Two Chinese Dishes in Progress
Over the last few weeks I've experimented with a couple of Chinese dishes. Although they didn't turn out QUITE as I had hoped, they were edible and, when I have some free time for experimenting, I'll work on improving my results.
The first dish came from the dim sum menu at most Chinese restaurants ... rice noodle rolls. They are far from being at the top of my 'must have' list. In fact, I used to call them 'slimy noodles' but they're one of my nephew's favourites and every once in a while, I used to steal one from 'his' plate trading a taro and mixed meat dumpling (wu gok or fried taro puffs) from 'my' plate. You can order shrimp, bbq chinese pork or beef versions and I started with my favourite shrimp and green onion version.
Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls - In the noodle on the far right I sprinkled the cooked shrimp and green onion over the noodle after it had barely set on the bottom, finished steaming and then rolled it up. However, I found that I wasn't able to add as much filling as I wanted to to the roll, so, for the rest of the noodles, I stirred the fillings into the rice noodle batter and ladled it into the pan for steaming.
Rice Noodles (Fun) - makes 4-5 noodles
1 cup rice flour
2 tbsp wheat starch (or cornstarch)
1 tsp tapioca starch (to give the noodles a little chew)
1 1/2 cup water (or use a 50/50 mixture of Chicken broth and water)
1/4 tsp salt (can omit if using broth)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix all the ingredients to form a slurry. Pour through a strainer if the mixture seems lumpy.
Use a steamer with a lid and an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex dish or a round pie pan. (You can also use disposable aluminum cake pans.) Lightly oil (with an oily paper towel or use Pam) the glass dish. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the pan so that it will spread evenly over the base of the pan. You may have to fiddle a bit with the batter so the excess spreads out and fills in any bare spots or corners.
Put the lid on and steam over boiling water for about 3 to 5 minutes, adding any fillings after about a minute, while the batter is still a bit loose, so that they'll stick.
Use a metal or plastic scraper to free one end of the noodle and then roll it to the other end.
Wipe off any noodle residue from the pan bottom, re-oil and repeat until you've used up all the batter.
You may need to replenish the water level in the bottom of your steamer after making each noodle or a couple of noodles. Use boiling water so that the steaming doesn't slow down.
Steamer set up - A large wok or saucepan with lid, a steamer basket or tray and a square or round 8" cake pan into which to pour your rice noodle batter for steaming.
Steamed rice noodle prior to being rolled - I overdid it with the fillings and they broke through the noodle. A bit more batter (I ran short for this last one) is needed for a perfect noodle though once rolled up, you can't tell. :)
Green Onion Pancakes - These fry breads are very filling though the generous use of lard (I reduced the original recipe from 1 tbsp per pancake to 1 tsp to help reduce the calories) and oil to fry them in mean that you'll indulge only on special occasions.
Green Onion/Scallion Pancakes - makes 6 6-inch pancakes
Adapted from "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines" by Jeff Smith.
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cold water
3 tbsp thinly sliced green onion tops
2 tbsp lard, room temperature
~6 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
Pour the boiling water over the flour mixture and mix well with a pair of chopsticks. Cover the bowl with a large plate and let sit for 3 minutes.
Pour the cold water over the flour-hot water mixture and knead together. Form the dough into a ball and cover with the overturned bowl. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to rest.
Roll the ball of dough into a long rope and divide into 6 equal portions.
With a rolling pin, roll out each portion of dough, one at a time, into an 8-9 inch circle and, using the flat of a butter knife, spread one tsp of lard over the dough.
Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of green onion tops over the dough and then roll tightly into a cylinder. You may want to even out the cylinder a bit with your hands so it's even, if it seems a bit lumpy. Coil the cylinder into a tight circle, flatten with the heel of your hand, then roll into a 6" circle with a rolling pin.
Rolling with green onions
Cylinder of dough - use the palm of your hands to even out the cylinder
Coil the cylinder into a tight circle, folding under the end. Flatten with your hand and then roll out.
Rolled out patty
Repeat with each portion of dough until you have 6 patties.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil at medium and fry each patty 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown, replenishing the oil as needed.
Cut each patty into 6 or 8 wedges and eat while still warm.
