Yangzhou Lion's Head Meatballs in Clear Broth

⏱ 95 min · Serves 4

Cloud-soft pork meatballs, whipped with ginger water and water chestnut until they almost float, gently poached in a clear chicken broth with napa cabbage. Silky, comforting and quietly elegant — the Huaiyang classic done properly at home.

Per serving: 455 kcal · 29.0g protein · 16.0g carbs · 31.0g fat

Ingredients

• 500g pork mince, roughly 30% fat (shoulder/belly mix, ideally hand-chopped)
• 60g water chestnuts, finely diced (or peeled crisp pear)
• 3 spring onions, whites minced, greens reserved
• 25g fresh ginger, half grated, half sliced
• 120ml cold water (for ginger water)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 small napa cabbage (about 600g), leaves separated
• 1.2 litres good chicken stock
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (optional, for searing)
• Salt, to taste

Method

1. Grate half the ginger into the 120ml cold water, squeeze and steep 10 minutes, then strain out the solids. This ginger water is what makes the meatballs tender.
2. Put the pork mince in a large bowl with the water chestnuts, spring onion whites, egg white, Shaoxing wine, soy, sugar, salt and white pepper. Mix vigorously in one direction with chopsticks or your hand for 3–4 minutes until sticky.
3. Add the ginger water a splash at a time, still stirring in one direction, letting each addition absorb fully. Beat in the cornflour and sesame oil. Cover and chill 30 minutes.
4. Wet your hands and divide the mixture into 4 large balls (about 150g each), tossing each between your palms 10–15 times to compact the surface.
5. Optional but recommended: heat the oil in a wide pan and lightly brown the meatballs for 1 minute a side, handling gently, then lift out.
6. Line a wide casserole with the tougher outer cabbage leaves, sit the meatballs on top, tuck the sliced ginger and remaining cabbage around them and pour in the stock so they are just covered.
7. Bring barely to a simmer, skim the surface, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 45–50 minutes. Do not let it boil — the broth should stay clear and the meatballs must not be jostled.
8. Taste the broth and season with salt. Serve each bowl with one meatball, plenty of cabbage and broth, scattered with sliced spring onion greens. Steamed rice alongside.