fragrant and golden brown. Remove the fried garlic and oil from the pan and set aside.
2 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until hot. Deep-fry the taro pieces until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
3 Line a deep bowl or casserole dish with a layer of the pork slices, skin side down, and top with a layer of deep-fried taro pieces. Repeat, alternating the pork and taro layers until both ingredients are used up. Set aside.
4 Combine the Crispy Garlic and oil with all the other ingredients (except the coriander leaves) in a saucepan. Gently heat over medium-low heat until it just boils. Remove from the heat and pour over the pork and taro layers.
5 Set the pork and taro bowl on a steaming rack inside a wok (see page 19) or steamer and steam for about 1 hour. Remove and set aside to cool. Place a serving platter over the bowl or casserole dish and carefully invert the pork and taro onto the serving platter, keeping the pieces neatly layered. Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve immediately.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 25 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour 10 mins
Five Spice Rolls
Five Spice Pork Rolls (ngo hiang) are a Fukienese favorite and can be prepared several hours in advance. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to fry. Dried sheets of bean curd skin are traditionally used to wrap them and can be bought from health food stores or Chinese grocers.
1 lb (500 g) lean pork, cut into strips
2 large onions, minced
6 water chestnuts, peeled and diced
4 large sheets dried bean curd skin
2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
3 cups (750 ml) oil
10 to 12 lettuce leaves, to garnish
Hoisin sauce, for dipping
MARINADE
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons soy sauce
½ teaspoon five spice powder
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
SWEET AND SOUR DIP
4 tablespoons Chinese plum sauce
2 tablespoons bottled sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, dry-roasted in a pan for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat
1 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place the pork strips and onion in the Marinade and mix until well coated. Allow to marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Add the diced water chestnut to the marinated ingredients, combine well and divide into 16 equal portions.
2 Wipe the dried bean curd skin with a damp cloth to soften them, then cut the sheets into sixteen 6-in (15-cm) squares. Set aside.
3 Prepare the Sweet and Sour Dip by combining all the ingredients (except the sesame seeds) in a serving bowl and mixing well. Scatter the sesame seeds on top and set aside.
4 To make the pork rolls, place a bean curd skin square on a dry surface. Spread a portion of the marinated pork mixture in a straight line along the end of the square nearest you, leaving a 1-in (2½-cm) edge on either side. Fold the edge of the square nearest you over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly, pressing firmly as you roll. Before you reach the far edge of the square, lightly dab the inside with the cornstarch solution so it sticks and seals the roll. Continue rolling until the roll forms a tight cylinder. Place the roll on a plate with the seamed side down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make a total of 16 pork rolls.
5 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Carefully lower the pork rolls into the hot oil, a few at a time, and deep-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, turning the rolls until crispy and golden brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.
6 Slice each roll into disks and arrange them on a serving platter lined with lettuce leaves. Serve hot with dipping bowls of Sweet and Sour Dip, and hoisin sauce on the side.
Makes 16 rolls
Preparation time: 1 hour 15 mins + 3 hours to marinate
Cooking time: 15 mins
Braised Pork Leg
Emblematic of wealth, luck and success, Fatt Choy Chow Sau, the Cantonese name for this recipe, which means “Prosperity at Hand,” is just the right dish to put on the festive table. Everything lies in the ingredients. Fatt choy (black sea moss) rhymes with “prosperity.” Mushrooms are round, symbolic of coins and money. All of these are placed within the “hand,” represented by the foreleg of pork. The Cantonese traditionally serve this dish to wish themselves good luck and good fortune on the second day of the Chinese New Year when they hold a noon feast to “open” the year.
1 pork foreleg (3½ lbs/1½ kg)
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems discarded
1 cup (15 g) dried black sea moss (fatt choy), soaked until soft, then rinsed well and squeezed dry
6 dried red dates(hongzao) or ½ teaspoon sugar
3 cups (750 ml) water
½ teaspoon salt
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
MARINADE
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 Sear the pork in an ungreased wok over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, turning over once or twice. Remove from the wok and set aside to cool. Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the Marinade over the pork and rub it in with your fingers until the pork is evenly coated. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2 Heat the oil in the wok over high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant and golden brown, 30 seconds. Add the pork and Marinade, mushrooms, black sea moss, red dates or sugar and enough water to cover the pork. Bring the ingredients to a boil, then reduce the
