Radish Cake (Lo Bak Go)

Pour boiling water over the dried shrimp and dried shiitake mushrooms in separate bowls and let stand for 20 minutes; then finely chop the shrimp, squeeze out and slice the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom soaking water.

Peel the daikon and shred it into thin strips, transfer to a wide pot, add water, and cook over medium heat for 10–12 minutes until the daikon becomes soft; do not drain the liquid.

Dice the lap cheong finely. Heat oil in a skillet, fry the lap cheong for 2 minutes, add the shrimp and shiitake, and cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix the rice flour with cornstarch, salt, white pepper, and 250 ml of the reserved mushroom soaking water into a smooth, lump-free slurry.

Pour the flour slurry into the hot daikon, add the fried lap cheong, shrimp, and shiitake, stir, and cook over low heat for 3–5 minutes until the mixture noticeably thickens.

Transfer the mixture into an oiled pan, smooth out the top, cover with foil, and steam for 50–60 minutes; check for doneness with a wooden skewer, which should come out nearly dry.

Leave the cake in the pan until completely cooled, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 60 minutes to firm up; slice into pieces about 1.5 cm thick.

Pan-fry the slices in an oiled skillet for 2–3 minutes on each side until crisp and golden, and serve hot.