How do you cook when your kitchen isn’t available for kitchen-ing? On a Sunday last April, I awoke at the crack of dawn jet-lagged from an (excellent) trip to Amsterdam* to an email from my apartment building that ConEd had found a gas leak in the main line to the building and had shut down service for safety. With this, I was indoctrinated into a society of New Yorkers I previously hadn’t known existed, as NYC is apparently riddled with tales of people who lived without gas for (what seemed like the minimum of) 6 months and up to 18 months while their building trudged at a snail’s pace through rounds of repairs and inspections.
Nevertheless, this is not a story of the woes of life in a place where the safety of a single pipe affects… everybody. No, this is about cooking, naturally, and how we managed in the (thankfully?) only four months in which my kitchen was not functioning as a so-called professional kitchen should. [Let’s pretend for editorial sake that my kitchen ever functions as a professional kitchen should.] Because while I might have kept my experience of this chapter of my cooking life offline forever — too niche! — I’ve recently received emails from two different people, one whose building is experiencing the same elsewhere in the city, and one who is about to undertake a kitchen renovation and both wanted advice on how a cook might cook when deprived of their galley. And I’m incapable of not answering a good question.
- A countertop convection oven: Not sponsored, but I love my Breville Smart Oven. I bought it a decade ago because it was the ideal second oven for me, a person with a significant mismatch between the scale of my entertaining ambitions (big) and the size of my space (small). I use it to heat up an additional dish or two when the oven is at capacity; we also use it as a toaster. What I learned when it became my primary oven was that it turns out almost 80% of the stuff we cook fits in a 9×13-inch pan or smaller, i.e. the oven can handle it. Another bonus? It cooks evenly and doesn’t heat up the kitchen in the summer, the way a full-sized oven often does. [Breville, Williams-Sonoma, Amazon]
- A plug-in induction burner: The gold standard of electromagnetic field/ferromagnetic cookware (just rolls off the tongue!) in test kitchens and almost anywhere you’ve seen a chef demo is the Breville brand one, but I wasn’t quite ready to cough up for it. Instead, I used the camping burners I keep around for video shoots. I can’t say I’d recommend them per se; they’re not winning any environmental awards but, as a temporary solution in a well-ventilated kitchen, it did the job.
- A slow-cooker and/or InstantPot: While I don’t lean heavily on slow-cookers and/or InstantPots these days, they’d also be heroic to call in for making dinner without an oven or stove. We did, however, use our small outdoor grill a lot, as it was warm out.
- The surprise item: A rice cooker: I’ve had two Zojirushi Micom 3-Cup rice cookers over the last 15 years and I’d still be on the first if it hadn’t slipped out of my hands once or twice. Oddly, it still worked fine even with, uh, a couple chunks of plastic missing but it was a little slower so replaced it this year. I aspire to keep my newer one forever. [Zojirushi, Williams-Sonoma (5.5-cup model), Amazon]
And what did I use that rice cooker for? Obsessively, this. I made miso chicken and rice (and variations) almost every week, and 10 months later we’re not even a little sick of it. It hails from the late Lucky Peach Magazine. I remember it having a kind of viral moment in 2016, which means it’s due for a reminder tour because it’s just plain excellent: full of flavor and honestly exemplary in weeknight ease. In the original recipe — Miso Claypot Chicken (No Claypot), the rice cooker is meant to act similar to a claypot, in that the rice is cooked with marinated meat and vegetables, although it doesn’t get the traditional crisped rice at the bottom. But you don’t need a rice cooker here, either. I find that this bakes in a foil-covered casserole dish in the oven in almost exactly the same amount of time, directions below.
* Oops, I forgot to finish writing this trip up. Please nudge me. It was so magical to be in the Netherlands during tulip season.
Miso Chicken and Rice
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) white or red miso
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- White pepper or freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (455 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
- 8 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced, or 4 dried shiitakes, soaked, stemmed, and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (200 grams) jasmine rice
- 1 cup (235 ml) chicken broth or water, plus 2 tablespoons extra for the oven option
- 1/4-inch slice of fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
In a rice cooker: In the bowl of a 3-cup or larger rice cooker, combine the rice, 1 cup broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any marinade left in the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Close the cover, start a Quick or Regular cycle, and cook until the cycle is done. Open the lid and check the chicken for doneness; occasionally I need to move the pieces around and give it 5 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.
In the oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a 1.5- to 2-quart baking dish (I used this), combine the rice, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any marinade left in the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, checking on the early end, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked. Double-check the chicken for doneness; you might need to shuffle the pieces around and give it 5 to 10 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.
