Szechwan Pork and Chiles

Chinese food is one of those cooking mysteries where I always suspected that I wasn't getting the whole story.  I've browsed cookbooks, watched a ton of shows, and surfed the internet trying to find out how the restaurants can get their food to taste just so.  Until yesterday, I uncovered (and spread) two commonly held beliefs, and one theory:

The beliefs:

1. The reason restaurant Chinese food tastes so good is because of the high-powered burners they use, which we don't have access to at home.
2. The reason restaurant Chinese food tastes so good is the massive amount of MSG they use.

Is this the secret to great Chinese food?

My alternate theory:

• The reason restaurant Chinese food tastes so good is that there are ingredients that nobody ever talks about, like some kind of closely guarded Buddhist secret that you may one day find in a fortune cookie, or learn on top of a very tall mountain.  Like the place Bruce Wayne went to in Batman Begins.

So after years of hard searching, I finally was able to make an awesome Szechwan dish.  The secret: I got insider help at the store and in the kitchen.  And it turns out my theory was right: we used ingredients and methods I've not seen in any of my searches.  Now, as to whether those other beliefs are true or not, I can't say, but all I know is that this dish is phenomenal, and I didn't have to crack into that 100 pound drum of MSG.

There's an adage that says "China is the place for food, but Sichuan is the place for flavor."  And they're right - Szechwan food has crazy ingredients, heat levels, and flavor combinations unlike any of the bland Cantonese food I was used to, so naturally I have developed a healthy addiction to it.  But in searching for Szechwan recipes I came up with little of substance; ingredient lists typically consisted of soy sauce, hoisin, oyster sauce, and other things that I didn't think were quite on the mark.  All I knew is that there are these crazy Szechwan peppercorns which produce a numbing sensation, which I promptly bought the first time I saw them but couldn't figure out how to use.

The mystery remained until I met a friend who said she could help me.  We met at a large Asian grocery store and wandered around, and while I tried to grab at ingredients I knew, she was steering me towards all of those aisles that I've never figured out.  If you've ever been in an Asian grocery store (this is mostly for non-Asian people), you might agree that there are vegetables you've never seen and jars of sauces and liquids with poor English labeling, both of which you tend to breeze right past.  And it turns out that these are the secret to good Chinese food, right under our noses but hidden in a sea of Chinese characters.

The dish (and the following one) presented here are both 'home-cooked' Chinese dishes; this one is Szechwan, the other one I have no idea.  It is basically pork with chiles in a chile sauce, similarly named to a dish which killed all of my taste buds for two weeks at a Thai restaurant in Sydney.  I was having flashbacks about the heat level, but excited to give it a go.  The ingredient list is short, but if you don't know what to look for you won't find it.  So I will try to help.  And as always, if anyone reading this has good suggestions, additions, or substitutions, post them so we can all see.

Buddha's Delight (Jai)

Today I made Jai, also called Buddha's Delight.  It's amazing that a dish with such a short name has such a long list of ingredients, ranging from the poisonous to the floral.  I wish I had a great backstory on why I made this dish, but the real answer is that I associated the name of this dish with 'vegetables and tofu', and told my vegetarian friends that I would make it figuring it would be easy.  But on closer inspection, I learned that this is actually a very complex dish served at Chinese New Years and celebrating longevity, prosperity, and good health and fortune, with each of those things being represented by multiple [obscure] ingredients.  It sounded so unique, though, that I forged ahead anyway.

I spent over an hour wandering aimlessly through the most Asian of all the Asian grocery stores in my area, where I was by far the most confused looking person in there, repeatedly asking for insane things like 'lily blossoms' and 'gingko nuts'.  But after hard searching, I was able to find everything I needed to make this dish, if not a bit exhausted.  Good thing this came together quickly... oh wait, it was the most involved stir-fry I've ever made.  I will state outright that this was one of the more extensive Chinese dishes I've made, but that it was also one of the most interesting.  There were flavors in here I've never had before, and they were nicely balanced - rich, bitter, floral, fragrant, crunchy, chewy, and very colorful.

I do not recommend this dish for beginners: I would rank this at 4 ice cream cones out of a maximum 5 in terms of difficulty, just because of the sheer prep work and item hunting.  But if you're feeling daring, give this a shot.  The recipe I present here is an amalgamation of multiple recipes I found online and fused into something I thought would be a fair representation of the average tastes and components of this dish, so I will not list a citation but rather tip my hat to those who have bravely attempted this before me.

I will try my best to explain some of the crazy ingredients you're about to see, hopefully complemented by the annotated picture below.  This is probably a good primer on some basic Asian ingredients anyway.

Check out this ridiculous ingredient set!

