Duck Soup Easy

Single Meal - Chicken with Lettuce Stems (青笋鷄, Cing1 Seon2 Gai1)

2020-06-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

Well, it’s been a while since I posted a recipe since I’ve been working on the travel blog: https://ducksoupeasytravel.blogspot.com/. The featured ingredient for this recipe is lettuce stems, also called celtuce and Chinese lettuce. You can find lettuce stems at your local Asian market seasonally (they’re in season now).

Lettuce stems are a cultivar (produced in cultivation by selective breeding) of lettuce raised for their long fibrous stalks and leaves. I’ve never seen the leaves being sold and have only ever bought the stems. Since you need to cut the thick inedible fibrous outer layer of the lettuce stems in order to eat the tender core, you need to buy lettuce stalks with wide bases (where the lettuce stem was cut from the plant). Lettuce stems taper as the stalk approaches where the leaves appear. Since the upper part of the stalks, where the leaves appear, tend to yield a small amount of edible core, purchase lettuce stems with the largest percentage of stem towards the base. Fresh lettuce stem bases (where it was cut from the plant) are the same green color as the stalk, and oxidize, turning a darker color green to black, as they age, so try to buy the stems as fresh as possible.

Removing the inedible fibrous outer layer of lettuce stems requires a good sharp knife. A peeler will not work on lettuce stems since the outer layer is quite thick. The outer layer is removed and the edible core exposed once you cannot see the long longitudinal fibers of the outer layer on the core. Two large stalks were enough for this recipe, so be aware that a good portion of the stalk’s outer layer is removed and discarded. Finally, once the inedible fibrous layer is removed, cut the core into pieces of even thickness and stir fry until tender.

Enjoy!

Lettuce Stems

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai¹ bei²) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai¹ hung¹ juk⁶), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2	2	Large stalks of lettuce stems (苦瓜, fu² gwaa¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) thick pieces
3	3	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce (膏油醬, gou¹ jau⁴ zeong³) or equivalent, or dark sauce (老抽, lou⁵ cau¹)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the chicken. Mix the chicken in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Remove the tough outer skin of the lettuce stems. The outer layer is removed and the edible core exposed once you cannot see the long longitudinal fibers of the outer layer on the core. Cut lettuce stem cores into ½-inch thick pieces.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce (or equivalent) or dark soy sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the chicken pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the chicken in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the lettuce stem pieces. Add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine) to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry the lettuce stem pieces until tender. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the chicken back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid (stock or water) to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Shrimp and Dungeness Crab with Snow Peas (荷蘭豆炒蝦仁北美大肉蟹, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Caau2 Haa1 Jan4 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5)

2019-02-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Lunar New Year! Thanks for following my recipes for the past Lunar year. Although I’m a few days early in expressing my good wishes to you, here’s a dish appropriate for eating on that day. Although this is not a traditional dish for the New Year’s, it has ingredients often found in dishes served on that day. Dungeness crab is a local delicacy found on the West coast of the United States, but this year the catch has been low due to the weather and other reasons, which has made the crab expensive this year. The year before, the crabs were more abundant, so I still have some frozen in my freezer. While freshly cooked Dungeness crab is always preferred, frozen also works. The combination of the crab with the shrimp and scrambled eggs, makes this dish. The sauce ingredients are also kept simple, so as to not hide the seafood flavors of the ingredients. You’ll notice that there’s not much sauce in this dish, which is the way I prefer to make this dish, but if you desire more, there are instructions at the end of the recipe to increase the amount.

I’ve been concentrating on writing for my travel blog: https://ducksoupeasytravel.blogspot.com/, so my output of recipes has been low for the past year. I apologize for those who have been following this blog, but take a look at the travel blog. While I’m still cooking (and eating!), I continue to photograph the dishes and have a large backlog of pictures to process. Enjoy your Lunar New Year celebration and I’ll see you next year.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Prawn or shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa¹ jan⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

¾ lb.	375 g.	Cooked Dungeness Crab meat (北美大肉蟹, bak¹ mei⁵ daai⁶ juk⁶ haai⁵) or equivalent, fresh (preferred) or frozen

1 lb.	500 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho⁴ laan⁴ dau⁶)
8	8	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	One package Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹) or equivalent, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
3	3	Eggs (雞蛋, gai¹ daan⁶)
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce (膏油醬, gou¹ jau⁴ zeong³) or equivalent, or dark sauce (老抽, lou⁵ cau¹)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions (Day Before Cooking)

To give shrimp a “crunchy” texture, like that found in restaurant dishes, use the technique described here: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy, to prepare the shrimp.
If using frozen cooked Dungeness crab meat or equivalent, thaw the crab meat in a covered container in the refrigerator. If using a whole crab, remove the meat from the shell, place in a covered container, and refrigerate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preparation Instructions (Day of Cooking)

Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Follow the marinating instructions here: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy.
Remove the crab meat from the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Break and scramble the eggs in a small bowl.
Open the Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu package, or equivalent, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass) and cut the mass into thirds.
Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce (or equivalent) or dark soy sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the eggs and scramble them while the wok is heating up. To get fluffy scrambled eggs, use this technique: As the eggs set, remove the pan or wok from the heat while continually scrambling the eggs with a spatula. Once the eggs stop setting off the heat, put the wok back onto the heat until the eggs start setting again. Continue taking the pan or wok on and off the heat as the eggs set until fully scrambled. Transfer the eggs to a bowl when complete.
Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the shrimp to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and stir fry until the shrimp just turn pink. The shrimp should look undercooked. You may have to cook the shrimp in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl (not the bowl with the scrambled eggs).
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the shrimp.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the snow peas. Stir fry to brown the snow peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the shrimp back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions, scrambled eggs, and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Single Meal - Dungeness Crab Shrimp Hong Kong Noodles (北美大肉蟹蝦仁雲吞麵, Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Haa1 Jan4 Wan4 Tan1 Min6)

2018-11-29T16:20:00.000-08:00

Dungeness crab is now in season, which is a treat in my part of the world. The crab was used in another dish and there was a small amount left over, so I decided to make a noodle dish. I originally posted this recipe: Dungeness Crab Hong Kong Noodles (北美大肉蟹雲吞麵, Bak¹ Mei⁵Daai⁶ Juk⁶ Haai⁵ Wan⁴ Tan¹ Min⁶), which was adapted the recipe from the Dungeness Crab with Cellophane Noodles recipe at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch website, and this dish is based on that recipe. This is a quick cooking dish, and using Hong Kong noodles, in place of cellophane noodles, and shrimp which works well with the crab. The portion size is reduced, hence the “Single Meal” designation, and produces two servings.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¼ lb.	125 g.	Cooked Dungeness crab meat (北美大肉蟹, bak¹ mei⁵ daai⁶ juk⁶ haai⁵) or equivalent

½ lb.	250 g.	Prawn or shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa¹ jan⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

3	3	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1 stalk	1 stalk	Baby bok choy (小白菜, siu² baak⁶ coi³)
½	½	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung⁴ ziu¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
4 oz.	114 g.	One-half package marinated (five spice) bean curd (五香豆腐, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶)
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
1 clove	1 clove	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press

½ lb.	227 g.	One-half package Hong Kong noodles (雲吞麵, wan⁴ tan¹ min⁶)
		Oil for cooking
Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Lee Kum Kee Brand Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce (蠔油, hou⁴ jau⁴) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Kim Ve Wong Brand Thick Soy Sauce (膏油醬, gou¹ jau⁴ zeong³) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce (魚露, jyu⁴ lou⁶) or equivalent
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions (One Day Before Cooking)

Lee Kum Kee Brand
Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce
(蠔油, hou⁴ jau⁴)

If using frozen cooked crab meat, thaw the crab in the refrigerator in a covered container overnight. Remove the crab meat from the shell, keeping the crab meat as intact as possible.
To give shrimp a “crunchy” texture, like that found in restaurant dishes, use the technique described here: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy.

Preparation Instructions (Cooking Day)

Take the crab and shrimp out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here:

Three Crabs Brand Fish Sauce
(魚露, jyu⁴ lou⁶)

Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹)

Wash and cut one baby bok choy stalk into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
Wash and cut the red bell pepper in half. Cut one-half into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces. Save the unused portion for use in another dish in the refrigerator.
Open the marinated (five spice) bean curd package and cut half the package into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Save the unused portion for another dish in the refrigerator.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Lee Kum Kee brand Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce or equivalent, Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce or equivalent, Three Crabs brand Fish Sauce or equivalent, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

If using dried noodles, cook according to the instructions on the package until the noodles just become al dente, drain the noodles, and set aside. If using thawed, ready-made, or fresh noodles, “fluff” to separate the individual noodles (i.e. you don’t want to put a single mass of noodles into the wok). If you need to quickly rehydrate dried noodles, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Noodles.
Heat a wok or pan over high heat and before adding oil. The oil in the wok should start to smoke before adding the bowl with the ginger and garlic, and then the crab meat. Quickly stir fry the crab and set aside in a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil. Add the shrimp to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and stir fry until the shrimp just turn pink. The shrimp should look undercooked. You may have to cook the shrimp in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the crab.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the crab.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the marinated (five spice) bean curd. Stir fry the bean curd and then transfer to the bowl with the crab.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil, and then the baby bok choy and red bell pepper. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients and then transfer to the bowl with the crab.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil and then the noodles. The wok should be very hot before adding the oil and then the noodles. Noodles cooked in a restaurant wok (over much higher heat than that available in your kitchen) are served slightly burned, which gives the noodles an extra added flavor. To try to emulate slightly burned noodles, try to put the noodles in one layer in the hot wok and add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid (but not too much liquid otherwise you’ll steam the noodles) to facilitate the heat transfer from the wok to the noodles, and leave the noodles alone. You want the noodles to get burned before adding more oil to the noodles and turning them over, repeating the process.
Add the contents of the bowl with the crab to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together with the noodles. Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish and serve immediately.

