Fried Lotus Root with Pork

• portions: 4 servings
• temps actif: 45 minutes
• temps total: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingrédients

2 green onions/scallions (finely chopped)

2 shiitake mushrooms (finely chopped)

2-3 lotus root (renkon) (I used a pre-boiled “Rekon no Mizuni” package, cut into thin slices)

½ lb ground pork

½ cup potato starch or cornstarch

2 Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch

1 tsp ginger (grated)

1 tsp sake

1 tsp miso (I used awase miso)

⅓ cup water (⅓ cup + 4 tsp to be precise)

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp sake

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp mirin

½ Tbsp potato starch or cornstarch

1 Tbsp water

kaiware daikon radish sprouts (to garnish)

Instructions

Gather all the ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce.

Cut green onions into thin pieces, mince shiitake mushrooms, and cut the lotus root into ⅛ inch (6 mm) slices. Put them all in a large bowl.

Add the seasonings to the bowl and mix well with your hands until the mixture gets sticky.

On a slice of lotus root, put a teaspoon of the meat mixture and spread. Put another slice of lotus root on top and press down to make a sandwich. Continue with the rest of the mixture and lotus root slices.

In a large frying pan, heat ½ inch of oil on medium heat.

Coat the lotus root with potato starch (cornstarch) and shake off any excess starch.

When the oil is hot, gently place lotus root in the pan. Cook both sides until nicely browned. When the meat is cooked thoroughly, transfer it to a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan/frying pan, add all the ingredients for the sauce and cook on medium-low heat. In a small bowl, combine the starch and water and mix well. When the sauce is simmering, add the mixture to the pan and mix quickly and thoroughly. Turn off the heat and set aside until you are done with deep frying.

To Serve

Reheat the sauce just before you serve. Pour the sauce over the lotus root and serve immediately.

To Store

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and in the freezer for a month.

Nutrition

• Calories: 301 kcal
• Lipides Totaux: 12 g
• Lipides Saturés: 5 g
• Lipides Insaturés: 6 g
• Cholestérol: 41 mg
• Sodium: 365 mg
• Glucides Totaux: 33 g
• Fibres Diététiques: 5 g
• Sucres Totaux: 3 g
• Protéines: 14 g