I rue the day that someone thought of the bright idea of wrapping edibles in leaves to cook. Did they envision the hard work they have imposed on modern day people hundreds of years later? I really dislike wrapping food in lotus leaves, bamboo leaves what have yous - these leaves need a lot of preparation, and it is not an easy task! Look at the lotus leaf I'd bought from the store, they're full of holes (holey moley!!). Witches rags, I call them.
But on someone's request, off I went to the store to buy these holey lotus leaves that took me one day to prepare and another day to prepare the ingredients and wrap. Compared to wrapping the triangular bak changs, I think these are easier so that was a positive.
This is the end result - lotus leaf wrapped Hong Kong style lor mai kai. The filling consists of dried shrimp, shitake mushrooms, chinese sausage, pieces of chicken (of course, since lor mai kai is translated to 'glutinuous rice chicken' covered with glutinuous rice. Steamed in the lotus leaf, the fragrance from the leaf was unmistakable as one opens the parcel for a taste of the rice.
This dish is tasty and usually served during yumcha in restaurants. I just never thought of how laborious it actually is to make! So now, I know... and I must think of what else I can do with the 4 remaining dried lotus leaves in my pantry. Halloween costume, perhaps?
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