Lap Mei Farn (Waxed Meat Rice)

**Non-Halal**

The previous weekend as I was preparing lunch around 11ish, suddenly TNB decided to pull a prank on us, leaving us baking in the hot hot CNY heat! Now, the biggest problem... I was in the midst of preparing to cook lap mei (waxed meat) rice. Yikes... rice cooker nor the steamer would work without electricity and I do not have a claypot hahaha. How leh? I had to cook rice using the stove instead which I've never done before LOL. I checked through and oh yeaaa, I can cook rice using my Vision ware, I guess should be better than metal ones right?

Anyway, I placed the rice with water in the pot, cover with the lid and turn on the stove, I kept my fingers crossed. Woohoo and the rice did cook nicely. Once it's almost cooked through, I lay the lap mei mixture of lap cheung (Chinese sausage), yoon cheung (Chinese liver sausage) and kwai far yuk (an oblong piece of reddish meat almost tasting like bak gua). We don't eat the lap yuk (pork belly) nor the lap ngap (waxed duck) hence I did not put in any. I cooked it for another 10 minutes, well that was the time the base started to burn!!!! LOL sighhh my new stove is wayyy to hot for my liking even I've used the lowest heat.

Thank goodness, it burnt just a little. I just left them covered to finish off cooking in the natural heat. Just before eating, I poured in a mixture of oyster sauce diluted with warm water and some garlic oil. Mix them about and serve the rice dish with blanched baby bok choi.

Waxed Meat Glutinous Rice

**Non-Halal Post**



Chinese New Year is approaching and one can see all sorts of waxed meats (lap mei in Cantonese) available in the market. For detailed explaination, check out boo_licious latest post on waxed meats. I've tasted a fabulous version of lap mei farn (waxed meat rice) using glutinous rice at Hakka Restaurant along Jalan Kia Peng. I have been hankering for it as this dish is usually available during Chinese New Year. Since we're not going to the restaurant anytime soon, I decided to cook some just to try out. I've never cooked this dish before and was too lazy to dig out any book or search in the net for the recipe. Simply hentam (work) my way thru.

I soaked some glutinous rice in some water for a few hours. Sliced a few types of waxed meat - duck thigh, yoon cheung (Chinese liver sausage), lap cheung (Chinese sausage) and err Kwai Fa yuk (I think... which is a thick slice of meat reddish in colour). Steamed them and scooped away the oil.

Mixed in some oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, salt and pepper into the drained glutinous rice. Steamed till cooked.

To assemble, placed the waxed meat, soaked Chinese mushroom and dried shrimps at the bottom of a lightly oiled heat proof bowl. I've also experimented by lining the bowl with aluminium foil before oiling just to test if the rice would stick to the bowl or not. Actually both ways also worked - no rice got stuck on the bowl nor the foil. Would be great if I can find some lotus leaves. I wonder if banana leaves would work as well?? Hahaha... since this was just an experiment, I did this using rice bowl as individual portion.

Scooped in the steamed rice onto the meat. Covered the top of the bowl with more foil. Steamed for another 20 - 30 minutes.

The verdict - not good at all since this was my lazy way haha. Lack of oommph!!!!

I will try the not so lazy method soon. Most likely, I'll fry some chopped shallots with the dried shrimps in some oil. Fry till the shallots turned golden brown before pouring in the soaked glutinous rice. Will add in oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, a wee bit of sugar and a dash of cooking wine. Mix thoroughly. I think mixing in the juice that came out from the steamed waxed meat will give the rice the ultimate ommph but I'll remove the oil first. The rest will be more of less the same as above but I'll steam it without the aluminium covering.

So what do you think? Would this way work better or do you have any tips or suggestions?

Technorati Tags: glutinous rice + waxed meats + Chinese New Year