cookeatblog.com » Chinese Food

Shantung Lamb Ribs

leej — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:00:24 +0000

I tried these for the first time in Canberra a few weeks ago – this dish is a bit of an institution in the capital at a restaurant called Portias. I’ve eaten Shantung chicken countless times, but never lamb and I can tell you now the results are stunning. Lamb ribs are a forgotten cut of meat but they are every bit as tasty as other, more expensive, cuts. Cooking them twice means you get all the tenderness of a slow cooked meat alongside all the crunchiness of a deep fried meat. All food should be cooked this way. The home cooked version of these ribs, while not as spectacular as Portias are pretty damn tasty! Not bad for a first attempt! Give these a try – I urge you!

INGREDIENTS:
1.5kg lamb ribs
1 heaped teaspoon grund cumin
2 teaspoons sea salt

2 garlic cloves (finely chopped )
2 chiles (finely chopped)
 2 spring onions (finely chopped)
 1 teaspoon sugar 
1 teaspoon sesame oil 
2 tablespoons mild chicken stock 
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shaoxing wine
2 teaspoons rice vinegar 
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

4 tablespoons rice flour
400ml vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the cumin and salt then toss the ribs in the mix to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Heat a wok, then add the garlic, chiles, spring onions, sugar and sesame oil, Stir-fry for 1 minute, then add the chicken stock, salt, shaoxing wine and vinegar. Stir over medium heat until boiling, then simmer for about 20 seconds. Remove from heat.

Place the ribs in a steamer pan and steam for 1 1/2 hours until very tender. Carefully toss them in the rice flour to coat well.

Heat a deep pan with the oil until just hot, not smoking. Add 5-6 ribs at a time and fry for 1-2 minutes until well browned. Drain on paper towels and repeat with all the ribs.

Arrange on a platter then pour over the cold sauce.

SERVING:
I served mine with eggs and garlic chives, a cold cucumber salad and lots of boiled rice.

Eggs with Garlic Chives

leej — Sun, 22 May 2011 14:00:19 +0000

There’s a great restaurant in Sydney’s Chinatown that serves this delicious dish. The mild garlic flavour of the chives combined with the soft eggs is sublime. They serve it with small pancakes to wrap around which just adds to the whole flavour. I can’t go to this restaurant without ordering it. Making it at home is easy too – it’s really simple to put together and surprisingly tasty. What are you waiting for?

INGREDIENTS:
5 eggs (lightly beaten)
3 cups garlic chives (cut into 5cm pieces)
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the egg with the shaoxing wine, soy, salt & pepper and vegetable oil and set aside.

Heat a wok with the peanut and sesame oil until hot – just smoking. Add the garlic chives and stir fry for 2 minutes until cooked. Add the eggs and let them set for 30 seconds before stirring. Have them lightly scrambled but still moist. Remove from pan and serve.

SERVING:
Serve alongside other Chinese dishes or simply with steamed Chinese rice pancakes.

Chinese Eggplant

leej — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 14:00:59 +0000

This was an absolute surprise hit for tonight’s dinner. I’d made some delicious Xinjiang lamb skewers and wanted some vegetable component to the dish. The only thing I could find was a large eggplant which had been languishing in the fridge for 3 days. I knew a recipe for a simple stir fry sauce and knew it would work as a pour over sauce for the cooked eggplant. I do like it when I’m proven correct. It was delicious. The eggplant was creamy and the sauce deliciously sweet and salty. Sprinkled with a few crunchy spring onions it made an altogether satisfying side to the mega spicy lamb skewers. Top notch.

Sauce:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup chinese wine
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 2 tablespoons water)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (crushed)
1 tablespoon garlic (crushed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large eggplant (cut into thick slices)
freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
To make the sauce:
Mix together the stock, wine, sesame oil, sugar, soy sauce and white pepper and set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a saucepan. When hot, fry the garlic and ginger for 20 seconds until browning. Pour in the stock mixture and let it bubble for 30 seconds before adding the cornstarch. Stir until thickened, for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the eggplant:
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan and when hot place the eggplant slices in one layer of the pan. Fry for 7 minutes per side until nicely browned. Sprinkle with black pepper then pour over the sauce. It will bubble furiously. Turn the eggplant to coat thoroughly. Then remove from the heat.

