Thursday, June 26, 2008

Bar Food 5. Quick and Easy Vietnamese Sticky Rice

So I've always dreamed of being able to take traditional Vietnamese recipes, which are often highly involved and intense, and simplifying them for people like us - young busy professionals who love to make great food but just don't have much time. Well, I'm a long way from that goal but I think this is a good first step.

I read a post about Cheat's Sticky Rice on Serious Eats (a fabulous food blog) and it got me inspired. The Vietnamese sticky rice I grew up has NO mushrooms (I HATE rehydrated Shitake mushrooms) and is overflowing with salty dried shrimp, lap xuong (Chinese sausage), and homemade fried shallots. Thankfully, you can also buy premade fried shallots in almost any Asian grocery store.

I think this recipe still has room for improvement but for now, it's awfully tasty. Justin ate almost the ENTIRE thing in one sitting.

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QUICK AND EASY VIETNAMESE STICKY RICE (XOI NEP)

3 cups glutinous rice, soaked for 3 hours and drained (this is also called sweet rice)
1 cup dried shrimp, soaked for 10 minutes (drain and reserve soaking water)
5 lap xuong (Chinese sausage) links, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 cup fried shallot chips

1. Soak a piece of cheese cloth in the shrimp soaking liquid and lay it at the bottom of your steaming basket.

2. Mix all the ingredients except the shallot chips and spread it across the bottom of the steaming basket, pouring any reserved soaking liquid from the shrimp over the rice.

3. All the rice to steam for 30-40 minutes until al dente. Right before serving, mix in the shallot chips so they wilt.


**I know...this needs a lot more work but I wanted to make sure to at least make a preliminary post.**

3 comments:

Kat Banakis said...

Two questions -- first, stupid question, but is chinese sausage cooked already or raw? Second, if we don't have a full steamer basket for rice (I have a rice cooker w/ a veggie steamer tray or one of those collapsalbe steamer veggie trays... normally I boil rice...) how would you suggest modifying?

Anonymous said...

Van I can't wait for your dinner tonight! I have been looking forward to it all week.

Unknown said...

when you buy chinese sausage it's already cooked but you usually cook it again before eating. For this dish, you just cut up the links straight from the package and toss it with the rice.

re the steamer basket, you can also cook it in the rice cooker. use 3 cups of liquid (the shrimp liquid + chicken broth or water). i've never tried it but it should work. the veggie steamer try will definitely work. let me know if it works!