Steamed Pork with Tianjin Preserved Vegetables

Steamed Pork with Tianjin Preserved Vegetables

I was feeling nostalgic for some steamed pork with Tianjin preserved veggies and rice the other day.  Just a bit of Tianjin preserved veggies goes a long way.  The steps and most of the ingredients for this dish is the same as Steamed Pork Patty with Shrimp Paste, except for the shrimp paste.  Last time I spoke with my mom, she let me in on the secret.  Slamming the pork into a bowl for about a dozen times gives the finished product a nice "bounce" when you bite into it.

Steamed Pork with Tianjin Preserved Vegetables
1 lb ground pork
1/2 tbsp Tianjin preserved vegetables, fine chopped
1 stalk green onions/scallions, minced (green parts only)
Mix the pork and Tianjin preserved vegetables together and form into a ball.  Hold a metal bowl steady on the counter.  
As hard as you could, slam the mixture into the bowl. Repeat a dozen times.
Form the pork into a ball.  Flatten it into the bowl.  Set bowl in a pot of water that just reaches the bowl's half way point. Sprinkle the green onions over the top.  Cover and steam for about 30 minutes after the water starts boiling or until the meat is no longer pink. Serve over rice.

Shrimp Stuffed Tofu

Shrimp Stuffed Tofu

I seem to be on a tofu kick lately.  Most people say that they don't like tofu because of it's texture and bland flavor.  That always puzzled me because all the tofu dishes I grew up eating, which were home cooked thanks to my mommy, were flavorful and had varied textures depending on the dish.  Tofu acts like a sponge and soaks up any sauce that it is cooked in.  Even the plain ones that are simply deep-fried taste great to me when it is served with dipping sauce.
There are many different types of tofu available (egg tofu, soft, silken, medium, firm, tofu skin, etc.)  Combined with the vast possibilities of cooking method (chilled, steamed, braised, pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried, grilled, pressed, frozen-thawed, etc.), the variety of texture grows exponentially.
Maybe I just have weird tastes.  Or maybe most people didn't have the luxury of a cook like my mom to introduce them to tofu and unfortunately came to know poorly prepared tofu.  Even some restaurants do not do their tofu dishes justice.  It sometimes seem like it's just on the menu to be there.
In any case, this one is amongst my favorites.  I love the texture of silky soft tofu with steamed rice.  If you do as well, this is the dish for you.
My mom also sometimes uses ground pork for the stuffing, which I will get into another time.

Shrimp Stuffed Tofu
1 block of soft tofu
fine sea salt
cornstarch for dusting
10-12 large shrimps, shelled
1/3 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp minced green onions
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce

Prepare tofu:
Cut tofu into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Make a well in the center of each cube by scooping out the middle with a metal spoon.  I used the spoon to make 4 cuts on the top of each cube, slightly angling the cut towards the center.  Be careful not to break the sides of the tofu.
Lightly sprinkle sea salt over the hollowed tofu cubes.  Turn each cube upside down.  The salt will soak in and the tofu will drain any excess liquid while you prepare the shrimp filling.

Prepare shrimp filling:
Now you may wonder why I would do this by hand, rather than utilize a food processor to pulse the shrimp into a paste.  For one thing, because my momma said so.
And...I find it difficult to maintain enough control with a food processor to keep the shrimp from ending up being too mushy.
Using a heavy meat cleaver or santoku knife, chop the shrimp up into little pieces. Mince the shrimp until the texture is like a thick paste with bits of shrimp mixed in.
Transfer the shrimp into a bowl.  Stir in a pinch of sea salt, 1/2 tsp cornstarch and white pepper.  Mix well.

Flip the tofu cubes hollow-side up again.  Very lightly dust the wells of the tofu with cornstarch.  Don't over do it, otherwise, you'll end up with glue inside the tofu.  This will help the shrimp stuffing stick to the tofu.
Scoop the shrimp filling into each tofu cube.  Place each shrimp-filled cube onto a heat-proof dish with raised sides.
Fill wok (or a large pot that is at least 1-inch wider in circumference than the dish) with 2-3 inches of water.  Place a steam rack in the wok or pot.  Place the dish on top of the rack.  Make sure the water does not reach the top of the dish.
Cover the wok or pot with lid.  Steam for about 10 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.
Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce.  Sprinkle with green onions.
Photograph and post pictures.  Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!

Ground Beef Rice Claypot

Ground Beef Rice Claypot with Runny Egg 

I love one pot meals.  I love it even more when that meal can be eaten straight out of the pot it was cooked in.  Affordable, filling, simple and most importantly, flavorful.  Rice claypot meals are very popular in Hong Kong.  There are many different kinds, depending on the protein that is cooked over the rice: ground pork, chinese sausage, chicken, minced beef, vegetables, mushrooms, even seafood.  Here is one variation.

