Fried Da Bian
Crispy on the outside, tender within, with a light, fragrant texture, this traditional Shandong (Lu) dish has a rich apricot-yellow hue.
Ingredients
Pork (fatty lean, cut into 5x3x3 cm cubes)
200 g
Rehydrated sea cucumber (cut into 5x3x1 cm flat pieces)
75 g
Cooked water chestnut (cut into 5x3x1 cm flat pieces)
50 g
Fresh winter bamboo shoots (cut into 5x3x1 cm flat pieces)
50 g
Cooked taro (cut into 5x3x1 cm flat pieces)
to taste
Egg batter
to taste
Fine salt
4 g
Shaoxing wine
10 g
Soy sauce
10 g
MSG
1 g
Minced scallion and ginger
15 g
Peanut oil (actually uses 75 g)
1500 g
Instructions
1
Cutting and Prep
Wash the pork and cut into 5x3x3 cm cubes. Cut the sea cucumber, cooked pork fat, cooked water chestnuts, winter bamboo shoots, and thin taro into 5x3x1 cm flat pieces.
2
Preparing the Meat Filling
Place the pork cubes in a bowl and add Shaoxing wine, MSG, soy sauce, fine salt, minced ginger, and minced scallion. Mix well and let marinate. Then add the sea cucumber, cooked pork fat, cooked water chestnuts, winter bamboo shoots, and thin taro flat pieces. Combine into a filling and divide into 15 portions.
3
Shaping and Frying
Heat a small amount of peanut oil in a wok over low heat until about 30% hot (about 75°C). Drop a small amount of egg batter into the wok, place one portion of filling on top of the batter, and press it flat by hand. Pour more egg batter over the top; once it just begins to set, push it into the hot oil and fry until cooked through, then remove and drain. Repeat to produce 15 'da bian'.
4
Refrying
Move the wok to medium heat and heat the oil until about 70% hot (about 175°C). Fry the prepared da bian in the oil until they turn an apricot yellow, then remove and drain.
5
Plating
Arrange on a plate and sprinkle with Sichuan pepper salt. Serve scallion sections and sweet bean sauce in small dishes alongside.
