Meera Sodha’s vegetarian recipe for mushroom claypot rice
In the nine years that I’ve been writing this column, I’ve had two babies, a breakdown and very little time away from writing a weekly recipe.
Ingredients
- 400g mixed enoki, shiitake, king oyster and oyster mushrooms
- 4 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 10 spring onions (100g), whites and greens trimmed, finely sliced and washed
- 1½cm x 1½cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced
- 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 4 eggs (medium or large ones)
Method
- Put the rice in a large bowl, cover with cold water, then swish with your hands until the water turns cloudy. Pour away the water, then repeat five more times, until the water is clear-ish. Leave the rice to soak in cold water for 30 minutes, then drain.
- Meanwhile, weigh out the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, mirin and vinegar into a jug, add 380ml water and half a teaspoon of salt, and mix well.
- Tear the oyster mushrooms into 2cm-thick strips and chop the shiitake into ½cm-thick slices. Put three tablespoons of neutral oil in your widest frying pan on a medium to high heat. When bubbles form around a wooden spoon, add half the mixed mushrooms, or as many as will fit without (really) overlapping, and leave for three to four minutes without touching them. Turn over the mushrooms and cook for another three to four minutes, or until beautifully bronzed all over. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate, season with a big pinch of salt, then repeat with the remaining mushrooms; add a drizzle of more oil, if need be.
- Put the last tablespoon of neutral oil and the sesame oil in a casserole pot on a medium heat. When it’s hot, add the spring onions, ginger and garlic, and fry for two minutes, until the onions are Kermit-green and the garlic smells good. Add half the fried mushrooms, mix, then add the drained rice and mix again.
- Add the stock and bring to a boil. Scatter the remaining mushrooms evenly over the top and pop on the lid. Turn down to a simmer and leave the rice to cook for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and, with the lid on, leave to rest for 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, soft-boil the eggs (for a soft, slightly jammy egg, I cook medium eggs for six and a half minutes), then peel them.
- Divide the mushroom rice between four bowls, use the back of a spoon to make a dent in the middle of each portion and serve with two soft-boiled egg halves (or a raw egg yolk, to be stirred in before eating).
Mushroom claypot rice
You’ll need a casserole pot with a tight-fitting lid. Weighing the stock will ensure just the right amount of liquid to rice, so use digital scales, if possible.
400g white short-grain rice, or sushi rice 60g (4 tbsp) light soy sauce 60g (4 tbsp) Shaoxing wine 30g (2 tbsp) mirin 15g white-wine vinegar
Fine sea salt 400g mixed enoki, shiitake, king oyster and oyster mushrooms 4 tbsp neutral oil – I use rapeseed.
