Category: Chinese
Ginger Scallion Sauce Poultry in Motion

Ginger Scallion Sauce Poultry in Motion

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DI went to the city to grab a bite to eat with my kid Jeffrey and my Mom. Jeffrey suggested a joint that serves poached chicken and rice. Loves it, goes there all the time.

I said, you’re KIDDING, right?  Not that I don’t like chicken but this sounds a whole lot like Chinese White Cut Chicken or Singaporean Hainan Chicken which I make ALL the TIME. Yep, same dish, but served in a hipster space with people willing to wait in line and pay gobs of money to have. REALLY?

Down-home comfort food made by grandma although you can get it at a hole-in-the-wall Asian restaurants or buy it at a Chinese deli to take home (usually hanging in the windows by the neck, lol).  But to become the star of a menu and served in a cool space in the middle of Hipsterville? Who would have thought something as simple as poached chicken would become all the rage. Recently opened in the Marina, Rooster and Rice is my kid’s go-to place. Chicken, white rice (ok, you can probably get brown rice) and a dipping sauce. It comes with a bit of broccoli or cucumbers and if you want, a bowl of chicken soup. BUT that’s all. Sheesh.

Why didn’t I think of that?

My version of Chicken and Rice

I did a bit of sleuthing (hello Google) and concluded that ground zero for poached chicken rising to rock star status might have been Portland at Nong’s Khao Man Gai Food Truck. Nong P. got her start as a line chef at the popular Thai restaurant Pok Pok.  She left to literally go on the road with a food truck serving her chicken and rice. It was wildly popular and she was able to open a brick and mortar place of the same name. Rooster and Rice also serves the Thai version.  It’s dipping sauce is bean-based and is sweet, salty and spicy.  Delicious. The dipping sauce for Hainan or Chinese white cut chicken is based on salt or soy sauce, includes ginger and scallions and is finished with oil. Yummmmmmm.

I am partial to the ginger scallion sauce which I have posted with my Simple Poached Chicken recipe but I did want to try David Chang’s (Momofuku) Ginger Scallion Sauce. His recipe has made the rounds on  Epicurious, Saveur, Bon Apetit’ website, your auntie’s blog, EVERYWHERE.  All wax poetically about it. Its good on everything even slathered on your skin apparently. So, I made it and it’s good alright but is it Nirvana?  Hm.  It is ridiculously easy and extremely versatile.  It is lovely on noodles, fish, your kids if they forget their sunblock (I’M KIDDING), on grilled tofu or mushrooms (yay for vegetarians) and of course CHICKEN. It’s the perfect pairing like Fred and Ginger (my fav). Similar to the sauce for Hainan Chicken or White Cut Chicken it starts with ginger, scallions, and salt and soy sauce but unlike mine, the oil is not heated and it includes a touch of vinegar. I leave it to you to pick which is your favorite. Definitely make the chicken (it’s incredibly delicious and easy) and try the different sauces.  Love to know which is your favorite.

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Mother of All Sauces Momofuku Ginger Scallion Sauce

All purpose delicious sauce for chicken,
Course condiment, Sauce
Cuisine Asian
Keyword ginger, poached chicken, scallions
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches
  • 1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons usukuchi light soy sauce
  • 3/4 teaspoon sherry vinegar
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste

Instructions

  • Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl.
  • Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed.
  • Best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, ginger scallion sauce is good from the minute it's stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge.
  • Use as directed, or apply as needed.
Sesame Noodles (Ancient Family Secret)

Sesame Noodles (Ancient Family Secret)

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Jamie was home for the week so of course, we pulled out the party plates and hosted a happy hour at our house. Though we usually stick to finger foods, we broke out the forks and chopsticks for a delicious, perfect for hot weather dish, Sesame noodles.  A combination of soy, vinegar, sesame oil in the dressing packs a flavor punch followed by a spicy kick courtesy of chili oil.  The dish is prepped in advance and left to sit overnight for the flavors to meld.  Just before serving, give the noodles a last toss, a sprinkle of green onions and sesame seeds on top, and then watch friends gobble it up.  Really, that good.

My friend Sarah asked for the recipe for these tasty noodles to which I teasingly replied “it’s an old family recipe”.  I had her for a second until I finished with “from my dear Aunt, Martha Stewart”.  Yep, the recipe is from Martha Stewart’s Entertaining.  An iconic tome filled with delicious recipes and the ABCs on “how to host” a fabulous party. It changed the way my generation viewed “The good life”.  I was on a student’s budget when Entertaining was published so the best I could do was pour over the pages of her book and dream. An elegant Manhattan penthouse cocktail party or Hawaiian Luau in the Hampton’s were not within reach but her recipes were.  A girl can dream, and eat delicious tasty food.

