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Recipes tested---
Hot and Sour Soup
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) tree ears 1/4 cup (1 ounce)
dried lily buds
4 Chinese dried black mushrooms (1 1/2 ounces)
2 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into
thin 1-inch-long strips
1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots (1 1/2 ounces), rinsed,
drained, and cut into 1-inch-long julienne
1/2 cake firm bean curd, cut in half horizontally, and
then crosswise into thin 1-inch-long strips
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups Chicken Stock or canned chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper, or more to taste
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 scallion, green part only, trimmed and minced
1. Place the tree ears, lily buds, and dried mushrooms
in three separate bowls. Add hot water to cover to
each bowl, and let stand until the vegetables have
softened, about 30 minutes. Drain, and cut each
vegetable into thin 1-inch-long strips. Set aside.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high
heat. Add the chicken, bamboo shoots, bean curd, tree
ears, lilies, and mushrooms, and cook until the
chicken turns opaque, about 30 seconds. Drain in a
colander. Clean the saucepan.
3. Beat the egg in a small bowl until frothy. Heat the
oil in an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low
heat. Drizzle in the beaten egg to make a thin, lacy
crepe, and cook until set, about 1 minute. Slide the
crepe gently out of the skillet onto a cutting board,
and slice it into 1/4-inch thick shreds about 2 inches
long.
4. Bring the stock, soy sauce, and white pepper to a
boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the
drained chicken mixture and return to a boil.
5. Dissolve the cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water in a
small bowl. Add to the saucepan, and stir gently until
the soup thickens, about 30 seconds. Taste the soup,
and add more white pepper if you wish. The soup should
be spicy, but season it gradually or you may go too
far. Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl, and
stir in the vinegar and sesame oil. Garnish with the
egg strips and scallion, and serve immediately.
Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
4 small Japanese eggplants (about 1 pound total),
trimmed
Vegetable oil, for passing through.
Need to know---Passing
through is a Shanghai and Sichuan cooking technique
where the meat is cooked in a large amount of hot oil,
then the oil is drained away and the remainder of the
dish is cooked in what remains. This makes these
recipes authentic!
Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 scallion, white and green parts, trimmed and minced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon hot bean paste
1 teaspoon hot chili oil, optional
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high
heat. Keep the water at a simmer. Line a baking sheet
with paper towels and place it near the stove.
2. Using a sharp knife, lightly score the skin of the
eggplants in a crosshatch pattern, with the lines
about 1 inch apart. Halve or quarter the eggplants
lengthwise to make sticks about 1/2 inch wide. Cut the
sticks into 2-inch lengths.
3. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to
come about 1 1/2 inches up the sides of the wok, and
heat it to 325°F. Working in batches without crowding,
add the eggplant to the oil and fry just until it
softens but still holds its shape, about 45 seconds.
Do not overcook. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, dip
the eggplant briefly in the hot water, then spread it
out on the paper towels to drain. Repeat with the
remaining eggplant, wiping the strainer dry after each
frying. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from
the wok.
4. To begin the sauce, mix the soy sauce, sugar,
vinegar, rice wine, and white pepper in a small bowl,
and set it aside. Dissolve the cornstarch in 3
tablespoons cold water in another small bowl, and set
it aside.
5. Return the wok with the oil to high heat. Add the
scallion, ginger, and garlic, and stir-fry until
fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the hot bean paste and
the soy sauce mixture, and stir-fry for 15 seconds.
Add the eggplant and stir-fry until the sauce is
boiling and the eggplant is hot, about 30 seconds. Add
the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce
thickens, about 10 seconds. Add the hot chili oil, if
using, and stir-fry for 10 seconds. Add the sesame
oil, and serve immediately.
The original Sichuan recipe for this dish was for a
cold, somewhat chewy appetizer of fried, dried, and
shredded beef. It is a far cry from Shun Lee's Crispy
Orange Beef, which was introduced in 1971, and which
millions of Americans have since come to love.
Makes 4 servings
Crispy Orange Beef
8 ounces flank steak, cut into pieces 1 inch long, 1/2
inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 orange
Sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
Vegetable oil, for passing through
1 cup cornstarch
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3 scallions, white part only, trimmed and sliced
diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon hot chili paste
1. Mix the flank steak, baking soda, and 3 tablespoons
of water in a medium bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for
4 hours or overnight. (The baking soda will tenderize
the steak.)
2. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the colored zest
from the orange. Cut the zest into thin strips about 1
inch long, and set them aside. Save the orange flesh
for another use.
3. To begin the sauce, mix the sugar, vinegar, rice
wine, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set
it aside.
4. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough
vegetable oil to come about 1 1/2 inches up the sides
of the wok, and heat it to 375°F. Meanwhile, add the
cornstarch and egg white to the steak, and mix well to
coat the steak with the batter.
5. Add the flank steak to the oil, one piece at a time
so it doesn't splash or stick together, and stir
gently until it begins to look crispy, about 1 minute.
Using a wide wiremesh strainer, transfer the steak to
a colander to drain. Using a fine-mesh wire strainer,
remove any bits of fried batter from the wok.
6. Reheat the oil to 375°F, return the flank steak to
the wok, and fry again until the beef is crispy all
over, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a strainer to
drain. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from
the wok.
7. Return the wok with the oil to high heat. Add the
scallions, flank steak, sugar-vinegar mixture, orange
zest, sesame oil, Grand Marnier, and hot chili paste.
Stir-fry until all of the ingredients are
well-blended, about 30 seconds. Serve immediately.
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