Wednesday, June 22, 2011

2236. LO BO GAO: DAIKON RADISH CAKE with LA CHONG (CHINESE SAUSAGE) or BACON

1 large daikon radish, peeled & shredded (to make 6 cups)
6 cups water
2 La Chong, aka Chinese sausage, chopped or 4 slices/3 tablespoons chopped bacon
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
2 scallions, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons dried shallots
1 teaspoon rice wine
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 3/4 cups rice flour
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Chinese sweet hot mustard
Sriracha or sambal
Oyster sauce

Shred radish and place in medium pan with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer and cook about 20-30 minutes until radish is tender. Strain radish and reserve cooking liquid.

Place shiitake mushrooms and dried shrimp in bowl and cover with hot tap water. Soak for at least 30 minutes.

Chop scallion, cilantro, bacon, softened mushrooms & dried shrimp. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp. vegetable oil in skillet over high heat. Add bacon & cook about 2 minutes until bacon is rendered and slightly browned.

Add diced mushrooms, chopped dried shrimp, cilantro, scallions, dried shallots, rice wine, kosher salt, sugar, & white pepper.

Lower heat to medium and add shredded daikon radish. Mix well and turn off heat.

In medium bowl, add 2 cups of rice flour and 1 1/4 cups of the reserved mushroom & dried shrimp soaking liquid (make sure you leave out the sediment/residual stuff at the bottom). If there's not enough liquid to measure 1 1/4 cups, add reserved daikon radish cooking liquid. Consistency of rice flour mixture should be like that of a medium-thin pancake batter.

Pour rice flour mix into daikon radish mixture. Pour into a 9" loaf pan.

Bring steamer up to a rolling boil over high heat. Place loaf pan in steamer, cover, reduce heat to medium and steam for about 1 hour. Remove radish cake pan from steamer and let cool to room temp.

Invert pan on chopping board to remove radish cake. Slice cake into 1/2" slices. Heat 1 tsp. of vegetable oil in skillet over high heat. Add radish cake slices and cook about 2-3 minutes per side until lightly browned (cover pan if necessary).

Serve with Chinese hot mustard, oyster sauce, or chili sauce (sweet chili sauce, sambal olek, or Sriracha).


bacon recipe courtesy of: The Grub Files: Cooking with Camissonia, Murrieta, California, October 3, 2010

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