Читать книгу Ching’s Fast Food: 110 Quick and Healthy Chinese Favourites - Ching-He Huang - Страница 10

Iadore Chinese soups – the classic takeaway offerings and the more exotic ones. The nourishing soups my grandmother used to make for me using Chinese herbs like cassia twigs, red dates, Angelica sinensis, rhizome of rehmannia and others that I cannot pronounce were a staple in my family kitchen. Both my mother and grandmother insisted that we have these herbal broths, often cooked with a little meat, such as lao-ji (old organic chicken) or pai-gu (pork ribs). This was based on the belief that these traditional Chinese herbs replenish the ‘yang’ chi (energy) thought to be good for a woman’s ‘system’, keeping her fertile and youthful. My grandmother especially loved stewing these herbal concoctions and the meat she typically included would be pig’s trotters or chicken’s feet, believing that their gelatinous texture would help keep skin plump and beautiful – and I believe her, because grandmothers always know best. I never argued with my grandmother when it came to food; she was the food royalty in my family, the queen bee, and her opinion was always the final word on the subject.

I grew up not turning my nose up at such dishes because this was the norm in my family. I only realised that these treasured family recipes were ‘different’ when my school friend Lina came over for dinner one Saturday night. I had recently moved from South Africa to London and had just started secondary school. Lina, of Lebanese origin, was the bubbliest girl at school and one of the most popular, so I was excited that she was coming round. My mother went to a Chinese supermarket and brought back the freshest ingredients. When asked what we were having for dinner, my mother pointed to a shiny red bucket with a bamboo steamer lid over it. We both took a peek and, to Lina’s horror, were greeted by two fat river eels writhing about in the water and staring up at us. My mum was planning to cook her herbal eel soup for us. I will never forget the look on Lina’s face! Needless to say, she didn’t stay for dinner and didn’t come round again for a very long time, let alone for dinner. When she eventually invited me to her house, I was greatly relieved that the ‘eel experience’ had not damaged our friendship.

Her family were so welcoming. It was a treat to watch her mother make houmous from scratch, her tete (grandmother) make the flatbread and tabouleh, and her father orchestrate the cooking of shish taouk and lamb shawarmas on their gigantic home-built barbecue. Everything smelt wonderful. We all sat around a large table and feasted together. Her father, a proud, eccentric man, made sure I had plenty to eat and my plate stayed full. I was enjoying everything until he winked at me to try a dish of what looked like very small sausages … so I did. The whole room exploded in laughter; her brother patted me on my back and declared, ‘How were the sheep’s testicles, Ching?!’ Wide-eyed, I turned to look at him and nearly spat the piece of ‘sausage’ in his face. So Lina and I were quits, and neither episode was ever mentioned again.

Lina and I continued to have many more culinary adventures together as our friendship developed. I once tried making her and some other schoolfriends chicken and sweetcorn soup, which was far too watery because it was the first large-batch cooking I had ever attempted. When we reached sixth form, sometimes we had no classes after lunch, so we would hitch the 240 bus from Mill Hill to Golders Green in search of satisfying our cravings for wonton soup or beef and black bean soup with ho fun noodles. Our destination was the Water Margin in Golders Green, where we would gossip about school or pour our hearts out over boys we fancied while sipping from a bowl of crabmeat and sweetcorn soup or hot and sour soup, dishes that comforted us and seemed to echo the sour-sweet times as teenagers living in London and trying to fit in. We fought to fit in at school, struggling with our cultural differences and desperate to find our identity, but food connected us.

My mother’s herbal eel soup may have tested my friendship with Lina, but it will always remind me of who I am and where I come from. I believe the strongest relationships are built on such experiences. I once overheard my mother on the phone to her friend; they were talking about a lady within the Chinese community whose English husband was apparently filing for divorce because he had caught her eating fish-head soup! The lesson I learned was that if those close to you accept your food choices, no matter how weird, they are true friends. In case you want to test this out yourself, I have included Mum’s Herbal Eel Soup (see Soups) for you to try.

One thing is for sure, when I’m feeling under the weather, when there are dramas going on or I’m plagued by worry, I always make a comforting bowl of soup and I get my perspective back again. I have included some of my takeaway favourites here and given some a makeover.

Tomato and egg flower soup

Classic egg flower or egg drop soup (dan hua tang) – ‘egg flower’ describing the web-like pattern made by the egg when dropped into the hot liquid – is easy to make and very nutritious. You can add other ingredients to this soup, such as cubes of fresh dofu, baby prawns or dried seaweed (nori), or, for a more substantial dish, cooked egg noodles for a quick, light supper.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 10 minutes SERVES: 2

1 tbsp of vegetable bouillon powder or stock powder

3 ripe tomatoes, sliced (see the tip below)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tbsp of light soy sauce

Dash of toasted sesame oil

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with 2 tbsps of water

Large handful of baby spinach (optional)

2 spring onions, finely sliced, to garnish

1. Pour 500ml (18fl oz) of water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the bouillon or stock powder and stir to dissolve. Reduce the heat to a simmer, then add the tomatoes and cook on a medium heat for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened.

