Sticky Rice
Thomas J. Story
No matter the holiday or special occasion, sticky rice is always, always part of the feast. These days, of course, satchels of glutinous rice can be found at most markets, and a rice cooker with a sticky or sweet rice setting will cook the rice in no time. Here’s one of the Pham family’s favorite versions, where Chinese sausage, and fluffy-salty-sweet pork floss are gently folded into the sticky rice, which is then finished with a shower of fried shallots. We can eat this sticky rice any time of day, from breakfast to lunch to dinner, or as a snack in between.
This recipe and others like it can be found in our story How the First Family of Fish Sauce Does a Holiday Feast.
How to Make It
1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2
If you are using a rice cooker: Place the rice in the bowl and rinse several times until the water runs clear. Add 1/3 cup water and cook the rice using the sweet rice setting. If you are using a steamer basket: Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear. Line the bottom of a steamer basket with a clean cloth, like a bandanna, then spread the rice in one even layer on the cloth. Add 1/3 cup of water to a pot, top with the basket, and steam the rice, covered, stirring occasionally to fluff up the rice, for 1 hour.
3
Place chicken thighs in a roasting pan with 1 Tbsp. of oil. Coat the chicken with the oil, then season with fish sauce (or Red Boat Salt) and black pepper. Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes and up to
8 hours in the fridge.
4
Position the thighs skin-side up. Bake 30 minutes, then remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
5
Line a large plate with paper towels. Slice the Chinese sausage thinly on a bias. In a medium pan over medium heat, pan-fry the sausage (the fat will render out, so there’s no need to add any oil to the pan). Stir the slices, just until they begin to curl slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the sausages. Transfer onto the paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
6
Use another paper towel to wipe the pan clean, then place the pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, then the shallots or onions. Cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
7
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, transfer it to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan. Shred the thighs using a fork or your hands and set aside. Add the Maggi to the pan drippings.
8
When the rice finishes cooking, sprinkle the drippings onto the rice and mix it well to coat the grains. Add the shredded chicken, Chinese sausage, and sautéed shallots (or onions), and mix gently to incorporate the ingredients.
9
Transfer the sticky rice to a serving platter, drizzle with 2 Tbsp. scallion oil, then top with fried shallots and, if using, pork floss. Serve hot or at room temperature, along with extra scallion oil for guests to add as they wish.
Ingredients
2 cups sweet rice, soaked 2 hours, then drained
4 skin-on boneless chicken thighs
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsp Red Boat fish sauce or 1⁄4 tsp. Red Boat Salt or kosher salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 pound Chinese sausage
1/4 cup minced shallot or 1/3 cup minced white onion
1 tsp Maggi seasoning sauce
2 cups fried shallots, store-bought or homemade
1 cup thit chà bông (also known as ruoc, rousong, and pork floss), optional
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2
If you are using a rice cooker: Place the rice in the bowl and rinse several times until the water runs clear. Add 1/3 cup water and cook the rice using the sweet rice setting. If you are using a steamer basket: Rinse the rice several times until the water runs clear. Line the bottom of a steamer basket with a clean cloth, like a bandanna, then spread the rice in one even layer on the cloth. Add 1/3 cup of water to a pot, top with the basket, and steam the rice, covered, stirring occasionally to fluff up the rice, for 1 hour.
3
Place chicken thighs in a roasting pan with 1 Tbsp. of oil. Coat the chicken with the oil, then season with fish sauce (or Red Boat Salt) and black pepper. Marinate the chicken for at least 15 minutes and up to
8 hours in the fridge.
4
Position the thighs skin-side up. Bake 30 minutes, then remove the roasting pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool.
5
Line a large plate with paper towels. Slice the Chinese sausage thinly on a bias. In a medium pan over medium heat, pan-fry the sausage (the fat will render out, so there’s no need to add any oil to the pan). Stir the slices, just until they begin to curl slightly, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the sausages. Transfer onto the paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
6
Use another paper towel to wipe the pan clean, then place the pan over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp. olive oil, then the shallots or onions. Cook until lightly browned, about 8 minutes, then remove from the pan and set aside.
7
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, transfer it to a bowl, leaving the drippings in the pan. Shred the thighs using a fork or your hands and set aside. Add the Maggi to the pan drippings.
8
When the rice finishes cooking, sprinkle the drippings onto the rice and mix it well to coat the grains. Add the shredded chicken, Chinese sausage, and sautéed shallots (or onions), and mix gently to incorporate the ingredients.
9
Transfer the sticky rice to a serving platter, drizzle with 2 Tbsp. scallion oil, then top with fried shallots and, if using, pork floss. Serve hot or at room temperature, along with extra scallion oil for guests to add as they wish.
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