My Iron Foodie Signature Dish-Tang Yuan with Smoky Hoisin Pork in Spicy Porcini, Seaweed Broth

Tang Yuan with Smoky Hoisin Pork in Spicy Porcini, Seaweed Broth

Marx Foods and the Foodie Blogroll made it all possible by chosing me and 24 other challengers to compete in the Marx Foods, Iron Foodie Challenge. Awarded a treasure box full of gourmet goodies, the challengers were directed to get creative and come up with a recipe using at least 3 of the 8 Marx Foods ingredients.

I knew that creating a signature dish with such a diverse array of gourmet items would be daunting, but taking the journey to find the perfect recipe for this challenge was very fulfilling.

With the Holidays just around the corner I thought it fitting to prepare a dish that was in essence, celebratory. One that would speak to the festive nature of the season. This is why I chose, Tang Yuan as my signature dish.

Tang Yuan is a Chinese dish, traditionally eaten during the Chinese Lantern Festival; the first full moon day of the Chinese lunar year. According to Chinese Tradition it is eaten with family members during Winter Solstice Festival and on other special occasions. source: Wikipedia

Although, I celebrate the Holiday's as a Christan, I thought Tang Yuan a perfect choice for the competition for it's symbolism of reunion, and as a historic meal, meant to be shared with family and close friends. Tang Yuan are made with glutinous rice flour, served in hot broth that can be sweet or savory and can be either be made small or large and stuffed with a variety of sweet and savory ingredients. Other Asian cultures have similar dishes that vary in flavor from region to region.

This is where I need to ask for lenience, as I'm not familiar with the Chinese etiquette surrounding this recipe. I've taken a lot of liberties with my version of the dish and hope not to offend!

I've never made or tasted Tang Yuan, so despite the nagging voice in my head, telling me that I was only going to get one chance to get this recipe right, I decided to commit to the challenge. I'm very thankful I did because my Tang Yuan was a delicious success.

List of Marx Foods ingredients used in the recipe

1. Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms

2. Dulse Seaweed

3. Dried Aji Panca Chile Pepper

4. Maple Sugar

5. Tellicherry Pepper

6. Smoked Sea Salt

The broth was full bodied and fragrant from the Pandan Leaves, with just enough kick from the Aji Panca Chile to make my nose run! The dried Wild Porcini added a rich woody flavor which balanced beautifully with the Smoked Salt and Maple Sugar. The Dulse Seaweed was light, adding it's delicate aroma to the mix. The Glutinous Rice Balls were mild and chewy, leaving my "starch-buds" thoroughly satisfied. The filling was sweet and salty with a mild smokiness from the Sea Salt and layers and layers of flavor.

I loved this challenge for bringing another wonderful cooking experience into my kitchen!!

Spicy Porcini Broth

8 Dried Wild Porcini Mushrooms

¼ cup Dulse Seaweed

1 Dried Aji Panca Chile Pepper

2-14 ounce cans chicken broth or homemade stock

8 Pandan Leaves rolled and tied into 2 bundles

2 tablespoons Maple Sugar

10 slices fresh ginger

1 tablespoon fish sauce

8 whole Tellicherry Peppercorns

2 pinches Smoked Sea Salt

I had never heard of Pandan Leaves so I was a little worried about shopping for my ingredients. Fortunately, the Asian market I went to had very knowledgeable employees. I was directed to the freezer section and shown a plastic bag filled with a green thick, reed type plant. Written on the package was the other name for Pandan Leaves..."Screw Pine Leaves"! What? If it weren't for one very knowledgeable and helpful employee, I wouldn't have found the fragrant leaves. I was also informed by the young man that Pandan Leaves were used in Thai foods more than Chinese cuisine. I did a little more research and found that Pandan leaves are more of a novelty to Tang Yuan and that they are more widely used in Malaysian cooking. Still, I wouldn't omit them after tasting the broth! They are delicious!

