San choy bau (lockdown style)

Last week we were in Level 4 lockdown so only able to shop locally and there were gaps on some of the supermarket shelves (or basics that were the price of a small car). My younger teen wanted to make San Choy Bau.

I thought it was a great idea as it’s a super versatile recipe so works for lockdown AND for fussy eaters.

I know you’re looking at this and thinking ‘no way’ for my picky eater. But this is the complicated version, and we can strip it right back to make it a lot less confronting.

Four other excellent reasons for cooking San Choy Bau:

– It’s one of the most popular Chinese dishes for children – for a reason!
– We can cook a simple version and then go on to make a more complex one for other members of the family
– It’s a good way to introduce a new form of chicken to a fussy eater. Mince can help move from the ‘pre-chewed’ chicken of the nugget etc. as it is small pieces and easy to eat
– We can use chicken or pork, again, a good way to move from one meat to another

San Choy Bau is traditionally served in iceberg lettuce but that wasn’t available, so I used cos.

If a child doesn’t eat lettuce yet, then serving something in leaves (even if not eaten) is a good way to build comfort. Perhaps using a small piece to start with is a good idea.

If lettuce leaves would be a major turn-off for a super selective eater we can of course just serve straight on the plate.

In the recipe I will detail all the ways we can modify the recipe to tick boxes.

Recipe

½ diced red onion (optional) *
1 celery stalk diced finely (optional) *
1 carrot diced very finely (optional) *
5 shitake mushrooms diced – I used 3 button (optional) *
1 tbs diced ginger (optional) *
3 cloves garlic finely chopped (optional) *
350gms minced chicken or pork – fry until cooked (if only minced beef is accepted it does work – I’ve tried it) *
2 tsp honey (optional) +
2 tbs soy sauce (optional) +
1 tsp sesame oil (optional) +
1 tbs fish sauce (optional) +
3 tbs rice wine – I have used regular white wine and a bit of vinegar (can exchange for water or stock) +
2 tsp corn flour mixed in a little cold water (optional) I usually skip as I’m lazy!! +
3 spring onions finely diced (optional) +
2 cups of bean sprouts – none available so none in the photo (optional)
Handful of fresh coriander – also not available (optional)
Chopped peanuts (optional)
Crisp lettuce leaves for serving (optional – but taste so good with the recipe)

Fry all the ingredients with a * adding them in order.
Once the meat is cooked through add the + ingredients in order
Simmer until sauce thickens
You can either cook the bean sprouts in with the mixture for a few minutes or serve uncooked, if using
Serve the lettuce leaves and meat mixture separately. The optional peanuts and coriander can be added to add to the top.
In general, we fold the leaf around the filling and eat with the hands.

Judith is an AOTA accredited picky eating advisor and internationally certified nutritional therapist. She works with 100+ families every year resolving fussy eating and returning pleasure and joy to the meal table.
She is also mum to two boys and the author of Creating Confident Eaters and Winner Winner I Eat Dinner. Her dream is that every child is able to approach food from a place of safety and joy, not fear.
Learn more about Judith here: https://theconfidenteater.com/about/