Single Meal - Sugar Snap Pea Soy Sauce Pork Stomach Stir Fry (蜜豆炒豉油豬肚, Mat6 Dau6 Caau2 Si6 Jau4 Zyu1 Tou5)

2018-10-08T15:59:00.000-07:00

The poaching liquid from the soy sauce pork stomach is used as the basis for the sauce for this stir fry dish. Pork stomach is one of my favorite parts of the pig to eat, but it has to be poached first using the Soy Sauce Pork Stomach (豉油豬肚, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Zyu¹ Tou⁵) recipe before being stir fried for this dish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients


½ lb.	250 g.	Soy sauce pork stomach (豉油豬肚, si⁶ jau⁴ zyu¹ tou⁵), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces (previously prepared using the Soy Sauce Pork Stomach (豉油豬肚, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Zyu¹ Tou⁵) recipe)

¾ lb.	375 g.	Sugar snap peas (蜜豆, mat⁶ dau⁶)
3	3	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
4 oz.	114 g.	One-half package Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹) or equivalent, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), sliced thinly
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), sliced thinly
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce pork stomach poaching liquid
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Water

Equipment

14 in.

35.5 cm.

Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions (Day Before Cooking)

Prepare the pork stomach using the Soy Sauce Pork Stomach (豉油豬肚, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Zyu¹ Tou⁵) recipe. Put the cooked soy sauce pork stomach in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight.

Preparation Instructions (Day of Cooking)

Take the soy sauce pork stomach out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Cut the pork stomach into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces.
Pour boiling water over the dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Open the Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu package, or equivalent, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Only half the package is used in this recipe, so store the unused portion in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass), cut the mass in half, and then cut the halves into 2-inch pieces.
Wash and remove the string from the sugar snap peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the sugar snap pea with the other.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the soy sauce pork stomach poaching liquid, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat the wok or pan over high heat before adding oil and then the pork stomach. Stir fry the pork stomach until brown. Transfer the browned pork stomach to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the pork stomach.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the pork stomach.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the sugar snap peas. Add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry to brown the sugar snap peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the pork stomach back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Soy Sauce Pork Stomach (豉油豬肚, Si6 Jau4 Zyu1 Tou5)

2018-10-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

Pork stomach is an underutilized part of the pig, in my opinion, here in the USA, but are quite good when prepared correctly. Using the technique to make a poached soy sauce chicken, Soy Sauce Chicken (豉油鷄, Si⁶ Jau⁴ Gai¹), pork stomach can be made tender and tasty. The soy sauce poaching liquid gives this recipe its distinctive flavor. You often find soy sauce pork stomach in Chinese delicatessens.

Pork stomachs are commonly available fresh at your local Asian market. Unlike beef tripe (stomach), there’s a layer of meat on the outside of the stomach. The pork stomach is usually used as an ingredient in another dish and is not eaten all by itself. You also don’t have to poach the pork stomach in soy sauce, for instance, if you make the Steamed Ginger Scallion Pork Stomach with Green String Beans (青豆角薑葱蒸豬肚, Ceng¹ Dau⁶ Gok³ Goeng¹ Cung¹ Zing¹ Zyu¹ Tou⁵). The poaching liquid also makes a good basis for a sauce, but is usually not used alone since it’s very salty.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lb.	1.5 kg.	Pork stomach (豬肚, zyu¹ tou⁵)
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), lightly crushed
2 slices	2 slices	Ginger (薑, goeng¹), lightly crushed
1	1	Dried date (蜜棗, mat⁶ zou²)
1	1	Dried tangerine peel (陳皮, can⁴ pei⁴)
4 whole	4 whole	Star anise (八角, baat³ gok³)
1 stick	1 stick	Cassia bark (桂皮, gwai³ pei⁴) or cinnamon
¾ oz.	20 g.	One-piece rock sugar (冰糖, bing¹ tong⁴)
2 cups	500 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 cup	250 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
5 cups	1.25 l.	Water

Equipment

		Slotted spoon
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
3.5 in.	9 cm.	Soak-out cooker to hold the spices
8 qt.	7.5 L.	Pot

Instructions

Put the lightly crushed garlic and ginger, dried date, dried tangerine peel, star anise, cassia bark or cinnamon, and rock sugar into a soak out cooker. Close and lock the soak out cooker before putting it into a large pot. If the rock sugar does not fit into the soak out cooker, add it directly into the pot. 1 Tbs. (15 ml.) of granulated sugar can be substituted if rock sugar is not available, in which case, add the sugar directly into the pot. Add the pork stomach, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, and water into the pot. The pork stomach should be covered by the liquid in the pot. If the pork stomach is not covered, add more soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine, and water to the pot.
Heat the pot over high heat uncovered and bring the mixture to a boil. Skim and discard any scum or fat that rises to the top of the liquid in the pot. Cover and reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 60 minutes.
Turn off the heat, uncover the pot, and remove the pork stomach with a slotted spoon, saving most of the poaching liquid in a heat proof covered bowl. The pork stomach can be refrigerated in the poaching liquid, if desired. The pork stomach are normally used as the basis for other dishes and not eaten alone, and the poaching liquid can be used as the basis for sauces in other dishes. The poaching liquid by itself is usually too salty to be used alone, so it needs to be made a component of a sauce.

Single Meal - Black Bean Cashew Snow Pea Beef (豆豉腰果荷蘭豆牛肉, Dau6 Si6 Jiu1 Gwo2 Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Ngau4 Juk6)

2018-09-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Black bean sauce and beef are a classic combination in Cantonese cooking. Here’s a recipe whose quantity is geared towards one or two servings. Cashews add a different texture to this dish and provides a tasty addition to the dish without them.

Enjoy!

Ingredients


½ lb.	250 g.	Beef flank or flap meat (牛肉, ngau⁴ juk⁶), cut into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

¾ lb.	375 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho⁴ laan⁴ dau⁶)
3	3	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
4 oz.	114 g.	One-half package Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹) or equivalent, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
12-15	12-15	Whole cashews (腰果, jiu¹ gwo²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), sliced thinly
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), sliced thinly
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Comrade Foods brand Black Bean (豆豉, dau⁶ si⁶) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Comrade Foods Brand Black Bean
(豆豉, dau6 si6)

Prepare the beef flank or flap meat by removing any silver skin and fat, cut the meat into thin 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces, and place into a bowl. Cutting the beef against the grain makes it easier to eat (if cut with the grain, the beef would be stringy and difficult to eat). Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the beef. Mix the beef in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
Marinate the beef in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the beef overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Open the Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu package, or equivalent, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. Only half the package is used in this recipe, so store the unused portion in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass), cut the mass in half, and then cut oe of the halves into 2-inch pieces.
Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
Put the whole cashews into a small bowl.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Comrade Foods brand Black Bean or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat. While the wok is heating up, add the cashew nuts from the small bowl and stir fry to brown them. Put the toasted cashew nuts back into the small bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the beef. Stir fry the beef until brown by forming one layer of beef in the wok and leaving the beef alone for a while before flipping it over to brown the other side. You may have to stir fry the beef in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the browned beef to a bowl (not the bowl with the cashews).
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the snow peas. Add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry to brown the snow peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the beef back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Single Meal - Shrimp Knife Cut Noodles (蝦炒刀削麵, Haa1 Caau2 Dou1 Soek3 Min6)

2018-08-09T16:34:00.000-07:00

With this recipe, I’m introducing a new type of meal. You’ll notice that the title of this recipe is prefaced with, “Single Meal”. Most of my previous recipe postings were for four or more servings per recipe, which is great if you’re cooking for a family or cooking enough to have leftovers for the week. Whenever you see, “Single Meal”, in the recipe title, the portion has been reduced to produce one or two meals, so the name is a bit of a misnomer since it really is more than a one meal recipe. The idea here is to produce recipes, for instance, for a lunch or dinner with enough leftovers for another meal. The meals can be scaled up to produce larger portions, usually by increasing the ingredients and/or sauce amounts.

For this recipe, there was a predecessor: Shrimp Dough Sliced Chow Mein (蝦炒刀削麵, Haa¹ Caau² Dou¹ Soek³ Min⁶), which used frozen dough sliced noodles. I first got introduced to this dish at the local Chinese Muslim restaurant. Ordering this dish and green onion bread makes for a great meal. Dough sliced noodles are aptly named since the noodles are sliced from a block of dough. The noodles have a chewy doughy texture, unlike normal chow mein noodles.

