Sticky Rice and Chicken in Lotus Leaf
Opening up a steamed lotus leaf packet and inhaling its alluring musty fragrance is part of many Cantonese dim sum rituals. Inside, the sticky rice is stained a rich brown from the leaf, and once you start digging toward the center with chopsticks, there is a treasure trove of succulent ingredients. Figuring out what comprises the filling is most fun. Chicken is often included, as jī (fowl) is part of these packets’ name in Mandarin; they are called lo mai gai in Cantonese. Chicken is commonly combined with shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sweet sausage, as is done here. But cooks can add a myriad of other boldly flavored or rich ingredients, such as roasted char siu pork (page 224), roast duck, dried shrimp, salted egg yolk, and chestnuts. Lotus leaf packets can be made large enough for several people to share, but I prefer to present a small one to each guest. I freeze extras as a homemade convenience food to be later revived and packed into a lunch box or enjoyed on the road. At Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, you will find the sticky rice and dried sweet sausages. Packages of fanlike dried lotus leaves are usually near the dried mushrooms; they are inexpensive and last indefinitely if stored in a dry spot. If you are making lotus packets for the first time, soak a couple of extra leaves in case you tear them.
Available either shrink-wrapped or free of packaging at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, Chinese sweet sausages are dried and look shriveled up and hard. Don’t be put off by their appearance. Lop chong (the Cantonese name) are rich, savory, and absolutely delicious. They are made with pork, chicken, pork liver, or duck liver and are about six inches long. I prefer the standard pork sausages; they taste sweet and have a nice amount of fat without the heaviness of liver. Check the ingredients listing for rice wine, which makes for extra tasty sausages. Refrigerate the sausages for weeks or freeze them for months.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 8 packets, serving 8
Ingredients
Seasoning Sauce
Filling
Preparation
Step 1
Put the rice in a bowl and add water to cover by 1 inch. Let stand for at least 2 hours (or even overnight) at room temperature.
Step 2
Make the seasoning sauce by combining the cornstarch, oyster sauce, sugar, rice wine, white pepper, light and dark soy sauces, and water. Stir to dissolve the cornstarch. Set aside near the stove.
Step 3
To make the filling, in a bowl, stir together the cornstarch, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and rice wine. Add the chicken and stir to coat well. Let marinate for 15 minutes.
Step 4
Heat the canola oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 15 seconds, or until aromatic. Add the chicken and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until it is barely cooked. Add the Chinese sausages and mushrooms, and continue cooking for 30 seconds, or until the sausage is glistening and the fat is clear. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute, or until the shrimp turns pink. Make a well in the center, give the seasoning sauce a last stir, then pour it into the well. Stir to combine and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the mixture coheres and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a bowl or plate and set aside to cool completely. (The filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Return to room temperature before using.) You should have about 2 cups.
Step 5
Drain the rice in a mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water. Let it sit for 1 to 2 minutes, then give it a good shake to expel water. Select a high-sided round cake pan or metal bowl that fits into your steamer tray and put the rice in it. Toss with the salt and add the water. Put into the steamer tray and steam over boiling water (see page 17 for guidance) for 25 minutes. After about 8 minutes, stir the rice with a spatula to ensure even cooking. The rice is done when it is translucent and soft. Turn the heat off, give the rice a stir, and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish cooking. If the rice seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons of water onto the hot rice, cover, and let it rest for a few minutes to soften more. Detach the steamer tray and set it aside to cool the rice for about 15 minutes. If you are not using the rice right away, keep the rice in the steamer; make sure it is cool enough to handle before using. Use a spatula or knife to divide the rice into 8 portions.
Step 6
While the rice steams, cut each lotus leaf down the middle into 2 double-layered fans. You will have 8 pieces of lotus leaf in total. Soak them in hot water for 30 minutes to soften them; I use a large roasting pan or bowl. Submerge the leaves completely by putting a plate on top. Remove the leaves from the water, rinse them, then shake off excess water. Use scissors to cut off about 1 1/2 inches of the pointy bottom (this is hard to fold). To separate the double layers of each piece of leaf, cut each piece in half where the leaf was folded by the packing company. Then trim any excessively ragged edge. You should now have 16 pieces of leaf, each one representing one-quarter of the original whole leaf. Stack the pieces with the darker side facing up so that when you wrap the packets, the darker side will color the outer layer of rice a rich brown.
Step 7
For each packet, use 2 pieces of lotus leaf. Arrange them, darker side facing up, on your work surface with the narrow ends pointing toward you and with an overlap of about 5 inches; the arrangement will look like a large open fan. Smear a little oil over the surface of the leaves to prevent sticking. Wet your fingertips, take half of one portion of rice, put it on the center of the leaf, and press it into a 3 by 4-inch rectangle. Center 1/4 cup of filling atop the rice; a measuring cup is handy for this. Take the remaining half portion of rice and press it into a 1/4-inch-thick layer that is big enough to drape over the filling. Place atop the filling. Wrapping up the rice is as simple as wrapping a gift. First bring the bottom portion of leaf up and over the rice. Keeping one hand on the center to steady the packet, use the other hand to fold in one of the side flaps of leaf. Fold in the other side flap and finish by bringing the top down; tuck in the leaf as needed to create a neat rectangular shape. Place it seam side down in a steamer tray or on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining leaves, rice, and filling to make more. If you are not steaming right away, slide the packet into an airtight plastic container or zip-top plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Return to room temperature before steaming. To freeze for up to 3 weeks, wrap each packet in plastic wrap and then put into a zip-top freezer bag and freeze; bring to room temperature before steaming.
Step 8
To meld the flavors and heat, steam the packets over boiling water for 15 minutes, or until heated through and soft. Transfer to a serving plate and invite guests to help themselves. They should open the packets up and dig in with chopsticks, fork, or spoon. The leaf is inedible.
