TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

China On The Menu

Photos by JADEN HAIR

These dishes can be made ahead of time, so that you're not stuck in the kitchen missing the Olympic action.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JADEN HAIR

Tribune correspondent

Published: August 5, 2008

Last fall, I made my very first visit to mainland China.

I was born in Hong Kong during British colonization and then immigrated to America when I was 4. As an ethnic kid growing up in Nebraska in the '70s, I was always teased by others. Learning English and trying to fit in was probably one of the most difficult things I've ever had to experience - and back then, being from a British colony was better than being from Communist China.

My parents have gone back to mainland China to visit relatives every year for as long as I can remember. Each time , they would ask me, "Would you like to come with us?" But it just wasn't important to me.

That was until I had kids of my own. It was time for me to let go of the grudge against my motherland and open my heart, because I needed to be able to introduce my two sons to the country and culture that is half of who they are. The trip was a gift from my parents, and being in China with my mom, dad, brother and husband was an incredibly emotional experience for me.

Our trip was organized around the country's tourist highlights such as the Great Wall of China, terra-cotta warriors, Imperial Palace and the Empress Dowager's summer resort. The food was mostly toned down for foreigners' palates, but we were able to sneak off and deviate from our itinerary one time, right before we were to board the Yangtze River cruise in Wuhan.

I don't know who bribed our tour guide, nor do I know how much money it cost, but our group of 14 - comprised of my family and my parents' friends - took our own town tour on foot. It was a chance to exercise our sorely missed sense of freedom and get a peek at real life in China. (For the record, I also don't know nothin' 'bout no cigar or the multiple bottles of nasty, cheap 35 percent-by-volume booze someone snuck onboard the cruise ship.)

One of my favorite parts of the trip was the open-air market in Chengdu. Can you imagine riding a motorcycle full of live duck across Tampa? Or Publix carrying freshly slaughtered black-footed chickens? I wonder what became of that market or the small village we visited in Chongqing after the 8.0-magnitude "Great Sichuan Earthquake" struck the mainland in May.

I hope to be able to take the boys to China soon, after the fervor of the Olympics dies down and China returns somewhat to normalcy. We have family there still, and I can't wait to explore more of the beautiful, historic country - this time without a tour bus or a guide speaking to us through a microphone.

This year's Olympics, which get under way in two days, will be quite meaningful for us. Not only are the Summer Games hosted by China, but I also get to introduce Andrew and Nathan to American heroes such as Michael Phelps, Dara Torres and Kerri Walsh.

I've designed some wonderful Chinese recipes that are low-fuss and also can be made ahead so that you're not stuck in the kitchen missing the Olympic action.

The wontons for Pork Wonton Noodle Soup can be wrapped days before and frozen. After wrapping, just freeze them on a baking tray or plate - keep them in a single layer to avoid sticking together. Once they are frozen, you can gather them up and place them in plastic bags. When you're ready to cook, just plop the frozen wontons into the boiling broth; no need to defrost. Or, you could make it a fun family affair and wrap the dumplings together while watching the Games. That's what we'll be doing since our breakfast nook is within viewing distance of the television.

The Chinese Spiced Chicken Wings can be marinated the night before, baked and then taken on a quick trip to the wok or saute pan. The wings have the perfect harmony of sweet, salty and spicy.

For something healthful, try the lettuce wraps since you can use lean ground chicken or turkey. Fry this up hours before the meal, refrigerate and just heat up the filling when ready to eat. (The lettuce, though, should be crisp cold.)

And, finally, one of my favorite finger foods of all time: Firecracker Shrimp. You can wrap these babies up ahead of time, freeze in a single layer and, when ready to fry, just carefully slide them into the hot oil while frozen. Be sure to add a minute or so to the frying time if you decide to cook them while frozen.

On Aug. 8, 2008, at 08:08:08 p.m., in addition to celebrating my very auspicious birthday, we'll be wrapping wontons and watching the opening ceremonies.

PORK WONTON NOODLE SOUP

I love making wontons with my kids! Gather your guests in the kitchen and have them help you fold the wontons. The key to making wontons is not to overfill the dumpling and to make sure that the wonton is sealed tight. The wrappers come frozen — just defrost in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter for 40 minutes. Do not soak in water or defrost in the microwave. Once the package is opened, it's important to always keep the wrappers covered under a damp towel, as the edges will dry out, making them very difficult to work with.

1 pound ground pork
3 stalks scallions, finely minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 pound frozen wonton wrappers, defrosted and covered with a damp towel
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1/4 cup cool water (cornstarch slurry)
2 quarts chicken, seafood, pork or vegetable broth
8 ounces dried wonton noodles
1 pound bok choy, leaves separated and washed well
Chili garlic sauce (optional)

In a large bowl, combine the pork, scallions, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, cornstarch, sugar and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside. Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wonton wrapper, brush cornstarch slurry on all edges. Fold over to form a triangle, press to secure edges, encasing the filling. Brush cornstarch slurry on one tip of the triangle. Bring two corners together and press to secure (though my kids often just leave them as triangles).

Place on baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Repeat with remaining wontons and filling.

