Chinese Smoked Meatballs

4 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 small can water chestnuts, drained, rinsed and
finely chopped
450 g/1 lb lean minced beef
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped root ginger
1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
I tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon sesame oil
For smoking:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons black tea leaves
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
To serve:
2 teaspoons sesame oil, mixed with
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 spring onions, finely chopped

Soak the mushrooms in hot water to cover for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain, remove the stems and chop the caps finely. Place them with the chestnuts in a large bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well by hand until the mixture is firm. Shape into walnut-sized balls and arrange in one layer in a steamer compartment. Cover and

steam over boiling water for 15 minutes.

To smoke the meatballs, you need an old frying pan, wok or other metal container, lined with AumMium foil. Combine the brown sugar, tea leaves and fennel seeds and place in the bottom. Set over high heat and when the mixture starts to smoke, put a rack containing the meatballs over the smoke. Cover tightly with a lid or aluminium foil and leave for another 5 minutes, then turn the heat off and leave the meatballs for a further 10 minutes, still covered.

To serve, brush the meatballs with a little of the sesame-soy mixture and sprinkle with the spring onions. Serve the remaining sesame-soy mixture separately, for dipping.

SER VES 4