Simple Chinese Cookery Read online

  Straw Mushrooms

  These are among the tastiest mushrooms to be found in China. When fresh they have deep brown caps which are moulded around the stem. In the West they are only available in tins, from Chinese grocers and some supermarkets and delicatessens. Drain and rinse in cold water before use.

  Noodles

  In China, people eat noodles (pasta) of all kinds, day and night, in restaurants and at food stalls. They provide a nutritious, quick, light snack and are usually of good quality. Several types of Chinese noodles have now made their way into the West.

  Clockwise from top left: flat wheat noodles, beanthread noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, round wheat noodles

  Bean Thread (Transparent) Noodles

  Also called cellophane noodles, these very fine, white noodles are made from ground mung beans. They are available dried, packed in neat, plastic-wrapped bundles, from Chinese markets and supermarkets.

  Bean thread noodles are never served on their own but are added to soups or braises or deep-fried and used as a garnish. Soak them in warm water for about 5 minutes before use. As they are rather long, you might find it easier to cut them into shorter lengths after soaking. If you are frying them, they do not need soaking beforehand but they do need to be separated. The best way to do this is to pull them apart in a large paper bag, which stops them flying all over the place.

  Rice Noodles

  These dried noodles are opaque white and come in a variety of shapes and thicknesses. One of the most common is rice stick noodles, which are flat and about the length of a chopstick. Rice noodles are very easy to prepare. Simply soak them in warm water for 20 minutes until they are soft, then drain in a colander or sieve. They are now ready to be used in soups or stir-fried.

  Wheat Noodles and Egg Noodles

  Available dried or fresh, these are made from hard or soft wheat flour, water, and sometimes egg, in which case they are labelled egg noodles. Flat noodles are usually used in soups, while rounded ones are best for frying. The fresh ones freeze well if they are tightly wrapped. Thaw thoroughly before cooking.

  Dried wheat or fresh egg noodles are very good blanched and served as an accompaniment to main dishes instead of plain rice. If you are cooking noodles ahead of time or before stir-frying them, toss the cooked, drained noodles in 2 teaspoons of sesame oil and put them into a bowl. Cover this with clingfilm and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

  Oils

  Oil is the most commonly used cooking medium in China, although animal fats, usually lard and chicken fat, are also used in some areas, particularly in the north.

  To re-use oil after deep-frying, let it cool, then filter it through muslin or a fine sieve into a jar. Seal and store in a cool, dry place. If you keep it in the refrigerator it will become cloudy, but it will clarify again when it returns to room temperature. I find oils are best re-used just once, which is healthier, since their saturated fat content increases the more you use them.

  Groundnut Oil

  This is also known as peanut or arachide oil. I prefer to use it for Chinese cookery because it has a pleasant, unobtrusive taste. Although it has a higher saturated fat content than some oils, its ability to be heated to a high temperature without burning makes it perfect for stir-frying and deep-frying. Most supermarkets stock groundnut oil but if you cannot find it, use corn oil instead.

  Corn Oil

  Corn or maize oil is also quite suitable for Chinese cooking, since it has a high heating point. However, I find it rather bland and with a slightly disagreeable smell. It is high in polyunsaturates and is therefore one of the healthier oils.

  Other Vegetable Oils

  Some of the cheaper vegetable oils available include soya bean, safflower and sunflower. Light in colour and taste, they can be used in Chinese cooking but take care, since they smoke and burn at lower temperatures than groundnut oil.

  Sesame Oil

  This thick, rich, golden brown oil made from sesame seeds has a distinctive, nutty flavour and aroma. It is widely used in Chinese cookery as a seasoning but is not normally used as a cooking oil because it burns easily. Think of it more as a flavouring than a cooking oil. A small amount is often added at the last moment to finish a dish.

  Peanuts

  Raw peanuts are widely used in Chinese cooking to add flavour and crunch. They are especially good when marinated or added to stir-fry dishes. The thin red skins should be removed before use. To do this, simply immerse the nuts in a pan of boiling water for about 2 minutes, then drain and leave to cool; the skins will come off easily.

  Prawns

  For most of the recipes in this book you will need medium-to-large raw, unshelled prawns. These are sweeter and more succulent than ready-cooked ones. Before cooking, they should be shelled and, if large, de-veined. To remove the shell, twist off the head and discard, then, using your fingers, break open the shell along the belly and peel it off. Run a small, sharp knife along the back of the prawn and pull out the dark intestinal vein. The tail shell can be left on for presentation.

  Tiger prawns

  Rice

  There are many different varieties of rice in China but long grain is the most popular. Although the Chinese go through the ritual of washing it, rice purchased at supermarkets doesn’t require this step. However, if you wish to do as the Chinese do, put the rice into a large bowl, fill it with cold water and swish the rice around with your hands. Carefully pour off the cloudy water, keeping the rice in the bowl. Repeat this process several times until the water is clear.

  Salt

  Table salt is the finest grind but many cooks believe that the coarser sea salt has a richer flavour. Sea salt is frequently found in bins at Chinese markets. Rock salt is often used in certain kinds of chaozhou (a cooking style from southern China), especially with chicken dishes.