A. Soy sauce.  This is often confusingly referred to as 'light' soy sauce, not to be mistaken for 'low sodium' soy sauce, because 'dark' soy sauce contains sugar, and is thicker.  I didn't have the dark (even though it is called for in the recipe), so I used all light and extra sugar.

B. Oyster sauce.  Made from oyster bits, not for those with shellfish allergies.

C. Chinese rice wine.  I have no idea where to get good Shaoxing wine, but if you know please share!  This stuff here is basically the same as the Marsala wine you find in the grocery store by the salad dressings, the Sunny Delight of orange juice, the Cool Whip of clotted cream - it's a terrible approximation of the real thing, but it's all I know.

D. Sesame oil.  Nothing to add here.

E. Ginger.  The recipe calls for "one knuckle", which we defined as "about 1 inch long piece".

F. Napa cabbage.  Not to be confused with standard Savoy cabbage, this is longer and more delicate.

G. Water chestnuts.  Yes, you can buy these canned, but I wanted to try fresh.  To use, just cut off the top and bottom, then peel around the sides with a sharp knife.  It's nothing like normal chestnuts (and I don't think they're even related botanically), so not nearly as much of a pain in the ass to deal with.

H. Carrots.  Duh.

I. Snow peas.  These are the thin peapods, not the same as English peas or sugar snap peas, both of which are fatter.  Very common in stir-fries.

J. Gingko nuts.  NOW we're in weird territory.  These were eventually located in the refrigerated section by the tofu, and have thankfully been processed out of their shells.  Raw, they look like pistachios, but it turns out these are mildly toxic in large doses, and fairly bitter when eaten fresh out of the pack.  Relax, they're no less toxic after cooking, so I didn't compromise my endocrine system any more than you will.  Apparently the layer between the nut and shell causes allergic dermatitis, so use gloves if you get them unprocessed.  The nuts have a slightly bitter aftertaste out of the pack, which mellows after stir-frying.  They have a consistently between a semi-firm cheese and a hard-boiled egg yolk.  Bet you can't wait to try them after that description, right?  And no, I don't believe these make you smarter - that's the leaves of the plant, not the nuts.  Clearly the guy eating the poisonous nuts instead of the leave missed the boat by inches on this [almost] brain food.

K. Fried tofu.  Pretty much the same product as you would end up with at home if you took tofu, wrung it out, and went to the trouble of frying it, but much more convenient.

L. Bamboo shoots.  I usually buy the finely sliced stuff, but went for large pieces this time.  I could have gone for the raw stuff out of a sketchy looking tub at the store, but didn't feel quite that daring.

M. Lily buds.  I had no idea what this meant as I wandered the aisles, and was literally looking for dried flowers in a bag until someone pointed out that these come shredded.  They smell like tea, and taste floral and delicious.  A nice counterpoint to the gingko nuts.

N. Bean curd sheets. This was another one that took forever to find, since I didn't know what I was looking for.  Think of this product like you would pudding skin - it's the film that forms on top of the tofu whey as it's being made, which they skim off.  It's very rich, and almost tastes buttery.  A little goes a long way; we broke off 4" pieces and cut them in half to serve, but should have chopped finer.

O. Dried Shiitake mushrooms.  These are pretty common in Asian grocers.

So, you ready?  Let's have a go at...

Buddha’s Delight (Jai)
by: Me!

• 4 dried Shiitake or Chinese black mushrooms
• 1/2 cup dried lily buds
• 4 dried bean curd sticks
• 8 ounces fried tofu (store bought or homemade)
• 8 ounces bamboo shoots
• 6 fresh water chestnuts
• 2 large carrots
• 1 cup shredded Napa cabbage
• 4 ounces snow peas
• 1/4 cup canned gingko nuts
• 1 knuckle of ginger, crushed
• Cellophane noodles
• Vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying, as needed
• 1/4 cup mushroom soaking liquid
• 1.5 tbsp Shaoxing wine or Chinese rice wine
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch

In separate bowls, soak the mushrooms, dried lily buds, and dried bean curd sticks in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes to soften.  Squeeze out any excess liquid.  Reserve the mushroom soaking liquid, straining it if necessary to remove any grit.  Remove the stems and cut the mushroom tops in half if desired.  Soak cellophane noodles just before using.

The soaked and drained bean curd is far left, lily buds far right.  Cellophane noodles are soaking in the bottom left corner.  Note the large pieces on the bamboo, bottom right.  I really liked the consistency of the bigger pieces.

Slice the bamboo shoots into large pieces.  Peel and finely chop the water chestnuts.  Peel the carrots, cut in half, and cut lengthwise into thin strips.  Shred the Napa cabbage.  String the snow peas and cut in half.  Drain the gingko nuts.  Crush the ginger.