We served the noodles with grilled flank steak and a cucumber salad.  A big hit!  The recipe is simple and easy.  The hard part happens way before you start making this delicious dish.

FINDING THE INGREDIENTS

The dressing calls for Chinese Black Vinegar and Dark Soy Sauce.  Whaat? Isn’t there just one soy sauce to rule them all?  Nope.  Chinese dark or black soy sauce is actually thicker and less salty than regular Chinese Soy Sauce or Kikkoman Soy Sauce.  It is fermented a little longer and contains either molasses or sugar which adds a bit of sweetness.

The other ingredient is Black Chinese Vinegar.  Chinese Black Vinegar, also known as Chiankiang Vinegar, is best described as a slightly less sweet Balsamic Vinegar.  I did painstaking intensive research (googled it) and found the best substitution (from America’s Test Kitchen) equal parts red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar blended together.  I did my own taste test and it did seem to be pretty close in flavor, maybe a touch sweeter than black vinegar.

The Line-up

A picture is worth a whole lotta words so here are my bottles of the different sauces.  I prefer Pearl River Dark Soy, it is a little mellower and not quite as salty as Koon Chun.  For those of you in my neck of the woods, I will gladly point you in the right direction for where and which ones to buy.

I have added my own twists to this dish of course.

Decrease the amount of salt (the original seemed like a ton) and use kosher salt.

Add 1 -2 tablespoons of oyster sauce to add umami (I know what your thinking noooo, not another sauce. This is optional but everyone should have a bottle of this miracle sauce in their pantry.  Make sure it is made by the Lee Kum Kee one with the kid and mom in the boat.  Cut chili oil amount by half.  I’m a wimp.

Add blanched asparagus, sugar snap peas, snow pears, fresh corn, and-or shredded chicken for a more substantial dish.  The sky’s the limit.  Garnish with green onions and cilantro (if you like cilantro) and toasted sesame seeds.  Voila’ KILLER NOODLE SALAD ready to go!

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Old Family Secret (Sesame Noodles)

Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword Sesame Noodles
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes

Ingredients

  • Make this dish the night before
  • 2 pounds chinese egg noodles
  • 1/2 cup sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup black soy sauce
  • 3 T black Chinese vinegar
  • 3 T sugar
  • 1 1/2 T salt kosher coarse
  • 2 T hot pepper oil chili oil (start with 1 T it is really spicy with 2)
  • 1/2 cup finely sliced scallions white and green part
  • Recipe can easily be halved**

Instructions

  • In a large pot of boiling water, cook the noodles 1 pound at a time. Boil 4-5 minutes, until just tender.
  • Drain, rinse well under cold running water until chilled, and drain again. Put in a large bowl.
  • Combine remaining ingredients. Reserve approximately 1/4 of the dressing. Stir the rest into cold noodles, mixing well.
  • Chill overnight.
  • Just before serving toss with reserved dressing. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and additional green onions.
  • Variations: Reduce salt to 1 T kosher, add 1-2 T oyster sauce. Add blanched asparagus or snow peas or sugar snap peas or cucumbers.
  • For a more substantial dish add shredded chicken or cooked shrimp.
An Easy “Egg”cellent Dish (Stir-Fried Tomato and Eggs)

An Easy “Egg”cellent Dish (Stir-Fried Tomato and Eggs)

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I grew up running the streets of Chinatown.  My parents had a mom-and-pop business right in the heart of Chinatown on Grant Ave. (Yep, Grant Ave…San Francisco…California…USA made quasi-famous by the musical Flower Drum Song).  There are a gazillion restaurants to eat at or take out, but the trick is knowing where to go for the best of whatever you crave.  The best egg tarts? Golden Gate Bakery. BBQ Pork Buns and dim sum? Yung Kee (sadly gone now), or Good Luck Dim Sum.  Best stuffed rice noodles? Sam Wo. Best fried chicken Wings?  Golden Daisy or Capitol Restaurant.  Call me for the 411.

Down Home, My Home, Chinatown

My favorite down-home dishes were and are found in the quirky little hole-in-the-wall places.  Many of these joints are a fusion of Asian and American food-you will find beef stew, apple pie, stir-fried beef with bitter greens, and wonton soup all on the same menu.  I love going to Kam Po next to the Broadway Tunnel where rice plates are a mainstay.  A mountain of rice covered with crispy roast duck or soy sauce chicken with a side of stir-fried garlicky greens, my go-to quick meal.

A couple of weeks ago I was perusing the NYT cooking site and a recipe for stir-fried tomatoes and eggs by Francis Lam caught my eye.  This immediately transported me back to my days in Chinatown.  This Cantonese soul food dish is quick, simple, and perfect after a long day at work and slow commute home.

As soon as you walk in the door make a pot of rice.  This will be the rate-limiting step of the entire meal.  In fact, you will have a couple of minutes to kick back and relax before starting on the eggs.  Yes, it’s that easy.

