Fujian Ding Bian Hu (鼎边糊)

Ding Bian Hu — "cauldron-edge paste" — is Fuzhou's most iconic breakfast. A thin rice batter is swirled around the hot iron rim of a massive wok so it cooks into a lacy crepe in seconds, then peeled down into a rich pork and vegetable broth. The result is a silky, hearty soup with a texture unlike any other noodle dish: part dumpling skin, part congee. Fuzhou families have eaten this at street stalls and at home for over 400 years.

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Rice batter:

• 200g (1¾ cups) rice flour
• 500ml (2 cups) cold water
• ½ tsp (3g) salt

Broth:

• 200g (7 oz) pork belly, very finely sliced
• 100g (3½ oz) dried shrimp, soaked 10 minutes and drained
• 100g (3½ oz) shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 100g (3½ oz) bamboo shoots, sliced thin
• 2 tbsp (30ml) vegetable oil
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) pork bone stock or water
• 2 tbsp (30ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5ml) sesame oil
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• White pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Whisk rice flour, water and salt into a smooth, pourable batter — it should coat the back of a spoon very lightly. Set aside.
2. Heat a large wide-bottomed wok or pot over high heat until very hot. Add oil and stir-fry pork belly 2 minutes. Add dried shrimp, mushrooms and bamboo shoots, frying a further 2 minutes.
3. Pour in stock and soy sauce. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to a steady simmer.
4. To make the ding bian strips: ladle a thin ring of batter (about 60ml) around the inside of the wok above the soup line — it should sizzle and cook almost instantly into a pale, firm sheet in 30–40 seconds. Use a spatula or chopstick to peel the cooked batter strip down into the broth. Repeat until all batter is used.
5. Simmer the assembled soup gently for 2 minutes. Finish with sesame oil, spring onions and white pepper. Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes: Speed matters — the batter should hit a screaming-hot wok wall. If cooking at home on a lower flame, cook batter sheets in a hot dry skillet and cut into strips before adding to the broth. Traditional stalls use pork lard instead of oil for richer flavour.