Lo Mai Gai

Lo Mai Gai, sticky rice chicken! This classic dim sum item consists of a small mound of lard-seasoned rice, stuffed with a saucy, umami rich ingredients and chicken.

INGREDIENTS

Makes six Lo Mai Gai.

* Long grain sticky rice, 400g
* Dried shiitake mushrooms 8g
* Dried shrimp , 8g
* Dried scallop , 8g
* Extra water for pouring over the rice when steaming: 1-2 cups
* Seasoning for the rice: salt, 1 tsp; chicken bouillon powder 1/8 tsp; MSG 1/8 tsp; melted lard, 60g
* Chicken - thigh or leg - 60g of meat
* Marinade for the chicken: salt, 1/4 tsp; sugar, 1/4 tsp; cornstarch 1/2 tsp; chicken bouillon powder 1/8 tsp; white pepper powder , 1/8 tsp; soy sauce , 1/2 tsp; dark soy sauce 1/4 tsp; toasted sesame oil 1/2 tsp
* Bamboo shoots 40g - canned is also ok
* Reserved mushroom/seafood soaking liquid, 1/2 cup for frying the chicken
* Reserved mushroom/seafood soaking liquid, 1/2 cup for frying the filling
* Prepared sauce for frying the filling: salt, 1/2 tsp; sugar, 1/2 tsp; cornstarch, 1/2 tbsp; MSG 1/8 tsp; chicken bouillon 1/8 tsp; white pepper powder, 1/8 tsp; soy sauce 1 tbsp; dark soy sauce, 1/4 tsp; toasted sesame oil 1/4 tsp; reserved mushroom/seafood soaking liquid, 1/4 cup
* Dried lotus leaf, 2

PROCESS

1. The day before, wash and soak your sticky rice, as well as the with the shiitake/shrimp/scallop.
2. To make the sticky rice, drain, then steam it for 30 minutes - checking every ten minutes. At the 10 minute mark and the 20 minute mark, drizzle over one cup of water bit by bit, flipping the rice as you go. You may not need to add any more water at the 20 minute mark if you rice already looks white and moist.
3. Remove the rice from the steamer, let it cool down. Mix with the 'seasoning for the rice'.
4. Squeeze and mince the mushrooms, the shrimp, and the scallops - reserving the soaking liquid. Debone your chicken - if using bone-in - and cut into six ~10g hunks. Marinate the chicken, set aside. Dice the bamboo shoots, if using.
5. Fry the chicken over a high flame, and once it visually looks about 'done' (~30 seconds), add in the 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom/seafood soaking liquid and swap the flame to medium. Let it reduce away into a thick sauce, ~6 minutes. Remove the chicken.
6. Fry the mushrooms, seafood, and bamboo shoots over a medium flame until fragrant, ~1 minute, then add in 1/2 cup of reserved mushroom/seafood soaking liquid together with and spare sauce from frying the chicken. Let it reduce away, ~6 minutes. Add in the 'prepared sauce for frying', cook for 1-2 minutes until reduced and thick.
7. Fold the lotus leaf into quarters, then soak in 80C water for 30 minutes (it might be convenient to do this step earlier).
8. Squeeze the excess liquid out from the lotus leaf, and cut the leaves into quarters along the crease. This will give you six wrappers, plus an extra two in order to patch up any broken leaves. Weigh your sticky rice, and divide into six portions. Oil your wrapper, place half of one 'portion' on, together with one piece of chicken and 1 tbsp of sauce. Make a dome with the other half of the rice, lay it on. Seal the sides, shape with the leaf, fold in the leaf like a Christmas present, then roll it all up.
9. Steam the Lo Mai Gai on medium for twenty minutes.
10. To freeze, wait until they come back down to room temp, then lay flat in a plastic bag. To re-heat, don't thaw - steam from frozen, ~30 minutes over a medium flame.