Auntie Tanya arrived from Thunder Bay today for her week long farm-cation. We are so excited to see her! Ian is on stay-cation for a few days to spend quality time with the boys. Meanwhile, Tanya and I have many non-farm adventures planned, including: High Tea at the Chateau Laurier, a day at the Spa Nordik in Chelsea, dinner plans at the Courtyard Restaurant in the Byward Market and theatre tickets to see Come From Away at the National Art Centre.
We were so excited for Auntie Tanya to dive right into her farmstead vacay that we put her straight to work. Farm life might be rejuvenating but it also very busy. After a quick stop at the T&T Market on the way home from the airport, Tanya whipped us up an incredible feast.
With the amount of kale we have been eating lately (I have even resorted to putting it in bread),
this culinary change up was a huge delight. To our surprise, Seamus' favourite part of the meal was the Hong Kong Turnip Cake. He ate three servings. Who would have thought?
Here is the recipe for future reference in case we ever want to attempt this savoury treat at home:
Recipe: Chinese Lo Bak Go (Turnip Cake)
1 daikon radish (about 20 oz.), grated
1 to 1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, washed, soaked and chopped
3-5 dried Chinese black mushrooms, washed, soaked, and chopped
1 Chinese sausage, diced
1 scallion, chopped
1 1/4 cup rice flour (130g)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
pepper, to taste
1) Grate the daikon using a box grater.
2) Add grated daikon and 1 cup water to a large pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so the daikon does not brown. The daikon will produce liquid, some of which will evaporate. You will have liquid left in the pan with the radish but do not worry about measuring it. Scoop the cooked daikon into a large mixing bowl to cool. Next, pour the remaining liquid into a measuring cup and fill the rest with water until you have 1 cup of liquid and pour it back in with the cooked daikon.
3) Heat your pan over medium heat and add a two tablespoons oil. Add the dried shrimp, mushrooms, and sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chopped scallion and remove from the heat to cool.
4) Add rice flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and pepper to the mixing bowl with the radish and cooking liquid.
5) Mix well until the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
6) Add in the cooked shrimp, mushrooms and sausage, and be sure to scrape the oil from the pan into the batter. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes.
7) Give the batter a final stir and pour it into a well-oiled loaf pan. Place the pan into a steamer with plenty of water and steam over medium-high heat for 50 minutes.
8) Remove the pan from the steamer and let your turnip cake set for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board. It should come out easily.
9) Use a sharp knife dipped in water to slice ½-inch thick pieces. Add a couple tablespoons oil to a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Fry the cakes on both sides until golden and crispy.
We are off to a delicious start. It is going to be an amazing next couple of days.
4) Add rice flour, cornstarch, salt, sugar, and pepper to the mixing bowl with the radish and cooking liquid.
5) Mix well until the dry ingredients are well incorporated.
6) Add in the cooked shrimp, mushrooms and sausage, and be sure to scrape the oil from the pan into the batter. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes.
7) Give the batter a final stir and pour it into a well-oiled loaf pan. Place the pan into a steamer with plenty of water and steam over medium-high heat for 50 minutes.
8) Remove the pan from the steamer and let your turnip cake set for about 30 minutes. Once cooled, loosen the sides with a spatula and turn it out onto a cutting board. It should come out easily.
9) Use a sharp knife dipped in water to slice ½-inch thick pieces. Add a couple tablespoons oil to a non-stick or cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Fry the cakes on both sides until golden and crispy.
We are off to a delicious start. It is going to be an amazing next couple of days.
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