This recipe uses dried knife cut noodles (which is just another name for the same noodles). The good news when using dried noodles is that there’s no overnight thawing required to use the noodles (although they still must be rehydrated). The bad news about these noodles is that my local Asian market had the noodles on closeout, so once I run out, that’s it unless I find a replacement brand. Luckily I bought enough of the dried knife cut noodles to last a while, so hopefully another brand will become available in the meantime. Your local Asian market might stock these noodles, so you might not have the same problem.

Rehydrating the dried noodles is easy. All you need is a covered container, boiling water, the dried noodles, and a microwave oven. All you need to do is to pour boiling water over the dried noodles in a covered container. Place the container into a microwave oven and microwave on high for about 3-4 minutes, until the noodles boil for about 30-60 seconds. The strength of your microwave and the thickness of the dried noodles will dictate the amount of time needed to rehydrate the noodles in the microwave, so you’ll have to experiment to find the time needed microwaving. The noodles should be al dente, in fact they should seem a little undercooked. Stir frying the noodles in a wok later will complete cooking.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

½ lb.	250 g.	Peeled raw shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa¹ jan⁴)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

4 oz.	125 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho⁴ laan⁴ dau⁶)
3	3	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1 stalk	1 stalk	Green onion (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
2	2	Eggs (雞蛋, gai¹ daan⁶), scrambled
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), cut into thin pieces
7 oz.	200 g.	Two 100 g. packages dried knife cut noodles (刀削麵, dou¹ soek³ min⁶)
		Water to rehydrate the noodles
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Lee Kum Kee Brand Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce (蠔油, hou⁴ jau⁴) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

		Garlic Press
		Microwave safe covered container
		Microwave oven
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions (One Day Before Cooking)

To give shrimp a “crunchy” texture, like that found in restaurant dishes, use the technique described here: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy.

Preparation Instructions (Cooking Day)

Lee Kum Kee Premium Brand
Oyster Flavored Sauce (蠔油, hou⁴ jau⁴)

Take the eggs and shrimp out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Don’t forget to shell and devein the shrimp, and marinate the shrimp as described in: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
Cut the ginger into thin slices and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Flavored Sauce or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

If using dried noodles, cook according to the instructions on the package until the noodles just become al dente, drain the noodles, and set aside. If using thawed, ready-made, or fresh noodles, “fluff” to separate the individual noodles (i.e. you don’t want to put a single mass of noodles into the wok). If you need to quickly rehydrate dried noodles, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Noodles.
Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the eggs and scramble them while the wok is heating up. To get fluffy scrambled eggs, use this technique: As the eggs set, remove the pan or wok from the heat while continually scrambling the eggs with a spatula. Once the eggs stop setting off the heat, put the wok back onto the heat until the eggs start setting again. Continue taking the pan or wok on and off the heat as the eggs set until fully scrambled. Transfer the eggs to a bowl when complete.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil. Add the shrimp to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and stir fry until the shrimp just turn pink. The shrimp should look undercooked. You may have to cook the shrimp in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl (not with the scrambled eggs).
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushroom pieces. Stir fry the mushrooms and then remove them to the bowl with the shrimp.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the ginger. Quickly stir fry the ginger until fragrant before adding more oil and then the snow peas. Stir fry the ingredients together and then place into a bowl with the shrimp.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil and then the noodles. The wok should be very hot before adding the oil and then the noodles. Noodles cooked in a restaurant wok (over much higher heat than that available in your kitchen) are served slightly burned, which gives the noodles an extra added flavor. To try to emulate slightly burned noodles, try to put the noodles in one layer in the hot wok and add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid (but not too much liquid otherwise you’ll steam the noodles) to facilitate the heat transfer from the wok to the noodles, and leave the noodles alone. You want the noodles to get burned before adding more oil to the noodles and turning them over, repeating the process.
Add the green onions, scrambled eggs, and the contents of the bowl with the shrimp back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together. Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish.

Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Noodles

2018-08-09T16:10:00.000-07:00

Like the technique to quickly rehydrate dried mushrooms, Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹), the microwave is used to quickly rehydrate dried noodles. Usually dried noodles need to be rehydrated by using boiling water in a pot, which means the pot needs to be cleaned afterwards.

I use boiling water, a microwave safe covered container, and the microwave to speed up the process, and not have to clean a pot afterwards (the covered container gets placed into the dishwasher). Depending upon the type and thickness of the dried noodle and the strength of the microwave, the time required to rehydrate the noodles in the microwave is about 3-4 minutes after boiling the water. Using this method allows just about any dried noodle to be rehydrated using this technique. I have not tried using this method with long thick noodles, like spaghetti, since those noodles don’t fit into normal microwave safe covered containers. However dried noodles that are smaller in length, such as those found in Asian markets, this is a quick and easy method to rehydrate the noodles before making a stir fry noodle dish. These noodles usually come in 3.5 oz (100 g.) packages, so two of these packages are good for two meals (one portion to eat now, one portion to eat later).

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3.5-7 oz.	100-200 g.	Two 100 g. packages of dried noodles
		Boiling water

Equipment

		Microwave safe bowl
		Microwave oven

Instructions

Pour boiling water over the dried noodles in a heat proof microwave safe bowl. Fill the bowl with water to about 1-inch (2.5 cm.) below the rim to prevent overflow when microwaved.
Put the bowl with the dried noodles into the microwave and turn on the microwave using the high setting for about 3-4 minute. The noodles should boil in the water for about 30-60 seconds. If the sufficient space was left from the top of the bowl, the water will not boil over. When microwaved, the liquid will foam up in the bowl when boiled.
The amount of time to rehydrate the noodles depends upon the type and thickness of the noodles, and the strength of the microwave. The noodles should be cooked al dente, and in fact slightly undercooked since the noodles will be stir fried later, completing the cooking process.
Take the bowl with the noodles out of the microwave. Be careful since the bowl itself will be hot and is full of hot liquid. Discard most of the water (be careful since the water is very hot) from the container, keeping a small amount in the bowl. You’ll find that the noodles are easier to handle and stir fry if still slightly wet.

Mesquite Grilled Three Pepper Beef Porterhouse Steak (燒烤豆科灌木三椒上等牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Saam1 Ziu1 Soeng6 Dang2 Ngau4 Paai4)

2018-07-18T15:08:00.000-07:00

If you like your steak a little spicy, this easy to make recipe should make you happy since it uses three peppercorns: black, white, and Szechuan. I keep pepper grinders with each of these whole peppercorns in my pantry, so it’s easy to grind just the amount desired to season the steak. If you don’t have the whole peppercorns in separate grinders, you can easily throw the peppercorns into a spice grinder. The outer surfaces of the steak are first coated with sesame oil and then Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (or just plain salt) before applying the ground peppers.

I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe is for porterhouse steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

So my adaptation is to reverse the previous order of cooking the meat to first pre-heat the meat on the cool side of the grill to smoke it before moving to the hot side to char. This produces similar results to America’s Test Kitchen’s original method even though the fire is reduced in heat when the meat is charred after pre-heating, and you don’t need to use your oven. The new method does take longer to cook the meat, but it’s worth the extra time to get the desired results. The cooking time varies with the thickness of the meat, temperature of the fire, and your previous experience with the barbeque grill, so you’ll have to experiment a little to get the desired results. I think if you try cooking steaks using my adapted method, you’ll also change the way you grill meat.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1½ lb.	750 g.	Beef porterhouse steak (上等牛排, soeng⁶ dang² ngau⁴ paai⁴)
		Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
1-2	1-2	Garlic cloves (蒜, syun³)
		Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, or salt
		Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak¹ ziu¹)
		Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
		Ground Szechuan peppercorns (花椒, faa¹ ziu¹)

Equipment

		Garlic press
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt

Take the beef steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking and coat the exterior with sesame oil.
Crush the garlic using a garlic press and rub the garlic onto the exterior of the beef. Season the beef with Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt or equivalent, or salt, and ground black, white, and Szechuan peppercorns. The amount of salt and pepper to use is a personal choice, so use an amount that seems appropriate.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (pecan, oak, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the beef, and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for pre-heating and smoking the beef. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the beef from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the beef on the cool side of the covered grill for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the beef over, and cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.
Uncover the grill and move the beef to the hot side of the grill. Grill the beef uncovered for 2-4 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 2-4 minutes. Turn the beef over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
Remove the beef from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the beef. The thickness of the beef, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the beef.

