Recipes from China

Doris’s Sweet Red Bean SoupThis delicious and nourishing soup can be eaten as a snack or

following the main meal as a sweet course.

• • 400 grams red beans

  • 1 cup dried lotus

  • 1 cup dried lotus petals

  • ¼ cup dried mandarin peel

  • 2 lumps rock sugar

Place all together in a saucepan or crock-pot and simmer slowly till all the beans are cooked, 2-3 hrs. All these ingredients can be purchased at Chinese grocery shops.

Marinated Chicken

• • 6 large chicken drums/pieces

  • 3 cloves garlic

  • 3 slices ginger

  • 6 black peppercorns

  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese wine

  • 2 tablespoons light soy

  • 2 tablespoons dark soy

Optional extras:

• • 1 or more chilli peppers, ground with the garlic and ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder or

  • 1 teaspoon hoi sin sauce or

  • 1 tablespoon oyster Sauce

Rinse chicken in fresh water, drain well and place in a plastic bag. Crush garlic, ginger and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle. Add brown sugar, Chinese wine, light soy and dark soy. Pour all these marinade ingredients into the plastic bag with the chicken, and swish them around to thoroughly coat. Knot or close the bag securely and leave in fridge to marinate, best overnight or at least 2 hours.

Place all in a roasting pan and roast in moderately high oven, about 1 hour, turning and basting after about 30mins.

Beef and Broccoli with Black Beans

(serves 5 or 6)

• • 440g rump steak

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon light soy

  • 1 tablespoon dark soy

  • 1 tablespoon Chinese wine

  • 1 tablespoon maize cornflour

  • 2 tablespoons oil

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 slice ginger

  • 2 teaspoons salted black beans

  • 1 large head broccoli

Slice beef thinly. Marinate with the next six ingredients. Rinse the black beans in cold water, drain. Crush with the garlic and ginger and set aside. Cut broccoli into flowerets; small stems can be sliced diagonally (the fat stalk can be put aside and used for stock or put into compost). Put useable parts into saucepan of boiling water for 2 minutes, to blanch. Drain and save the water. Rinse broccoli under cold water.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in wok, put in broccoli and stir over high heat to cook to crisp stage - 2 minutes or so - can add a little blanching water to assist cooking. Remove all from wok. Heat wok again with 1 tablespoon oil, put in crushed garlic, ginger and black beans. Stir 1 min, and then add in the marinated beef. Continue stirring over high heat till steak changes colour. Add broccoli and water and stir to mix. May need a little more corn flour thickening - 1 Tb cornflour to 2 Tb blanching water - toss well, taste test before serving.

Stir Fry Vegetables with Chicken and Rice Sticks (Noodles)

(Serves 5)

• • 200g rice sticks

  • 250g chicken breasts (beef or pork)

  • 1 tablespoon light soy

  • 2 teaspoons Chinese wine

  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce

  • 1 teaspoon oil

  • 1 thin slice of ginger

  • 1 teaspoon maize corn flour

  • Freshly ground white pepper

  • Fresh seasonal vegetable mix e.g. celery, carrots,

  • cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, onions, red or green peppers.

  • ½ cup stock or blanching water

  • 2 tablespoons oil (for cooking)

Choose whatever mix of vegetables you want and slice diagonally or in pieces or in flowerets. Blanch cauliflower and broccoli if using. Soak the rice sticks in warm water about 30 mins. Drain well. Slice the chicken breasts and marinate in the next six ingredients for 15 minutes or so. Heat in wok one tablespoon oil and put in ginger. Fry lightly to season the oil, then take ginger out when it dries up. Stir-fry your choice of vegetables in the oil, putting in a little at a time. Season with salt to taste. Remove from wok. Heat one tablespoon oil in wok, stir in marinated chicken and stir quickly till chicken turns white. Add vegetable mixture and continue stirring. Add stock (chicken or vegetable blanching water) and quickly heat. Thicken with corn flour and water, mix and continue stirring. Taste for seasoning and add more oyster sauce, salt, pepper or sesame oil to taste. Toss quickly and add in soft rice sticks. Heat well and serve.