1½ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup water
About 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus 3 tablespoons for frying
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
MAKES 3 PANCAKES; SERVES 4 TO 6
In a medium bowl, combine the flour and water. Stir well to mix it up and turn it into a soft dough.
Lightly flour a work surface and your hands, and then scrape the dough out onto the floured work surface. Knead the dough for 5 minutes, turning and pressing to form it into a soft, smooth dough. Cover the dough with the bowl for a five-minute rest.
Divide the dough into 3 portions, cutting it apart with a butter knife or pastry scraper. Leaving the other two portions covered while you work, place one portion on the floured work surface, and roll it out into a big, round pancake, 6 to 8 inches in diameter.
Use about 1 teaspoon of the oil to lightly and evenly coat the surface of the pancake. Sprinkle it with 1 teaspoon of the salt, and then scatter about 1/3 of the green onion over the pancake
Starting with the far edge and pulling it toward you, carefully roll up the pancake into a plump log. The soft dough will need a little coaxing, and it won’t be perfectly even, but that is just fine.
Shape the log into a fat spiral, turning the right end toward you to make the center and curving the remaining log around it. Tuck the loose end under and gently but firmly press to flatten it into a big, thick cake. Using your rolling pin, roll it gently into a 7-inch pancake. The green onion will tear the dough and poke out here and there, but that’s not a problem.
To cook, heat a heavy, medium skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add about 2 teaspoons of the oil and turn to coat the bottom of the pan evenly. When a pinch of dough and a bit of green onion sizzle at once, place the pancake in the hot pan and cook until handsomely browned and fairly evenly cooked on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.
Turn and cook the other side for about 1 minute, until it is nicely browned and the bread is cooked through. Use the remaining dough to roll out, season, shape, and cook two more pancakes. Use additional oil as needed. Cut into quarters, and serve hot or warm.
COLD SESAME NOODLES
I adore sesame noodles and marvel at how simple it is to make this satisfying and unusual dish. Since they taste wonderful warm, at room temperature, or cold, they make delightful party or picnic fare. Asian noodles are traditional, but linguine or spaghetti cooked al dente work fine, and peanut butter makes a tasty substitute for toasted sesame paste. I like to stir the sauce together first and then cook the noodles just before serving time. I often add chopped green onion or cilantro along with the cucumber for extra flavor and color.
FOR THE SESAME SAUCE
3 tablespoons Asian sesame paste or peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar
2 teaspooons sugar
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil (page 175) or another hot sauce or chili paste
½ teaspoon salt
FOR THE NOODLES
8 ounces fresh Chinese-style egg noodles (or linguini or spaghetti, if necessary)
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion
¼ cup finely chopped Szechuan preserved vegetable (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped roasted, salted peanuts
1 cup cucumber slices (¼ inch thick)
SERVES 4
To make the sesame sauce: In a medium bowl large enough to toss the noodles with the sauce, combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, dark soy sauce, if using, sesame oil, chili oil, and salt. Stir to combine everything into a smooth, thick sauce.
To make the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop in the egg noodles and cook until tender but still firm, stirring now and again to separate them and help them cook evenly, about 2 minutes.
When the noodles are tender but still firm, drain well and place them in the bowl over the sauce. Toss well to coat the strands evenly. Add a little more hot water if needed to soften the noodles and spread out the sauce.
Add the green onion, Szechuan preserved vegetable, peanuts, and cucumber, and toss one last time to mix everything well. Transfer to a serving plate and serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.
TEA EGGS
Eggs mean breakfast in Western cuisines, but in Asia they mean hearty, pleasing fare at almost any meal. Rich and satisfying with their smooth texture and sweet hints of star anise and soy flavors, they shine as snacks, starters, or picnic fare, as well as a handsome component of any rice-centered meal. We love them with thick-sliced ripe tomatoes with fresh basil, Bok Choy Stir-Fried with Garlic (page 120), and Cold Sesame Noodles (page 31) for a tasty vegetarian supper.
8 eggs
4 cups water
2 teabags of any black tea, such as orange pekoe
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or molasses, or 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1½ teaspoons salt
1 piece star anise, or 1 tablespoon five-spice powder (see page 14)
SERVES 4
NOTE Tea eggs taste great and look wonderful to me, no matter how the tea and dark soy sauce infusion displays itself. Wherever the eggshell cracks completely, lots of color seeps in, and it’s likely that you’ll have some larger cracks in the process of rolling the eggs to make tiny cracks. Enjoy the surprise of peeling your tea eggs, and make them often so you develop your skills.
Place the eggs in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover them. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and cook 5 minutes. Drain, rinse well with cold water, and let stand in cold water for 5 minutes.
Drain eggs well and set them out on a plate. Holding one egg in your hand, tap it gently but firmly with the back of a spoon to create tiny cracks all over its shell. Turn it in your hand as you work. You can also place it on the countertop and roll it gently to crack the shell. Repeat with remaining eggs, and then set them aside while you prepare their tea infusion.
