The Food of Asia. Kong Foong Ling
1 teaspoon cornflour, mixed with water
Cilantro (coriander) leaves to garnish
Deep-fry the eggplant pieces in very hot oil for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
Pour out all but 2 teaspoons of the oil and stir-fry pork over high heat for 2 minutes. Add dried shrimp, chili paste, salted soy beans. 1 teaspoon of the scallion and the mushrooms. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add all remaining ingredients, except remaining scallion, cornflour, and cilantro. Heat, then put in eggplant and cook another 30 seconds. Thicken with cornflour and serve garnished with the cilantro leaves and remaining scallion.
Ma Po Dou Fu
Spicy Beancurd with Minced Beef
The dominant ingredient is meltingly soft beancurd laced with pungent Sichuan seasonings.
3 tablespoons oil (or chili oil)
4 oz (125 g) minced lean beef
1 tablespoon chopped, salted black beans
1 tablespoon chopped, salted soy beans
1 tablespoon very finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon very finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chili paste
2-3 scallions (spring onions), finely sliced
1 cup (250 ml) chicken or beef stock
1 lb (500 g) soft beancurd, diced
1 tablespoon black soy sauce Salt to taste
2 teaspoons cornflour, blended with water
1 teaspoon powdered Sichuan peppercorns
Heat oil and stir-fry beef and black beans for 3-4 minutes. Add salted soy beans, ginger, garlic, chili paste, and half the scallion. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes, then add the stock and beancurd.
Simmer for 5 minutes, season with soy sauce and salt, then thicken with cornflour. Sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and scallion, then serve.
Jiang Cong Chao Zhu Gan
Stir-fried Pork Liver
10 oz (300 g) pork liver, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 teaspoons oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1¼ in (3 cm) ginger, finely sliced
1 scallion (spring onion), cut in
1 ¼-in (3 cm) lengths
½ red chili, deseeded and sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch, blended with water
Marinate liver with wine for about 5 minutes. Heat oil and fry the garlic for a few seconds, then add drained liver, ginger, scallion, and chili (if using). Stir-fry over high heat for a few seconds. Add stock powder, soy sauce, and sugar and continue stir-frying for 1-2 minutes, until the liver is cooked. Thicken with cornstarch and serve immediately.
Chao Qing Cai
Stir-fried Mixed Vegetables
½ cup (75 g) snow peas, ends trimmed
2 teaspoons oil
Pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon sugar
3 oz (90 g) bamboo shoots, quartered lengthwise then cut in 2-in (5-cm) lengths
6-8 dried black mushrooms, soaked
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce dash of ground white pepper
1 teaspoon cornflour, blended with water
Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 5 seconds, then drain. Heat oil and stir-fry blanched snow peas with salt and sugar for 30 seconds. Remove from wok. Add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, chicken stock and all seasonings and bring to a boil. Simmer 1 minute, add the snow peas, then thicken with cornstarch. Serve immediately.
Shuan Yang Rou
Mongolian Lamb Hotpot
Mongolian Hotpot is popular in winter and as a reunion dinner, with everyone sitting around in a cozy warm circle, cooking their own portions of food in the bubbling hotpot
1 lb (500 g) boneless lamb leg
1-2 cakes beancurd, sliced
3 cups (200 g) Napa cabbage, coarsely chopped
4 oz (125 g) dried rice vermicelli, soaked in hot water to soften
Stock
1¼ in (3 cm) ginger, finely sliced
1 scallion (spring onion), coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
6 cups (1 ½ liters) stock made from lamb leg bone boiled with water
Dips and Garnishes
½ cup (125 ml) sesame paste
2 tablespoons fermented beancurd, mashed
½ cup (125 ml) light soy sauce
½ cup (125 ml) red rice vinegar
½ cup (125 ml) Chinese rice wine
¼ cup (60 ml) chili oil (page 47)
4 tablespoons pickled garlic
Bunch of cilantro (coriander) leaves, chopped
Slice the lamb paper thin, leaving on a little of the fat (this is typical in Beijing, but can be omitted if preferred). Roll up the slices and arrange on a plate. Put the beancurd and cabbage on separate plates, and divide the soaked vermicelli among 6 individual soup bowls.
Arrange all dips and garnishes in small bowls and place on the table for diners to use according to taste.
Heat all stock ingredients in a pan, then carefully transfer to a hotpot. Bring back to a boil. Each diner cooks his own portions of meat, beancurd, and cabbage, seasoning them afterwards with the dip of his choice, accompanied by pieces of pickled garlic and cilantro. When all the ingredients are used, the rich stock is poured into the soup bowls over the noodles and eaten as a final course.
Hei Jiao Niu Rou
Beef with Black Pepper
Simple and quick to prepare, this Sichuan dish tastes like a flavor-enhanced version of Western black pepper steak, with Sichuan peppercorns adding a distinctive difference.
8 oz (250 g) beef fillet, trimmed and cut in I-in (2 ½-cm) cubes
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Oil for deep-frying
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons coarsely crushed black peppercorns
1 teaspoon crushed Sichuan peppercorns
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon