Listed in Wallace Yee Hong’s The Chinese Cook Book as “Noo-Mei Guy” (No Mi Guy) or “Chicken Stuffed with Glutinous Rice” the result however isn’t quite a stuffed chicken as we think of it in the West. Rather, this is a fascinating recipe in which the chicken and rice are steamed simultaneously in the same pot on top of each other before frying the chicken separately.
When I was going through Hong’s book trying to decide which recipes I was going to try first this one just immediately jumped out at me: stick rice, fried chicken? Hell, yes. It does not disappoint. Steaming the chicken in advance ensures a juicy tender meat that you don’t have to fry to death to cook all the way through and the Chinese sausage adds a wonderfully quirky element to the rice. Make no mistake. This recipe is going to ask for a little determination, but that’s what its all about isn’t it? You’re going to thank me in the end. Interestingly, the NYC based food blog The Woks of Life has a remarkably similar ‘family’ recipe. Considering their father worked in Chinese restaurants this would affirm its existence throughout the East Coast Chinese-American cuisine.
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
2 cups glutinous rice, soaked in water overnight then drained
1/4 cup Virginia ham, chopped fine
1/2 cup dried black mushrooms, re-hydrated and chopped fine
1 cup Chinese sausage, chopped fine
1/4 canned chestnuts, chopped
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 tsp MSG
1 tsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp green onions, chopped fine
1 tsp white salt
2 tsp garlic salt (or regular)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Peanut oil for frying
Directions
- Butterfly chicken. Guide here.
- Mix together in a bowl the rice, ham, mushrooms, sausage, chestnuts, walnuts, MSG, rice wine, sugar, green onions, 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 cup of water.
- Place mixture in a bowl (I used the bowl of a rice cooker but I imagine a stainless steel mixing bowl would work well, also). Fill a large pot with three inches of water and place a rack down for steaming. Bring water to a boil. Lower in the rice bowl, cover and steam for 50 minutes.
- Mix together garlic salt and soy sauce. Brush over chicken thoroughly. Place chicken on top of rice bowl, cover and steam for an additional 45 minutes.
- Remove chicken and let cool. Turn off heat but keep rice covered.
- Cut chicken into desired segments and deep fry in peanut oil until golden brown. Serve on top of bed of sticky rice and garnish with coriander.
