At Home with Chinese Cuisine (31 page)
Read At Home with Chinese Cuisine Online
Authors: T P Hong
This fish geng is a classic dish of HangZhou, the major city of ZheJiang Province. It can be traced back to the Southern Song Dynasty (AD 1127–1279). It was told that, in 1179, Emperor GauZong had a boat trip on the West Lake. He felt hungry, and it was recommended that he tried a fish soup from a street vendor, Song Sau. He liked the flavour and had a chat with her. She told the emperor of her long, hard journey from KaiFong (in HeNan Province, which had been the capital city of the Northern Song Dynasty from 960–1127) to LinAn (the capital city of the Southern Song Dynasty, today’s HangZhou) following the change of dynasty. The emperor was very touched by her loyalty to the court and gifted her with silk and gold coins. Word soon spread, and the dish with the royal seal of approval became popular ever since.
600 g fish with firm flesh, such as mandarin fish, perch, or sea bass 25 g fresh bamboo shoots 25 g dried shiitake mushrooms 2 eggs, beaten well 2 spring onion greens, finely shredded 2 spring onion whites, cut into segments 2 g ginger, finely shredded 1 T ShauXing wine 5 t ZhenJiang rice vinegar 250 ml fish stock or water, heated 1 T cornflour mixed with 15 ml of water salt and pepper 10 ml cooking oil (consider home-made rendered lard) 2 t sesame seed oil (optional) 10 g cooked ham, chopped finely (optional) | To reconstitute the dried shiitake mushrooms, please see “Dried shiitake mushrooms” in the Readers’ Guide to Recipes. Shred them finely. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Fillet the fish and leave the fillets in the marinade; set aside for 10 minutes. Place the fillets on a heatproof dish and steam for 4–5 minutes over high heat. When they are cool to handle, break the flesh and leave them in the bowl with the cooking liquid. Finely shred the bamboo shoots along the fibre. Put the water in a saucepan over medium and bring it to a gentle boil. Add the bamboo shoots and bring them out when the water comes back to a boil. If you wish to have richer soup, use the bones for the fish stock. Chop the bones into small pieces and soak them in water. Change the water a couple of times to remove blood and impurities. Put them in a pot and submerge them in cold water. Bring the water to a boil and remove the surface scum. Add 2 t of the ShauXing wine while the liquid is boiling. Add the ginger and the spring onion white. Allow the liquid to simmer gently for about 15 minutes; drain and set aside. This fish stock is ready to be used. |
For the marinade: 2 spring onion whites 5 g ginger, crushed and chopped coarsely 1 T ShauXing wine salt and pepper | Place a wok over a medium heat. When the wok is hot, add 10 ml of the cooking oil. When the oil heats up, add the segments of the spring onion whites and stir until aromatic. Pour in the fish stock or water. Wait until the liquid starts to boil, remove the surface scum, and add the wine, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. Wait until the liquid starts to boil again, remove the spring onion whites, and add the fish and its cooking liquid. Turn the heat down slightly. Wait for the liquid to boil gently and then drizzle the cornflour and water mixture in a circular motion into the wok; count to 3 before stirring. When it comes to a gentle boil, check the texture of the liquid and add more of the cornflour and water mixture if wished. The next step is to pour the beaten eggs into the wok. Bring the liquid back to a gentle boil and pour the beaten eggs from as high as you can manage into the liquid in a circular motion; count to 3 before stirring gently. (A traditional way of pouring the beaten egg into the wok is to use a ladle to move the soup clockwise in a circular motion, and pour in the beaten eggs anti-clockwise from as high as you can manage into the wok in a circular motion). You do not want lumpy egg pieces in the soup. Count to 3 before stirring gently. Switch off the heat when the liquid returns to a simmer. Drizzle the vinegar and sesame seed oil (if used) on top. Pour the soup in a warm bowl, sprinkle white pepper and chopped ham (if used), and serve. |
Chinese Leaf Slide-slipped with Vinegar
醋熘白菜
and Sour and Hot Chinese Leaf
酸辣白菜
Chinese leaf and pak choy are the two oriental vegetables that have a strong presence in supermarkets in the West. Even though they have distinctive appearances, they actually belong to the same Brassica family. Pak choy belongs to the group of Brassica chinensis. They have round skirt-like green leaves with white or green stalks. Chinese leaf (DaBaiCai in Chinese, or Napa cabbage) belongs to the group of Brassica pekinensis. It has a compact head of cylindrical shape, with stalks (petioles) and pale green or creamy yellow leaves that look like lacy fringes.
