Homemade Kikiam

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground pork
• ½ pound shrimp, peeled, deveined and minced
• 1 large carrot, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 cup water chestnuts, finely chopped
• ½ cup green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 bean curd sheets, hard edges trimmed and cut into a 10-inch square
• canola oil

Equipment

• Steamer

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine ground pork, minced shrimp, water chestnuts, carrots, green onions, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and water. Stir until smooth and blended. Add cornstarch slurry to pork mixture and stir to fully combine.
3. Under warm running water, moisten bean curd sheets and squeeze to rid of excess liquid.
4. On a flat working surface, place a bean curd sheet. Spoon ⅓ of the pork mixture and spread across the bottom length of the sheet. leaving about 1-inch space on the sides.
5. Roll the sheet tightly around the filling to form a tight log about 2-inch thick. Moisten the end to seal and twist the edges to lock the pork. Repeat with remaining pork mixture.
6. Arrange pork rolls on a steamer in a single layer and steam for about 15 to 20 minutes or until set and temperature in the center reads 145 F.
7. Gently remove kikiam from the steamer and place on a platter to slightly cool. Refrigerate to cool completely.
8. In a wide pan over medium heat, heat about 2-inch deep of oil to 350 F. Carefully place steamed rolls in a single layer and fry, turning on sides as needed, until heated through and golden and crispy on the outside.
9. Remove from the pan and let stand for about 5 minutes before slicing into serving portions.

Notes

1. Trim any hard edges of the bean curd sheets to make rolling easier and cut at the same length as the steamer so the pork rolls will fit nicely.
2. Moisten the sheets under running warm water and then squeeze the excess liquid to make them more pliable. They’ll cling to filling better and seal at the edges easier when slightly wet. You can also secure the assembled pork rolls with toothpicks if you like.
3. To ensure the que-kiam are adequately seasoned according to personal preference, do a taste test! Fry a small amount of the mixture and adjust seasonings as needed before wrapping.
4. For best texture, thoroughly cool the steamed rolls before frying.