Bring the 4 cups water to a rolling boil over high heat in the same saucepan. Add the teabags, dark soy sauce, salt, and star anise, and stir well. When the tea infusion comes to a rolling boil, reduce the heat to medium and use a large spoon to carefully lower the cracked eggs into the pot. Add water if needed so that the infusion covers the eggs completely. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle but lively simmer, visible on the surface, and let the eggs cook for 30 minutes.
Remove from the heat and let stand for 1 hour. (You could also refrigerate overnight for deeper color and flavor.) Remove from the broth and carefully peel each egg to remove the cracked shell. Serve whole or halved and placed cut side down, warm or at room temperature.
soups
MEATBALL SOUP WITH SPINACH
EGG FLOWER SOUP
WON TON SOUP
CREAMY CORN SOUP WITH HAM
HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Chinese meals count on soup as a component, almost as a beverage or touchstone in a menu of varied flavors designed to go with an abundance of rice. Many soups are quite simple, consisting of chicken stock with small pieces of meat or seafood, some leafy greens or shreds of vegetable, and an accent of sesame oil, green onions, or cilantro to brighten the bowl.
Most are made well within an hour of serving time, unlike the Western tradition of simmering a soup on the back of the stove for hours, and making it thick with vegetables and meat. Chowders, minestrone, and vegetable-beef soup are examples of this soup-as the-star tradition, and while we love them, they tend to be major cooking projects. In contrast, these Chinese-style soups are ones to stir together while the rice steams or the pasta pot boils, and to enjoy along with a stir-fried dish, rotisserie chicken, an herb-laced omelet, or grilled fish. Egg Flower Soup (page 38) and Meatball Soup with Spinach (page 37) are excellent examples of this busy-day genre of soup.
Creamy Co
rn Soup with Ham (page 43) and Hot and Sour Soup (page 44) are each a little more involved, but either could serve as the main course along with wonderful bread and butter and a big green salad or steamed broccoli. Won Ton Soup (page 40) is quick and easy once the won tons are shaped, but you will want to plan a won ton–making session on a Saturday morning or on a day when you’re making dinner without watching the clock. Extra hands make it fast and fun, and for a meal of won tons or a batch to take home, you will most likely find many potential helpers eager to sign up. It takes time to get won tons lined up on a tray, but once you’re done, it is a feast in a bowl, and keeping a batch in the freezer, uncooked, is insurance for the day when you long for a fabulous Chinese feast in a very short time.
MEATBALL SOUP with spinach
We love this hearty soup with rice and a simple vegetable stir-fry like Everyday Green Beans (page 119) or Broccoli with Garlic and Ginger (page 127). You can roll the meat into little balls or just add it in free-form pinches to the boiling soup. Add carrot shreds, tofu chunks, or sliced mushrooms right after the meat if you want a more complex dish without much more effort.
1 small bundle bean thread noodles (about 2 ounces)
¼ pound ground pork
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
½ teaspooon salt
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, or large leaves torn into 2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Asian sesame oil (optional)
SERVES 4
Soften the bean thread noodles by placing them in a medium bowl with warm water to cover for 15 minutes. When they are flexible and white, cut them into 3-inch lengths and set aside.
Combine the pork with the soy sauce, garlic, and salt and mix together to season the meat evenly. Roll the mixture into small meatballs, about 1 inch in diameter, or use a spoon to scoop it into small, free-form meatballs.
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a rolling boil over high heat. Drop the meatballs into the boiling soup, a few at a time, and stir to keep them from sticking together. When all the meatballs are in the soup, adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil and cook for 3 minutes. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the soup, and stir now and then.
Add the noodles and stir well, cooking until they become clear and soft, about 1 minute more. Add the spinach and green onion and remove from the heat. Serve hot, adding a few drops of sesame oil, if using, to the soup just before serving.
EGG FLOWER SOUP
Often listed as Egg Drop Soup in Chinese restaurants, this dish’s poetic name of Egg Flower Soup celebrates the way eggs “blossom” as they are stirred gently into simmering stock. If you use canned broth or frozen chicken stock, this soup makes a perfect busy-night dish. If you make chicken stock, this dish showcases its deep flavor with delicious simplicity. Either way, Egg Flower Soup rounds out any rice-centered meal, and it can be served in big bowls over rice as a one-dish dinner. Plan to stir in the eggs just before serving for the most wonderful texture and beauty.
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups baby spinach leaves (optional)
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
2 well-beaten eggs
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
SERVES 4
In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the spinach leaves, if using, sesame oil, and salt, allowing the spinach to wilt into the soup.
Stir well until the chicken broth is swirling in circles. Carefully and slowly pour the beaten eggs onto the surface of the soup, continuing to stir gently and encouraging them to flow out into leafy petals and ribbons.
Sprinkle the green onion onto the soup and serve hot.
