Lion’s Head Meatballs (狮子头)

Method14 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: The night before cooking, put all six large dried shiitake mushrooms in 500 ml water, cover and refrigerate overnight until fully soft. Retain the mushrooms and their soaking liquid together for the soup; leave sediment behind when pouring the liquid later.

   Uses 6 large dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight in the separate 500 ml water · 500 ml water for the overnight shiitake soak

2. 2

   Step 2: Wash both scallion stalks (2) and the ginger (1). Reserve some green scallion parts for the final garnish, cut the rest into sections and slice the ginger. Soak the scallion sections and ginger in all six tablespoons warm infusion water and leave to cool. Keep the infused liquid and its softened aromatics separately for the next stages. Wash all seven Napa cabbage leaves and cut each crosswise, keeping the white stems separate from the leafy tops.

   Uses 2 scallion stalks, divided between infusion, soup and garnish · 1 thumb-sized piece fresh ginger · 6 tbsp warm water for the aromatic infusion · 7 Napa cabbage leaves, washed and cut crosswise into white stems and leafy tops in step 2 · Water for washing scallions, ginger and cabbage, as needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix all the raw minced pork (400 g) and chicken (100 g) with the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce (2 tablespoon), meatball half-teaspoon salt (½ tsp), sugar (½ teaspoon), sesame oil (½ teaspoon), egg (1) and cornstarch (1 tablespoon). Stir constantly in one direction while adding the cooled scallion-ginger liquid little by little. Keep the solid infused aromatics and garnish aside for the soup.

   Uses 400 g raw minced pork with at least 20% fat · 100 g raw minced chicken · 2 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine · 2 tablespoon light soy sauce · ½ tsp salt for meatball mixture · ½ teaspoon sugar · ½ teaspoon sesame oil · 1 large egg

   
4. 4

   Step 4: When all the infusion has been absorbed and the meat mixture is sticky and slightly jiggly, finely mince the 60 g drained canned water chestnuts and stir all of them through the mixture. Keep the raw mixture cold until shaping and frying.

   Uses All the mixed raw meat and seasonings · 60 g drained canned water chestnuts, minced in step 4

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Add enough suitable high-heat cooking oil to a small deep pot for the large meatballs to fry with space around them. Heat towards 180°C / 360°F, checking with a thermometer. The quantity depends on the pot; keep the oil in the pot for all batches.

   Uses Cooking oil suitable for deep frying, enough for the chosen small deep pot

6. 6

   Step 6: Divide the mixture into six equal portions. Put the first portion in a small bowl and gently press it against the bowl with a spoon or spatula while turning the bowl to form a smooth round ball, about 6–7 cm across. Keep the remaining five portions cold until their turn.

   Uses All the prepared raw meatball mixture

   
7. 7

   Step 7: When the frying oil reaches 180°C / 360°F, gently slide in the first shaped meatball without splashing. Roll it from time to time until golden all around, then lift it onto kitchen paper to drain. This browning stage is followed by cooking the centre in the soup.

   Uses The first shaped meatball · The same pot of frying oil

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Shape and fry the remaining five portions in the same way, keeping the oil around 180°C / 360°F. Fry no more than two large meatballs at a time, leaving space to roll them for even browning. Drain each on kitchen paper and gather all six browned meatballs for the soup.

   Uses The remaining five equal raw portions · The first browned drained meatball · The same frying-oil reservoir for the remaining batches

9. 9

   Step 9: In a separate soup pot, lay the prepared white cabbage stems on the bottom and arrange all six browned meatballs on top. Keep the leafy cabbage tops for the final simmer.

   Uses The prepared white cabbage stems · All six browned meatballs lifted clear of the frying oil

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Slice the fully soaked shiitake mushrooms, trimming any tough stems. Add the slices around the meatballs, then pour in their clean soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind.

    Uses The assembled soup pot · All six fully softened mushrooms · The clean retained soaking liquid, leaving sediment behind

11. 11

    Step 11: Add the reserved infused scallion sections and ginger to the soup, along with the optional half-tablespoon dried shrimp (½ tablespoon) if using. Add the separate quarter-teaspoon soup salt (¼ tsp) and the pinch of ground white pepper.

    Uses The assembled pot with retained mushroom liquid · The solid scallion sections and ginger used for the infusion · ½ tablespoon dried shrimp (optional) · ¼ tsp salt for soup, or to taste · 1 pinch ground white pepper

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Bring the assembled soup to a full boil, then turn the heat low, cover and simmer gently for fifteen minutes.

    First covered meatball simmer · 15 minUses The complete soup pot

13. 13

    Step 13: Lay all the reserved leafy cabbage tops over the meatballs, cover again and simmer for a further five minutes until the leaves are tender. Check every meatball is fully cooked at the centre, reaching 74°C / 165°F because the mixture contains minced chicken; continue simmering as needed.

    Final leafy-cabbage meatball simmer · 5 minUses All the simmered meatballs, cabbage stems and mushroom broth · All the reserved leafy cabbage tops

    
14. 14

    Step 14: Finely chop the reserved green scallion parts and scatter over the finished soup. Serve the six fully cooked meatballs and their cabbage-mushroom broth warm, one meatball per portion, with optional ready-cooked plain rice.

    Uses All the cooked soup and six meatballs · The reserved green scallion parts for garnish · Ready-cooked plain rice for optional serving, as desired