Читать книгу Chinese Feasts & Festivals - S. C. Moey - Страница 14
ОглавлениеPoultry Recipes
In the old days, it was customary to present gifts of live poultry, the bearer conveying the joy of living things to the recipient and his household. A pair of handsome capons created a stir whenever they were presented. Those were the days when fowl was a luxury.
Times change. Today, this practice had lost its appeal. Indeed, for people used to modern conveniences, a live chicken is considered more a bane than a boon. A battle with a live, squawking bird takes away much of the pleasure of receiving it. Dressing it may even spoil the appetite. But it is also not smart to resort to the dressed, ready-to-cook variety. It may even be risky, considering the special significance attached to the deed. One may not get through the front door bearing a couple of lifeless birds. To be sure, nothing unsettles the superstitious Chinese more than violating customary laws, as to do so is to invite misfortune. So generally today only cooked food or red packets containing money (hongbao) are given as gifts on special occasions.
The obligatory offering for the gods is a whole cooked chicken, head propped up, wings and feet neatly tucked into the body, accompanied by strips of roast pork, bunches of fresh green lettuce, stalks of celery and spring onions. The chicken represents the phoenix, the mythical bird that rose from the ashes, symbolizing life after death.
Duck is also a festive favorite, though in Cantonese homes it is not accorded the same status as the chicken, and is not offered whole to the household gods. According to the fastidious Cantonese, a duck’s flattened countenance (pien how, pien mien: literally “flat mouth, flat face” in Cantonese, an expression people associate with woe) simply does not fit into the celebratory scheme of “all things bright and beautiful” and may only be offered as a dish in which its form is no longer recognizable. Provincial customs differ. In Fukienese households, two whole birds—a duck and a chicken—are required to appease the ancestors. These are boiled, a method used since ancient times. Nowadays, roast duck is also acceptable, or even boiled duck eggs in the case of shrinking households. The chicken, however, persists as a permanent feature in all ceremonial feasts, cooked according to a tradition originating from the north when people offered boiled white meats to the gods of Manchuria.
Homestyle White Chicken
The feast that the Chinese prepare to mark each festival always includes this dish.
Boiling is the traditional method, with the stock reserved for soups and sauces. From this basic recipe, a variety of dishes can be created by simply varying the accompanying ingredients and condiments, as is the convention in formal dinners. At home, the chicken is usually served plain with a number of condiments placed in tiny sauce bowls. Soy sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce and mustard are among the favorite condiments.
2 teaspoons salt
1 fresh chicken, cleaned and dried
1 pip star anise (optional)
3 spring onions, trimmed
3 to 4 slices fresh ginger
¼ teaspoon sesame oil
CHILI DIPPING SAUCE
6 finger-length red chilies, halved and deseeded
¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
Pinch of salt
GINGER DIP
1½ in (4 cm) fresh ginger
2 spring onions, finely sliced
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon oil
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
1 Sprinkle the salt on the chicken and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Bring a large pot of water (8 cups/2 liters) and all the other ingredients to a boil over high heat. Hold the chicken above the pot by firmly grasping one of its legs with one hand, and then ladle the simmering broth all over the chicken using a soup ladle in the other hand, allowing the broth to pass through the body cavity. Continue to ladle the broth over the chicken until it is lightly scalded all over and changes color, then immerse the whole chicken into the boiling broth, breast side up. Cover and boil the chicken for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the chicken to steep in the pot for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and plunge it immediately into iced water for about 15 minutes to stop the cooking process, then drain thoroughly. Strain and reserve the stock.
3 Make the Chili Dipping Sauce by grinding the chilies to a paste in a mortar or blender. Combine the chili paste, chicken stock and salt, and mix until well blended. Transfer to a serving bowl.
4 Prepare the Ginger Dip by peeling and grating or grinding the ginger, then placing the ground ginger in a small serving dish and topping it with the spring onion and salt. Heat the oil in a skillet until very hot and pour it over the ginger and spring onion. Lightly stir the mixture to blend.
5 Slice the cooked chicken into serving pieces, arrange on a large serving platter and serve with the Chili Dipping Sauce and Ginger Dip.
NOTE: If you prefer, you may steam the chicken instead of boiling it. Place the salted chicken on a steaming tray together with the spring onions and ginger. Fill a large wok a third full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Place a wire rack in the wok and set the dish with the chicken on it. Cover the wok and steam the chicken over rapidly boiling water for about 45 minutes, adding more hot water whenever the water runs low. Alternatively, steam in a steamer.
Drunken Chicken
In this Sichuanese recipe, the plain Homestyle White Chicken is transformed into yet another classic dish by marinating it in fragrant Shao Xing rice wine. Drunken Chicken makes an excellent starter. At formal dinners and banquets, it is often served as a component in the elaborately assembled cold dish appetizer platter.
