Cantonese Claypot Rice: A Classic Dish with a Spanish Twist

plus, they're not that different, right?

This week’s dish is a bit of an experiment—an unexpected twist on a classic Cantonese favourite. When I first tried making Cantonese Claypot Rice here in the UK, I quickly realised a problem: finding authentic Chinese lap cheong (Chinese sausage) is nearly impossible. So, after some trial and error, which is what any creative home cook would do, I found a much more accessible alternative: Spanish chorizo. Available in every supermarket and, let’s be real, much cheaper. The best thing is that I’m not a Cantonese. To my non-Cantonese taste buds, they’re really not that different. The smokiness and slight sweetness of the chorizo work just as well, absorbing into the rice and creating that signature umami. Maybe I’m committing some culinary heresy here, but hey, beggars can’t be choosers.

...right??

Another problem is that what makes Cantonese Claypot Rice is the CLAYPOT. Cooking the rice over an open flame in an actual claypot allows it to form a crispy bottom and a special aroma. But again, here in the UK across the sea in my tiny apartment, a basic rice cooker is the best thing I have. Over the experiments, I’ve also discovered the easiest way to reach the most similar effect.

-- Is my version of this dish authentic? No.

-- Is it delicious, easy, and practical for students who have lectures to take and homework to do? Absolutely.

Sometimes, creativity in the kitchen leads to great discoveries. So here it is: Cantonese Claypot Rice, international student edition.

Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 2)

• rice

• ½ chorizo sausage (or Chinese cured sausage if you’re so lucky to be able to find it)

• 2 eggs

• 1 pak choi

• 100g broccoli tips

• 2 cloves garlic

• soy sauce

• oyster sauce

• sugar

• water

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Prepare

1. Wash 1½ cup of rice (the cup I use here is actually a repurposed M&S rice pudding container. I’ve found that one and a half cups in this measurement is just the right amount for my roommate and me to have a satisfying meal. However, I won’t be showing you my little upcycled gadget, its appearance isn’t exactly appetising😓)

2. Slice the chorizo (or Chinese sausage) into thin rounds

3. Wash pak choi and broccoli, but no need to chop them

4. Mince garlic and mix it with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and water in a small bowl for the sauce

Start Cooking: Round One

5. Add water until it just covers the rice—not too much, this is the key to achieving the crispy even without a claypot

6. Place the sliced chorizo directly on top of the rice

7. Start the regular rice cooking cycle

Round Two

8. Five minutes before the rice is fully cooked, open the lid and crack 2 eggs on top, along with the pak choi and broccoli, then drizzle the prepared soy sauce mixture over everything

9. Close the lid again and let it cook for the remaining five minutes

Wrap It Up: Enjoy Your Claypot Rice Without a Claypot!

10. When plating, make sure to scrape up the slightly crispy rice at the bottom— it's the rice cooker version of the golden crispy rice crust and the soul of this dish

11. Enjoy your hacked-together, student-friendly version of Cantonese Claypot Rice!

    

    
    
    
    
    
    

Final Thoughts

I’ve made this dish countless times, only to realize every single time that my tiny rice cooker can’t handle the generous layering of ingredients like those in fancy online claypot rice tutorials. Instead, I had to stack everything on top of each other, creating something that looked… well, less than perfect, as you can see in the pictures above.

But this small rice cooker has been with me for four years. It’s traveled with me across four moves, three apartment buildings, and two different cities. I first brought it over from China, choosing it specifically because it was small enough to fit in my luggage. And even now, it’s still just the right size for me and my roommate—my only constant companion in this ever-changing journey abroad. Over the years, I’ve thrown away a lot of things to make moving easier—downsizing from eight boxes to just two—but this rice cooker has always made the cut. It’s old now, the logo worn off, the surface stained with oil, no longer something you may proudly display in a blog. But to me, it’s still one of my most valuable possessions.

Even now, as I write this blog in my late-night kitchen, it sits quietly nearby, keeping me company—just as it has for hundreds of nights before.

So, while the small capacity of my rice cooker might have left my final dish looking messy and far from those picture-perfect online tutorials, it still served its purpose—and for that, I’m incredibly grateful.

And that’s what really matters.