WON TON SOUP
From my first tiny bowl of won ton soup at Wong’s Chinese Restaurant in my North Carolina hometown, I have loved this soup. I’ve since enjoyed it in New York City and San Francisco, as well as in Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Taipei. The fact that every little won ton needs filling, folding, and cooking means that this dish doesn’t belong in the busy-weeknight category. But made in advance with only a few ingredients and simple steps, these dumplings are ready to boil and enjoy in soup or with a simple sauce, right from the freezer or fridge. Helpers recruited from among friends and family make this task a pleasure, and the reward of won ton soup will make them eager to sign up for future sessions. I love sprinkling a spoonful of Asian sesame oil onto my soup along with the green onion and cilantro leaves.
FOR THE WON TONS
¾ pound ground pork
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
About 40 square won ton wrappers
12 cups water, plus 3 cups cold
FOR THE SOUP
6 cups chicken stock
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, or large spinach leaves torn into 2-inch pieces right before use
¼ cup chopped green onion
About 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
SERVES 6 TO 8
NOTE You could also prepare individual bowls, noodle shop–style. Set out a bowl for each guest near the stove. Place hot won tons in each bowl, and add a few leaves of spinach. Ladle hot soup into each bowl, sprinkle with green onion and cilantro leaves, and serve hot.
To make the won tons: Combine the pork, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir to mix everything evenly.
Prepare to fold the won tons by arranging the following on a table where you can sit and work: the package of won ton wrappers, measuring spoons, a small bowl of water to use when sealing the filled won tons, a cutting board or tray on which to lay out the wrappers as you fill them, and a platter or cookie sheet on which to place the filled won tons as you work.
Place a wrapper before you, and put about 1 teaspoon of filling in the center of the wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a little water and fold it into a triangle shape. Press the edges together to seal it well. Bring the two bottom corners of the triangle together, and seal them with a little water, making a plump little envelope with the top point free. Set aside and continue filling wrappers. You will have around 40 won tons. (To freeze them, place them on a platter which will fit in the freezer, at least 1 inch apart. When they are completely frozen, place them in a reseal able plastic bag or airtight container and store for up to 1 month. Don’t thaw them but allow an extra few minutes’ cooking time.)
To cook the won tons, bring 12 cups water to a rolling boil in a large pot over high heat. Have the 3 cups cold water handy, along with a 1-cup measure. Drop the won tons into the boiling water one by one, stirring now and then to keep them separate. As soon as the water returns to a boil, add 1 cup of the cold water to stop the boiling.
When the water boils again, add another cup of cold water. When it boils a third time, add the last cup of water. When it boils again, scoop the wontons out gently and drain well. Transfer to a large serving bowl or tureen in which you will serve the soup, and cover it to keep them warm while you make the soup.
To make the soup: In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Place the spinach leaves in the serving bowl over the won tons and carefully pour the hot chicken stock over them. Sprinkle the green onion and cilantro on top, and serve at once. Provide soup bowls with spoons for soup and chopsticks or forks for won tons. Serve 5 or 6 won tons into each guest’s bowl along with some spinach, green onion, and cilantro, top off with chicken stock, and serve hot.
CREAMY CORN SOUP with ham
Keep creamed corn and chicken stock on your pantry shelf and you will be minutes away from an inviting bowl of this golden-colored and satisfying soup. Chinese restaurant versions tend to include cornstarch to thicken it, but I love its texture without that addition
.
Two 14½-ounce cans creamed corn (about 3 cups)
2 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons dry sherry, Shaoxing rice wine, or white wine
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup chopped ham, cooked crabmeat, salmon, or shrimp
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
SERVES 4
NOTE For a thicker, restaurant-style soup, simply mix 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water, stirring to dissolve. Add to the bubbling hot soup just before serving, stirring well. Remove from the heat as soon as you see that the soup has thickened up nicely. Then add the ham, sesame oil, and green onion, and serve hot.
In a medium saucepan, combine the creamed corn and chicken stock, and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in the sherry and salt, and then add the ham. Cook for 1 minute more, stirring once or twice, until the soup is steaming hot and everything is evenly combined.
Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil and green onion. Serve hot or warm.
HOT AND SOUR SOUP
Try a steaming bowl of this pungent soup the next time you need help warming up on a cold winter’s night. Abundant with contrasts in texture and flavor, it holds a place of honor on Chinese restaurant menus in the West and is enjoyed throughout China, far from its northern home. The traditional recipe calls for cloud ears and lily buds, also called “golden needles,” two dried ingredients that need soaking and trimming in advance. I love this soup with Pot Sticker Dumplings (page 23) and a big, cool green salad, or with steamed broccoli and a bowl of rice.
5 dried shiitake mushrooms, fresh shiitake mushrooms, or button mushrooms
2 tablespoons Chenkiang vinegar, red wine vinegar, or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Hot Chili Oil (page 175), chili-garlic sauce, or red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
Quick & Easy Chinese Page 3