2 spring onions, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
3 slices fresh ginger
2 teaspoons salt
½ fresh chicken or 3 chicken legs, cleaned and dried
1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
1 cup (250 ml) rice wine (preferably Shao Xing)
Few sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
SOY DIP
1 in (2½ cm) fresh ginger
4 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock (from the steamed chicken)
1 Combine the bruised spring onions, ginger slices and salt in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the mixture into the chicken, then place it on a heatproof dish and set aside for 1 hour to allow the flavors to penetrate. Steam the chicken with the spring onions and ginger slices on a rack in a covered wok (see page 19) or steamer over high heat for about 30 minutes until cooked. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to cool. Discard the spring onions and ginger, drain the chicken and reserve the chicken stock, adding some water if necessary to make 1 cup (250 ml). Alternatively, you may boil the chicken by following the recipe for Homestyle White Chicken (see page 14), and use part of it as required for this recipe, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) of the chicken stock.
2 Debone and slice or chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces and pack them, with the skin sides facing down, into a deep dish in 2 or 3 layers. Combine the rice wine and reserved chicken stock in a small bowl and mix well. Pour the mixture over the chicken pieces, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When fully chilled, the rice wine and chicken stock mixture will turn into a gelatinous state.
3 Prepare the Soy Dip by first peeling and grating or ginding the ginger, then combining it with all the ingredients and mixing well. Transfer to a serving bowl, and provide individual dipping saucers for diners to help themselves.
4 When the chicken is ready to be served, lift out the chicken pieces carefully, removing traces of the gelatinous mixture (you may reserve this for use in a stir-fry vegetable dish or discard if not using). Place the chicken on a serving platter, keeping it neatly layered. Garnish with coriander leaves (cilantro) and serve cold with the Soy Dip on the side.
Serves 4
Preparation time: 25 mins + overnight chilling
Cooking time: 30 mins
Crispy Fried Chicken
Given the size of Chinese families, it is not unusual to cook more than one chicken dish for large family gatherings. Crispy Fried Chicken is always a favorite because of the delicious crispness of the skin. In this recipe, it is important to dry the chicken thoroughly to get that crispness. Traditionally, the chicken is hung out to dry in the sun for several hours, but the same effect can be achieved using a hair dryer.
1½ teaspoons salt
1 fresh chicken, cleaned and dried
Oil for deep-frying
Cucumber slices, to garnish
Bottled sweet chili sauce, for dipping (optional)
MARINADE
1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ginger juice (from 2 in/5 cm freshly grated ginger)
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1 Sprinkle the salt on the chicken and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Prepare the Marinade by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mixing well. Pour the Marinade over the chicken and rub it in with your fingers. Leave it to marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the chicken over once or twice or basting it with the Marinade occasionally. The marinated chicken must be drained off all excess liquid and dried before deep-frying. Place the chicken on a rack placed over a bowl, and blow it dry with a hair dryer for 8 to 10 minutes.
3 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Gently lower the chicken into the hot oil and deep-fry for about 15 minutes on each side, ladling hot oil from the bottom of the wok over the chicken from time to time, until the chicken is golden brown and evenly cooked. Remove and drain on paper towels.
4 Cut the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with cucumber slices and serve immediately as it is, or with sweet chili sauce as the dip.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 40 mins + 1 hour to marinate + 10 mins drying
Cooking time: 30 mins
Baked Stuffed Chicken Wings
In Chinese cuisine, a rose is often known by another name. The chicken becomes a phoenix, a symbol of female power. “Flight of the Phoenix” and “Winged Empress” are two of the fanciful names given to this dish. Having to debone and stuff wings sounds like a lot of trouble, but you can prepare and cook them well in advance. They taste just as good when served cold. Sliced into disks, they make delightful starters.
6 chicken wings
2 chicken breasts (about 10 oz/300 g in total), chilled in the refrigerator for 4 hours, sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce (yue lo)
½ teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
2 tablespoons oil
6 lettuce leaves, to garnish
Bottled sweet chili sauce, for dipping
NOTE: You may deep-fry the stuffed wings and they taste just as good. Mix the ground meat with ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and season it in the same manner. Stuff the meat into the wings and deep-fry the stuffed wings in hot oil over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes on each side.
1 Debone each chicken wing by cutting around the bone at the top part of the drummette (the section with a single bone that looks like a mini drumstick) with a paring knife to detach the skin from the bone. Push the skin down to expose the meat. Carefully scrape the meat off the bone and reserve the meat. Twist the bone and rotate it at the joint until it is pulled out. Discard the bone. In the same manner, scrape off the meat and pull out the two bones from the wing blade, without tearing the skin and leaving the wing tip intact. Debone all the chicken wings in this manner.
