客家油蔥燙高麗菜 (含肉燥🐖) / Boiled Vegetable W/minced Pork Sauce & Hakka Style Scallion Oil(contains Pork Sauce 🐖) Recipe

Prepare cabbage

Trim root end and remove any damaged outer leaves. Separate the head into large leaves or cut into 4–6 cm wide pieces (bite-size). Rinse under cold water to remove grit.

Bring water to boil

In a large pot, bring 2 L water to a rolling boil with 1 tsp coarse salt.

Blanch cabbage

Add cabbage to the boiling water in batches if necessary. Blanch until bright green and tender-crisp, about 45–90 seconds for individual leaves or 2–3 minutes for thicker pieces. Do not overcook; it should be tender but still have structure.

Shock and drain

Optional: Immediately transfer cabbage to ice water to stop cooking and preserve color (30–60 seconds). Drain well in a colander and gently squeeze excess water. Arrange on a serving plate, slightly overlapping if desired.

Prepare shallots and scallions

Peel and thinly slice the shallots. Slice the white and light green parts of the scallions thinly and keep separate.

Fry shallots slowly

In a medium, heavy-bottomed skillet or wok set over low–medium heat, add 100 ml of the neutral oil and heat gently (to about 140–150°C if you have a thermometer). Add the sliced shallots in an even layer. Fry slowly, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp — this takes 12–18 minutes. Lower heat if browning too fast to avoid burning. The goal is deep golden, not dark brown.

Drain crispy shallots

When shallots are golden and crisp, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a paper-towel-lined tray. Sprinkle 1 tsp salt over them while hot and toss lightly. Reserve the frying oil (do not discard) for the scallion oil.

Make scallion oil

Heat the reserved oil (about 20–30 ml remaining) until and pour it over the thinly sliced scallion whites placed in a heatproof bowl — it will sizzle and release aroma. Let sit 1–2 minutes. Carefully skim any residual bits and pour the fragrant oil into a small serving bowl or combine with the minced-pork sauce as directed.

Brown pork

In a medium skillet or wok over medium heat, add 1 tbs neutral oil. When hot, add the finely chopped shallot and cook until translucent (1–2 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook 15–30 seconds until fragrant. Add ground pork and break it up with a spatula. Cook until the pork loses its raw color and starts to brown, about 4–6 minutes.

Season and simmer

Stir in 2 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbs rice wine, 1 tsp sugar, and 1 tsp white pepper. Mix well to combine. Pour in 120 ml water or low-sodium chicken stock, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid mostly reduces and pork is glossy and saucy, about 8–12 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning (add a little more soy sauce or sugar as desired). If the sauce looks dry before flavors develop, add small splashes of water.

Finish sauce with scallion oil

Turn off the heat and drizzle 1–2 tbs of the prepared scallion oil into the minced pork sauce and stir to combine. This adds fragrance and a Hakka character to the meat sauce.

Assemble dish

Place the blanched cabbage on a serving plate (if you shocked it, be sure to drain well). Spoon a generous amount (3–4 tbs) of the warm minced pork sauce over the center of the cabbage, letting some sauce run onto the leaves.

Top with crispy shallots and scallion oil

Scatter a generous handful (about 2–3 tbs) of the crispy fried shallots evenly over the sauced cabbage. Drizzle additional scallion oil (1–2 tbs) over everything for aroma.

Optional final touches

If desired, dot a small amount (1 tsp) of raw minced garlic on the side or mix with a little light soy sauce and drizzle over the cabbage for an extra garlicky kick. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil if you like.

Serve

Serve immediately while the minced pork sauce and scallion oil are warm so the flavors meld into the cabbage. Provide extra crispy shallots and soy sauce at the table.