Ground Beef Rice Claypot

1/2 cup raw rice

1/2 cup water

1/4 lb. ground beef

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 handful of frozen vegetables

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

pinch of sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

5 tbsp water

egg (optional)

small claypot w/ lid that can hold at least 2 cups of water

Soak claypot overnight or for at least 30 minutes in cold water.

Sprinkle the ground beef with cornstarch and mix well.  Mix 1 tbsp oyster sauce with beef.  Marinate in the refrigerator until ready to add to claypot.

Dry claypot.  Add raw rice and 1/2 cup water to claypot.  Bring rice to simmer for 8 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

Add frozen vegetables and ground beef mixture on top of rice.  Drizzle the oil onto the inside edges of the pot so that it will flow down to the bottom.  This will make the bottom of the rice crispy.  Cover and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Mix the 1 tsp oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, cornstarch and 5 tbsp water together.  Pour over meat mixture.  If desired, make a well in the beef and crack an egg into the well.  Cover and let the residual heat cook the egg to your liking.  I recommend about 2 minutes for a runny yolk.  

Stuffed Bitter Melon - Two Ways

Steamed Bitter Melon Stuffed w/ Pork

Pan-Fried Bitter Melon Stuffed w/ Pork

Bitter melon (or bitter gourd) is an acquired taste.  I used to hate them when I was a kid. My mom did manage to change my mind about them with countless experimental recipes.  Still not my favorite vegetable, but sometimes I do feel nostalgic for my mom's pork stuffed bitter melons.

Bitter is a flavor that pairs well with fatty meats, as it cuts through the greasiness.  Par-boiling the bitter melon in salt water tapers the bitterness a bit.
My mom sometimes mixes in minced shrimp with the ground pork mixture.  The steamed version allows for the juices from the pork to permeate the bitter melon.  However, the pan-fried version has that nice sear and is more fragrant.

Stuffed Bitter Melon
1 bitter melon
1/2 lb ground pork
5 large shrimps, minced (optional)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup salt

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together corn starch, shaoxing rice wine and soy sauce.  Add ground pork (and shrimp).  Mix well.  Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator while preparing the bitter melon.
In a large pot, bring 3 inches of water and salt to boil.  Slice the bitter melon into 1/2 inch rings.  With a spoon or knife, scoop or cut out the white pith and seeds.  Par-boil the bitter melon rings for 2-3 minutes.  Remove the rings and shock in ice water.  Keep the pot of salt water at a simmer.
Stuff the pork mixture in each ring.
Steamed method - Place stuffed rings in a single layer on a dish with raised edges that is small enough to fit in the pot with the cover on.  Place steaming rack in pot.  Place dish on top of steaming rack.  Steam for 15 minutes.  Remove and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Pan-fried method - Use a frying or saute pan with a lid.  Heat up 1 tbsp of oil over medium-low heat.  Place stuffed rings in a single layer in the pan.  Pan-fry for about 3 minutes or until first side is browned.  Flip over once.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes.  Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

The difference between Kwai Fei Gai (Empress Chicken) and Hainanese Chicken Rice is the rice.  Empress Chicken is served with plain steamed rice.  Hainanese Chicken Rice is served with steamed rice that is cooked with the chicken poaching liquid and fragrant garlic.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

2 cups Kwai Fei Gai poaching liquid

1 tsp chicken fat

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 cup jasmine or brown rice

Kwai Fei Gai

Ginger scallion sauce

In a medium pot, sautee the garlic in chicken fat for about 30 seconds.  Add rice.  Sautee for about 2 minutes, stirring.  Add poaching liquid from Kwai Fei Gai recipe.  Bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer.  Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes or until liquid is down to the level of the rice.  Do not stir.  Turn heat to low and cover for 10 minutes or until liquid is completely absorbed.  Turn off heat.  Fluff rice.  Serve with Kwai Fei Gai and Ginger scallion sauce.

Empress Chicken (Kwai Fei Gai)

My favorite chicken is Kwai Fei Gai.  Fried chicken is a close (very close) second.  

Kwai Fei was a royal concubine who became Empress and one of the most powerful rulers of China.  This was supposedly a favorite dish of hers conjured up by one of the royal chefs.  Imagine making that decision to serve cold chicken to a lady who had the power and authority to have you beheaded on a whim.  Good thing she liked it, huh?

I love this chicken because it is not just simply cold boiled chicken.  The skin is firm and "bouncy" when you bite into it.  The chicken is rubbed with shaoxing wine before cooking.  The meat is tender and succulent.  The ginger scallion sauce is so good that I save half of my rice so that I can mix it the pesto-like sauce into it at the end of the meal.

I know of 2 methods to make the chicken.  Steaming and poaching.  

Steaming is great because it is faster and less work.  

I love poaching because I can use the poaching liquid as broth afterwards.  Cook up some rice noodles and save some chicken.  You got chicken pho for your next meal.  Or use the broth to make steamed rice and you can turn this into Hainanese Chicken Rice.

