The Everything Chinese Cookbook (25 page)

1 cup long grain rice

7 cups water

1 cup chicken stock or broth

Rinse the rice and drain. In a large saucepan, bring the rice, water, and chicken broth to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 1½ hours.

Versatile Congee

Congee does double duty as a nutritious meal and a beverage replacement. Just as the Chinese frequently serve a thin soup instead of a beverage at the main meal, a bowl of creamy congee takes the place of a beverage at the breakfast table.

3 cups cold fried rice

6 cups chicken broth or water

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Make sure the fried rice is at room temperature.
   
2. Bring the broth or water to a boil. Add the fried rice. Bring the broth back up to a boil. Add the salt and pepper. Serve hot.
   

½ pound beef

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1 cup long grain rice

6 cups water

2 cups chicken broth

2 green onions

2 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

2 slices ginger, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

½ teaspoon sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the beef into thin slices. Marinate with the oyster sauce for 30 minutes.
   
2. Bring the rice, water, and chicken broth to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
   
3. Cut the green onions into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal.
   
4. Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the beef and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and drain on paper towels.
   
5. Add the ginger, garlic, and beef to the congee. Stir in the dark soy sauce and rice wine. Continue simmering for another 30 minutes, or until the congee has a creamy texture. Stir in the green onions. Drizzle with the sesame oil. Add salt to taste.
   

Congee — More Than a Chinese Porridge

At its simplest, congee consists of rice cooked in water until it has a creamy texture. However, it would be a mistake to view congee as merely the Chinese version of porridge. Congee can be savory or sweet; a bland, watery “soup” for a sick patient, or a hearty meal swimming in a richly seasoned broth. It all depends on the length of cooking time and which ingredients are added to the basic rice and water mix. Congee is frequently accompanied by Chinese crullers: thick, deep-fried strips of dough approximately twelve inches in length.

4 Chinese sausages

1 cup baby carrots

4 dried mushrooms

2 green onions

¾ cup beef broth

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

3 tablespoons oil for stir-frying

1 teaspoon minced shallot

3 cups cooked long grain rice

1. Cut the Chinese sausage into bite-sized pieces.
   
2. Blanch the baby carrots by plunging briefly into boiling water. Cut in half. Soak the dried mushrooms in hot water for at least 20 minutes to soften. Cut into thin slices. Cut the green onions on the diagonal into ½ -inch pieces.
   
3. Combine the beef broth, hoisin sauce, and sugar; set aside.
   
4. Add 2 tablespoons oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the sausages. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes, and remove from the wok.
   
5. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the wok. When oil is hot, add the shallot and stir-fry briefly until aromatic. Add the carrots, stir-fry for about 1 minute, and add the mushrooms. Make a well in the middle of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil. Mix in the cooked rice. Add the sausages back to the wok. Stir in the green onions. Mix everything through and serve hot.
   

¼ pound rice stick noodles

¼ cup dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon Hot Chili Oil (page 23)

¼ teaspoon Szechwan Salt and Pepper Mix (page 20)

¼ teaspoon chili paste

1 teaspoon black rice vinegar

½ cup water

1½ tablespoons oil for stir-frying

¼ cup chopped onion

1. Soak the rice stick noodles in hot water for 15 minutes or until they are softened. Drain thoroughly.
   
2. Combine the dark soy sauce, sugar, Hot Chili Oil, Szechwan Salt and Pepper Mix, chili paste, black rice vinegar, and water; set aside.
   
3. Add oil to a preheated wok or skillet. When oil is hot, add the chopped onion. Stir-fry until it is soft and translucent.
   
4. Add the rice noodles and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Add the sauce in the middle of the wok. Mix in with the noodles and stir-fry until the noodles have absorbed all the sauce.
   

How to Make Toasted Szechwan Peppercorns