Chinese leaf is an autumn vegetable in China. It used to be the staple vegetable for people in the north because of its long storage life to last through the bitterly cold winter months. It is a different story now. Chinese leaf now comes in different shapes and sizes the whole year round. The miniature Chinese leaves with more tender texture (WaWaCai in Chinese, meaning baby Chinese leaf) are for sale all year long. In addition to local greens from polytunnels, there are vegetables transported from the south that provide consumers with many choices in the winter. But the old practice remains. When winter sets in, the Beijing city government will ensure that cheap, giant Chinese leaves are available for householders who wish to buy them in large quantity for pickling or for storing to last until the next spring.
Chinese Leaf Slide-slipped with Vinegar
300–400 g Chinese leaf 1 small carrot (optional) 1 spring onion white 5 g ginger 1 garlic clove (optional) 35 ml cooking oil For the sauce: 2 T rice vinegar 1 t rice wine ½ t light soy sauce 2 T water salt and pepper 15 g granulated sugar 1 t cornflour | To prepare the Chinese leaf, separate the stalks from the leaves. The leaves are not used in this recipe.Split the stalk along the fibre into two. Hold the knife on the slant and cut the stem into diagonal slices of about 2 cm. When carrots are used, cut them into 2 cm segments first and then finely straight-cut the segment lengthwise. Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Place the wok over high heat. Add 20 ml of the cooking oil and wait until it is hot. Stir-fry the stalks and carrots until the stalks change colour and look translucent; it will take 2–4 minutes depending on the thickness and the tenderness of the vegetable. Remove and drain in a colander. Heat the wok over a medium heat. Add 15 ml of the cooking oil and wait until it is hot. Add the ginger, garlic, and spring onion white until their aroma can be detected without picking up colours (less than 5 seconds). Pour the sauce mixture into the wok. Stir continuously in a circular motion for the sauce to thicken. Taste to adjust the seasoning. Add the vegetables and stir to allow the sauce to coat them well (1 minute or so). It is then ready to plate on a warm dish. |
Sour and Hot Chinese Leaf
300–400 g Chinese leaf 50 g carrots (optional) 1 spring onion white 5 g ginger 1 garlic clove (optional) 3 fresh red chilli 35 ml cooking oil For the sauce: 2 T clear/transparent rice vinegar 20–30 g granulated sugar 1 t rice wine ½ t light soy sauce 5 t water salt and pepper 1 t cornflour | Cut the chilli into 1 cm segments diagonally. To prepare the Chinese leaf, separate the stalks from the leaves. The leaves are not used in this recipe. Split the stalk along the fibre into two. Hold the knife on the slant and cut the stalk into diagonal slices of about 2 cm. When carrots are used, cut them into 2 cm segments first and then finely straight-cut the segment lengthwise. Put the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Very little salt is needed (try Place the wok over a high heat. Add 20 ml of the cooking oil and wait until it is hot. Stir-fry the stalks and carrots until the stalks change colour and look translucent; it will take 2–4 minutes depending on the thickness and the tenderness of the vegetable. Remove to drain in a colander. Heat a wok over a medium heat. Add 15 ml of the cooking oil and wait until it is hot. Add the chilli and stir for 10 seconds or so. Add the ginger, garlic, and spring onion white until their aroma can be detected without picking up colours (less than 5 seconds). Pour the sauce mixture into the wok. Stir continuously in a circular motion for the sauce to thicken. Taste to adjust the seasoning. Add the vegetables and stir to allow the sauce to coat them well (1 minute or so). It is then ready to plate on a warm dish. This dish goes very well with pan-fried or steamed fish. |
Chinese Leaf Braised with Chestnuts
板栗燒菜
心
and Sweet and Sour Centipedes
蜈蚣白菜
For braisiing the Chinese Leaf with Chestnuts, the leafy section and the outer 5-6 layers of the Chinese leaf are not used. We only need the tender stalks in the centre.
There is a dish from Beijing called Sweet and Sour Centipedes that can utilise these outer layers. It is a salad with a sweet-sour-spicy dressing. The word “centipede” is used to describe the result of the knife technique on the stalk of the leaf. Trim the stalk into a square or rectangle shape. Hold the knife at a slant and cut along the fibre in 0.2–0.3 mm gap. Do not cut the stalk all the way through. Stop at about 3/4 of the depth and keep the piece of the stalk whole. Turn the stalk around 90 degrees and do straight cuts against the fibre in 0.3–0.4 mm gap. Leave the strips in icy cold water for a couple of hours in the fridge or until the strips curl up and look like the shape of centipedes from the profile. Drain the vegetable and serve with a simple dressing of white vinegar, sugar, and finely chopped fresh chilli with seeds removed.
