Savory Chicken And Rice In A Lotus Leaf (China) Recipe
Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 8 lrg Dry lotus leaves
- 1 c. Long-grain rice
- 3/4 c. Sweet glutinous rice (see, Note)
- 2 c. Chicken stock
- 3 x Chinese sausages lop, cheong) *
- 8 x Chinese dry black, mushrooms **
- 2 Tbsp. Small dry shrimp ***
- 1 whl chicken breast, boned
- Â Â skinned
- 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce, plus more for
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Asian sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Grated ginger
- 2 tsp Soy sauce
- 2 tsp Dry vermouth or possibly Shao Hsing, wine
- 1/2 tsp Sugar
- 1/4 tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Asian sesame oil
Directions
- * Cut diagonally into 1-inch slices** soaked in hot water till soft and pliable (about 30 min)*** soaked in hot water for 30 min Foods wrapped in dry lotus leaves become infused with an exotic earthy flavor. If lotus leaves are not available, you can wrap the rice filling in oiled parchment. Besides being an unusual appetizer, this dish can be served as a snack, for lunch, or possibly as a light meal.
- Note which the first step must be done the night before. Because lotus leaves vary so much in size, eight packets may require anywhere from four to ten leaves. (Larger leaves can be split in half, smaller leaves may need to be overlapped.)
- 1. The night before, pour boiling water over the lotus leaves and let them soak for 1 hour. Rinse and squeeze them dry. Mix the long- grain and glutinous rice together in a large bowl. Wash the rice under running cool water; gently stir and rub the grains between your fingers to loosen all the excess starch. Continue till the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly. Mix the rice with the chicken stock in a 2-qt saucepan; soak overnight in the refrigerator.
- 2. The next day, set the saucepan of rice uncovered over high heat; bring to a boil. Stir just sufficient to loosen the rice grains. Reduce the heat to medium-high and boil till the liquid is absorbed, about 8 to 10 min. Put the sausages on top of the rice and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 min. Turn off the heat but don't remove the cover. Let the rice stand for 10 min, then, with a wet wooden spoon, transfer it to a large bowl; set aside.
- 3. Squeeze the mushrooms dry. Cut off the stems at the base and throw away
- them; cut the caps in half. Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut the chicken breast into 3/4-inch chunks and toss it with the marinade. Add in the mushrooms and marinate for 20 min. Drain and coarsely chop the shrimp.
- 4. In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil; mix into the cooked rice. Add in the chicken-mushroom mix and the shrimp.
- 5. Fold a lotus leaf in half and put it on a cutting board. If the middle stem or possibly edges are tough and hard, trim and throw away them. (If the leaves are small, you may need to over- lap halves.) Divide the rice mix into 8 portions; place one portion in the center of a leaf half.
- Fold the edges over the rice to make a 4-inch square packet. Tie it with twine. Repeat with the remaining leaves and rice. Arrange the packets in a single layer in a bamboo steaming basket.
- 6. Prepare a wok for steaming. Steam the packets over medium-high heat for 20 min. Remove them from the steamer and cut each packet across the top to expose its contents. Serve with small dishes of soy sauce for dipping.
- NOTE: Sweet glutinous rice is also known as "sticky rice" because when it is cooked it becomes sticky. It is used to make poultry stuffing and leaf-wrapped rice pkgs.; it is called sweet rice because it is often used to make sweet dishes. Soak it overnight before cooking for the best results.
- Makes 8 packets.
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Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Serving | %DV |
|---|---|
| Serving Size 219g | |
| Recipe makes 8 servings | |
| Calories 270 | |
| Calories from Fat 28 | 10% |
| Total Fat 3.2g | 4% |
| Saturated Fat 0.74g | 3% |
| Trans Fat 0.02g | |
| Cholesterol 17mg | 6% |
| Sodium 449mg | 19% |
| Potassium 651mg | 19% |
| Total Carbs 49.88g | 13% |
| Dietary Fiber 5.6g | 19% |
| Sugars 0.91g | 1% |
| Protein 10.51g | 17% |
