Free Food Recipes

Ingredients

• 7 ml (1/2 tablespoon) dried shrimps
• 10-12 sheets swallow skin
• 350 g (3/4 lb) lean and 100 g (1/4 lb) fat pork
• 1 slice root ginger
• 3 water chestnuts
• 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) corn flour
• pepper to taste
• 15 ml (l tablespoon) dry sherry
• 1/2 egg (beaten)
• 15 ml (1 tablespoon) coarsely chopped spring onion
• 1 liter (2 Pints) Fukien Broth
• 10 ml (2 teaspoons) sesame oil
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons) vegetable oil

Serve 6-8

** Free Food Recipes **

Method:

1. Soak the dried shrimps in water for 1 hour. Lay the sheets of swal­low skin one on top of the other in a pile, and use a sharp knife to trim or slice off matchstick-thick shreds from the edge. Loosen the shreds and spread them out on a tray.

2. Chop and finely mince the pork, dried shrimps and ginger. Coarsely chop the water chestnuts. Mix them thoroughly in a basin with the salt, corn flour, pepper, sherry and beaten egg.

3. Form the well-blended mixture into 20 balls of equal size. Roll the balls over the shredded swallow skin on the tray until each is thickly covered with shreds.

4. Spread oil on a large heatproof dish, and place the swallow skin meat balls on the dish in a single layer, not touching each other. Put the dish into a steamer, and steam steadily for 10-12 minutes.

5. Meanwhile heat the Fukien Broth in a saucepan. Test and adjust the seasoning, and when the broth boils, add the meat balls a few at a time. Allow the meat balls to simmer in the broth for 10 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with chopped chives or spring onions, and serve either in individual bowls, or in a large tureen.

Note: This is one of the famous and characteristic soups of south-east coastal China.