Lions’ heads

One of the unusual aspects of Chinese food is the fascinating names given to most dishes. In order not to alarm any of your guests who might be sqeamish, you had better explain that the pork meatballs are supposed to resemble the shape of lions’ heads and the cabbage is supposed to look like the mane, hence the name. When my daughter Kai-lu was a little girl and was offered this dish for the first time, she absolutely refused to touch it, as she had been to the zoo earlier in the day. Later it became her favourite dish, so much so that she didn’t allow that there could be a proper Chinese meal without it.

2lb (900g) pork
1-2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger root, peeled
2-3 mushrooms (optional)
a few prawns (optional)
2 tbsp sherry
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 egg
1 tbsp cornflour
about 3-4 tbsp oil
1 1/2 lb (680g)cabbage
1 tsp salt

Method

You could start making this dish the day before if you like, but I think it always tastes slightly better when not reheated. Allow yourself about 3 hours on the day it is to be served.

First bone the pork if it hasn’t been done already, and use the bones to make stock for the basis of asoup. If you brought home the pork in a whole piece, then keep aside a small lean piece for the soup too. Now coarsely mince the pork with its fat, mix it thoroughly with finely chopped spring onions and ginger root, add finely chopped mushrooms and prawns (if using), together with sherry, soy sauce, sugar, the lightly beaten egg, and finally, cornflour. Shape the meat into 4 large round balls and put them aside.

At this point, you can get on with the preparation of other dishes. When you are ready to cook the lions’ heads, heat the oil in a largish saucepan or casserole. While you wait for it to get hot, quickly cut the cabbage in quarters lengthwise (or in 6-8 segments if it is a round cabbage), add to the pot with salt and stir in to make sure that all sides of the cabbage are coated with oil, then place the meat balls on top and add enough stock or water just to cover the cabbage. Bring to the boil, then put on the lid and simmer gently for 30 minutes. Alternatively, you can cook the casserole in the oven for 1 hour at 350°F (180°), gas mark 4.

You can serve the dish from the casserole or, if cooked in a saucepan, transfer the cabbage to a large bowl with the meat balls arranged on top. It is always served with rice as a main course of the meal, never as a starter. In fact if you are cooking for three or four people only, this dish will be ample just by itself.

© Deh-Ta Hsiung and reproduced with his kind permission.