While you see the phrase cake, you in all probability do not consider components like daikon radish, bacon, and sausages. However that is precisely what goes into regulation bok gow, Chinese language turnip cake.* Made with rice flour and grated daikon radish, turnip cake is a Lunar New Yr staple, particularly in Hong Kong and southern China. It is also a quite common dim sum dish, the place it is normally served pan-fried and topped with scallions.

*Regardless of being made with daikon, a sort of radish, regulation bok gow is most frequently translated as “turnip cake” in English, although it’s also generally referred to as radish cake or daikon cake; do not let the naming variations confuse you, all of them check with the identical dish.

Each Lunar New Yr, my mother would make batch after batch of turnip cake. Stacks of it, steamed in tinfoil pans and topped with scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds, could be loaded on our dinning room desk, to be given away to family and friends. One factor I cherished about her turnip cake was that she wasn’t shy about including a superb quantity of daikon to it: for each pound of rice flour, she would normally add six or seven kilos of daikon! Such a excessive proportion of radish creates a way more robustly flavored cake, and it is how I want to make mine now.

Studded with Chinese language sausage, Chinese language bacon, and shiitake mushrooms, this steamed (after which, optionally, pan-fried) daikon radish-based snack is a basic at each the Chinese language New Yr, and in addition on dim sum tables year-round.

Along with the ratio of rice flour and radish, one of the necessary steps when making turnip cake is to totally incorporate the 2 collectively till a reasonably sticky mass has shaped. One other necessary step is ensuring that the daikon is cooked all over earlier than including the rice flour—although the daikon is finely shredded, it nonetheless takes no less than twenty minutes for it to completely prepare dinner, at which level it ought to look slightly clear.

Whereas holding these two factors in thoughts, here is learn how to make it: I begin by soaking dried shiitake mushrooms in scorching water till absolutely rehydrated, then chop them up and sauté them with dried shrimp, diced Chinese language sausage, and Chinese language bacon (lap yuk). I end the mushroom-sausage combination by glazing it with soy sauce and brown sugar, then I prepare dinner the grated daikon in the identical vessel (a big pot or wok will work). When it is prepared, I stir the mushroom-sausage combination into the daikon base. Working in thirds, I add the rice flour till a sticky mass has shaped, thinning it with a tiny little bit of water provided that it turns into too tough to stir.

I scrape the combination into two glass baking dishes, although you should use disposable aluminum ones as effectively, after which steam each till cooked by way of, which takes about half an hour. Simply make sure your steamer is sufficiently big to carry the baking dishes.

Whilst you can eat turnip cake straight out of the steamer, it is best after it has rested for about 20 to half-hour. Earlier than serving, I drizzle it with sesame oil and prime it with chopped scallions and cilantro. Somewhat hoisin and Sriracha on the facet for dipping, and it is all set. To be trustworthy, although, my favourite option to eat it’s as leftovers the subsequent day: To reheat it after an evening or two within the fridge, I slice it and pan-fry it till it is golden and crispy on each side. Serve the cake with a bowl of congee, and you will have my perfect Lunar New Yr breakfast.