Lotus Leaf Fried Rice

• 2 eggs

• 2 chicken thighs

• 1 Chinese wind dried sausage

• 2 tbsp dried shrimp (soaked in hot water for 15 mins)

• 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water overnight

• 2 cups cooked jasmine rice

• 2 spring onions

• 2 lotus leaves, soaked in hot water for an hour

• Vegetable Oil

The Marinade:

• Pinch five spice

• ½ tbsp light soy sauce

• ½ tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)

The Sauce

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• ½ tsp sugar

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• Pinch of white pepper

Finely dice the shitake mushrooms and sausages, beat the eggs in a bowl, and dice the chicken. Add the marinade ingredients to the chicken and mix through.

Set up your wok clock: the chicken at 12, then the egg, shrimp, sausage, mushrooms and rice.

Get your wok up to a high heat, cover the bottom with oil, and place the chicken into stirfry. Once it is sealed, set the chicken aside in a bowl. Place the eggs into the wok and allow them to bubble up. Once the egg is half-cooked, start adding the other ingredients. First the shrimp, then the sausage and the mushrooms. Once cooked through add the rice and mop up all the flavour. Flick through to separate the rice grains and then add the chicken back. Once the juices from the chicken have evaporated add the sauce ingredients. Get the heat back up and fold through. Once the bottom of the wok is dry the rice is ready to go into the lotus leaf.

Place the two leaves over a steam basket, pop the rice into the middle, and fold over. Pour some water into the bottom of a wok, and get up to a simmer. Place the lid onto the steam basket and steam in the wok for 10 minutes. Once you can smell the aroma of the lotus leaf it is ready to serve.