Title: Chicken and Rice in a Sandy Clay Plot
Categories: Chinese, Chicken
Yield: 2 Servings

Stephen Ceideburg
2 c Long-grain rice
2 1/4 c Cold water
6 Chinese dried black
-mushrooms
1/4 c Dried lily buds
6 Chicken thighs, preferably
-with the skin
2 Lean Chinese sausages (about
-2 ounces each)
1 tb Peanut or corn oil
4 Garlic cloves, peeled
3 Quarter-sized slices fresh
-ginger, peeled
1 tb Fermented bean curd (fu yu),
-mashed (optional)
4 Green onions, including the
-green tops, cut into 2-inch
-lengths
1 ts Corn starch
1/2 c Chicken stock
2 tb Rice wine or dry sherry
1/4 ts White pepper
CHICKEN MARINADE:
1 1/2 tb So sauce
1 1/2 tb Rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 ts Sugar
1 ts Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 ts Corn starch

For entertaining, this recipe makes a fun presentation when prepared in
four individual two-cup clay pots. To season a new sandy clay pot and lid,
submerge both in cold water overnight.

Rinse with cold water until water runs clear. Drain thoroughly. Put rice
and water into a 2 1/2 to 3-quart sandy clay pot; set aside.

In 2 separate bowls, cover the mushrooms and lily buds with water until
soft and pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain. Cut off and discard mushroom
stems; cut caps in half. Cut off and discard hard ends of each lily bud;
tie each bud into a knot. Set aside.

Using a heavy cleaver, chop the chicken crosswise into 3 pieces cleanly
through the skin, meat and bone leaving no jagged chopped bones.

Toss chicken with marinade; set aside for 20 minutes. Cut sausages into
thin diagonal slices.

In a preheated wok add oil, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry over medium heat
until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Increase heat to high; add chicken and
sausages and stir occasionally until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add
mashed fermented bean curd to center of wok; toss with chicken mixture. Add
mushrooms, lily buds and green onions and stir-fry 30 seconds.

Mix cornstarch with chicken stock, wine and pepper to a smooth mixture.
Pour into the wok and stir until sauce thickens, about 10 seconds. Remove
from heat.

Place clay pot over medium-high heat. Boil rice and stir with chopsticks to
loosen grains. Continue boiling until surface water is absorbed (about 5
minutes). Pour chicken mixture over rice, cover, reduce heat to low, and
cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, do not remove lid; let sit for 10
minutes longer.

PER SERVING (4 servings): 850 calories, 39 g protein, 84 g carbohydrate, 36
g fat (10 g saturated), 141 mg cholesterol, 777 3 fiber.

Marion Cunningham writing in the San Francisco Chronicle, 10/2/91.

From Gemini's MASSIVE MealMaster collection at www.synapse.com/~gemini