Method

using 3 separate bowls, pour 1 cup each boiling water, over dried porcini mushrooms, aji panca chile and seaweed, soak for 15 minutes add to a large stock pot, thinly sliced fresh ginger, whole tellichery pepper corns and 2 bundles Pandan/Screw Pine leaves. Add the soaking liquid from mushrooms, chili and seaweed into the stock pot, straining the solids to keep the broth as clear as possible, add 2 cans chicken stock. Cook broth on the stove top on medium high heat to allow flavors to expand, keep hot until ready to use

Smokey Hoisin Pork Filling

1 ½ pound shaved pork loin

¼ cup Hoisin Sauce
¼ cup honey
¼ cup premium soy sauce
2 tablespoons Maple Sugar
1 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon Nira Chive
(can be found in any Asian Market in the produce section)
2 pinch Smoked Sea Salt
reconstituted Aji Panca Chile, chopped fine
reconstituted Dried Wild Porcini, chopped fine
reconstituted Dulse Seaweed
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoons white sesame seeds

Thinly shave pork add next 11 ingredients and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, mix to incorporate
Finely chop reconstituted wild porcini mushrooms and aji panca chile, add to pork mixture. The reconstituted Dulse Seaweed, will be very soft and resemble a paste, add to pork and stir to combine

Add remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil to a large saute pan or Wok, toast sesame seeds until lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes, add pork and cook on medium high heat until all liquid is absorbed, remove meat from pan and cool on a cutting board.

Finely chop meat, refrigerate until ready to use

Glutinous Rice Balls

Ingredients
6 cups boiling water
1-½ cup glutinous rice flour
¼ cup boiling water

Heat 6 cups of water in a large stock pot on medium high heat, in a medium boil mix together 1 cup of rice flour with ¼ cup hot water, mix with a spoon until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, add more flour if the dough is too sticky, separate dough into two pieces, cover one piece with a damp towel, pinch off enough dough to roll into 1 inch size balls, rest the ball in palm of hand and pinch into a bowl, leaving the bottom of the ball thicker than the sides, repeat with remaining dough.

Fill bowl with pork mixture and work dough to cover the pork and roll into smooth balls, recipe will make about 10-12 balls. Cook rice balls in boiling water for 8-12 minutes, or until they begin to float, strain off excess water

Prepare soup bowls with garnish of chopped nira chive, red bell pepper and a few brown beech mushrooms.

Add three or four rice balls to each bowl, and cover with seaweed broth.

Start a new tradition this Holiday Season and serve Tang Yuan to your family and friends and enjoy reunion with a shared meal and a pipping hot cup of tea.

Thank you Foodie Blogroll and Marx Foods

Comments

Mike Burns

December 21, 2010 at 7:47 pm

Love the blog Rebecka. I just wrote a delicious recipe with some wild mushrooms as well.handmeafork.blogspot.com

Rebecka

December 08, 2010 at 12:10 am

Hey Chris...happy I could help get your cooking gears turning! Thanks for your nice comments!Christo, You're really putting up a serious challenge with all your amazing entries for this challenge! Thanks Perry! Your dish looks amazing too!DAMN! Now how am I suppose to win this challenge with all of these creative and terrific recipes???

Perry P. Perkins

December 07, 2010 at 8:03 pm

Wow, that looks so good! There are some amazing dishes in the Iron Foodie competition, but this is the one that made me want to jump in the car, RIGHT NOW, and go grocery shopping!We will be making this very soon!- Perrywww.burninloveblog.com

Rebecka

December 07, 2010 at 4:05 pm

http://marxfood.com/marx-foods-iron-foodie-2010/Here's the link to vote for my signature dish! Also, please feel free to let all your readers know where to vote! This is a very tough competition with a lot of amazing chefs and recipes so I really need your support! Thank you♥

doggybloggy

December 07, 2010 at 1:35 pm

I could have sworn that I left a comment - oh well. This is such a unique and creative dish - I love the glutinous rice balls.

