Ingredients
500 g Chinese cabbage (about 1 lb), 100 g shrimp meat, 25 g kelp, 5 g fatty pork cubes, 2 egg whites.
Seasonings
Vinegar, cooking wine, vegetable oil, tomato paste, salt, MSG, sugar, ginger-scallion juice, water starch, and ground white pepper, each to taste.
Instructions
1. Wash the cabbage, separate the leaves, blanch them in boiling water until tender, then remove and plunge into cold water to cool; set aside.
2. Finely chop the shrimp meat with a knife, then use the back of the knife to pound it into a paste. Add salt, MSG, cooking wine, white pepper, and ginger-scallion juice, stirring briefly. In a separate bowl, mix the diced pork fat with egg white until smooth, then combine with the shrimp paste, stirring vigorously until the mixture is well-combined and firm to form the shrimp filling.
3. Soak the dried kelp in water until soft, then steam until cooked and cut into thin strips; combine ketchup with salt, sugar, vinegar, and some water to make the tomato sauce.
4. Drain the cabbage leaves and pat them dry with a clean cloth, then lay them flat on a cutting board. Shape the shrimp filling into balls and place one on each leaf. Fold the edges of the leaf up and over the filling to enclose it, then tie the bundle securely with a strip of kelp, forming a butterfly-shaped knot. Steam for about 5–7 minutes, then remove from the steamer and arrange on a serving plate.
5. Heat another wok over high heat, add vegetable oil, then pour in the prepared tomato sauce and stir-fry; once it comes to a boil, drizzle in a water-starch slurry to create a thin glaze, then pour it over the cabbage rolls and serve. This dish features a glossy red color, with a tender wrapper and a soft, sticky filling, delivering a deliciously savory flavor.