CHINESE COOKING: If you like the texture of yam and taro, you will be delighted with these yummy treats.

SHRIMP & TARO BALLS 香芋蝦球:

 

 

 

 

1 lb. taro, available at Chinese supermarket

4 oz. small shrimp

glutinous rice flour to dust

seasoning for shrimp:

    1/4 tsp. salt, sugar, white pepper

    1/2 egg white

seasoning for taro:

    1 tsp. each salt & sugar

    1/2 tsp. 5-spice powder

    dash of sesame seed oil & white pepper

    2 tbsp. cooking oil

oil for deep frying

 

 

 

Rinse and shell shrimp; then mince in food processor. Season with seasoning ingredients.

 

Peel taro, wash & dry well. Cook taro either by steaming or cooking in a pot of boiling water until tender. Mash with a potato masher; then add in seasoning ingredients. Use a pair of chopsticks to mix, stirring in one direction only, until well mixed.

 

 

Scoop out 2 tbsp. taro and work it into a rough circle. Add in 1 tsp. shrimp paste. Shape the whole thing into a ball. Dip each ball into glutinous rice flour to coat lightly, shaking off excess flour.

 

Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels before serving.

CHINESE COOKING: Lotus root is readily available in Chinese supermarket. Stuffed pancakes can be served as a "dim sum" variety or as a main dish to go with rice.

POTATO OR LOTUS ROOT PANCAKES WITH SHRIMP STUFFING:

 

 

 

1 to 11/2 lbs. small shrimp

48 potato or lotus roots slices, trimmed to same size

6 water chestnuts, finely chopped

4 tbsp. minced pork

4 tbsp. chopped green onion

seasoning:

    1 tsp. each salt & sugar

    1 tbsp. tapioca starch

    dash of white pepper & sesame seed oil

 

 

 

Rinse and shell shrimp; then wrap with double thickness of paper towels. Refrigerate for a few hours below using. Mince shrimp in food processor; then transfer to a large bowl.  Add in seasoning ingredients as well as the pork and water chestnut. Use a pair of chopsticks to mix together, in one direction only, until well mixed.

 

Put 1-2 tbsp. shrimp paste on top of 1 potato or lotus root slice; then top it with another piece.

 

Heat enough oil for deep-frying until very hot and tested ready. Lower pancakes into oil gently. Deep fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve hot.

CHINESE COOKING: This recipe makes use of that famous Chinese black vinegar that had been made in the city of Zhenjiang since the 1800s.

STEWED PORK RIBS IN VINEGAR 鎮江骨

 

 

 

 

1 to 1/2 lb. side ribs, cut into roughly 2-inch pieces

seasoning:

    1 tsp. salt

    1/2 tbsp. each dark soy sauce & good rice wine

sauce:

    4 to 5 tbsp. good quality dark Chinese vinegar 鎮江醋

  2 1/2 tbsp. sugar or 1 piece brick sugar--to taste

    1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

    1/2 cup + water

    1-2 tsp. dark soy sauce

    salt to taste

2-3 pieces fresh finely-sliced ginger

1 stalk green onions, cut into long pieces

 

 

 

Marinate ribs with seasoning ingredients for 30 minutes. Heat 1-2 tbsp. oil in an skillet over high heat until high; then add in ribs. Cook and brown ribs in batches until well-browned.

 

Add 1 tbsp. oil to a large clay pot and heat it over medium-high heat until hot. Add in ginger and cook until fragrant. Mix sauce ingredients together then pour into pot. Bring to a boil;  taste and adjust seasoning. Add in ribs, tossing gently, adding a bit more water and vinegar and water to taste if necessary to make sure ribs are covered with sauce .

 

Bring to the boil again; then reduce heat to medium low to stew ribs for 30 minutes, or until fork tender. Add in green onions and a little starch solution to thicken sauce. Cook for 1 minute or so; then serve in the pot right away.

CHINESE COOKING: This recipe is a nice way to cook a whole fish. Hope you would give it a try at home.

FISH FILET 骨香魚柳:

 

 

1 whole sole, rinsed & rescaled carefully

1 pumpkin

veggie mix:

    3 asparagus spears, cut into 2-inch sections

    5-6 mushroom caps, quartered

    1 green onion, cut into sections

    1/2 red pepper, cut into pieces

    1/2 cup canned or packaged ginkgo nuts

    1 large clove garlic, mashed

    2 pieces ginger, diced

seasoning:

   1/2 tsp. each salt, sugar and tapioca starch

   dash of white pepper

   1 tsp. cooking wine

oil for deep frying

1 tsp. tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp. cold water

 

 

 

Use a sharp knife to filet the fish, saving the bone in 1 piece and cutting the flesh into bite-sized pieces.

 

Cut pumpkin cross-wise into 1-inch thick rings. Remove pulp and seeds from 1 ring while reserving the rest for another recipe. Cook the pumpkin ring in boiling water for  5-6  minutes to soften. When cool enough to handle, scoop and trim ring, leaving a 3/4- inch of flesh as border. Sit pumpkin ring on the serving platter and reserve.

 

Add seasoning ingredients into fish pieces and marinate for 20 minutes. Blanch asparagus  in boiling water until just cooked but still green and crunchy. In a wok or non-stick saucepan, stir-fry red pepper and mushrooms with ginger & garlic until softened, then add in asparagus and ginkgo nuts. Cook together for 1-2 minutes, then add in green onions. Add salt to taste; then remove from pan and keep warm.

 

Clean and dry wok; then heat enough oil for deep frying until very hot. Lower the reserved fish skeleton, without head, into it. Deep fry for a few minutes until golden brown; then remove right away. While hot, place fish skeleton into a large ladle, with the tail end sticking out. Use a spatula to bend and manipulate the skeleton into a curved shape. Arrange skeleton to sit across the pumpkin ring, with the tail-end sticking upwards like a sail.

 

Pour off all but 1 tbsp. hot oil from wok/pan, reserving it for other uses. Heat remaining oil until hot, then stir fry fish pieces until just cooked. Return vegetables, tossing well with the fish. Add in starch solution, tossing and stirring well until it comes to a boil and thickens. Remove from heat right away and transfer mixture to sit on top of the fish skeleton. Serve immediately.