Twisted Pork Kidney
Shandong-style Twisted Kidney — vibrant in color, elegantly braided into a shape reminiscent of mahua (twisted fried dough). Tender and savory, with an aromatic, palate-pleasing flavor.
Ingredients
pork kidney (remove skin, cut in half, trim away the white membrane, and slice into 16 thin pieces 6 cm long and 3 cm wide)
250 g
cooked pork fat (sliced into thin pieces the same size as the kidney slices)
175 g
egg (use the egg white for marinating the slices)
1
dry starch
25 g
MSG (used in portions)
1 g
fine salt
1 g
Shaoxing wine (used in portions)
25 g
cooked lard (about 75 g actually consumed)
500 g
shrimp (minced into a paste)
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Remove the skin from the kidneys, cut each in half with a knife, trim away the white membrane, and slice into 16 thin pieces 6 cm long and 3 cm wide. Slice the cooked pork fat into pieces of the same size. Dip both types of slices in the egg white, then coat both sides with dry starch, and set aside on a plate.
2
Step 2
Mince the shrimp into a paste and place in a bowl. Add 0.5 g MSG, 5 g Shaoxing wine, and salt, and mix well. Spread the shrimp mixture over the pork fat slices and cover each with a kidney slice. Use a knife to make three 4 cm long cuts down the middle of each kidney slice (cutting through to the pork fat). Hold one end and thread it back through the middle slit from the other side to form a twisted, braid-like shape.
3
Step 3
Heat the wok over the flame and add the cooked lard. Heat the oil until it reaches about 50% hot, then remove the wok from the heat. Add the twisted kidneys one by one and pass them through the oil for 2 minutes. Pour off the oil, return the wok to the heat, add the twisted kidneys back in, and shake the wok to dry-fry for 1 minute. Sprinkle 20 g Shaoxing wine and 0.5 g MSG over the twisted kidneys, then plate and serve.
