Taro Cake

Method

1. Put 1 dried shiitake mushroom and 5 g dried shrimp in a small bowl, cover with warm water and leave to soak for 20 minutes until softened. Drain, squeeze dry, discard the mushroom stem and chop both finely.
2. Peel 200 g taro (wear gloves — the raw sap irritates skin) and cut it into neat 1 cm dice. Whisk 55 g rice flour, 10 g cornflour, 0.5 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp caster sugar, 0.25 tsp white pepper and 0.25 tsp five-spice powder in a bowl, then pour in 130 ml water and whisk to a lump-free batter the consistency of single cream.
3. Heat 1 tsp groundnut oil in a wok or small frying pan over a medium heat. Add 20 g finely diced lap cheong with the chopped shrimp and mushroom and stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the sausage fat runs and the kitchen smells sweet and toasty.
4. Tip in the diced taro, toss for 1 minute to coat in the fat, then add 20 ml water, cover and steam over a low heat for 5 minutes, until the cubes are just yielding at the edge but still hold their shape. Take off the heat and let the steam die down for a minute.