Savory Chicken And Rice In A Lotus Leaf

INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

cut diagonally into 1-inch slices ** soaked in warm water until soft
and pliable (about 30 minutes) *** soaked in warm water for 30 minutes
Foods wrapped in dried 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 as a light meal.
Note that 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.)  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 cold water; gently stir and
rub the grains between your  fingers to loosen all the excess starch.
Continue until the water  runs clear. Drain thoroughly. Mix the rice
with the chicken stock in  a 2-quart saucepan; soak overnight in the
refrigerator. The next day,  set the saucepan of rice uncovered over
high heat; bring to a boil.  Stir just enough to loosen the rice
grains. Reduce the heat to  medium-high and boil until the liquid is
absorbed, about 8 to 10  minutes. Put the sausages on top of the rice
and cover the pan.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat  but do not remove the cover.  Let the rice stand for
10 minutes,  then, with a wet wooden spoon, transfer it to a large
bowl; set  aside. Squeeze the mushrooms dry.  Cut off the stems at the
base and  discard 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 the mushrooms and marinate
for 20  minutes. Drain and coarsely chop the shrimp. In a small bowl
combine  the soy sauce, sugar, white pepper, and sesame oil; mix into
the  cooked rice.  Add the chicken-mushroom mixture and the shrimp.
Fold a  lotus leaf in half and put it on a cutting board.  If the
middle stem  or edges are tough and hard, trim and discard them.  (If
the leaves  are small, you may need to over- lap halves.) Divide the
rice mixture  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.
Prepare a wok for  steaming. Steam the packets over medium-high heat
for 20 minutes.  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 packages; 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.  From
"Asian Appetizers" by Joyce Jue, Harlow and Ratner, 1991. ISBN
0-9627345-1-9.  Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; December 6 1992.  File
ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmdja006.zip

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Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients)
----------------------------------------------
Calories: 203
Calories From Fat: 21
Total Fat: 2.4g
Cholesterol: 38.4mg
Sodium: 300.6mg
Potassium: 299.8mg
Carbohydrates: 11.9g
Fiber: <1g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 16.2g