This simple dish highlights the freshness and quality of the main ingredient.  Which is why the best kwai fei gai is made with whole, freshly slaughtered, free-range, "chinese yellow chicken".  I put that in quotation marks because I really don't know if there is actually a special breed or if that's just how chinese chefs refer to the free-range chickens that they prefer.  The skin on those chickens have a better (firmer) texture.

I do not have immediate access to such a chicken.  Although, my boss did recently tell me about a vendor at one of the farmers' market in San Diego who sells organic, free-range, never been frozen chickens that he raises on his chicken farm.  One day...

Since I wanted to make this on a non-farmers' market day, I had to settle for never frozen chicken leg quarters from Fresh & Easy.

Kwai Fei Gai (Steamed)
2 chicken leg quarters
2 tbsp  shaoxing wine
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
Ice
Ginger-scallion sauce

Rub the chicken all over with shaoxing wine.  Rub the chicken all over with vegetable oil.  Ok, that's enough rubbing.  Sprinkle chicken with salt.
Fill a large pot with 3 inches of water.  Set a steaming rack in the pot.  Bring water to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Place chicken on a plate with raised edges or a Pyrex dish that fits inside the large pot.  Place the plate/Pyrex dish on top of the steaming rack inside the pot.  Cover the pot.  Keep at a simmer for 15-20 minutes.
While the chicken is steaming, fill a mixing bowl halfway with ice.  Add 2 cups of water to the bowl of ice.  Once the chicken is cooked, immediately dunk the chicken into the bowl of ice water.  This makes the chicken skin seize up, giving it that firm and "bouncy" texture.
Serve with ginger-scallion sauce and steamed rice.  Either pour the ginger-scallion sauce all over the chicken or use it as a dipping sauce.

Kwai Fei Gai (Poached)
2 chicken leg quarters
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
3 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
1 stalk green onion
1 knob ginger
Ice
Ginger-scallion sauce

Fill a stock pot a little more than halfway with water.  Add green onion, ginger, salt, vegetable oil and 3 tbsp shaoxing wine.  Bring poaching liquid to a boil.  Lower to a simmer.
While poaching liquid is boiling, rub chicken leg quarters with 2 tbsp shaoxing wine.
Fill 2 mixing bowls halfway with ice.  Add 2 cups of water to each bowl of ice.  Set aside the second bowl of ice water.
Add chicken to poaching liquid.  Poach chicken for 3 minutes.  Lift chicken out of poaching liquid with a pair of tongs and dunk chicken into the first bowl of ice water.  Return chicken to poaching liquid for 3 minutes.  Keep repeating this cycle of poaching and ice water dunking about 20 more times or until chicken is cooked through.  On the final icy water dunk, use the second bowl of ice water to avoid salmonella.
The ice water dunking makes the chicken skin seize up, giving it that firm and "bouncy" texture.

Rub chicken, once again, with 2 tbsp shaoxing wine and then with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Serve with ginger-scallion sauce and steamed rice.  Either pour the ginger-scallion sauce all over the chicken or use it as a dipping sauce.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

I love this ginger scallion sauce.  It's kind of like a chinese, unblended pesto sauce.  It is essential for Kwai Fei Gai (Empress Chicken).  Sometime I just pour it over steamed rice and eat just that.

This recipe makes 3-4 servings.  If refrigerated in a tightly covered jar, this can last for about a week.

Ginger Scallion Sauce

3 stalks green onion, finely minced

2 knobs ginger, grated

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp ginger powder

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine green onions, grated ginger, salt and ginger powder in a large ceramic heat-proof bowl.  In a small saucepan, heat up the vegetable oil over medium-high heat for about 2-3 minutes.  Carefully and SLOWLY, pour/drizzle the oil into the bowl.  I emphasize SLOWLY because if you pour too fast, the mixture will bubble over and boiling hot oil may overflow or splatter from the bowl.  To avoid the burn unit, do it SLOWLY.  

Stir.  Let cool for about 2 minutes and enjoy.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice with Salty Duck Egg

I had a sudden craving for fried rice the other day, but was fresh out of regular chicken eggs.  I was too lazy and cozy in my little apartment to even run out to the corner store.  Luckily, I had some salted duck eggs from when I made Three Yolk Steamed Eggs.  It coats the rice with a wonderfully rich, umami flavor.  I used thinly sliced chinese sausage as the protein, a little savory sweetness.
I chopped up a tomato and added it at the end.  The freshness of the tangy raw tomato was a nice contrast to the saltiness of the duck egg, not that it was overly salty to begin with.  The ratio of salty duck egg to rice was just perfect.  There was just enough flavor with out being overpowering.  I also think that my wok has finally reached that level of seasoning for my dishes to achieve "wok hay" or "essence of the wok".  I feel like I should celebrate that.  Throw my wok a party or something.

