金瓜鸡饭和云南的鸡枞油

Couldn't let N's gift of a cute little pumpkin go to waste. It was the type that you could eat the skin. Decided to do a one-pot chicken-pumpkin rice for the humans and a chicken-pumpkin-egg bake for the dog. I didn't even have to step out to get ingredients. I had all that I needed in the larder. Kept the pumpkin skin for us, and removed the skin for the dog's tray though. Heh. Had to add chicken since that was the main protein for the husband and the dog. 

I needed to sear that chicken leg before putting it into the rice. I didn't feel like using the stove, so I used the oven. Chicken breast was used as well for both the man and the dog. I used basmati rice, so the cooking time would only be 35 minutes or so. I would need to sear the chicken leg to 80% before putting it in. Breast is tender, and I wanted to keep it tender, so keeping it oven-seared then throwing it into the rice cooker for the last five minutes worked. 

I didn't bother with the chicken. The husband could have all that. I just wanted the pumpkin, and I also added loads of dried mushrooms to the mix. Had soaked those and dried scallops earlier in the day so that they were rehydrated plump. #ImpieCooks2024

Choya somehow knew there was food for her. She didn't bother coming out to the kitchen when I was prepping dinner. She only came out when the food was all done. SO SMART. This chicken-pumpkin-bake was meant as a topper to her raw food base. To her, chicken breast is a treat, and somehow she likes them gently cooked (sous vide or steamed) than having it raw. Eggs are always a winner in her books. By now, she has come to enjoy pumpkin. During this week when she's having pumpkin, I'll scale back Greek yoghurt and completely skip the weekly psyllium husk in her food. 

There was also S's gift of a small jar of 鸡枞油 that she brought back from her Yunnan vacation. For the lack of an English translation, it's pretty much mushroom oil with a tinge of chilli that's surprisingly not Sichuan peppercorn. How I use this oil is similar to how I used preserved olives and fried scallions — as a topping to whatever food/dishes. 

Tonight, I used a spoonful of 鸡枞油 atop my bowl of rice. Such umami. Delicious!