Colossal Cookbook/ColossalCookbook.cdr/sw/chef/recipes.19

Text File | 1984-01-06 | 16.6 KB | 471 lines

Refreshing to the palate, very tasty and filling.

     WHITE FISH PIECES IN SOUP

1/2 lb fish fillet (e.g. sole, snapper, butterfish)
4 c chicken stock
1 c bean thread noodles (or vermicelli), soaked
1 medium cucumber
1 slice ginger root
1 pinch sugar
2 t cornstarch paste
Chinese parsley leaves

Preparation:  Peel cucumber; slice in half lengthwise; slice thinly cross-
wise.  Or, use fancy vegetable cutter to make animal figures.  Cut fish into
dollar-size pieces; blanch in boiling vinegared water for 15 seconds, drain.
Wash Chinese parsley; remove stems.

Cook Soup:  Combine stock & ginger root in sauce pan; bring to just under
boil.  Remove ginger slice.  Add noodles, sugar & cornstarch paste; stir.
Add fish & cucumber.  Cook at high simmer until fish is done:  3-5 minutes.
Don't allow broth to boil; you want it to remain clear.  Remove to covered
serving bowl; garnish with parsley leaves; serve.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS: soup, boil
----
For a starter course on a warm fall evening, this dish has few peers.

     RAW FISH SALAD

1/2 lb fillet of red snapper (fresh!) or
     tuna, sea bass, shark or swordfish
2 oz thin rice stick noodle
2 c oil for deep-frying
1/2 head iceberg lettuce (inner leaves only)
1/4 c pickled red ginger
1/2 c Chinese parsley (cilantro) or watercress
1 T white sesame seeds
1 fresh lemon
  MARINADE:
2 T peanut oil
3 T cool water
2 t thin soy sauce
2 t sugar
3 slices fresh ginger, half-dollar size
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t white pepper

Marinating:  Slice fish with the grain in pencil-thick, 2" strips.  Mix
marinade ingredients; blend with fish in bowl.  Cover and marinate in
refrigerator for 3 to 8 hours.

Preparations:  Heat oil in wok to medium high.  Toss 2 strands of rice stick
noodle in oil to make sure it is hot enough; noodles should puff up
instantly without browning.  Deep-fry rice stick noodle briefly until it
expands; drain on paper towels; bag and reserve.  Shred lettuce; bag and
reserve in regrigerator.  Thinly shred or mince pickled red ginger; reserve.
Chop parsley in 2" lengths.  Toast sesame seeds in dry wok at low-medium
heat until they are light tan; reserve in tea cup or condiment saucer.

Assembling:  Slice lemon in wedges.  Separately pile ingredients on large
platter, removing slices of ginger from fish (discard slices).  Sprinkle
salad with sesame seeds and toss on platter, squeezing lemon over salad as
you toss.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  menu 24, salad, deep-fry
----
A fatty cut of beef gives this dish more beef flavor, which is the point of
the dish; rich, mellow, gently seasoned.

     RED-COOKED BEEF WITH GRAVY NOODLES

1 lb boned chuck roast or thick steak
3 T cooking oil
2 T peanut oil or deep frying oil
2 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t fresh ginger, minced
4 large stalks Napa cabbage, leaves removed,
     cut in 2" squares
1/2 lb fresh egg noodles
  RED-COOKING LIQUID:
1 t Sichuan peppercorns
4 c water
1/2 c black soy sauce
2 T Chinjiang vinegar
2 scallions
3 slices ginger
1 piece dried licorice root (opt)
  GRAVY INGREDIENTS:
1 1/4 c chicken stock
2 T medium sherry
1 t ground bean sauce
1/2 t sugar
cornstarch paste

Red-Cooking Meat:   In medium hot wok, toast peppercorns until fragrant
(avoid burning); crush & finely mince with cleaver; reserve.  Cut beef into
1 1/2" chunks.  Heat cooking oil in hot wok until it starts to smoke; brown
beef in several batches; drain oil & discard.  Combine peppercorns &
remaining ingredients of red-cooking liquid; add to wok.  Bring to boil;
reduce heat & simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is very
tender.  (If liquid evaporates before meat is tender, add cup of water or
stock and continue cooking.)  Remove meat from liquid.  If desired, cool
meat, cover and refrigerate.

Boiling Noodles:  Bring 4 qts. water to rolling boil; add noodles.  Drain
when still slightly undercooked.

