San choy bau with Poon's wind-dried bacon
2 persons or 4 as a starter
A speedy, simple yet deliciously fragrant and fulfilling dish, these lettuce cups come filled with a combination of pork, pine nuts, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, plus little nuggets of wind-dried bacon, available in Asian supermarkets and online. Bring the filling to the table and allow your guests to fill their own lettuce leaves as they see fit!
This recipe first appeared online in Great British Chefs in 2022
Ingredients
San choy bau
- 50g of Chinese wind-dried bacon, available from Asian supermarkets or online (Poon's brand is best!)
- 140g of bamboo shoots, finely chopped
- 80g of water chestnuts, finely chopped
- 80g of pork mince
- 1/2 tbsp of potato starch
- 80g of pine nuts, toasted
- 5g of coriander stalks, finely chopped, plus a few leaves to garnish
- 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
- 5g of root ginger, finely minced
- 1 iceberg lettuce, washed and dried
Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp of light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp of potato starch
- 4 tsp Shaoxing wine
- 3/4 tsp sesame oil
- 1 pinch of ground white pepper
Preparation
- Set up a bamboo steamer over a pan of simmering water. Place the wind-dried bacon in the steamer and steam for 15 minutes, then remove and finely chop.
- Bring a pan of water to the boil. Blanch the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts for a minute, then drain well.
- Place the pork mince in a bowl and add the potato starch and a tablespoon of water. Mix well, whilst keeping the mince quite loose.
- Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together in a separate bowl.
- Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add vegetable oil. Add the ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the minced pork and wind-dried bacon and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, coriander stems and pine nuts and stir-fry for a further 2–3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and cook until it reduces slightly and coats the ingredients.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and garnish with coriander. Divide the iceberg lettuce into cups, reserving some to shred and arrange around the pork. Bring everything to the table to allow your guests to fill their own lettuce cups and enjoy.
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