt, white pepper, sesame oil, and Shaoxing wine; cover and marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs almost clear, drain well, and transfer to a clay pot or a heavy thick-bottomed pot. Pour in the chicken stock.

Bring the rice and stock to a boil over high heat, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 5–7 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed but the grains are still firm.

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, fry the ginger for 2–3 minutes until golden, add the marinated chicken, and sear for about 5 minutes without cooking it through.

Place the chicken along with its juices and the ginger on top of the rice, nestle the pieces into the rice, cover, and cook over low heat for 7–10 minutes without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes so the chicken finishes cooking through.

Slice the lap cheong thinly and fry in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes until glossy and lightly caramelized.

Arrange the lap cheong over the hot rice, sprinkle with scallions, and serve immediately; gently loosen the crispy rice layer at the bottom with a spatula.