1 10–15 fresh chestnuts, shelled and skin peeled 1 spring onion white, finely chopped 2 g ginger, finely chopped hot chicken stock or water salt and pepper 1 t cornflour mixed with 5 ml water 30 ml cooking | Cut off the leafy section of the Chinese leaf at where the stalks end by cutting against the fibre. Remove the outer 5–6 layers. Chinese leaf with its cylinder shape has a core to hold the stalks together. Cut the head lengthwise in half and then cut each half into 6 pieces with the stalks still attached to the core. Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water for blanching the stalks. When the water starts to boil, put the stalks in for about 15–20 seconds. Bring them out to cool down in cold water. When they are cold, drain them in a colander. Do not leave them in the water to soak. Steam the chestnuts until cooked (about 20–30 minutes, depending upon the size). Slice them or chop them coarsely as you wish. Heat the wok over a medium heat. Pour 30 ml of the cooking oil into the wok and wait until it heats up. Add the chestnuts and stir until the chestnut surface dries out a little. Add the ginger and spring onion white and stir until you can detect their aroma. Add the pieces of Chinese leaf and stir them carefully so that the stalks do not detach from the core. Leave the Chinese leaf to cook for about 2 minutes, turning them from time to time. Add the hot chicken stock or water to half cover the vegetables. Cook until the liquid is reduced by 80% and the vegetables turn translucent (an indication that they are done). Taste to season. Plate the Chinese leaf on a warm dish. Thicken the liquid in the wok with the cornflour and water mixture only slightly. Taste to check the seasoning. Stir and allow the sauce to bubble away for 20–30 seconds. Pour the sauce over the Chinese leaf to serve. |
Mustard, Chinese Leaf Marinated in Mustard Sauce
芥末,芥末墩儿
Mustard
Mustard was not in my regular diet during my formative years. Wasabi was. My parents had a hotel in a mountain area in Taiwan. It was, and remains the sought after area for growing wasabi for export (mainly to Japan). It is the terroir of the area that suits the wasabi cultivation. The plants enjoy growing along the hillside under the shadow of thick tall pine and cypress trees. We were often given three or four wasabi roots wrapped in newspaper for keeping in the fridge. They are not for keeping long. It was usual to have freshly grated wasabi with sashimi in my parents
’ house. The freshly grated wasabi has a smooth and gentle hotness with a hint of green sweetness. I skip sashimi all together when I catch sight of the artificial green paste from the tube on offer in restaurants. There is simply no comparison between the real thing and the artificial version.
I was introduced to mustard powder when I arrived in the UK. By adding a small amount of cold water and vinegar, it turns into a nice condiment to go with cold meat. I was intrigued when I travelled to India by how yellow and black mustard seeds are used in local dishes and the flavour the mustard oil brings to the dish. The French mustard came along while I was in Paris. Dijon mustard with rabbit is a classic French combination, and it was the recipe Lapin à la Moutarde we must practice in Le Cordon Bleu. The chef (the teacher) asked us to be generous with the mustard. I loved the flavour of mustard and vinegar in the sauce. With pieces of meat from one whole rabbit lasting for three days, the flavour of the dish made a lasting impression on me. For several years, the closest I have come to the word Dijon had been when we stopped in the town of Dijon as it is a convenient stopover for the motorhome when driving down from Calais to Côte Rôtie. Nonetheless, the whole grain mustard sauce with vinegar has its rightful place in our kitchen. Mixed in with honey, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, it is an all-purpose vinaigrette for our salads.
Mustard has been used for its medicinal properties across cultures. The Roman physician Dioscorides (AD 40-90) used white mustard for ailments such as tonsillitis, hardness of hearing, and dullness of vision. Hippocrates used the powdered black mustard seed both internally for ailments such as disorders of the digestive organs and externally for poultices as the predecessor of the mustard plaster we know today. Mustard’s anti-inflammatory properties are well recognised across cultures. In China, TCM also uses mustard to treat symptoms such as bronchitis, chest pain and rheumatism. Modern-day science has discovered additional medicinal use of mustard as a promising agent for the prevention and treatment of cancers such as bladder cancer.
