Cantonese Turnip Cake (Lo Bak Go)

Soak 12 dried shiitake mushrooms and 70g dried scallops in water overnight (approx. 8 hours). Soak 50g dried shrimp in water for at least 2 hours until fully softened. Reserve the soaking water for later use.

Finely dice 12 soaked shiitake mushrooms, roughly chop 50g soaked dried shrimp, and shred 70g soaked dried scallops into thin fibers with your fingers.

Rinse 4 Chinese sausages and 0.5 piece Chinese bacon with cold water, then scald with boiling water to clean surface dust and rancid oil. Slice off and discard the tough skin from the cured bacon, then dice both into small cubes.

Peel and trim ends of 4500g white radish. Shred half with a grater into fine threads, and hand-cut the remaining half into thick slices then long strips. Keep all natural radish juice released during grating in the bowl.

Finely mince 4 shallots. In a large bowl, combine 600g rice flour and 60g wheat starch, whisking thoroughly until lump-free.

Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a large wok over medium heat. Sauté minced shallots until fragrant. Add diced Chinese sausage and cured bacon, stir-frying until fat renders out and meat turns translucent. Add chopped dried shrimp and shredded dried scallops, stir-frying until fragrant. Finally add diced shiitake mushrooms, splash 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine along the rim of the wok, stir well, then scoop out and set aside.

In the same unwashed wok, layer hand-cut radish strips at the bottom, then cover with shredded radish and all saved radish water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover, stir in 4 tsp salt and 2 tsp sugar, cover again, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes until radish turns completely soft, translucent, and releases enough juice to reach the surface.

Pour all fried toppings back into the cooked radish wok. Add 4 tbsp oyster sauce and 2g white pepper powder, then stir thoroughly with two spatulas until all ingredients and seasonings are evenly combined.

Turn off the heat immediately after mixing. Stir the radish mixture to release excess steam, then let it cool slightly off-heat until no dense steam rises (it should feel warm, not boiling hot).

Sift the 660g combined flour mixture (rice flour + wheat starch) in multiple batches into the warm radish mixture. Stir thoroughly after each addition until the flour is completely absorbed and forms a smooth, fluid batter.

Ladle the wet turnip cake mixture into 6 heat-resistant square plastic containers (or metal cake pans). Press firmly with a wooden spoon and smooth the top surfaces.

Place the containers into a multi-tier electric steamer or large stovetop steamer. Steam on high for 1 hour 15 minutes for 3-tier electric steamers (or 1 hour for stovetop steamers). Test doneness by inserting a chopstick; it should come out translucent without raw white batter sticking.

In a dry small skillet, add 20g white sesame seeds. Toast over low heat, shaking and stirring constantly until golden brown and fragrant. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds evenly over the surface of the cooked turnip cakes.