Ingredients
200 g dried squid, 100 g shrimp paste, 25 g each pickled vegetables, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and cilantro, 3 egg whites, 50 g each ground meat and fresh red chili peppers.
Seasonings
5 g salt, 1 g MSG, 50 g cornstarch, 15 g each of green beans, vinegar, and garlic cloves, 10 g sesame oil, 750 g lard (about 1 1/2 lbs, 150 g actually used).
Instructions
1. Remove the tentacles from the dried squid, soak it in an alkaline solution until softened, then rinse thoroughly. On one side of the squid, score a crosshatch pattern, and on the other side, cut into 0.3 cm wide strips without cutting all the way through, then slice into 4 cm pieces to form a goldfish shape. Place in a bowl, mix with 0.5 g salt and 25 g potato starch. Dice fresh red chili, pickled vegetables, garlic cloves, and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms into small cubes. Combine 25 g potato starch, vinegar, 10 g water, and MSG to make a sauce.
2. Beat the egg whites until frothy and mix into the shrimp paste. Grease 12 small wine glasses with lard, then fill each with the egg white and shrimp mixture. Arrange 5 green peas around the edge and 1 in the center to form a lotus seed pod shape. Steam for 2 minutes, then remove and keep warm in the steamer.
3. Place a wok over high heat, add lard and heat until it reaches 80% hot (about 350°F/175°C), then briefly blanch the squid in the oil, flash-frying until the scored sections curl up, then remove and drain.
4. Leave 50 g (about 1/4 cup) of oil in the wok, then add red bell pepper, pickled vegetables, garlic cloves, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, ground pork, and 4.5 g (about 3/4 teaspoon) of salt, and stir-fry until fragrant. Add the squid rolls and stir-fry to combine, then pour in the prepared sauce mixture. Toss the wok a few times, drizzle with sesame oil, and remove from heat. Using chopsticks, pick up the squid rolls and arrange them on one side of the plate with their heads facing the same direction. Unmold the prepared lotus seed pods and place them on the other side of the plate. Garnish the edges with fresh cilantro and serve. This dish features tender, crunchy squid rolls and smooth, silky lotus seed pods.