WELCOME
I'm having an Asian moment... in fact it's a little more than a moment, it's all I'm eating or cooking right now! After an extended period of ambivalence towards Eastern offerings in general, I'm back in the realm of all things occidental.
The catalysts are the Asian Spice Supermarket at 186 Main Road, Sea Point, and Kylie Kwong, the Australian chef and author who I somehow forgot about and have recently rediscovered.
Asian Spice Supermarket has been there for some time but has recently been taken over by a charming Chinese gentleman. It's a small, unassuming little place where very little English is spoken and things are a tad haphazard, but oh, the dim sum! Head for the freezer and buy any of their homemade wontons, or dim sum offerings. Rush home, steam, fry, boil or toss into a soup and bask in the joy of not having had to make them yourself, but in the brilliance of your discovery.
Then, in keeping with the ever present credit crunch theme, whip up a large wok of Mongolian Beef - really just a sexy name for an uber-delicious mince and cabbage stir fry sort of thing. With no offence to Kylie I use regular (as opposed to Chinese) cabbage, only 500g lean beef mince and a dollop or two more of the sauces she lists. And therein lies my thought for this month - recipes are only a guideline, a dash of inspiration - it's when you fiddle with them that they truly become your own!
Happy foodie fiddling!!
PS Check out our website for an Asian supermarket near you.
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Risotto (little rice) is an Italian rice dish made with plump, short-grained rice; the most common is arborio but carnaroli is the aristocrat of risotto rice. |
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RECIPE
Mongolian Beef
Recipe taken from Kylie Kwong Simple Chinese Cooking (Penguin Lantern).
There is something rather yummy about eating things that are finely sliced and shredded, especially with chopsticks. I have always like picking at tasty morsels, and this dish is perfect for this. I prefer to use beef mince in my Mongolian beef, rather than the usual beef strips, to give it a lighter texture. The slight 'salting' of the Chinese cabbage adds character and complexity. Serve with a steaming hot rice and some sliced chillies on the side.
 Marinade
2T (30ml) shao hsing wine or sherry
1T (15ml) light soy sauce
1T (15ml) cornflour
1T (15ml) finely diced ginger
3 garlic cloves, finely diced
1/2 t (3ml) sesame oil
600g quality beef mince (ground beef)
5C finely shredded Chinese cabbage
2T (10ml) sea salt
1/4C (60ml) vegetable oil
2T (30ml) shao hsing or dry sherry
2T (30ml) hoisin sauce
1T (15ml) oyster sauce
1T (5ml) malt vinegar
1/2 t (3ml) sesame oil
1 small carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 medium-size red pepper, finely sliced
3/4C (180ml) finely sliced spring onions
Serve as a meal for 4 with steamed rice or as part of a banquet for 4-6.
Combine beef mince with marinade ingredients in a large bowl, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, place cabbage and salt in a large bowl, mixing together well with your hands to combine. Stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water and drain. Use your hands to squeeze out an excess liquid.
Heat 2T (30ml) of the oil in a wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add half the marinated beef and stir-fry for 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps with a wok or spoon. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add remaining oil to hot wok, stir in remaining beef and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Return reserved beef mixture to the wok with the wine or sherry, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
Toss in reserved cabbage, carrot and pepper and stir-fry for a further minute. Stir through spring onions, reserving just a little to garnish, and remove from heat. Spoon beef into a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining spring onions and serve. |
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