I love Asian foods and, especially, Chinese. From Sezchuan to Cantonese to Mandarin and beyond, Chinese dishes include many of my favorite flavors, including the unamni of soy and mushrooms, the taste bud tantalizing ginger and garlic, to the sweetness of hoisin.
During the winter, I crave a comforting bowl of hot Chinese soup. The following recipes may be quickly and easily prepared with ingredients that you most likely have on hand, eliminating a trip to your favorite Chinese restaurant on a cold winters’ night.
Beef Char Siu is my take on a traditional Cantonese barbequed pork recipe. I have adapted it to the American kitchen and eliminated the need to barbeque, making this a perfect meal to make in your oven during the winter. Add a Chinese beer and Ganbei!
Menu
Serves 4
Hot and Sour Soup
Egg Drop Soup
Beef Char Siu (on Fried Rice*)
*Recipe Not Given
Hot and Sour Soup
1/2 cup wood ear mushroom
2 tblsp. canola oil
1 tblsp. chopped garlic (I use
a garlic press for this)
1 tblsp. chopped fresh ginger
(I use a microplane for this)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
4 cups chicken broth,
homemade, if possible
8 oz. soft tofu, cut into
1/2” cubes
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. Wondra
1. Cover the mushrooms with warm water and soak until plump and pliable, about 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the canola oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and scallions and cook, stirring, until the aromatics soften, about 4 minutes. Pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Whisk in the Wondra. (This will thicken the soup.)
3. Stir in the tofu, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and pepper. Return to a simmer and adjust the seasoning. (Some of us like as much as an additional 1/3 cup of vinegar to really up the sour.)
4. Divide the soup among 4 bowls and serve.
Egg Drop Soup
3 cups chicken broth, divided
2 tblsp. freshly grated fresh
ginger
2 tblsp. chopped fresh scallion
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 eggs
1. Reserve 3/4 cup of chicken broth and pour the rest into a large saucepan. Stir the ginger into the saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. In a cup or small bowl, stir together the remaining broth and cornstarch until smooth.
2. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to a boil. Add scallions. Turn down heat.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, using a fork. Drizzle egg in a steady stream into the broth mixture. Egg should cook immediately. Simmer and serve.
Beef Char Siu with Fried Rice
(NOTE: Fried Rice Recipe Not Given)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup Chinese rice wine
2 tblsp. hoisin sauce
1 tsp. Chinese five-spice
powder
1 tsp. minced, fresh ginger
1 tsp. minced, fresh garlic
1 London Broil
1. Make the marinade/saute, by combining all ingredients, except the steak, into a saucepan. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Cool.
2. Place marinade in a ziploc bag and marinate steak overnight.
3. Preheat broiler. Cook steak approximately 7 minutes, turn over and cook until medium. Serve with Fried Rice.
Alexandra Troy is owner of Culinary Architect Catering, a 32-year old Greenvale-based company, specializing in private, corporate and promotional parties. For more photos and presentation ideas, follow Culinary Architect Catering on Facebook. Also visit Culinary Architect on the web at www.culinaryarchitect.com
