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Chicken with Chinese Sausage, Shiitake Mushrooms, and Rice

(recipe, Christina Eng)


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Introduction

Although my mother used a rice cooker for this dish — as I do now — it can also be made in a large pot on the stovetop. When the rice comes to a slight boil, add the chicken mixture, turn down the heat and cover. Cook until the rice is fluffy and the water has been absorbed.

Ingredients

  1. 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  2. 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
  3. 1 Tbsp. rice wine
  4. 1 Tbsp. sugar
  5. 1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
  6. 1 Tbsp. garlic salt
  7. 1 Tbsp. sesame oil
  8. Pinch of white pepper
  9. 1 chicken (a 3-pound bird, chopped into bite-sized pieces) or 5½ lbs. boneless chicken meat
  10. 2 slices ginger, peeled
  11. 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  12. 3 Chinese sausages, sliced diagonally into bite-sized pieces
  13. 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms, re-hydrated, drained, and sliced
  14. 3 cups medium- or long-grain rice
  15. Pinch of salt

Steps

  1. In a large bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, oyster sauce, rice wine, sugar, soy sauce, garlic salt, sesame oil, and white pepper.
  2. Add the chicken, tossing to coat. Marinate at least 15 minutes.
  3. Heat a wok or deep-frying pan over high heat. Add the ginger slices and garlic cloves and stir-fry briefly to season the wok. Remove.
  4. Stir-fry the chicken, sausage, and mushrooms briefly; the mixture should be just partially cooked. Set aside.
  5. Rinse the rice and place in a rice cooker. Add about 6 cups of water, or as indicated by the electric cooker. Season the rice with a pinch of salt.
  6. When the rice comes to a slight boil, add the chicken mixture into the cooker. Continue to cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until rice is done.

Note

For the Chinese sausage, I like to use the Kam Yen Jan brand. It comes in vacuum-packed 16-ounce packages; it's available at Asian markets and, occasionally, at supermarkets, shelved alongside the tofu. Read more in Christina Eng's essay about chicken and rice.