A little music to cook by, Grant Ave. from Flower Drum Song- Pat Suzuki and Ensemble

Quick stir fry, do not overcook, keep em’ runny! Eggs will be added to the tomato mixture.

The eggs are flavored with sesame oil and salt and then whisked lightly so that there are still streaks of egg white left. For fluffier (technical term) uniform color eggs, whisk them thoroughly.  Scramble eggs quickly until barely set and remove from heat and pour into a dish.  Stir fry the tomatoes to the desired doneness.  Add the eggs to the tomatoes and cook just long enough to stir the tomatoes and eggs together.

That’s It.

A word of caution, I am THAT person who orders scrambled eggs, very soft and runny.  In fact, the runnier the better, so cook the eggs to your taste.  Scoop steaming hot rice into a bowl or on a plate, top with the tomato-egg mixture and garnish with green onions.  Turn on the tube, plop yourself down on the couch and watch your favorite reruns while you gobble up your eggs and rice.  You deserve it, there’s nothing better.

If you need protein, throw in bite-sized pieces of chicken, beef, or shrimp while cooking the green onions. I had a bit of ground beef left, so in it went.  Don’t have green onions?  Use thinly sliced yellow or red onions.

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Stir Fried Eggs and Tomatoes

Down home Cantonese Dish
Course Main Course, One dish meals
Cuisine Asian
Keyword egg, scrambled, tomatoes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

From New York Times Cooking Francis Lam

  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Eggs

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsp Kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • 2-3 scallions sliced, reserve 1/3 of green portion for garnish

Tomatoes

  • 1 pound beefsteak tomatoes in season, any juicy tomato would work or 1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes in juice-DON'T EVEN-its here because its in the original recipe-bleah
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger from about 1/4-inch nub

Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon sugar can subtitute light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup YES, ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons water or stock (chicken or veggie stock will work)

To Serve

  • Steamed rice for serving

Instructions

  • In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 teaspoon salt, sesame oil and rice wine or sherry.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until well combined, then stir in the sugar (can substitute brown sugar) and ketchup.
  • Core and cut tomatoes into 1/2-inch wide wedges.
  • Heat a wide nonstick skillet over high heat with 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil. When the oil shimmers, add most of the scallions, saving some to garnish. If adding protein or another vegetable, add now. Cook, stirring, until very aromatic, about 20 seconds.
  • Add the eggs, and cook, stirring well with a spatula or chopsticks, until just set but still runny, about 45 seconds.
  • Remove eggs to a plate and wipe out the pan.
  • Reheat the pan over high heat with the remaining tablespoon of oil. When it is hot, add the ginger and cook until aromatic, about 15 seconds. Add the tomatoes and salt to taste; cook, stirring occasionally, until the flesh has softened but still has some shape and the juices have begun to form a sauce, 2-3 minutes. (If using canned tomatoes, add the juice as well and cook about 4 minutes, to reduce it to a saucelike consistency.)
  • Reduce the heat to medium. Give the cornstarch-ketchup mixture a stir in its bowl, then stir it into the pan. Cook, stirring, until the sauce returns to a boil and thickens. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, sugar or more ketchup — you want a savory, tart-sweet sauce. Stir the eggs in the bowl to cut up the curds a bit, then return them to the pan. Cook, stirring, for a few seconds to finish cooking the eggs and to combine. Top with the reserved scallions, and serve with steamed rice.
Dad’s Fried Rice With a Little Tweak

Dad’s Fried Rice With a Little Tweak

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Having recently posted a fried rice recipe (Kim Chee Fried Rice-Koreatown), this comes a bit sooner than expected, but a couple of things prompted this post.  The rain is back with a vengeance so I have been holed up at home with Sammy.  The perfect time to scrounge around the fridge and use whatever we have for dinner.

I found leftover rice, onions, eggs, a bell pepper, and some Chinese sausage…yum, all the fixins for fried rice.  It’s easy, delish, down-home food. To top it off, my brother’s family spent the holidays in Hawaii and brought me back SPAM per my request.  I know you’re thinking-we have SPAM here, duh.  Yes, but Hawaii is the Spam capital of the world. We have regular, lite, and less salt, but head to any supermarket on the Islands and you will find a dizzying array of SPAM.

Welcome to Spam-a-lot

There’s Tocino SPAM, Portuguese Sausage SPAM, Garlic SPAM, Teriyaki SPAM, Black Pepper SPAM, Jalapeno SPAM, and the list’s keep going.  Who knew?  My niece grabbed a can of Tocino (Filipino) Spam which just happens to be my favorite. It’s sweet and salty and perfect for fried rice.  Fire up that wok, baby.

