Steamed Meatballs in Chilli Oil

Method15 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Soak the 2–3 dried wood-ear pieces in water for about 20 minutes, until fully expanded and soft.

   Check fungus is fully softened · 20 minUses 2–3 pieces dried wood-ear fungus · Water drawn for fungus soaking, discarded

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Coarsely mince all 350 g lean pork and put it in a mixing bowl.

   Uses 350 grams Lean Pork

3. 3

   Step 3: Mix the pork with all 1 tsp salt, 2–3 tsp oil, 2 tsp cornstarch, 2½ tsp light soy sauce and a dash of white pepper. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes while preparing the remaining filling ingredients.

   Pork marinade ready · 15 minUses All prepared minced pork · 1 tsp Salt · 2-3 tsp Oil · 2 tsp cornstarch for marinade · 2 1/2 tsp Light Soy Sauce · A dash white pepper

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Scrub all 6–7 water chestnuts to remove mud. Peel and cut the edible flesh into small cubes.

   Uses 6-7 Water Chestnuts · Water used to scrub water chestnuts, discarded

5. 5

   Step 5: Shell and devein the fifteen filling prawns (15) with clean utensils, then pat dry. Cut each into three pieces. Keep these separate from the twelve topping prawns and refrigerated until mixing.

   Uses 15 medium prawns for filling

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Wash the spring onions (2 sprigs) and coriander (2 sprigs) and drain thoroughly. Chop the spring onions for the filling and keep the coriander separately for garnish.

   Uses 2 sprigs spring onion · 2 sprigs fresh coriander · Water used to wash spring onions and coriander, discarded

7. 7

   Step 7: Drain the softened fungus, rinse thoroughly between its folds to remove grit and cut into small squares. Discard the soaking and rinsing waters.

   Uses All expanded fungus, separate from soaking water · Water drawn to rinse grit from hydrated fungus, discarded

8. 8

   Step 8: Mix the prepared water chestnuts, wood-ear fungus, chopped filling prawns and spring onions into the marinated pork.

   Uses All seasoned minced pork · All peeled diced water chestnuts, separate from peelings · All prepared fungus, separate from discarded water · All chopped fifteen-prawn filling stock, separate from shells and trimmings · All prepared chopped spring onion, separate from the coriander

9. 9

   Step 9: Crack the egg (1) into the filling and mix thoroughly until evenly incorporated.

   Uses All combined filling mixture · 1 Egg

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Cover and refrigerate the filling for 30 minutes.

    Chilled filling ready · 30 minUses All mixed raw filling

11. 11

    Step 11: Prepare the twelve topping prawns with clean utensils. Remove the heads and body shells, retaining the tail shells, and remove the veins. Make shallow slits across each belly about 1 cm apart, then slit the back deeply without cutting right through to butterfly the prawn. Keep refrigerated until assembly.

    Uses 12 medium prawns for topping

12. 12

    Step 12: Scoop about 2 tbsp chilled filling into each of twelve small heatproof sauce plates and shape into mounds. Keep any unused filling refrigerated separately and fully cook it promptly or freeze it; it is not included in these twelve plated meatballs.

    Uses About 2 tbsp filling for each of twelve mounds; actual share of the whole filling is unknown

13. 13

    Step 13: Place one butterflied prawn on each meatball and secure with a toothpick. Prepare a covered steamer that accommodates the plates without crowding; add water below the food and bring it to a full boil.

    Uses All twelve shaped meatballs · All twelve prepared topping prawns, separate from discarded shells and heads · External water below the food plates

14. 14

    Step 14: Put the plates above the boiling water and cover. Once steady steam resumes, steam over high heat for about 10–12 minutes, checking from 10 minutes. Continue until the centres of all pork meatballs reach 71°C / 160°F and both filling and topping prawns are fully opaque and firm. Keep the base from boiling dry, adding hot water below the insert only if needed. If cooking in batches, keep uncooked plates refrigerated and repeat the complete steaming procedure for each batch.

    Check meatballs from 10 minutes · 10 minUses All twelve topped meatballs in their plates, separate from external steamer water · Conditional hot water below the insert, only if needed

15. 15

    Step 15: Lift out the fully cooked plates. Remove every toothpick before serving. Divide all 12 tbsp chilli oil among the twelve plates, about 1 tbsp per plate, and garnish with the coriander. Serve hot as six side portions.

    Uses All twelve fully cooked meatballs and plate juices, separate from external water · 12 TBsp Chilli Oil · All washed coriander, separate from spring onion already mixed