Stir-frying:  Heat peanut oil in hot wok.  When oil starts to smoke, add
scallions & stir-fry until fragrant.  Add garlic, ginger & Napa cabbage;
stir-fry for about 1 minute, until cabbage is slightly wilted.  Add meat &
all gravy ingredients except cornstarch paste.  Reduce heat to medium,
cover, & simmer for about 3 minutes.  Remove cover; dribble in enough
cornstarch paste to make a light gravy; not too heavy as you want to coat
noodles, but not too soupy either.  Turn up heat; when sauce returns to
boil, add noodles.  Toss to mix (& reheat) noodles.  Transfer to warmed
serving platter or large bowl.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  menu 24, stir-fry, poach
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This dish is intended to be a simple statement using seasonal vegetables.

     SAUTEED ZUCCHINI AND MUSHROOMS IN SPICY SAUCE

3 slender, firm young zucchini
1/2 lb fresh button mushrooms
1 T Sichuan vegetable, washed and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 small dried chilies
4 T peanut oil
1/2 c chicken stock
1 t thin soy sauce
1 T sherry
1 T brown bean sauce
1/4 t sugar
1 t yellow rice vinegar
cornstarch paste to thicken

Preparation:  Trim zucchini and mushrooms.  Slice zucchini in half
lengthwise, then roll-cut or simply slice on bias in thick 2" long sections.
Zucchini should be bite-size but not chunky.  Cut mushrooms in half through
the stem.  Wash, then finely mince Sichuan vegetable (this is the secret
ingredient!).  Rinse chilies; leave whole.  Combine stock, soy sauce,
sherry, bean sauce, sugar, and vinegar in bowl; reserve.

Stir-frying:  Heat oil in very hot wok.  Just before oil smokes, add
zucchini, mushrooms, Sichuan vegetable, garlic, and chilies; stir-fry for
about 1 minute, tossing continuously so vegetables do not scorch.  Add
liquid ingredients; bring to boil; dribble in cornstarch paste to make a
light sauce (it should not have a gravy look); then combine sauce well with
vegetables.  Serve when zucchini is still slightly undercooked.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  menu 24, stir-fry, braise
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A refreshing addition to any Chinese dinner.

     GINGER TEA

2 thin slices of fresh ginger
1 cup boiling water
sugar to taste

Steep fresh ginger slices in boiling hot water for 10 minutes.  Add
approximately one teaspoon of sugar per cup of water.

Serves 1

KEY WORDS: beverage, menu 25, boil
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     CHICKEN AND BANANA EGGROLL APPETIZER

1 large whole chicken breast
2 large firm bananas
2 t sesame oil
2 eggs
2 T milk
1/2 c all-purpose flour
2 t flour mixed with
2/3 t cold water to make thick paste
4 eggroll wrappers
3 c oil for deep-frying

Preparation:  Halve chicken breast; lay one half flat and slice through it
horizontally.  Repeat with other half.  Use rolling pin to roll breast meat
pieces into very thin slices.  Brush lightly with sesame oil.  Peel and cut
bananas in half to yield two round sections about length of chicken breasts.
Beat eggs with milk.  Wrap thin piece of chicken around section of banana;
dredge with flour; dip in egg mixture.  Roll wrapped banana in eggroll
wrapper, tucking sides of wrapper as you roll.  Seal end of wrapper with
flour paste.  At this point, you can cover and chill or freeze them until
ready to deep-fry.

Deep-frying:  Heat deep-frying oil in wok until bubbles form around a bamboo
chopstick held upright in center of oil.  Deep-fry until light brown; drain.
After rolls have cooled slightly, slice into 1" sections.  Serve.

If not serving right away, refry rolls briefly to recrisp, then slice and
serve.

Serves 6

KEY WORDS:  make ahead, menu 25, deep-fry
----

     STIR-FRIED ZUCCHINI, CARROTS, AND LEEKS

2 medium young zucchini
3 fresh carrots
2 large leeks
3 cloves garlic
1 t ginger, minced
2 T peanut oil
1/4 t sesame oil
  SEASONINGS:
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
1/4 t 5-spice powder

Preparation:  Wash vegetables.  Trim zucchini and slice into 2" long
matchsticks.  Peel carrots and cut into 2" long matchsticks.  Trim leeks and
do likewise.  Peel garlic and cut into thin slices.

