Cheese potstickers

Cut the cheese into nine rectangles about 7 by 5 centimeters and set aside.

Thinly slice the pork into nine similar pieces about 4 millimeters thick.

Marinate the pork with the salt, sugar, cornstarch, five spice, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine at least 20 minutes.

If using Yunnan ham, blanch the thin slices in simmering water about a minute, then rinse and soak until needed; prosciutto needs no preparation.

Mix the 25 g cornstarch with the egg whites very patiently until no clumps remain.

Mix about a quarter of the slurry into the pork.

Dip each cheese piece in the remaining slurry, lay on a big plate and dust with a little dry cornstarch; layer on the pork, dust again with dry starch, and top with more slurry.

Press a slice of ham onto each piece.

Heat about a quarter cup of fat in a wok or pan over a medium flame; lay the pieces in cheese side down and fry slowly about 8 minutes until just golden, moving the wok to cook evenly.

Flip and fry about 2 minutes on the ham side; return any pale ones to the cheese side about a minute.

Remove to a plate and lay a single wetted cilantro leaf on each.