  Salted Black Beans

  These small black soya beans are fermented with salt and spices to preserve them. Their distinctive flavour makes them a tasty seasoning, especially when used with garlic or fresh ginger. They are inexpensive and can be obtained from Chinese grocers, usually in tins labelled ‘black beans in salted sauce’, but you may also see them packed in plastic bags. You can rinse them before use as an optional step; I prefer to chop them slightly, too, as this helps to release their pungent flavour. Transfer any unused beans and liquid to a sealed jar and they will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator. For convenience, black bean sauce is now available in supermarkets, which in many cases is authentic and quite acceptable.

  Sauces and Pastes

  Chinese and Asian cookery involves a number of tasty sauces and pastes. They are essential for authentic Chinese cooking, and it is well worth making the effort to obtain them. Most are sold in bottles or tins by Chinese grocers and some supermarkets. Once opened, tinned sauces should be transferred to screw-top glass jars and kept in the refrigerator, where they will last indefinitely.

  Chilli Bean Sauce

  This thick, dark sauce or paste is made from soya beans, chillies and other seasonings, and is very hot and spicy. Be sure to seal the jar tightly after use and store in the larder or refrigerator. Do not confuse it with chilli sauce (see here), which is a hotter, redder, thinner condiment made without beans.

  Clockwise from top: chilli bean sauce, hoisin sauce, yellow bean sauce, oyster sauce, chilli oil

  Chilli Sauce

  This hot, bright-red sauce, made from chillies, vinegar, sugar and salt, is mainly used as a dipping sauce. There are various brands available in Chinese grocers and many supermarkets and you should experiment with them until you find the one you like best. If you find chilli sauce too strong, dilute it with hot water. Do not confuse this sauce with chilli bean sauce (see here), which is a much thicker, darker sauce used for cooking.

  Hoisin Sauce

  This thick, dark, brownish-red sauce, made from soya beans, vinegar, sugar, spices and other flavourings, is sweet and spicy. It is sold in tins and jars (it is sometimes also called barbecue sauce) and is a
vailable in Chinese grocers and supermarkets. If refrigerated, it should keep indefinitely.

  Oyster Sauce

  This thick, brown sauce is made from a concentrate of oysters cooked in soy sauce and brine. Despite its name, it does not taste fishy. It has a rich flavour and is used not only in cooking but also as a condiment, diluted with a little oil, for vegetables, poultry and meat. It is usually sold in bottles and can be bought in Chinese grocers and supermarkets. I find it keeps best in the refrigerator. A vegetarian oyster sauce made with mushrooms is now available.

  Sesame Paste

  This rich, thick, creamy brown paste is made from sesame seeds and is used in both hot and cold dishes. If you cannot obtain it, use peanut butter, which has a similar texture. Don’t substitute tahini, the Middle Eastern sesame seed paste, since the flavour is not as strong.

  Soy Sauce

  Soy sauce is an essential ingredient in Chinese cooking. It is made from a mixture of soya beans, flour and water, which is then fermented naturally and aged for some months. The liquid that is finally distilled is soy sauce.

  There are two main types. Light soy sauce, as the name implies, is light in colour, but it is full of flavour and is the better one to use for cooking. It is saltier than dark soy sauce, and is known in Chinese grocers as Superior Soy. Dark soy sauce, confusingly, is known as Soy Superior Sauce. It is aged for much longer than light soy sauce, hence its darker, almost black colour, and is also slightly thicker and stronger. It is more suitable for stews. I prefer it to light soy as a dipping sauce.

  Supermarkets tend to sell dark soy sauce. Chinese grocers sell both types and the quality is excellent. Be sure you buy the correct one, as the names are very similar.

  Whole Yellow Bean Sauce

  This thick, spicy, aromatic sauce is made of yellow beans, flour and salt, which are fermented together. It is quite salty, and adds a distinctive flavour to Chinese sauces. There are two forms: whole beans in a thick sauce, and mashed or puréed beans (sold as crushed yellow bean sauce). I prefer the whole bean variety because it is slightly less salty and has a better texture.

  Sesame Seeds

  These are the dried seeds of the sesame herb. Unhulled, the seeds range from greyish white to black in colour. The tiny hulled seeds are cream coloured and pointed at one end. Stored in a glass jar in a cool, dry place, they will last indefinitely.

  To toast sesame seeds, heat a frying pan, then add the seeds and stir occasionally. Watch them closely to make sure they don’t burn. When they begin to brown lightly, after about 3–5 minutes, stir them again and tip them on to a plate. Leave to cool, then store in a glass jar in a cool, dark place.

  Alternatively, you could spread the sesame seeds on a baking sheet and roast them in an oven preheated to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 10–15 minutes, until lightly browned.

  Shaoxing Rice Wine

  Rice wine is used extensively for cooking and drinking throughout China, but I believe the finest of its many varieties to be from Shaoxing in Zhejiang Province in eastern China. It is made from glutinous rice, yeast and spring water. Now readily available in Chinese markets and in some wine shops in the West, it should be kept tightly corked at room temperature. A good-quality, pale dry sherry can be substituted but cannot match its rich, mellow taste. Do not confuse this wine with sake, which is the Japanese version of rice wine and quite different. Western grape wines are not an adequate substitute either.

