One-Pot Mushroom and Ginger Rice

Ingredients

• 1 ½cups medium-grain white rice
• 2 cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade
• 300g mushrooms, such as shiitake, cremini, button or blue oysters (or a mix), halved or quartered
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 6 tsp tamari soy sauce
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
• 3 tsp sesame oil
• Salt and white or black pepper
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• Toasted white sesame seeds (optional)

Directions

1. Place the rice into a Dutch oven and rinse it 3 times until the water runs almost clear. Pour the stock over the rice and leave to soak for 10 minutes while you prepare the mushrooms.
2. Place the mushrooms into a bowl and add the cornstarch and toss to coat. Add 4 teaspoons of soy sauce, the 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (if using), 1 teaspoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon salt and a pinch of white or black pepper; toss to coat.
3. Place the pot with the rice over medium-high heat, add the ginger slices and bring to a boil. When bubbling, cover, reduce to low and cook for 5 minutes.
4. Uncover, add the mushrooms and, using chopsticks or a large spoon, stir the mushrooms through the rice. Cover again and cook on low until the mushrooms are cooked and rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove the lid, increase heat to medium-high and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until you can hear it sizzling aggressively, which indicates that the bottom of the rice is becoming crispy. (Skip this step if you don’t care for the crispy rice.)
6. Turn off heat and drizzle with 2 to 3 teaspoons of soy sauce, the remaining 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and top with scallions and sesame seeds (if using).