Chinese Food Culture

Chinese food culture|Chinese food recipes|Chinese food picture

Entries Comments



Eating Hong Kong: Wonton Noodle Soup & Dim Sum

21 August, 2010 (13:07) | Chinese food recipes | By: admin

Hong Kong
I had the best Wonton Noodle Soup several years ago whilst I was transiting in Hong Kong. My flight arrived at 6:00 AM and I hopped on the Airport Express to Hong Kong Island. I walked about the empty streets that morning and stumbled upon this little hole-in-the-wall noodle shop among Central and Sheung Wan that was just opening up for organization. I was their first customer. Their Wonton Noodle Soup was basically delectable with generous offerings of succulent, fresh, and juicy shrimp wontons. Pure shrimp wontons heaven; not the typical minced pork and shrimp “cheated” kind. 1 bowl of noodle soup plus a cup of hot chocolate, I was a happy camper even though I was sleep-deprived and utterly jet-lagged that morning.

Frequently in life, the best issues and experiences (dining included!) occur due to opportunity encounters; I’m even now searching and hoping to find that small shop that sells the finest wonton noodle soup inside the world…

When you travel to Asia a great deal, there is really a higher possibility that you’ll lay over in Hong Kong International Airport. I’m not a huge fan of airport food, but HKIA provides some incredibly decent food. Maxim™s Chinese Restaurant (a popular Hong Kong chain) in the Departure Hall serves fine Wonton Noodle Soup. While their wontons aren’t pure shrimp, they nevertheless taste delicious.
Dim Sum
Other than noodles, they also serve Cantonese Dim Sum for example Egg Tarts, Steamed Fish Balls, Har Gow (Shrimp Dumplings), Siu Mai (Pork Dumplings), Char Siu Bao (Roast Pork Steamed Bun), etc. It’s not a poor location to have a light meal prior to your flight.

Note: Maxim’s Chinese Restaurant is located within the second floor at the Departure Hall prior to the immigration gate.

Comments: -

Spring Roll Wrappers

27 June, 2010 (14:51) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Spring roll wrappers can be hard to find if you don’t live near an Asian market. This is a recipe for the standard flour and water wrappers used to make Chinese spring rolls. For best results, keep the filling chilled and don’t make up the spring rolls until you are ready to deep-fry. Have a cornstarch and water paste on hand to seal the spring roll wrappers after they are filled. These wrappers can be frozen.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 40 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water* (see note below)
  • cooking spray, as needed

Preparation:

In a large bowl, stir the salt into the flour. Mix the water into the flour to form a batter. Cover and let rest for 1 hour.
Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and heat on medium low heat.
Turn the heat down to low and add a heaping tablespoon of the batter to the middle of the pan. Quickly spread the batter out evenly to form a circle 5 – 6 inches in diameter. Continue smoothing out the batter as the skin cooks.
Cook the skin briefly, until it is cooked on the bottom and the edges curl slightly. Take care not to overcook. Remove carefully and refrigerate or freeze until ready to use as called for in the Recipe.

*The amount of water needed will depend partly on factors such as the age and dryness of the flour, the altitude you are cooking at, etc. The batter should be well mixed and fairly thick, but still thin enough to drop off the back of a wooden spoon.

About.com Special Features

How to Cook Chicken

Whether you’re a novice chicken chef, or you’re looking for something new, here’s the ultimate guide on how to cook chicken.
More >

Seasonal recipes: Artichokes

Enhance the fresh flavor of artichokes with these scrumptious recipes.
More >

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumeggrolls/r/springrollwrap.htm

Comments: -

Char Siu Bao

27 June, 2010 (02:30) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Steamed Pork Bun - Char Siu Bao

Char Siu Bao (Steamed Buns With Barbecued Pork)

Rhonda Parkinson

Yields 24 steamed pork buns.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 scallion, chopped fine
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped fine
  • 1/2 pound barbecued pork cut into small cubes
  • 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 tablespoons water or chicken stock

Preparation:

Follow Basic Bun recipe through step 3 (preparing the dough and letting it rest).