Combine the reserved mushroom soaking liquid with the Chinese rice wine or sherry, 1 tsp ginger, oyster sauce, soy sauces, sugar, sesame oil, and cornstarch.  Set aside.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to the heated wok.  When the oil is hot, add tofu and bean curd with a little salt and sugar, and stir fry for 1-2 minutes.  Remove, then follow same process for the gingko nuts and remove.

Stir-fry the proteins with a bit of salt and sugar, and set aside

Follow the same process for these crazy gingko nuts

Add more oil, then stir-fry the carrots.  Stir-fry for 1 minute, and add the dried mushrooms and lily buds.  Stir-fry for 1 minute, and add the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, snow peas and ginger.

The recipe calls for adding almost everything individually and cooking in layers, to preserve the individual flavors of each component as much as possible without overcooking anything.  I chose the order strategically.

This is everything before the cabbage and noodles

Stir in the shredded cabbage and return all other cooked ingredients back to the wok, and then add noodles after cabbage has wilted slightly.

The soaked cellophane noodles.  Don't let them sit in hot water too long, or they will turn mushy.

Add the sauce and fold in, allowing to come to a boil to thicken up the cornstarch mixture

Add the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil.  Cover, turn down the heat and let the vegetables simmer for 5 minutes.  Taste and add salt or other seasonings as desired.  Serve hot.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I love comfort food, but since I don't usually have time to cook all day, I also love shortcuts.  When I watched Alton Brown make his easy chicken pot pie on Good Eats, I modified it slightly and called it my own.  This dish is incredibly easy, but it tastes great and makes me happy.  Maybe it will do the same for you.  The magic lies in roasted chicken and frozen vegetables, but with some clever steps to add the home-cooked appeal.  Trust me, it's worth it.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie
Recipe adapted from Alton Brown

• 1 3.5 cup bag of frozen peas, carrots, corn, and beans
• 1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 3 cups low sodium chicken broth or stock
• 1 cup milk
• 3.5-4 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley, or ¼ cup fresh, chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 store-bought roasted chicken
• 2 pie shells
• 1 egg

Equipment needed: pie pan, parchment paper (optional), small ramekins

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (for easy cleanup).  Place into oven and cook until golden brown.  Meanwhile, shred the chicken by hand, removing skin and trying not to burn the heck out of yourself like I always do.  If you have enough room in the oven, throw one pie shell into the pie pan, dock it with a fork in a bunch of places, and blind bake the shell for a few minutes so it doesn't get soggy when you put in the filling later.  Only bake it for about 5-10 minutes, until it starts to firm up but before it browns.  If you have pie weights (or even dried beans), feel free to put these in while baking, to guarantee that the crust doesn't bubble up while it's cooking.

Blind bake the lower pie crust so you don't just have mush underneath the pot pie

If you had pie weights, you could have prevented this bubbling.  Notice the fork pricks where we 'docked' it, to help at least somewhat with preventing this.

In a small saucepan, heat the broth and milk, and have it ready.  Meanwhile, in your largest sauté pan heat 1 tablespoon of butter and sweat (cook over low heat, barely letting the butter sizzle) the onion and celery.  Make sure not to brown the vegetables, since you want something more delicate for this.  Add 2 more tablespoons of butter to the celery mix and cook out the water.  Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes; what you're doing is creating a simple roux (mixture of fat and starch, which will thicken the dish without leading to lumps) without all of the energy this usually requires.  Be careful to not leave this unattended, as it will begin to brown quickly, and you want a light colored / flavored roux.

Sweat the vegetables in what seems like too much butter, then add flour and make a lazy man's roux that will thicken the milk / broth mix

Don't forget about the vegetables!  Give them a shake every once in a while so they brown evenly.  I like parchment to help with cleanup after.

Whisk in the hot milk mixture and cook until thickened.  You may want to do about 75% of this to start, and see how thick it looks before adding the rest.  This shouldn't be too runny, but at the same time I've made it without enough liquid, and it can be too dry and gummy.  So keep adding a little more liquid at a time, and remember this key fact - you won't know how thick the mixture will be until two things happen: the mixture comes to a full boil, and then you cool it slightly to see how it will set up.  You can dip in a spoon and check the nappe - the ability to coat the back without dripping when you drag a finger across, but just on the border of this happening.  French people are inherently awesome with this kind of stuff, so if you can't figure this out, just find anyone from France, and they will do it for you.  That's one of the best terms of the Treaty of Paris after the French and Indian War, although giving us Louisiana was pretty good too.  And remember, the best way to ask someone from France for a favor is to yell at them loudly in English, so that they understand you.

Add the parsley, salt and pepper.  Now, you've been checking on those vegetables in the oven to make sure they're not burnt, right?  Let's hope so, because now it's time to use them.  Grab the vegetable sheet and throw everything into the saute pan, along with the shredded chicken.  Pour this into the pre-baked pie shell, cover with another pie shell, and crimp with a fork around the edges.  Trim the edges off of the dough and set these aside.  WARNING: don't overfill the pie!  You will have more filling than will comfortably fit into a standard pie pan, so set that aside for something else.  See my note at the end of the recipe.

