Chicken and Tofu in Clay Pot

If you’re looking for authentic Chinese cooking, than this is the closest you’re getting without having to go to China. Many of the rural Chinese village uses clay pot to cook, due to lack of fancy porcelains. They utilized what they have and this method actually makes the dish very tasteful. Another popular dish that was made from clay pot is the rice and meat or seafood. Cooking this way makes the rice nice and crispy on the bottom and very moist inside. It’s also very flavor and has a nice aroma to it too, but that is another recipe in the making soon.

This is almost stew, because of the process of make the chicken tender. It’s great comfort food for the winter and when you don’t know what to make.





Ingredients:

4 to 6 Pieces of thigh or drumstick cut into desire size
1 Cube of soft tofu cut into tiny cubes
1 Garlic chopped
1 Cup of water
½ Tsp of ginger
1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1 Tsp of sesame oil
½ Tsp of black pepper
½ Tsp of kosher salt
¼ Cup of soy sauce or to taste
¼ Cup of dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp of brown sugar
1 Tbsp of rice vinegar (optional if you like it with a hint of tanginess)
6 Shiitake mushroom, soaked until soften

Methods:

1. Soak the dried shiitake mushroom 30 minutes in advance in hot water. Cut the steam and spilt in an x in the middle.
2. Heat the clay pot to hot. Add the vegetable oil and sesame oil until hot then add the chopped garlic and ginger until lightly amber and aroma.
3. Add the water and brown sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, soy sauce and dark soy sauce and bring to boil. Lower the heat to medium until the sauce is slightly thicken.
4. Add the chopped chicken and mushroom, stir a couple of time and cover it for 25 to 35 minutes or until if tender.
5. The last 10 minutes give it a couple of stirs and carefully add the soft tofu on top and side and cover it with the juice in the pot. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Remove and give a couple dash of white pepper, serve hot over steam rice.