Tomato Bracken Fern Balls
Visually appealing with a glossy, vibrant red color and a crisp, sweet-and-sour taste.
Ingredients
Fresh bracken fern (cut into 3cm segments, blanched)
200g
Ground meat
200g
Tomato paste
50g
Flour (used for making batter and coating the raw pieces)
100g
Chili powder
As needed
Eggs (use 2 egg whites and 2 egg yolks)
As needed
Lard (used for frying and making batter)
As needed
Salt
As needed
MSG
As needed
Sugar
As needed
Vinegar
As needed
Wet starch
As needed
Scallions (finely chopped)
As needed
Ginger (finely chopped)
As needed
Fire (the original text appears to contain a typo; possibly 'pork fat' or 'water')
50g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Add the 50g [fire/pork fat/water], 2 egg whites to the ground meat and mix well. Add salt, MSG, chili powder, scallions, ginger, and wet starch, and season to taste. Cut the fresh bracken fern into 3cm segments, blanch in boiling water, then remove and mix evenly with the seasoned ground meat. Shape by hand into ball forms and set aside.
2
Step 2
Beat 2 egg yolks with water, then add salt, MSG, a little lard, and flour, and mix into an egg yolk batter.
3
Step 3
Place the wok over medium heat, add clean lard, and heat to 50% hot. Dip each bracken fern ball in dry flour, then coat in the batter, and place in 70% hot oil to pan-fry. When the fern balls float to the surface, remove them. Once all are fried, return them to 70–80% hot oil and re-fry until golden, then remove and drain the oil.
4
Step 4
Leave a little oil in the wok, stir-fry the tomato paste briefly, add an appropriate amount of water, sugar, vinegar, salt, MSG, and chopped scallion and ginger. Drizzle in wet starch to thicken, add a little clear oil, then plate and serve immediately.
