Читать книгу Ching’s Fast Food: 110 Quick and Healthy Chinese Favourites - Ching-He Huang - Страница 8
Breakfast
ОглавлениеWhen I first arrived in South Africa, I was five and a half. After a tearful goodbye to the rest of the family, my mother, brother and I packed our bags to join my father, who had already left to set up a bicycle business in South Africa. In Taiwan he had been working as a manager in a building company and hated his job. So when by chance he met Robert (‘Uncle Robert’ to us) and the South African convinced my father to set up in business with him, he jumped at the idea. We liked Uncle Robert: we had met him only once, but he had taken us to a pizza restaurant and given me a cuddly racoon toy from South Africa. Despite no previous business experience and not knowing a word of English, my father moved us all over there on a whim. It was to be one of the scariest but most fulfilling adventures of my childhood.
At Uncle Robert’s insistence, we stayed on his farm just outside Jo’burg. He and his wife Susan accommodated us in a converted barn on their plot of land, which extended for acres and acres. They even had a mini reservoir with their own supply of water and they kept horses and several Rhodesian Ridgebacks. Aunty Susan was a welcoming lady. The day we arrived, while my mother was unpacking and tidying up the barn, she took us food shopping. My brother and I were taken to the most enormous building we had ever seen. It was a hypermarket. Back in Taiwan, I hadn’t even been to a supermarket before. Even in Taipei, the only modern outlets we had were 7-Eleven convenience stores. The only place like it in our experience was the local wet market my grandmother used to take us to in the village, so this vast building was a shock.
My brother and I went up and down the aisles, admiring the rows and rows of packaged ingredients. There were even fish tanks with fresh lobsters and crabs. Aunty Susan guided us to a large chilled section; I remember feeling really cold. She pointed to the shelves and gestured to us to pick something, so I picked a small light brown carton and my brother picked a dark brown one. We hadn’t a clue what we had chosen. The rest of that shopping trip is now hazy, although I remember plenty of boxes and paper bags being carted to Aunty Susan’s large fancy kitchen.
She handed us each a teaspoon and we left her to her unpacking. I opened the foil lid of my carton and took a small mouthful, and my brother did the same. The taste was creamy and sour but also sweet; I had no idea that I had picked a caramel-flavoured yoghurt and my brother a chocolate one. We were used to our Yakult, but this was an entirely new experience. We weren’t sure we liked it, but we went back to the barn and showed the yoghurts to Mum. She took a small mouthful and then spat it out: ‘Pai kee yah!’ (‘It’s gone off!’ in Taiwanese). She stormed over to Aunty Susan’s and started ‘communicating’ with her. They couldn’t understand what each other were saying; in the end my mum threw the pots in the bin! Aunty Susan looked bewildered and shrugged her shoulders. I thought Mum was rude, but I didn’t dare say anything. The next day Aunty Susan dropped by as Mum was making us fried eggs for breakfast. She brought over these dark green, what my mum called hulu- or gourd-shaped vegetables. Aunty Susan sliced one in half to reveal a large round stone in the middle; she then scooped the green flesh out of one of the halves and smeared it on to a slice of brown bread she had brought over with her. She gestured to my mother to take a bite. My mum had a taste and shook her head, saying, ‘Bu hao chi’ (‘Not good eat’). ‘Avocaaaa-do,’ said Aunty Susan, then smiled, patted us on our heads and walked out the door.
Despite not liking the taste, my mother hated wasting food, so she placed the eggs she had been frying on the avocado bread, drizzled over some soy sauce and told us to eat it. She didn’t have any herself. Over time, however, avocados became one of my Mum’s favourite foods. She now lives permanently in Taiwan, where avocados are hard to get and expensive. When we Skype, she will often ask, ‘You still eating avocados?’ That recipe, washed down with a glass of soya milk, is now one of my favourite dishes for breakfast.
You will notice that my recipes, like yin and yang, tend to be very black and white, very Western or very Chinese, but when recipes work together, East and West can be balanced, like the takeaway menu, to give amazing, what I like to call ‘fu-sian’-style food. You may not associate breakfast with Chinese takeaways, but there are many eateries all over Asia that serve warming breakfasts, which can be bought on the way to school or work. In addition to Western-style sandwiches, these small eateries (and sometimes street stalls) serve you-tiao, or fried bread sticks, with hot or cold soya milk (sweetened or unsweetened), mantou (steamed buns) with savoury or sweet fillings and of course steaming bowls of congee in a variety of flavours. If I had a takeaway or diner, I would definitely include a breakfast menu, and I would serve a variety of Western and Chinese-style treats – just like the snack stalls in the East.
Toast with avocado, fried eggs and soy sauce
Aunty Susan, whom we stayed with when we first arrived in South Africa, gave my mother two ripe avocados, smearing one of them on some bread. Mum thought it was odd to serve a vegetable in this way, but soon she started to make us fried-egg sandwiches for breakfast with a generous slathering of avocado. Now I don’t hesitate to make this for breakfast, spreading slices of toast with a chunky rich layer of ripe avocado, topped with poached or fried eggs (preferably sunny side up) and a drizzle of light soy sauce. If I had my own takeaway or diner, this would certainly feature on the menu!
PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 3 minutes SERVES: 1
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
2 large eggs
2 slices of seeded rye bread
½ ripe avocado (save the rest for a salad later), stone removed and flesh scooped out
Drizzle of light soy sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
1. Heat a wok over a medium heat until it starts to smoke and then add the groundnut oil. Crack the eggs into the wok and cook for 2 minutes or to your liking. (I like mine crispy underneath and still a bit runny on top.) Meanwhile, place the bread in the toaster and toast for 1 minute.
2. To serve, place the toast on a plate and spread with the avocado flesh. Place the eggs on top and drizzle over the soy sauce, then season with salt and ground black pepper and eat immediately. This is delicious served with a glass of cold soya milk, a cup of rooibos tea with a slice of lemon or some freshly pressed apple or orange juice.
Basil omelette with spicy sweet chilli sauce
In Taiwan, there are many night market stalls that sell the famous oyster omelette. A little cornflour paste is stirred into beaten eggs, then small oysters are added and sometimes herbs. When the eggs have almost set, a spicy sweet chilli sauce is drizzled over the top, making a comforting, moreish snack. I adore this dish, but it is hard to get fresh small oysters, so I make a vegetarian version sometimes for breakfast, using sweet basil, free-range eggs and adding my own spicy sweet chilli sauce, made using condiments from my Chinese store cupboard.
PREP TIME: 3 minutes COOK IN: 5 minutes SERVES: 1
3 eggs
Large handful of Thai or Italian sweet basil leaves
Pinch of salt
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
Handful of mixed salad leaves, to garnish
FOR THE SAUCE
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp of vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp of mirin
1 tsp of tomato ketchup
1 tsp of Guilin chilli sauce, or other good chilli sauce
1. Make the spicy sweet chilli sauce by whisking all the ingredients together in a bowl, then set aside.
2. Crack the eggs into a bowl, beat lightly and add the basil leaves, then season with the salt and ground white pepper.
3. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and then add the groundnut oil. Pour in the egg and herb mixture, swirling the egg around the pan. Let the egg settle and then, using a wooden spatula, loosen the base of the omelette so that it doesn’t stick to the wok. Keep swirling any runny egg around the side of the wok so that it cooks. Flip the omelette over if you can without breaking it, then fold and transfer to a serving plate, drizzle over some of the spicy sweet chilli sauce and serve with a garnish of mixed leaves.
Smoked salmon and egg fried rice
This is my classic breakfast recipe – it’s so good I had to share it with you. Make sure you add the smoked salmon after the rice, as the rice acts as a cushion, helping the salmon not to catch on the side of the wok and flake into tiny pieces.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 7 minutes SERVES: 1
1½ tbsps of groundnut oil
2 eggs, beaten
75g (3oz) frozen peas
300g (11oz) cooked leftover cold jasmine rice (see the first tip in Rice) or freshly cooked long-grain rice (see the tip below)
150g (5oz) smoked salmon, sliced into strips
1–2 tbsps of light soy sauce
1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil
Pinch of ground white pepper
1. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke and then add 1 tbsp of the groundnut oil. Tip the beaten eggs into the wok and stir for 2 minutes or until they are scrambled, then remove from the wok and set aside.
2. Return the wok to a high heat and add the remaining groundnut oil, allowing it to heat for 20 seconds. Tip in the frozen peas and stir-fry for just under a minute. Add the cooked rice and mix well until the rice has broken down.
3. Add the smoked salmon slices and toss together for 1 minute, then add the scrambled egg pieces back into the wok and stir in. Season with the soy sauce (to taste), the toasted sesame oil and white pepper and serve immediately.
CHING’S TIP
If using freshly cooked rice, use 150g (5oz) of uncooked long-grain rice, such as basmati, rinse it well and then boil in 300ml (½ pint) of water, cooking until all the water has been absorbed. This will take an extra 20 minutes.
ALSO TRY
If you are not a fan of fish, then used smoked bacon lardons instead – cook them until crispy before adding.
Cumberland sausage, green pepper and tomato fried rice with pineapple
A few years ago, I came up with bacon and egg fried rice, which my friends adored. This one is a follow-on from that. It’s the ultimate brunch dish – so easy to do on a lazy Sunday. Children will love it and the neighbours will hate you as they spy enviously over the fence while you tuck in. This is my equivalent of a fry-up, but avoid using too much oil in this dish, as the sausages are quite fatty. It’s best to pour the excess fat away, as revealed below. For a healthier version of this dish, you could mix in some spinach leaves, if you liked, and serve with a simple garden salad.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK IN: 7 minutes SERVES: 4
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2.5cm (1in) piece of root ginger, peeled and finely sliced into matchsticks
6 Cumberland sausages (350g/12oz in total), chopped into 1.5cm (5/8 in) rounds
1 green pepper, deseeded and cut into 1.5cm (5/8 in) dice
1 very large ripe beef tomato, cut into chunks
500g (1lb 2oz) cold leftover cooked jasmine rice (see the first tip in Rice) or freshly cooked long-grain rice (see the tip below)
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tbsp of chilli oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Large handful of ripe pineapple chunks
1. Heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the sausages and cook on a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and pour away the excess oil.