Mesquite Grilled Ground Chili Garlic Oil Chicken Drumsticks (燒烤豆科灌木蒜油辣椒醬鷄髀, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Syun3 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Gai1 Bei2)

2018-04-11T16:36:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple grilled dish that can be made after marinating chicken drumsticks overnight using Ground Chili Garlic Oil. Mesquite wood is added to the grill, but you can use oak, hickory, pecan, or whatever your favorite wood is, to further enhances the flavor. Any leftover chicken can be used in stir fry dishes or for sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lbs.	1.5 kg	Chicken drumsticks (鷄髀, gai¹ bei²)
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
6 cloves	6 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
½ cup	125 ml.	Jack Hua Brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil (蒜油辣椒醬, syun³ jau⁴ laat⁶ ziu¹ zoeng³) or equivalent
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ cup	125 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Jack Hua Brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil
(蒜油辣椒醬, syun³ jau⁴ laat⁶ ziu¹ zoeng³)

Clean the chicken drumsticks by removing any remaining yellow skin and excess fat. Ideally all the yellow skin was removed during the vendor’s chicken cleaning process, but some always remains and will prevent the marinade from penetrating the skin. Use your fingers and rub any remaining yellow skin from the chicken under running cold water.
Marinate the chicken drumsticks in a covered container up to 48 hours, turning every 24 hours, in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Jack Hua Brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil or equivalent, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (oak, hickory, or pecan also goes well with this dish) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the chicken. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill to remove any leftover charred bits from the last use and with a folded paper towel coated in oil, using tongs to hold the oil coated paper towel. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill and cook for 10-12 minutes covered. Remove the cover and turn the chicken over, and cook for another 10-12 minutes covered. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice. The temperature of your fire and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the chicken.

Steamed Red Tilapia (蒸紅鯽魚, Zing1 Hung4 Zak1 Jyu4)

2018-04-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

Red tilapia is visually appealing fish, as well as being inexpensive. The fish is a good choice for steaming and is readily available at my local Asian market. I usually get an already freshly prepared fish, but a whole live fish (with the head) is also a good option.

The fish is always finished with heated oil and a soy sauce mixture. You can use a small pot or a wok to heat the mixtures, but I’ve been using the microwave to heat the soy sauce mixture. As always, you need to be very careful when you pour heated oil and liquids on the fish, as the hot oil and liquid will pop and splatter off the fish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1	1	Whole fish or fish tail, in this case, red tilapia (紅鯽魚, hung⁴ zak¹jyu⁴)
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), julienned and spread on the fish for steaming
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Salt (鹽, jim⁴)

2 stalks	2 stalks	Baby bok choy (小白菜, siu² baak⁶ coi³), leaves separated; used to line the bottom of the presentation plate - optional
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), julienned to spread on the fish after cooking
2 stalks	2 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths and finely julienned
		Cilantro (芫茜, jyun⁴ sai¹) - optional

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Canola oil (芥花油, gaai³ faa¹ jau⁴) or another neutral tasting oil
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry for the sauce
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sugar (白糖, baak⁶ tong⁴) or ground rock sugar (冰糖, bing¹ tong⁴)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	White pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)

		Water for steaming

Equipment

12 in.	30 cm.	Steamer (or larger)
9 in.	23 cm.	Plate or bowl for steaming
		Plate lifter
12 in.	30.5 cm.	Oblong plate for presentation

Instructions

Red tilapia ready for steaming

Fill the steamer with water and place over high heat to boil the water.
Wash the baby bok choy and separate into individual leaves. Place the leaves, stalk side out, around the rim of the presentation plate (not the plate used to steam the fish). Lining the presentation plate with the baby bok choy is optional.
While the fish or fish tail should already be cleaned of scales, I always find remaining scales that need to be removed. So remove any remaining scales from the fish, rub the salt on the fish and in its cavity (optional), and put the fish into the steaming plate.
Finely julienne the ginger and place on top of the fish and in its body cavity. Pour the Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry onto the fish and ginger.
Put the canola and sesame oil into a small dry bowl, mix together, and set aside. A dry bowl is important since any water will explode when the oil is heated in a wok or pan.
Mix together the soy sauce mixture in a small microwave safe bowl: add the soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, sugar or ground rock sugar, and white pepper.
Once the steamer is boiling, reduce the heat to low to medium-low, and put the plate with the fish into the steamer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the cooked fish from the steamer using the plate lifter.
Remove and discard the cooked ginger from the fish, and then move the fish to the presentation platter, putting the fish on top of the bed of baby bok choy (if present). Put the julienned ginger on top of the fish.
Microwave the soy sauce mixture on high heat until it just boils (to remove the alcohol; about 1-2 minutes, depending upon the strength of your microwave). You want to time this to be ready just after the hot oil is poured on the fish (see next step). You can also use another small pan to heat the mixture instead of the microwave. Alcohol has a lower boiling point (173⁰F - 78⁰C) than water (212⁰F - 100⁰C), so the mixture doesn’t have to boil. Be careful since the bowl will be hot when removing the mixture from the microwave.
Pour the oil from the bowl into a wok or small pan and heat until the oil is very hot. Pour the hot oil onto the fish carefully, since the oil will splatter as it hits the fish. Pour the soy sauce mixture onto the fish, top with the green onions and cilantro (optional), and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Mesquite Grilled Two Pepper Boneless Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木兩椒肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Loeng5 Ziu1 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

2018-04-01T14:30:00.000-07:00

I keep Szechuan peppercorns in a pepper grinder along with a pepper grinder containing the usual black peppercorns that’s found in every kitchen in the USA. I used both ground Szechuan and black peppercorns, together with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt (you can substitute regular salt if you don’t have the seasoned salt), to season a boneless beef rib eye steak before grilling with mesquite (any smoking wood can be substituted). This is a very basic grill seasoning that adds spicy ground Szechuan peppercorns. The amount of seasoning used is a personal preference, so feel free to adjust the amounts.

Like the Mesquite Grilled Boneless Beef Chuck Steak (燒烤豆科灌木牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴), Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴), and Oak Grilled Dungeness Crab and Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤橡木北美大肉蟹肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Zoeng⁶ Muk⁶ Bak¹ Mei⁵ Daai⁶ Juk⁶ Haai⁵ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipes, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Beef rib eye steak (肉眼牛排, juk⁶ ngaan⁵ ngau⁴ paai⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
2-4	2-4	Garlic clove (蒜, syun³), sliced thinly
		Salt or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, to taste
		Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak¹ ziu¹) to taste
		Ground Szechuan peppercorns (花椒, faa¹ ziu¹) to taste

Equipment

		Small knife
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Make small cuts into the top fat layer of the beef rib eye steak and insert the garlic slices into the cuts. The garlic will flavor the steak when grilled.
Coat the exterior surfaces of the beef rib eye steak with sesame oil. Your hand is the best tool for doing this step.
Coat the surfaces with salt or Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, ground black pepper, and ground Szechuan peppercorns. The amount to use is a personal preference, so feel free to adjust the amounts. Allow to marinate for at least one hour of overnight in the refrigerator. Take the beef steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (pecan, oak, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the beef, and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for preheating and smoking the beef. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the beef from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the beef on the cool side of the covered grill for 2-3 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the beef over, and cook covered for another 2-3 minutes.
Uncover the grill and move the beef to the hot side of the grill. Grill the beef uncovered for 1-2 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 1-2 minutes. Turn the beef over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
Remove the beef from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the beef. The thickness of the beef, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the beef.

Snow Pea Shrimp and Dungeness Crab (荷蘭豆蝦北美大肉蟹, Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Haa1 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5)

2018-03-18T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a luxurious seafood dish using shrimp and cooked Dungeness crab meat with Shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, and eggs. A minimum amount of sauce is used in this dish to allow the flavors of the ingredients to come through. I happen to live in an area where freshly cooked whole Dungeness crab can be obtained seasonally (you just have to take the time to remove the meat from the shell), but you can substitute any cooked crab meat; fresh, frozen, or canned. I originally made this dish for the Lunar New Year and the dish certainly matched the occasion.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Cooked Dungeness crab meat (北美大肉蟹, bak¹ mei⁵ daai⁶ juk⁶ haai⁵) or equivalent

¾ lb.	375 g.	Prawn or shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa¹ jan⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2-3	2-3	Eggs (雞蛋, gai¹ daan⁶), scrambled
1 lb.	500 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho⁴ laan⁴ dau⁶)
10	10	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	One package Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹) or equivalent, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Lian How brand Bean Sauce (豆瓣醬, dau⁶ faan⁶ zoeng³) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Kimbo Brand Shredded Spice Tofu
(五香豆腐絲, ng5 hoeng1 dau6 fu6 si1)

If using frozen crab meat, thaw in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Take the cooked crab meat out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Fresh cooked whole Dungeness crab is seasonally available where I live (the meat can be removed from the shell the night before cooking), but you can use any cooked crab meat, canned or frozen, in this recipe.
To give shrimp a “crunchy” texture, like that found in restaurant dishes, use the technique described here: Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy.
Pour boiling water over the dried Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid, remove the stems, and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms

Lian How Brand Bean Sauce
(豆瓣醬, dau6 faan6 zoeng3)

quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
Open the Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu package, or equivalent, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass) and cut the mass into thirds.
Break and scramble the eggs in a small bowl.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Lian How brand Bean Sauce or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the bowl with the scrambled eggs as the wok heats up. Scramble the eggs and transfer to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shrimp. Add the shrimp to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and stir fry until the shrimp just turn pink. The shrimp should look undercooked. You may have to cook the shrimp in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the shrimp to the bowl with the scrambled eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry to brown the Shiitake mushrooms. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to the bowl with the scrambled eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded spice tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the scrambled eggs.
Add the green onions, crab, and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. This dish is made with minimal sauce, so add just enough corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce while mixing all the ingredients together (i.e. you might not use all of the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce). Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Black Bean Chili Oil Poblano Chili Chicken (黑豆辣椒油椒鷄, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Ziu1 Gai1)

