Ingredients:
Long-grain glutinous rice 600 g
Small dried scallops 45 g
Rice wine 60 g
Dried shrimp 25 g
Dried shiitake 15 g
Minced ginger 25 g
Sesame oil 2 tbsp
Pork lard 2 tbsp
Shiitake soaking water 100 g
Salt 1/2 tsp
Bonito seasoning 1/2 tsp
Black bean soy sauce 2 tbsp
Cheng Chi fried shallots 3–4 tbsp
Sakura shrimp 30 g
Thai basil leaves, to taste
Pork lard or cooking oil, for frying, as needed
Method:
1. Soak the glutinous rice for 2.5–3 hours.
2. Soak the dried scallops in the rice wine for about 2 hours, then lift out and pull into coarse shreds.
3. Soak the shiitake until soft, remove the stems and shred, keeping the soaking water.
4. Rinse the dried shrimp.
5. Finely chop the ginger.
6. Line a steamer with a damp cotton cloth, tip in the drained glutinous rice and steam over a high heat for about 20 minutes, until the grains are translucent all the way through.
7. Heat the sesame oil and lard in a wok and fry, in order, the shredded scallop, minced ginger, shredded shiitake and dried shrimp over a medium-low heat.
8. Add the seasoning (salt, bonito seasoning, black bean soy sauce) and fry until the soy sauce smells right.
9. Add the shiitake soaking water so everything comes together, bring briefly to the boil, then tip in the steamed rice and mix through. Finally fold in the fried shallots, which matter most of all. The rice cake is done.
10. Plate up and scatter over sakura shrimp fried in pork lard and Thai basil leaves fried until crisp. Extremely aromatic.