The first dish came from the dim sum menu at most Chinese restaurants ... rice noodle rolls. They are far from being at the top of my 'must have' list. In fact, I used to call them 'slimy noodles' but they're one of my nephew's favourites and every once in a while, I used to steal one from 'his' plate trading a taro and mixed meat dumpling (wu gok or fried taro puffs) from 'my' plate. You can order shrimp, bbq chinese pork or beef versions and I started with my favourite shrimp and green onion version.
Shrimp Rice Noodle Rolls - In the noodle on the far right I sprinkled the cooked shrimp and green onion over the noodle after it had barely set on the bottom, finished steaming and then rolled it up. However, I found that I wasn't able to add as much filling as I wanted to to the roll, so, for the rest of the noodles, I stirred the fillings into the rice noodle batter and ladled it into the pan for steaming.
Rice Noodles (Fun) - makes 4-5 noodles
1 cup rice flour
2 tbsp wheat starch (or cornstarch)
1 tsp tapioca starch (to give the noodles a little chew)
1 1/2 cup water (or use a 50/50 mixture of Chicken broth and water)
1/4 tsp salt (can omit if using broth)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Mix all the ingredients to form a slurry. Pour through a strainer if the mixture seems lumpy.
Use a steamer with a lid and an 8 x 8 inch Pyrex dish or a round pie pan. (You can also use disposable aluminum cake pans.) Lightly oil (with an oily paper towel or use Pam) the glass dish. Pour about 1/2 cup of batter into the pan so that it will spread evenly over the base of the pan. You may have to fiddle a bit with the batter so the excess spreads out and fills in any bare spots or corners.
Put the lid on and steam over boiling water for about 3 to 5 minutes, adding any fillings after about a minute, while the batter is still a bit loose, so that they'll stick.
Use a metal or plastic scraper to free one end of the noodle and then roll it to the other end.
Wipe off any noodle residue from the pan bottom, re-oil and repeat until you've used up all the batter.
You may need to replenish the water level in the bottom of your steamer after making each noodle or a couple of noodles. Use boiling water so that the steaming doesn't slow down.
Steamer set up - A large wok or saucepan with lid, a steamer basket or tray and a square or round 8" cake pan into which to pour your rice noodle batter for steaming.
Steamed rice noodle prior to being rolled - I overdid it with the fillings and they broke through the noodle. A bit more batter (I ran short for this last one) is needed for a perfect noodle though once rolled up, you can't tell. :)
Green Onion Pancakes - These fry breads are very filling though the generous use of lard (I reduced the original recipe from 1 tbsp per pancake to 1 tsp to help reduce the calories) and oil to fry them in mean that you'll indulge only on special occasions.
Green Onion/Scallion Pancakes - makes 6 6-inch pancakes
Adapted from "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines" by Jeff Smith.
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
1 cup boiling water
1/3 cup cold water
3 tbsp thinly sliced green onion tops
2 tbsp lard, room temperature
~6 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
In a large bowl, sift together the flour and salt.
Pour the boiling water over the flour mixture and mix well with a pair of chopsticks. Cover the bowl with a large plate and let sit for 3 minutes.
Pour the cold water over the flour-hot water mixture and knead together. Form the dough into a ball and cover with the overturned bowl. Let sit for 15-30 minutes to rest.
Roll the ball of dough into a long rope and divide into 6 equal portions.
With a rolling pin, roll out each portion of dough, one at a time, into an 8-9 inch circle and, using the flat of a butter knife, spread one tsp of lard over the dough.
Sprinkle 1/2 tbsp of green onion tops over the dough and then roll tightly into a cylinder. You may want to even out the cylinder a bit with your hands so it's even, if it seems a bit lumpy. Coil the cylinder into a tight circle, flatten with the heel of your hand, then roll into a 6" circle with a rolling pin.
Rolling with green onions
Cylinder of dough - use the palm of your hands to even out the cylinder
Coil the cylinder into a tight circle, folding under the end. Flatten with your hand and then roll out.
Rolled out patty
Repeat with each portion of dough until you have 6 patties.
In a large frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil at medium and fry each patty 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown, replenishing the oil as needed.
Cut each patty into 6 or 8 wedges and eat while still warm.