Pork balls with Chinese cabbage in Shitake stock

Shitake is Japanese mushroom which has great taste.  It tastes much better once they're dried.  This is one of the traditional ingredients of Japanese cuisine.  Dried mushrooms takes couple hours to soften so it's better to let them soak in the water a night before.

Pork balls are made from ground pork with minced ginger and shallots inside.  I also added egg white and potato starch, sake and salt then saute in the pan.  Separately cook chinese cabbage in shitake stock with some Chinese stock, soya sauce added.  Then thicken the soup with potato starch in the end and mix with the meat balls.

「白菜と椎茸の肉団子煮」最近私は、乾燥椎茸のだしの美味しさに感動していて、中華やフレンチにも応用中。これは初めは白菜の肉団子スープにするつもりだったが、夫が汁物が好きでないことを考えて煮込みにした。先ず、乾燥椎茸を一晩かけて戻す。

肉団子は豚ひき肉に、生姜、エシャロットのみじん切り（ネギでもよい）と卵の白身、片栗粉、酒、塩をいれて練って丸めて、フライパンで焼く。一方で椎茸の出汁に中華出汁を加えて白菜を加えて煮込み、醤油等で味付けし、最後にとろみを付ける。肉団子を加えて一煮立ちさせる。