The painstaking effort that goes into preparing each ingredient in this dish will pay off once you take your first bite. Chef FREDERICK KHO, executive chef of Hotel Jen Tanglin shares his recipe.
The painstaking effort that goes into preparing each ingredient in this dish will pay off once you take your first bite. Chef FREDERICK KHO, executive chef of Hotel Jen Tanglin shares his recipe.
Did You Know?
Adding garlic oil to the chopped beancurd will make it more fragrant.
Make 20 rolls
DIRECTIONS
Cook the turnip:
1 Heat cooking oil in a wok set over medium heat and stir-fry the garlic until fragrant.
2 Except for the water, add the rest of the filling ingredients and stir-fry on medium-high heat for about 5min.
3 Add the water and cook over medium heat. The turnip should be slightly soft after 8-10min.
4 Heat a deep pot and transfer the filling to it. Cover and simmer on low heat for 30min or until the turnip is soft. Add more light soya sauce and sugar, if needed.
Prepare the stock:
5 Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Fry the prawn shells and add the water. Bring it to the boil.
6 Add the prawn heads and simmer for 2 hours, until the stock turns cloudy and has a distinct prawn flavour.
7 Strain the stock and transfer to another pot. Discard the ingredients and remove any orange foam on the surface.
8 Add the dried shrimp, pork bones, soya beans, shallots and garlic. Bring to the boil and cook for 1 hour.
9 Add the chilli powder. If you like it hotter, add more.
10 Add the rock sugar and salt.
How to assemble a popiah:
11 Lay a popiah wrapper on a plate and spread 1 tsp of Hoisin sauce and ½ tsp of sambal down the middle.
12 Place a lettuce leaf over the sauces.
13 Take 2-3tbsp of turnip filling, strain well so the wrapper won’t break, and place it on top of the lettuce.
14 In layers, add 1 tbsp each of beancurd, prawns, egg, beansprouts and fried shallots. Garnish with toasted peanuts, white sesame seeds and spring onions.
15 Fold in the sides of the wrapper, tucking it in firmly and roll up the popiah tightly. Cut into three to four pieces.
16 Drizzle 1 tbsp of stock over the popiah and serve.
INGREDIENTS
For the turnip filling: Cooking oil, for frying 2 cloves garlic, chopped 400g turnip, shredded thinly 100g shiitake mushrooms, sliced 80g carrot, shredded 1 tsp light soya sauce 1 tsp oyster sauce 1 dash of white pepper ½ tsp sugar 1 cup water.
For the soup stock: 2 tbsp cooking oil Heads and shells from 2kg of king prawns 2 litres water 100g dried shrimp, soaked in hot water until soft 1kg pork bones (optional), blanched 500g soya beans, soaked overnight 10 shallots, finely chopped 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped ½ tbsp chilli powder or sambal chilli, plus more if you like more heat 2 cubes rock sugar Sea salt, to taste.
To assemble the popiah: 20 popiah wrappers*, covered with damp cloth to keep them moist 150ml Hoisin sauce or sweet sauce 150ml sambal 200g Chinese lettuce, washed and drained 2 pieces firm beancurd, steamed and finely chopped 180g small or medium prawns, deveined and shelled 5 hard-boiled eggs, yolks and whites separated, and chopped 200g beansprouts, tails removed and blanched 100g shallots, finely sliced and fried 50g peanuts, roasted, cooled and finely ground 50g white sesame seeds, toasted 100g spring onions, chopped.
*Available at http://www.joochiatpopiah.com and http://fortunefood.sg.
