Racing against time with bamboo

Recipe

Bamboo shoots and meatball in Chinese miso

(This is my childhood comfort food.)

500 g belly pork, minced 2 large pieces dongsun, winter shoots

300 g prawns, shelled and deveined

1/2 carrot, thinly shredded

3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tablespoon yellow bean paste, or use rough miso

Rough up the prawns and add to minced meat. Mix and season with salt and sesame oil.

Cut up the bamboo shoots by finely slicing, then cutting them into julienne. Add half the bamboo shoot and all the shredded carrot into meat mixture. Season with salt and pepper and a dash of sesame oil. Dust a large spoonful of cornstarch over and mix very well. Refrigerate.

Heat up a large tablespoon of oil in a wok and fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove the crispy garlic and put aside. Add the miso/bean paste and fry until fragrant. Add 1.5 liters of hot water and allow the stock to boil.

Shape the meatballs and drop in to cook. Also add the rest of the bamboo shoots. If the meatballs are rough, with bits of bamboo shoots sticking out, you're on the right path,

Test the soup and adjust with salt, sugar or pepper. Garnish with lots of chopped coriander.

Oil-braised bamboo shoots

1 can of bamboo shoots, or 400 g fresh, cut into wedges 50 g of rock sugar

Soy sauce

If you are using fresh bamboo shoots, parboil them in salted water before cutting into wedges. This gets rid of any bitterness.

Heat up 1 cm of oil in the wok. Drop the sugar in to caramelize. Add the bamboo shoot wedges and fry over high heat so the edges will take on the sugar and caramelize.

If you prefer, drain the oil, then return the bamboo shoots to the pan. Season with dark soy sauce and a sprinkle of salt.

This is a deliciously simple vegetable dish that can be truly addictive.