One of the great cuisines of the world, Chinese, is thought by many to be too difficult and time consuming to do at home. Actually, with a little advanced planning, it is quite manageable and fits right into a healthy eating style. I am not talking about the ubiquitous stir-fry, as delicious as it can be, but the more adventurous fare of fried won tons, sweet and sour dishes, hot and sour soup, to name a few.
Won tons of all kinds are really simple. The won ton skins that are sold in any supermarket are perfect and they freeze successfully, so you can make as many or few as you like and freeze the remaining skins for another use. Won tons are used to make everything from the famous Crab Rangoon (a Trader Vic original) to won ton soup. As with other ethnic dough pockets or dumplings, they can be filled with anything you wish. The Crab Rangoon is cream cheese and crab; the meat-filled won-tons use scraps and bits of various meats and fish, along with vegetables and seasonings, all chopped very fine.
Making the won tons is not only easy, it is surprisingly fast and fun. Depending on the size of the won ton skin, you fill the square dough with ½ tsp. to 1 Tbsp. filling in center of square, fold in half lengthwise, then fold again lengthwise. Bring ends together and, after moistening one corner, overlap slightly, forming the tortellini-like won ton. After filling you can freeze them raw in a single layer and then put into freezer bags to use at your convenience, or cook them immediately. They can be dropped into bubbling broth for won ton soup or deep fried.
Hot and sour soup is one of my all-time favorites but sometimes it has been held too long and has too much viscosity and/or an off-flavor. I was delighted to find that it is truly simple to make at home where you can control the amount of “hot” and “sour”, the amount of cornstarch (viscosity) and, of course, it is freshly made.
Zig’s favorite Cantonese treat is Sweet and Sour Pork. There are a great many recipes for this favorite, but none of them is daunting for an average cook. I am giving you some of the recipes I used for our delicious Chinese dinner. The menu:
Hot and Sour Soup
Deep-fried Won Tons
Sweet and Sour Pork
Chinese Rice
Hot and Sour Soup
4 dried black mushrooms
¼ cup dried fungus
Boiling water
½ cup lean pork
½ cup bamboo shoots
½ tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp oil
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 pieces fresh bean curd, cut into ¼” dice
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
Put mushrooms and fungus into separate bowls. Cover each with boiling water. Let soak 1 hour or more. Remove stems from mushrooms. Remove woody parts from fungus. Separately cut mushrooms, fungus, pork and bamboo shoots to fine julienne. Mix pork with salt and cornstarch in bowl. Heat wok or large skillet; add vegetable oil to wok and stir-fry pork until color changes. Bring chicken stock to boil in large pot. Add mushrooms, fungus, pork and bamboo shoots. Stir constantly. Add soy sauce, pepper, and vinegar. Thicken with dissolved cornstarch, stirring constantly over moderate heat. Add bean curd. Bring to boil. Turn off heat. Add beaten eggs. Stir quickly 30 seconds. Add sesame seed oil. Garnish with scallions and serve hot.
Fried Won Tons
½ pound ground pork, beef, turkey, chicken or shrimp or crab, or combination
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sherry
4 water chestnuts, chopped fine
1 scallion, chopped fine
½ egg, beaten
2 leaves of bok choy or other Chinese cabbage (optional)
60 small won ton wrappers (skins)
2 cups oil for deep frying
Combine meat with salt, soy sauce, sherry, water chestnuts, scallion, beaten egg and blanched, drained and squeezed dry bok choy. Mix well.
Put 1 tsp. of filling in center of each skin. Fold in half lengthwise. Gently press edges together. Fold in half again lengthwise; then bring ends together. Dab a little water on one corner, put two corners one over the other, and press together. Won ton resembles an old-fashioned nurse’s cap. Heat oil to 400 degrees in wok. Deep fry won tons, 10 or 12 at a time for about 3 minutes. Drain. Serve with purchased sweet and sour sauce. As a healthier alternative, drop won tons into bubbling chicken broth.
Won tons of all kinds are really simple. The won ton skins that are sold in any supermarket are perfect and they freeze successfully, so you can make as many or few as you like and freeze the remaining skins for another use. Won tons are used to make everything from the famous Crab Rangoon (a Trader Vic original) to won ton soup. As with other ethnic dough pockets or dumplings, they can be filled with anything you wish. The Crab Rangoon is cream cheese and crab; the meat-filled won-tons use scraps and bits of various meats and fish, along with vegetables and seasonings, all chopped very fine.
Making the won tons is not only easy, it is surprisingly fast and fun. Depending on the size of the won ton skin, you fill the square dough with ½ tsp. to 1 Tbsp. filling in center of square, fold in half lengthwise, then fold again lengthwise. Bring ends together and, after moistening one corner, overlap slightly, forming the tortellini-like won ton. After filling you can freeze them raw in a single layer and then put into freezer bags to use at your convenience, or cook them immediately. They can be dropped into bubbling broth for won ton soup or deep fried.
Hot and sour soup is one of my all-time favorites but sometimes it has been held too long and has too much viscosity and/or an off-flavor. I was delighted to find that it is truly simple to make at home where you can control the amount of “hot” and “sour”, the amount of cornstarch (viscosity) and, of course, it is freshly made.
Zig’s favorite Cantonese treat is Sweet and Sour Pork. There are a great many recipes for this favorite, but none of them is daunting for an average cook. I am giving you some of the recipes I used for our delicious Chinese dinner. The menu:
Hot and Sour Soup
Deep-fried Won Tons
Sweet and Sour Pork
Chinese Rice
Hot and Sour Soup
4 dried black mushrooms
¼ cup dried fungus
Boiling water
½ cup lean pork
½ cup bamboo shoots
½ tsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp oil
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp. pepper
3 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in ¼ cup water
2 pieces fresh bean curd, cut into ¼” dice
2 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp sesame seed oil
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths
Put mushrooms and fungus into separate bowls. Cover each with boiling water. Let soak 1 hour or more. Remove stems from mushrooms. Remove woody parts from fungus. Separately cut mushrooms, fungus, pork and bamboo shoots to fine julienne. Mix pork with salt and cornstarch in bowl. Heat wok or large skillet; add vegetable oil to wok and stir-fry pork until color changes. Bring chicken stock to boil in large pot. Add mushrooms, fungus, pork and bamboo shoots. Stir constantly. Add soy sauce, pepper, and vinegar. Thicken with dissolved cornstarch, stirring constantly over moderate heat. Add bean curd. Bring to boil. Turn off heat. Add beaten eggs. Stir quickly 30 seconds. Add sesame seed oil. Garnish with scallions and serve hot.
Fried Won Tons
½ pound ground pork, beef, turkey, chicken or shrimp or crab, or combination
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. sherry
4 water chestnuts, chopped fine
1 scallion, chopped fine
½ egg, beaten
2 leaves of bok choy or other Chinese cabbage (optional)
60 small won ton wrappers (skins)
2 cups oil for deep frying
Combine meat with salt, soy sauce, sherry, water chestnuts, scallion, beaten egg and blanched, drained and squeezed dry bok choy. Mix well.
Put 1 tsp. of filling in center of each skin. Fold in half lengthwise. Gently press edges together. Fold in half again lengthwise; then bring ends together. Dab a little water on one corner, put two corners one over the other, and press together. Won ton resembles an old-fashioned nurse’s cap. Heat oil to 400 degrees in wok. Deep fry won tons, 10 or 12 at a time for about 3 minutes. Drain. Serve with purchased sweet and sour sauce. As a healthier alternative, drop won tons into bubbling chicken broth.
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