Bak Chang - By Rachel Wai Mei Chung
Ingredients:
500g pork belly, chopped into ~ 2cm chunks
1 kg glutinous rice
20 dried chestnuts
1 Chinese rice bowl of dried shrimps (heh bee)
1 Chinese rice bowl of dried Chinese mushrooms – I used approximately 40 tiny ones
6 salted duck eggs (we will only be using the yolks)
20 shallots
For the pork belly marinade (Marinade a night before)
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp five spice powder
1 tsp white pepper
For the rice marinade: (approximate amounts – you may need to adjust according to your taste)
5 tbsp oyster sauce
5 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp white pepper
For wrapping:
at least 60 bamboo leaves (2 pieces per bak chang, you may need extra incase of tears/holes in leaves)
cooking string/hemp leaves
Method:
1. Bleach the bamboo leaves in hot water for 30minutes then change into normal water. Wash the bamboo leave pieces by pieces after another 30minutes. (Note that bamboo leaves are very dirty). Therefore, is good to change water daily before you use it. Try to submerge the leaves as much as you can into the water.
2. Soak the glutinous rice in cold water for 2 hours. Thereafter, you may drained it dry.
3. Soak the chestnuts in cold water for at least 3 days. Try to change the water daily and there is a red skin, you may need to remove it. This will comes out probably about 30mins.
4. Mix all the ingredients for pork and marinade then leave in fridge for overnight.
Preparing the ingredients:
5. Cook the duck eggs in a pot of boiling water, for 10 minutes. Leave to cool sightly, peel, separating the yolk from the whites. We will only be using the yolks, so store the whites in the fridge for another use. Cut the yolks into quarters.
6. Soak dried shrimps in a bowl, using hot water.
7. Soak the Chinese mushrooms in a bowl, using hot water. You may slice them into half if you find the mushroom to big.
8. Peel and finely dice the shallots.
Cooking the ingredients:
9. Heat 1 tbsp corn oil in a large pan/wok. Using high heat, fry the dried shrimps until they become fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan, and place in a bowl.
10. In the same pan, fry the Chinese mushrooms until they become fragrant, and brown slightly. Remove from pan, and place in a bowl.
11. In the same pan, fry the pre-soaked chestnuts until they brown slightly. Remove from pan, and place in a bowl.
12. In the same pan, fry the pork belly chunks until they turn lightly browned. This is just to sear it briefly and not cooked the pork belly. Remove from pan, and place in a bowl.
13. Add 1 tbsp corn oil to the same pan. Fry the shallots until they become fragrant.
14. Add the glutinous rice flour, and stir for 1 minute.
15. Add all the ingredients for the rice marinade, and any leftover pork marinade you have. Taste, and add extra oyster sauce/dark soya sauce or others if necessary. Switch off the flame and transfer the rice to a big pot.
Wrapping the bak chang:
16. Select two leaves, and place them in opposite directions (i.e. the tail end of one lining up with the top end of the other). Do not use any leaves which already have holes in them, as they will cause water to seep into the bak chang during the cooking process.
17. Form leaves into a cone.
18. Fill the cone about 1/3 of the way with the glutinous rice.
19. Then, place each of the following atop the rice: one chunk of pork belly, one chestnut, one/two Chinese mushrooms, 1/2 tsp dried shrimps, and a piece of duck egg yolk.
20. Top with some glutinous rice, till you reach the brim of the cone.
21. Fold the leaves around the pouch, and secure with cooking string/hemp leaves.
22. Repeat with remaining leaves and ingredients, until everything is used up.
Cooking the bak chang:
23. Boil water in a large pot. When the water comes to a boil, gently lower the bak chang’s into the water. Make sure the entire bak chang is submerged in water. Cover the pot with a lid, and cook over medium heat for 2-3 hours.
24. To test if they are cooked, you’ll have to unwrap one and check. And taste.
25. Once the bak changs are cooked, remove from the pan and hang them up to allow any extra water to drain away.