Previously
6 months ago: Focaccia with Zucchini and Potatoes
1 year ago: Classic Lemon Curd Tart
2 years ago: Crispy Potatoes with Mushrooms
3 years ago: Cauliflower Salad with Dates and Pistachios
4 years ago: Spanakopita
5 year ago: Parmesan Oven Risotto
6 years ago: Roasted Squash and Tofu with Ginger
7 years ago: Plush Coconut Cake
8 years ago: Sheet Pan Meatballs with Crispy Turmeric Chickpeas
9 years ago: Chocolate Dutch Baby
10 years ago: Blood Orange, Almond, and Ricotta Cake and Cabbage and Sausage Casserole
11 years ago: Key Lime Pie and Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
12 years ago: Pear and Hazelnut Muffins and Warm Lentil and Potato Salad
13 years ago: Lentil Soup with Sausage, Chard, and Garlic
14 years ago: Buttermilk Roast Chicken
15 years ago: Baked Potato Soup
16 years ago: Black Bean Soup + Toasted Cumin Seed Crema and Cranberry Syrup and an Intensely Almond Cake
17 years ago: Clementine Cake and Mushroom Bourguignon
18 years ago: Chicken Caesar Salad and Fried Chicken
19 years ago: Grapefruit Yogurt Cake
Congrats for making it through and thanks for this delicious recipe! A couple I know who went through the gas situation was so happy with their toaster oven and plug-in electric burner that they asked their landlord to remove the oven and used the space for a storage unit/countertop. It seemed shocking at the time, but when I think of how often I don’t turn on the oven because it’s full of stored pans, I know their setup could probably work well for me!
Consider this a nudge! I really enjoy your travel writing, Deb–it’s a fabulous bonus to your excellent and reliable recipes. Last March when my family traveled to the UK, I kept in mind your “oh no…it’s cold here in February!” tidbit from when your family was in London. Very helpful;0)
*NUDGE!*
I don’t have a rice cooker, but I like the idea of not turning the oven on for this. Do you think it would work in an Instant Pot?
Yes! I make it in mine, 6 minutes on high pressure and then let the pressure release for 10 minutes.
Hi Emily, I’ve got all of the ingredients and would like to make this in the Instant Pot. Just wanted to clarify how things should be layered so that I don’t get a burn warning. Is it the chicken with marinade on the bottom and rice on top? Or vice versa? Thanks so much!
I have the same question! I just made this in my Instant Pot with all the same given proportions, and I got my very first ever Burn Food disaster as a result. Would love to know the secret, because we barely salvaged dinner! The marinade seems to have burned the rice to the bottom of the pot.
I do the rice and water on the bottom and marinated chicken and mushrooms on top. I have never gotten a burn warning! I have the duo evo plus. I do usually use 1.25 lbs chicken-not sure if that matters? I have made it many times without any issue. Be sure to only cook on high pressure for 6 min. I hope it works for you!
That’s so weird! I did the 1 lb of chicken, and my family doesn’t like mushrooms, so I did 4 oz of mushrooms and the other 28 oz were carrots and sugar snap peas. Otherwise, followed the recipe. Could the veggie substitutions have caused the burn? I wouldn’t think so, as they were on top and fine. The rice was burned on the bottom with the marinade residue.
I’ve not made this so it’s just a guess- maybe using fewer mushrooms means a bit less liquid released to mix with the marinade & rice? It’s not a large amount of water, of course, but mushrooms can do all sorts of things when they feel like it.
Thank you. I’m going to try this today then. Rice on bottom and marinated chicken and mushrooms on top. I’ve got the Duo Plus 6qt. Will let you all know how it works out.
Hi Emily,
Just made this and it was delicious! I had 1.65 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs… more than was called for but it’s near impossible to find anything much smaller. Did as you suggested… rice and broth on bottom and chicken & mushrooms on top. Cooked on high for 6 minutes and because I had so much chicken I gave it a 15-minute natural release. Definitely will be making again. It was so easy. Thanks again for the advice.
Thanks for the report! I love using my Instant Pot when I can, because I promised my Other Half that I’d use it at least twice every week to justify the purchase. At one time, that took some thinking about, but since I make yogurt in it every week now, finding one other use per week is a doddle. And this chicken dish is definitely going to be happening real soon!
I made this in my rice cooker and it didn’t work until I tweaked it: I used the typical water-rice ratio (2 cups water) because after one cycle in the rice cooker the rice was undercooked. I also used the white rice setting on my machine but it needed twice the time to cook so I ran it twice. Would hit the brown rice button next time!
I used the pot in pot method – chicken, mushrooms, and sauce in bottom and then small bowl with rice and water on a trivet insert. Worked great!
Hi Deb!
For the rice, is it one standard dry cup or one of the cups that comes with the rice cooker?