Cover and leave to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

SERVING:
Sprinkle with fresh coriander and spring onion alongside some rice and/or chinese style meat or fish.

Sesame & Spring Onion Chicken

leej — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:00:13 +0000

I hate to sound like a bad TV chef, but tonight I just wanted something quick and easy. The thought of standing over a slow cooking pot didn’t appeal – chances are I would have eaten most of it before it cooked properly, so instead I opted for something relatively speedy. Chinese food is always good if you’re in a hurry to eat or sit down and this dish, as quick as it is to prepare doesn’t sacrifice anything on the taste front. I really love the smoky, nutty flavour of sesame and it’s very pronounced in this dish. Beautiful! I used some chicken winglets (the little bits from the base of the wing that look like mini-drumsticks – I get them from a very loud Chinese man at Sydney’s Paddy’s Market – he is incapable of giving me the specific amount I ask for and is always about 200g over. I not so secretly know he does it on purpose, but his cheerful barking voice and beaming smile win me over every time. The trouble is I always eat the extra 200g myself…

INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon fresh ginger (thinly julienned)
2 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
600g chicken pieces (wings, thighs, drumsticks – you decide)
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
½ tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
large pinch white pepper
5 spring onions (cut into 4cm batons)
1 small red chilli (seeded and julienned)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (dry roasted till lightly browned)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the sesame oil in a wok over a moderate heat until just smoking, add the ginger and fry for 10-20 seconds until light brown. Add the chicken and stir fry for around 20 seconds before adding the soy, oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine. Stir for a further 2-3 minutes then add about 150ml water and stir well. Reduce the heat and put on a lid and simmer the chicken for about 6-7 minutes until cooked through. Stir in the spring onion and chilli (if using) and cook for no more than 1 minute. Season with a pinch of white pepper. If the sauce is too dry you can also add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen it up.

SERVING:
Serve immediately on a large platter with the sesame seeds sprinkled over.

Hainanese Chicken & Rice

leej — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:00:40 +0000

I love this dish! It’s so damn tasty and so damn simple. This Malaysian treat looks a lot more difficult than it really is. If I’m feeling virtuous it’s the choice I make at one of my favourite Malaysian restaurants which is awkwardly positioned right next door to the gym. If I don’t fall prey to either a Laksa or a fabulous Roti Canai then this is the dish I always choose. I made it at home for the second time tonight and I must say, my version was pretty much the same as I get at the restaurant. Spot on! The condiments are essential with this – I used shop bought sambal together with a spring onion and ginger relish, which is easy to make and almost stole the show.

CHICKEN:
1 whole chicken (1.5kg)
2 teaspoons salt
2 cloves garlic (peeled and bruised with the side of a knife)
4 slices fresh ginger
4 spring onions (trimmed and cleaned)
1 lemon grass stalk (trimmed and bruised at end)
5-6 coriander stalks (with roots – cleaned)
3 tablespoons sesame oil

CHICKEN RICE:
2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons peanut oil
5 spring onions (very finely chopped)
5 cloves garlic (very finely chopped)
3/4 teaspoon salt

GARNISH:
1 small cucumber (sliced)
1 tomato (sliced)
Fresh coriander
Malaysian chilli sambal
Spring onion & ginger relish*

*Spring onion & ginger relish:
5 spring onions (sliced)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (grated)
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Wash and dry the chicken inside and out. Stuff the ginger, garlic and spring onions into the cavity. Place in a large saucepan, breast side down. Pour over 3 litres of water and season with salt. Bring to a boil over a moderate heat then turn down to very gentle simmer and cook for 45 minutes. Turn off the heat then plunge the bird into a large bowl of ice water to stop it cooking. Keep the cooking liquid. When cooled, pat the chicken dry, then rub the sesame oil all over and leave covered to come to room temperature.