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir fry scallion and garlic 30 seconds. Add pork. Stir fry 1 minute. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar.

Pour in dissolved cornstarch. Stir fry quickly until pork is glazed. Remove to bowl and allow to cool.

On a floured board, knead dough 1 minute and roll into one long, sausage-like roll 2 inches in diameter.

Slice the roll crosswise into 1 inch pieces.

Flatten each piece with the palm of your hand and roll with rolling pin into 3 inch rounds.

Place 2 tablespoons of filling in center of each round.

Gather dough up around the filling by pleating along the edges.

Bring the pleats up and twist securely and firmly.

Place each bun on 2 inch square of aluminum foil on steamer tray. Cover with a towel. Let rise 1 hour, until dough springs back when touched with finger. Remove towel.

Steam over briskly boiling water 10 minutes.

May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Thaw out in plastic bag and resteam 10 minutes.

(*Note: This Recipe is reprinted from “Madame Wong’s Long-Life Chinese Cookbook”, courtesy of Sylvia Schulman).

More Dim Sum recipes
More Steamer Recipes

The Char Siu Bao recipe has an average rating of 5.0, based on 1 reviews.

About.com Special Features

How to Cook Chicken

Whether you’re a novice chicken chef, or you’re looking for something new, here’s the ultimate guide on how to cook chicken.
More >

Seasonal Recipes: Artichokes

Enhance the fresh flavor of artichokes with these scrumptious recipes.
More >

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumbuns/r/charsiubao.htm

Comments: -

Chinese Shu Mai Dumplings

25 June, 2010 (14:24) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

Yields about 20 dumplings

More Chinese Dumplings Recipes

Main Chinese Recipes Index

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 3 dried Chinese black or Shiitake mushrooms
  • 6 ounces peeled deveined large shrimp
  • 1 green onion
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 3/4 cup ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • about 20 gyoza wrappers (or won ton wrappers cut into circles).

Preparation:

Soften the mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Cut off the stems.

Soak the shrimp in warm, lightly salted water forŅ minutes. Pat dry. Mince the mushrooms, shrimp, and green onion. Combine with the ginger and pork. Stir in the seasonings. Mix the filling ingredients thoroughly.

Lay a gyoza wrapper in front of you. Wet the edges. Put 2 to 3 teaspoons of filling in the middle, taking care not to get too close to the edges. Gather up the edges of the wrapper and gently pleat so that it forms a basket shape, with the top of the filling exposed.

Steam over boiling water until the filling is cooked through (5 to 10 minutes).

Reader Review:
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Comments: Great Recipe! It tastes just as delicious as they would serve in any Chinese Restaurant! I can’t believe I can now make my own Shu Mai at home! Thanks a lot Rhonda! From Eva

Give Your Feedback
  • Rate This Recipe
  • Submit Your Own Recipe
Rhonda Parkinson

Rhonda Parkinson
Chinese Food Guide

  • Sign up for my Newsletter
  • My Blog
  • My Forum
http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumdumplings/r/siumai.htm

Comments: -

Wonton Wrappers

24 June, 2010 (02:12) | Chinese Food Culture | By: admin

It’s easy to make your own wonton wrappers. This recipe yields about 24 wonton wrappers.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, as needed
  • Extra flour as needed

Preparation:

Lightly beat the egg with the salt. Add 1/4 cup water.
Sift the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and water mixture. Mix in with the flour. Add as much of the remaining water as necessary to form a dough. (Add more water than the Recipe calls for if the dough is too dry).
Form the dough into a ball and knead for about 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth, workable dough. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out until very thin, and cut into 3 1/2-inch squares. Store in a plastic bag in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

The Wonton Wrappers recipe has an average rating of 4.4, based on 9 reviews.

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/dimsumwonton/r/wontonwrapper.htm

Comments: -