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Taiwan, Asia · Lu Rou Fan (Taiwanese Braised Pork Rice)

Lu Rou Cheese Rice Gratin

Five-spice soy pork spread thickly over rice, topped with eggs and mozzarella and baked until bubbling: the stretchy, golden café-style gratin Taiwan loves.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time35 min
DifficultyEasy
About servingsThe yolks stay runny. For young children, pregnant women and older people, bake until the yolks are firm.

Method

  1. Put the oil and thinly sliced shallots into a 24 cm frying pan and switch on to medium-low heat. Stir for until light golden, then lift them out.

    Add in this stepNeutral oil 1½ tbspShallots 35 g

    medium-low heat

  2. Turn the pan up to medium-high heat, add the pork and break it up with a spatula as it cooks for . When it is no longer pink and starts to brown, add the chopped garlic for 30 seconds.

    Add in this stepMinced pork (about 20% fat) 200 gGarlic cloves 2

    medium-high heat

  3. Add the rice wine, light soy, dark soy, brown sugar, five-spice, water and fried shallots and simmer on medium-low heat for . Leave it saucy, loose enough to run off a spoon, because the rice needs to soak it up. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 220 °C.

    Add in this stepTaiwanese rice wine or Shaoxing wine 1 tbspLight soy sauce 1½ tbspDark soy sauce 1 tspBrown sugar 2 tspFive-spice powder ¼ tspWater 130 ml

    medium-low heat

  4. Spread the rice evenly in a 20×15 cm ovenproof dish and spoon over the pork with all its sauce. Make one hollow per egg with the back of a spoon and crack an egg into each.

    Add in this stepCooked rice, warm 360 gEggs 2

  5. Scatter the mozzarella over, avoiding the yolks, and bake in the oven (oven) heated to 220 °C for , until the cheese is golden and spotty and the egg whites are fully set and white. For firm yolks, bake 3 to 4 minutes longer.

    Add in this stepGrated mozzarella 80 g

    oven

  6. Let it stand for to settle, then scatter over sliced spring onions. The dish is very hot: always use oven gloves and set it on a board or mat.

    Add in this stepSpring onions (stalks) 1

Cook's tip

Day-old rice bakes up less mushy. A little cheddar mixed into the mozzarella gives more colour and flavour. In an air fryer, bake at 200 °C for 8 to 10 minutes.

Cooking it at camp

Layer it the same way in a lidded cast-iron pot (Dutch oven) and put coals on the lid as well as underneath; the cheese melts in 10 to 15 minutes. Braising the pork at home makes it much simpler.