The Shun Lee Cookbook - Michael Tong [71]
Cooking Rice
White Rice: To cook white rice, bring ⅔ cup long-grain white rice, 1 ½ cups water, and ¼ teaspoon salt to a boil over high heat in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, about 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. For fried rice, cool the rice completely for at least 6 hours before using. Or cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Makes about 2 cups.
Brown Rice: To cook, combine 2 cups water, ¾ cup brown rice, and ½ teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed the water, about 45 minutes. If the water is gone before the rice is tender, add a little more boiling water (do not stir) and continue cooking. If the rice is tender but water remains in the saucepan, simply drain the rice. For fried rice, cool the cooked rice completely for at least 6 hours before using it. Or cover and refrigerate the rice for up to 2 days. Makes about 2 ½ cups.
THE COOKS OF FUJIAN PROVINCE are deft masters of cooking with seafood. In this recipe from Fuzhou, the province’s capital, scallops, shrimp, fish, mushrooms, and asparagus, all bound with a light sauce, are served over rice.
Makes 4 to 6 servings
Seafood Fried Rice
3 ounces scallops, cut horizontally into ¼-inch-thick pieces
3 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut in half lengthwise
3 ounces sea bass fillet, cut into pieces 1 ½ inches long, 1 inch wide, and ¼ inch thick
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 large egg white
½ teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
Vegetable oil, for passing through
¼ cup canned straw mushrooms, cut in half lengthwise
3 asparagus stalks, tough ends discarded, spears peeled and sliced diagonally into ½-inch-thick pieces
1 large plum tomato, skinned, seeded, and diced
2 large eggs
1 scallion, white and green parts separate, trimmed and minced
2 cups cooked white rice (see page 237), cooled completely or chilled
½ cup Chicken Stock (page 70) or canned chicken broth
1 teaspoon rice wine or dry sherry
Pinch of ground white pepper
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1. Combine the scallops, shrimp, and sea bass with the 1 tablespoon cornstarch, the egg white, and the pinch of the salt in a bowl. Mix until blended.
2. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come 1 inch up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 325°F. Add the scallops, shrimp, and sea bass, and stirring gently to keep the seafood from sticking together, cook for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and asparagus, and fry until the surface of the seafood turns white and the asparagus is crisp-tender, about 30 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the seafood, mushrooms, and asparagus to a colander to drain. Add the tomato to the colander. (The tomato will heat slightly from contact with the cooked ingredients.) Discard all but 4 tablespoons of the oil from the wok.
3. Beat the eggs in a small bowl. Return the wok with the oil to high heat, add the eggs, and scramble until they are quite firm and not runny, about 15 seconds. Add the white part of the scallion, the cooked rice, and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Stir-fry for 3 minutes. Add the scallion greens, and transfer to a serving platter. Clean and dry the wok.
4. Combine the stock, rice wine, and white pepper in a small bowl, and set it aside. Dissolve the remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water in another small bowl, and set it aside.
5. Return the wok to high heat. Add the stock mixture and bring to a boil. Add the seafood and vegetables and stir until heated through, about 1 minute. Add the cornstarch mixture and stir until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Add the sesame oil. Pour the ingredients over the rice, and serve immediately.
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