Based on the 200g weight, it’ll be a US cup, not the rice cooker cup. The rice cooker cup would weigh more like 160-180g
Regular cup. I promise I’d warn us if I meant a specialty cup. ;)
Do you have any substitutes for the shaoxing wine? I can buy it but for a tbsp I’m wondering if there’s a similar substitution.
dry sherry
Ooh I went through the NYC gas shutdown ordeal a bunch of years ago. And I’m going to Amsterdam in April so would love your tips on tulips and all the rest! Looking forward to trying this recipe very soon too.
I second using dry sherry! Plus it’s great for adding depth to things like chicken and dumplings and .
If you have leftover fresh ginger it keeps almost indefinitely if you peel it and store it in dry sherry in the fridge. And that sherry is really good for cooking with afterwards.
I have also stored ginger in vodka in the fridge for months. Or grate it and freeze it. We loved this recipe. And leftovers were perfect reheated.
Or, if you’re really lazy, just pop it in anything and freeze it. If I need say 1”, I pull it out of the freezer and peel that inch, cut it off with cleaver and let it sit to thaw for a few min before grating or microplaning.
It’s easier to peel if you use the whole bulb as a handle while you scrape the necessary portion.
I aspire to be the sort of thoughtful cook who would peel the whole fresh bulb, cut 1” pieces and freeze for easier use later, but Future Me doesn’t yet rate as highly as Hurried Present Me.
Trader Joe’s now sells peeled ginger. Perfect for anyone who hates peeling ginger, which is everyone.
Trader Joe’s also sells minced ginger frozen in little cubes in like a mini ice cube tray. They also have garlic like this.
No need to defrost! It is super easy to grate when frozen. I don’t usually bother with peeling, either…
I second this. I grate frozen ginger into my smoothies all the time. Super simple.
My point wasn’t about how to store ginger, it was about an excellent sub for Shaoxing wine. With storage hints as an added bonus.
I empathize… we just spent 6 months without our kitchen because of a remodel. We set up a mini kitchen in the basement (so we could use the utility sink for dishes), and yes, 2 induction plates and a rice cooker were our saving graces. No oven options, though, so our first week with a kitchen again I did a LOT of baking.
I have the Lucky Peach cookbook and love this recipe! I have a basic cheap rice cooker that I worry won’t cook the chicken through, so I make it in my instant pot which works great! I do 6 minutes on high and let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes.
Suggestions for substitutes on the soy sauce, miso (salt content) and oyster sauce (allergies)? I realize this might change things a lot, but I’m always looking for substitutes on these (and fish sauce too, if anyone has ideas about that).
Assuming the allergy is to the shellfish, Lee Kum Kee makes a very good vegan oyster sauce, using mushrooms. I tried it out and find it so similar to their original stuff that it’s all I buy. Same flavorful bang, but versatile for different diets.
I would change the soy to a low sodium version, miso can’t really be changed so if you needed to you could leave it out and the oyster sauce, you can often find a vegan oyster sauce substitute at asian gorcery stores, same with the fish sauce.
Hmm…that’s tricky. For soy sauce, if the issue is salt, would low-sodium soy sauce work? Kikkoman makes one.
For oyster sauce, I second Lee Kum Kee vegetarian oyster sauce (it’s mushroom-based.)
For fish sauce, I’d suggest buying dashi packets (basically a teabag, but with dried fish and other savoury ingredients) online and brewing a small amount. I buy the chaganju brand online.
Miso is really hard to replace. Would a low-sodium miso be an option?
Is using less is an option for you? Like if you bought low-sodium replacements and used, let’s say 3/4 or half the suggested amount, that would be a lot less salt per serving.
This looks delicious! Do you think I could double it in a 9×13 Pyrex and have the rice still cook? Also which kid gets “alternative meal” when making it for 3? ;)
Yotam Ottolenghi has some baked rice dishes that are for larger pans if you’re looking for volume amounts and cook times.
The baked rice with pomegranate and olive salsa is some of the best rice I’ve ever made! https://ottolenghi.co.uk/pages/recipes/baked-mint-rice-pomegranate-olive-salsa
Yes, it will fit!
Yum! I don’t have a rice cooker, but I do have an InstantPot, I’m assuming it will work there too?
Any idea how this might adapt for brown rice? I assume liquid amounts would be the same, but I’m curious if Deb or anyone thinks the chicken would be terribly overdone after the longer cook time. Trying to get our fiber in…
I’d also love to know this!
Soaking brown rice in cold water for 1-2 hours (or 6-8 hours in cold water in the fridge) reduces cook time, so would be what I would try here
I’d probably start the rice sooner, add the chicken and shiitake midway. Or as Laura suggested, soak the brown rice first.
