Steamed Rice Cakes with Bacon and Caramelized Onions Suman nga Baboy
Ingredients
Makes 8 suman squares
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
⁄2 cup (125 ml) rice wine
⁄3 cup (150 ml) hot Chicken Stock
(see page 15)
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup (200 g) uncooked glutinous
rice
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
⁄4 teaspoon salt
⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-oz/280-g) package banana leaves, thawed
Instructions
Soak the mushrooms: Combine the dried mushrooms, rice wine, and hot chicken broth in a medium bowl. Soak the mushrooms for 15 to 20 minutes until caps are tender. Remove the mushrooms and squeeze the excess liquid back into the bowl. Cut off and discard the mushroom stems. Slice the mushroom caps thinly. Set the mushrooms and soaking liquid aside.
Cook the rice: Heat a medium skillet (2 to 3 quarts/liters) over medium heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook and stir the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes until much of the fat is rendered out. Add the onion and sauté another 5 to 7 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize and turns a golden color. Add the glutinous rice and stir to coat with oil. Deglaze the pan with the mushroom soaking liquid, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the coconut milk, sliced mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Simmer the rice for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. The rice should be very thick and sticky but still firm when you bite into it.
Form and cool the rice: Turn the rice out into a 9 by 9-inch (23 by 23-cm)-square baking dish and press it into a 2-inch (5 cm)-thick block. Molding the rice this way will allow you to cut even blocks, which makes for easy wrapping. Cool the rice completely. Use a knife to cut 8 equal-sized blocks just slightly over 2 by 2 inches (5 by 5 cm)-square.
Wrap the suman:
Step 1. Prepare the banana leaves by running both sides of each leaf under hot water and wiping dry with paper towels. Lay one leaf horizontally in front of you. Starting from the bottom edge closest to you, cut the leaf into 4-inch (10 cm)-wide strips, at least 6 inches (15 cm) tall from top to bottom. Each strip will be used to wrap a single suman block so make sure you have enough strips for the number of blocks.
Step 2. Cut an equal number of 1⁄4-inch (1⁄2-cm) leaf strips. These thin strips will be used to tie the suman closed, like a ribbon.
Step 3. Center 1 rice block on the bottom edge of a leaf strip. Pull the bottom edge over the rice and roll the block in the leaf like a gift. Fold in the sides and hold them secured with your fingers. Tie the 1⁄4-inch (1⁄2-cm) leaf strip around the block so that it holds the sides and top edge closed. Tie the “ribbon” into a knot. Continue wrapping the remaining blocks of suman.
Steam the suman: Place the wrapped blocks in your steamer and steam for 50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serve with Edam butter and mushroom dipping sauce.
Ingredients
Makes 8 suman squares
3 dried shiitake mushrooms
⁄2 cup (125 ml) rice wine
⁄3 cup (150 ml) hot Chicken Stock
(see page 15)
3 slices bacon, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 cup (200 g) uncooked glutinous
rice
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
⁄4 teaspoon salt
⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-oz/280-g) package banana leaves, thawed
Instructions
Soak the mushrooms: Combine the dried mushrooms, rice wine, and hot chicken broth in a medium bowl. Soak the mushrooms for 15 to 20 minutes until caps are tender. Remove the mushrooms and squeeze the excess liquid back into the bowl. Cut off and discard the mushroom stems. Slice the mushroom caps thinly. Set the mushrooms and soaking liquid aside.
Cook the rice: Heat a medium skillet (2 to 3 quarts/liters) over medium heat. Add the diced bacon. Cook and stir the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes until much of the fat is rendered out. Add the onion and sauté another 5 to 7 minutes until the onion begins to caramelize and turns a golden color. Add the glutinous rice and stir to coat with oil. Deglaze the pan with the mushroom soaking liquid, scraping off any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the coconut milk, sliced mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Simmer the rice for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. The rice should be very thick and sticky but still firm when you bite into it.
Form and cool the rice: Turn the rice out into a 9 by 9-inch (23 by 23-cm)-square baking dish and press it into a 2-inch (5 cm)-thick block. Molding the rice this way will allow you to cut even blocks, which makes for easy wrapping. Cool the rice completely. Use a knife to cut 8 equal-sized blocks just slightly over 2 by 2 inches (5 by 5 cm)-square.
Wrap the suman:
Step 1. Prepare the banana leaves by running both sides of each leaf under hot water and wiping dry with paper towels. Lay one leaf horizontally in front of you. Starting from the bottom edge closest to you, cut the leaf into 4-inch (10 cm)-wide strips, at least 6 inches (15 cm) tall from top to bottom. Each strip will be used to wrap a single suman block so make sure you have enough strips for the number of blocks.
Step 2. Cut an equal number of 1⁄4-inch (1⁄2-cm) leaf strips. These thin strips will be used to tie the suman closed, like a ribbon.
Step 3. Center 1 rice block on the bottom edge of a leaf strip. Pull the bottom edge over the rice and roll the block in the leaf like a gift. Fold in the sides and hold them secured with your fingers. Tie the 1⁄4-inch (1⁄2-cm) leaf strip around the block so that it holds the sides and top edge closed. Tie the “ribbon” into a knot. Continue wrapping the remaining blocks of suman.
Steam the suman: Place the wrapped blocks in your steamer and steam for 50 minutes. Cool slightly before serving. Serve with Edam butter and mushroom dipping sauce.