I have always loved the flavor of the yolk in a salty duck egg.  I even prefer the moon cakes that have the salty duck egg in the middle.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice w/ Salty Duck Egg

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice w/ Salty Duck Egg

2 cups cold, cooked rice

2 links chinese sausage, sliced

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1 tomato, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 salted duck egg

2 tsp oil

If the salted duck egg is raw, which is the type I used, separate the whites and the yolk.  Then dice up the yolk, which will be solid.  If the duck egg is cooked, then dice up the whites and the yolks.

Heat up the wok and then add the oil.  My mom always says not to add oil to a cold wok.  Swirl the oil around to wok.  Stir fry the onions and chinese sausage until caramelized.  Add the cold rice and peas.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Push the rice to the sides, creating a hollow in the middle of the wok.  Add the whites from the salty duck egg to the center of the wok.  If the egg was cooked, just add the whites with the yolks.  Scramble the rice into the egg whites, constantly scrapping at the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes.  Add the yolks.  Stir fry for a minute to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.  Add the peas and stir fry until cooked, about 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve.

Three Yolk Steamed Eggs (Sam Wong Dan)

Have you ever heard that the skills of truly great chefs are tested by the simplest dishes?  I'm not a great chef, but I get it.  Egg dishes always require precision and timing.  Poached eggs, soft boiled eggs, hollandaise sauce, shirred eggs, and my foe...the steamed egg.
My steamed eggs have always come out dry, with the liquid separated from the eggs.  After much trial and error (and many dozens of eggs), I have finally managed to achieve that silky, smooth consistency. The secret is a slow simmer.  You just can't rush this dish.
I am somewhat of a purist, so I don't add much seasoning to this dish.  Besides, the saltiness from the salted duck egg will be flavor enough.

Three Yolk Steamed Eggs (Three Emperor Steamed Eggs)
4 large chicken eggs
1 salted duck egg, raw
1 century egg
water

Separate the whites and yolk from salted duck egg.  Carefully crack open the chicken eggs so that you can save one of the half shells for measuring out the water needed.  Add the whites from salted duck egg with chicken egg.  Add 12 half shells of water.  Whisk until blended.  If you want, you can strain the whisked egg mixture through a fine sieve to reduce air bubbles for a smoother surface.  I didn't do that since the slow simmer eliminated most of the air bubbles.  Pour mixture into heat proof bowl that is smaller than the pot that you are using.
Dice up the yolk from the salted duck egg.  Dice up the century egg.  This is when an egg slicer comes in really handy.
Stir salted duck egg yolk and century egg into whisked egg mixture.  Fill a large pot of water with 2 inches of water.  Place a steam rack in the center of the pot.  Heat the water to boiling and then reduce to a slow simmer.  Carefully place the bowl of egg mixture on top of the steam rack.  Cover.  Maintain the slow simmer for 10-12 minutes.  Serve immediately with steamed rice.

Fish Ball with Roe Filling

On one of my recent asian grocery shopping trips, I spent some extra time browsing through the frozen dumplings section.  I discovered these little gems.

I usually buy the regular fish balls, which are fish meatballs made from cod or haddock. They are great additions to asian noodle soups.  They are usually boiled in a spicy curry sauce and sold on skewers in Hong Kong.  In Sweden, they are called fiskbullar and usually sold in cans.

I keep a constant supply of homemade chicken stock in the freezer.  There are always  either egg or rice noodles in my cupboards for those lazy meal days.  Add some green onions, fried shallots, protein and veggies.  Voilà.  Instant meal. 

I cooked the fish ball with roe in the stock for my noodle soup.  The roe imparted a slight sweetness into the soup.  The fish ball had a mild flavor with a firm texture that is nice to bite into.  

I was back at the store the very next day to get more.  That's when I discovered these:

Savory Garden

I noticed that 168, the Taiwanese cafe in the space at the front of 99 Ranch had been replaced by Savory Garden a while ago.  I decided to give them some time to work out the kinks before trying them out.  I finally did last week.

One of my "aunts" is Taiwanese and I always enjoyed going to her house for dinner when I was growing up.  Either she or her grandmother would make delicious taiwanese dishes for dinner parties and get togethers.  I loved it so much that I (mostly) didn't mind that all the dishes were vegetarian.  

The restaurant health inspection rating at 168 kept me from braving the threshold.  Especially since it was always mostly empty.  It's one thing if the food is so good that everyone disregards the letter taped to the door.

The food at Savory Garden didn't knock my socks off, but it's decent enough that I would stop by whenever I need to stock up at 99 Ranch.

I first went in for a really early lunch by myself.  It wasn't even 11am yet, so the restaurant was pretty empty.  There was an older couple and a 20-something year old waitress who started to speak to me in Taiwanese until I responded back in English.  The older couple retreated behind the counter while the waitress seated me.  