2018-03-07T17:42:00.000-08:00

This recipe is similar to the previously posted, Black Bean Garlic Sauce Poblano Chili Chicken (蒜蓉豆豉醬椒鷄, Syun³ Jung⁴ Dau⁶ Si⁶ Zoeng³ Ziu¹ Gai¹), recipe. The black bean chili oil makes the dish just slightly, but not overly spicy. Poblano chilies (Capsicum annuum) are a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. When dried, it’s called ancho chili. The chilies have a dark green color that look great in any dish. So rather than using green bell peppers, I substituted Poblano chilies.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai¹ bei²) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai¹ hung¹ juk⁶), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1	1	Poblano chili (椒, ziu¹), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
1	1	Red bell pepper (紅椒, hung⁴ ziu¹), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
10	10	Small dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated
8 oz.	227 g.	One package shredded spiced tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹), cut into 2-inch pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), sliced thinly
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), sliced thinly
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Laoganma brand Black Bean Chili Oil (黑豆辣椒油, hak¹ dau⁶ laat⁶ ziu¹ jau⁴) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Laoganma Brand Black Bean Chili Oil
(黑豆辣椒油, hak1 dau6 laat6 ziu1 jau4)

Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the chicken. Mix the chicken in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. If small Shiitake mushrooms are not available, use regular (sized) mushrooms and cut into ½-inch (15 mm) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Open the Shredded Spice Tofu package, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass) and cut the mass into thirds.
Wash and cut the Poblano chili and red bell pepper into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces. First cut off the ends of the bell pepper, leaving an open cylinder. Remove the seeds and central core of the bell pepper and make one cut lengthwise to open the cylinder. Flatten the open bell pepper cylinder and cut 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
Cut the ginger and garlic into thin slices and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Laoganma brand Black Bean Chili Oil or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the chicken pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the chicken in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded spice tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Poblano chili and red bell pepper pieces. Stir fry to brown the chilies and bell pepper pieces. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the chicken back into the wok and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions and sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Mesquite Grilled Ground Chili Garlic Oil New York Steak (燒烤豆科灌木蒜油辣椒醬肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Syun3 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zoeng3 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

2018-01-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

Like the Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipe, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1½ lb.	750 g.	New York steak (肉眼牛排, juk⁶ ngaan⁵ ngau⁴ paai⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
1-2	1-2	Garlic clove (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Jack Hua brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil (蒜油辣椒醬, syun³ jau⁴ laat⁶ ziu¹ zoeng³) or equivalent
		Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak¹ ziu¹) to taste

Equipment

		Garlic press
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Jack Hua Brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil
(蒜油辣椒醬, syun3 jau4 laat6 ziu1 zoeng3)

In a small bowl, make a paste consisting of: garlic cloves crushed in a garlic press, Jack Hua brand Ground Chili Garlic Oil or equivalent, ground black pepper, and sesame oil. Use more sesame oil if the paste seems too thick.
Spread the paste on all surfaces of the beef steak and allow to marinate for at least one hour or overnight (preferred) in the refrigerator. Take the beef steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (pecan, oak, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the

Medium-Rare Result

lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the beef, and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for pre-heating and smoking the beef. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the beef from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the beef on the cool side of the covered grill for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the beef over, and cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.
Uncover the grill and move the beef to the hot side of the grill. Grill the beef uncovered for 2-4 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 2-4 minutes. Turn the beef over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
Remove the beef from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the beef. The thickness of the beef, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the beef.

Black Vinegar Sugar Snap Pea Shabu Shabu Pork Stir Fry (黑米醋蜜豆炒涮涮锅豬肉, Hak1 Mai5 Cou3 Mat6 Dau6 Caau2 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Zyu1 Juk6)

2018-01-25T16:56:00.000-08:00

Here’s another stir fry dish using Shabu Shabu pork, which is thinly sliced pork and can be found at your local Japanese or Asian market. You can always substitute thinly sliced pork loin or butt cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces if you’re unable to obtain Shabu Shabu pork. Black vinegar is the basis for the sauce and provides a nice taste contrast to the richness of the pork.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Shabu Shabu (thinly sliced) pork loin (涮涮锅豬肉, saan³ saan³ wo¹ zyu¹ juk⁶), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1 lb.	500 g.	Sugar snap peas (蜜豆, mat⁶ dau⁶)
8	8	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated and cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
8 oz.	227 g.	One package marinated (five-spice) bean curd (五香豆腐, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), sliced into thin pieces
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), sliced into thin pieces
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Black rice vinegar (黑米醋, hak¹ mai⁵ cou³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

14 in.

35.5 cm.

Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Purchase or have your butcher cut pork loin into thin pieces. Thinly sliced pork can be purchased at your local Asian (Japanese) market for Shabu Shabu. Thinly sliced pork butt can also be substituted. There’s no need to use baking soda to tenderize the meat since the pork is sliced so thinly. Cut the pork into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces.
Marinate the pork in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the pork overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Cut the Shiitake mushrooms into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).
Wash and remove the string from the sugar snap peas by grasping each sugar snap pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the sugar snap pea with the other.
Open the marinated (five-spice) bean curd package and discard any liquid. Cut the bean curd into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces.
Thinly slice the ginger and garlic and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the black rice vinegar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the pork pieces to the wok in a single layer on the bottom and brown the outside. You may have to cook the pork in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the pork to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the pork.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bean curd. Stir fry the bean curd and then transfer to the bowl with the pork.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the sugar snap peas. Stir fry to brown the sugar snap peas before adding the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the pork back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the green onions and the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some of the Shiitake mushroom rehydration liquid to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Doubanjiang Scallop and Shabu Shabu Beef Rib Eye Stir Fry (郫縣豆瓣酱炒扇貝涮涮锅肉眼牛排, Pei4 Jyun6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Caau2 Sin3 Bui3 Saan3 Saan3 Wo1 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

2018-01-20T15:28:00.000-08:00

Doubanjiang is a spicy fermented broad bean paste. When using Doubanjiang, the paste is first stir fried until the paste turns a dark red color and then the meat is stir fried in the Doubanjiang. Stir frying the Doubanjiang enhances the flavor and is similar in technique to stir frying curry paste in curry dishes. Stir frying the Doubanjiang and the meat is done at the end of the cooking process, which is different from usual stir fry dishes where the meat is cooked first.

Scallops and Shabu Shabu Beef Rib Eye is a stir fried version of the American classic combination dish referred to as “surf and turf”, where “surf” is the seafood and “turf” is the beef. This spicy stir fried version of surf and turf uses thin sliced beef rib eye usually destined for Shabu Shabu, which is a Japanese dish where the beef is swished in a hot broth before eating. The thin sliced beef can be purchased at your local Asian market (usually frozen). In this case I got the Shabu Shabu beef rib eye fresh from my local Japanese market.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Scallops (扇貝, sin³ bui³)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1 lb.	500 g.	Shabu Shabu beef rib eye (涮涮锅肉眼牛排, saan³ saan³ wo¹ juk⁶ ngaan⁵ ngau⁴ paai⁴)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1 lb.	500 g.	Sugar snap peas (蜜豆, mat⁶ dau⁶)
8 oz.	227 g.	One package fried tofu (油炸豆腐, jau⁴ zaa³ dau⁶ fu⁶)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), thinly sliced
4 cloves	4 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), thinly sliced
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Salted black bean (豆豉, dau⁶ si⁶)
3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣酱, pei⁴ jyun⁶ dau⁶ faan⁶ zoeng³) or equivalent

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

		Garlic press
8 qt.	7.5 L.	Pot to parboil the beef tripe
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Sichuan Pixiandouban Brand Doubanjiang
(郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3)

If using frozen scallops, thaw the scallops overnight in a covered container in the refrigerator. Take the scallops out of the refrigerator one hour before cooking. Marinate the scallops with corn starch, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.
Marinate the Shabu Shabu beef rib eye in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the beef overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Wash and remove the string from the sugar snap peas by grasping each sugar snap pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the sugar snap pea with the other.
Open and drain any liquid from the fried tofu package.
Thinly slice the ginger and garlic and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Wash and lightly crush the salted black beans in a small bowl. Put the Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang or equivalent into the bowl and mix the ingredients together.
Prepare and mix the other sauce ingredients in another small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil and then the scallops. Stir fry the scallops until brown by forming one layer of scallops in the wok and leaving the scallops alone for a while before flipping it over to brown the other side. You may have to stir fry the scallops in batches, so be sure to reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil. Transfer the browned scallops to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the scallops.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the sugar snap peas. Stir fry to brown the sugar snap peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Transfer the contents of the wok to the bowl with the scallops.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the Doubanjiang. Stir fry the Doubanjiang until it becomes darker (red) in color before adding the beef. Stir fry to brown the beef before adding the green onions and the contents of the bowl with the scallops back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Oak Grilled Dungeness Crab and Beef Rib Eye Steak (燒烤橡木北美大肉蟹肉眼牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng6 Muk6 Bak1 Mei5 Daai6 Juk6 Haai5 Juk6 Ngaan5 Ngau4 Paai4)

2018-01-13T14:39:00.000-08:00

Dungeness Crab, a local delicacy, is in season right now (but unfortunately in short supply). Surf and turf is an American meal that refers to a dish of seafood (surf; crab in this case) and beef steak (turf). Meat from a whole cooked crab is placed into the body shell and grilled together with a beef rib eye steak. This recipe easily serves two people and is a luxurious dish usually served for a special occasion.

