Lionhead meatball soup

These Shanghai-style meatballs are served in a rich, earthy, sweet broth – perfect for a cold January.

SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 20 mins EASY

500g lean pork mince

4 garlic cloves, inely chopped

2 tbsp grated ginger

2 spring onions, inely chopped pinch of ground white pepper

50ml Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp corn lour

100ml groundnut oil, for frying For the broth

500ml vegetable stock

5 dried Chinese mushrooms, sliced

200g Chinese leaf, quartered lengthways from leaf to stem

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp toasted sesame oil pinch of ground white pepper

1 tbsp corn lour, mixed with

1 tbsp water to make a paste To serve

2 large spring onions, trimmed and sliced, to serve

Combine the pork mince, garlic, ginger, spring onions, white pepper, rice wine, both soy sauces, the sesame oil, egg and cornflour in a large bowl. Roll golf-ball-sized pieces of the mixture into balls using dampened hands (you should have 12). Put on a plate and set aside.

Heat the groundnut oil in a large wok or pan over high heat. Gently lower each meatball into the hot oil using a slotted spoon and fry for for 5-7 mins until golden. To check the meatballs are cooked, push a skewer through one and check it comes out clean. Lift the meatballs out onto a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside to drain while you make the broth.

For the broth, tip 1 tbsp of the hot residual oil into a clean wok. Put over a high heat, then add the vegetable stock, 850ml water, the mushrooms and Chinese leaf. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10-12 mins. Add the meatballs and cook for a further 4-5 mins, adjusting the cabbage leaves so they wrap around each meatball – the meatball resembles the ‘lion’s head’ and the cabbage resembles the ‘mane’. Season with the light soy sauce, sesame oil, a pinch of salt and the ground white pepper. Stir in the cornflour mixture to thicken the soup slightly, then turn the heat to low and scatter with the sliced spring onions. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.

PER SERVING 459 kcals • fat 32g • saturates 8g • carbs 14g • sugars 5g • ibre 2g • protein 28g • salt 3.3g