Here is another Hot Chinese Recipe from Szechuan Province. This one uses a very hot chile paste, available at a Chinese grocery store made by Lee Kum Kee, Chile paste with garlic. It is incredibly hot, dont have any idea what kind of chiles they are using, but they are HOT! This dish also makes use of another Chinese cooking trick, the slippery marinade, comprised of sherry(or Chinese cooking wine),egg white, cornstarch and sesame oil, which is the reason that chicken pieces done at a good chinese restaurant taste the way they do. Have fun with this recipe, a wok is almost an essential, and they are so inexpensive at a Chinese market. Get a carbon steel one, and then season it thusly...first scrub with detergent and steel wool, then rinse well, put it in the oven to completely dry, then rub peanut oil all around it on the inside, then heat it over high heat, until it gets black..wipe it out when it cools, and re-oil..that's it, it will get blacker with time and use, and eventually be completely non stick.

Soak the dried mushrooms in very hot water for 30 minutes until soft. Remove and discard the stems, and shred the mushrooms. Chop the chicken into bite size pieces and set aside. Lightly beat the egg white, add the sherry, half the sugar and the cornstarch, mix well and add the chicken...place in the fridge, this can be done several hours before the cooking process, in fact it is better if you do. In a small bowl, combine the chile paste, water, soy sauce and the remaining sugar...set this aside.

Cooking: Heat a wok or large skillet over high, until a drop of water sizzles, maintain high heat throughout the cooking process. Add the peanut oil, and just before it starts to smoke, add the chicken pieces after giving them a stir in the marinade..stir fry for about a minute, until the chicken begins to brown slightly, and remove the chicken. Drain off all but about 2 tbls of oil, re-heat the wok, and add the bamboo shoots, mushrooms, carrots, and the habs, stir fry for about one minute, then add the chile paste mixture, stir fry this in and add the reserved cooked chicken, stir fry another minute, thicken with the cornstarch mixture, add about 1 tbls of sesame oil,stir around and serve...this will serve two with other Chinese dishes, rice or-and a vegetable dish...one of those tomorrow. Enjoy,Doug in BC

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Fri, 29 May 1998

Here is a very hot Chinese chicken dish, which I devised by combining two different recipes which I found in an old West China cookbook:

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Sun, 18 Oct 1998

Pit and chop plums to measure 10 cups. Combine the sugars, vinegar, mustard seed, five spice powder, chile peppers, salt the garlic and the ginger root in a non reactive(stainless)pan of pot. Bring this to a boil and then add the chopped up plums, return to a boil, and boil gently(rolling boil) stirring every once in awhile for between one and two hours, or until thick. Fill a boiing water canner with water, and place about 6 clean half-pint mason jars in the canner, and keep the heat high...ladle the sauce into a hot jar, leaving 1/4 inch head room and remove air bubbles with a hot knife or spatula along the sides and re-adjust the head space to 1/4 inch...wipe jar rim to remove any sticky stuff, and place a snap lid on the jar, apply the screw band until finger tight, and place the jar in the canner, repeating for all remaining jars...cover canner, return water to boil and process about 10 minutes at altitudes up to 1000 ft. Remove jars, and cool for about 24 hours, then check jar seals to make sure they all went down, and any that do not, use right away,and store in the fridge...those that seal, and they all should if you do it right, label, and store in a cool dark spot in your cupboard. In our opinion after the taste test tonight, it is as good(better)than the store bought stuff. We are gone for two weeks on vacation, starting towmorrow...Cheers, Doug in BC

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Mon, 07 Sep 1998

The day before, at least, cook one cup of rice, according to the directions I gave with the curried chicken recipe the other day. This should give you about four cups of left over or cold rice...it should be at least a day old!! IMPORTANT. Then proceed as follows:

METHOD:
Use a hot wok, or a large pan, wok preferred, heat to HOT, put a good dollop of peanut oil in the wok, add the garlic, ginger, half the green onions and stir fry for about two minutes, add the hot paste, and mix well, throw in all the vegetables, add the egg, and mix again stirring the egg into the veggies, then all at once add the rice, breaking up the clumps of rice as you stir fry and add in about two to three tablespoons of either the cooking wine or the fish sauce...add about 2-3 tbls of hot water, and continue to stir fry...this is all on hot to medium hot heat in a wok...turn heat down, add a little more water if dry, and cover for about two minutes...stir fry once more, and serve, garnished with the remaining green onions....notice: NO SOY sauce was added...use a light Soy sauce(kikkoman)(no affilliation) or the same at the table....before you take it outta the wok, check for seasoning...this is where I add more heat...Calvin's powder, or even cayenne, and check for salt, maybe even a little sugar...This is a terrific recipe, and you may add shrimps. chopped up cooked chicken, ham or whatever suits your taste buds, just before the last stir in the wok! I realize that this is a long recipe...try it anyway!

