Turnip Cake

also called lo bak go · lo baak gou · luo bo gao · 蘿蔔糕 · radish cake · daikon cake · fried radish cake

The table

2 lb(900 g; peeled and coarsely grated)daikonsimmer the grated daikon 15 min, keep the liquorstir the hot daikon into the slurry, fold the savouries throughsteam 50 min, cool 1 hr, chill 12 hrpan-fry the slices 8 min, turning once
1/2 cup(120 mL)water
1 tspkosher salt
1 tspsugar
1/2 tspwhite pepper
1/4 cup(25 g; soaked 20 min and chopped)dried shrimpfry the shrimp, sausage and mushroom 5 min
2 links(Chinese cured sausage, finely diced)lap cheong
4(soaked and diced)dried shiitake mushrooms
1 Tbspeanut oil
1 1/2 cups(210 g)rice flour
1/2 cup(120 mL)water
2 Tbspeanut oil
Chill the loaf whole and it goes home in a box to be sliced and fried across the week; fry the slices now and they come to the table with oyster sauce and chilli. The shop sells it at both stages and neither one is the unfinished version. There is no turnip anywhere in it
Tap anything to cross it off.

What to lay out

Everything the recipe asks for, sitting under the step that eats it. Tick each one as you measure it.17 things to get out.

Pans and tools

1simmer the grated daikon 15 min, keep the liquor

2fry the shrimp, sausage and mushroom 5 min

3stir the hot daikon into the slurry, fold the savouries through

goes in with what steps 1 and 2 made

5pan-fry the slices 8 min, turning once

goes in with what step 4 made

Cooking it

Start to finish is the longest chain through the table, so branches that overlap are counted once. That is why the waits add up to more than the clock — and it only holds if you get them going together.

Tap a step when it is done; the next one lights up.

The clock

Start to finish
at least 14 hr 13 mintwo waits that overlap count once
Needs you
13 minof the steps that give a time

One of the 5 steps never says how long it takes, so both numbers are floors. The recipe itself says 14 hr.

  1. fry the shrimp, sausage and mushroom 5 min

    5 minneeds youfrom the start

  2. simmer the grated daikon 15 min, keep the liquor

    15 minwalk awayfrom the start

  3. stir the hot daikon into the slurry, fold the savouries through

    not timed15 min in

  4. steam 50 min, cool 1 hr, chill 12 hr

    13 hr 50 minwalk away15 min in

  5. pan-fry the slices 8 min, turning once

    8 minneeds you14 hr 5 min in

Drawn to scale, so a long wait really does take up the room it takes. The shortest stretches keep a sliver so they stay visible; their times are printed beside them. Bars that line up are happening at the same time.

You'll need cake pan · pot · skillet · steamer · wok

See how it is written
>> title: Turnip Cake
>> category: Flatbreads & Pancakes
>> tags: daikon, rice flour, chinese, steamed, pan-fry
>> counters: Dim Sum Counter
>> aka: lo bak go, lo baak gou, luo bo gao, 蘿蔔糕, radish cake, daikon cake, fried radish cake
>> servings: 12
>> time: 14 hr
>> step.1: fry the shrimp, sausage and mushroom 5 min
>> step.2: simmer the grated daikon 15 min, keep the liquor
>> step.3: stir the hot daikon into the slurry, fold the savouries through
>> step.4: steam 50 min, cool 1 hr, chill 12 hr
>> step.5: pan-fry the slices 8 min, turning once

Fry @dried shrimp{1/4%cup}(25 g; soaked 20 min and chopped), @lap cheong{2%links}(Chinese cured sausage, finely diced) and @dried shiitake mushrooms{4}(soaked and diced) in @peanut oil{1%Tbs} in a #wok{} for ~fry{5%min}, until the kitchen smells of the sausage.

Simmer @daikon{2%lb}(900 g; peeled and coarsely grated) with @water{1/2%cup}(120 mL), @kosher salt{1%tsp}, @sugar{1%tsp} and @white pepper{1/2%tsp} in a covered #pot{} for ~simmer{15%min}, until it slumps and goes translucent. Do not drain it — that liquor is most of the water in the batter, and all of the flavour.

Stir @&(~1)hot daikon{} into @rice flour{1 1/2%cups}(210 g) slaked smooth with @water{1/2%cup}(120 mL), then fold @&(~2)shrimp and sausage{} through. The daikon has to go in hot; that is what thickens the batter enough to hold the loaf up.

Steam @&(~1)batter{} in an oiled 8-in #cake pan{} in a #steamer{} for ~steam{50%min}, until a skewer comes out clean, then ~cool{1%hr} and ~chill{12%hr} overnight.

Slice @&(~1)set loaf{} into 1/2-in slabs and pan-fry them in @peanut oil{2%Tbs} in a #skillet{} for ~fry{8%min}, turning once, until both faces have a crust and the middle is soft.

Chill the loaf whole and it goes home in a box to be sliced and fried across the week; fry the slices now and they come to the table with oyster sauce and chilli. The shop sells it at both stages and neither one is the unfinished version. There is no turnip anywhere in it.