Smoked Eel San Choy Bau

Name: Smoked Eel San Choy Bau
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 600g whole smoked eel (or 250g skinned fillet); 8 iceberg lettuce leaves; 1/3 cup vegetable oil; 6 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger; 5 shiitake, finely chopped; 2 bamboo shoot tips, diced; 1/4 cup Shaoxing cooking wine; 1/4 cup oyster sauce; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon castor sugar; 1 teaspoon cornflour; Pinch freshly ground white pepper

Use my smoked eel san choy bau recipe as inspiration for all sorts of san choy bau, wok-tossed chopped prawns or squid make great variations, as do chicken, quail or pork. To get neat lettuce cups remove outer lettuce leaves and reserve for another dish, cut out and discard the stem then hold lettuce under cold running water to loosen leaves and gently remove 4 intact leaves from towards the centre that are large enough to serve as cups for the filling. Serve this san choy bau as a starter or add some salt and pepper tofu (see video below) and a few steamed dumplings for a yum cha feast.

Serves 4 as a starter

Ingredients

600g whole smoked eel (or 250g skinned fillet)
8 iceberg lettuce leaves
⅓ cup vegetable oil
6 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons finely grated ginger
5 shiitake, finely chopped
2 bamboo shoot tips, diced

Sauce

¼ cup Shaoxing cooking wine
¼ cup oyster sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon castor sugar
1 teaspoon cornflour
Pinch freshly ground white pepper

Method

Remove skin and pick eel meat off the bone, discarding the silver membrane beneath the skin. With your fingers, shred meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside in a mixing bowl.
Trim lettuce leaves into neat ‘cups’ and put into iced water to crisp up.
Drain well, cover and refrigerate until needed.
Make Sauce: combine all ingredients.
Combine green onion, garlic, ginger, shiitake and bamboo shoot. Set this vegetable mixture aside.
Heat a wok over high heat until very hot.
Add oil then vegetable mixture and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds, until aromatic.
Add Sauce and stir-fry for 30-60 seconds, until reduced slightly.
Tip into the bowl with the eel and toss gently to combine.
Spoon into lettuce cups, wrap and eat.