Like the Mesquite Grilled Boneless Beef Chuck Steak (燒烤豆科灌木牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) and Mesquite Grilled Barbeque Sauce Rib Eye Steak (燒烤豆科灌木燒烤醬肉眼牛排, Siu¹ Haau¹ Dau⁶ Fo¹ Gun³ Muk⁶ Siu¹ Saau¹ Zoeng³ Juk⁶ Ngaan⁵ Ngau⁴ Paai⁴) recipes, I’ve totally changed the way I grill beef steaks after reading the method used by America’s Test Kitchen. The recipe was for rib-eye steaks, but it can be used for other cuts of beef and other meats (e.g. pork). Their method produces a charred exterior with a tender medium-rare interior, and uses both the oven and the grill. The basic premise for their method is to preheat the steak in the oven before grilling the steak over a hot fire to produce the desired results. I adapted the method to use the grill only to produce similar results. In my previous grilling recipes, I would place the meat over a hot fire first to char the outside and then move the meat to the cool side of the grill to roast and/or smoke. This produced a charred exterior and medium-rare interior, but the medium-rare interior was sandwiched between a well-done exterior, whereas the America’s Test Kitchen method produced a consistent medium-rare interior without the well-done exterior layers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Whole cooked Dungeness crab (北美大肉蟹, bak¹ mei⁵ daai⁶ juk⁶ haai⁵), meat removed and placed into body shell

1½ lb.	750 g.	Beef rib eye steak (肉眼牛排, juk⁶ ngaan⁵ ngau⁴ paai⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
2-4	2-4	Garlic clove (蒜, syun³), sliced thinly
		Salt or Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, to taste
		Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak¹ ziu¹) to taste

Equipment

		Small knife
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Cooked Dungeness crab meat in body shell

Remove the meat from a whole cooked Dungeness crab and place the meat into the body shell. Also try to save and place any liquid from the crab into the body shell. This step can be done the night before cooking. Be sure to store the crab body shell with the meat in a covered container or sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Take the crab body shell out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Slice the garlic into thin pieces. Make small cuts into the top fat layer of the beef rib eye steak and insert the garlic slices into the cuts. The garlic will flavor the steak when grilled.
Coat the exterior surfaces of the beef rib eye steak with sesame oil. Your hand is the best tool for doing this step.
Coat the surfaces with salt or Lawry’s brand Seasoned Salt, or equivalent, and ground black pepper. The amount to use is a personal preference. Allow to marinate for at least one hour of overnight in the refrigerator. Take the beef steak out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the oak wood for smoking (pecan, mesquite, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the beef, and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for pre-heating and smoking the beef. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the beef from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the beef and crab body shell on the cool side of the covered grill for 3-5 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the beef over, and cook covered for another 3-5 minutes.
Uncover the grill and move the beef and crab body shell to the hot side of the grill. Grill the beef uncovered for 2-4 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 2-4 minutes. Turn the beef over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
Remove the beef and crab body shell from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the beef. The thickness of the beef, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the beef.

Basil Cilantro Lobster Noodles (紫蘇芫茜龍蝦麵, Zi2 Sou1 Jyun4 Sai1 Lung4 Haa1 Min6)

2018-01-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! For the first dish of the New Year, here’s a lobster noodle dish seasoned with basil and cilantro. The normal lobster dish found in restaurants is usually made with a fresh whole lobster (shell included) and you have to remove the meat from the shell in order to eat the dish. The dish is visually stunning with the bright red lobster shell, but a messy pain to eat (at least in my opinion). I would rather not have the visually stunning presentation and use cooked (not fresh) lobster meat removed from the shell. I use kitchen shears to remove the meat from the lobster shells, especially the small legs that contain that hard to get at lobster meat. If a whole lobster is too much of a challenge, you can substitute cooked lobster tails. For this dish, I used basil and cilantro for added flavor in this dish. The traditional lobster noodle recipe just uses lobster, so this variation adds a nice fresh herbal note to the dish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Lobster meat (龍蝦, lung⁴ haa¹), meat removed from two cooked 1 lb. (500 g.) lobsters

3	3	Eggs (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), scrambled
16	16	Small dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated
8 oz.	227 g.	One package Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu (五香豆腐絲, ng⁵ hoeng¹ dau⁶ fu⁶ si¹) or equivalent, cut into 2-inch pieces
½ cup	250 ml.	Fresh basil leaves (紫蘇, zi² sou¹)
½ cup	250 ml.	Cilantro (芫茜, jyun⁴ sai¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
1 in.	25 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), sliced into thin pieces
3 cloves	3 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), sliced into thin pieces
10.5 oz.	297 g.	One 20 oz. (566 g.) can bamboo shoot strips (筍, seon²), drained, or use fresh if available
12 oz.	350 g.	Bean sprouts (芽菜, ngaa⁴ coi³)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) lengths
1 lb.	500 g.	Chow mein noodles (炒麵, caau² min⁶)
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Lee Kum Kee brand Abalone Sauce (鮑魚醬, baau¹ jyu⁴ zoeng³) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce (膏油醬, gou¹ jau⁴ zeong³) or equivalent
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu6 hing1 zau2) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Kimbo Brand Shredded Spice Tofu
(五香豆腐絲, ng5 hoeng1 dau6 fu6 si1)

Remove the claws and tail from the whole cooked lobster. These parts can be removed with a sharp cleaver or by hand with a quick twist. Use a sharp cleaver to cut the body in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the black/green intestine that runs the length of the lobster body and tail. Use kitchen shears to cut and remove the shell from the lobster parts, including the small legs. Try to keep the lobster meat as intact as possible and cut the larger parts into 1-inch (25 mm.) pieces. Put the lobster meat into a bowl.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹).

Lee Kum Kee Brand Abalone Sauce
(鮑魚醬, baau1 jyu4 zoeng3)

Open the Kimbo brand Shredded Spice Tofu package, or equivalent, discard any liquid, and cut into 2-inch pieces. The easiest method to cut the shredded tofu is to remove the shredded tofu from the package (it comes out as one single mass) and cut the mass into thirds.
Scramble the eggs in small bowl.
Wash and remove the leaves from the fresh basil stalks. Cut the basil leaves into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces.
Wash and cut the cilantro (stems included) into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces
Wash and cut the green onions into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces.
Wash the bean sprouts and remove as much water as possible to facilitate stir frying.
Open and drain the can with the bamboo shoots, or use fresh if available (wash first). Remove as much water as possible to facilitate stir frying.
Cut the ginger and garlic into thin pieces, and place into a small bowl.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the Lee Kum Kee brand Abalone Sauce, Kim Ve Wong brand Thick Soy Sauce, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

If using dried noodles, cook according to the instructions on the package until the noodles just become al dente, drain the noodles, and set aside. If using thawed, ready-made, or fresh noodles, “fluff” to separate the individual noodles (i.e. you don’t want to put a single mass of noodles into the wok).
Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the eggs and scramble them while the wok is heating up. To get fluffy scrambled eggs, use this technique: As the eggs set, remove the pan or wok from the heat while continually scrambling the eggs with a spatula. Once the eggs stop setting off the heat, put the wok back onto the heat until the eggs start setting again. Continue taking the pan or wok on and off the heat as the eggs set until fully scrambled. Transfer the eggs to a bowl when complete.
Reheat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the small bowl with the sliced garlic and ginger to the wok. When the garlic and ginger become fragrant, add the lobster meat and stir fry. Transfer the lobster to the bowl with the scrambled eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the shredded tofu. Stir fry the tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bamboo shoots. Stir fry the bamboo shoots and then transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bean sprouts. Stir fry the bean sprouts and then transfer to the bowl with the eggs.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding more oil and then the noodles. The wok should be very hot before adding the oil and then the noodles. Noodles cooked in a restaurant wok (over much higher heat than that available in your kitchen) are served slightly burned, which gives the noodles an extra added flavor. To try to emulate slightly burned noodles, try to put the noodles in one layer in the hot wok and add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine; but not too much liquid otherwise you’ll steam the noodles) to facilitate the heat transfer from the wok to the noodles, and leave the noodles alone. You want the noodles to get burned before adding more oil to the noodles and turning them over, repeating the process.
Add the contents of the bowl with the eggs back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together. Add the green onions, basil, cilantro, and sauce ingredients to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve immediately.

Technique: How To Make Shrimp Crunchy

2017-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

This is probably my last post for 2017. I want to wish you and your family the best for 2018. I hope you’ve enjoyed (and tried) this year’s recipes. As you might have noticed, there have been very few posts since early November. I took a long vacation to Asia for most of November and into early December, so the queue for new recipes is long (and growing larger). I’ve been wanting to start blogging about my travel, so to that end, I made an initial post about frozen turkey prices in Singapore. I expect to start adding more posts in the coming year, so keep an eye out for those posts. The travel blog can be found here: https://ducksoupeasytravel.blogspot.com.

For my last post this year, I decided to post a technique for making shrimp “crunchy”. This technique is really simple and I would urge you to try it so that your shrimp have the same texture as that found in restaurants.

