This dish is a celebration of tradition and technique, blending the tender succulence of chicken legs with the earthy richness of shiitake mushrooms and the delightful crunch of Vietnamese pork sausage meat. Steamed to perfection, these rolls are testament of the art of preserving moisture and locking in flavour. Each bit offers a medley textures – tender chicken, crunchy sausage, and the unique chewiness of shiitake mushrooms.
And don’t forget – the rolls shine brightest when dipped in a salt, pepper and lime mixture. This simple yet dynamic sauce enhances every element of the dish.
Let’s dive into how to make these delightful rolls from scratch.
Ingredients to make Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Rolls
For the chicken rolls:
Chicken legs: juicy and tender brown meat. Debone them carefully to create flat meat pads for rolling. Keep the skin on for extra layer of flavour and easier wrapping.
For Vietnamese pork sausage meat:
- Pork mince (partially frozen for easier handling)
- Baking powder
- Cornstarch (or potato starch)
- Fish sauce
- Ground pepper
- Caster sugar
- Oil
- Cold water
Star ingredient
Shitake mushrooms: fresh or dried works perfectly. Soak dried ones in hot water for 10 minutes to soften.
Steps to make Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Rolls
1. Prepare the pork sausage meat
The Vietnamese pork sausage meat forms the heart of these rolls, so start here:
- If your pork mince is fresh, pop it into the freezer for 2-3 hours until firm but still soft enough to chop. For already frozen mince, leave it at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
- Chop the semi-frozen pork into small chunks. Add baking powder, cornstarch, fish sauce, ground pepper, caster sugar, oil and cold water and blend the mixture in a powerful blender. Blend in short bursts – about 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off – to avoid overworking your blender.
- Once the mixture begins to look smooth, chill it again for 15-20 minutes in the freezer. Keeping the pork cold is crucial for sausage to maintain its signature crunch without additives.
2. Prepare the chicken
While the sausage meat chills, prepare your chicken legs:
- Use a sharp knife to carefully debone the chicken legs, leaving you with flat pieces of meat.
- Place them skins-side down on a board or plate. Season generally with sea salt and ground black pepper, then set aside.
3. Blend the sausage meet again
Remove the chilled sausage meat from the freezer and blend it a few more times in short bursts until achieves a perfectly smooth consistency.
4. Assemble the Rolls
- Lay a piece of chicken leg flat on your board
- Spread out a few shiitake mushrooms, then add a dollop of sausage meat on top. Place another couple of shiitake mushrooms over the sausage meat.
- Roll the chicken tightly, encasing the sausage and mushrooms. Wrap the roll neatly in tin foil to secure it.
- Repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
5. Steam the rolls
- Heat your steamer until boiling. Arrange the rolls inside and steam on high heat for 25 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove the rolls from the steamer, unwrap the foil, and slice them into pieces.
The essential dipping sauce
Mix together
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- Juice of half a lime
This simple salt, pepper, and lime mixture is a must. While sweet and sour dipping sauce are an option, this tangy, zesty sauce truly elevates the rolls, highlighting their savoury goodness.
Enjoy the perfect bite
These Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Rolls are a feast of flavours and textures. Whether it’s a family dinner or a special occasion, this dish never fails to impress.
Give it a try, and let me know how it turns out – or if you’ve put your own spin on it!
Check out my other Chicken recipes here.
Steamed Chicken with Shiitake Mushroom Rolls
Description
Succulent chicken wraps around shiitake mushrooms and crunchy Vietnamese sausage meat, all steamed to perfection for a moist, flavourful bite. Paired with a tangy salt, pepper, and lime dip, these rolls are a delicious blend of tender, earthy and zesty goodness.
Steamed Chicken and Shiitake Mushroom Rolls
For the Chicken Rolls
For Vietnamese Pork Sausage Meat
Dipping Sauce
Instructions
-
Prepare the Sausage Meat
- Partially freeze pork mince until firm but not solid. Chop into small pieces.Â
- Blend it with baking powder, cornstarch, fish sauce, ground pepper, sugar, oil and water in short bursts until smooth, keeping it cold throughout. Chill in the freezer briefly before blending more.Â
-
Prepare the Chicken
- Carefully debone chicken legs, leaving them flat with skin intact.Â
- Lay chicken skin-side down, season with salt and pepper, and set aside.Â
-
Assemble the Rolls
- Place a piece of chicken flat.
- Add 3-4 shiitake mushrooms, a dollop of sausage meat, and more mushrooms on top.Â
- Roll tightly and wrap in foil.Â
- Repeat for all pieces.Â
-
Steam the Rolls
- Steam wrapped rolls in a boiling steamer for 25 minutes on high heat.Â
-
Serve
- Unwrap and slice the rolls.Â
- Mix salt, pepper, and lime juice for dipping, and serve alongside the rolls.Â
Nutrition Facts
Servings 6
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 689.78kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 50.07g78%
- Saturated Fat 14.29g72%
- Trans Fat 0.13g
- Cholesterol 249.28mg84%
- Sodium 916.74mg39%
- Potassium 936.95mg27%
- Total Carbohydrate 10.67g4%
- Dietary Fiber 2.98g12%
- Sugars 3.15g
- Protein 48.62g98%
- Vitamin A 66.01 IU
- Vitamin C 2.45 mg
- Calcium 70.33 mg
- Iron 2.72 mg
- Vitamin D 0.6 IU
- Vitamin E 0.86 IU
- Vitamin K 9.79 mcg
- Thiamin 0.55 mg
- Riboflavin 0.65 mg
- Niacin 16.77 mg
- Vitamin B6 1.22 mg
- Folate 26.87 mcg
- Vitamin B12 1.65 mcg
- Phosphorus 590.03 mg
- Magnesium 83.45 mg
- Zinc 5.47 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
- For best texture, keep the sausage meat cold during preparation.
- Enjoy this delightful blend of textures and flavours - a dish that's sure to impress!