In a large stockpot, add all but 2 cups of the broth and bring to a boil. The 2 cups of reserved broth should be room temperature or just slightly chilled. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wontons. Bring pot back to a gentle boil. When it reaches a boil, add 1 cup of the reserved broth. Bring back to a boil and again, add the remaining 1 cup of reserved broth. Adding the broth a little at a time allows the wontons to cook at a gentle heat. A rapid, rolling boil will tear the delicate wonton skins.

Keep the heat on the pot on (you still need to cook the noodles and bok choy) while using a spider or sieve to scoop up the wontons and distribute among the bowls. Cook the noodles in the same pot according to package instructions. Add the bok choy to the pot during last minute of cooking noodles and let simmer, until cooked through.

Ladle broth, noodles and bok choy into bowls. Serve with chili garlic sauce if desired.

Serves 6 to 8.

LETTUCE CUPS WITH GROUND CHICKEN AND MANDARIN ORANGES

This dish is an experience in textures and sensations. The cool, crisp lettuce cups cradle the warm filling. As you take a bite, you'll first taste the bright, sweet, juicy mandarin oranges, then the savory chicken and then the crunch of water chestnuts and the mild bite of red onion.

3/4 pound ground chicken or turkey
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 to 6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
4 peeled water chestnuts (fresh or canned), diced (about 4 whole)
2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
11/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
16 cup shaped lettuce leaves (Boston bibb, butterhead, iceberg)
1 cup canned mandarin orange sections in juice/water (not syrup) and drained

In a bowl, marinate the ground meat with soy sauce, wine and cornstarch for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat and when just starting to get hot, add the cooking oil. Swirl to coat, then add the garlic and ginger. Fry for 15 seconds until fragrant and immediately add the ground meat. Turn heat to high and fry the ground meat until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the fresh shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, rice wine vinegar and oyster sauce. Simmer for an additional minute or until meat is cooked through. Stir in the red onion.

You can assemble the lettuce cups by spooning a heaping tablespoonful of filling into each cup and topping with mandarin orange slices, or you can serve all ingredients separately for your dinner guests to assemble themselves.

Serves 4 to 6.

CHINESE SPICED WINGS

If you like the flavors of Chinese roast duck, you'll love these super-simple wings. Roast duck spice comes in single-use packets, and you can find it in any Asian market. My favorite brand is Noh. The wings are marinated in the spice, baked and then spiked with another layer of flavors in the wok.

1 11/2-ounce (32-gram) packet of Chinese roast duck spice
1 tablespoon water
2 pounds chicken wings, joint separated
1 tablespoon cooking oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh chilies (serrano, jalapeno or Thai)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons thinly sliced shallots
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

In a large zip-top bag, mix roast duck seasoning with water, add chicken wings to the bag and seal, squeezing out all of the air. Massage the wings so that the marinade coats evenly. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Drain the wings and lay in one layer on a baking sheet. Bake wings for 20 minutes or until cooked through. In a wok or large saute pan, heat cooking oil over high heat. When oil is hot, add the chilies, garlic and shallots. The aromatics should sizzle upon contact. Fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Take care not to burn the garlic!

Add sugar, salt and black pepper. Turn heat to high, add the baked chicken wings and toss until well-coated.

Serves 4 to 6.

FIRECRACKER SHRIMP

This is definitely a crowd favorite finger food. Every time I make Firecracker Shrimp, hardly any make it to the table because hungry guests are lurking by the fryer to snatch a hot treat. Spring roll wrappers are found in the frozen section at the Asian market. Don't use the ones that your regular grocer sells — those are way too thick and starchy. The Asian brands fry up to a thin, crisp wrapper, and I know you'll love the difference. To defrost the wrappers, place in refrigerator overnight or on the countertop for 40 minutes. Never defrost in water or in microwave. Keep covered with damp cloth to prevent drying. The sweet chili sauce is not spicy at all; my favorite brand is Mae Ploy. You can substitute with sweet plum sauce.

24 medium raw tail-on shrimp, shelled (leaving tail on)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1/4 cup cool water, mixed in small bowl (for cornstarch slurry)
12 egg roll or spring roll wrappers, cut in half diagonally and covered with a damp cloth
Oil, for frying
1/2 cup sweet chili sauce to serve as a dipping sauce

Lay the shrimp flat on a cutting board and using a sharp paring knife, cut a few nicks on the inside curve of the shrimp to straighten out the shrimp. Be careful not to cut through the shrimp. In a shallow bowl, combine the salt and sweet chili sauce. Add the shrimp to the bowl, keeping the tails up and out of the marinade. Let sit for 10 minutes at room temperature.

With paper towels, pat the shrimp very dry (especially the tails) and roll the shrimp as shown in photos. Make sure the roll is nice and tight. Big air pockets and holes will allow oil to seep in. Dab your finger or pastry brush in the cornstarch slurry and brush on the final corner. Lay the Firecracker Shrimp seam side down in a single layer on a dry surface, and keep covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying.

In a wok, deep fryer or sauté pan, add 11/2 inches of oil and heat to 375 degrees. Add the Firecracker Shrimp a few at a time to the oil and fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain on a rack and serve with a sweet chili sauce for dipping.

Serves 4 to 6 as appetizers.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT