Simple way to make Vietnamese phoenix meatloaf for a feast

How to make Phoenix Sausage

• 1

  Prepare vegetables

  Wash the carrots, peel them, and cut 1 carrot into long sticks about 1/4 inch thick, leave the other carrot whole for decorating the phoenix.

  Wash the green beans and remove the fibrous strings from both ends.

  Boil a pot of water, when the water is boiling, add the green beans and the cut carrots to blanch for about 2 minutes, then remove and let them drain.

  Tip: To keep the carrots and green beans crisp and bright in color, after removing them from the boiling water, immediately place them in a bowl of ice water and soak for about 5 minutes.

  Peel the onion, cut off both ends of the cucumber, wash it clean and let it drain.

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the sausage mixture

  Put 500g of sausage mixture into a bowl, season with 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 2 teaspoons of pepper, then use your hands to knead well so that the sausage is sticky and absorbs the spices evenly.

  

  
• 3

  Make the egg crepe

  Crack 5 eggs into a bowl and use chopsticks to beat them until the yolks and whites are well combined.

  Tip:

  • To help the egg crepe have a chewy texture and not tear when rolling, add 20ml of water and 5gr of tapioca starch into a bowl, then stir until dissolved before pouring the starch mixture into the egg mixture and stir until combined.
  • To achieve a smoother and prettier egg crepe, strain the egg mixture through a sieve.

  Place a pan on the stove over medium heat, brush a little cooking oil over the entire surface of the pan, when the pan is hot, ladle a scoop of the egg mixture into the pan and spread it evenly over the surface to create a thin and flat egg layer.

  Cover for about 2 minutes for the egg mixture to cook evenly, when cooked, transfer the egg layer to a plate, and repeat until all the egg mixture is used.

  

  
• 4

  Rolling the sausage

  Lay the egg wrapper flat on a surface (with the deep yellow side facing down), spread 1 teaspoon of raw sausage evenly over the surface of the egg piece.

  Then place a piece of seaweed on top, followed by adding 2 teaspoons of raw sausage in the center of the seaweed leaf and spreading it evenly horizontally.

  Place a piece of carrot on top, then cover it with a thin layer of raw sausage, and continue to place green beans on top of the raw sausage layer and roll everything up.

  Tip:

  • To make the sausage roll look nice, roll it so that the raw sausage covers the green beans. If you unroll the sausage and find that the raw sausage hasn’t covered the green beans, add a little more raw sausage on top.
  • You should only use about 100g of raw sausage for 1 sausage roll; when finished, the eye patterns will look nicer.

  Then use your hands to press the sausage roll at an angle so that it takes the shape of a droplet. Do the same until all the ingredients are used up.

  

  

  

  
• 5

  Steaming the rolls

  Line the steaming tray with parchment paper that has been punctured with a few small holes, then place the egg rolls on top.

  Put the steaming pot on the stove over high heat, and when the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and place the steaming tray on top. Cover and steam for about 20 minutes until the rolls are cooked.

  Tip: To prevent water in the steaming pot from dripping back onto the rolls, use a large cheesecloth to cover the lid of the steaming pot, then put the lid on and steam as usual.

  

  
• 6

  Carrot decoration

  To carve the phoenix bird’s head, use a carrot, cutting a piece from the tail that is about the length of one finger (corresponding to the height of the phoenix head, you can adjust this height to your liking).

  Next, use a knife to cut off 2 sides of the carrot tail to form an isosceles triangle with 2 flat sides and 1 curved side (this is the top of the phoenix head).

  Use a sharp knife to create the curved neck and the beak of the bird, then trim the edges so that the phoenix head looks natural.

  Make a small hole and insert a peppercorn to create the phoenix’s eye.

  Continue using a V-shaped knife to create the feathers for the phoenix head.

  Finally, to make the crest of the phoenix, cut a thin slice of carrot and then use a sharp knife to draw the crest shape, pressing the knife firmly along the drawing to form the phoenix’s crest.

  Use a toothpick to secure the crest on top of the phoenix head to complete it.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Completion

  The sausage roll after steaming should be taken out to cool and then sliced about 1/2 finger thick.

  Presentation on a plate with the shape of a phoenix head, cucumbers carved into leaf shapes, and onion cut into wedges arranged around like phoenix wings, then arrange each piece of sausage in a curved phoenix tail shape. Thus, the Phoenix sausage dish is beautifully completed.

  

  

  

  
• 8

  Final Product

  The finished phoenix roll is not only delicious but also incredibly attractive with its phoenix decoration. Each piece of roll is soft, chewy, and fragrant from the eggs and fresh pork, combined with the sweet crunch of vegetables, ensuring that this dish will satisfy even the most discerning guests.

  The phoenix roll can be dipped in salt and pepper or chili sauce according to your preference. Let’s get into the kitchen and showcase this delightful dish!