Chicken with Seafood Balls (Hor Jor Talay)

The wrapper on these chicken-seafood balls is made from bean curd, the filling a combination of chicken, shrimp, scallops and bacon. This is one of my favourite recipes! We first ate these in Hua Hin and the chef taught me to make them. Since that time I have tried different ingredients like chicken, pork or duck, plus various seafoods like shrimp, scallops, crab and mussels.

Hor Jor is a very popular drink snack in Thailand. Great party food for sure. Served with spicy green chile dipping sauce or plum sauce for a mild version.

Ingredients
2 ounces scallops, minced
2 ounces shrimp, minced
7 ounces chicken, minced
2 ounces smoked bacon, minced
1 green onion, chopped
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tsp cilantro root, minced and pounded
1 Tsp black pepper
1/2 Tsp salt
3 Tbs flour
1 Tbs cassava starch flour
1 Tbs sherry or Thai Whiskey
1 Tbs Light Soy Sauce
2 Eggs, lightly whisked
4-5 Sheets Dry Bean Curd
Cotton string, cut into 4" lengths
Oil for Deep Frying

Method
Place the chicken, shrimp, scallops, and bacon in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to chop and blend.

Add the green onion, garlic, cilantro root, black pepper, salt, flour, cassava starch, white wine, eggs and light soy together and blend until thoroughly mixed to a coarse texture.

Soak the bean curd sheets in water for 20 to 35 seconds to soften.

Lay the bean curd sheets out flat. Spoon the chicken-shrimp-scallop-bacon mixture along the short side about 1/2" from the edge.

Gently roll up the bean curd sheet. You want to have this several layers thick to prevent breaking of the bean curd sheet.

Tie pieces of the string at regular lengths (1 1/2") to form balls.

Place in bamboo steamer. Oil slightly to prevent sticking. Steam for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to rest and drain.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the bean curd uncut sausage balls until they are golden brown and crisp.

Cut off the string, and cut through the bean curd at the string markings into balls.

Place on platter on lettuce leaves.

Serve with Green Chile Seafood Sauce or Plum Sauce for a mild version. Additional lettuce leaves and tomato pieces complete the platter.

Green Chile Seafood Sauce

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
10 Thai bird chiles or 2 serrano chiles, stemmed and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons sugar (date palm is best)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro


In a mortar, pound the garlic, chiles and 1 tablespoon of the sugar to a coarse paste; gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar until pasty. Add the lime juice, the remaining 3 tablespoons of fish sauce and the water.
Stir in the chopped cilantro.