Chicken with Black Bean Rice in Cast Iron Pan

On a chilly, cold day, adding an extra layer of clothing and cooking a pot of clay pot rice to warm up is a great idea!

Nowadays, not many people have a clay pot at home, but most likely, many have a cast iron pot. Cooking rice in a cast iron pot yields excellent results; the rice crust becomes even more fragrant and crispy compared to using a traditional clay pot. Besides the delicious rice crust, I personally think that tofu puffs are also a highlight. They absorb the flavor of the sauce and have a juicy texture. During the cold winter, cooking a pot of rice in a cast iron pot will definitely warm you up in no time.

Ingredients (serve 2)

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Basic Ingredients

White Rice	1 cup
Water	1 cup
Chicken Thigh	300g
Soy Tofu Puff	6 pcs
Chinese Sausage	1 each
Spring Onion	1 sprig

Marinade

Bird's eyes Chilli	1 each
Garlic	6 cloves
Fermented Black Bean	1 tsp
Salt	¼ tsp
Soy Sauce	1 tbsp
Dark Soy Sauce	2 tsp
Oyster Sauce	1 tbsp
Sesame Oil	2 tsp
Shaoxing Wine	2 tsp
Cornstarch	½ tsp

Steps

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1. Chop the bird's eye chilies, garlic, and fermented black beans together.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-low heat. Add the fermented black bean mixture and cook until fragrant, then turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Cut the chicken thighs into pieces, slice the Chinese sausage, and cut the tofu puffs into pieces.

4. Mix the chicken thighs, tofu puffs, and fermented black bean mixture. Add salt, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Stir well and marinate for 30 minutes.

5. Brush a layer of oil on the cast iron pot.

6. Add the rice and water (in a 1:1 ratio) to the cast iron pot. Then, place the marinated chicken thighs and tofu cubes on top of the rice, and arrange the sliced Chinese sausage over them. Bring to a high heat until the water boils, then reduce to medium-low heat.

7. Cover the pot with a lid (or use aluminum foil if your cast iron pot doesn’t have a lid) and cook for 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes before uncovering and serving.

8. Finally, sprinkle with chopped spring onion and enjoy the warm, comforting cast iron rice pot!