The place had definitely been through a make over.  That and the "A" rating made me feel better.  I ordered the House Beef Noodle Soup and a hot milk tea.  There was only one other customer, so my food came out pretty quickly.

I expected a mug for my milk tea, but I got an entire tea pot and a chinese tea cup instead.  

Each cup was nice and hot.  

The House Beef Noodle Soup came with just 4 pieces small pieces beef, but they were flavorful,  tender and juicy.   Since the June gloom weather made me a little chilly, I dumped a big spoonful of chili paste on top.  The bok choy wasn't overcooked, but I still prefer my vegetables to be more on the al dente side.  The broth and noodles were ok, nothing to write home about.  When I tasted each component of this dish on its own, it was nothing special.  

Then I started to mix the tiny bits of finely chopped fresh chinese celery that were floating in the broth into each spoonful of swirled noodle and broth.  That tiny burst of celery flavor and crunch was really pleasant.  Mmmm.  What a great idea. 

When I paid for my bill, the older lady noticed that I still had some milk tea left in the tea pot.  She brought over a plastic cup with a lid and straw.  

A few days later, a friend and I were out and about.  I talked her into getting lunch at Savory Garden so that I could try out some other items on the menu.

We split an order of Green Bean kabobs (2), Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings (6), and Steamed Pork Bun Dumplings (10).  I got an order of Chicken Heart Kabobs (2) for myself as well.

The waitress set down a little shaker of paprika when she delivered our kabobs.  I didn't ask which dish it was for, so I just sprinkled it on both the green beans and chicken hearts.

Ever since I tried them on the streets of Bangkok, I have always liked grilled chicken hearts more than any other offal.  They have a nice firm texture and do not taste metallic or gamey like other organ meats such as liver.

My skewer of green beans still had a little crunch to them.  That satisfied my need for a vegetable to go with the rest of our meal.  Food grilled on a stick is always a good idea.  Always.

The Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings did not have a salt and pepper taste to it.  It was still nicely seasoned, big and juicy.  The cornstarch batter was light and crunchy, not overpowering the wings.  I really liked these, even though they should just be listed as plain "Chicken Wings" on the menu.

Eyeing the little container of rice vinegar on every table, I ordered the "Steamed Pork Bun Dumplings" hoping that it was code for Xiao Long Bao

and I was right! The huge steamer came out piping hot.  The waitress forgot to bring us spoons, but I scarfed them down before I even had a chance to flag her down again.  The wrappers were not too thick and there was a good amount of broth left in them.  Of course, the broth was mostly absorbed into the wrapper by the time I got down to my 4th dumpling.

That is just what happens with Xiao Long Bao.  It's one of those dishes that needs to be inhaled as soon as it is made.  There is no time for politely-waiting-for-someone-else-to-take-the-first-piece table manners.  They need to be scarfed down before the soup inside disappears into the wrapper.  The filling was nicely seasoned.  The gingery pork tasted just right with a bit of vinegar.  Ahhh.   Not the best I've ever had, but definitely decent and satisfied my craving.  I was not disappointed.

My friend was not too happy with our waitress for bringing her a regular Iced Thai Tea when she specifically asked for no milk, but I was pretty happy with my cold Milk Tea.  Can you get Thai Tea without the condensed milk or is there evaporated milk already in the mix?

I sure hope business picks up so this place stays open.  I want to try out the rest of their menu.

Savory Garden

7330 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

($20 minimum for credit card purchases)

Hot Pot Made Easy

I decided to do a hot pot dinner on Thanksgiving this year.  No turkey, no mashed potatoes, no cranberry sauce and no pumpkin pie.  So it's not the most traditional Thanksgiving meal, but at least it was stress-free.  I just wanted to drink wine and enjoy a great meal with good company without having to spend two days prepping and cooking and fretting over how the bird will turn out.

Hot pot, shabu shabu, lẩu, suki, sukiyaki, steamboat, fondue or huǒ guō is a social event.  Each part of the world has a different version, but it is basically everyone dipping and cooking the pre-sliced ingredients in pot of hot soup base, cheese or chocolate that simmers in the middle of the table.  I have many memories of family meals with everyone spending hours surrounding a pot of simmering broth chatting and eating.

Zion market was our first stop to pick up some ginger, lotus roots, pea sprouts, orange and thinly pre-sliced pork belly, beef tongue, ribeye and brisket.

99 Ranch had the portable camping stoves and cans of butane.  We also got some cuttle fish balls, herbal soup mix, rice noodles, moqua and napa cabbage.   There are lots more items that would be great hot pot additions such as tofu, fish fillets, shrimp, dumplings, any thinly sliced meat, noodles, taro, potatoes, veggies and etc.