This may look like a lot of filling, because it is.  This WILL NOT FIT into one pie crust, so don't force it.

This is about as full as you're going to get.

Crimp with a fork around the edges, thusly.  I had to have a friend help here, because I don't understand pies.

Break the egg into a small bowl, and add a tablespoon of water.  Whisk this up to make an egg wash, which you brush onto the pie crust to promote browning.  Apply a good coating without ending up with an omelet on top of your pot pie.  Place the pot pie into the oven and cook until browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.

I got bored and fashioned a small chicken out of extra dough.  It was delicious.

Serve in wedges with whatever sides you like (not that this needs any)

 

Use the leftover filling and pie dough to make personal sized pot pies

NOTE: so what gives, you followed the recipe to the letter and now got too much filling, and it doesn't fit in the pie shell?  Deep breath, you have loose ends mid-cooking and you're getting hysterical.  This is an easy fix.  You're going to have little bits of the pie crust left over after you trim it down, so roll those out into a small sheet, and get out your ramekins.  Put the remaining filling into these, and cover each one with a small circle of the dough.  Crimp around the edges, and now you've got single-serve pot pies, just without a bottom.  Slightly more healthy, and great fun for kids.

Thai Seafood Curry

I've made Thai curries on a number of occasions, but when a friend proposed that we try a seafood version, I thought I would upgrade the recipe to include some new ingredients.  This recipe builds on my  Thai red curry recipe, following a very similar process but rolling in fish and different vegetables.  I lifted parts of this recipe from About.com, but changed the curry sauce to my basic recipe, and amended the cooking sequence.

Thai seafood curry, served with a papaya salad (recipe to follow)

Thai Seafood Curry
By Darlene Schmidt, modified by me

• An assortment of fish & seafood - see suggestion below recipe
• 1 small Japanese eggplant, or 1/2 Chinese eggplant, cut into bite-size chunks (be sure to leave nutritious skin on)
• 1 bell pepper (I chose orange), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, OR 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 1 can pineapple chunks, drained (OR 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into cubes)
• Approx. 1/2 cup fresh basil (preferably holy or Thai)
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 can good-quality coconut milk
• 2 whole kaffir lime leaves (available fresh or frozen at Asian grocers), center removed and leaves cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp fish sauce

 

Prepping the vegetables

Snapper filet

The full assortment of ingredients - some fish, some shellfish, and plenty of vegetables

Heat oil in pan and add curry paste.  Stir-fry for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.  The heat from the dry-cooked chiles may be strong, so be prepared.  Add coconut milk to wok along with shredded kaffir lime leaves, brown sugar, and fish sauce.  Set over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until sauce begins to bubble.  Add all the vegetables except the basil, and stir well.  Reduce heat to medium-low (so curry is gently simmering).  Simmer 5-7 minutes, or until the eggplant has softened.  Stir occasionally.

Simmer the coconut milk with curry paste and the other sauce ingredients.  Don't boil too long, or you will kill some of the coconut flavor

Simmer the eggplant and peppers long enough to make them tender.  This will take a while, so be patient

While vegetables are simmering, rinse and cut the fish into smaller segments (e.g. 2-3 inches long).  Rinse the shellfish in cold water, and remove shells from prawns.  Scrub and remove beards from mussels, if using.  Add the segments of fish, stirring well to incorporate into the sauce.  Cook approximately 2 minutes.

Add the fish, which cooks longer than the shellfish

Add remaining seafood plus the pineapple, stirring gently to incorporate.  Cover and continue simmering until the seafood finishes cooking (about 2 more minutes, or until prawns have turned pink and plump and the shellfish have opened).

The wok, with everything added and starting to cook

Finish with the basil.  I prefer holy basil (purple) or Thai basil (smaller green leaves, more licorice taste), but regular basil works in a pinch

Taste for seasonings.  Consider adding 1-3 more tbsp. fish sauce according to your taste.  If it turns out too salty, add a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.  Add more sugar if too tart, or more fresh green chili (or a sprinkling of dried crushed red chili) if not spicy enough.

Ladle the curry into a serving bowl.  Sprinkle the fresh basil over, and serve with plenty of Thai jasmine rice.

The full spread. I can't even get something this fresh at most restaurants

*Suggested Assortment of Seafood for this Recipe (this recipe is very flexible - add the types of seafood you prefer, or what is available to you):
1 fresh or frozen fillet of salmon
1 fresh or frozen fillet of red snapper, or other white-fleshed fish
6-8 large sea scallops, OR 1.5 cups small bay scallops
8-10 medium to large shrimp/prawns
several handfuls mussels or clams