Longevity noodles with chicken, ginger and mushrooms
Visit your local Chinese shop to discover a world of different shaped noodles to use in this recipe. If you’re in Suva, check out Yon Tong in Mark St for a great selection of all Chinese ingredients, biscuits and lollies.
Serves 4
2 packets dried Chinese noodles
2 teaspoons Chinese sesame oil
400 gram chicken thighs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick, bite-size slices
1 tablespoon finely shredded ginger
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 cups thinly sliced gobi cabbage
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps thinly sliced
½ cup green spring onions,
* Bring a medium saucepan of water to boil over high heat and cook noodles until just done, 2-3 minutes, stirring to prevent sticking. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool, then shake well to remove water. Return noodles to pot, add sesame oil, and toss.
* Put chicken in a shallow bowl and add ginger, one teaspoon rice wine, cornstarch, one teaspoon soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine. In a small bowl, combine remaining one tablespoon rice wine and one tablespoon soy sauce.
* Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates almost on contact. Swirl in one tablespoon peanut oil, add red pepper flakes and stir-fry 10 seconds using a metal spatula.
Push pepper flakes aside and add chicken, spreading in a single layer to maximize contact with the wok. Let cook undisturbed one minute, until chicken begins to sear.
* Stir-fry chicken and pepper flakes together, tossing in the wok, for a minute or 2 until just done. Remove to a bowl. Add cabbage and mushrooms and stir-fry one minute until just wilted but not cooked. Empty into the bowl with chicken.
* Reheat wok, swirl in remaining one tablespoon peanut oil, and add noodles. Stir-fry 30 seconds, moving constantly to heat through.
Swirl soy sauce-rice wine mixture and add to wok along with chicken-vegetable mixture and spring onions. Sprinkle on 3/4 teaspoon salt and stir-fry a minute or 2 until chicken and vegetables are heated through.
Vegetable spring rolls
In America, spring rolls are called egg rolls and are filled with a variety of minced meat or vegetables. If using Chinese dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in very hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate. Cut off and discard the stem. The frozen spring roll pastries are available at most Chinese shops and supermarket freezers.
Makes 50 rolls
8 tinned or dried shiitake mushroom caps, julienned
1/2 small gobi cabbage (about 3 cups), shredded
2 medium carrots, julienned
1 can bamboo shoots, drained and julienned
cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 stalk green spring onion, finely chopped
2 handfuls of fresh bean sprouts
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
50 spring roll wrappers, defrosted
cooking oil, for frying
hoisin sauce and plum sauce, for dipping
* In a large pan or wok, swirl in 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Turn on the heat to medium-high and immediately add garlic, ginger and green onion, stirring frequently. By the time the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, cabbage, carrots and bamboo shoots.
* Turn heat to high and stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 minutes. and then toss in the bean sprouts. Add in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another minute. Then spread the filling out onto a large baking sheet. Prop the baking sheet up on one side to allow any sauce or oil to accumulate at the bottom (and discard)
* In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of cool water to form a slurry.
* Place a spring roll wrapper on a flat surface, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable mixture into a corner of the wrapper, and then roll the edge of the wrapper tightly around the mixture. Fold the two side corners towards the middle of the wrapper while continuing to roll up. Paint the top edge with the cornstarch slurry mixture and wrap tightly the rest of the way. Make sure all edges are tightly sealed. Place seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid drying out.
* In a large wok or saucepan over high heat, add about 1-2 inches of cooking oil
* Slide several spring rolls into the oil and allow them to cook for 2-3 minutes, turning them over a couple times, or until the wonton wrappers are golden brown. Remove the rolls to a cooling rack or paper-towel-covered plate to allow them to drain.
* Serve hot with a dipping sauce of hoisin and plum sauce mixed together
Chinese steamed fish – restaurant style
The secret to restaurant-quality steamed fish is to steam on medium heat and serve it with delicious aromatics and sauce. You want to delicately steam the fish. A high rolling harsh boil will tear apart the delicate flesh of the fish and finished dish will not look as pretty (plus you run the risk of over cooking the fish). The Chinese Shaoxing rice wine in this recipe is available at most Chinese shops but you can use dry sherry in its place. You’ll need to buy or create a steamer to hold a whole fish by using a large pot to suspend a long plate over hot water and a lid.
Ingredients
1 whole rock cod (donu or kawakawa), approx. 1kg
(A)
4 stalks green spring onions, cut into 3″ lengths
3″ piece of ginger, slice into thin ‘coins’
small bunch of fresh coriander
1 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine, to pour on fish prior to steaming
salt and white pepper
(B)
2 tablespoons rough chopped coriander, leaves and stem
1 teaspoon Chinese sesame oil
2 tablespoons light “superior” soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white or brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt plus 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
fresh chilli — thinly sliced (optional)
(C)
2 stalks, green spring onions, cut into 3″ lengths
2″ piece of ginger — finely julienned thin
2 tablespoons cooking oil
* Clean and stuff: Clean your fish, pat dry. Season generously inside and out with salt and white pepper. Take half of (A) and stuff inside the fish. If you are using fillets, skip this.
* Make your bed: Take the other half of (A) and lay it in a shallow pan. If using fillets, just use all of (A) for the bed. Lay the fish on top of the bed. If fish is too long, cut in half. Pour 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine on top of the fish.
* Steam: Add 2″ of water to your large pot, cover and boil. When it is boiling, uncover and wipe the inside of the cover clean of any condensation (all this condensation will drip back down on your fish, diluting the flavor) Put your fish pan inside and steam on medium flame (see below for cooking times).
Whole fish 1kg: check at 12 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 250 grams
Fillets 1″ and thicker: check at 10 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 1/2″ more thickness
Fillets less than 1″: check at 7 minutes
Super thin fillets: check at 5 minutes
Check to see if its done at the times indicated. Poke your chopstick at the flesh near the top fin. If flesh flakes easily near the top fin, then its done. If flesh sticks together still, then add 1-2 more minutes to cooking time.
For fillets, just gently poke at the flesh in the middle. Timing really depends on the thickness of your fish. Also check to make sure you haven’t run out of steaming water.
* Aromatics: Towards the end of the steaming process, you’ll want to start preparing the aromatics that garnish the finished dish. Heat (B) in a pot or microwave to dissolve the sugar. Set aside. When fish is done steaming, carefully lift the fish out onto a serving platter, discarding all of the cooked cilantro/ginger/scallions and the fish juice in the pan. Pour the hot (B) over fish.
* Garnish (C): In a separate pan or wok, heat up cooking oil until you see smoke. Add the ginger and spring onions, fry for 10 seconds to “pop” the flavours. Pour this cooking oil plus herbs over the fish. You’ll hear a very satisfying sizzle!
