Singaporean pork belly and turnip cake stir fry
This dish would make an impressive meal for a dinner party or celebration meal for family and friends.
Equipment and preparation: You will need a metal or bamboo steamer.
Ingredients
For the pork belly
- 2 tbsp miso paste
- 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
- 1 garlic bulb
- 2 star anise
- 4cm/1.5in piece root ginger
- 1 orange, zest and juice
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 red chilli, left whole
- 1kg/2lb 4oz pork belly on the bone
For the turnip cake
- 500g/1lb 2oz daikon, peeled and shredded
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú cornflour
- 15²µ/½´Ç³ú tapioca starch
- 150²µ/5½´Ç³ú rice flour
For the stir fry
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, quartered
- 3 free-range eggs, beaten
- 2–3 tbsp fish sauce
- 1–2 tbsp chilli paste
- 4 spring onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the pork belly, place all of the ingredients except the pork belly into a large saucepan or casserole and pour in 300ml/10fl oz water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes then leave to cool.
Place the pork belly in the cooled stock and bring to a simmer on the hob. Cook for 1½ –2 hours until the pork is very tender then remove from the heat and leave to cool in the stock. When cool, remove the meat (reserving the liquid), detatch the bones and dice the meat.
To make the turnip cake, boil the daikon in 500ml/18fl oz water for 5 minutes until soft. Then drain and reserve the cooking liquid. Mix the cornflour, tapioca starch and rice flour together in a bowl and add 250ml/9fl oz water to make a batter.
Line a shallow dish that fits into your steamer with parment paper. Place the cooked daikon into a large saucepan with its reserved cooking liquid. Add the batter and put over a medium heat. Stir until thickened then tip onto the lined dish. Steam in a metal or bamboo steamer for 50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool and chop into squares.
To make the stir fry, heat the oil in a frying pan. Toss in the cake squares and caramelise on all sides. Add the mushrooms. Toss in the diced pork belly, chilli paste and spring onions.
In a bowl, mix the eggs with the fish sauce and 4 tablespoons of the reserved pork cooking liquor, then add to the pan, mixing all the time. Cook until the eggs have scrambled. Taste and season with salt and pepper and serve.