The prawn or shrimp in restaurant dishes always have a crunchiness to them, while shrimp used at home lack texture. This is true for both fresh (which in the USA were previously frozen unless you happen to live a region that truly has fresh shrimp) and frozen shrimp. I’ve been looking for a way to emulate the texture of shrimp found in restaurants, but the methods that I’ve found on the internet involve more steps, ingredients, and work that make the process cumbersome.

I managed to find a way to reliably and simply produce crunchy shrimp, and it involves the use of baking soda. If you’ve read many of my recipes, baking soda is used to tenderize meats like to that found in restaurant dishes. In the case of shrimp, a baking soda solution can be used to give shrimp the crunchy texture like that found in restaurants.

The technique involves soaking the shrimp overnight in an iced baking soda solution and then, one hour before cooking, marinating the shrimp. If the shrimp is frozen, there’s no need to add ice to the solution. The shrimp may be left in the baking soda solution up to 48 hours, so there’s no need to use the shrimp all at once in a single dish. The shrimp should be left in the baking soda solution until one hour before cooking the dish. The crunchiness will disappear from the shrimp, once the shrimp is removed from the baking soda solution. Washing away the baking soda solution from the shrimp under cold water one hour before cooking (and marinating) gives the best results.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Prawn or shrimp meat (蝦仁, haa¹ jan⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
4 cubes	4 cubes	Ice
		Cold water to cover the shrimp

Marinade Ingredients

½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²) or tapioca starch (木薯澱粉, muk⁶ syu⁴ din⁶ fan²)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

5 cup

1.2 L.

Covered bowl (or larger)

Instructions

Add the prawn or shrimp, baking soda, and ice to a covered container. If using frozen prawn or shrimp, there’s no need to add ice. Cover the shrimp with cold water, cover the container, and place into the refrigerator overnight. The prawn or shrimp may be left in the baking soda solution up to 48 hours, so you don’t have to use the prawn or shrimp all at once.
One hour before cooking, remove the amount of prawn or shrimp you want to use for the dish and wash under cold water to remove the baking soda solution.
Shell (if desired) and devein the shrimp.
Marinate the shrimp for one hour with the ginger crushed in a garlic press, corn or tapioca starch, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In the USA, the names prawn and shrimp are used interchangeably, with prawn usually meaning a large shrimp.

Steamed Tianjin Preserved Vegetable White Bass (蒸天津冬菜鰤鱸魚, Zing1 Tin1 Zeon1 Dung1 Coi3 Lou4 Jyu4)

2017-11-08T13:53:00.000-08:00

Tianjin Preserved Vegetable is used to provide the flavoring to this steamed fish dish. The preserved vegetables are very salty, so the amount used depends upon personal preference. I used white bass for the fish, but use any available fish to make this dish.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1	1	Whole fish or fish tail, in this case, white bass (鱸魚, lou⁴ jyu⁴)
1-2 Tbs.	15-30 ml.	Ducheng brand Tianjin Preserved Vegetable (天津冬菜, tin¹ zeon¹ dung¹ coi³) or equivalent, to taste
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), julienned and spread on the fish
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Salt (鹽, jim⁴)

2 stalks	2 stalks	Baby bok choy (小白菜, siu² baak⁶ coi³), leaves separated; used to line the bottom of the presentation plate - optional
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), julienned to spread on the fish after cooking
2 stalks	2 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) lengths and finely julienned
		Cilantro (芫茜, jyun⁴ sai¹) - optional

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Canola oil (芥花油, gaai³ faa¹ jau⁴) or another neutral tasting oil
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry for the sauce
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sugar (白糖, baak⁶ tong⁴) or ground rock sugar (冰糖, bing¹ tong⁴)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	White pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)

		Water for steaming

Equipment

12 in.	30 cm.	Steamer (or larger)
9 in.	23 cm.	Plate or bowl for steaming
		Plate lifter
12 in.	30.5 cm.	Oblong plate for presentation

Instructions

Ducheng Brand Tianjin Preserved Vegetable
(天津冬菜, tin1 zeon1 dung1 coi3)

Fill the steamer with water and place over high heat to boil the water.
Wash the baby bok choy and separate into individual leaves. Place the leaves, stalk side out, around the rim of the presentation plate. Lining the presentation plate with the baby bok choy is optional.
While the fish or fish tail should already be cleaned of scales, I always find remaining scales that need to be removed. So remove any remaining scales from the fish, rub the salt on the fish and in its cavity (optional), and put the fish into the steaming plate.
Finely julienne the ginger and, together with the Ducheng brand Tianjin Preserved Vegetable or equivalent, place on top of the fish and in its body cavity. Pour the Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry onto the fish and ginger.
Put the canola and sesame oil into a small dry bowl, mix together, and set aside. A dry bowl is important since any water will explode when the oil is heated in a wok or pan.
Mix together the soy sauce mixture in a small microwave safe bowl: add the soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, sugar or ground rock sugar, and white pepper.
Once the steamer is boiling, reduce the heat to low to medium-low, and put the plate with the fish into the steamer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, turn off the heat and remove the cooked fish from the steamer using the plate lifter.
Remove and discard the cooked ginger from the fish, and then move the fish to the presentation platter, putting the fish on top of the bed of baby bok choy (if present). Put the julienned ginger on top of the fish.
Microwave the soy sauce mixture on high heat until it just boils (to remove the alcohol; about 1-2 minutes, depending upon the strength of your microwave). You want to time this to be ready just after the hot oil is poured on the fish (see next step). You can also use another small pan to heat the mixture instead of the microwave. Alcohol has a lower boiling point (173⁰F - 78⁰C) than water (212⁰F - 100⁰C), so the mixture doesn’t have to boil. Be careful since the bowl will be hot when removing the mixture from the microwave.
Pour the oil from the bowl into a wok or small pan and heat until the oil is very hot. Pour the hot oil onto the fish carefully, since the oil will splatter as it hits the fish. Pour the soy sauce mixture onto the fish, top with the green onions and cilantro (optional), and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Doubanjiang Lemongrass Fish Ball Chicken (辣豆瓣酱檸檬葉魚蛋鷄, Laat6 Dau6 Faan6 Zoeng3 Ning4 Mung4 Jip6 Jyu4 Daan6 Gai1)

2017-10-06T10:52:00.000-07:00

Spicy broad bean paste (Doubanjiang) and lemongrass are the basis for the flavor of this chicken and fish ball dish. The Doubanjiang is first stir fried until it darkens in color and then the chicken is added to the mixture. This is the last step after all the other ingredients have been stir fried, which is backwards from the usual order of stir frying the chicken first in most other dishes. The dish can be made even spicier by adding fresh red chili peppers.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

¾ lb.	375 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai¹ bei²) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai¹ hung¹ juk⁶), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1 lb.	500 g.	Fish balls (魚蛋, jyu⁴ daan⁶)

1 lb.	500 g.	Snow peas (荷蘭豆, ho⁴ laan⁴ dau⁶)
10	10	Dried Shiitake mushrooms (冬菇, dung¹ gu¹), rehydrated
8 oz.	227 g.	One package fried tofu (油炸豆腐, jau⁴ zaa³ dau⁶ fu⁶)
3 stalks	3 stalks	Green onions (葱, cung¹), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

3 Tbs.	45 ml.	Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang (郫縣豆瓣酱, pei⁴ jyun⁶ dau⁶ faan⁶ zoeng³) or equivalent
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Salted black beans (豆豉, dau⁶ si⁶)
2	2	Stalks lemongrass (檸檬葉, ning⁴ mung⁴ jip⁶), thinly sliced white portions only

1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
½ Tbs.	7.5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Sichuan Pixiandouban Brand Doubanjiang
(郫縣豆瓣酱, pei4 jyun6 dau6 faan6 zoeng3)

If using frozen fish balls, thaw in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Take the fish balls out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the chicken. Mix the chicken in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Pour boiling water over the small dried whole Shiitake mushrooms in a heat proof bowl and rehydrate the mushrooms for at least one hour. Remove the Shiitake mushrooms from the rehydration liquid and remove the stems. Reserve the rehydration liquid for later use in the cooking process. If you need to rehydrate the Shiitake mushrooms quickly, use the method described here: Technique: How to Quickly Rehydrate Dried Shiitake Mushrooms (冬菇, Dung¹ Gu¹)
Open the fried tofu package, discard any liquid, and into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) strips.
Wash and remove the string from the snow peas by grasping each snow pea in one hand and pulling the tip the length of the snow pea with the other.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Wash and cut the green onions into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces on the diagonal.
Remove the outer green leaves of the lemongrass and use only the inner white portion. Thinly slice the white portions of the lemongrass and place into a small bowl.
Wash the salted black beans and lightly crush the beans into the bowl with the lemongrass. Add the Sichuan Pixiandouban brand Doubanjiang or equivalent to the bowl with the lemongrass and mix the ingredients together.
Prepare and mix the other sauce ingredients in another small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil.