So this is a rift on my Dad’s Fried Rice.  He would always use Chinese BBQ Pork but sweet Chinese sausage and SPAM (yes!) are a good stand-in.  The beauty of fried rice is you can put whatever you like in and make it your own.  The foundation of course starts with rice, preferably day-old rice (drier), aromatics such as minced ginger, onions, scallions, seasonings-salt, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, eggs, and some sort of protein bbq pork, spam, bacon, shrimp, your choice.  My Dad always added peas and shredded lettuce in his for color and probably to sneak some vegetables in.  Bell peppers, leeks, diced carrots are also great additions.

Go crazy and make your own signature fried rice, the sky’s (and what’s in your fridge) the limit.

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Dad’s Fried Rice Gets an Island Makeover

A delicious island version of fried rice, chinese sausage and Spam, proteins contributing flavor and texture!
Course dinner, lunch, One dish meals, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword downhome, fried rice, homemade, lop cheung, rice, spam
Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2-3 cups cooked day old rice long grain preferred, but short grain will work
  • 1 T vegetable oil
  • 1/2 onion finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup diced red or green bell pepper*
  • 1/2 cup diced carrot*
  • 2-3 slices fresh ginger minced, 1 clove garlic minced (optional)
  • 1/2 cup diced Chinese bbq pork or SPAM
  • 1 Chinese sausage lop cheung and 2 slices of spam, diced
  • 2 eggs slightly scrambled
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • 1-2 green onions coarsely minced
  • 1/2 cup shredded lettuce iceberg or romaine

Seasonings

  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T oyster sauce
  • 1/4 t sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • white pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil optional

Instructions

  • Heat a large saute' pan or wok and add the 1 T of oil to pan. Add onions, bell pepper (and any raw vegetable you like such as diced carrots or bell peppers) to the pan.
  • Saute' until vegetables are soft approximately 5 minutes. Add Chinese sausage and SPAM and continue to saute until sausage is heated through and SPAM is brown and with crispy edges.. Remove from pan to bowl and reserve.
  • To the same pan add 1 T oil. When shimmering add ginger and garlic (optional) and saute' until fragrant (15-30 seconds)
  • Add rice to pan, breaking up the clumps as you stir fry the rice and ginger. When the rice is coated with the oil, move rice to the perimeter of pan creating a well in the center. Pour eggs into center of pan and scramble. As soon as the egg is slightly set mix into rice, do not overcook the egg.
  • Toss vegetable mixture back into the pan along with the peas. Stir to incorporate and heat through.
  • Season with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil is using, and pepper. Taste, use salt if necessary.
  • Just before removing from pan add shredded lettuce and green onions
  • Garnish with green onions or cilantro if desired.
  • Serve immediately.
Book Review: The Dim Sum Field Guide

Book Review: The Dim Sum Field Guide

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The Dim Sum Field Guide: Not For the Novice Dim Sum Eater

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I love dim sum so I jumped at the chance to review Carolyn Phillips’ “The Dim Sum Field Guide”.  My first impression of the book was, quite honestly, underwhelming.  “There aren’t any photographs,” I lamented to my hubby.  “Only line drawings of each tasty morsel and in black and white no less.  How is this going to help the dim sum newbie navigate the chaotic, intimidating hustle and bustle of a Chinese Tea House?  In this day and age a field guide should have photos of each entry, not line drawings.”  Disappointed, I put the book aside.
A few days later I picked up the book again this time spending a bit more time perusing it.  There is an introduction to and history of dim sum, dim sum etiquette and a funny, all too true, bit on fighting over the bill.  The book is divided by savory and sweet and then further divided by wrapped or not wrapped, method of cooking, and hot or cold.  Frankly, it was confusing, but then again, dim sum is comprised of hundreds of different dishes and virtually impossible to neatly categorize.
Each dish has two pages.  One is the line drawing and the other is best described as a taxonomy of each item with origins (history), nesting habits (how many in an order) and species (variations).  Also listed was a pronunciation guide in Mandarin and Cantonese with the name of each dish in Chinese characters.  The line drawings are very nice but one would be hard pressed to identify or differentiate many of the dishes from the drawings.  I did like the origins section which presented little factoids about each dim sum that I never even thought about.  Basic fillings are listed for each. Whether a dish contains pork, seafood or beef or if it is vegetarian or vegan is also noted.
This is my first review for Blogging for Books.  I am a bit bummed that it isn’t a glowing review where I finish with the tag line-You need to get this book NOW!.  However, it is a cute coffee table worthy book with interesting tidbits about dim sum.  Fortunately, I am not new to dim sum so I know what I am ordering, but I am going to sound pretty smart the next time I take my friends to a Chinese teahouse.
Cha Cha Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

Cha Cha Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

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The ultimate comfort food is the food you ate as a kid. In our family, my Dad was the cook.  The last 30 minutes of his workday found him running around Chinatown for dinner groceries.  He haggled with the fishmonger for the freshest catch of the day or gossiped with the store clerks as he picked through piles of fresh snap peas.  Some of my favorites included steamed fish with soy, ginger and onions, stir-fried beef with pickled vegetables, and scrambled eggs with bbq pork.