I cook short grain brown rice in my rice cooker all the time using a method I found online somewhere years ago: Wash the rice. Put it in the rice cooker bowl with the amount of liquid indicated on the bowl. Soak for half an hour. Cook on the regular (white rice) cycle and leave the lid closed for an additional ten minutes. Open the lid and fluff the rice. Comes out perfect every time! I’ve occasionally given it a longer soak and haven’t noticed much difference, but ymmv. Note that I’m using high-quality Japanese-style short grain brown rice* here, I haven’t tried it yet with long grain brown rice (but I plan to). Anyway, for this recipe my plan is to marinate the chicken while the rice is soaking, then add it to the rice cooker and proceed per Deb’s instructions.
* I’m fortunate to have a local Japanese market where I can get excellent Japanese-style short grain brown rice that’s grown in California. You can also buy it online. I don’t recommend the Lundberg short grain brown rice, I tried it and it was pretty bad.
Wild. I just got a rice cooker today! And was looking for recipes beyond just rice with steamed veg in the steamer tray. Serendipity.
Deb, I have been following you since the beginning. I love all your stories and kitchen wisdom. I invested in a countertop oven two years ago and never turned back. My regular oven is gas and heats up my entire kitchen in my 1920’s house. Because there are only two of us it is perfect! The only time the large oven is turned on is when the small oven cannot accommodate the pan size.
I would not be without my rice cooker and recently invested in an Instant Pot, while I have not used it yet due to the plug restrictions, it has to be on a designated plug with no extension cord (old house limited plugs), I will conceive a permanent home for its use. I am eager to try this recipe. And who doesn’t miss Lucky Peach!
I wanted to make this happen even though I only had drumsticks. So I cooked them in the toaster oven, then stripped and chopped the meat. When the rice was done, I mixed the chicken in.
I increased the rice and broth to 1.5 get 4 servings, using the mushroom soaking liquid as my broth. I also steamed broccoli in the steamer tray at the same time. Excellent combo meal.
Goedemorgen/ Good morning, off topic, but love to hear what you thouhgt of being in the Netherlands. Greetings from this dutchie who loves your easy recipes, the pizza was a killer in our household
Loved it! We had a great time. I’ll add a link to the write-up when it’s done.
Hi Deb, how does the oven cooking time change for tofu (I’m vegetarian)? And any substitutes for oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine? Thanks!
I defer to Deb in these matters, but 35-45 minutes at 350 sounds right to me for tofu – you could cut a block into 8 planks or crumble it for a chewier texture. For oyster sauce, an equal amount of soy sauce. I’ve never cooked with Shaoxing wine but I might try mirin (sweet rice wine) or rice vinegar instead. Cheers!
I wouldn’t replace oyster sauce with soy. Soy is mostly salty and thin, oyster is both thicker and sweeter. Either vegan oyster sauce or hoisin would be better subs.
I replaced oyster with hoisin and it came out delicious.
It shouldn’t change the cooking time. Plus, tofu doesn’t need to be cooked, it’s just about warming it and giving it flavor.
I have a Zojirushi NS-TSQ18 rice cooker. Would this work on the mixed setting?
It looks like the same model? Not positive. I just use the quick method. I’m sure other methods work too.
Hey Debs, love the recipe, thanks! But, what have you got against pressure cookers? 😊 Isn’t a rice-cooker a similar gadget? I love Melissa Clark’s ‘Instant’ recipe books for my pressure cooker. If you have another gas crisis- give these a go!
I bought an InstantPot years ago, hence the recipes here, but first, I had issues with the sealing ring, even after replacing it twice. I gave it away and then never got around to replacing it. Since I work from home, it’s really not a big deal for me to cook something for longer.
I added the mushroom soaking liquid to the party in the instant pot.
Can you explain what you mean by scraping the chicken into the bowl on top for the oven method?
She is saying to scrape the meat mixture from the bowl on to the rice which is at the bottom of the rice cooker or pan depending on the method you are using.
Any miso recommendations?
I’ve used different brands over the years and all have been fine; I’m not particular.
I dislike mushrooms. Ok to just omit? Or would the liquid have to be adjusted?
You can just omit.
Another nudge for the Amsterdam write up! I’m from Maine but live in Den Haag (The Hague), and have followed your blog for at least a decade. I would LOVE to hear (and try!) your recommendations! <3
Deb, have you tried this with boneless chicken breast?
Also wondering about other chicken parts! What about bone-in chicken thighs?
I haven’t because I find them dry, but I do think it will work fine.
My 5 year old is currently in a very picky eating phase, but somehow absolutely love mushrooms. I don’t think I’ve ever been so delighted to see a new recipe!!
When we didn’t have a stove I bought one of the Ikea Tillreda induction burners, which are a fraction of the cost the Breville ones and it works just fine. They don’t have a lot of frills but cost around $75.
This is the intel I need! I was told by a couple food stylists that worked on shows that the Breville was the only reliable one, so I was swayed.
Seconding that cheap induction burners are ok. My gas stove died a while ago and I overnight amazoned a $60Cdn Salton one … it’s been great, just don’t drop a heavy pan on the glass top at an angle ….
