Fujian Wu Xiang Juan (五香卷)

Wu Xiang Juan — five-spice rolls — are Fujian's most beloved celebratory snack, served at weddings, new year banquets, and night markets from Fuzhou to Quanzhou and across the Taiwanese Strait, where the same dish is called Ngoh Hiang. Minced pork, diced taro and water chestnuts are seasoned with five-spice, rolled inside dried tofu skin (beancurd sheets), and deep-fried to a shatteringly crisp, deeply fragrant log. The tradition of wrapping aromatics in beancurd skin dates to the Song dynasty.

Serves: 4 (makes 8 rolls)

Ingredients

• 300g (10½ oz) fatty minced pork
• 150g (5½ oz) taro, peeled and finely diced (5mm cubes)
• 80g (3 oz) water chestnuts, roughly chopped
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp (15ml) soy sauce
• 1 tsp (5ml) Shaoxing rice wine
• 1 tsp (5g) five-spice powder
• ½ tsp (3g) white pepper
• ½ tsp (3g) sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 sheets dried tofu skin (fu zhu), each approx 25×20cm, briefly dampened
• 1 litre (4 cups) vegetable oil for deep-frying
• Plum sauce or sweet chilli sauce, to serve

Instructions

1. Combine minced pork, taro, water chestnuts, spring onions, soy sauce, rice wine, five-spice, white pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Mix vigorously with your hands for 2 minutes until the mixture is sticky and well combined.
2. Cut each dampened tofu skin sheet in half to make 8 roughly 20×12cm rectangles. Place 60g (2 oz) of filling in a log along the lower edge of each sheet, leaving 2cm margins on each side. Fold in the sides, then roll tightly into a log about 3cm in diameter. Seal the edge with beaten egg.
3. Heat oil in a wok or deep pot to 175°C (350°F). Fry rolls in batches of 3–4 for 6–8 minutes, turning regularly, until deep golden-brown and crisp all over. The taro inside needs the full time to cook through.
4. Drain on a rack for 2 minutes. Slice on a diagonal into 2cm pieces and arrange on a platter.
5. Serve immediately with plum sauce and sliced cucumber.

Cook's Notes: The rolls can be shaped and refrigerated up to 24 hours ahead before frying. Frozen taro should be thawed and squeezed dry before use. Shrimp (100g/3½ oz) can replace some of the pork for a seafood version common in Quanzhou.