The Food of Asia. Kong Foong Ling
Sliced lettuce for garnish
Put beef in a bowl and sprinkle with wine, water, salt and white pepper. Massage well for about 30 seconds until all the liquid is absorbed by the beef.
Heat oil and deep-fry the beef over very high heat for 30 seconds. Drain and set aside. Tip out all but 1 teaspoon of oil and stir fry the garlic for a few seconds, then add the beef and all other ingredients, except for the lettuce. Stir-fry for a few seconds until well mixed and serve immediately on a bed of shredded lettuce.
HELPFUL HINT
If using a charcoal hotpot for the Mongolian Hotpot recipe, light charcoal over a gas flame and then use tongs to insert it down the central chimney of the hotpot and into the bottom.
Guang Dong Niang San Bao
Stuffed Vegetables and Beancurd
This Cantonese and Hakim favorite uses a selection of vegetables and beancurd stuffed with a shrimp filling. The sauce, flavored with salted black beans, gives an emphatic salty tang to the delicate stuffed vegetables.
1 large green bell pepper (capsicum)
1 long thin eggplant (aubergine)
1 hard beancurd
1 teaspoon cornflour
Oil for deep-frying
Stuffing
1 cup (200 g) peeled shrimp, chopped
¼ cup (50 g) lard (pork fat), chopped
1 tablespoon black moss fungus, soaked to soften
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of ground white pepper
Sauce
1 teaspoon salted black beans, mashed slightly with the back of a spoon
1 teaspoon finely chopped red chili
1 teaspoon very finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon very finely chopped ginger
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
½ teaspoon black soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornflour, blended with water
Prepare the stuffing first by blending together all ingredients. Set aside.
Cut the green pepper into four and discard seeds. Cut the eggplant across into 1½-in (4-em) lengths and make a lengthwise slit down one side to form a pocket for the stuffing. Cut beancurd into four and slit a pocket in each. Sprinkle the inside of the vegetables and beancurd with corn-flour to help make the stuffing adhere, then fill with the stuffing.
Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry the stuffed items, a few at a time, until golden and cooked. Remove and set aside, leaving 1 teaspoon of oil in the wok for preparing the sauce.
To make the sauce, stir-fry the black beans, chili, garlic, and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the stock and soy sauce. Heat, then add the fried vegetables and beancurd and simmer for 1 minute. Thicken with corn-flour and serve immediately.
HELPFUL HINT
Stuffed Vegetables and Beancurd: Other vegetables which can be stuffed include bitter gourd and seeded green or red chilies. The stuffing can be prepared in advance.
Xiang Gu Chao Jiao Bai
Bamboo Shoots with Mushrooms
The special type of bamboo shoot used for this dish in southern China has an excellent texture and flavor. If fresh jiao bai is available, substitute canned bamboo shoots.
12 oz (375 g) jiao bai or bamboo shoots
2 teaspoons oil
1 heaped teaspoon very finely chopped garlic
10 dried black mushrooms, soaked
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
If using fresh jiao bai, peel off the outer layer, then slice coarsely. If using canned bamboo shoots, simmer in boiling water for 5 minutes, drain and slice coarsely.
Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry the garlic and mushrooms until fragrant. Add the jiao bai or bamboo shoots and all seasonings and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.
Chao Zhou Zheng Chang Yu
Teochew Steamed Pomfret
1 fresh pomfret, pompano, butter fish or plaice, about 1½ lb (750 g)
½ cup (100 g) salted mustard cabbage, soaked and finely sliced
1 tomato, deseeded and cut in strips
2 sour salted plums (available in jars)
1 red chili, deseeded and finely shredded
3 in (8 cm) celery stalk, finely shredded
1 scallion (spring onion), chopped in 1 ½-in (4-cm) lengths
3 in (8 cm) ginger, finely shredded
1 cake beancurd, shredded
1 dried black mushroom, soaked and finely shredded
2 teaspoons chicken stock powder ½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Cilantro (coriander) leaf to garnish peas
Clean the fish inside and out and wipe dry. Place fish on an oval plate and arrange over all the ingredients, except chicken stock powder, sugar and salt. Sprinkle with the stock powder, sugar and salt and put inside a large steamer. Steam over high heat for about 8 minutes, until the fish is cooked. Take care not to overcook for optimum texture and flavor. Garnish with cilantro leaf.
Yu Xiang Cui Pi Gui Yu
Crispy Fried Mandarin Fish
The Chinese believe that freshwater fish from lakes, rivers and fish ponds are more delicate in flavor and texture than fish from the sea, Although this recipe calls for freshwater Mandarin fish, fine-textured ocean fish such as perch, grouper, bream or snapper could be substituted.
1 fresh fish (see above), 1½-2 lb (¾-1 kg), cleaned and scaled
3 in (8 cm) ginger, finely sliced
1 scallion (spring onion), chopped coarsely
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
½ cup (125 ml) Chinese rice wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
Oil for deep-frying
1 scallion (spring onion), finely sliced for garnish
Sauce
1-2 tablespoons chili paste
1½ teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1½ teaspoons finely chopped ginger
1½ teaspoons white rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (185 ml) chicken stock
1 scallion (spring onion), finely sliced
2 teaspoons cornstarch, blended with water