At Home with Chinese Cuisine (29 page)
Read At Home with Chinese Cuisine Online
Authors: T P Hong
Light-flavoured Sauce for Serving Steamed Fish
120 ml vegetable broth or water
2 T naturally fermented or light soy sauce
1 t sugar
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Drain and keep it warm for drizzling around the fish,
For the vegetable broth:
3 spring onion whites,
coriander roots and stem (optional)
2 T ShauXing wine
90 ml water
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Drain, and the broth is ready to be used.
500 g fish with firm flesh (such as mandarin fish, perch, sea bass, or garoupa) 2 T ShauXing wine or other rice wine 2 spring onion whites 3 spring onion whites, shredded 10 g ginger, finely shredded salt and pepper sesame seed oil | Follow the technique stated above to prepare the fish ready for steaming. Have a heatproof dish with a slightly raised rim that will fit into the steamer. Brush it with a thin coat of the sesame seed oil. Pour a generous amount of water into the steamer. Place the heatproof dish inside the steamer for preheating. Bring the water into to a roaring boil over a high heat. When you are ready to cook, bring the plate out and place 2 pieces of spring onion whites on the dish, and the fish on top. Place the shredded spring onion whites and ginger on top of the fish and in the cavity. Make sure that the water in the steamer is boiling fiercely. Steam for 8–10 minutes, depending upon the thickness of the fish. When the time is up, switch off the heat and open the lid. |
For the garnish: 2 spring onions, finely shredded 5 g ginger, finely shredded 1 fresh red chilli, split open, de-seeded, and finely shredded 20 ml grapeseed oil (or lard) coriander leaves (optional) | Remove the spring onion whites and ginger. Drain the cooking liquid into a saucepan. Put the fish back to the steamer without the lid on to allow the residual heat to keep the fish warm. Bring the cooking liquid to the boil and reduce the volume to about 40 ml. Taste to adjust the seasoning. Pour the liquid over the fish. Place the finely shredded spring onions, ginger, and red chilli for the garnish on top of the fish, distributing them evenly to cover the flesh. Heat the oil until about 210°C and drizzle it over the garnishes. You will hear the sizzling sound as the hot oil touches the garnishes. Place the fresh coriander on top before serving, if so desired. Enjoy the dish as soon as possible. |
Further
suggestions:
If you love the flavour of fermented black beans, chop 1-2 t of them coarsely and add them to the 20 ml of the grapeseed oil (over a medium heat) when it is warm. Stir continuously and add chopped garlic when the oil is hot. Pour the mixture over the garnishes.
The oil can also be flavoured with Sichuan peppercorns to give a numbing sensation. Heat the wok until hot over a low heat. Add 20–30 ml of the cooking oil. When the oil is lukewarm, add the de-seeded SiChuan peppercorns into the wok and stir until the aroma of the peppercorns is released and the colour of the peppercorns turns slightly darker. Switch off the heat and allow the peppercorns to infuse in the oil for 10 minutes or more. Remove the peppercorns from the wok. Turn up the heat for the oil to reach about 210°C for drizzling on the garnish. Finally, place coriander leaves on top of the three fine shreds to serve.
People have drawn inspiration from the appearance of the auspicious animal QiLin for the presentation of this dish – hence the name of the dish. QiLin (Chinese unicorn) are mythical creatures that are associated with good omens, serenity, and propitiousness. Their statues can be found guarding the entrances to palaces, imperial tombs, or temples. Qi is the male, and Lin is the female. When facing the entrance, Lin is on the left-hand side with a young one playing by her front hoof.
Their appearance indicates the time period they were built. Before the Qing Dynasty, they were often described as with the head of a dragon (with a pair of horns), the body of a tiger with fish scales, the hooves of a horse, and the tail of an ox. By the Qing Dynasty, they had the head of a dragon, the antlers of a deer, the skin and scales of a fish, the hooves of an ox, and the tail of a lion. It is their association with the fish skin and scales that has influenced the choice of ingredients and the presentation of this dish.