At both stores, there were a plethora of induction and electric hot pot sets.  However, I wanted the portable gas version so that I could have the option of doing an outdoor hot pot as well.  Funny how both Zion and 99 Ranch had the portable gas stove, but neither had the pot nor little scoops to go with it.  SF (Thuan Fat) Supermarket had the pot and all the little scoops I needed to complete my hot pot kit.

Thanksgiving day: I spent about an hour or so rinsing and slicing up the veggies and preparing the soup bases.  Depending on the region, the soup bases also vary.  Since I got a half and half hot pot, I did one regular herbal soup base and one spicy herbal soup base,  which didn't take long at all.  To save time, I prepared the soup on my kitchen stove and then transferred to the portable hot pot setup.

Half and Half Herbal Soup Bases:
1 packet of assorted herbs
1 finger of ginger (peeled and chopped into large chunks)
6 cans of chicken broth or homemade broth
6 dried chili peppers
3 dried chrysanthemum flowers (optional)
Pour chicken broth, ginger and half of each herb from the assorted herb packet into a large pot.  Bring to a boil.  Transfer half of the broth to one side of the hot pot.  Add the dried chili peppers to the remaining half of the broth and simmer for about 5 minutes.  Transfer to other half of hot pot.  Put the chrysanthemum flowers in a tea ball and add to the spicy side of the hot pot.  In chinese medicine, chrysanthemum flowers are "cooling" and will balance out the "heatiness" of the spicy hot pot.  The tea ball will help keep the flowers from disintegrating into the hot pot.  Keep hot pot on a low simmer.  

Rinse and strain the pea sprouts and napa cabbage.  Moqua has a texture and taste just like winter melon.  I prefer it to winter melon because it has a much thinner skin and is easier to prep.  It soaks up the flavors of the soup like a sponge.  Peel and slice the moqua into about 1 inch pieces.   Peel and thinly slice the lotus root.  My handy mandolin slicer really made a big difference with the lotus root.  Parboil, rinse and drain the rice noodles.

 Cut half-way into each cuttle fish ball with 3 horizontal slices.  

Turn over to the other side and make one perpendicular slice half-way into each ball.  

That way, there are slices on each side of the cuttle fish ball, while keeping the whole thing intact.  This would help any meat balls cook quickly and evenly in the hot pot.

I laid everything out and we pigged out.  To keep the soup from evaporating away thru out the meal, I add hot water as needed.  The leftovers also made for a delicious noodle soup the next morning.

What about the orange?  That was for my azuki dessert soup.  More on that next time....

Steamed Fish w/ Ginger and Scallions = Next Day Fish Flake Jook

My favorite fish preparation is steamed with ginger and scallions then drizzled with a soy sauce and oil dressing.  The heated oil brings out the essence of the ginger and scallions.  Kwai Fei Gai is also prepared in a somewhat similar fashion.  That is also my favorite way to cook chicken.  I guess I'm just a sucker for anything that is steamed and dressed with the scallion and ginger oil.  It goes so well over steamed rice.  Mmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Steaming is the best way to enjoy any fresh salt-water fish with a firm flesh.  I don't recommend this recipe for fresh water fish like trout or catfish.  This method highlights the taste and texture of the fish instead of masking it with stronger flavors.  It is best to use the freshest fish possible.  I have always thought that this dish is the reason why most Chinese restaurants have the live fish tanks.  I would not order this dish from a restaurant without those tanks.

My mom used to make this dish with a whole fish that she gets from the market that same day.  Head and tail included.  Since I was cooking for one, I got a single fillet of sushi grade mahi mahi.  

Steamed Fish w/ Ginger and Scallions

8 oz fillet of firm fleshed, salt water fish (mahi mahi, snapper, sheepshead, etc)

1 stalk scallions, minced

4 inches fresh ginger, julienned or grated

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 drops sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

Place a steam rack in a wok.

If you don't have a steam rack like that one, you can rig one up with two pairs of chopsticks.  Like so:

Add enough water to the wok until it just stops short of where the plate would be placed on your rack.  Heat to simmer.  

Spread half of the ginger and scallions evenly onto a heat proof plate large enough to fit the fish, but smaller than your wok.  Make sure the plate has sides that comes up. 

Place your fish on top of the ginger and scallions.  Spread the rest of the ginger and scallions on top of your fish.

Place the plate on the rack.  Make sure water level is sufficient.  Cover with wok lid and steam for about 10 minutes.

*If you are steaming a whole fish, make sure the fish is cleaned.  Scour both sides of the fish with 3 parallel slashes and stuff with ginger and scallion mixture as well.  Add an additional 5 minutes of steam time for every 8 oz.

Take plate off rack.  Drizzle with soy sauce.  Take rack off wok.  Drain water and dry wok.  Heat oil in wok.  Carefully pour heated oil over fish.

 

If you have any leftovers, you have all the ingredients to make Fish Flake Jook for breakfast the next morning.  

