CHINESE NEW YEAR: PORKUPINES, an Indulgence

An Ersatz Chinese Canape, designed to satisfy western palates...but pleasing all...

updated Jan.25; original 2016

Round & Quennelle shaped porcupines (here chicken)
with oyster sauce

Serving Asian canapes to western guests can be a bit tricky. Will the guests like Chinese food?  Will they want true Chinese flavours and textures? Or will they want something westernised?

This family recipe for Porkupines satisfies most guests, whatever their age or ethnicity.   The intriguing spiky sticky rice coating gives them their name and crunchy highlights within enhance a myriad of subtle flavours.    

Lean minced pork is used because these porkupines mark Chinese New Year and the Chinese adore pork. Minced turkey or chicken also work well, though the spring onion could be replaced with chives or coriander.

The porkupines can be made small enough to be speared with a cocktail stick (a heaped teaspoon each). Or try golf-ball sized porkupines, served on a plate as a first course.

This is not a frugal recipe but many of the ingredients have been used in other 67 recipes and will likely already be in the cupboard.

Cost: £5.50'ish ?? (1/25)

Makes: 13 large, 25 small (recipe halves nicely)

Ingred:

   a generous teacup glutinous rice, soaked overnight or at least 3 hours, in boiling water

   8 oz/225 gm minced pork shoulder or minced chicken thigh  (if using chicken, add 1.5tbsp hoisin sauce)

   1 tsp fresh grated ginger

   1/4 cup/4 generous tablespoons finely diced water chestnuts

   3 generous tablespoons finely diced bamboo shoots

   3 reconstituted dried shitake mushrooms, finely chopped

   2 small spring onions, topped and tailed, scruffy leaves removed;  green and white (if not using white; add green of extra spring onion) finely chopped  

   1 tbsp pref reduced salt (not low-salt) soy sauce

   2 tsp sherry (or white wine with 1/4 tsp sugar dissolved)

   1 tsp water

    pepper and salt

    1 small egg

    Serve with any or all Sauces: soy, hoisin, oyster (opt) &  Chilli Crisp 

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients except the eggs and rice in a bowl using a fork and a light hand, until all is blended
2. Add egg and mix into meat
3. Drain soaked sticky rice; pat dry with paper towels; spread out as best you can on a flat tray
4. Line the bottom of a large bamboo steaming basket with greaseproof paper
5. Put a large wok or pot of water to boil
6. Form meatballs one by one either in a quennel shape ( see Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVTKy5r0KKo) or in balls formed with a spring loaded ice cream scoop 2inch/5cm across 
7. Roll tops and sides sparingly in the rice trying not to completely cover; place in steaming basket with plenty of space in between 
8. Check levels of water in the wok/pot, top up if necessary.  
9. Place bamboo tray in steamer (one on top of the other if you have more than one bamboo basket); cover; turn heat to med; steam 10  mins.  
10. Test a porkupine - the rice should be soft and the meat cooked through.  
11. Serve with bowls of sauces (in ingredients) with tongs, chopsticks (opt), plenty of cocktail sticks and serviettes 

Comment: 'These were very Chinese-ey and I think all of my friends - wherever they came from - would love them.' Kurt, 20+ fund-raiser

Tips:

• If you're making these ahead of time, place the porkupines on a tray, cover lightly with clingfilm & refrigerate until ready to steam
• They don't reheat well - the crunchiness is lost; best to leave uncooked porkupines in the fridge for use the next day.  
• Variations on this recipe say freezing the porkupines is fine but 67 has not tested this 

For How To...Use Sticky Rice, Preserved Black Beans & Pomelo,                                                                        

Please leave a comment in the box below

This recipe was developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.