2. Pour the beaten eggs into the broth, stirring gently. Add the soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, salt, pepper and cornflour paste and mix well until slightly thickened. Add the spinach (if using) and let it wilt, then garnish with the spring onions and serve immediately.

CHING’S TIP

I don’t bother skinning tomatoes – most of the nutrients are just beneath the skin after all – but if you want to skin them before slicing first cut a small cross at the base of each tomato. Plunge them into a wok or saucepan of boiling water for less than 1 minute, then drain. The skin will peel off easily.

Traditional hot and sour soup

This is one of my all-time favourite soup recipes. It transforms store-cupboard staples into an amazing dish. There may seem to be a long list of ingredients, but the end result is worth it because they all help to create layers of flavour and texture in this wonderfully warming winter dish.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK IN: 20 minutes SERVES: 4

1 tbsp of vegetable bouillon powder or stock powder

1 tbsp of peeled and grated root ginger

2 red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

300g (11oz) cooked chicken breast, shredded

1 tsp of Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

2 tbsps of dark soy sauce

1 x 220g tin of bamboo shoots, drained

10g (¹/₃ oz) dried Chinese wood ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, drained and finely sliced

100g (3½oz) fresh firm dofu, cut into 1 x 5cm (½ x 2in) strips

50g (2oz) Sichuan preserved vegetables, rinsed and sliced (optional)

2 tbsps of light soy sauce

3 tbsps of Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp of chilli oil

Few pinches of white pepper

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with 2 tbsps of water

1 large spring onion, sliced

Handful of chopped coriander, to garnish (optional)

1. Pour 1 litre (134 pints) of water into a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the bouillon or stock powder and stir to dissolve. Bring back up to the boil and then add all the ingredients up to and including the wood ear mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the dofu, Sichuan vegetables (if using), soy sauce, vinegar, chilli oil and white pepper and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Stir in the egg, then add the cornflour paste and stir to thicken the soup (adding more cornflour paste if you like a thicker consistency). Add the spring onion, garnish with the coriander, if you like, and serve immediately.

CHING’S TIP

If you love your spicy heat, just increase the amount of chillies.

ALSO TRY

You can substitute the chicken with shiitake mushrooms for a vegetarian version of this dish.

Watercress soup with pork, mushroom and ginger wontons

Probably one of the most popular takeaway soups, this is also a personal favourite. I love these dumplings in a clear broth. The ones we used to have at the Water Margin were large and plump with a prawn and pork filling. This is my version; I like making mine small using small wonton egg wrappers, which you can easily pick up from a Chinese supermarket. The beauty of this dish is that you can serve it for a casual dinner or an elegant supper – versatile, like a pair of trusted black patent Fendi boots.

PREP TIME: 20 minutes COOK IN: 10 minutes SERVES: 4

28 wonton wrappers (7.5cm/3in square)

1 egg, beaten

700ml (1¼ pints) vegetable stock

FOR THE FILLING

250g (9oz) minced pork

1 large spring onion, finely chopped

3 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced

1 tbsp of peeled and grated root ginger

1 tbsp of Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

1 tbsp of cornflour

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

TO SERVE

1–2 tbsps of toasted sesame oil

Small handful of watercress leaves

1 spring onion, finely sliced

1. Place all the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl and mix together well.

2. To prevent the wrappers from opening up once cooked, brush the inside of each one with some of the beaten egg. Take one wonton wrapper and place a small tsp of the filling in the centre. Gather up the sides of the wrapper and mould around the filling into a ball shape, twisting the top to secure it. Repeat with the remaining wrappers.

3. To make the soup, pour the stock into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the wonton dumplings and cook for 5 minutes or until they all rise to the surface – like floating clouds, as the Chinese might say.

4. Pour the soup and dumplings into serving bowls, allowing 7 dumplings per person. Add a dash of toasted sesame oil to each bowl, scatter over a few of the watercress leaves (letting them wilt in the bowl), finish with a sprinkling of sliced spring onions and serve immediately.

CHING’S TIP

If any filling is left over, make more dumplings and freeze. They can be cooked from frozen for an emergency supper.