~Chris

December 03, 2010 at 3:29 pm

Now you've got my gears turning about the rice balls. I've eaten a lot of Mochi - I'm assuming that's the Japanese version of the same thing - but it has always been sweet, either filled with ice cream or like a candy. I haven't made it yet, but you've got me pondering the savory options. Thanks! Beautiful pic by the way. 🙂

Rebecka

December 02, 2010 at 10:40 pm

Hah! Sorry Ann...I have a friend who's name is Mary Maynard...I had a temporary old age moment and got my names confused...;)

Rebecka

December 02, 2010 at 4:58 pm

kf, I'm not sure how the Foodie Blogroll will conduct judging...I hope that they will post a comment today or tomorrow with all the participants and their recipes and then give us the guidelines for voting! I'll keep you posted!Mary, I'm on my way to check out your recipe! This is so much fun!!!

Ann Minard

December 02, 2010 at 4:03 pm

Awesome! I am posting mine today!!

kitchen flavours

December 02, 2010 at 8:03 am

Hi Rebecka, Just checking on the voting. It starts on 3rd Dec up to 15th, right? How many times can we vote? I'll be away from the 4th to the 8th! Wouldn't want to miss on the voting!

Rebecka

December 01, 2010 at 11:25 pm

FOODalogue, I can't wait to see your dish! I'll be checking your blog for the post!Chef Mike, Thank you for the lovely compliment! I had a blast researching and making the dish!

Chef Mike

December 01, 2010 at 10:43 pm

Thoroughly impressed with the preparation of this dish, good luck in the contest!

FOODalogue

November 30, 2010 at 1:13 am

Mmmm those stuffed rice balls look delicious. I have a similar flavor profile but totally different dish which I'll be posting later this week.

Rebecka

November 26, 2010 at 2:32 pm

Jenn, Creating this dish was very exciting indeed! I feel like a mad scientist when I'm in the kitchen using new ingredients to make a dish. Thanks to you and Marx Foods for introducing me to so many lovely new gourmet goodies!no1dusibetta, I'm looking forward to reading the posts with all your new soup recipes! Presentation of any dish is challenging. I especially have trouble with brown foods. they always tend to be dingy and look like a pile of glop! Maybe one day when I finally get financial compensation for food blogging I'll be ablw to afford the right equipment and lighting.Biren, I would love to taste your family recipe of sweet tang yuan! I felt it very challenging to make the glutinous rice balls not ever having the opportunity of tasting an authentic recipe.kf, Pandan leaves are the BOMB! I loved the way my house smelled when they were cooking in the broth. What a fragrant and delicious plant. I think it would be yummy to add the flavor to rice.Maybe some day I'll get the opportunity to visit Malaysia during the tang yuan festival..♥

kitchen flavours

November 25, 2010 at 2:02 pm

Wow, Rebecka, I'm really impressed! You are right, the tang yuan should be chewy and can be prepared either savoury or sweet.It has always been the sweet version with my family. The ginger brings out the flavour of the sugar and the addition of pandan leaves gives it a fragrant aroma. Over here in Malaysia, we love pandan leaves, now you know why! You did a great job with your signature dish! It looks amazing! The tang yuan festival will fall a few days before Christmas, this is perfect timing for your foodie challenge. Good luck to you and I'm actually feeling excited for you! Couldn't wait to vote! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your lovely family!

Biren

November 24, 2010 at 8:29 pm

Bravo Rebecka! We have always had sweet tang yuan but your savory ones with the smoky hoisin pork looks really good. A very innovative and creative dish!

no1duzitbetta

November 24, 2010 at 1:27 am

More food history lol.

no1duzitbetta

November 24, 2010 at 1:25 am

I respect this dish simply because I too am in the process of creating soups. I've said in my blog that there are still some things for me to learn in the kitchen, mainly Presentation, I would venture to say aslo I can see myself delving into moor food history... love the research.

Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen

November 23, 2010 at 7:48 pm

Wow, Rebecka, this is a very impressive dish. Looks like you had a lot of fun making it as well! Nice job with the challenge!

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