Red Snapper and Scallops in Lemongrass Coconut Cur

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Serves 6

Ingredients:
2 lbs red snapper fillets, cubed (could substitute cod or salmon if desired)
1 lb scallops
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
2 stalks lemongrass, lightly pounded
1/2 cup tamarind water (see below)
4 tablespoons lime juice

Tamarind Water:
3 tablespoons dried tamarind pulp
1/2 cup hot water

Spice Paste:
4 dried chilis (or fresh if available), chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic
4 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon shrimp paste (Thai is best)
Marinade:
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoons curry powder (Vietnamese is best)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce

Brown sugar to taste

Oil for stir-frying

Directions:
To prepare tamarind water: Place the tamarind in a bowl and pour the hot water over. Soak the tamarind for approximately 20 minutes. Stir the tamarind occasionally to remove any lumps.
While the tamarind is soaking, prepare the fish and the spice paste. To prepare the fish: Combine the marinade ingredients and marinate both the red snapper and the scallops for about 15 minutes.
To prepare spice paste: Use a food processor to grind all the ingredients together until smooth (you may need to add a small amount of liquid).
When the tamarind pulp is soft, strain it through a fine sieve, pressing on the pulp. Keep the liquid, discarding the pulp.
Heat wok and add oil. When oil is ready, add the spice paste, cooking it for about 30 seconds to soften. Add 1/2 cup of the coconut milk and the 2 lemongrass stalks and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lemon grass (it is there only to flavor the sauce).
Add the marinated fish, lime juice, tamarind water and stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a bit of brown sugar if desired, and/or more curry powder. Simmer for another 5 minutes - if desired add water to thin the sauce.

(The spice paste and the sauce for this dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated)

Twice Cooked Pork (Hui Guo Rou)

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Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
1/2 lb pork
1 leek
1 small green pepper (choose jalapeno pepper for better taste)
1 small red pepper
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Cook pork in boiling water for twenty minutes.
While pork is boiling, prepare vegetables. Remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper, and cut the leek, and green and red peppers into chunks.
When pork has finished boiling, remove and let cool. Cut the pork into thin matchbox slices.
Add the salt to the pork pieces with your fingers. Stir and mix to make sure the meat is coated.
Heat wok. When hot, add cooking oil.
Stir-fry vegetables, adding, one at a time, leeks, green peppers, and red peppers. Stir-fry, taking care not to overcook (until mushy).
Add the chili paste and soy sauce, followed by the pork slices. Blend and cook together for 1 -2 minutes. Serve hot.

Szechuan Style Squid

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Serves 6
Ingredients:

500 g/1 lb squid
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
1 red capsicum
4 spring onions (scallions)
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 tablespoon bottled chilli radish
6 tablespoons chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon oriental sesame oil

2 - 4 cups peanut oil for deep-frying
1 tablespoon peanut oil for stir-frying

Prepare squid, scoring the flesh and cutting into pieces. Season with salt, pour over the egg white, oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the cornflour and mix well.
Cover and chill for about 30 minutes. Cut capsicum and spring onions into bite-sized strips.
Heat peanut oil and when moderately hot drop in the squid, stirring to keep pieces separate. In less than a minute they will curl and become white. Either scoop out the squid with a large wire spoon, or pour contents of wok through a metal strainer over a metal bowl.
Return wok to heat and in the film of oil that remains stir fry garlic, ginger, capsicum and spring onions for 1 minute.
Add chilli radish and toss, then add stock and bring to the boil. Thicken with remaining cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water.
Stir in squid and sesame oil, toss well and serve immediately with steamed rice

Szechuan Pepper Oil

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Szechuan Pepper Oil

Ingredients:
1/2 cup sesame oil
1/2 cup peanut oil
2 - 3 red chili peppers

Directions:
Heat oil in wok until moderately hot. Add chili peppers and cook over medium or low heat until the oil becomes red.
Cool and store in covered jar in the refrigerator.

Note: Use as seasoning or dip.

Stir Fried Pork String with Hot Sauce

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10 ounces pork tenderloin
6 water chestnuts
2 tablespoons dried wood ears
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon garlic

Marinade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water

Seasoning Sauce
1 tablespoon green onion, shredded
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon hot bean paste
1/2 tablespoon rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Oil for stir-frying

Directions
Shred the pork: cut the pork into thin slices, then stack them up one on top of the other, and cut across into shreds.
Add the marinade ingredients to the pork and marinate for 15 - 20 minutes. While the pork is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Soak the wood ear in warm water for 15 minutes and cut off the stems. Peel the water chestnuts and cut into thin slices. Chop the garlic and ginger.
Mix together the sauce ingredients.
Heat the wok and add 2 tablespoons oil. When oil is ready, add the shredded pork and stir-fry quickly until done. Remove and set aside.
Clean out the wok and add more oil. When the oil is ready, stir-fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the wood ears, water chestnuts, and the shredded pork, and mix together.
Give the sauce a quick re-stir. Add the sauce and let it come to a boil. Serve hot.

