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Ti Leaves Filled With Pork And Chicken
(Laulau)
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| What You Need: |
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2 pounds fresh young taro leaves or substitute bok choy or Swiss chard
½ pound lean salt pork, trimmed of rind and cut into ¼ inch dice
½ pound chicken breasts, boned, skinned, and cut into ½-inch cubes
1½ cups finely chopped scallions, including the green tops
16 fresh ti leaves, each about 16 inches long and 5 inches wide
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| How To Cook: |
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1. First prepare the filling: With a cleaver or sharp knife, trim off the wilted leaves and heavy stalks of the taro, bok choy or Swiss chard and discard them. Separate the leaves and wash them under cold water. Then slice the leaves into strips ¼ inch wide and 1 inch long.
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2. In a heavy 12-inch skillet, fry the pork over moderate heat, turning the dice about frequently with a slotted spoon until they are crisp and have rendered all their fat. Add the chicken and stir for a minute or so until the cubes are firm and white.
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3. Drop in the taro, bok choy or chard and, stirring constantly, cook over moderate heat for 2 or 3 minutes until the vegetable strips are limp and evenly coated with the fat. Stir in the scallions and remove the pan from the heat.
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4. Wash the ti leaves in cold water, rubbing them with a cloth or sponge, then drying them gently with paper towels. Prepare the laulau packages, using about ¾ cup of the filling in each one.
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5. To cook the laulau, place them in several layers in a large colander. Place the colander in a deep pot and pour enough boiling water into the pot to come to just below the bottom of the colander. Bring the water to a boil again over high heat, cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to low.
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6. Steam the laulau for 30 minutes, keeping the water at a slow boil and replenishing it with additional boiling water as it evaporates. With kitchen tongs, transfer the laulau to a heated platter and serve at once. Laulaus are traditionally served as part of a luau.
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