Most people think of nor mai gai as the dim sum dish of glutinous rice and chunks of chicken wrapped in lotus leaf and steamed. Real nor mai gai is a dish worthy of being served at a banquet. Preparation starts with tunnel-boning a chicken: removing all the bones without cutting into the skin. The flattened chicken is stuffed with glutinous rice, steamed, air-dried then deep fried.
Nor mai gai
This recipe makes enough nor mai fan (steamed glutinous rice) for three chickens. Set aside enough for one chicken then freeze the rest until needed.
Use a small chicken for this dish; a large one would be harder to handle and cook. Water chestnut flour gives the best crunch but cornstarch can be substituted.
Tunnel-boning the chicken is more difficult to describe than it is to do. When you're done, the only bones left will be the drumette part of the wing (you'll cut off the other two wing joints) and the tip of the drumstick.
1 small chicken, about 1kg
