Title: Ching's Lion Head Meatballs
Categories: Beef, Chinese
Yield: 1 Batch
MMMMM-------------------------MEATBALLS------------------------------
500 g Beef mince (1 lb 2 oz)
4 cl Garlic; finely chopped
2 tb Fresh root ginger; grated
2 Spring onions; finely
-chopped
1 pn Sea salt
1 tb Shaoxing rice wine or dry
-sherry; or more, to taste
2 tb Light soy sauce
1 tb Toasted sesame oil
1 Free-range egg; beaten
1 tb Corn flour
1 pn Ground white pepper
MMMMM-----------------------FINISHED DISH----------------------------
100 ml Groundnut oil (3 oz)
750 ml Vegetable stock (2 c)
300 g Chinese leaf (11 oz);
-quartered lengthways
3 Dried Chinese mushrooms;
-soaked in warm water for 15
-minutes; then drained -OR-
3 Fresh chestnut mushrooms;
-sliced
1 tb Light soy sauce
1 tb Corn flour; mixed with:
2 tb Water; cold (optional)
Sea salt and ground white
-pepper
2 lg Spring onions; sliced
1 ds Sesame oil (optional)
For the meatballs, place all of the meatball ingredients into a large
bowl and stir to combine.
With damp hands, take a large mound of the minced meat mixture and
mould into a ball that is a little larger than a golf ball. Place on
a plate and repeat with the remaining meatball mixture.
For the finished dish, pour the groundnut oil into a large deep pan
and heat over a high heat. Using a metal ladle, carefully lower each
meatball into the oil and spoon some of the oil over the meatballs.
Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown all over.
Pour all but 2 tb of the cooking oil out into a heatproof bowl. Add
the stock to the pan and arrange the slices of Chinese cabbage around
the meatballs, curving them around the sides of the pan lengthways,
then add the mushrooms and soy sauce and bring to the boil. Cover the
pan, reduce the heat and cook gently for 15 minutes. Alternatively,
cook the meatballs in the oven; arrange in a casserole dish, cover
with kitchen foil and cook in a preheated oven at 100 C/210 F for
30 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, add the corn flour paste and
stir until thickened.
Take the meatballs off the heat and season, to taste, with sea salt
and ground white pepper. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the
spring onions, sprinkle over a dash of seame oil and serve
immediately.
