Egg Drop Soup (China)
4 cup fresh or canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger root (optional)
White pepper, to taste
2 eggs
1 scallion (green onion, spring onion) green and
white part, very thinly sliced
Bring the chicken broth to a boil over moderate heat. Mix the cornstarch with the water and stir it into the broth. Add the soy sauce, optional ginger, and pepper. Return the soup to a boil and remove from heat. Beat the eggs slightly, so that they are broken up but the yolks and the whites are not completely mixed together. Slowly pour the eggs into the soup while gently stirring to form long threads of the eggs. Divide the scallion slices between the individual serving bowls and ladle the soup over them.
Serves 4 to 6.
Custard Tarts
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable shortening or lard
4 to 6 tablespoons hot tap water
3 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt in mixing bowl. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Mix in enough water to form a dough that sticks together. Shape dough into ball. Cut in half. Roll out each half on lightly floured surface until 1/8-inch thick. Cut 12 circles from each half using fluted cookie cutter 3 inches in diameter. Fit pastry circles into greased muffin cups, pressing sides so they reach rims.
Beat eggs with whisk. Stir in sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Gradually blend in milk. Spoon about 2 tablespoons egg mixture into each pastry. Bake in preheated 350 degree F oven until knife inserted in center of custards comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove tarts from pans. Cool on wire racks.
Makes 24.
Crab-Stuffed Shrimp
Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 tablespoon satay sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup cream or milk
Heat oil in small saucepan. Cook onion in oil over medium heat until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add curry powder. Cook and stir 1 minute. Add sherry, satay sauce, sugar and soy sauce. Cook and stir 2 minutes. Blend in cream. Bring to boil. Boil 2 minutes. Keep warm.
Shrimp
2 (6 1/2 ounce) cans crabmeat
2 egg whites
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Drain and flake crabmeat. Blend egg whites, cornstarch, sherry and soy sauce in bowl. Add crabmeat, onions and celery; mix well.
Remove shell from shrimp, leaving tails intact. Remove back veins from shrimp. Cut deep slit into, but not through, back of each shrimp. Flatten shrimp by pounding gently with rolling pin or mallet. Spoon crabmeat mixture onto each shrimp and press into shrimp with back of spoon or small spatula.
Coat each shrimp lightly with flour. Beat eggs and milk with fork in shallow bowl until blended. Place each shrimp, stuffed side up, in egg mixture, then spoon mixture over shrimp to cover completely. Coat each shrimp completely with bread crumbs, pressing crumbs lightly onto shrimp. Place shrimp in single layer on cookie sheets or plates. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat until it reaches 375 degrees F. Fry 4 or 5 shrimp at a time in the oil until golden, about 3 minutes. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve with warm sauce.
Makes 4 servings.
Crab in Ginger Sauce
2 ready-to-cook whole hard-shell crabs
8 scallions
1 small red bell pepper
1 (4 x 1-inch) piece fresh ginger root
3/4 cup water
2 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Rinse crabs with water. Gently pull away round hard shell on top. With small sharp knife gently cut away the gray spongy tissue and discard. Rinse crabs with water. Cut off claws and legs. Pound claws lightly with back of cleaver to break shell. Chop down center of crabs to cut body in half. Cut each half crosswise into 3 pieces.
Cut onions into 1-inch pieces. Remove seeds from bell pepper; cut pepper into thin strips. Pare ginger root. Cut ginger into thin slices, then cut the slices into very thin strips. Combine 1/2 cup of the water, the sherry, sugar, bouillon and soy sauce.
Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and the cornstarch; blend well.
Heat oils in wok over medium heat. Stir fry ginger in the oils 1 minute. Add cut-up crabs. Stir fry 1 minute. Add sherry mixture and pepper to crab. Stir fry over high heat until liquid boils. Reduce heat to low. Simmer covered 4 minutes. Uncover and stir in cornstarch mixture. Cook until sauce thickens. Add onions. Cook and stir 1 minute.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Chop Suey Supreme
2 whole chicken breasts, cooked
1/2 head Chinese cabbage
4 ounces fresh green beans
3 stalks celery
2 medium yellow onions
1 large carrot
8 ounces uncooked medium shrimp
8 ounces uncooked boneless lean pork
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon instant chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons soy sauce
1 (8 ounce) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
Remove skin and bones from cooked chicken. Coarsely chop chicken meat. Shred cabbage. Trim beans and cut into 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Cut celery into 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Chop onions. Pare carrot and chop finely. Remove shells and back veins from shrimp. Chop pork finely.
Heat oil in wok over high heat. Stir fry pork in oil until brown, 5 minutes. Remove pork from wok. Add cabbage, beans, celery, onions and carrot to wok. Stir fry until vegetables are crisp-tender, about minutes.
Combine water, cornstarch, bouillon and soy sauce. Pour mixture over vegetables. Cook and stir until liquid boils and thickens, about 3 minutes. Add chicken, shrimp and bamboo shoots. Cook and stir until shrimp are done, 3 minutes longer.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Chocolate Ginger Lychees
1 (20 ounce) can whole peeled lychees
2 ounces preserved candied ginger
6 ounces semisweet baking chocolate
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening
Drain lychees. Spread lychees round side up between several layers of paper toweling. Let stand until dry, about 1 hour.
Cut ginger into sliver or tiny pieces. Carefully stuff ginger inside cavities of lychees. Combine chocolate and shortening in small saucepan or in top of double boiler over boiling water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, just until chocolate melts. Remove from heat. Cool slightly. Dip each lychee in chocolate to coat completely. Carefully lift lychee out of chocolate and place round side up on greased parchment or wax paper. Drizzle remaining chocolate over lychees. Refrigerate until cold.
Makes about 24.
Chinese Vegetables
1 pound fresh broccoli
8 ounces fresh spinach
8 ounces fresh pea pods or 1 (6 ounce) package
frozen pea pods, thawed
4 stalks celery ginger root
2 medium yellow onions
8 scallions
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced pared fresh ginger root
NOTE: In addition to or in place of the listed vegetables, sliced carrots, zucchini, green beans or green bell peppers may be used.
Clean vegetables. Cut broccoli tops into florets. Cut broccoli stalks into thin strips 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Chop spinach coarsely. Remove ends and strings from pea pods. Cut celery into 1/2-inch diagonal slices. Peel yellow onions, cut into wedges and separate layers. Cut scallions into thin diagonal slices.
Combine water and bouillon. Heat oil in wok over high heat. Add broccoli stalks, onion wedges and ginger. Stir fry 1 minute. Add all remaining vegetables. Toss lightly. Add water mixture. Toss until vegetables are completely coated. Cook until liquid boils. Cover wok and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.
Chinese Spareribs
6 pounds spareribs
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Brown spareribs in a hot (450 degree F) oven for about 15 minutes. Pour off fat. Mix ginger, soy sauce, lemon and garlic to make sauce. Pour over ribs. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours, basting often. Serve with Hot Mustard Sauce.
Hot Mustard Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup Colmans English Mustard
(no substitute)
2 large or 3 medium eggs
Mix all ingredients and cook in double boiler until thick. Do not use blender to mix.
Can be stored in refrigerator for several months and can be reheated. It loses "hotness" the longer it is stored. Use as a dip or spread for crackers and sandwiches or to accompany ham or shrimp.