Hed Chef: Steamed yam cake

It’s a good time to be a fan of yam.

Those who appreciate the fine texture of the rhizome will be pleased to find out that now is the best time to get yams from China.

Chinese yams are seasonal and only available in the month leading up to Chinese New Year, or so my regular vegetable seller at the wet market tells me.

Yams do not keep well once cut, especially if kept in plastic bags.

So here’s some advice: Buy your yam on the day you plan to cook it.

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>>> 500g yam, peeled

>>> 40g dried prawns

>>> 4 dried mushrooms, soaked and sliced

>>> 300g rice flour

>>> 100g corn flour

>>> 100ml water

>>> 500ml hot chicken stock

>>> 2 tbsp oil

>>> 1 tbsp shallot oil

>>> 1 tbsp fish sauce

>>> Pepper

>>> ¼ tsp five spice powder

>>> 1 tbsp oyster sauce

>>> 1 tsp of sugar

 

SEASONING

>>> 2 tsp salt

>>> 3 tbsp oyster sauce

>>> 1 tbsp shallot oil

>>> 2 tsp sesame oil

>>> 1 tbsp fish sauce

>>> A dash of pepper

 

GARNISH

>>> 2 stalks of coriander, roughly chopped

>>> 2 red chillis, de-seeded and sliced

>>> 1 tsp of toasted white sesame seeds

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1. Dice the yam into 1cm square cubes.

2. Rinse then soak the dried prawns until soft. Keep 80ml of the soaking liquid.

3. Heat two tablespoons of cooking oil with one tablespoon of shallot oil.

4. Fry the dried prawns and sliced mushroom.

5. Add the diced yam, the prawn liquid and 80ml of water.

6. Season with one tablespoon of fish sauce, a quarter teaspoon of five spice powder, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, one teaspoon of sugar and a dash of pepper.

7. Cover and fry intermittently for five minutes until the yam is cooked and yields easily when poked with chopstick.

8. Remove from wok and set aside.

9. Put the rice flour and corn flour in a large metal container. Stir in the water.

10. Add the hot chicken stock and mix well.

11. Add in the seasoning followed by the yam mixture.

12. Steam for 40 minutes.

13. Garnish with coriander, sliced fresh red chilli and sesame seeds.