Mapo Tofus
A famous Szechuan recipe - the name Ma Po Tofu is roughly translated as "pockmarked grandmother bean curd," named for the old woman who supposedly invented the dish.
Ingredients:
Marinade for Ground Pork:
• 1 1/2 Tbsp tapioca starch (can substitute with cornstarch)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
Other:
• 1/4 pound ground pork
• 1 pound regular tofu (medium firmness)
• 1 leek or 3 green onions
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Chinese salted black beans (fermented black beans, also called
Chinese black beans)
• 1 Tbsp chili bean paste, or to taste
• 3 Tbsp stock (chicken broth)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• Freshly ground Szechuan pepper
• 2 - 3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, as needed
Preparation:
Mix marinade ingredients. Marinate pork for about 20 minutes. Cut the tofu (bean curd) into 1/2 inch (1 cm) square cubes, and blanch (drop into boiling water) for 2 - 3 minutes. Remove from boiling water and drain.Chop leek or green onions into short lengths. Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the marinated pork. Stir-fry pork until the color darkens. Add salt and stir. Add the salted black beans. Mash the beans with a cooking ladle until they blend in well with the meat. Add the chili paste, then the stock, bean curd, and leek or green onions. Turn down the heat. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes. While cooking, mix cornstarch, water, and soy sauce together. Add to wok and stir gently. Serve with freshly ground Szechuan pepper.
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Yangzhou Fried Rice
What makes this rice special is that the individual grains of rice are cooked in the egg, and soy sauce, oyster sauce or other seasonings are not added. Cooked ham can be used in place of the roast pork. Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
• 3 large eggs
• 6 ounces roast pork
• 4 ounces frozen medium shrimp .
Shrimp Seasonings:
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 5 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen (if using frozen peas, thaw first)
• 4 cups cold cooked rice
Preparation:
Lightly beat the eggs and set aside. Dice the barbecued pork. Rinse the shrimp under warm running water to thaw. Shell, devein, and finely chop. Toss the shrimp with the seasonings (the salt, pepper and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch). Heat the wok and add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stir-fry until they turn pink. Push the shrimp up to the side and add the roast pork. Stir-fry briefly, then remove both from the pan. Clean out the pan. Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion. Stir-fry until it begins to soften, then add the peas. Stir-fry until the peas turn bright green and remove from the pan. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the wok. Add the cooked rice, stirring to separate the individual grains. Do not let the rice brown. Add the beaten egg, stirring so that all the rice grains are covered. Add the roast pork, shrimp, onion and vegetables into the pan. Mix everything together. Taste and season with extra salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot.
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Spring rolls
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 8 spring roll skins
• 2 oz. thinly sliced pork, cut into thin strips
Mixture A:
• 1 tsp Chinese rice wine or sherry
• 1 tsp coy sauce and cornstarch
• A few grain of pepper
• 2 dried large Chinese mushrooms, soaked in water and drained. Cut into strips.
• 2 ½ oz. boiled bamboo shoots, cut into strips
• 2 cabbage leaves, cut into strips
• ½ tsp salt
• Flour-and-water paste
• Oil for deep frying plus 3 tbsp more oil
Preparation:
Combine the pork and Mixture A. Let sit for 15 minutes. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in a wok, and stir-fry the pork briefly. Remove. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp oil and add the salt. Stir fry the vegetables, then mix in the pork. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool thoroughly. Place some of the filling a little above the center of each spring roll skin. Fold the upper edge over the filling, turn in the 2 sides, and roll it down to the bottom. Brush the bottom edge with the flour-and-water paste to seal it thoroughly. Heat the deep-frying oil over moderate heat. Deep-fry the spring rolls until golden. Turn them frequently. Serve immediately with table seasonings.
