I have to admit that finding new uses for the daikon radish had been stumping me. It’s so often turned into a quick pickle or used in kimchi, and that’s where I was stuck.
Then I ran into this recipe for Luo Bo Gao, a Chinese daikon cake, a mainstay at dim sum restaurants with its crisp exterior and soft interior. I can’t wait to try this, especially since I have a little bag of dried shrimp in the freezer. I was wondering what in the world I was going to do with it.
Ingredients:
2 cups white rice flour, preferably from China or Thailand 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 10 to 12 small or medium dried shrimp, soaked in hot water to cover for 30 minutes, optional 1 pound daikon radish 3 scallions, chopped fine Grapeseed or other neutral oil to coat the cake pans and the skillet Oyster sauce or hot sauce
Preparation:
Serves 6 to 8
Combine the rice flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl and set aside. If using, drain and finely chop the shrimp.
Peel the daikon and grate it through the small holes of your grater onto a kitchen towel. Bring together the ends of the cloth and twist to squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can into the bowl. Measure out the collected juices and add enough water to the juice to make 3½ cups.
Pour the daikon liquid into a medium pot. Add the grated daikon and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in the scallions and chopped shrimp, cover, and cook for 5 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Slowly add the rice flour mixture and whisk continuously until free of most large lumps. The batter will be thick and sticky and a little lumpy.
Place a steamer rack in a pot, add 1½ inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Brush 2 cake pans with oil and divide the batter between them. Dip a spoon into cool water and use the back of the spoon to smooth out the surface of the batter. Carefully place one of the filled pans on the steamer rack, cover, and steam for 40 minutes. The other filled pan should be covered and left sitting at room temperature while the first one cooks, or it can be cooked simultaneously in another pot.
Remove the pot from the heat. Carefully lift the cake pan out of the pot, place it on a folded kitchen towel, and allow the luo bo gao to cool to room temperature. Cook the other filled cake pan.
Unmold the luo bo gao and gently turn it onto a cutting board. Cut each dumpling into 8 equal slices. Do not slice the luo bo gao if you are planning on serving it later. They can be refrigerated, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 days. Slice and fry just before serving.
When ready to serve, coat a large skillet with oil and heat over medium heat. Carefully place the slices of luo bo gao in the pan and cook until their bottoms are crispy and golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn them over to brown the other sides. Serve with a side of oyster sauce or hot sauce.
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