Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: About 3 cups
This recipe is adapted from the Hong Kong and China Gas Co.
2 cups cooked white rice
2 ounces tiny cooked shrimp
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
Oriental sesame oil
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 ounces Chinese roast pork or cooked smoked bacon, cut in small pieces
2 small green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons tiny frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons chicken stock or broth
1. At least 4 hours or up to a day before cooking, spread the rice in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with paper toweling. Cover with another paper towel and refrigerate so it is dried and well chilled.
2. Toss the shrimp with the cornstarch, salt, pepper and a few drops of sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil over high heat in a wok or large skillet. Add shrimp and stir-fry 1 minute. Set aside. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in wok. When hot, add beaten egg, stirring until it is softly scrambled. Add rice, stirring constantly, until it is hot, about 1 minute. Add pork or bacon, green onions, peas, chicken broth and shrimp. Cook until hot, 30 seconds longer. Off the heat, add salt to taste as well as several drops sesame oil.
FRIED CELERY WITH PIKE
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Marinating time: 20 minutes or longer
Cooking time: 8 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
In Hong Kong, grouper is used instead of walleye. They also use very small portions of fish. For a main course, we have adjusted the amounts according to American tradition. Chopped fresh cilantro can be used as a garnish.
2 walleye fillets, 5 to 6 ounces each
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon each: cornstarch, dry sherry
1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil
Salt, freshly ground pepper to taste
3 large ribs celery
1 medium carrot
2 pieces fresh ginger, each the size of a nickel
1 garlic clove
4 tablespoons peanut oil
Pinch sugar
1. Rinse fish and pat dry. Make several shallow slits through the skin side so the fish will lie flat as it cooks. Place in a shallow dish. Combine 1 teaspoon of the chicken broth, the cornstarch, sherry, 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Pour over fish and refrigerate at least 20 minutes or longer.
2. Cut the celery on a diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Cut the carrot on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Mince the ginger and cut the garlic into paper- thin slices.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the peanut oil in a wok or large skillet. When it is hot, add the celery and carrots. Stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons peanut oil to the wok. When hot, add ginger, garlic, fish fillets, skin side up, and any remaining marinade. Cook, turning once, until fish is almost cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes or longer, depending on thickness of fish. Add the vegetables, remaining chicken broth, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. When fully cooked, remove from the heat and drizzle with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
HOT AND SOUR SPARERIBS
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 to 8 servings
This recipe, from the late Roy Andries de Groot, makes a great appetizer or main course.
1/4 cup each: peanut oil, finely chopped green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large piece fresh ginger, about 1/2 inch thick
2 pounds country-style spareribs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons dry rice wine or dry sherry
2 tablespoons each: light soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili pepper oil
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chicken broth
Chopped fresh cilantro
1. Heat peanut oil in a wok or large skillet. Add green onions, garlic and ginger; stir-fry until soft and fragrant, 3 minutes. Rub ribs with salt and add to wok. Stir-fry until they are brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
2. Mix sugar, wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, chili oil, vinegar and pepper in a small dish. Add to wok and cook 5 minutes longer. Add chicken broth; reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes. Uncover and cook 10 minutes longer.
3. Heat oven to 375 degrees. With a slotted spoon transfer ribs to a jelly-roll pan lined with aluminum foil. Reserve sauce in a warm spot. Bake ribs 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with cilantro.
VELVET CHICKEN WITH CRUNCHY WALNUTS
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Ken Hom writes, ”Walnuts are a popular element in the Chinese cooking repertory. You may see mounds and mounds of them in Hong Kong food markets.” The recipe is adapted from Hom`s ”Fragrant Harbor Taste.”
1 pound chicken breasts, boned, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup peanut oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled, finely sliced
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
6 green onions, finely sliced
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup walnut halves
1. Combine chicken, cornstarch, sesame oil, egg white and salt in a medium bowl. Refrigerate about 20 minutes.
2. Heat a wok or large skillet until it is hot and add the oil. When the oil is moderately warm, quickly add the chicken, stirring to prevent the pieces from sticking. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the warm oil for about 5 minutes or until it looks completely white. Pour the contents of the wok into a colander set inside a large stainless steel bowl, reserving some of the oil.
3. Wipe the wok clean, return 1 tablespoon of the drained oil back to the wok and reheat. Add the garlic, ginger, green onions and salt; stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock mixture and heat it to a boil. Return the drained chicken and mix well. Add the walnuts to heat through and serve at once.
MANGO PUDDING
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Chilling time: Several hours
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
This tropical pudding is adapted from ”Fragrant Harbor Taste” by Ken Hom. He writes that it is purely a concoction of Hong Kong chefs who have access to a tantalizing array of fresh mangoes. Hom advises that you select the most lush and ripe fruits you can find.
2 large mangoes, about 14 ounces each
1 cup each: milk, water
1 package unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
1. Skin and pit the mangoes and transfer the flesh to a food processor. Puree until smooth, then strain. Transfer to a medium pan and heat to a simmer; cook 5 minutes.
2. Combine the milk, water and gelatin in a medium pan and heat to a simmer, whisking to dissolve the gelatin. Add the cooked puree and mix well.
3. Transfer mixture to a 4-cup dish. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.