My Cooking Roots, from Gung Gung and BaBa

Dad (BaBa) cooked for fun, but for my grandfather (Gung Gung) it was his livelihood.  He worked as a chef at the Original Joe’s on Broadway and also at the legendary Tonga Room at the Fairmont Hotel.  To this day I have no idea what he cooked at these iconic San Francisco restaurants.  Every meal he made for me and my brother was rooted in Chinese comfort food.  We ate dinner with him a couple of times a week right before he went off to work.

In his tiny room above Jackson Cafe in Chinatown, he would spread the China Daily on the table, pull out chopsticks, rice bowls, and a tiny shot glass.  The shot glass held a “digestive” he would swig right before eating.  He cooked in a communal kitchen down the hall.  A well-worn oval metal tray, a remnant from his restaurant days, sat wedged between the burners and wall at the ready to ferry our meal to his room.

We usually sat waiting, impatiently, stomachs growling and legs swinging in anticipation, as he made the long trek back to his room.  As we ate he regaled us with stories from his childhood.  We feasted on steamed pompano with black bean sauce, stir-fried greens with garlic and onions,  steamed pork with fermented shrimp paste, or slices of bbq pork (char siu).  My comfort food.

These days I make my own Char Siu.  The marinade is adapted from a cookbook I found years ago in Chinatown, Authentic Chinese Cooking by Sharon Hoy Wong.  Long out of print, it is my go-to cookbook for the down-home food of my childhood.  Serve Char Siu as an appetizer, stir-fried with greens or eggs, noodle topping, or as a filling in buns.  Our entire family loves the play on the sweet and salty flavor combination.

The marinade is also delicious for grilled baby back ribs.

DSC03336

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Char Siu, Chinese BBQ Pork!

Chinese bbq pork, a staple in every Chinese deli and restaurant, a favorite on its own or as filling in buns, pastries, and dim sum.
Course Appetizer, Meat
Cuisine Asian
Keyword barbecue pork, bbq pork, Grilled Pork Belly
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Marinate time 4 hours

Ingredients

  • 2-3 pound piece of pork shoulder cut into strips approximately 1.5 - 2" thick 3" wide, 6-7" long
  • or 2 slabs of baby ribs with membrane removed
  • 1- tsp. Salt 2 T sugar mixed together rub this on ribs or boneless pork shoulder and let sit for 15 minutes while making marinade.

Marinade:

  • 3 T hoisin
  • 2 T catsup
  • 1 T honey
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T sherry
  • 1 T oyster sauce or black bean with garlic paste
  • 1/8 t 5 spice powder
  • 1-2 T orange or apple juice
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 2 slices ginger 1/4 inch thick each slice

Instructions

  • Combine marinade ingredients and coat meat. Let marinade for 2-4 hours minimum or overnight in the fridge.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place a wire rack over a baking pan. Place strips of pork on the rack and place in oven. Add 1/2 cup hot water to pan, filling to approximately 1 inch depth.
  • Roast for 45-50 minutes. Turn pork over midway through.
  • With about 10 minutes to go, increase temperature to 400 degrees, drizzle pork with honey and roast an additional 10 minutes to glaze the pork or pork can be transferred to a grill for the last 10 minutes.

Pork Ribs

  • Place ribs on grill (underside of ribs faced down) and cook over indirect heat, (medium heat 350-400 degrees) in a covered grill for 15-20 minutes. Flip ribs over, brush with additional marinade and grill additional 15 minutes.
  • To finish ribs, move ribs over direct heat and continue cooking ribs uncovered. Baste ribs with honey and flip every couple of minutes to avoid burning ribs but you do want a little bit of char for flavor and texture. Grill over medium heat additional 10 minutes. This is for baby back ribs, times will be longer for larger ribs.
Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

Want Wontons? Hanging with Mom (雲吞)

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My mom came down and spent the week with us recently.  She is 93 years old and still lives in San Francisco in the same house I grew up in.  Her memory has faltered and her cognitive skills have diminished but she soldiers on.   I am thankful that she is still with us and grateful for the moments we have together.  It is now our turn to take care of her, everything comes full circle.

When she visits we talk about family.  She remembers snippets of when she was younger, she laughs at my exasperation with my kids.  She doesn’t cook much anymore but she likes to make wontons for the kids when she visits.  When I was in college she would make trays of wontons, freeze and pack them, ready for me to take back to Berkeley after a weekend visit.  When the kids were small she would make wontons for them during her babysitting stints,

We used medium wrappers for this batch but I generally use thin wrappers which are good for won ton soup and fried won tons.