I’ve been cooking with it and the cheapest toaster oven for … far too long … bc my stove is a weird size and I don’t want to replace it when eventually I want a full size but that means redoing the kitchen and … you get the idea.
I made your excellent crispy tortellini on it (of course using what I had … bacon or ham, thinned Boursin instead of crème fraiche, etc … so so good!
But if I may suggest an airfryer is a great addition too – made the best roast beef I’ve ever done on it.
It’s amazing what you can make with basic equipment, and so many of your recipes are so adaptable! Chocolate puddle cakes and sticky toffee banana puddings from a toaster oven? Why yes! So thank you!
Could you make this in the Smitten Staub braiser, or would glass or ceramic work better?
Absolutely. It’s about 2x the size you need so it might bake faster. I would also bump the liquid to 1.25 cups, since the lid might evaporate more than foil would. Or you could double the recipe in it.
First of all, I made this tonight and it was EXCELLENT. Great flavor return on prep time. Thank you Deb! (can I call you that? It feels too informal..)
I do have a couple of comments/recommendations:
1) For anyone nervous about using the KitchenAid grain & rice cooker to make this – it turned out well for me using the jasmine rice setting with “dry” (not rinsed rice), “regular” (for rice done-ness) and then using the add-your-own-broth option with homemade chicken broth and minced ginger. Shortly after starting the cycle, I popped open the lid and place the rest of the ingredients on top. I think that the key is having thin chicken thighs with the 1 inch width.
2) I make my own oyster sauce and freeze it since I don’t use it that often. ChihYu Smith has a lovely recipe (vegetarian, whole30, etc) that I make and freeze in 1 TBSP amounts: https://iheartumami.com/vegetarian-oyster-sauce/
Made this for dinner tonite; relatively easy to make; used my zojirushi rice cooker on the quick cooking mode. I did wash the rice and strained out the water. When it finished, the rice was cooked but the dark meat chicken was a little
overcooked — chicken could have benefited from being taken out before the rice.
The dish was lacking flavor so we added rice wine vinegar for a little more acidity and a
little more thin soy sauce and/or salt. Served it with smashed cucumbers which was a perfect accompaniment.
Could this be doubled and cooked in your Staub braiser? If so, would you use foil or the lid?
Absolutely. I’d use foil for the lid or just add a little more liquid — maybe an extra T or two per batch.
Deb! I can’t believe you were in Amsterdam.
My mom mailed me your second cookbook (signed) for Christmas a few years ago when I was feeling especially what could be described as “homesick” but really people & food sick.
Your recipes grace our table on the regular here in Amsterdam & I often share them w/expats & Dutchies alike. I cooked them as a novice for 2 adults and now w/ more experience for 2 adults & 3 kids all of whom have a smitten kitchen fav.
I am desperate to know what & where you ate while you were here.
It just occurred to me that I was in Chablis last wknd & I would have missed you anyway which kinda softens the blow as I was eating & drinking French favorites in the sun but still I feel a bit crushed. Perhaps if I was doing a better job following you via social media I would have known. Next time perhaps I’ll have a sighting @ the American bookstore or the John Adam’s if you are here for work?
Consider this a “nudge” for more details about your trip & I’ll stay posted! X Emily (a very very big fan)
Yes please for the Amsterdam trip report! I actually live in the Netherlands and would love to have some new SK-approved places to check out.
Love this dish and happy to be reminded of it! I’ve been making this since The Wednesday Chef wrote about it. I do all the prep in the morning and it is a hands off favorite when I know I’ll be exhausted. When I’m really pressed for time I substitute an equal amount of Trader Joe’s Soyaki for the sauce ingredients.
Silly question, but has anyone tried making this without the chicken – maybe with more mushrooms? It obviously wouldn’t be the same, but might still be tasty? As someone in a mostly vegetarian/vegan household…
(and considering previous suggestions on using vegan oyster sauce)
And as ever, thanks for the recipes and the friendly voice behind them! I have been living in Europe for several years but am still in some ways a New York/New Jersey being, and reading your stories feels like a breeze from home. Even when it’s an unpleasant gas situation.
Thank you! I think you could definitely use more mushrooms and maybe add tofu too. It would be delicious.
Would this work with short grain rice instead of jasmine?
This was tasty! My rice cooker is quite small but I tried it anyway. The chicken did not cook through so I finished cooking on the stovetop. Will try a different method next time. Flavor is good but I couldn’t help thinking about adding pineapple juice or chunks next time. I wanted it a splash sweeter, which is something I never typically think while eating dinner.
