Steamed Pork Patties with Salted Egg Yolks

It is always a pleasure to have guests over for a simple meal. My hubby and I enjoy having friends and family members over for dinner. After every meal, we always feel that these sessions bring us closer to our guests.  

After having to host a few dinners, I observed that food on the dining table sets the tone and formality of the meal. Generally my family and friends warm up to  Asian food than western food. Somehow they are more at ease, conversations are more relaxed and atmosphere is more vibrant. It is like comparing a dim sum restaurant to a French dining restaurant.  

In my journey in expanding my cooking repertoire of Chinese food, the Singapore celebrity chef Sam Leong would be one of the chefs I would look up for ideas. He has published a number of recipe books and his recipes are easy to follow. This dish is from one of his books and every time when I cooked this, my guests would raved about it.  I strongly recommend his books and cooking classes. 

This recipe requires salted egg yolks. As the eggs have been preserved with salted charcoal, the egg white would turn a little cloudy and the yolk turned into a bright orange, firm and round ball. Please wash away the egg white with water and the membrane that protects the yolk. You may cut or smash the egg yolk before placing into the steaming bowls. 

These pictures were taken a guest (PressingSecrets) whom I was very pleased to invite. She offered me a new perspective  in my kitchen while my friends and I were trying to rush for a 8-course Chinese dinner for 11 people frantically within 2 hours. She captured our calmness with a polaroid camera on one hand and mixing spoon on the other. Well done!

Ingredients

• 400g Minced Pork
• 30g Coriander stems, finely diced
• 3 Water Chestnuts, peeled and finely diced
•  4 Salted Egg Yolks, cleaned and cut half
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 Egg white
• 2 tsp Soya Sauce
• A pinch Ground white pepper
•  A dash of Sesame oil
• Spring Onion, minced

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients together, except cooking oil, salted egg yolks and spring onions. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Apply some cooking oil on 4 steaming metal cases.
3. Put a salted egg yolk inside each case. Spoon the pork mixture into the cases.
4. Steam for 45 mins or until the pork is cooked.
5. Turn cups over a serving plate. Serve with the sauce (see below).

Sauce

• 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 4 slices Ginger
•  2 Spring Onion, cut into 1 inch long
• 4 sprigs of Coriander leaves
• 200ml Chicken Stock
•  ¼ tsp Dark Soya Sauce
• 20g Rock Sugar

Steps:

1. Heat the oil in a wok and fry ginger, spring onion and coriander until fragrant.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
3. Strain and use as needed

Adapted from Chef Sam Leong's A Taste of Home