sticky rice with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp and mushrooms

Sticky rice has always been one of my favorite foods growing up. This was a dish my siblings and I requested every holiday, whether it was Thanksgiving or Christmas. Frequently, my mom would stuff our holiday turkeys with this sticky rice. As the turkey roasted, the rice would absorb the juices from the bird, rendering it even more savory.

Last night, I hosted a girl’s book club at my house. The book we chose this month was Factory Girls, a book that chronicled the lives of several girls who worked in Chinese sweat shops. The book was incredibly humbling on many levels. (I won’t say anymore because I don’t want to spoil it for you in case you want to check it out!) I prepared three dishes for the girls, which I’ll blog about tomorrow. My friend Lorraine brought a box of Chinese pastries from the International District, another brought fortune cookies, and yet another brought the most delicious ginger ice-cream, studded with candied ginger. (The rest brought wine. There was no shortage of that this evening!)

I don’t have a recipe for sticky rice, because it’s something my mom taught me how to cook years ago. Basically, you rinse and cook about six cups of sticky rice. Use a little less water so you end up with rice that’s a little drier. In the meantime, soak dried shitake mushrooms, and slice them finely once they’ve softened. Rinse several handfuls dried shrimp, and douse them with a touch of Shao Xing wine. Slice a generous amount of Chinese sausage–I use 1 full package per six cups of rice. (And if you have it, add in some Chinese cured pork belly–”lap yook” in Cantonese.) Heat about 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet. (This isn’t diet food, missy!) Cook the sausage until it’s lightly browned. Add the shrimp and the mushrooms, then some dark soy sauce and a touch of brown sugar. Then, mix in the cooked rice until the rice takes on a light brown color. Taste, and adjust for seasoning, adding a little more soy sauce if necessary. Mix in a generous amount of chopped scallions, and parsley.