Mustard seed is an ancient spice. According to Rashi, the medieval Talmudic scholar, Abraham served three visiting angels ox tongue and mustard in the Book of Genesis. Recent archaeological evidence points at mustard seeds being used for culinary purposes in Europe more than seven thousand years ago.
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In India, mustard seed was used in curry about three thousand BC. And in China, the seeds from the brown mustard plant (Brassica juncea)
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have been used in food preparation since the Neolithic period.
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Valued for their aroma, intense pungent taste and bright yellow colour, they were used as a spice, condiment, food colouring agent, and for the extraction of oil.
Mustard seeds are not pungent until when they are ground and come into contact with moisture. The moisture and the cell damage resulting from grinding activate the seeds’ enzyme myrosinase to liberate the volatile pungent compound sinigrin to release allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), which is mainly responsible for the pungent taste of the mustard powder. But its pungency is weakened as it comes into contact with heat. When used in a condiment, vinegar is often added to slow down the activity of the enzyme and decrease the speed of disappearance of the pungent compound.
For two years of stay in Shanghai, mustard powder did not leave an impression on me as a popular spice or condiment for the locals. It was a different story in Beijing. Mustard powder is often used for salad dressing and pickling Chinese leaf (as in Korea). I was advised to have a sniff at the spirit the ErGuoTou, which the Beijingese love when the full-frontal attack of the mustard is too much to take. With higher than fifty percent of alcohol by volume, the impact of sniffing this spirit to our nasal passage is equally stimulating.
Chinese mustard powder is slightly coarser in texture than Coleman’s mustard powder. It is a common practice to mix the Chinese mustard powder with an equal amount of lukewarm water and steam for 5-10 minutes. Or the mixture is left in an airtight container and placed at a warm spot for 3 to 4 hours. A nutty taste and a smoother texture develop as the result, with little left of the bitterness and the rawness of the powder’s pungent taste.
Chinese Leaf with Mustard Sauce (JieMoDuner in Beijingese pronunciation) is a traditional winter cold plate and a must-have for the Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner table in Beijing. Many locals are addicted to this dish for its crunchy texture and the kick of the pungent taste of the mustard travelling through the nasal passages.
Traditionally, a jar or urn for pickling is used. Preparing this dish is usually a large-scale operation aiming to last the whole winter through to the early spring. Choose Chinese leaves that are compact and hefty. Only the stalks are used. The leafy part is reserved for other winter dishes such as steamboat or hot pot.
The traditional method of preparing this dish is to keep the Chinese leaf whole. Do not separate the stalks from the core. Cut the Chinese leaf across the fibre into 3–4 cm sections until reaching the end of the stem. Place the sections on a large strainer. Pour boiling water over the vegetable three times. Arrange the sections in layers inside the jar or urn. Spread the mustard powder, sugar, and rice vinegar between layers and leave the container somewhere warm for half a day. Next, leave the container somewhere cool for 2–3 days. The Chinese leaf with mustard sauce will then be ready to serve.
The recipe here is adapted for smaller scale preparation. It takes one day for the dish to be ready to serve.
300–400 g Chinese leaf For the mustard sauce: 2 T clear/transparent vinegar 25–30 g granulated sugar 4 T Coleman’s mustard powder 2 T cold water 1 g salt | Prepare the mustard sauce by combining the ingredients together in a bowl. The sauce can be used as it is, or it can be kept in a warm place for 3–4 hours if you prefer a rounder, pungent taste and a smoother, thickened t Remove 5-7 of the outer layers for this dish. Trim off the leafy part from where the stalks end by cutting across the fibre. Only the stalks are used. Keep the leafy fringe on both sides of the stalk. Chinese leaf with its cylinder shape has a core to hold the stalks together. Separate the stalks from the core and rinse well. Prepare a pot of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of salt for blanching the stalks. Put the stalks into the boiling water in 2 batches. Immerse the stalks in the boiling water and remove them immediately; repeat the process once more. Shake off the excess water and put the stalks in a fridge-proof container with an airtight lid. Arrange the stalks in a single layer. Pour the mustard sauce over them and mix well. Put the lid on and leave it in the fridge for a day. When ready to serve, place a piece of stalk on a plate, and with the next piece in the opposite direction (top/bottom) overlapping halfway. Roll them up and cut the roll into 3–4 cm sections. Arrange them upright and pour the sauce in the container on top of each section to serve. |