Spicy Eggplant

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound eggplant (Chinese preferred)
4 tablespoons oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger, minced
2 scallions, chopped fine
4 ounces ground pork
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons chili paste with garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup chicken stock

Directions:
Slice eggplant diagonally into 1-inch slices.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in wok until very hot. Stir-fry eggplant about 5 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok. Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and half the scallions on low heat until aroma comes, about 30 seconds. Add pork.
Turn to high heat. Stir-fry until meat changes color. Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and chili paste with garlic. Stir-fry 30 seconds.
Pour eggplant into meat mixture. Add remaining scallions and stock. Cook and stir about 3 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.

(May be prepared in advance. May be frozen. Reheat before serving.)

Spicy Cucumbers

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Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 pound small cucumbers for pickling
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
10 slices ginger, finely shredded
1 red pepper, finely shredded
1/2 cup sesame oil
4 whole dried red chili peppers
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce

Directions:
Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise. Sprinkle with salt and sugar. Stir lightly. Set aside 20 minutes.
Rinse cucumbers in cold water. Drain. Squeeze out liquid.
Arrange cucumbers in a shallow Pyrex dish. Spread ginger and red pepper on top.
Heat sesame oil in wok. Stir-fry red chili peppers until dark. Add peppercorns. Pour this mixture over cucumbers.
Mix vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Pour this sauce over cucumbers. Marinate overnight. Serve cold.

(May be prepared in advance. Do not freeze.)

Tea Smoked Duck

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Serves 4 to 6

1 - 5 pound duck
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns
Aluminum foil
1/2 cup black tea leaves
1/2 cup rice (uncooked)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Peppercorn salt
4 cups oil for deep-frying

Directions:

Clean and wash duck. Dry thoroughly with a paper towel. Rub inside and outside with salt. Sprinkle with peppercorns.

Wrap duck in aluminum foil and place a heavy weight on top. Refrigerate overnight.

Remove foil and place duck on steamer tray. Cover and steam over boiling water 1 1/2 hours. .

Line large wok and wok lid with aluminum foil. Place tea leaves, rice, and brown sugar on foil.

Put a rack above the mixture or place 4 chopsticks crosswise approximately 1 inch above it..

Place duck on rack, breast side up. Cover wok and seal tightly to prevent smoke from escaping.

Turn on high heat. Roast tea mixture until it smokes.

Smoke duck 10 minutes on high heat. Reduce heat to moderate. Smoke another 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Leave duck in wok 20 minutes more.

Remove duck. Cool thoroughly. Rub with soy sauce. Sprinkle evenly with cornstarch.

Heat oil in wok and deep-fry duck 10 minutes (5 minutes each side). Remove. Drain on paper towel.

Chop into bite-sized pieces. Serve hot with peppercorn salt and buns.

May be prepared in advance or frozen after step 10. Thaw and refry before serving.

Sichuan Chile Sauce

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Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
6 fresh red chiles, such as jalapeños, seeds and stems removed, finely chopped
1/4 cup Chinese red rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 tablespoons Chinese yellow rice wine
2 teaspoons salt
Water as needed

Directions
Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the onion and stir-fry for another minute.
Add the chiles and the vinegar and simmer for 10 minutes, adding water if it gets too dry.
Add the remaining ingredients except the water and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process to a fine puree, adding water as necessary to achieve the desired consistency.
Place the sauce in bottles and refrigerate.

Yield: About 1 1/4 cups

Sauteed Prawns with Tomato Sauce

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Ingredients:

1 pound prawns

I)
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

(If desired, other vegetables you could add include red pepper, onions, and carrots).

3 tablespoons oil

II)
1 tablespoon hot bean sauce
1 tablespoon cooking wine (sherry)
4 tablespoons catsup

III)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Mixture:
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:
Wash and devein prawns. Prepare water/cornstarch mixture.
Heat wok. When hot, add three tablespoons oil.
If adding onions, red peppers, and carrrots, add them now, stirring while you add them. Stir-fry vegetables for about one minute, then push them up to the side of the wok and add the prawns. Mix well.
When prawns have turned pink (very quick), add ginger and garlic, and then the hot bean paste, cooking wine and catsup, stirring all the while.
Add the salt and sugar. Give the water/cornstarch mixture a quick restir, and pour it in. Stir. If you like, you can a bit of chicken broth at this point to season.