Fish Flake Jook

From Leftovers:

leftover steamed fish, flaked into bite-sized pieces

leftover steamed rice

water or chicken broth

salt

white pepper

Simmer the leftover rice with twice as much water or broth, stirring frequently until rice is broken up.  Add more water or broth if rice becomes too thick.  I like my jook to be more of a soupy consistency.  Turn off heat.  Stir in fish flakes.  Ladle into bowls.  Add salt and white pepper to taste.

From Scratch:

8 oz fillet of firm fleshed, salt water fish (mahi mahi, snapper, sheepshead, etc), slightly frozen

1 stalk scallions, minced

4 inches fresh ginger, julienned

2 drops sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1 cup uncooked rice

3-4 cups water or chicken broth

salt

white pepper

Thinly slice fish against the grain.  Cut fish into bite-sized chunks.  Mix fish together with scallions, ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  

Bring water or broth to boil.  Add rice.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Partially cover by placing lid over pot, but propping one side of the lid up by placing a chopstick underneath one side of the pot.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is soft and broken.

Turn off heat.  Immediately stir in fish.  The residual heat should cook the fish without overcooking it.  Ladle into bowls.  Add salt and white pepper to taste.  Makes 6 servings.

Jook

It is pronounced "joke" in Cantonese.   Most Asian countries have their own variations of jook (a.k.a rice porridge or congee).  It is commonly eaten for breakfast or when one is not feeling well.  Some make it thick and some make it soupy.  I prefer the soupy consistency.  There are many version of jook.  Fish flake, chicken, century egg w/ lean pork, vegetarian, etc.   Plain jook can be served with condiments such as fu yur, salted duck eggs, fried shallots, dried salt fish, youtiao, tianjin preserved vegetables, etc.  The plain version is the foundation of all other versions.  

Plain Jook

1/4 cup uncooked rice

3 cups water

Combine ingredients in crock pot and cook for 4 hours on low.

Or
Bring water to boil.  Add uncooked rice.  Cook over low heat for 1 hour. Stirring occasionally.  Add more water if jook gets too thick.

Woking - Soy Sauce Noodles w/ Stir-fried Pea Sprouts

Soy Sauce Noodles with Stir-fried Pea Sprouts

My cast iron wok from the Wok Shop in San Francisco arrived last week.  I followed the instructions for seasoning before use.  I wiped the entire surface down with vegetable oil and 'baked' it in the oven at 250 and let it cool.  I repeated that process three times before I actually used the wok, just in case.  To test out my handy work, I decided to make stir-fried pea sprouts and soy sauce wok fried noodles.  Success!  No sticking whatsoever :o)

The wok kit came with a lid and wok ring.  The people at the Wok Shop decided to include a little recipe book and some accessories as well.  The metal spatula, bamboo spoons and wok cleaning brush are great extras.  But can anyone tell me what that little back scratcher-like thing is for?

Soy Sauce Noodles
2 rounds of dried egg noodles
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup minced green onions, green parts only
Cook noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until the noodles loosen from the 'nest' form.  Strain the noodles and rinse in cold water.  Leave the noodles in the strainer, we want all the excess water to drain away.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and vinegar together until the sugar dissolves.  In a big bowl, toss the noodles and the sauce mixture together.
Heat wok.  Add oil once wok is hot.  Add the noodles and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the green onions and stir-fry for another minute.  Serve.  This is a common breakfast item in Hong Kong.

Stir-fried Pea Sprouts
1 bunch pea sprouts
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Heat wok. Add oil once wok is hot.  Stir-fry garlic and pea sprouts over med heat until sprouts are wilted.  Add salt to taste.  Serve.

Dong Po Rou

Dong Po Rou is on the top of my Guilty Pleasures List. I mean, I'm basically eating chunks of braised un-salted bacon here. As Su Dong Po (real name Su Shi) says, "With gentle heat and a bit of water, the dish would surely taste good when it is done in its turn."
Removing the tiny little hairs with tweezers were tedious and straining on my eyes, but soooo worth it in the end. I started to tie up each cube of pork with green onion stalks, but ran out of green onions half way through the process. The green onions held the layers of pork together, keeping them from falling apart. However, the "loose" cubes didn't fall apart too badly. As you can see, they held together pretty well. Just had to be extra careful when transferring the pieces.
I stir-fried some ong choy in garlic and olive oil. I usually add shrimp paste or fermented bean curd when stir-frying ong choy, but I didn't want the flavors to compete with my oh-so-decadent-melt-in-your-mouth-cubes-of-braised-pork-belly. The last step, steaming, is really the secret to eliminating the greasiness. Yum, simple white rice soaked up the consumè-like sauce just perfectly.

