Shredded Egg Balls (Tung Po Hsiu Ch’iu)

Servings: 6
Source: Gourmet 1/1979

Ingredients
1 tablespoon dried shrimp
6 dried Chinese black mushrooms
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
imported sesame oil
salt, white pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar
¾ pound ground pork or ground beef
1 tablespoon’ minced scallion
3 eggs
10 ounces spinach
3 tablespoons peanut oil
½ cup Chinese chicken broth or tinned chicken broth
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions
In a small dish let 1 tablespoon dried shrimp soak in warm water to cover for 45 minutes. In a small bowl let 6 dried Chinese black mushrooms soak in warm water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain the mushrooms well; remove and discard the stems, and mince the caps. In another small dish combine 1 ablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 1 taspoon imported sesame oil, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon sugar.

Drain the shrimp well and mince them. In a large bowl combine ¾ pound ground pork or ground beef, the soy sauce mixture, the mushrooms, the shrimp, 1 tablespoon minced scallion, and 2 teaspoons peeled and minced gingerroot, throw the mixture lightly against the inside of the bowl to compact it, and form it into 12 balls.

In a small bowl beat 3 eggs lightly with tablespoon water and ¼ tsp salt. Brush a well seasoned skillet or a nonstick skillet with peanut oil and heat the oil over high heat until it is very hot. Remove the skillet from the heat, let it cool for 1 minute, and add one third of the egg mixture, tilting and rotating the skillet to form a thin even layer. Cook the egg sheet until it is just set, turn it, and cook the other side until it is just set. Transfer the egg sheet to a plate. Continue to make egg sheets with the remaining egg mixture in the same manner. Let the egg sheets cool, stack them, and shred-them finely.

Coat the meatballs as much as possible with the shredded egg, arrange them on a lightly oiled heatproof plate 2 inches smaller in diameter than the rack of a steamer, and drape any remaining shredded egg on top of the meatballs. Put the plate in the steamer and steam the egg balls, covered, for 20 minutes.

Have ready 10 ounces spinach, trimmed, washed, and patted dry with paper towels. While the egg balls are steaming heat a wok or heavy skillet over high heat until it is very hot, add 3 tablespoons peanut oil, and heat it until it is very hot. Add the spinach and stir-fry it for 5 minutes, or until it is limp and one fourth its former volume. Arrange the spinach around the edge of a platter and keep it warm. In a small saucepan combine ½ cup Chinese chicken broth or tinned chicken broth, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 teaspoon cornstarch and ½ salt, ½ teaspoon imported sesame oil, ¼ teaspoon white pepper and heat the mixture over moderate heat, stirring, until it is thickened. Arrange the egg balls in the center of the platter and pour the sauce over them.