Almost anything can be Hong Kong claypot style if you have the right perspective. And dawdled too long in the teevee room while something was on the stove. Caught it before it could get too burned to eat, and it was, in fact, quite edible. Delicious, even, with a sploodge of Sriracha hot sauce. But the apartment smelled a bit. Chicken and fatty mystery meat with chopped veggies and chicken-stock rice. Plus ginger.
The mystery meat was NOT actually mystery meat.
I knew damned well what it was.
So. Animal protein. Vegetable fibres. Starch.
What a balance meal should be.
This was not something worth posting on Facebook. It would not have excited passions, or inspired envy and a yearning to cook beautiful dishes like the masters.
There is no hard and fast rule that claypot rice (煲仔飯 '
pou chai faan') must have lap cheung (臘腸). But it does add to the dish. Something salty is necessary, for that balance of toasty - savoury - greasy - richness. And moisture to sizzle the bottom and give it a slightly crackly rice crust. Sweet too -- that's where the Chinese sausage and or various roast or preserved meats (臘味 '
lap mei') play a role. Plus rehydrated black mushrooms (
香菇 '
heung gu') to lift the flavour, or perhaps some pickled vegies (酸菜 '
suen choi').
You could also add smoked bacon.
That would be very nice.
Plus salt fish.
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