Tons of Advice on Wontons

We head to the Asian market to shop for freshwater chestnuts (no canned stuff for her), pork (not pre-ground, too mushy), mushrooms, wrappers, and shrimp (raw & unpeeled).  Back at home, she insists on making the filling as she has for so many years, chopping the pork and shrimp by hand and incorporating the seasonings with her Chinese cleaver.  We reserve some of the filling for mini stuffed omelets called Gai Dan Kok (kid favorite) and then we sit, talk, and fold won tons.  We fill as many trays as we have of wrappers or filling, and store them in the freezer.  When the kids come home she will boil up a batch or fry egg dumplings for them.  These are the moments I will treasure.

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Mom makes classic pork and shrimp filling for her wontons.  It is my go-to filling for not just wontons but for egg dumplings and steamed stuffed squash.  It’s delicious.  The shrimp can be chopped with the pork and blended with it or cut into 1/2 inch pieces and a couple of pieces placed in each wonton as shown in the video below. Soaking the shrimp in potassium carbonate firms up the shrimp giving the wonton a nice bite.  You could probably forego this step.  I added 1 tsp Ponzu (or you could use soy sauce and a squeeze of lemon) and 1/2 tsp sesame seed oil to the shrimp for flavor.

The Fried Way

These wontons can also be fried.  Heat oil in a large pot to 350-375 degrees.  Fry in at least 2 inches of oil in the pot.  Cook in batches of 6-8 won tons.  Fry to golden brown and remove to a paper towel-lined pan to drain off excess oil.  Serve with a sweet and sour sauce or ketchup.

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Wontons

Every culture has a dumpling, our family enjoys won tons in soup or fried as an appetizer. A classic! This is me mom's recipe for wontons, our favorite.
Course Appetizer, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword dumplings, soup, won ton
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

Pork & Shrimp Filling

  • 3/4 lb ground pork
  • 4-6 water chestnuts peeled and coarsely chopped fresh or canned (rinse before using)
  • 3-4 dried shiitake mushrooms soaked in warm water to soften (15-20 min) drained and coarsely chopped
  • 2 stalks of green onions coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger peeled and minced
  • 1/4 pound fresh shrimp peeled and deveined and roughly diced
  • 1 T cilantro leaves finely chopped optional

The Flavorings

  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1 T oyster sauce
  • 1 T rice wine or sherry
  • 1/2 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil optional

That's a Wrap

  • 1 pkg won ton wrappers Hong Kong Style are extra thin, I use thin wonton wrappers by New Hong Kong Noodle Company of San Francisco

Instructions

Filling

  • Start with Pork shoulder or Pork Butt. Hand-chop or coarse grind in food processor. When buying pork, look for coarse ground.
  • Place ground pork and filling ingredients except shrimp* in a medium-sized bowl. *You can finely chop the shrimp and add it to the filling or reserve the shrimp cut into 1/2 inch pieces to be added when folding each wonton.
  • Add seasonings. Using chopsticks or a spoon, stir the mixture in one direction until the ingredients are well combined.

Wrapping

  • See video of my mom wrapping wontons!
  • Have ready wrappers, filling and small bowl of water or egg wash to seal won tons
  • Choose any won ton wrapper you like. My preference is Thin wrappers from New Hong Kong Noodle Factory. Wrappers come in different thicknesses. Avoid thick wrappers if you are making wontons for soup or deep-frying. Thick ones work well for Potstickers-a combination of frying and steaming when more filling is used.
  • Wontons can be folded in a variety of ways including simply folding like a triangle or square. Trick is to eliminate air bubbles and use water or egg wash to seal the edges.
  • Use about 1 generous teaspoon of filling per wonton.
  • Meanwhile, fill a large stockpot with water at least 2/3-3/4 full. Bring to boil over high heat. Drop folded wontons into the boiling water. Keep water at a nice boil not on a crazy high boil. The wontons will float to the surface as they cook, an indication they are ready. Let boil for about 3-4 minutes total, about 1 min after they float to the top. Remove with strainer, drain and serve in soup*
  • * Chicken Soup is perfect. If you use commercial chicken broth, use low sodium and season yourself. Add a slice of fresh ginger or shallots as you are heating. Season with soy sauce.
  • All the rage now seems to be serving wontons without soup, slathered in Chili Crisp Oil and a splash of vinegar. You could easily sub the soup and use a chili oil for the wontons. See notes for sauce.
  • If you have extra filling left after folding wontons, you can use it for gai don gok (mini egg dumplings or as a filling for squash.

Notes

From Red House Spice, Chili Sauce for Wontons in lieu of soup. 
Mix together, drizzle just cooked wontons with sauce.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Add a touch of Chinese Sesame Paste if you like ~1 teaspoon.