2. Return the wok to the heat, add the pepper and stir-fry for 1–2 minutes, then add the tomato and toss all the ingredients together. Add the cooked rice, breaking it up well, especially if it has been in the fridge overnight.
3. Season with the soy sauce, chilli oil and lemon juice, then mix in the pineapple chunks, remove from the heat and serve immediately. Delicious with a glass of cold lemonade.
CHING’S TIP
If using freshly cooked rice, use 250g (9oz) of uncooked long-grain rice, such as basmati, rinse it well and then boil in 500ml (18fl oz) of water, cooking until all the water has been absorbed. This will take an extra 20 minutes.
Pork, ginger and duck egg congee
This is one of my favourite breakfast dishes. The famous cha chaan teng tea restaurants in Hong Kong serve it, especially the ones located in the old wet market at Canton Road in Kowloon. I love visiting the wet markets there; I usually go shopping early for ingredients and then reward myself with a steaming bowl of this congee.
PREP TIME: 10 minutes COOK IN: 65 minutes SERVES: 4–6
2 century eggs, each sliced into quarters and halved lengthways
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
2.5cm (1in) piece of root ginger, peeled and finely sliced
200g (7oz) pork fillet, finely sliced
1 tbsp of Shaohsing rice wine, dry sherry or vegetable stock
3 shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
2 tbsps of light soy sauce
Salt and ground white pepper
Dash of toasted sesame oil (optional)
2 spring onions, finely sliced, to garnish
FOR THE CONGEE
250g (9oz) jasmine rice or 200g (7oz) jasmine rice and 50g (2oz) glutinous rice
250ml (9fl oz) vegetable stock
1. First make the congee. Pour the rice into a large heavy-based saucepan, add the stock and 700ml (1¼ pints) of water and bring to the boil. Once boiled, reduce the heat to medium-low, place a tight-fitting lid on the pan and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice does not stick to the side and bottom of the pan.
2. After the rice has been cooking for 45 minutes, add the duck egg pieces and continue to cook for a further 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat a wok over a high heat until it starts to smoke. Add the groundnut oil and ginger slices and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the pork slices and stir for 1 minute or until they start to turn brown. Add the rice wine (or sherry or vegetable stock) and cook for a further minute, then tip in the mushrooms and season with the soy sauce.
4. Add the pork stir-fry to the cooked congee and stir in well. Season, add a dash of sesame oil, if you like, and sprinkle over the sliced spring onions. Serve immediately with chunks of you-tiao (fried bread sticks), if you have any, for a truly traditional Chinese breakfast.
Big bowl of oat congee and accompaniments – ‘The Works’
This is not for the faint-hearted – like eating ‘smelly porridge’, as my other half describes it. But if you are a fan of durian, stinky dofu and century eggs, then you will love the complex flavours of this dish. The fermented bean curd blends in with the sweetness of the seaweed paste and picks up the fiery pungency of the pickled bamboo shoots, while the pickled lettuce delivers a refreshingly vinegary sweetness that cuts through the richness of all the other ingredients.
This dish brings back memories and instantly I am transported to my grandmother’s farm, where daily breakfast treats would be a rotation of these ingredients, along with a small bowl of hot steaming congee (or rice porridge). Rice porridge takes too long for me to make in the morning, so I now have oat porridge instead. When I prepare this, assembling all the ingredients, it is like a meditation process and nostalgia trip rolled into one. Nothing can get in the way and I feel depressed when I run out of any of the components. You may be surprised and perhaps even disgusted by this strange obsession of mine, but I invite you to try the dish with courage and an open mind.
PREP TIME: 5 minutes COOK IN: 6 minutes SERVES: 1
100g (3½oz) rolled oats
1 tbsp of groundnut oil
2 eggs
5–6 chives or 1 spring onion, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
FOR THE ACCOMPANIMENTS
4–5 pickled soy lettuce stems
1 tsp of momoya (Japanese seaweed paste)
1 tbsp of salted roasted peanuts
1 tbsp of pickled bamboo shoots in chilli oil
2 tbsps of dried pork floss
½ small cube of dofu (fermented bean curd)
1. Place the oats in a saucepan with 200ml (7fl oz) of water and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, or until the mixture has thickened.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small wok or frying pan over a medium heat until it starts to smoke and then add the groundnut oil. Crack in the eggs, sprinkle over the chopped chives or spring onion (if using) and fry the eggs to your liking.
3. Transfer to a plate and drizzle over the soy sauce. Pour the porridge into a bowl, arrange all your accompaniments on top (like the different colours on a painter’s palette) and then mix and eat straight away with the eggs.