Loved your shout out to the Breville counter top oven! When we bought our townhouse (16 years ago) the electric oven had just broken. It is a weird size, we were going to have to add to our electric panel to accommodate the Bosch double oven I wanted (and still do). The empty oven space turned into a storage spot for baby, toddler, & kid food service…and it still is. I am on my 3rd Breville oven (I work them extremely hard), and they are the Cadillac of “toaster” ovens. Honestly, every Holiday, I have managed with that, a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, an old school church lady Oster roaster oven, and my stove. I still have no full sized oven, much less a double! I’m not sure I ever will, at this point. Breville countertop for the WIN! Making this tonite, Thanks Deb!!!
Deb! Please write up your Amsterdam trip! We’re taking a family trip there (with our little kids 😅) in April, and we’d love any restaurant recommendations you have!
Years ago, my husband surprised me with a trip to NYC and we ate at a bunch of places you’d recommended, and it was the best birthday ever!
Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see instructions for when to add the ginger??
Ctrl-F is your friend when your eyes aren’t working. ;-) “combine the rice, 1 cup broth, and ginger” – makes a lightly gingery rice.
Thank you so much!
this is one of my favorites from that book! i bought it when you recommended it a million years ago based on i think the hot and sour soup, and it’s my favorite cookbook of all time. i think i’ve probably cooked everything in it. in fact, i just made this last night! you don’t even need an oven for this TBH, just a burner and a dutch oven. the one thing i find temperamental is that if you don’t have at least four chicken thighs, it inevitably fucks up and dies. i also omit the kosher salt because like… look at it. it doesn’t need it.
This looks delightful! (And boy howdy, can I empathize with your oven-and-stovelessness. Only in New York.
One question: I cannot bring myself fall in love with turkey thighs. I know they’re flavorful and rich in a way a breast can never be, but they’re sometimes a tad oily, chewy, or sinewy in a way that piques my sensory issues. You can’t argue with the comparative flavor…so my question is: have you found a way to work with chicken breasts that infuses some of the richness we get in dark meat? Love that deep umami flavor, just really can’t deal with the texture.
Tried this in the oven and my rice would not cook. At all.
I also used the oven, and found mine needed to cook for about 55-60 minutes to actually cook through
Tried this in oven as well-needed 60 min and some rice very soggy and some ok.
Also super salty….
This felt like a total fail for me too. I cooked it 60 minutes with the foil on, then another 15 without foil so the chicken would brown a little. The rice was horrible, a mix of under-cooked and cooked. I also didn’t find this very flavorful, even though I tasted the marinade beforehand and it tasted amazing.
I haven’t made this yet, but I’ve found in the past that when I oven-braise, I need to be sure that the liquid in question is already piping hot before putting the Dutch oven in the big oven. I think I’d be inclined to bring the broth to a boil and then add the covered pot to the preheated oven. Bringing liquid to a boil in an oven is pretty tricky, whereas merely maintaining the liquid at a simmer or boil is easier to achieve.
Oven was a total fail for me too! Am bummed it’s not working out (and kicking myself for not looking at the comments earlier), but glad to see it wasn’t just me.
I made this tonight (oven version, water instead of broth) with a series of swaps to accommodate my deep desire to not go to the store today, and it was easy and delicious. I only had 3/4 pound of boneless skinless thighs, kept the marinade amounts the same, and did a little adjusting otherwise – a scant cup of brown rice and therefore more water, four fresh creminis instead of shiitake, powdered ginger for fresh, and I tossed in a half cup of peeled and chopped broccoli stem that needed using up along with the chicken and mushrooms. I used a small round Dutch oven with the lid and everything cooked in 50 minutes. I’m so pleased with how it came out!
I used to love making dishes like this in my rice cooker but after a few months, I noticed the inner silicone ring holds onto meat smells. YMMV (I have a Zojirushi that’s at least a decade old) but it’s something to look out for.
Please write up your Amsterdam notes! I’m just in the midst of planning a visit there at the end of March – Would love your foodie intel (and will also make this tasty sounding chicken and rice ;)
PLEASE tell us about your Amsterdam trip! I’m heading there this April with my SIL and would love to hear your recommendations 😊
Also, trying this tonight as we recently discovered the magic ingredient that is miso.
Looks great! Is there substitute for the wine? Thanks!
A question for those using an Instant Pot (or other electric pressure cooker). Do you still get the delightful crispy rice on the bottom?
If by crispy rice you mean a Burn Food warning and almost-ruined, then yes. ;-) I had to open it up, add more liquid, and try again. That salvaged it barely enough to at least eat, but much of the rice burned to the bottom with marinade without ever cooking. Others don’t seem to have had that problem, so I’m not sure what the secret is?
No, it doesn’t get crispy on the bottom but with my method in a comment above, comes out perfectly every time.
Looks awesome!
I don’t have a dedicated rice cooker and generally make rice in an instant pot. Have you tried making this dish in an IP? Any suggestions for trying! Thanks!