Watch Mom Fold Wontons!
Chinese Roast Pork 燒肉 (All Things Porksidered)

Chinese Roast Pork 燒肉 (All Things Porksidered)

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Blog vacation is over…the vacation wasn’t intentional, it just kind of happened.  That’s life for you.  We just got back from Nashville where our kid Jordan goes to school.  We walked the campus, met his roommates’ families, went to the football game (they won!),  attended a couple of lectures, and spent time with Wes’s classmate from medical school.  After residency, Russ was smitten by a Southerner, Julia (the bomb), and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. It has been years since we have seen each other.  As fate would have it, his son is now a freshman at Vanderbilt. It was great catching up!

We also found time to take in the sites, if you like country music and southern food, you should definitely visit Nashville.  Like any good southern town, there’s a lot of down-home comfort food, hot fried chicken, great biscuits, pulled pork, barbecued pork ribs, yum.

Version 2

When we got back from Nashville I had pork on the brain.  I didn’t find a recipe with Southern roots but I did find one for Chinese Roast Pork also known as Siu Yuk. The pork is roasted to perfection, the meat is juicy, slightly salty, and succulent.  The skin is the showstopper. Roasting turns the skin into a golden brown crispy crust. Not southern but delish!   I have always purchased roast pork from my favorite Chinese deli never giving a thought to making it at home.  As I read through the recipe I thought, okay, not quite as daunting as I imagined.  Unlike a Chinese deli, I didn’t have to start with an entire pig, just a nice slab of pork belly.  It didn’t require a whole lot of prep or exotic ingredients and your oven does most of the work.

I Can Handle That

DSC02190The first part of the recipe calls for seasoning the pork and letting it air dry to ensure a crispy skin.  After drying, the skin is poked to help release the fat while it is roasting. The pork is wrapped in foil and covered with salt.  I used coarse kosher salt.  I was surprised at how simple it was to make.

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Chinese Roast Pork

Crispy skinned roasted pork
Course Meat
Cuisine Asian, cantonese
Keyword crispy skinned, roast pork
Prep Time 12 hours 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

Adapted from The Woks of Life

  • 3 lb slab of pork belly
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves of garlic cut into slivers
  • 1/2 cup coarse Kosher salt

Instructions

  • Rinse the pork belly, and then pat it dry.
  • Place it skin-side down on a small tray (you’ll be putting it in the refrigerator for some time, so make sure you have space)
  • Rub the shaoxing wine into the meat (not the skin). Mix together the salt, sugar, five spice powder and white pepper. Thoroughly rub this spice mixture into the meat as well. Make incisions in the pork and push slivers of garlic into the slits.
  • Flip the meat over so it’s skin-side up and place it on a small tray.
  • Let it dry out in the fridge uncovered, for 12-24 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Poke holes ALL over the skin, which will help the skin crisp up, rather than stay smooth and leathery. The more holes there are, the better, really. You want lots of small, delicate holes. I used a multi-pronged ice pick. You could use turkey skewers.
  • Using heavy duty aluminum foil, wrap the pork like the bottom of the box. The top (skin) will remain exposed. Try to wrap the pork snugly so the edge of the foil meets the top edge of the pork sides. See pic above.
  • Rub the skin of the pork with the vinegar. Sprinkle with salt to create an even layer over the skin. Try not to the salt fall down the sides in-between the foil.
  • Bake in oven for 1 hour and a half.
  • Remove from oven. Take the pork out of the foil pouch, remove salt crust and place pork on a foiled lined pan fitted with a rack. Turn oven onto broil, low setting. Oven rack should be set in the lower portion of the oven. Place pork in oven and broil for 10-15 minutes until skin puffs and becomes crispy. There should be tiny bubbles formed on the skin, if not the skin will be tough.
  • Keep an eye on the pork while broiling!
  • Remove from oven and let rest approximately 10-15 minutes. Cut into bite size pieces making sure each piece as a crispy little hat of cracklin! Serve with Chinese mustard or hoisin or sugar and oyster sauce.
Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

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I am hooked on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.

I just started watching it on Netflix.  It’s not just about food, everything is fair game; history, lifestyle (check out the Tokyo episode), politics, culture. If you have a chance watch the episode on Shanghai.  Shanghai has become the city of the future, a financial hub, and global powerhouse, it is the juggernaut that defines China today.  While in college, I was lucky enough to visit Shanghai.  We spent a couple of days in this fabled port city. Though ravaged by years of occupation and then isolation, even then it felt like Shanghai was ready to embrace the outside world and the future. I watched Mr. Bourdain’s episode and realized it had all come to pass.

