Crispy Winter Bamboo Shoots
A celebrated Fuzhou-style dish: coarsely chopped winter bamboo shoots are deep-fried with walnut kernels to a rosy pink hue, yielding a crisp texture and the rich, aromatic fragrance of fermented rice.
Ingredients
Clean winter bamboo shoots (first cut into thick slices, then chopped into coarse bits)
400g
Walnut kernels (rinsed with boiling water, skins removed, then boiled through)
125g
Lean pork (cut into rice-grain-sized pieces)
50g
Fermented rice mash
10g
Soy sauce
25g
Sugar
15g
Meat stock
50g
MSG
5g
Rendered pork fat (for frying)
250g (uses 100g)
Sesame oil
0.5g
Instructions
1
Preparation
Cut the winter bamboo shoots into thick slices first, then crush and chop into coarse bits. Cut the lean pork into rice-grain-sized pieces. Rinse the walnut kernels with boiling water, remove the skins, then boil in a pot of boiling water until done and remove; drain, then mix with 5g soy sauce and 0.5g MSG.
2
Fry the walnuts
Place the wok over high heat, add the rendered pork fat, and heat to about 50% hot. Add the walnut kernels and fry until pale yellow, then remove. Immediately add the chopped bamboo shoots, stirring to loosen them as they fry. When cooked, pour into a strainer to drain off the oil.
3
Stir-fry
Leave a little oil in the wok, return to high heat until hot, add the fermented rice mash and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the pork pieces and the pre-fried bamboo shoots and briefly stir-fry, then add 20g soy sauce, sugar, 4.5g MSG, and meat stock. Cook until the sauce is dry and the mixture takes on a minced texture, then add the pre-fried walnut kernels and mix well. Drizzle with sesame oil, plate, and serve.
