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Spiced pork belly parcels

Preparation time
overnight

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour

Serves
Makes 6

Equipment needed: Equipment: 6 x 30cm/12in lengths of string

By Ching-He Huang
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the pork belly parcels

  • 6 large and 6 small fresh or dried bamboo leaves
  • 5 dried Chinese mushrooms
  • 350g/12oz pork belly, cut into 1.5cm/⅝in chunks
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 3 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp low-sodium dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 star anise
  • 2cm/¾in piece rock sugar
  • pinch ground white pepper
  • 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
  • peanut oil, for brushing

For the glutinous rice

  • 300g/10½oz sticky rice
  • 2 tbsp groundnut oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh root ginger, grated
  • 4 shallots, finely chopped
  • 40g/1½oz dried baby shrimps, soaked in boiling water for 20 minutes
  • 50g/1¾oz red-skin peanuts
  • 2 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
  • 2 pinches Chinese five-spice powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil

For the pickled shallot

  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tbsp clear rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 1 pinch salt

For the dipping sauce

  • 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp aged chilli bean paste
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce

To serve

  • 6 salted duck egg yolks (available from Asian supermarkets)
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 1 spring onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 red radish, finely chopped
  • micro shiso
  • micro coriander
  • micro garlic chives

Method

  1. Soak the bamboo leaves in cold water overnight. Drain and blanch in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain again.

  2. To make the glutinous rice, wash the rice until the water runs clear and soak in fresh water for 1 hour. Drain.

  3. Soak the mushrooms in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drain, discard the stalks and finely chop. Boil the pork belly pieces in water in a large saucepan for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

  4. Mix together the picked shallot ingredients in a bowl and set aside to marinate.

  5. To make the pork belly parcels, heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Mix together the pork, soy sauces and Chinese five-spice powder. Tip into the wok and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, until browned and cooked through.

  6. Add the soaked mushrooms, star anise, rock sugar, white pepper and stock. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the volume of the liquid has reduced by a third.

  7. To make the glutinous rice, steam the rice until cooked. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat. Add the ginger, garlic, shallots and shrimps and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the peanuts and rice and mix well. Season with the light soy sauce, five-spice and sesame oil and mix again. Remove from the heat and set aside.

  8. To make the bamboo parcels, place one small leaf on top of a larger one with the points at opposite ends. Brush the inside with peanut oil. Fold the leaves, bringing the opposite ends to the middle to create a cup shape. Scoop some rice into the cup and top with 2–3 pork pieces. Add more rice to fill. Wrap the other end of the leaves around the opening to form a closed pyramid. Loop a piece of string around the triangular corner of the parcel, wrap around twice and tie to secure.

  9. Whisk the dipping sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

  10. To serve, place a bamboo parcel on a plate and open up. Top with the salted duck yolks, pickled shallot, chilli, spring onion, radish and micro herbs – you don’t eat the bamboo leaves as they are not edible. Serve with the dipping sauce.

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