Soy Rice and Chicken

Adapted from Roger Ebert's _The Pot and How to Use It_ (yes, THAT Roger Ebert), this uses a rice cooker to make a luscious rice dish with bits of chicken and shiitake. Don't use a supermarket-standard soy sauce, or it will be too salty - seek out a light soy, it will be worth the effort. Adapted from an article by Caroline Russock at Serious Eats. http://bit.ly/apOK39

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup sushi rice
• 1⁄2 cup  dried shiitake mushroom (if large, cut into strips)
• 3⁄4 cup  low-sodium soy sauce
• 4  tablespoons  oil, divided
• 1  slice fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
• 3⁄4 cup  diced raw chicken thigh
• 2  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 1⁄2 cups long-grain white rice
• 2  garlic cloves, squashed
• 1⁄2  white onion, sliced into half-rings
• 3  tablespoons  low-sodium soy sauce
• 4 1⁄2 cups  cool water
•  salt

Directions

1. Rinse the sushi rice under running water until it runs clear. Cover with cold water and set aside to soak.
2. Cover shiitake pieces with 3/4 c soy sauce and set aside to soak until soft.
3. In a non-stick pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add ginger and stir until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add chicken and 2 tbsp soy sauce; stir-fry until chicken is cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Set aside on a plate until thoroughly cool (this is important, or the rice cooker will shut off early).
4. Rinse regular rice under running water until it runs clear; drain well. Drain sushi rice well and set both aside.
5. Squeeze the shiitake mushrooms dry, but save the soy sauce.
6. In the same non-stick pan, heat the remaining oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions and garlic and stir-fry until garlic is fragrant, 60-90 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add all the rice and 3 tbsp soy sauce and very quickly stir-fry until rice is coated with oil and soy, about 1 minute.
7. Transfer rice and chicken to rice cooker. Add 4 1/2 cups water and the reserved soy sauce used to soak the mushrooms. Add a pinch of salt. Stir vigorously for 5-6 minutes to dissipate heat (or the cooker will not sense correctly). Cover and press the rice cooker button; cook until it finishes its cycle.