Lotus leaf treasure rice
Chinese liver sausage glutinous rice, a festive centrepiece
If you are very pressed for time, you can prepare the lotus leaf wrapped glutinous rice with Chinese liver sausage a day in advance.
You just have to reheat it when you are ready to serve.
Chinese liver sausage, like most foods involving offal, is an acquired taste. Not everyone who likes Chinese sausage will like the version made from liver.
Called yun cheong in Cantonese, the Chinese liver sausage is usually made from duck liver. It is dark, and good quality yun cheong has a melt-in-your-mouth texture when cooked.
I like it with glutinous rice, wrapped up in lotus leaf. This dish can be quite a centrepiece for your festive spread.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lotus leaves
- 500g uncooked glutinous rice
- 2 Chinese liver sausages
- 1 Chinese sausage
- 30g pine nuts
- 5 dried mushrooms, soaked and sliced
- 50g dried prawn, soaked and rinsed
- 0g dried baby scallops, soaked and rinsed
- 00g pork, sliced thinly
- 5 shallots, sliced thinly
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 60ml chicken stock
- Dash of pepper
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
SEASONING
- 1 tbsp dark soya sauce
- 1 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
You will need kitchen string.
METHOD
Wash the glutinous rice and soak for two to three hours. Drain off the water.
Boil the lotus leaves in hot water until softened. Remove from boiling water and rinse thoroughly. Handle with care to avoid tearing the leaves. Set aside to dry.
Place the glutinous rice in a heatproof dish. Add the seasoning and chicken stock. Stir to mix.
Steam for 50 minutes to an hour until the rice is translucent and cooked. Set aside.
Blanch the sausages in hot water for a minute. Peel off the sausage casings. Slice the Chinese sausage thinly.
Slice the Chinese liver sausage thickly.
Heat the oil, fry the dried prawn until fragrant and add the dried baby scallops. Fry for a minute and add the dried mushrooms.
(A) 
Add the garlic and shallots and fry until fragrant. (A)
Add the sliced pork and fry. Add a dash of pepper.
Mix in the pine nuts, Chinese sausage and liver sausage.
Transfer the rice mixture into a large bowl. Use a spatula or the back of a large spoon to press the rice down firmly.
Place the lotus leaves one on top of the other.
(B) 
Overturn the bowl in the centre of the leaves. (B)
Fold the leaves into a parcel and tie it up securely with kitchen string. (C)
(C) 
Place it with the folded ends face-down into a heatproof dish and steam for 20 minutes. Serve hot.
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