Roasted Ruffed Grouse with Giblet and Lap Cheong Rice Stuffing

There’s one thing magical about Chinese language-style sticky rice studded with little treasures. 

The primary time I attempted it was at my native dim sum joint, which I found as a younger teenager. The dim sum menu included a dish referred to as lo mai gai, translated to English as one thing like sticky rice stuffed lotus leaves. Having by no means tried sticky rice earlier than, and even heard of lotus leaves, I needed to strive it!

The dish got here out as a parcel in regards to the measurement of a burger, wrapped in some kind of sturdy leaf (which I may solely assume was lotus) on a small plate. The leaf appeared too robust to eat, so I figured it should simply be there to carry the rice. I partially unwrapped the leaves to show a glistening inside of sticky rice, studded with unidentifiable (to me on the time) substances. The odor was intoxicating; I later discovered that the lotus leaves act as a cooking vessel in addition to lending their fragrance to the steamed rice. 

Digging into the rice with chopsticks, I encountered all types of enjoyable stuff. There have been sliced shiitake mushrooms, hunks of candy lap cheong sausage, shredded hen cooked in soy sauce, floor pork, and perhaps another little goodies. 

I took some chili oil from the condiments on the desk and doused the rice earlier than hoovering it up. The proprietor had been watching me, in all probability questioning what this solo, white teenager was doing consuming actual Chinese language meals—he had clearly by no means seen something prefer it. He came to visit and struck up a dialog in damaged English, inquiring if I had lived in China. 

“Nope,” I responded, “However I want I had. I really like this meals!”

He then remarked on how a lot chili oil I had used and stated he didn’t assume white individuals appreciated spicy meals. 

“That’s not completely true,” I replied, “I LOVE spicy meals.”

I got here again the subsequent weekend with a bunch of associates, and we ordered a spherical of lo mai gai, every drowning the dish in chili oil. 

“Wow!” the proprietor, who as soon as once more got here out to look at this unusual phenomenon, “You boys actually like chili!”

We continued visiting the restaurant and ordering sticky rice in lotus leaves—in addition to steamed BBQ pork buns, congee, siu mai, and every thing else on the dim sum menu—not less than as soon as a month. The proprietor would welcome our unruly adolescent group on the door by exclaiming, “Ohhh! It’s the chili boys!” and would convey over an additional jar of the spicy chili oil to our desk. These experiences left an indelible impression on me over time and have definitely influenced my meals preferences and cooking type. 

Later in life, I had the chance to strive Cajun soiled rice, a scrumptious rice dish from New Orleans that features minced or floor liver and floor pork. In some way, the spices and consistency of the rice labored collectively to include the liver with out really tasting like liver. With out the liver, although, the dish falls flat. 

My thoughts, as it’s wont to do, ruminated on these two dishes till they form of grew to become one new dish—a dish I figured could be unbelievable. 

The one drawback to resolve was what I’d wrap the rice in. Ought to I attempt to supply lotus leaves? Use one thing wild like burdock leaves? Was there another answer?

Whereas staring in my freezer (as I’m additionally wont to do), I seen a number of entire, plucked ruffed grouse that I wanted to do one thing with… like stuffing with my sticky-dirty rice?

I brined the birds to offer some further juiciness, then stuffed them with my rice combination, made with finely chopped grouse offal, candy and savory lap cheong sausage, scallions, garlic, and soy sauce earlier than roasting them within the oven. 

The outcome, as you will notice in the event you make them, was chic. If inclined, you possibly can additionally add sliced shiitake or wild mushrooms to nice impact. 

Lap cheong is on the market in any Asian market, on-line, and in lots of massive Western grocers. It is available in a vacuum-sealed bundle and the sausages should be cooked earlier than being eaten. You’ll find yourself with some further, which is ok, since they hold within the fridge for a very long time. Strive including an entire sausage to a pot of cooking rice, slicing it skinny and frying in a pan over low warmth as a meal topper, or including it to stir-fries.

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