Anyone have any suggestions on the best way to halve this recipe? There’s just 2 of us
I made this last night and had similar issues with the rice not cooking with the oven method. I took it out at 35 mins and finished it on the stovetop, adding a little extra liquid. I would probably just do the whole thing on the stovetop next time, maybe with brown rice to make sure the chicken has time to cook through.
I’m wondering about the measurement for the miso. I used a tablespoon of paste, which seemed to work fine but I’m wondering if it’s supposed to be prepared miso since the alternate measurement is in millilitres?
Great flavor, the end result was a hit with the whole family and I’ll be making this again but a few things to note:
– I doubled the recipe and made this in the oven using a 9×13 casserole dish, the time it took to cook was much longer than what the recipe states for me. I did the initial time and then checked every 15 minutes but it took almost double the amount of time.
– I had to bump the temp up a bit and add a healthy splash of additional broth to get the rice to finally cook
I have followed your site for many years with great success. Thank you. Unfortunately, I am struggling with the oven method of this recipe. The rice was nowhere near cooked at 45 minutes. Closer to 1 hour. But seems tasty! Thanks for all the memorable and delicious recipes you’ve shared over the years!
I had some trouble with the oven method, too. Cooked it for a little over an hour (in a 1 1/2 quart pyrex bowl covered with foil). I checked it several times, and the rice was slow to cook. At 45 minutes, I stirred in a little extra water before returning to the oven. The taste was good, but the rice was gummy and the overall texture was not right.
I want to try it again; I may use the pressure cooker next time. Or possibly cook the rice and chicken separately? Open to suggestions!
I’m cooking this now and it’s not working well. It’s been in the oven for 35 minutes, but the rice doesn’t seem to have cooked hardly at all. I’m debating whether to turn up the heat or transition to stovetop.
So, I made this in the oven, because old house with a drafty kitchen, and I wound up needing 70-ish minutes to get the rice to cook. The oven thermometer said that the temperature was right at 350 F. I was using a round Corningware 1.8 L casserole dish. My thought is that everything was starting from a cooler temperature to need the extra half hour. Any thoughts or comments?
Hi Deb, Hope your gas is back on! This looks amazing!! What recommendations do you have for scaling this for 18 (multiple pans, crockpot, etc.). There will be other food on the table and I plan to make it this Saturday. Thanks in advance!
Nice base recipe but I’d need to tweak to use again. Nice seasoning (with the addition of some garlic paste I had in the freezer) but very dry. Had to add liquid several times and return to the oven, covered, to finish the rice. I checked several brands of jasmine rice and all called for 2:1 water to rice. Not clear to me how 1:1 would work even with marinade thrown in.
I used a round heavy ceramic casserole (about 9” across), with heavy foil and a dish set on top to keep foil tight. May have take a while for the casserole to heat up, but it was certainly very hot when I checked liquid levels and added a few ounces water. Added fresh steamed broccoli for the last 10 min just to have some green. I didn’t think 1 c rice would be enough but it fed two generously, with leftovers.
Vegetarian version:
-rehydrated soy curls (90 gm) in non-chicken broth to replace chicken
-increased mushrooms
-used brown rice and increased the time— used an instant pot for 18 min/10nr (would def not do this w real chicken!)
-omitted salt and it was on the edge of too salty. Served w Napa cabbage sautéed and salt level was perfect when mixed together
-very yummy! Will definitely make again
-thanks Deb!
This unfortunately was a total fail in the oven. After 40 minutes in, the rice had barely cooked and the chicken was either boiled tough or raw. I moved the whole dish to the stovetop and it cooked through there, but I think at that point, the inconsistent cooking just resulted in the chicken and mushrooms being very odd texturally. My suspicion is that this is probably a recipe that required a tight lid to create a sufficient seal and foil unfortunately doesn’t create a tight enough seal to create enough steam to cook the rice.
Re the Brevelle Smart Oven — OK, here’s what I don’t understand about devices like this: how in god’s name do you keep them clean???? We bought one and it’s literally IMPOSSIBLE to clean. Inside is full of stuck-on crumbs, grease gets baked on, there’s no possible way to scrub the insides, or even the door, really. Instructions say to use “warm soapy water” hahahahahahaaa. It’s super handy but the level of interior grossness is rapidly approaching maximum tolerance.
This is SO good! And so easy! Added a little garlic and only had sushi rice. Amazing weeknight meal for everyone!
I agree with others that this did not work in the oven for me. I ended up taking it out, separating the chicken and rice, and finishing it on the stove as pieces of chicken were still raw after 45 mins. In the future I would just stir fry the chicken and mushrooms and cook the rice separately as the rice cooked unevenly in the oven so some was really mushy with raw kernels intermixed.
I made this in the oven – rather than the casserole dish mentioned I used Staub’s Smitten Kitchen collab braiser and it worked fabulously. Next time I’d try to marinate the chicken for a few hours if possible. The mushrooms were maybe my favorite part. This recipe is easy, hands off, and tasty!