Stir-frying:  Heat peanut oil in hot wok until it starts to smoke.  Stir-fry
garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, splashing with water to prevent burning.
Add carrots and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.  Add leeks; stir-fry for 1
minute.  Add zucchini; stir-fry for another 30 seconds.  Sprinkle with
seasonings, tossing ingredients as you do.  When vegetables are cooked,
sprinkle with sesame oil.  Transfer to serving platter or individual plates
to serve.

Serves 6

KEY WORDS: menu 25, vegetarian, stir-fry
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     MELON VELVET PIE

2 T cold water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 c boiling water
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c orange juice
2 T lemon juice
1/3 c Midori melon liqueur
1 c heavy cream
1 baked 9-inch deep pie shell
1 c honeydew melon balls
  GLAZE:
1/4 c apricot preserves
1 T Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Preparation:  Place cold water in bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it.  Let
sit for 2 minutes, then stir in boiling water.  Add sugar and stir until
dissolved.  Add orange and lemon juice and melon liqueur and stir well.
Regrigerate until slightly thickened but not set.

Whip cream until thick and fold in gelatin mixture.  Pour into baked pie
shell.

Halve the melon balls and arrange on top of filling, cut side down.

Heat apricot preserves and liqueur until well blended.  Press through sieve
into small bowl, then brush on top of melon balls.  Chill pie well before
serving.

Serves 6

KEY WORDS:  make ahead, dessert, menu 25, boil
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You can serve this dish hot or cold.  We prefer the crab balls hot, when
their exterior is crisp and the meat hot and moist.  They also go better
with the vinegar dip when hot.  If you prefer to serve them cold or at room
temperature, delete the dip, or substitute something like mustard and
catsup.

     DEEP-FRIED CRAB BALLS WITH VINEGAR DIP

1/2 lb fresh cooked crab meat
2 oz. pork fat from loin
6 peeled water chestnuts
1 scallion
2 eggs
2 T dry sherry
1 t salt
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t minced ginger root
2 c deep-frying oil
  VINEGAR DIP:
2 T black Chinjiang vinegar
1 T yellow rice vinegar
2 t thin soy sauce
1/2 t sugar

Preparation:  If you're using food processor, crab and pork fat should be
cold.  Cut pork fat into cubes.  Trim and cut scallion into 1" sections,
including greens.  Using steel blade, place water chestnuts and scallion in
bowl; pulse/start to chop vegetables.  Add crab meat and pork fat;
pulse/start to mince.  Add eggs, sherry, salt, cornstarch and minced ginger.
Pulse/start 3 or 4 times to blend.  Don't overdo it; you don't want a puree.

Deep-frying:  In wok or deep-fryer, heat oil until bubbles form around a
bamboo chopstick held upright in oil.  Using teaspoon, form small ball of
crab mixture.  Test cooking temperature; it should brown and cook through in
about 5 minutes; adjust heat if necessary.  Proceed with deep-frying about 6
balls at a time; avoid crowding them.  Drain on bamboo strainer or towel. If
you can't serve them immediately, refry briefly to crisp skin.  Avoid
overcooking.

Vinegar dip:  Mix ingredients in a shallow bowl; place on serving platter
and surround with crab balls.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  deep-fry
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This is a basic stir-fried vegetable and meat dish.  Adding just a touch of
fish souce lends an interesting dimension to the taste.

     STIR-FRIED PORK AND ASPARAGUS WITH FISH SAUCE

1/4 lb boneless pork butt
12 medium asparagus spears
1/2 t fresh ginger root, minced
1 T peanut oil
1/3 c chicken stock
1 pinch sugar
1 t fish sauce (OR
2 t #2 oyster sauce)
thin cornstarch paste

Preparation:  Slice pork butt (or comparable boneless pork) across the grain
into strips 2" by 1/4" by 1/8" thick.  Wash and trim tough white skin from
asparagus.  Cut asparagus into 2 1/2" segments.  If asparagus is thick (3/4"
or more), cut on bias so it will cook quickly and be balanced in size with
pork strips.

Stir-frying:  Heat peanut oil in wok until it just begins to smoke.  Add
pork strips and stir-fry about 1 minute until no longer pink.  Add asparagus
and stir-fry briskly for another minute.  Before asparagus turns bright
green, add ginger, chicken stock and sugar; keep stirring.  When liquid
boils, reduce heat to medium, add fish sauce (not oyster sauce, though),
cover and simmer for about 1 minute or until asparagus is cooked but still
firm.  Uncover, turn up heat, and push ingredients out of liquid.  Dribble
in cornstarch paste, stirring continuously until liquid thickens.  You may
need 1 to 2 tsp of paste.  Recombine ingredients.  Serve.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS: main dish, stir-fry
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These tasty dainties are quick and easy to prepare.  They are a popular
snack and banquet dish that takes several forms, depending on budget and
occasion.  The lesser tea houses stretch the shrimp by adding 1/3 soft-flesh
fish.

