Chef notes
For how simple it is to make, lo mai fan, a Cantonese sticky rice dish, packs a flavorful punch. That’s because it makes splendid use of dried and cured ingredients that deliver concentrated umaminess. Rehydrated shiitake mushrooms and shrimp add earthy, nutty aroma to the dish, while chewy lap cheong (Chinese sausage) brings richness and mild sweetness. Studded with crunchy water chestnuts and flavored with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil, lo mai fan makes a savory, satisfying weeknight meal, not to mention great leftovers. There’s minimal cleanup involved, too: aside from cooking the sticky rice, the whole dish comes together quickly on the stovetop in a single wok.
Lo mai fan is a widely beloved and enduringly popular dish in the Chinese canon. It was a go-to order of mine at Cantonese restaurants, until I learned how easy it is to make at home. Many of the ingredients are shelf-stable, which means I can keep them stocked in the pantry and cook lo mai fan for dinner whenever a craving hits (which is all the time). I sometimes adapt the recipe using the bits and bobs I have on hand — fresh mushrooms, diced chiles, roasted peanuts, and cured pork belly make nice additions. Lo mai fan is also a staple on my holiday tables, either served as a crowd-pleasing side or stuffed inside a roasted bird.
You might find sticky rice labeled as glutinous rice (though it doesn’t contain gluten) or sweet rice. (Whenever a recipe calls for a side of white rice, mix things up by swapping in glutinous rice instead — it’s a pleasantly chewy alternative.) Look for bright-orange dried shrimp that are about half an inch in size. Water chestnuts often come in cans packed with water.
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sticky rice, washed and drained
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup dried shrimp, soaked for 20 minutes in warm water
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 4 links lap cheong (Chinese sausage), thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup water chestnuts, washed and finely chopped
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
- 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked for 20 minutes in warm water, then finely chopped
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 cilantro stems, finely chopped
Preparation
1.In a medium pot or a rice cooker, cook the glutinous rice according to package instructions.
2.In a small bowl, stir together the chicken stock, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and sesame oil and set aside.
3.In a wok set over medium heat, add the oil and rotate the wok to coat. When the oil is hot, add the dried shrimp, garlic and shallots and stir-fry until lightly browned and aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the sausage and stir-fry until aromatic, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the water chestnuts, Shaoxing wine, and mushrooms and stir-fry until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes.
3.Stir in the cooked sticky rice and half the soy sauce mixture, using a spatula to break up the rice and ensure it doesn’t stick to the wok. Stir in the remaining soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring continuously, until evenly mixed, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and cilantro.
4.Transfer to serving bowls and serve immediately.
