Savory Chicken & Rice In A Lotus Leaf Recipe
1 skinned & boned Whole chicken breast
8 big lotus leaves (dried)
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
2 tbsps. dried shrimp (small), soaked in some warm water (30 mins.)
1/4 tsp. White pepper
3 pcs. Chinese sausages (lop cheong), sliced in 1-inch diagonal pieces
1 cup of Long-grain rice
1 tsp. Sugar
3/4 cup of Sweet glutinous rice
2 cups of Chicken stock
8 pcs. Black Mushrooms (Chinese dried ), soaked in warm water until it is tender (30 mins.)
2 tbsps. Soy sauce plus extra more
For the Chicken Marinade:
1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
1/2 tsp. ginger, grated
1/4 tsp. White pepper
2 tsps. Soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsps. Shao Hsing wine or Dry vermouth
Dried lotus leaves actually infuse a very exotic flavor that is earthy to the foods that are wrapped in them. If leaves are not available then you can use a parchment paper that is oiled.
The dish is not an ordinary appetizer and it can also be served as light meal, lunch dish or snack. These leaves have different sizes so for bigger leaves, cut them into half then for smaller leaves, you might need to use 2.
The night before you plan to serve up this appetizer dish, already prepare the leaves by pouring boiling water on them and letting them soak for about 1 hr. Rinse the leaves & squeeze them dry.
Onto a big bowl, mix together glutinous and long-grain rice then wash rice under cold running water and be sure to rub rice grains in between your fingers so that extra starch may be loosened.
Continue doing this procedure until water is clear then drain very well. Combine rice and chicken stock inside a 2-qt. saucepan then soak them overnight inside the refrigerator.
The very next day, put saucepan with rice on high flame without a cover and bring the mixture to a boil.
Occasionally stir it to loosen up grains of rice then after it has boiled, lower heat to around medium-high then boil again just until all liquids have been absorbed (8-10 mins.).
Place the slices of sausage atop rice then pan should be covered.
Then, lower heat to around low then continue to cook it for another 20 mins. Turn off heat but don’t remove pan’s cover. Allow rice to stand for about 10 mins. and then using a wooden wet spoon, place it onto a big bowl and set it aside.
Mushrooms should be squeezed dry then its stems sliced at its base then discard stems and slice caps into half. On a medium-sized bowl, mix together ingredients for marinade.
Slice up the chicken breasts in 3/4-inch sized chunks then mix it together with marinade. Next, add in mushrooms then marinate them for around 20 mins. Drain off marinade then chop shrimp coarsely.
On another bowl, mix together sesame oil, white pepper, sugar and soy sauce then stir this into rice that we cooked earlier then add in mushroom-chicken mixture & also the chopped shrimps.
Fold up leaves of lettuce into half then place it onto the cutting board. When you notice that leaf edges or middle stems are hard and tough then cut them out and throw them away.
If using smaller leaves then you might overlap 2 of them.
Rice mixture should be divided in 8 equal parts then place a portion of it into the middle of half of the leaf then fold up edges over rice to form a square packet that measures about 4 inches then tie them up using twine.
Do the same process until all of your leaves are used up.
Get a steaming basket made of bamboo and layer out rice packets into 1 layer then prepare your wok for the steaming.
Steam rice packets on medium-high flame for about 20 mins then take them out of your steamer then slice each one across its top for your guests to see the contents. Then, serve packets onto small serving platters with soy sauce as dipping sauce.
