More cold dishes from The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop: “A Sichuan feast always begins with a teasing spread of cold dishes to arouse the senses and set the mood for the meal to come.” These three salads are all easy to make and delectable. Spicy steamed eggplant (aubergine) salad. For this salad, cut…… Continue reading three sichuan salads
Tag: chinese food
sichuan cold-dressed chicken
Fuchsia Dunlop fell in love with Sichuan cookery when she moved there in 1994. She attended the Sichuan Institute of Higher Cuisine in Chengdu and was the first westerner to train there as a chef. Her Sichuan cookbook Land of Plenty, which was published 20 years ago, was voted one of the greatest cookbooks of…… Continue reading sichuan cold-dressed chicken
eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce
I love Sichuan food. It’s so full of robust flavour without overpowering the ingredients. This recipe from Serious Eats has the perfect balance of salt, sweet, sour and spice. All the ingredients you might not recognise are readily available at Asian supermarkets. Cut 900g (2 lbs) of eggplants into chunks. Place them in a large…… Continue reading eggplant and tofu in garlic sauce
roast duck
Roasting a duck is not really as daunting as it seems. This Chinese-style roast duck is best cooked on a charcoal barbecue. Clean the duck, remove the wing tips and any lumps of fat from inside the cavity and pat it dry with paper towels. Rub salt over the entire duck (about 2 teaspoons) and…… Continue reading roast duck
red-cooked whole chicken + mushroom and kangkong stir-fry
This is a popular cooking method in China where it is used for all kinds of meats and hard-boiled eggs. Served either hot or cold, the remaining stock is reused as a master stock. Ingredients vary from cook to cook but usually include soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, rock sugar and whole spices such as star…… Continue reading red-cooked whole chicken + mushroom and kangkong stir-fry
christmas 2018
Only four of us this hot Christmas day, so we decided to have a Chinese hot-pot. Cooking everything at the table is the ultimate slow food but very satisfying and delicious! Our home-made stock was made with pork bones, chicken and ginger. Before serving we seasoned to taste with salt and added a black cardamom…… Continue reading christmas 2018
dumplings
New York’s second-largest Chinatown in Flushing, Queens, is worth a visit. It really feels like you’ve been transported to China. We headed for the Golden Shopping Mall, home of Xi’an Famous Foods, where we intended to try Xi’an noodles. But the call of dumplings was too strong and I have to say they were some of…… Continue reading dumplings
shiitake mushrooms
Shiitake mushrooms are used widely in Asian cuisines and considered to have many health benefits. They are widely available in their dried form but are a little harder to find fresh, although Asian stores are a good place to try. We decided to attempt to grow them. This a lengthy procedure with some inherent difficulties for…… Continue reading shiitake mushrooms
chilli oil
For those of you who love chilli, you’ll know that chilli oil is an important condiment at Chinese tables and a useful pantry staple. Made with facing heaven peppers, chilli oil is not very spicy (for a chilli oil) and has a nutty, toasty flavour enhanced by aromatics. To make this chilli oil you will need 110g (4oz)…… Continue reading chilli oil
steamed fish with spicy sauce
Here’s a spicy Sichuan-style sauce for any white fish. This recipe is for 700g (1½ lbs) of fish fillets. Make a slurry of 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and set aside. Finely chop ½ an onion and mince 1 clove of garlic. Finely chop a few shiitake mushrooms and ¼ of a…… Continue reading steamed fish with spicy sauce
michelle picker cooks 