Cooking Instructions

Heat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fish balls. Stir fry the fish balls and then transfer to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the Shiitake mushrooms. Stir fry the mushrooms and then transfer to the bowl with the fish balls.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fried tofu. Stir fry the fried tofu and then transfer to the bowl with the fish balls.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the snow peas. Stir fry to brown the snow peas. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the wok to the bowl with the fish balls.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the bowl with the lemongrass, salted black beans, and Doubanjiang. Stir fry the Doubanjiang until it becomes darker (red) in color before adding the chicken pieces. Stir fry to brown the chicken before adding the contents of the bowl with the fish balls back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and green onions to the wok and mix the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Mesquite Grilled Pork Chops with Skin (燒烤豆科木豬排, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Zyu1 Paai4)

2017-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

This is a variation on a previously posted recipe, Grilled Hickory Smoked Rib Eye Pork Chops, which uses the most basic method to wood smoke (mesquite, in this case) pork rib chops on a grill. For this recipe, pork rib chops with the skin on are used. Skin-on pork rib chops can be purchased at your local Asian market. You need to cut the skin in two to three places so that the pork chops don’t curl up when the skin contracts as it is grilled. There’s no marinating involved – just take the pork rib chops out of the refrigerator one hour before grilling, coat with sesame oil, salt or Lawry’s seasoned salt, and pepper, and then grill. The flavor is also at its most basic – just pork and wood smoke.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

2-4	2-4	Pork rib chops, skin on, about ½ lb. (250 g.) each
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Salt or Lawry’s seasoned salt per pork chop
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Ground black pepper per pork chop
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil per pork chop

Equipment

		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Use pork chops with skin at least ½-inch (15 mm.) thick. Take the pork chops out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking. Make 2-3 equidistant cuts to the skin to prevent the pork chops from curling up during grilling. Coat each pork chop with sesame oil and then add the salt or Lawry’s seasoned salt and ground black pepper to all the exposed surfaces of the pork chop.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite smoking wood (pecan, oak, or any other wood can be used) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will be used to grill the pork and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the pork. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill grate and then, using tongs and a paper towel coated with oil, lubricate the grate to prevent the pork from sticking. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the pork on the cool side of the covered grill for 2-3 minutes. Uncover the grill, turn the pork over, and cook covered for another 2-3 minutes.
Uncover the grill and move the pork to the hot side of the grill. Grill the pork uncovered for 1-2 minutes before rotating 90⁰ to produce the grill marks, and grill for another 1-2 minutes. Turn the pork over and repeat the process to produce the grill marks on the other side.
Remove the pork from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Be careful not to overcook the pork. The thickness of the pork, the temperature of your fire, and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the pork.

Panang Curry Paste Cauliflower Fish Ball Chicken Stir Fry (燉咖哩醬椰菜花魚蛋炒鷄, Dan6 Gaa3 Lei1 Zoeng3 Je4 Coi3 Faa1 Jyu4 Daan6 Caau2 Gai1)

2017-09-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

This dish uses Panang curry paste as the basis for the flavoring for this dish in a similar manner as Doubanjiang (spicy broad bean paste). The technique to make these dishes is to first stir fry the Doubanjiang and then add the meat, stir frying the combination together to combine the flavors. The same technique is used to make this curry dish, using a (small) can of Panang curry paste. This technique actually works since when making a dish using curry paste, the curry paste is first stir fried to bring out the flavors before adding the next ingredients. In addition to the chicken used in this dish, I used prepared fish balls that were available at my local Asian market, which is a classic combination of flavors.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 lb.	500 g.	Fish balls (魚蛋, jyu⁴ daan⁶)

¾ lb.	375 g.	Chicken thigh (鷄髀, gai¹ bei²) or breast meat (雞胸肉, gai¹ hung¹ juk⁶), cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Baking soda (蘇打粉, sou¹ daa² fan²)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 tsp.	5 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1	1	Head cauliflower (椰菜花, je⁴ coi³ faa¹), cut into individual florets
1	1	Onion (洋蔥, joeng⁴ cung¹), halved and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces
1-2	1-2	Fresh green chili peppers (綠辣椒, luk⁶ laat⁶ ziu¹), cut into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces; optional and to taste
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
2 cloves	2 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
		Oil for cooking

Sauce Ingredients

1	1	One 4 oz. (114 g.) can Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste (燉咖哩醬, dan⁶ gaa³ lei¹ zoeng³) or equivalent

2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

2 tsp.	10 ml.	Corn starch (粟粉, suk¹ fan²)
4 tsp.	20 ml.	Water

Equipment

		Garlic press
14 in.	35.5 cm.	Wok or pan

Preparation Instructions

Maesri Brand Panang Curry Paste
(燉咖哩醬, dan⁶ gaa³ lei¹ zoeng³)

If using frozen fish balls, thaw in a covered container overnight in the refrigerator. Take the fish balls out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the chicken thigh or breast meat by removing any bones, excess fat, and skin. Cut the chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces and place into a bowl. Add baking soda to the bowl and fill with cold water to cover the chicken. Mix the chicken in the baking soda solution, allow to tenderize for at least 15 minutes, and then drain and wash the baking soda from the meat. The baking soda can be omitted but results in the tender meat experienced in restaurant dishes.
Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least one hour or overnight in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, corn starch, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. If marinating the chicken overnight, take it out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Wash and cut the head of cauliflower into individual florets.
Remove the tough outer skin and cut the onion in half. Cut 1-inch (2.5 cm.) pieces from each onion half.
Wash and cut the fresh green chili peppers into ½-inch (15 mm.) pieces. The use of green chili peppers is optional and the amount is to taste, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount.
Crush the ginger and garlic in a garlic press and put into a small bowl.
Open the can of Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste or equivalent.
Prepare and mix the sauce in a small bowl: add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. In another small bowl, prepare the corn starch slurry by mixing the corn starch and water together.

Cooking Instructions

Heat a wok or pan over high heat before adding oil. Add the Maesri brand Panang Curry Paste, or equivalent, to the wok and stir fry the paste until fragrant before adding the chicken. Stir fry the curry paste and chicken together. If you need to cook the chicken in batches, divide the curry paste into the expected number of batches (i.e. two batches means one-half a can of curry paste per batch of chicken). Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the fish balls. Stir fry the fish balls and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the onion. Stir fry the onion and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the green chili peppers. Stir fry the chili peppers and then transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
Reheat the wok over high heat before adding oil and then the cauliflower. Add some liquid (water, stock, or Shaoxing wine) to facilitate heat transfer and stir fry to brown the cauliflower. Add the bowl with the ginger and garlic mixture to the wok, and then some oil to the mixture. Quickly stir fry all the ingredients until the ginger and garlic become fragrant. Add the contents of the bowl with the chicken back into the wok, and stir fry all the ingredients together.
Add the sauce ingredients to the wok and stir fry the ingredients together. If more sauce is desired, add some liquid (stock or water) to the wok. Add the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce and mix all the ingredients together. Put the cooked ingredients into a serving dish, and serve with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice.

Mesquite Grilled Two Pepper Chicken Wings (燒烤豆科灌木兩椒鷄翼, Siu1 Haau1 Dau6 Fo1 Gun3 Muk6 Loeng5 Ziu1 Gai1 Jik6)

2017-09-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple grilled chicken wing dish that can be made after marinating chicken wings overnight. After marinating, all you need to do is to grind whole black and white peppercorns (or use already ground) and coat the wings (adding salt to the mixture is optional). Mesquite wood is added to the grill, but you can use oak, hickory, pecan, or whatever your favorite wood is, to further enhances the flavor. You can choose to remove the wing tips before marinating, but I leave them on since I don’t mind eating them. The wings are smoked covered over indirect heat.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lbs.	1.5 kg	Chicken wings (雞翼, gai¹ jik⁶)
1 in.	2.5 cm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng¹), crushed in a garlic press
6 cloves	6 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun³), crushed in a garlic press
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi² sin¹ zoeng³)
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si⁶ jau⁴)
½ cup	125 ml.	Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒, siu⁶ hing¹ zau²) or dry sherry
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa⁴ jau⁴)

1-2 Tbs	15-30 ml.	Ground black pepper (黑椒, hak¹ ziu¹)
1-2 Tbs	15-30 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak⁶ wu⁴ ziu¹)
1-2 tsp.	5-10 ml.	Salt (鹽, jim⁴), optional and to taste

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

Instructions

Marinated Chicken Wings

Clean the chicken wings by removing any remaining yellow skin and excess fat. Ideally all the yellow skin was removed during the vendor’s chicken cleaning process, but some always remains and will prevent the marinade from penetrating the skin. Use your fingers and rub any remaining yellow skin from the chicken under running cold water.
Marinate the chicken wings in a covered container up to 48 hours, turning every 24 hours, in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking.
Discard the marinade and then coat the chicken wings with the ground black, white pepper, and salt (optional and to taste). Allow the coated chicken wings to “marinate” for at least one hour before cooking.
Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the mesquite wood for smoking (oak, hickory, or pecan also goes well with this dish) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the chicken. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill to remove any leftover charred bits from the last use and with a folded paper towel coated in oil, using tongs to hold the oil coated paper towel. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
Place the chicken, wing tips down, on the cool side of the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes covered. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with Clay Pot Rice (煲仔飯, Bou¹ Zai² Faan⁶) or steamed rice. The temperature of your fire and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the chicken.