The Shun Lee Cookbook - Michael Tong [2]
The important thing to remember is that all cooking is a learning experience. Even professional cooks learn something new each day, improvising and experimenting as they create meals. If you are new to Chinese cooking, take plenty of time to prepare the ingredients before you start the actual cooking, enjoying the slicing and measuring and tasting. Don’t try to cook an entire menu of Chinese dishes, when just one item and an easy side dish will suffice. As you build up your skills, work your way up to serving a meal in the true Chinese fashion, with many courses of dishes cooked in various methods, from fried to braised.
When people come to Shun Lee Palace or Shun Lee West, they have a distinctive dining experience, with a standard of excellent food that they cannot get anyplace else. There’s no reason why cooks shouldn’t be able to re-create this same level of dining at home. Shun lee means “smooth sailing” With this book by your side, you will be able to make the Chinese food you love with this same relaxed and confident attitude.
The Chinese Pantry
AMERICANS COOK WITH INGREDIENTS from all over the globe, so our supermarkets are now international in scope. Your market may even have specific sections for Japanese, Mexican, and Chinese ingredients.
When I think back to the limited range of Chinese groceries that were available when I came to the United States in the 1960s, the comparison with what can now be found at nearly every supermarket is amazing. Condiments like oyster sauce, black bean sauce, and of course soy sauce are easy to find today; sesame oil, hot chili paste, and five-spice powder are also commonplace. The produce section will usually have Asian vegetables like baby bok choy and napa cabbage, as well as wrappers for wontons and spring rolls. Big squares of tofu are available in firm, soft, and silken versions, packed in vacuum-sealed plastic boxes.
That being said, in order to re-create the rich, complex flavors of authentic Chinese cooking, you may have to search out an Asian grocery in your area, or an online purveyor, for some of the more esoteric ingredients. As the number of Asian immigrants has increased during the past few decades, so has the need for Asian groceries. You may be surprised to find a local Asian grocer nearby, and even more surprised at the range of ingredients for sale. This is where you will find red rice, preserved vegetable, and salted duck eggs, among other treasures.
In some cases substitutions are possible, and I have suggested them where appropriate. But cooking with unusual ingredients is fun, and I encourage you to go on an Asian grocery shopping spree. Many of these items will keep indefinitely, so stock up. If your pantry is well supplied with Chinese ingredients, you can cook Chinese dishes without having to run out for one specific key ingredient, such as hot bean paste.
When shopping for Chinese ingredients, know that because of translation and spelling problems, the labeling can be somewhat creative. Sometimes a paste is called a sauce, or vice versa, or the spelling is different from what you expect. For example, Fen Zheng Rou Seasoning is the same product as Ruey Fah Steam Powder. When in doubt, read the ingredients list on the label to double-check; some packages have helpful pictures to guide you.
Over the years, I have developed preferences for certain brands of condiments, just as some people prefer a specific mustard or ketchup. I include my recommendations here. This is not, by far, a complete list of Chinese ingredients. Use it as a glossary for the ingredients included in these recipes.
Produce
BABY BOK CHOY. The typical large bok choy is a Chinese favorite, but it can be bland and watery when cooked. Baby bok choy, however, which can be found at Asian groceries, farmers’ markets, natural food stores, and some supermarkets,