Honeycomb Taro Croquettes

Honeycomb Taro Croquettes

　　Honeycomb taro croquettes are made primarily from the authentic Lipu taro, a specialty of Guangxi, and are filled with char siu (barbecued pork), scallion whites, and tofu skin. These croquettes are deep-fried until golden in color, resulting in a honeycomb-like appearance and a deliciously crispy, fragrant texture. This tea-time snack is one of the famous specialties of Liuzhou.

　　Honeycomb taro croquettes are a type of dim sum that is especially popular in Guangxi and Hainan. The best taro for making them comes from Lipu in Guangxi, hence they are also known as Lipu taro croquettes. These croquettes use mashed taro as the outer layer, with fillings such as stir-fried ground pork, shrimp, and mushrooms, all wrapped into a croquette shape and then deep-fried. They have a golden, crispy exterior covered with tiny holes resembling a honeycomb, a soft and smooth inner layer, juicy filling, and a rich, savory flavor.

　　Ingredients:

　　Ingredients: 250g peeled Lipu taro flesh, 300g wheat starch, 200ml boiling water, 100g lard, ½ tsp baking powder, ½ tsp five-spice powder, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, 300g pork, 100g shrimp, 1 egg.

　　Seasoning: 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp light soy sauce, a pinch of sesame oil, a pinch of pepper.

　　Sauce: 1 tsp cornstarch, 3 tbsp water.

　　Method:

　　1. Mix 200g of wheat starch with boiling water to make cooked wheat starch. Add mashed taro, baking powder, five-spice powder, lard, sugar, and salt, and mix well. Finally, add 100g of dry wheat starch and mix into a taro croquette dough. Set aside.

　　2. Dice the pork, beat the egg, wash the shrimp, and blanch before draining.

　　3. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and stir-fry the pork and shrimp. Add the seasoning, thicken with the sauce, and mix in the beaten egg to form the taro croquette filling.

　　4. Shape the taro dough into a log, cut into 20 small pieces, flatten each piece by hand, add the filling, and wrap into the shape of a taro croquette.

　　5. Heat oil in a pan, place the taro croquettes in a strainer and deep-fry until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil before serving.

　　Note:

　　The most challenging part of making taro croquettes is the dough. After preparing the taro dough, refrigerate it for half an hour to firm up, which makes it easier to handle. Test-fry a small piece of the dough in hot oil—if it doesn’t turn golden enough, add 1 tsp of sugar to the dough, mix well, then wrap the filling, as sugar helps enhance the golden color of the croquette crust.