750–900 g whole fish with firm texture (such as mandarin fish, perch, or garoupa) 4–6 dried shiitake mushrooms 1 fresh bamboo shoot 1 piece JinHua ham or other salty ham (such as Serrano ham or Parma ham), or a piece of carrot 4 finely sliced ginger 3 spring onion whites 2 T ShauXing wine salt and pepper | To reconstitute dried shiitake mushrooms and to steam them for softer texture, please see “Dried shiitake mushrooms” in the Readers’ Guide to Recipes. Prepare the fish ready for steaming (please refer to the recipe Steamed Seasonal Fish with Three Silken Shreds). Cut the head off. Split it but keep it in one piece and flatten it. Cut the tail off with about 3 cm of flesh attached. Set the head and the tail aside. Fillet the fish. With the fillets, hold the knife on a slant and cut each fillet diagonally into pieces with 1 cm thickness. Try to have the same number of pieces from each fillet. Leave them in a bowl. Hold the lower arm parallel to the work surface with the fingers pointing downwards in a closed circle and lift the arm up and down whilst simultaneously opening and closing the fingers. With this mixing motion, mix in the wine with the fish, followed by a small quantity of salt (start with 1/4 t at a time) and pepper until no visible liquid is left in the bowl and the meat is slightly sticky to touch. Mix in the egg white the same way. Leave the meat in the fridge to rest for at least 30 minutes. With the steamer over a high heat, steam the reconstituted mushrooms, bamboo shoot, and ham or carrot for about 30 minutes until cooked. When they are cool enough to handle, squeeze the mushrooms dry and slice them on the slant thinly. Slice the bamboo shoot and ham or carrot thinly (less than 0.2 cm) all with the same thickness and a similar size and shape as the mushrooms. |
For the sauce: 100 ml cooking liquid from steaming the fish 1 t cornflour mixed with 5 ml water salt and pepper For the garnish: Broccoli florets or pak choy | Blanch the broccoli florets in lightly salted boiling water until when they are al dente; leave them aside on a plate to cool down. If pak choy is used, blanch them in lightly salted boiling water over a high heat with the stem into the water first for about 5 seconds, followed by the leaves. Bring the pak choy out when the leaves wither (less than 5 seconds) and cool them down in water with ice. Drain them once they are cool and set aside. When you are ready to cook, arrange the fish pieces in two rows on a heatproof dish with a slightly raised rim that will fit into the steamer. Place the tail and the head where they should be at either end to restore the shape of the fish. Insert 1 piece each of the mushroom, bamboo shoot, and ham or carrot between the fish pieces. Sprinkle the wine, a small pinch of salt, and a large pinch of white pepper on the fish to season. Place the ginger and the spring onion whites on top. Place the steamer over a high heat with a generous amount of water in it. When the water comes to a roaring boil and the steamer is hot, put the dish in, put the lid on, and steam for 8–10 minutes. When the time is up, switch off the heat and open the lid. Remove the ginger and the spring onion whites. Drain the cooking liquid into a measuring jug. Put the fish back to the steamer without the lid on, to allow the residual heat to keep the fish warm. Top up the cooking liquid in the measuring jug, if needed, to have 100 ml of liquid. Pour the liquid into a saucepan, bring it to a boil over a medium heat, and reduce it slightly. Turn the heat down slightly to add the cornflour and water mixture and stir to mix. Bring the heat back up and stir until the sauce returns to a boil. Taste to season. Pour it onto the fish; you might not want to use up all the sauce. Arrange the garnish along the plate, in the middle between the fillets or in any way you prefer. Serve immediately. |
Sweet and Sour (GuLau) Prawns with Pineapple
菠蘿咕咾蝦
Dishes pre
pared with sweet and sour sauce GuangDongnese style are referred to as GuLau or GuLu. GuLau means ancient, whereas GuLu is the noise our stomachs make when we are faced with a dish that makes us salivate. The ingredients for the sauce are easy to distinguish from those used up in the north. In GuanDong, clear rice vinegar is used instead of brown rice vinegar. Vegetables (such as bell peppers) and fruits (such as pineapples) are added. Ketchup is an important ingredient to give colour, acidity, and sweetness.
Ketchup is the legacy of foreign influence. With the major port city into China situated in GuangDong Province, its cuisine had long been exposed to overseas influence. Adventurous chefs experimented with imported ingredients and incorporated them into the local dishes, and ketchup was one of them. It has been used to replace candied hawthorn slices that used to be used for giving colour, acidity, and sweetness in the GuangDongnese sweet and sour sauce. The traditional sweet and sour sauce made of white vinegar, granulated sugar, and candied hawthorn slices can still be found in some local restaurants that insist on preserving the traditional flavour.
Because of the proximity of GuangDong Province to the sea, prawns are used more often than in Beijing as the main ingredient for the sweet and sour dish. Fresh pineapple is used for this recipe. It has the fruity aroma and the natural sweet and acidic tastes that liven up a dish the tinned ones cannot.
It is important to get the taste of the sauce the way you like it. Trial and error is the best way. I suggest that you try out the sauce mixture in a saucepan to adjust the recipe to your liking first. Taste the ketchup and vinegar before using them so that you have an idea what to do with different brands.
250 g fresh prawns, shelled 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/5 fresh pineapple 1/4 green bell pepper 1/4 red bell pepper 2 T cornflour 115 ml cooking oil For the marinade: 2 t wine salt 2 t cornflour and 1 t water 2–3 T cornflour Sweet and sour sauce mixture: 1 1/2 T ketchup 1 T (or slightly less) clear/transparent rice vinegar 1 T (or more) sugar 1/4 t salt pepper 1 T cornflour mixed with 1 T water 1 T water | To prepare shelled prawns for cooking, please see “Shelled prawns” in the Readers’ Guide to Recipes. To marinade the prawns, please see “Marinade (how to)” in the Readers’ Guide to Recipes. Bring the prawns out of the fridge to return to room temperature before cooking. Cut the bell pepper into a diamond shape slightly smaller than the prawn. Cut the pineapple into pieces slightly smaller than the bell pepper. Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl. To season the wok before cooking, please see “Wok” in the Readers’ Guide to Recipes. Put the wok back to the heat source and adjust it to a medium-low heat. Add 100 ml of the cooking oil and heat the oil to reach 100°C. Add the prawns and count to 5 before stirring. Stir from time to time until the prawns start to change colour. Put the bell peppers in and stir until the prawns turn pink. Drain the prawns and the bell peppers in a colander with a bowl underneath. Heat the wok over a medium heat. Add 15 ml of the cooking oil and allow it to heat up. Add the garlic. When the garlic smells aromatic and before it picks up any colour, pour in the sauce mixture and stir continuously until the sauce thickened and bubbling away. Pour in the prawns, bell peppers, and pineapples. Toss or stir to mix until the sauce coats the prawns and there is no residual sauce hanging loose in the wok (less than 30 seconds). Plate on a warm dish and serve immediately. |