  Sherry

  If you cannot get rice wine, use a good-quality, dry pale sherry instead. Do not use sweet or cream sherries.

  Sichuan Peppercorns

  Sichuan peppercorns are known throughout China as ‘flower peppers’ because they look like flower buds opening. They are reddish brown, with a strong, pungent odour that distinguishes them from the hotter black peppercorns. They are actually not from peppers at all; instead they are the dried berries of a shrub belonging to the citrus family. Their smell reminds me of lavender but their taste is sharp and mildly spicy.

  Sichuan peppercorns are inexpensive and will keep indefinitely if stored in a well-sealed container. They can be ground in a conventional peppermill and are very often roasted first to bring out the full flavour. To roast them, heat a wok or heavy frying-pan to a medium heat. Add the peppercorns (you can cook about 150 g (5 oz) at a time) and stir-fry them for about 5 minutes, until they brown slightly and start to smoke. Remove the pan from the heat and let them cool. Grind the peppercorns in a peppermill or a clean coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle. Store in a tightly sealed screw-top jar. Alternatively keep the whole roasted peppercorns in a well-sealed container and grind them when required.

  Spring onions (from top) finely chopped, shredded, cut on the round, cut on the diagonal

  Spinach

  Western varieties of spinach are quite different from those used in China but they make satisfactory substitutes. Spinach is most commonly stir-fried, so frozen spinach is unsuitable since it is so moist. Chinese water spinach is the most common type in China and is available in Chinese markets in the West. It has hollow stems, delicate, pointed, green leaves, and a paler colour and milder flavour than common spinach. It should be cooked when very fresh, preferably on the day it is bought.

  Spring Onions

  The recipes in this book specify a variety of ways to prepare spring onions, both for cooking and for garnish. First, peel off the outer layer if it is bruised or damaged. Trim the tops and bottom and remove any damaged green tops.

  To chop finely, split into quarters lengthways, then chop into small pieces horizontally. To shred, cut the onions in half horizontally, then split very finely lengthways. To curl shredded spring onions, put them in a bowl of ice-cold water. This makes an attractive garnish. Spring onions can also be cut simply on the round at various thicknesses, and also on the diagonal, which is useful for certain recipes and also looks pretty as a garnish.

  Spring Roll Skins

  These 15 cm (6 in) square, paper-thin wrappers are made from a soft flour and water dough. They are available in packets of 20 from Chinese grocers and keep well in the freezer if wrapped in clingfilm.

  Star Anise

  Star anise is a hard, star-shaped spice, the seed pod of an attractive bush. It is similar in flavour and fragrance to common anise but more robust and liquorice-like. Star anise is an essential ingredient in five-spice powder (see here) and is widely used in braised dishes, to which it imparts a rich taste and fragrance. It is available in plastic packs from Chinese grocers and should be stored in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place.

  Sugar

  Used sparingly, sugar helps to balance the flavours of sauces and other dishes. Chinese sugar comes in several forms: as rock or yellow lump sugar, as brown sugar slabs, and as maltose or malt sugar. I particularly like to use rock sugar, which has a richer, more subtle flavour than refined granulated sugar and gives a good lustre to braised dishes and sauces. It is available in packets from Chinese grocers. You may need to break the lumps into smaller pieces with a wooden mallet or rolling pin. If you cannot find it, use white sugar or coffee sugar crystals (the amber, chunky kind) instead.

  Vinegar

  Vinegars are widely used in Chinese cooking. Unlike Western vinegars, they are usually made from rice. There are many varieties, ranging in flavour from spicy and slightly tart to sweet and pungent. They can be bought in Chinese grocers and will keep indefinitely. If you cannot get Chinese vinegar, I suggest you use cider vinegar. Malt vinegar can be substituted if necessary but its taste is stronger and more acidic.

  White Rice Vinegar

  This clear vinegar has a mild flavour with a faint taste of glutinous rice. It is used in sweet and sour dishes.

  Black Rice Vinegar

  Black rice vinegar is very dark in colour and rich, though mild, in taste. It is used for braised dishes, sauces, and sometimes as a dipping sauce for crab.

  Red Rice Vinegar

  This is sweet and spicy, and is normally used as a dipping sauce for seafood
.

  Water Chestnuts

  Water chestnuts are a white, sweet, crunchy bulb about the size of a walnut. In China they are often simmered in rock sugar and eaten as a snack. They are also used in cooked dishes, especially in southern China.

  In the West, tinned water chestnuts are sold in many supermarkets and Chinese grocers. They have a good texture but little taste. Rinse them well in cold water before use and store any unused ones in a jar of cold water. They will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator if you change the water daily. Fresh water chestnuts can sometimes be obtained from Chinese grocers or good supermarkets. They are tastier than tinned ones and will keep, unpeeled, in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Peel them before use and put any leftover ones back in the refrigerator, covered with cold water.