Dong Po Rou
1 lb pork belly, tweezed and cut into 1-inch cubes (cutting is easier if the pork belly is slightly frozen)
2 hands ginger, slightly charred 
2 bundles of green onions
1 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
2 tbsp rock sugar or brown sugar
3 tbsp black tea leaves

Tie each piece of pork belly with a piece of green onion, like tying ribbon onto a present.  It helps to pour boiling water over the green onions first and then let them cool enough to touch.  It makes them more pliable.
Brew the tea leaves in a pot of water, enough to cover all of the pork belly.  Meanwhile, sear all sides of each piece of pork belly.
Discard leaves and save tea.  Dissolve sugar in the tea.  Chop the ginger into 1-inch chunks.  Add ginger, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, any leftover green onions, and pork belly pieces to the tea mixture.  Simmer for about 2 hours.
Remove the pork belly pieces and set aside.  Strain the sauce and skim away any fat (and there will be a thick layer of fat).  Set sauce aside. Steam the pork belly pieces, with enough sauce poured over it to coat each piece.  The pork should be steamed for about 45 minutes.  I like to save the rest of the sauce for pouring over rice with this dish.
If there are any leftovers, store the pork belly separately  from the sauce.  Reheat by steaming with sauce poured over it.

Homemade Char Siu Bao

My first attempt at baking char siu bao was quite a success. I have tried and failed at baking with yeast before, so I was expecting my bread to come out flat and hard. I used a recipe from Visual Recipes and it turned out great. My char siu came pretty close to the ones that you can buy from a chinese bbq place. If I had use maltose instead of honey, I bet it would have been even better. I had alot of leftover char siu and filling. I stored them in the freezer for the next time around.
I sprinkled baking powder into the dough as I was kneading it for the last time and I think that helped make the bun even fluffier. I reheated some of these babies up for breakfast the next day. 20 minutes seconds in the microwave and the buns were still soft and fluffy.

Steamed Pork Patty w/ Shrimp Paste

I was watching a Hong Kong drama in which one of the characters referenced this homestyle dish: Haw Jurng Jing Yok Bang, or Steamed Pork Pattie w/ Shrimp Paste. Here is a little excerpt from the scene:
Husband was in an accident which left him crippled. He is majorly depressed after he got out of the hospital. Wife decides to make Husband's special dish for him to cheer him up. Husband's Brother came over for dinner and was praising her cooking skills. Wife says that the Steamed Pork Pattie w/ Shrimp Paste is Husband's fave. She even made a special trip to go buy the shrimp past because they had run out. Husband says that this dish is so good that he'd have to have at least 3 bowls of rice to go with it.
I didn't even pay attention to the rest of that episode. I was obsessed with trying out that dish. I mean, three bowls of rice? It's gotta be good. The only problem is that I couldn't find any recipes online and you can bet that this isn't something you can find on any menu. I can't read Chinese, so if anyone knows of a place that has this dish on their "secret" Chinese menu, please let me know.
Do I give up? My obsession mind would not allow it. So I made up my own recipe. Most homestyle Chinese dishes are pretty basic and true to their namesakes. Here it is:
Steamed Pork Patty with Shrimp Paste
1 lb ground pork
1/2 tbsp shrimp paste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 stalk green onions/scallions, minced (green parts only)
Mix all ingredients together really well. Form patties and place into a wide bowl for steaming. Set bowl in a pot of water that just reaches the bowl's half way point. Cover and steam for about 20 minutes after the water starts boiling or until the meat is no longer pink, depending on how thick your meat patties are. Serve over rice.
I started my rice just before I prepared the pork patties and I cursed my rice cooker for not working faster.
I had this meal with a side of steamed bok choy w/ oyster sauce. I poured some of the jus from the pork patties over my rice. It was delicious. I too had three bowls of rice.

Store Bought Potstickers

Got some frozen potstickers at Thuan Phat a couple of weeks ago. Pork, scallop and shrimp are a pretty good combination. I pan fried some of these bad boys for a potluck style dinner party that I went to and they were a big hit. There were a consistent amount of sweet baby scallops in each dumpling. I would get a baby shrimp in every third potsticker or so, but the scallops made up for that shortfall.
I would still prefer homemade, but these are great when I don't feel like spending an entire day making dumplings. I ate an entire bag for dinner one night.

Deconstructed Dim Sum Dish

I had a craving for one of my favorite Dim Sum dishes this past week: Lo Mai Gai. The only problem was that my craving hit at dinner time. For those of you unfamiliar with Dim Sum, it is only served at Chinese restaurants during the breakfast/brunch/lunchtime hours.
I had almost all the ingredients that I needed to make this dish at home. The only other thing I needed was the lotus leaves. Why don't I just go out and buy some? Lotus leaves are usually sold dried and would require soaking at least overnight. Being impatient, I made a deconstructed version of Lo Mai Gai. I cooked the sticky rice in my rice cooker and the rest of the ingredients on the stove. Once everything was done, I mixed everything together and tada!