Smoked Eel San Choy Bau

Use this 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, duck or pork meat. To get neat lettuce cups, remove the outer lettuce leaves and reserve them for another dish then cut out and discard the stem and hold the lettuce under cold running water to loosen the leaves. Gently remove intact leaves from towards the centre, that are large enough to serve as cups for the filling, then put them upside down on a clean tea towel to dry well. Serve this smoked eel 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. Either way a glass of light pinot noir is a great accompaniment, like the elegant one from Sidewood Estate in the Adelaide Hills.

Serves 4 as a starter