     SESAME SHRIMP TOAST

1/2 lb peeled raw shrimp or prawns
2 egg whites
3 c oil for deep-frying
3 slices day-old bread
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cornstarch
1 c white sesame seeds

Preparation:  Peel and devein raw shrimp.  Chop, then mash, shrimp to soft
pulp.  A cleaver or food processor works well for this.  Mix shrimp meat
with salt and cornstarch.  Remove crust from bread; slice each into 6
rectangles.  We used heavy wheat bread, which gives a chewy texture; light
white bread would be more crisp and absorb less oil.  Separate eggs; beat
whites to stiff peaks.  Fold egg whites completely into shrimp mixture.

Deep-frying:  Because shrimp mixture is a little runny, wait until you are
ready to deep-fry before spreading mixture on bread.  Put about 1 teaspoon
of mixture on each piece of bread.  Set them on plate; sprinkle with raw
white sesame seeds.

Heat oil slowly to medium hot.  Test with crust of bread; it should brown in
10 seconds.  Deep-fry 6 pieces at a time, shrimp side down, until they
brown; then roll them over to brown the bread.  Pieces are buoyant balls,
which may be uncooperative, so keep an eye on them.  Frying time is about 3
minutes.  After frying, remove to warm serving platter.  Serve.

After deep-frying, they keep for about 30 minutes in warm oven.  However,
they are best right out of deep-fryer.  We suggest you fry a second batch
midway through the buffet; to fry 18 takes about 7 minutes.

Serves 8

KEY WORDS:  snack, menu 21, deep-fry
----
Cook this dish quickly so fish will be flaky and tender.

     WHITE FISH FILETS IN BEAN SAUCE

1/2 lb fish filets (soft flesh fish like sole)
1/2 c dry sherry
1 t sugar
1/2 t thin soy sauce
1/2 t fresh ginger, minced
1 T Cloud Ear black fungus (or water chestnuts)
2/3 c chicken stock
1/2 t Szechuan Soybean Paste
1 t cornstarch paste (approx)
1/2 t sesame oil

Preparation:  Wash and soak Cloud Ear fungus for about 30 minutes or until
soft; drain.  Slice fish filets into 2" squares; marinate in sherry, sugar
and soy sauce for 15 minutes.  Mix stock and soybean paste; add in half the
marinade when fish is removed.

Cooking:  Heat wok to high.  Add stock mixture; when it comes to slow boil,
add ginger and Cloud Ear fungus; cook fungus for about 1 minute.  Dribble in
cornstarch paste; keep stirring as you do; sauce should attain a medium
consistency.  Allow sauce to cook for another minute.  Reduce heat to
medium, then introduce fish pieces.  Poach for about 1 minute or until flaky
and milky white.  Avoid overcooking.  Stir in sesame oil.  Serve.

Variation:  Use thinly sliced water chestnuts in place of Cloud Ear black
fungus; garnish with minced green onion.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  main dish, stir-fry
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A light, sweet, gelatinous pudding of very delicate texture, totally unlike
a typical gelatin dessert - Jello it is not.

     ALMOND FLOAT WITH MANDARIN ORANGES

1 1/4 c boiling water
1/2 c agar-agar, cut in pieces
1 c evaporated milk
1/3 c sugar
1 T almond extract
2 c hot water
1 c Mandarin oranges

Have large cooled bowl or (preferably) 9" x 9" glass dish ready for gelatin
mixture.

Add agar-agar to boiling water and stir until thoroughly dissolved.  (Watch
for burning on bottom.)  At this stage, agar-agar will impart noticeable
odor, but it does not carry through to finished dish.

Add evaporated milk and sugar; bring back to boil and boil for 1 minute,
stirring constantly.  Add almond extract.  Slowly add hot water, continuing
to stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  As soon as mixture returns to
boil, turn off heat.

Pour mixture into bowl for setting.  When it has cooled slightly, cover and
refrigerate for at least 2 hours.  Turn jellied mixture out onto flat plate,
then cut it in 1" squares.  Place squares in individual serving bowls with
Mandarin orange wedges and their juice.  Cover and return to refrigerator
until ready to serve.

Serves 4

KEY WORDS:  menu 10, make ahead
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