Shanghai Then

We strolled down to the Yangtze River and by the time we arrived at the riverfront we had attracted a crowd of people easily 10 deep.  The crowd was eager to practice speaking English with us.  Others gawked at the strange way we were dressed. Bicycles not cars flooded the streets and everyone wore brown or blue pants and white shirts (vestiges of life under Mao).  Stores and restaurants were run by the government, only tourist were allowed.  If I invited anyone for dinner they still turned in their ration coupons even though I had paid for the meal.

Not a MickeyD’s, Starbucks, or Pizza Hut in Sight

Back then, it was hard to imagine that China would become the political & economic heavyweight it is today.  The Shanghai featured in Parts Unknown was unrecognizable.  Where once stood old provincial buildings built by countries that had occupied China, there are now modern high-rises.  Cars have replaced bicycles and proletariat clothes have given way to the latest fashion trends. Gone are the state-run stores, replaced by Prada, Fendi, and Starbucks.

Fine wines and haute cuisine are part of the China of today but thankfully street markets and sidewalk stalls selling down-home food like dumplings and noodles still exist.  Stir-fried Noodles with Ginger and Scallions are a mainstay of not only Chinese street food but a dish made at home.

I learned how to make this from my father.  Julienned ginger,  scallions, and minced garlic are sizzled in hot oil to impart their flavors.  Make the sauce next – combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, sesame oil, and reserve.  Stir-fry the noodles in the infused oil and add the sauce.  Give it a couple of stirs and just like that, a tasty meal in minutes.  Most of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Find fresh noodles in the refrigerator section of most Asian stores and larger supermarkets.  I usually buy a couple of packs of fresh noodles and throw them into the freezer.

The Asian PantryRight next to the catsup, mustard, and mayo…their Asian counterparts!

From left to right:  Sake (Japanese rice wine), Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine), Bean Sauce by Koon Chun (salty bean paste), Chili Garlic Sauce (like Siracha, similar in heat with garlic added), Sesame oil by Kadoya (used in Korean, Japanese and Chinese dishes), Chinese Rice wine (Michu), Vietnamese Fish Sauce by Three Crabs (pink label in back), Hoisin Sauce by Koon Chun (Chinese all-purpose bbq sauce), Premium Soy Sauce by Lee Kum Kee (all-purpose soy sauce), Oyster Sauce also by Lee Kum Kee (our go-to brand look for the label with the boy and woman in a boat).  Some of the bottles are almost empty which means I will be going to my favorite Asian market soon, call me if you want to come along for an Asian Sauce Primer!

3/17/21 Update:  I make this so often for a quick meal, like today!  I sauteed shredded cabbage and a trio of mushrooms from Mycopia, and added a nice dollop of chili crisp oil, good to go.  Use a vegetarian oyster sauce and voila’ veggie-friendly meal!

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Ginger and Scallion Noodles

A quick and easy dish. Stir fry noodles in oil infused with ginger, scallions and garlic-delicious!
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian
Keyword garlic, ginger, noodles, scallions
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh Asian egg noodles thin and flat like fettuccine
  • Fresh ginger 6 thin slices, crushed to release its flavor
  • 3 scallions or green onions cut into 1 inch sections and crushed to release flavor
  • 2 cloves of garlic smashed but intact
  • 3 T vegetable or peanut oil
  • Sauce:
  • 3 T premium soy sauce
  • 3 T oyster sauce
  • 1.5 T rice wine
  • 1.5 t sesame oil
  • 1 t sugar
  • 2-3 T chicken stock or water
  • salt and white pepper

Options

  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in warm water until soft sliced, if you don't have fresh
  • 1/4 cup black fungus soaked in warm water, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 head shredded green cabbage sauteed before adding noodles to ginger scsllion oil
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms ie. enoki, maitake, nameko, or shiitake really, any mushroom you like

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot of water and cook noodles as directed. Do not overcook as you will be stir frying them to finish the dish! Fresh noodles will only take a couple of minutes at best. Remove from pot and drain thoroughly.
  • Combine ingredients for sauce in a bowl and set aside. You can add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce, 1-2 tsp dissolved in stock or water then added to sauce ingredients.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a deep sided pan or wok until very hot, you should see wisps of smoke from the oil. Add ginger and garlic to pan and stir fry for approximately 1-2 minutes until garlic begins to brown. Add scallions or green onions, mushrooms or black fungus, stir fry for another minute.
  • Add noodles to pan, stir fry over medium high heat. Mix thoroughly to make sure the noodles are coated with the flavored oil, 1-2 minutes. Add any optional ingredients at this point.
  • Add sauce to noodles and stir fry 2-3 minutes to combine ingredients and reduce the sauce.
  • Garnish with green onions and cilantro if desired.
  • I left the ginger and green onions in big pieces as my kids didn't like them, made it easy to pick it out.
  • You could add leftover chicken or beef to make this a more substantial dish or even shrimp.
  • Once again, kids and corn...the corn added a bit of sweetness to the dish and crunch, always a good thing!