MARCH 2020 95
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 (2-oz.) pieces boneless, skinless
salmon belly (about^1 / 2 -inch thick)
3 oz. baby bok choy, yu choy, or
broccoli florets (about 1^1 / 2 cups)(^1) / 4 cup fresh or frozen yellow corn
kernels
2 scallions
Ginger-Scallion Sauce (recipe
follows)
Mirin-Soy Sauce (recipe follows)
- Rinse rice in a strainer until water runs
clear. Shake rice dry in strainer. Stir
together rice, salt, and 1^1 / 3 cups cold
water in a 1-quart Chinese clay pot. Let
stand at room temperature 1 hour. - Heat rice mixture, uncovered and
undisturbed, on a gas stovetop over
medium-high until water along edges of
clay pot begins to simmer in spots, 8 to 10
minutes. Continue simmering, uncovered
and undisturbed, over medium-high until
water is completely absorbed and rice
makes a faint crackling sound, 5 to 6 min-
utes. Drizzle sesame oil evenly around
inside edges of pot. Reduce heat to low;
cover and cook until rice is just tender,
about 10 minutes.- Working quickly, turn off heat, uncover,
and arrange salmon belly, baby bok choy,
and corn in an even layer on top of rice.
Increase heat to medium-high. Cook,
covered, until rice smells nutty and makes
a constant crackling sound, 4 to 5
minutes. Turn off heat, and let stand,
covered, on unlit burner 15 minutes. Slice
green parts of scallions to equal 3
tablespoons, and sprinkle over salmon,
baby bok choy, and corn. (Reserve
remaining scallion for another use.) Serve
with ginger-scallion sauce and mirin-soy
sauce.
WINE Apple-scented, complex Chenin
Blanc: 2017 Habit Santa Ynez Valley
Ginger Crispy Rice with Salmon
and Bok Choy
ACTIVE 25 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR 10 MIN
SERVES 2
Grains of jasmine rice take on a toasty,
crispy crust in this perfect pot of rice
topped with salmon, bok choy, and corn.
To achieve the crust at the bottom of the
pot, use a squeeze bottle to drizzle oil
around the edge of the pot, or apply it pre-
cisely with a spoon. Use your senses to
understand what’s happening inside: Lis-
ten for a faint crackling sound and smell
for a nutty aroma. (If you smell burnt pop-
corn, the rice has over-toasted.) Make it
without toppings for a satisfying side dish.
1 cup uncooked jasmine rice (6^1 / 2 oz.)
(such as Three Ladies Thai Hom
Mali Rice)
(^1) / 2 tsp. kosher salt
11 / 3 cups cold water
CL AY PO T
RECIPES
Use these recipes as a starting point to learn how to cook with clay pots, following
the techniques closely to ensure both the outcome of the dishes and the mainte-
nance of the fragile pots. See below for more information about handling clay pots.RECIPES BY MARY-FRANCES HECK
AND PAIGE GRANDJEAN
A USER’S GUIDE TO CLAY POTS BY PAIGE GRANDJEAN
SEASON BEFORE FIRST USE
The following clay pots should be seasoned
before first use to temper them for cooking.
Donabe, Flameware, Chinese Clay Pots,
and Bean Pots: Combine a 4:1 ratio of cool
water and cooked white rice to fill the pot
halfway. Set the pot over medium-low heat,
bring to a simmer, and adjust heat to
maintain a gentle bubble until the rice
softens into a porridge. Turn off heat, and let
stand until cool. Discard the porridge, and
clean the pot (see right). Tagin es: Submerge
pot and lid in water overnight. Wipe dry, and
rub interior with a very thin layer of neutral
oil. Place lid and base separately on rack in a
cold oven, and heat to 325°F. Bake 2 hours.
Turn off oven, and let cool completely
without opening oven door, at least 4 hours.
CLEAN GENTLY
Let pots cool com-
pletely before wash-
ing. To scrape off
stuck-on food, soak
pots briefly in luke-
warm water to soften
residue and use a soft
sponge to remove.
Do not use soap on
partially glazed or
unglazed pots; use
only mild detergent
on flameware. If
bacterial growth is
of concern, dry the
pots in a 200°F oven
for 30 minutes before
storing in a cool, dry
place.HEAT GRADUALLY
Clay cookware is sensitive to thermal
shock (except some brands of flame-
ware and Chinese clay pots insulated
with metal wire), so take great care to
avoid sudden temperature changes or
pots will break when heated. Never heat
an empty clay pot, and do not set a cold
pot over high heat; instead, heat the
pots gradually after filling so the ingredi-
ents heat at the same rate as the pot.
Heat water or broth before adding
midway through cooking. Don’t heat
clay pots directly over an electric
burner, which will heat the pot too
quickly and may cause thermal shock.
Instead, use a diffuser, such as the
Nordic Ware Heat Diffuser ($15,
williams-sonoma.com), to soften the
heat so the pot can warm gradually.HANDLE LIGHTLY
To avoid thermal
shock and acci-
dental breakage,
use wooden—not
metal—tools to stir
food, and don’t tap
spoons on the sides
of pots or drag pots
across burners.
Place a double layer
of kitchen linens as
a stove-side landing
pad for hot pots or
lids rather than set-
ting them directly on
cold countertops,
and use wooden or
cloth trivets in lieu of
metal.