About WOKS Go to an oriental market, get one of their steel ones, scrub it WELL! Put it into an extemely hot oven for at least a half hour, let it cool in the oven, season it with peanut oil, heat it again on the stove(get a wok ring with it, that fits on either gas or electric), wipe it out and re season it with peanut oil...it will then be usable and will not stick! The Chinese used to season them in a fire, and use sand to clean them, scrubbing with the sand...Dont use soap on this wok after seasoning...hot hot water and a brush, then dry it well, then re heat it. I have one that I have used for 20 yars, it is black, and works better that teflon! Have fun Alda, and whomever else does this, Cheers, Doug in BC

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Tue, 26 May 1998

Hot and Sour soup originated in China a long time ago as a way of using upleftovers! It can be made as hot as you wish by the addition of as many habs as you want(or any other hot pepper):

Soak the black,dried mushrooms in boiling water for about half an hour then shred them, removing the tough stems first. Combine the pork with the cornstarch and the rice wine or sherry...Mix the remaining cornstarch with the little bit of water and set it aside, then cut each beancurd into one inch pieces...combine vinegar, pepper, chile paste and sesame oil in a bowl, and chop the green onions(scallions) Bring the chicken stock, salt and soy sauce to a boil in a non reactive pot...add the pork and cook for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms and the bean curd pieces and bring back to boil for another two minutes...add the cornstarch mix and thicken a little, lower heat and add the vinegar, taste for seasoning, and stir in the beaten egg, and add the green onions...That is it, serve it right away, with a bowl of steamed Thai rice! Just great, and if uyou ad a couple of chopped habs with the pork, to taste, it will be even better! Cheers, Doug in BC

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998

More green onions,chopped (scallions) for garnish, or coriander In a bowl,combine pork,soy sauce,sugar,and hot chile paste...cut each bean curd into equal sized pieces.

Heat wok over high heat until drop of water sizzles,add the peanut oil , ginger,garlic and salt,stir fry for about 30 seconds until it becomes pungent, add the pork mixture, stir fry for about a minute,add the chicken stock and cook for about five minutes. Put in the tofu pieces, and gently stir them in, being careful not to break them up.Cook for about another two to three minutes, then add the ground Szechuan pepper, scallions and the sesame oil...stir until a little thickened, and serve, adding more sesame oil if desired...garnish with more onions...serve with Thai rice, and a stir fried vegetable mix...use whatever takes your fancy for the veggies, I usually clean ou the fridge! Enjoy, and if required hotter, add Calvins or whatever hot that you wish, a couple of chopped seeded habs works very well, take my word for it! Cheers, Doug in BC. I have been doing this one for more years than I remember!!

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Mon, 22 Jun 1998

Here is my favourite hot weather Chinese dish...Lemon Chicken:

Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces, and arrange on a platter under the lettuce leaves...discard the hard centers of the black mushrooms, and shred them into matchstick pieces...squeezing most of the water out, and set them aside with the ginger and peppers. Heat a wok,or non reactive skillet to sizzle, add the oil and a dash of salt and then throw in the ginger, the mushrooms and the peppers. Stir fry this for about 1-2 minutes, and the lemon rind, stir this around and add the chicken stock, Chinese wine and the lemon juice..AT THIS POINT ADD AS MUCH SUGAR AS YOU THINK IT NEEDS but go easy!!This dish will be served cold so it will not need as much...try about 3 tbls of sugar and if you have a sweet tooth(or are not diabetic,like me)add more. Then add the dash of light soy sauce, and the cornstarch mixture and cook to thicken...let this cool completely, it can be done away ahead of time, and then pour it over the chicken on the lettuce bed...throw a good couple of squirts of sesame oil over all, and serve cold...this is just great with rice or noodles or even potato salad, and I have a good Chinese potato salad...would you call this cross dressing, Rael?

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998

Place all of above in a saucepan and heat to simmer, ensuring that the sugar disolves...chop 1 medium to small carrot into chinese roll cut and place in simmering mixture...cut half a green pepper into chunks and also place in saucepan...prepare 2 tbls cornstarch with 2 tbls water and have ready...when carrots are tender firm, add cornstarch mix, slowly, using only as much as required to thicken. Taste, and add salt, if required, then add a good shot of red food coloring, and one tsp of sesame oil, and stir it in. This makes a superb sweet and sour sauce with a little bite, ideal for any Chinese dish calling for sweet and sour, and the rice wine vinegar is a lot less vinegary than others Cheers, and enjoy it...Doug in BC

From: Doug Irvine
Posted By: Doug Irvine, dougandmarie@home.com
Post Date: Fri, 06 Nov 1998

Hot Wok Ingredients:

When buying lamb, purchase upper end of leg rather than shank. To reduce preparation time, ask butcher to remove bone and trim off all fat. Cut lamb into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Overlap slices and cut into matchstick pieces, about 1/4 inch wide. In small bowl, combine hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil and garlic. Mix thoroughly with lamb and marinate lamb at least 15 minutes, not longer than 8 hours, refrigerated. Cut green onions lengthwise into very thin slivers. Cut slivers into 1 1/2-inch lengths and refrigerate. Set aside bean sprouts. In small container, set aside cooking oil. In small bowl, combine Hot Wok Sauce ingredients and set aside. Place wok over highest heat. When wok becomes very hot, add cooking oil to center. Roll oil around wok and when oil gives off just a wisp of smoke, add lamb. Stir and toss lamb until it loses its raw exterior color, about 2 minutes. Immediately stir in green onions. Stir and toss green onions to evenly combine. Stir Hot Wok Sauce and then pour it into wok. Stir and toss until all ingredients are glazed with sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in bean sprouts and immediately transfer to heated platter or dinner plates and serve.

Serves 4

From: HOT WOK by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison, © 1995, used with permission of Ten Speed Press.
Posted By:The CompuCook website
Post Date: 12/03/97