Chinese food at home

Contains MSG, but gives a restaurant flavour

As I've probably mentioned before, living in a multi-cultural city affords great opportunities to not only try foods from other countries but also to cook with the original ingredients from these countries. Now I know this is not exactly within the ethics of eating locally which I like to practice as much as possible, but the flip side is that it does help to develop a palate without the (very, these days) expensive air flight. If you fancy Indian food, go to Punjabi market. If you feel like trying Thai, go to Asia Market where they receive weekly shipments from Bangkok. If you want to sample cooking Korean food, where better to go than H Mart where you can pick up bucket sized containers of Kimchee and 10 different types of Bulgogi sauce and if you want to get your mitts on some Chinese produce, you go to T&T supermarket. 

These create a sweet and spicy bite

This, I did yesterday. As well as all the usual fresh produce, dim sum, numerous jars and bottles of pastes and sauces, noodles, rice, frozen seafood, the dubious spectacle of 50 crabs in one fish tank, they also have a barbecue section selling duck, pork and goose. The smell is tantalizing enough as you get closer, like a barbecue grilling meats with sweet, sticky sauces, that irresistible charred smell, but the actual look of the meats really make my mouth water. The ducks are browned with a crispy skin, glossy from the barbecue or soy sauce glaze and the pork is in large slabs with the crackling looking like it would shatter in your mouth as you bite into it. 

Ingredients chopped and ready!

I bought a pound of barbecue pork and had to resist buying a duck to re-heat and shred, place on a small steamed pancake with shredded cucumber and scallion and a dab of  Hoisin or plum sauce. (This is a very popular appetizer in Chinese restaurants in the UK). I also bought lotus root which is a vegetable similar to bamboo shoots with the same fresh flavour and crunchy texture and 2 jars of bamboo shoot in chili oil which seems to be impossible to find anywhere else. It gives a sweet and spicy kick to any dish, but can also impart too much oil if not drained a little first.

So, I set about making lunch with the pork and other ingredients I had to hand.

Stir fry barbecue pork with lotus root and beansprouts

Recipe

1/2 lb cooked barbecue pork

2 tsp peanut oil

4 scallions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped small

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped small

1 inch piece lotus root, peeled and thinly sliced

4 mushrooms, sliced

1/2 bell pepper, deseeded and sliced thinly

1 cup beansprouts

1/2 tsp salt and pepper seasoning or 1/4 tsp each salt and black pepper

Sauce:

2 tbsp Chinese wine or dry sherry

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp brown rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp bamboo shoot in chili oil

• Heat the peanut oil in a wok or frying pan until hot.

• Fry the lotus root for about 2 minutes, then turn over and fry for 2 minutes more.

• Add the ginger, garlic, scallions, bell pepper and mushrooms and stir fry over high heat until mushrooms are soft.

• Add the pork, beansprouts and salt and pepper, stir then add all the sauce ingredients except the bamboo shoots.

• Stir everything well to coat with the sauce and heat the pork through. (If you want a thicker, glossier sauce, add 1 tsp cornflour to 1 tbsp water in a small bowl, mix well then add to the sauce and stir well).

• Serve with rice and prawn crackers, garnished with bamboo shoots in chili oil.