Bamboo Steamed Pearl Balls (珍珠球)

Although this is a 'traditional' dim sum dish, but I must confess I have never came across them at any of the dim sum restaurants I've visited in the past (or I was just too busy crunching spring rolls...!) I first found out about these delicious bad boys from an article in a free Chinese newspaper I picked up from a  Chinese supermarket in my area.

These dainty Pearl Balls are rather effortless to make and are perfect size for starters or party nibbles.  There are so many variations of Pearl Balls' recipe out there, it is hard to pin down one that is the most 'authentic' (if there is one?). Each cook has his/her own twist and so long the two key ingredients are there then all is well. As a true believer of 'you are what you eat', I always use free range or organic meat in all my recipes. The price of free range and organic produce has come down in recent years. It may come as a surprise, but I found local butchers offer a more competitive price than supermarket chains.  It is definitely worth spending the extra pound or two if possible, as these meat is definitely more flavorsome and of better texture than the battery farmed meat. One of the butcher I use stock up free range pork from Blythburgh, Suffolk (http://www.freerangepork.co.uk/). All their pigs and piglets spend their lives living outdoor, breathing in fresh air and only take shelter when they need it. Because these piggies spent their lives roaming around outdoor, there is much less fat from the meat in comparison to their battery farmed counterparts. For 500g of free range pork shoulder minced, it was approximately £3.50; a middle price range supermarket chain offers 500g lean pork minced at £3, not a huge difference in price but definitely a huge difference in quality.

Makes about 2 dozen

150g glutinous rice, soaked overnight in cold water and drained

500g minced pork (preferably free range)

3 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soaked overnight in cold water, finely diced

Handful of dried shrimps, finely diced

2 stalks of spring onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

Thumb size fresh ginger, finely chopped

Splash of light soy sauce

Splash of Shaosing rice wine

Splash of sesame oil

Pinch of Chinese 5 spice

Pinch of ground white pepper

Salt to taste

1. Drained the soaked glutinous rice and Shiitake mushrooms.

2. Finely chopped and diced all the ingredients and mix them with the minced pork along with the seasoning and spices.

3. Layer the bamboo steamer with a sheet of greaseproof paper.

4. Use hands to roll the pork mixture into ping-pong ball sized ball, then roll the meatballs in the bed of glutinous rice until it is evenly coated with rice.

5. Place the balls in the prepared bamboo steamer. Ensure there is enough space between them so they do not touch each other.

6. Fill the wok with enough cold water and place the bamboo steamer on top (with the lid on).

7. Have the hob on high heat for 20 - 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through. Do check the water level periodically to ensure the water has not evaporated.

And here we have some mouth watering Pearl Balls!