Soupy Rice with Chicken, Bok Choy and Mushrooms (Pao Fan)

Ingredience

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough ¼-inch pieces

1½ tablespoons oyster sauce

Kosher salt and ground white pepper

1 quart low-sodium chicken broth

1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained

1 tablespoon grapeseed or other neutral oil

8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

1 pound baby bok choy, trimmed and cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces

5 scallions, thinly sliced

Toasted sesame oil or chili oil, to serve

Pokyny

In a small bowl, stir together the chicken, oyster sauce and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Set aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, combine 4 cups water, the broth, rice and 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to low, cover and simmer, stirring once or twice, until the rice is tender, about 8 minutes.

While the rice cooks, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, heat the grapeseed oil until barely smoking. Add the mushrooms and ½ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until softened and shrunken in size, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Turn off the heat, stir in the bok choy and set aside until the rice is ready.

When the rice is tender, quickly stir in the bok choy–chicken mixture. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand until the bok choy stems are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and white pepper. Ladle the rice into bowls. Sprinkle with additional white pepper and scallions, then drizzle with sesame oil.

Poznámky

Don’t use a pot smaller than 6 quarts to cook the rice or the starchy liquid may overflow.

Soupy rice, a classic Chinese dish, is a way to turn leftover cooked rice into a meal. Our version, however, starts with uncooked rice and simmers it in a blend of chicken broth and water before a simple stir-fry of shiitake mushrooms, chicken and bok choy is stirred in.