2 Combine the chicken breast and meat from the chicken wings, and grind to a paste in a food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
3 Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
4 Combine the sauces, sugar and pepper in a small bowl and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Pour half of the sauce mixture over the ground meat and mix until well combined. Divide into 6 equal portions and stuff each deboned wing with a portion of the seasoned meat using a small spoon. Place the stuffed wings on a baking tray.
5 Add the oil to the remaining sauce mixture and mix well. Brush the stuffed wings with the sauce mixture and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
6 Brown the baked wings under an electric broiler or in the oven for about 5 minutes on each side, basting with the remaining sauce mixture.
7 Serve the stuffed wings whole or cut crosswise into disks. Arrange them on a serving platter lined with a bed of lettuce leaves and serve immediately with a dipping bowl of sweet chili sauce on the side.
Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 30 mins
Tea Smoked Duck
Smoked duck is a specialty of Sichuan and Hunan, interior provinces which share many similarities in cooking. Deep-fried smoked duck is delicious. Apart from tea leaves, pine cones or camphor wood can also be used to smoke the bird in the wok the traditional way, or in the oven.
1½ tablespoons salt
1 fresh duck, cleaned and dried
Aluminum foil
5 tablespoons black tea leaves
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cucumber slices, to garnish
MARINADE
2 tablespoons rice wine
3 spring onions, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
6 slices fresh ginger, bruised with a cleaver or pestle
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
DIPPING SAUCE
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce
4 tablespoons plum sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, turning the duck over once or twice and basting it with the Marinade occasionally. Transfer to a heatproof dish.
3 Combine the Dipping Sauce ingredients in a serving bowl and mix well. Set aside.
4 Fill a large wok a third full with water and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Place a wire or cake rack in the wok and set the dish with the duck on it. Cover the wok and steam the duck over rapidly boiling water for 1 hour until tender, adding more hot water whenever the water runs low. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Drain off the sauce and fat, and discard the spring onions and ginger.
5 To smoke the steamed duck, line the bottom of a wok with double layers of aluminum foil. Combine the tea leaves and sugar, and spread the mixture evenly on the foil. Place a wire rack or criss-crossed chopsticks over the tea leaves and carefully balance the duck on top, making sure it does not touch the leaves. Cover the wok and heat over high heat until smoke begins to escape from under the lid, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to very low and continue to smoke the duck for another 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown. Turn off the heat and leave the duck in the covered wok for 5 to 10 minutes to brown further. Remove from the wok and lightly brush the whole duck with sesame oil.
6 Cut the duck into bite-sized pieces and arrange on a serving platter. Garnish with cucumber slices and serve immediately with the bowl of Dipping Sauce on the side.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can smoke the duck in an oven. Spread the tea leaves and sugar mixture in a shallow pan lined with aluminum foil and place the pan on the lowest rack of a preheated oven. Place the duck on the middle rack and bake at very high heat (480˚F/250˚C) for 8 to 10 minutes, turning the duck over once.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 25 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 1 hour 15 mins
Fragrant Tender Duck
This all-time Cantonese favorite goes by the Cantonese name heong so ngap, meaning “fragrant tender duck” and involves steaming and frying a duck that has been marinated in soy, five spice powder and wine. It is delicious to eat on its own or with Mandarin Pancakes.
2 teaspoons salt
1 fresh duck, cleaned and dried
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Oil for deep-frying
2 spring onions, cut into lengths
Hoisin sauce, for dipping
MARINADE
½ teaspoon five spice powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
Few drops red food coloring (optional)
MANDARIN PANCAKES
2 cups (300 g) flour, sifted
1 cup (250 ml) boiling water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Sprinkle the salt on the duck and rub well over the entire body including the body cavity. Set aside.
2 Combine the Marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Rub the Marinade into the duck and body cavity with your fingers. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour, basting the duck with the Marinade from time to time. Transfer the duck to a heatproof dish.
3 Steam the marinated duck for 1 hour in a covered wok (see page 19) until tender. Remove and set aside to cool.
4 While the duck is steaming, prepare the Mandarin Pancakes. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Gradually stir in the boiling water and sesame oil, mixing well with chopsticks or a wooden spoon. Flour your hands and on a lightly floured surface, knead the soft sticky mixture into a smooth dough, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a cloth and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
5 Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Roll each portion into a cylinder, then slice it into 14 to 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a small ball between your palms. Flatten each ball slightly with your palm, and using a rolling pin, roll it out into a thin circle, about 4 in (10 cm) in diameter. Place the dough circles on a large tray, covering them with a cloth or plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out. Heat a non-stick pan and dry-fry the pancakes over low heat until small bubbles appear, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the pancakes to a serving platter.
