Kue Kiam, also spelled quekiam and kekiam, is a Chinese Filipino fish and shrimp sausage with a slightly chewy texture, which I really love, btw. Kue kiam sausages are gently steamed, then sliced, dipped in beaten egg, shallow fried, and served with sweet and sour thinly sliced radish or sweet and sour chili sauce. I have never made kue kiam before but used to buy them from the store or had them at restaurants in Manila. I haven't seen them in Chinese restaurants here in the US. I made my own recipe by combining the kue kiam recipe in my cookbook and a recipe for seafood sausage I found at the Washington Post food section. I poached the sausages then fried the slices just like kue kiam. The ingredients that I omitted from the Filipino cookbook are cornstarch/flour and the pork fat which I substituted with heavy cream. The result is a lighter color and texture, but when fried becomes a teensy bit chewy like a fishball but very tender inside and sooo delicious.
Kue Kiam
8 ounces catfish fillet
8 ounces shelled medium shrimps, deveined
1 tablespoon finely chopped scallions, white parts only
1½ teaspoon sea salt
2 egg whites
½ cup heavy cream
saran wrap
1 egg, well beaten
light olive or grapeseed oil for frying
- Cut fish and shrimps into cubes. In a food processor mix the seafood, salt, and scallions. Process until mixture is smooth and sticky, scrape down sides. Add egg whites and process until mixed. Add heavy cream slowly while pulsing, do not over-process.
- Cut 3 pieces of saran wrap 8 inches long. Spoon the mixture in a freezer gallon bag and snip an inch off one corner. Form an 8-inch log on one short end of wrap. Or you can simply spoon a third of the mixture near one short end of the wrap, form into a log. Roll using the wrap as a guide, fold ends halfway through and continue rolling up to the end of wrap. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- In a skillet heat an inch of water to 180 degrees and poach sausages for 5 minutes on each side. Snip one end of the wrap and slip out the sausages. Slice sausages at an angle, set aside.
- In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 T of oil. Dip sliced sausages in beaten egg and fry until golden brown. Add more oil as needed.
- Serve with sweet and sour radish. To make: peel one medium daikon radish and cut into 2 inch pieces, shave using a vegetable peeler. Mix with 3 T cider vinegar, 2 T sugar, and 1 tsp salt. Chill one hour before using.
sweet and sour shaved daikon
13 comments:
This looks great oggi. I've never heard of it, but maybe I just need to hear it pronounced and it might ring some bells.
Thanks for a completely new idea! I'm working on making meat-based sausages now, but I'm putting this in my must try list...
I love, love kue kiam with a sweet/sour sauce on the side. I havent tasted one recently and I dont think I have seen it around. The daikon would really compliment it. wow!
Marvin you should try it, it's really good.
It's pronounced keh kyam (short a).:)
charcuterista you can also stuff them in fat sausage casings. I'll check out your site, I love making sausages.
raissa we also love them with the Thai sweet/sour chili sauce for chicken. My Mom always paired them with the slightly piquant radish which I think is perfect side.
i've never had that before, but i now have an incentive to make it. i actually bought grapeseed oil today for another recipe involving cous cous and i see that this recipe calls for it as well.
Uy I love this too, might as well try! Merci beaucoup!
caninecologne, I use grapeseed oil, along with light olive oil, for almost everything: salads, frying, breads, cakes, and cookies. It's healthier and is neutral, no aftertaste and smells great. I buy mine from the Korean grocery, either from Italy or the Middle East which are not at all that expensive.
gizelle, just in time for Holy Week (if you still observe). And you're welcome!
I have a Chinese friend in Sorsogon who cooks the best Kekiam.
Indeed his kekiam looks much darker than yours...and honestly I prefer not to watch when he prepares it.
But the taste is good !
You made your own kue kiam from scratch? I'm impressed! Galing mo Oggi :) I like kue kiam (and fish balls and squid balls and all that!)...when I see them in pancit I pick them all for myself :)
Oh, we don't have shrimp sausage in Viet cuisine, only shrimp balls. I bet this would taste really good in noodle soups!
sidney, the brown coloring probably comes from achuete. Mashed fish and shrimps does not look good specially if done by hand.:)
joey what we have here are the Japanese fish balls and squares which are also good but don't have the same taste as kue kiam which I can't find here. Maybe, I should start selling them to Filipino groceries.:)
white on rice couple, I also love shrimp balls and Vietnamese food. I'll try the sausages in noodle soup, it's a great idea, thanks.:)
what is heavy cream? where can i buy it? thanks for the info you can give!
A, it's heavy whipping cream. It's usually in the dairy section of grocery stores.
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