This was easy and good. I used chopped up chicken breast since that’s what I had handy. If I make it again I’ll be using way more mushrooms. Skipped the salt as one commenter suggested and I’m glad I did since there are so many salty condiments in the sauce. Might serve the leftovers with steamed bok choy dressed with an Asian sauce I have leftover from a soba salad.
Delicious! No notes. I used a tbsp of Sauvignon blanc since that’s what I had. Used the instant pot with rice/water first and chicken/mushrooms on top. Cooked for 6 minutes and then sat for 10 minutes after.
I made this in my Le Creuset tonight. Lid on. (I’m out of foil!). At some point in the baking, I raised temp from 350 to 400 to move things along. It was AMAZING, cozy, delicious, warmed me from the inside out on a cold day.
I love a one pot dish! I love not standing over a sauté pan! Thank you Deb, you’re the best!
So this is takikomigohan! A common and infinitely riffable dish in Japan where you can cook rice with whatever protein and veggies you have on hand.
I’d strongly recommend replacing the shaoxing and oyster sauce with mirin and dashi broth since those would be a better fit for the flavor of miso and the dish will taste more Japanese instead of generically Asian.
The idea to put it in a casserole in the oven is a really good one, I could see takikomigohan turning out great in a Le Crueset and I’m going to try it! I would caution other readers that it’s too easy to burn on the stovetop (and not tasty okoge, either, like BURN burn). Otherwise, rice cooker or instant pot-in-pot are the move here.
Glad your rice cooker is getting a good workout and hope you write up the Amsterdam trip soon!
This was delicious! I used vegan oyster sauce that another commenter recommended and subbed the wine for rice wine vinegar.
I made it in the oven. When I checked it at 35 minutes, the rice was not cooked and a bit dry (maybe I didn’t put the foil on tightly enough?), so I gave the rice a bit of a mix, added about a half cup more of nearly boiling water, recovered, and put it back in the oven. At 45 minutes it was perfect.
Haven’t tried this one yet but as a regular “stuff + rice in the rice cooker” maker, can I suggest (after cooking) throwing in a handful of frozen peas? It’s my usual go-to for “stuff + rice in the rice cooker” dishes to add a little green and brightness (and sneak a few bites of veg in for the kids), since I often find the method to give a cozy mellow meal but does leave a little something to be desired when it comes to vegetables.
I made this in my 3 cup Toshiba Mini recipe using the Quick Rice setting. The chicken was perfectly cooked and it was quite delicious. My rice came out mushy, but this was probably because I rinsed the rice. Next time I will cut down on the liquid in the dish by 1/4 cup or skip washing the rice. We did feel like the dish needed just a little something and a squeeze of lemon at the table was just perfect. I will be making this again!
Okaaay… so I am now putting it back in after 35+ minutes which is giving me a watery under-cooked rice. I am using a 2 quart casserole with foil and lid.
Now what. I guess I keep it in until I get not-watery rice?
Oh man this was good! Didn’t have Scallions, so used a shallot, but otherwise made as written. Off to find more rice cooker recipes!
Hi Deb! You’re the best! Thanks for another great recipe. I made it in a 2qt glass baking dish with a lid. I omitted the mushrooms and subbed mirin for shaoxing wine. I also used chicken breasts because that’s what I had on hand. For the broth I used about 2.25 cups. I might use a little more next time, as my rice was slightly firm. It was great!!! I will also probably double it in my Dutch oven because it was that good :)
I mean 1.25 cups of broth!
I made this in my rice cooker and it didn’t work until I tweaked it: I used the typical water-rice ratio (2 cups water) because after one cycle in the rice cooker the rice was undercooked. I also used the white rice setting on my machine but it needed twice the time to cook so I ran it twice. Would hit the brown rice button next time!
Could I put the chicken in the marinade in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day so that when I get home from work, I just have to throw everything together to bake (assuming I make my rice ahead of time as well)?
Could you use short grain rice for this instead of jasmine?
Read these comments after putting this in the oven, and worried it would be inedible! So just want to provide a counterpoint — I cooked this for 40 minutes at 350, and the rice was perfect. My family loved this dish!
If you add a double handful (or more) of baby spinach to the rice cooker after it goes off (close it for two minutes or so) you’ll have a complete meal!
This was delicious on a day when we were both feeling rather under the weather: I love delicious meals that basically cook themselves while you’re washing up and then having a glass of wine by the fire!
i used 1.8 lbs chicken thighs (it came that way) and 1.5x mushrooms (because i like them) but didn’t do 1.5x the sauces/salt for the sake of minimizing sodium. worked fine, but could have been sweet.
–> i think this original recipe has the right amount of sweet/savory sauces, but it’s a bit too salty.