Lo Mai Gai

Description
Lotus leaf wraps
 * Serves 8

Ingredients

 * 4 lotus leaves, cut in half
 * 1¼ cups glutinous rice (sticky rice)
 * 4 Chinese dried black mushrooms
 * 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 ounces
 * ¼ teaspoon salt
 * 1 tablespoon rice wine
 * 1 teaspoon cornstarch
 * 2 Chinese sausages (lop cheong)
 * 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
 * 1 tablespoon Chinese or Japanese rice wine
 * 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
 * 1 teaspoons dark soy sauce
 * 1½ teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
 * 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for stir-frying, or as needed
 * ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
 * freshly ground black or white pepper, to taste

Directions

 * 1) One hour ahead of time, prepare the rice and lotus leaves: soak the lotus leaves in hot water for 1 hour.
 * 2) Pat dry.
 * 3) Cover the rice with water and let soak for 1 hour.
 * 4) Drain.
 * 5) Next, steam the rice.
 * 6) Line a bamboo steamer with parchment paper or cabbage leaf.
 * 7) Fill a wok approximately to the half-way point with water so that the steamer will be sitting above the water without touching.
 * 8) Bring the water to a boil cover the rice and steam for about 20 minutes.
 * 9) Remove the rice, cover and keep warm while preparing the remainder of the ingredients.
 * 10) Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
 * 11) Squeeze out any excess water, remove the stems and finely chop.
 * 12) Cut the chicken into small cubes about the size of a postage stamp.
 * 13) Add the salt, 1 tablespoon rice wine and 1 teaspoon cornstarch.
 * 14) Marinate the chicken for 20 minutes.
 * 15) Finely chop the sausages.
 * 16) Peel and chop the garlic.
 * 17) In a small bowl, combine the rice wine, light soy and dark soy sauce.
 * 18) In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water, and whisk into the sauce.
 * 19) Heat a wok and add 2 tablespoons oil.
 * 20) When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds).
 * 21) Add the chicken cubes.
 * 22) Stir-fry until they turn white and are 80 percent cooked through.
 * 23) Add the sausages and the mushrooms.
 * 24) Stir-fry for a minute.
 * 25) Give the sauce mixture a quick re-stir then add in the middle, stirring quickly to thicken.
 * 26) Season with pepper, to taste.
 * 27) Cook for 1 to 2 more minutes to mix everything together and heat through.
 * 28) Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.
 * 29) Cool.
 * 30) To make the wraps, separate the rice and the filling into 8 equal sections, 1 section for each wrap.
 * 31) Lay out a lotus leaf in front of you.
 * 32) Place a portion of the rice mixture into the center of a lotus leaf.
 * 33) Add the meat and vegetable mixture over top, shaping the rice with your hands so that it forms a ring around the filling.
 * 34) Add more rice to cover.
 * 35) Form a square parcel with the lotus leaf and tie it up with twine.
 * 36) Repeat with the remaining lotus leaves.
 * 37) Steam the lotus leaf parcels, covered, on a heatproof plate in a bamboo steamer for 15 minutes, or until they are done.