To make the spring onion relish:
Mix together the peanut and sesame oils in a small saucepan, add the onion and ginger and then turn on the heat. Let it come to a gentle fry over a moderate heat and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and soy sauce. The flavour is supposed to be quite salty and intense. Leave to cool completely.

To make the rice, wash and drain until the water runs clear then leave to dry a little. Heat a saucepan with the oil and fry the spring onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes over a moderate heat. Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes to coat thoroughly. Add 4 cups of the chicken cooking liquid and the salt. Bring to a boil over a high heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes until air holes appear on the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 20-30 minutes without stirring until the rice is cooked and is just beginning to stick to the bottom. Cover the top of the pan with a tea towel, then replace the lid and leave for 10 minutes before serving.

SERVING:
Remove the skin and cut the chicken into large chunks. Serve a few chunks of chicken on a plate alongside a little mound of rice moulded from a small bowl. Add a few slices of cucumber and tomatoes and a sprinkle of fresh coriander. If you like, you can also serve some of the left over hot chicken broth with a little chinese greens in as a simple soup to accompany.

Chinese Rice Cakes with Spring Onion and Corn

leej — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 12:47:39 +0000

Now these little blighters were an absolute revelation. I hadn’t held out much hope for them as I had thought I’d messed up the preparation. I subsequently discovered that I had made them perfectly! The crunchy outer shell, and the salty, fragrant filling are just perfect. The directions seem complex, but in actual fact they’re pretty easy. You’ll be able to get hold of all the flours very easily in any Asian supermarket – or like me in a regular supermarket in the Asian or health food section.

INGREDIENTS:
For the dough:
½ cup rice flour
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour
1½ tablespoons peanut oil
pinch salt

For the filling:
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 garlic clove (minced)
3 cups chopped spring onion
1 tablespoon fresh coriander (chopped)
1 cup fresh corn kernels
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
pinch white pepper

Peanut oil (for frying)

DIRECTIONS:
To make the dough, combine all the flours with the salt. Pour in the oil and 1/2 cup water and stir well. You should produce a sticky dough (if too wet add a little more rice flour). Heat a large saucepan over a low heat. Dollop out the dough into the pan and start stirring. The dough should release itself from the pan easily. Keep stirring till it thickens and becomes less sticky (about 3-4 minutes) don’t stop moving it around the pan or it will burn. After the 3 minutes, turn the dough onto a board and cool for 5 minutes. Sprinkle over a little of the rice flour and knead for 3-4 minutes until it becomes more elastic and pliable. Divide into 8 balls and arrange on a plate. Cover and set aside.

To make the filling, heat the oil in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Sizzle the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the spring onions and stir well for 4-5 minutes until wilted. Add the corn and cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the soy, coriander, sugar and white pepper. Cook for a further 2 minutes before spooning into a bowl to cool completely.

Take a rice dough ball and flatten it out in your hands to a 10x10cm disc. Place a heaped tablespoon of the filling into the centre then bring up all the edges to form a kind of money bag. Pinch the edges together. Flatten the bag into a rounded rectangular shape and arrange on a plate while you repeat the process with the remaining rice balls.

Heat some water in a steamer pan and then arrange the cakes (without touching) on a piece of baking parchment in the pan and steam for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and rub in a little oil to stop them sticking. Cover and cool for 15 minutes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan with 1 cup peanut oil over a moderate heat then when hot, place in all the cakes so that they aren’t touching. Fry them for 5 minutes each side until golden brown. Be very careful as these little cakes can spit quite viciously! Stand well back.

Drain on paper towels then serve immediately.

SERVING:
Serve with some soy sauce to dip and a few lime wedges to tart up the flavour.

