Opening up a steamed lotus leaf packet and inhaling its alluring musty fragrance is part of many Cantonese dim sum rituals. Inside, the sticky rice is stained a rich brown from the leaf, and once you start digging toward the center with chopsticks, there is a treasure trove of succulent ingredients. Figuring out what comprises the filling is most fun. Chicken is often included, as jī (fowl) is part of these packets’ name in Mandarin; they are called lo mai gai in Cantonese. Chicken is commonly combined with shiitake mushrooms and Chinese sweet sausage, as is done here. But cooks can add a myriad of other boldly flavored or rich ingredients, such as roasted char siu pork (page 224), roast duck, dried shrimp, salted egg yolk, and chestnuts. Lotus leaf packets can be made large enough for several people to share, but I prefer to present a small one to each guest. I freeze extras as a homemade convenience food to be later revived and packed into a lunch box or enjoyed on the road. At Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, you will find the sticky rice and dried sweet sausages. Packages of fanlike dried lotus leaves are usually near the dried mushrooms; they are inexpensive and last indefinitely if stored in a dry spot. If you are making lotus packets for the first time, soak a couple of extra leaves in case you tear them.
Available either shrink-wrapped or free of packaging at Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, Chinese sweet sausages are dried and look shriveled up and hard. Don’t be put off by their appearance. Lop chong (the Cantonese name) are rich, savory, and absolutely delicious. They are made with pork, chicken, pork liver, or duck liver and are about six inches long. I prefer the standard pork sausages; they taste sweet and have a nice amount of fat without the heaviness of liver. Check the ingredients listing for rice wine, which makes for extra tasty sausages. Refrigerate the sausages for weeks or freeze them for months.
