Lap cheong, Cantonese candied pork sausage

Start from the ham cut of the pig with a slab about one third fat and separate 350 grams of lean from 150 grams of fat.

Dice the lean into pea-sized pieces, about half a centimetre square, then dice the fat the same way.

Blanch the fat in boiling water about two minutes, rinse under running water and drain.

In a bowl alternate thin layers of granulated sugar and pork fat to the top, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Marinate the diced lean with salt, sugar, Prague powder number one, light soy sauce and fenjiu or rose wine; mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Soak the dried casing in warm water 20 minutes to soften it.

Rinse the sugar off the candied fat in a strainer, drain a minute or two, and add it back to the lean.

Add 75 grams of water and mix thoroughly for about five minutes.

Scrunch the casing onto a funnel spout leaving about two inches unscrunched, tie an overhand knot, and add about a quarter of the filling to the funnel; a teaspoon of filling first will lube a sticking casing.

Push the filling in with the wide end of a chopstick until a couple of inches of casing remain, tie another overhand knot and repeat.

Poke holes with two toothpicks every half inch down the casing, turn 90 degrees and repeat, so moisture can evaporate during drying.

Cut eight inches of baker's twine, tie it in a loop, lay it under the sausage and tighten to separate each one in half.

Rinse with warm water and pat dry with paper towels.

Dry in an oven at 50 degrees celsius with the fan on for 24 hours, until obviously drier at three hours and nicely wrinkled after a day.

Hang in a cool dry sunny place at least three more days; traditionally, dry the surface near embers and hang out for a week in a cool dry season instead.