Spicy Pork Stir Fry

leej — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:00:37 +0000

Here’s a delicious stir fry for pork or beef. It’s full of flavour and actually packs a little punch of spice too. The 14 chillies sound excessive I know, but actually it’s not as overpowering as you’d imagine. You’re not really meant to eat them anyway, their job is to impart the heat at a controlled level and then be picked out at the diner’s discretion. The overall flavour of this dish is great – a really simple, and incredibly flavourful combination – a must try!

INGREDIENTS:
500g lean pork (cut into thin strips)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons peanut oil
6 cloves garlic (minced)
14 small dried red chilles
6 spring onions (cut into 3cm pieces)
1 red capsicum (cut into thin slices)
1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, cornstarch. Pour over the pork and leave, covered for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the garlic and dried chillies and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beef and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the capsicum and spring onion spring and cook for a further 2-3 minutes before stirring in the bean paste, hoisin sauce and light soy sauce. Stir until hot then remove from the heat and serve immediately.

SERVING:
Sprinkle with a little fresh coriander and serve with boiled rice.

Chinese Broccoli in Sweet Sauce

leej — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:00:30 +0000

I love the crunchiness of Chinese broccoli. This is a simple dish which has a lovely, slightly sweet sauce. It’s a perfect accompaniment to hotpot or pretty much any other chinese dish.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch Chinese broccoli
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon ginger (minced)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon hot chilli sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Mix together the soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch and ½ cup water. Set aside. Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for 10-15 seconds. Pour in the sauce (careful to avoid any spitting) then add the broccoli. Stir well then cover the pan – reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Shangri-la Beef with Snow Peas

leej — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 01:00:15 +0000

Cooking for me normally involves quite a lot of time in the kitchen. I am fairly new to Chinese food and a whole new world of quick food has opened up for me. I love spending time prepearing and waiting for my food, so I’m not entirely used to having my food ready to eat so speedily. I am having to adjust the time I start cooking, otherwise I’ll be back in the kitchen picking and nibbling within the hour! This stir fry is simple, but moreover it’s utterly delicious. The soft, tender beef is just perfect with the crunchy texture of the peas – and the simple sauce is lovely.

INGREDIENTS:
400g beef steak (cut into thin strips)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic (minced)
6 spring onions (cut into 3cm pieces)
2 cups snow peas
1 tablespoon chilli bean paste
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce

DIRECTIONS:
Combine the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cooking wine, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour over the beef and leave, covered for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a wok until hot. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds then add the beef and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, keeping everything moving. Add the spring onions and snow peas and cook for a further 2 minutes before stirring in the bean paste and hoisin sauce. Stir until hot then remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Chinese Red Pork

leej — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:00:02 +0000

I love that the Chinese love pork. It’s one of my favourite meats – so tasty and versatile. Cooked slowly, the pork in this dish is just meltingly delicious. It’s almost too hard to describe just how sublime this sauce is. I was very very impressed just how wonderful it was. Sweet, salty and fragrant – an absolute delight! It’s the meal of the month!

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
1kg Pork Shoulder (cut into large 5x5cm chunks)
1 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
6 tablespoons light soy sauce

Sauce:
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable)
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons hoi sin sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)
250ml chicken stock
4 star anise
2 tablespoons fresh ginger (cut into thin juliennes)
3 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
1 cinnamon stick

10 spring onions (trimmed and cut to 15cm)

To marinade the pork:
Mix together the pork with all the marinade ingredients in a sealable plastic bag and coat well. Leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but the longer the better. Overnight will really make a difference!

To cook:
Heat the peanut oil till hot in a large frying pan and add 1/3 of the pork and fry, untouched for 1-2 minutes per side to brown the meat. Place the meat in a large saucepan and repeat with the remaining two batches of pork.

Mix together the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, hoi sin sauce, Chinese cooking wine, chicken stock, sugar, star anise, ginger, garlic, cinnamon and 250ml water. Pour this over the meat. It should be just covering the pork. Heat over a moderate temperature until simmering. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Arrange the spring onions on top then cover again and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve.

SERVING:
Serve with plenty of boiled rice and a vegetable side.