6 Dredge the steamed duck in the cornstarch until evenly coated. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat until very hot. Gently lower the coated duck into the hot oil and deep-fry for 5 to 10 minutes on each side, ladling hot oil from the bottom of the wok over the duck from time to time until the duck is golden brown and evenly cooked. Remove from the heat and drain on paper towels.
7 Separate the duck meat from the bone and slice thinly. Arrange on a serving platter and serve with spring onion, pancakes and a dipping bowl of hoisin sauce. Alternatively, cut the duck into serving pieces and serve with steamed rice.
NOTE: The pancakes can be prepared up to a day in advance. Before serving, reheat by steaming the pancakes in a wok or steamer, lined with a clean towel, for about 10 minutes. If preferred, you may buy the readymade Chinese Pancakes from the supermarket, instead of making your own for this recipe.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 45 mins + 1 hour to marinate
Cooking time: 1 hour 30 mins
Steamed Duck with Bamboo Shoots
This is a good dish to serve piping hot with steamed rice. If preferred, other ingredients like leafy greens, Chinese cabbage, dried oysters and chestnuts may be added. You can also try other interesting combinations, such as gingko nuts and water chestnuts. If using ingredients that need long cooking like dried gingko nuts and black Chinese mushrooms, steam these together with the duck instead of adding them at the end.
1 fresh duck
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½ cup (125 ml) oil
8 black Chinese mushrooms, soaked until soft, stems discarded, caps halved
8 dried scallops (⅓ cup/40 g), soaked for 30 minutes, drained
3 spring onions, trimmed
2 in (5 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons rice wine
½ teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 can or 1 packet bamboo shoots (about 7 oz/200 g), thinly sliced to yield about 1 cup
10 snow peas, tops and tails removed
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Sprigs of coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
1 Clean the duck and dry it with paper towels, then sit the duck up on its neck, with its legs up and breast side facing you. To split the duck, hold the duck firmly with one hand and use a sharp cleaver or knife with the other hand to cut through the breastbone and downward along the midpoint until the neck. Use your hands to pull the duck apart, then press both sides of the breast downward to flatten them slightly. Rub the pepper and salt into the underside of the duck.
2 Bring a big pot of water to a boil over high heat. Immerse the duck in the boiling water and boil uncovered for about 10 minutes, skimming off the foam and fat that float to the surface. Remove the duck from the pot and drain until dry. Rub 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce over the entire duck. Reserve 2 cups (500 ml) of the stock from the boiled duck.
3 Heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat and fry the duck for 3 to 5 minutes until browned, turning over once. Remove the duck from the pan and drain on paper towels, then tuck in the wings and tuck the legs into the body. Place the duck in a heatproof casserole dish along with the mushroom, dried scallops, spring onions and ginger. Add the rice wine, remaining soy sauce, sugar (if using) and reserved stock. Steam in a large wok (see page 19) or steamer for about 1½ hours, adding more hot water when the water runs low. Turn off the heat, discard the spring onions and ginger, and transfer the duck to a cutting board. Cut the duck into serving pieces and arrange on a serving platter with the mushroom and scallops.
4 Pour the juices from the duck into a small saucepan. Skim off the excess fat and boil over medium heat until it reduces to about 1½ cups (375 ml). Add the bamboo shoots and snow peas, and boil for 1 more minute. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the cornstarch mixture and mix until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and pour the sauce over the duck pieces. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 1½ to 2 hours
Braised Duck with Yellow Bean Paste
Yellow bean paste is similar to Japanese miso—made from salted, fermented soybeans—and it gives a wonderfully rich flavor to this dish. Taro is a large, brown-skinned root which turns slightly purplish on cooking. Taro with duck is an intriguing combination, popularized by the Hainanese.
1 fresh duck
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 tablespoons yellow bean paste (tau cheo)
2 onions, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic 1 in (2½ cm) fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon oil 3½ cups (875 ml) water
1 taro (about 1 lb/500 g), peeled, cut into wedges (optional)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
1 Clean the duck, removing any fatty bits, then dry and cut it into serving pieces.
2 Grind the peppercorns in a peppermill or mortar until fine, then combine with the bean paste, onion, garlic and ginger, and grind to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
3 Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and stir-fry the ground ingredients until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the duck pieces and stir-fry for another 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the water, increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours. Reduce the heat to medium, add the taro, mix well and simmer covered for about 30 minutes until tender. Finally, season with the salt and sugar, remove from the heat and transfer to a serving bowl.
4 As duck releases a large amount of fat during cooking, skim this off from the dish before serving. Serve the dish hot with steamed rice.
Serves 6 to 8
Preparation time: 45 mins
Cooking time: 1½ hours
