Instructions: 500G Chinese glutinous rice soaked for 4 hours and washed (or 360g japanese or longgrain rice washed)

Rub the chicken breasts with a little salt.

Lay the garlic chives (or spring onions) across a deep heatproof plate that will fit inside your steamer tray and place the chicken breasts on top.

Tuck the mushrooms in and around the breasts and lay the star anise underneath. Scatter over the shredded ginger and black soy beans (if using) and splash on the rice wine soy sauce and sesame oil.

If using Chinese sticky rice line the other steaming tray with muslin or a tea towel scatter over the drained rice and sprinkle with a little salt and cook in the steamer with the chicken (see below).

If using japanese or long grain put the washed rice in a mediumsized saucepan add a little salt and 700ml water.

Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes then taro down the heat to the lowest setting possible cover the pan and cook very gently for a further 7 minutes.

Remove from the heat leave covered and let stand for 10 minutes (do not lift lid).

Note: this does not need steaming.

Assemble the steamer with the chicken in the top tray and the rice in the lower tray.

Cover with a tightfitting lid. Steam for at least 12 minutes or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with a knife.

You .could serve up at this point but I prefer to divide the rice between four clay pots add the chicken mushrooms and black beans on top spoon over the collected juices coverthe pots and rebake in a hot oven for about 15 minutes.

Do this when youre ready it will happily wait.

Youll need a large doubletray steaming pan to make this; or use a singletray steamer and make it in two batches.

Serves 4

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