Pork rib, turnip and carrot broth with coriander

This is one of my grandfather’s favourite recipes. It is not standard takeaway fare, but there are many takeaway and eat-in restaurants in Taiwan that serve this kind of pork rib soup (pai-gu tang) to accompany salty main dishes. Eaten between mouthfuls of the main dish, it works as a palate cleanser. It is a light sweet broth, the daikon (white radish) adding a slight bittersweetness to complement the meatiness of the pork ribs. When I eat it, it always reminds me of my grandmother’s home cooking. If I had my own takeaway, this soup would be on the menu, no question.

PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK IN: 25 minutes SERVES: 4

250g (9oz) pork ribs, cut into 2.5cm (1in) pieces

2 tbsps of vegetable bouillon powder or stock powder

350g (12oz) daikon (white radish), sliced into 1cm (½in) rounds, each cut into 6 wedges

2 carrots, cut into 1cm (½in) rounds, each quartered into wedges

1 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

Sea salt and ground white pepper

Handful of roughly chopped coriander

1. Prepare the pork ribs by blanching them in boiling water for 2 minutes and then drain well. Bring 1 litre (134 pints) of water to the boil in a large saucepan and add the bouillon or stock powder, stirring it to dissolve.

2. Add the pork ribs, daikon, carrots and rice wine or dry sherry. Bring back up to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and ground white pepper, add the chopped coriander and serve immediately.

Posh crab and crayfish tail sweetcorn soup

To me, a good takeaway would serve this soup. It may be relatively expensive, but it is so worth it. I usually have a few tins of crabmeat and sweetcorn in my store cupboard and this makes a delicious quick, light supper. If you are entertaining, you can jazz up this recipe by topping it with some cooked crayfish tails and serve with some toasted rye bread and butter. You could also substitute the tinned crabmeat with fresh crabmeat for a treat.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 15 minutes SERVES: 4

2 x 170g tins of crabmeat in brine, drained

2 x 200g tins of sweetcorn, drained

1 large ripe tomato, sliced

2 eggs, beaten

3 tbsps of light soy sauce

1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil

Sea salt and ground white pepper

2 tbsps of cornflour mixed with 4 tbsps of water

1 large spring onion, finely sliced

180g (6½oz) cooked crayfish tails in brine, drained

1. Pour 1 litre (134 pints) of water into a large wok or saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the crabmeat, sweetcorn and tomato and bring back up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add the beaten eggs and stir gently to create a web-like pattern in the soup as the eggs start to cook. Season with the soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper, adding more to taste if necessary. Bring to the boil and then stir in the cornflour paste to thicken the soup. Reduce the heat, sprinkle in the spring onion and leave to simmer on a gentle heat until ready to serve.

3. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with a few crayfish tails (which will warm through in the heat of the soup) and serve immediately.

ALSO TRY

You could substitute the crabmeat with cooked sliced chicken breast or, for a vegetarian option, use diced marinated dofu or sliced shiitake mushrooms (or chestnut mushrooms if you are on a budget). If you want a creamier consistency, use tins of creamed sweetcorn instead.

Mum’s herbal eel soup

I wanted to include this more unusual recipe even though it doesn’t really have a connection to Chinese takeaways in the West. In Hong Kong, on the other hand, there are eateries that serve herbal soups such as this to take away. Don’t be put off by the sound of this soup – it’s actually quite delicious, although admittedly an acquired taste. You will either love or hate it – for me, it’s love. It’s also very good for you. If you can, add a few dried goji berries to the soup 15 minutes before the cooking time is up; it lends a mellow sweetness to the broth. These, together with the other herbs, can be bought from a Chinese supermarket.

PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 65 minutes SERVES: 4

600g (1lb 5oz) fresh river eel, head and tail discarded and any fins removed (or ask your fishmonger to do this for you)

2 tbsps of Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry

½ tsp of salt

1 tbsp of vegetable bouillon powder or stock powder

5g (¼oz) Angelica sinensis (Chinese angelica or dong quai)

5g (¼oz) rhizome of rehmannia

8g (¹/₃ oz) Ligusticum wallichii (Sichuan lovage)

5g (¼oz) matrimony vine

5 dried red dates

2 x 5cm (2in) sticks of cassia

1 x 5cm (2in) stick of cinnamon

Small handful of dried goji berries (optional)

1. Slice the eel into 5cm (2in) pieces, keeping the bones intact, then rinse well. Place the pieces in a large saucepan of boiling water to blanch for 2 minutes and then drain and set aside.

2. Place the blanched eels back in the pan. Pour in 1.5 litres (2½ pints) of water and add all the remaining ingredients except the goji berries. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour or until the eel is tender and delicious. If using the goji berries, add these for the final 15 minutes of cooking.

ALSO TRY

If you’re not so keen on the idea of cooking eel, then simply substitute it with chicken or pork ribs.