Chicken and Egg White Meatballs
The charm lies in preserving natural flavors while showcasing sophisticated cooking techniques. Through this guide, let's explore how to perfectly present this dish.
What are Chicken and Egg White Meatballs?
Chicken and Egg White Meatballs is a dish with southern Jiangnan flavors, skillfully combining the essence of minced meat and egg white.
In the traditional way of making, people used to beat the minced meat by hand for half an hour to increase its elasticity. Nowadays, adding scallion-ginger juice can not only remove the fishy smell but also save effort. When whipping the egg white, the bowl must be absolutely clean. It is best to wipe the inner wall with lemon slices in advance to make it easier to form bubbles.
Interestingly, although this dish is called "meatballs (literally 'egg' in Chinese)", only egg white is used and egg yolk is not.
Why do I prefer this recipe?
Firstly, the contrast in texture is wonderful.
Chicken breast alone can be dry when eaten. However, after being minced and mixed with fatty pork and whipped egg white, the meatballs are crispy on the outside after frying, while the inside is as tender as a cloud. After being coated with the sauce, they are moist and not greasy. When you take a bite, the fragrance of the egg spreads on the tip of the tongue.
Secondly, it looks great.
The golden meatballs are soaked in the amber thick sauce, paired with red ham strips, black shiitake mushrooms, and green vegetable leaves. When placed on a white plate, it looks very elegant.
Finally, it brings a high sense of achievement.
The most troublesome step in the recipe is probably whipping the egg white. But watching the minced meat slowly become fluffy as it is mixed with the snow-white foam is somehow stress-relieving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Chicken breast + fatty pork:
Using chicken thigh meat instead will make the meatballs tenderer. If there is no fatty pork, add half a spoon of lard or vegetable oil when mincing the meat. Never use only lean meat, or it will be so dry that you'll wonder if you're eating cardboard.
Egg white:
It must be whipped! If you don't have an egg beater, you can use three chopsticks to beat it vigorously. Putting ice cubes under the bowl can save you some effort.
Shiitake mushrooms:
If soaking dried shiitake mushrooms is too troublesome, you can directly use sliced king oyster mushrooms or diced white button mushrooms. They also have a great umami flavor.
Ham strips:
You can take out bacon from the fridge, chop it up, or dice some luncheon meat. Fry them until fragrant and then add them to the sauce. They will enhance the flavor just as well.
Bok choy leaves:
Spinach leaves, pea shoots, or even young pakchoi can be used. But remember to add them last, or they will wilt from cooking and turn from green to a dull color.
Scallion-ginger juice:
For the lazy, you can soak minced ginger and scallion whites in warm water for 10 minutes. Just strain out the residue before using.
Chicken broth:
If you're being lazy, you can dissolve half a chicken bouillon cube in hot water. But remember to use less salt, otherwise, it will be too salty to swallow.
Cornstarch slurry:
Mix cornstarch with cold water. Don't use flour to replace it, or the sauce will be as thick and sticky as paste in your mouth.
Sesame oil:
If you don't have sesame oil, you can add a couple of drops of Chinese sesame oil or simply omit it. But it will feel something's missing without that aroma.
Useful Tools and Equipment
Main Utensils:
Two large bowls to separately hold the meat filling and egg white.
You can use several sturdy chopsticks to whip the egg white. An electric egg beater is not always necessary.
A deep pot is most suitable for frying meatballs as the oil can completely cover the ingredients.
A slotted spoon is extremely convenient for fishing out meatballs. It's much faster than picking them up with chopsticks.
Thoughtful Gadgets:
Novices can prepare a thermometer to have more confidence in controlling the oil temperature.
Heat-resistant tongs are safe to use when turning the meatballs, protecting your hands from burns.
Although a meat grinder is fast, the minced meat chopped by hand has a more fragrant taste.
Use kitchen paper to drain the oil for a while so that the meatballs won't be greasy when eaten.
INGREDIENTS
Main Ingredients
-
·15g soaked shiitake mushrooms (cut into thin strips)
-
·15g ham (cut into thin strips)
-
·50g bok choy (leaves shredded)
-
·150g chicken breast (sliced)
-
·30g fatty pork (sliced)
Additional Ingredients
-
·5 egg whites (whipped)
Seasonings
-
·6g salt
-
·4g sugar
-
·15ml cooking wine
-
·1 egg white
-
·15ml scallion-ginger juice
-
·150ml chicken broth
-
·50ml cornstarch slurry
-
·5ml sesame oil
-
·Appropriate amount of cooking oil (for frying meatballs)
COOKING STEP
Step 1
Cut 15g soaked shiitake mushrooms into thin strips, 15g ham into thin strips, shred the leaves of 50g bok choy, slice 150g chicken breast, and slice 30g fatty pork. Then mince them all together into a meat paste.
Step 2
Put the meat paste into a bowl, add 3g salt, 2g sugar, pour in 15ml cooking wine, add 1 egg white and 15ml scallion-ginger juice, and stir until sticky.
Step 3
Prepare a bowl, crack in 5 egg whites, whip them until there are thick bubbles. Gradually add the whipped egg whites to the meat paste in 3 batches, stirring while adding. Stir until the meat paste is smooth and shiny.
Step 4
Heat half a pot of oil. Use a spoon to scoop the meat paste into the oil one by one. Stir occasionally. Fry until the meatballs are cooked through and then take them out.
Step 5
Leave some oil in the pan. Add the shiitake mushroom strips and ham strips, stir-fry until fragrant. Then add 150ml chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Step 6
Add 3g salt and 2g sugar. After bringing to a boil again, pour in 50ml cornstarch slurry, stirring while pouring until it thickens.
Step 7
Add the shredded bok choy and the fried meatballs. Stir for a while.
Step 8
Add 5ml sesame oil, stir evenly, then remove from the pan and serve.
More recipes worth trying
Easy Shaoxing Shrimp Balls Recipe
Fried Sweet Potato Balls Recipe
What Dishes to Pair With
Hot and Sour Soup is the easiest. Just shred some wood ear mushrooms and tofu and boil them, then add plenty of vinegar and white pepper powder. Or make a Cabbage, Tofu and Miso Soup, which can be done in ten minutes. It's warm and good for the stomach.
You can directly pair it with white rice. Pour two spoons of the thickened sauce over the rice and mix well. For a step up, make a fried rice. Throw in the remaining shredded ham and stir-fry together to double the aroma.
Cold Sliced Cucumbers (thinly sliced + minced garlic + aged balsamic vinegar) are the most convenient. Or stir-fry snow peas with garlic. They are green and look nice on a plate. Light stir-fried dishes like Celery with Lily Bulbs are also suitable.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigeration
If you can't finish the meatballs on the same day, don't leave them soaked in the sauce. Take them out separately, let them cool down, and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. It is recommended to store the shredded green vegetables and the thickened sauce separately, otherwise the green vegetables will wilt.
Freezing
Lay the meatballs flat on parchment paper and freeze until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag. They can be stored for 1 month. You don't need to thaw them before reheating. But when frying, the oil temperature should be about 10°C lower than the first time to prevent the outside from getting burned while the inside remains raw.
Reheating
For refrigerated meatballs, use an air fryer at 180°C for 5 minutes. This method can better maintain the crispness compared to using a microwave. If you're feeling lazy, spray a little oil in a pan and fry the meatballs over medium heat for 1 minute on each side. The taste will be close to that of just-out-of-the-pan meatballs.
FAQs:
It is recommended to chop the minced meat more finely and fry it slowly over medium heat. Take them out when the surface turns golden.
If you also love spaghetti, I also recommend these ricotta cheese meatballs!
