AI-generated image
Huizhou yi pin guo (layered New Year one-pot)
Layered pork and tofu pot
Bamboo shoots, pork belly, tofu, egg dumplings and greens layered and slow-cooked in a single pot
In the Huizhou hill villages of southern Anhui, the Spring Festival centrepiece is yi pin guo, 'first-rank pot', named after the highest rank of imperial official and served as a wish for success in the coming year. Everything goes into one wide pot in layers: dried bamboo shoots at the bottom, then pork belly, fried tofu, egg dumplings filled with pork, and greens on top, so the juices of each layer drip down and season the one below. The result is rich and savoury, the bamboo soaked with pork fat, the tofu spongy with broth. Bring the pot to the table and let everyone dig down through the layers, with rice on the side. Chef's tip: soak the dried bamboo shoots overnight and boil them well; underprepared dried shoots stay leathery and sour.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the layers
- 2 ⅞ oz dried bamboo shootssoaked overnight in cold water; or 400 g vacuum-packed bamboo shoots
- 1 ⅛ lb skin-on pork bellycut into slices 1 cm thick
- 5 ½ oz fried tofu puffshalved
- 10 ½ oz bok choy or Chinese leafhalved or cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
For the egg dumplings
- 4 eggsbeaten with a pinch of salt
- 5 ½ oz pork mince
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- ⅛ oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
For the braising sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- ⅔ oz rock sugar
- ⅔ oz fresh gingersliced
- 3 spring onionsin lengths
- 2 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock or water
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Drain 2 ⅞ oz dried bamboo shoots, cover with fresh water and boil for 20 minutes, until tender with no sour smell. Drain, cool and tear into strips. (Vacuum-packed shoots need only a 5-minute blanch.)
22 minStep 2: Mix 5 ½ oz pork mince with 1 tsp light soy sauce and ⅛ oz fresh ginger, stirring until sticky.
3 minStep 3: Brush a small frying pan with 1 tbsp neutral oil and set over a low heat. Pour in 1 tbsp of 4 eggs, swirl into a 7 cm round, put a teaspoon of the pork on one half, and as soon as the top is just set, fold over and press the edges to seal. Repeat to make about 16.
25 minStep 4: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a wide, heavy casserole over a medium-high heat and brown 1 ⅛ lb skin-on pork belly for 6–8 minutes, turning, until golden and some fat has run out. Lift out.
8 minStep 5: Spread the bamboo over the bottom of the casserole in the pork fat, then lay the pork on top, followed by 5 ½ oz fried tofu puffs.
5 minStep 6: Mix 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, ⅔ oz rock sugar and 2 ½ cups unsalted chicken stock or water and pour over, tuck in ⅔ oz fresh ginger and 3 spring onions, and bring to the boil.
5 minStep 7: Cover and simmer over a low heat for 1½ hours, until the pork belly is tender enough to cut with a spoon and well beyond 145°F. Common mistake: stirring; it breaks up the layers that make the dish.
90 minStep 8: Lay the egg dumplings over the tofu and 10 ½ oz bok choy or Chinese leaf on top, cover and simmer for 12–15 minutes, until the greens are tender and the dumpling filling reaches 160°F. Serve in the pot.
15 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 27 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does huizhou yi pin guo (layered New Year one-pot) take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 45 minutes to prepare and 135 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of eggs?
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
- What can I use instead of light soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Pork souvlaki
This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.
Greek
Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach
Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.
German
Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy
Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.
IndianPerfect for:Lunar New Year