Steamed beef and coriander balls by Gok Wan, star of the BBC 2 series Gok Cooks Chinese and author of the accompanying cookbook (£20, Michael Joseph/Penguin)
The beauty of dim sum is that you get the opportunity to travel thousands of miles across Asia in one mealtime, just order as much as you like and revel in a journey of the taste buds. These beef balls can be made in advance and steamed to order when you are ready to eat. Simply store them, covered in cling film, in a single layer on a tray or plate in the fridge for up to two days. Serve with two or three other dim sum dishes from this chapter, or simply on their own as a super-healthy and tasty snack. A classic dim sum treat.
SERVES 4–6; PREPARATION TIME 15 MINS; COOKING TIME 10-15 MINS
500g minced beef
a 3cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a small bunch of fresh
coriander, leaves and stalks finely chopped
a pinch of Chinese
five-spice powder
1½ tablespoons light soy sauce
1½ tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
salt and ground white pepper
1 carrot, peeled and chopped into roughly 1cm-thick rounds
To serve
Chinese chilli oil
light soy sauce
1. Put the minced beef, ginger, garlic, coriander, five-spice powder, soy sauce and Shaoxing rice wine into a bowl and mix together, using your hands. Squeeze the mixture together to break down the minced beef. Mix well and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Form the mixture into walnut-sized balls, using your hands. (You can oil your hands with groundnut oil first, if you like.) Place the balls onto a slice of carrot, then put on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up, if you have the time.
3. Place the carrot slices and beef balls directly into a bamboo steamer basket. Place the steamer over a wok of boiling water, ensuring that the base of the steamer does not touch the water. Steam for 10 minutes, or until the beef balls are cooked through and firm (steam them in batches if necessary).
4. Remove the steamer from the wok, being careful to keep any cooking juices on the plates. Serve immediately, while still steaming hot, with Chinese chilli oil and soy sauce for dipping.
