Clear Steamed Carp (or sea bass)
Steaming is one of the simplest, healthiest and most popular ways of cooking fish. The carp is particularly good for dispersing heat in summer, but other river fish will do just as well. Being classified as neutral and sweet it naturally acts on the stomach and spleen, the organs associated with late summer.听 It is very easy to digest.听 The Yellow River听 produces the most delicious carp in all of China. Carp is not readily available in ordinary fish shops, but most fishmongers will order it overnight, or you can choose from a selection of live carp in Chinatown. The method can be applied to any white fish of a similar size and is particularly good for cooking sea bass. It is most important not to over-steam as the white flesh will become soggy. On the other hand to prevent under-cooking red hot oil can be poured over the filleted fish to drum the flavours into the flesh.
Serves 2 - 3
Ingredients
1 carp [approx 1 kilo]
2 tsp salt
2 spring onions
5 thin slices of ginger
2 tbs Shaoxing
1/2 tbs sugar
11/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
21/2 tbs light soy sauce
4 tbs veg oil
Bamboo shoots, red pepper, carrot and chilli to garnish
Preparation
Clean and scale the fish leaving the head. Pat dry. Rub inside and out with salt. Place the carp in a heat-proof dish. Split the spring onions and cut into 5cm pieces. Soak the mushrooms for 25 minutes. Remove the hard stems and slice the cap thinly. Arrange onion, ginger听 and mushrooms inside and around the carp. Mix the wine, sugar, salt and water and pour over the carp. Slice the garnishing vegetables finely.
Cooking
Place the dish in a steamer, cover and steam over a rolling boil for 15 - 20 minutes until the flesh has all turned white. Remove. Open the fish and remove the bone. Pour the soy over the length of the fish. Meanwhile heat the oil until it begins to smoke, turn the garnishing vegetables in the oil for a minute and then pour directly over the fish.
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Eight Treasure Pudding
This is the classic party pudding. We serve it at the New Year festival. Prepare well in advance as the un-steamed pudding will mature with age for up to four days in the refrigerator. Many of the dried fruits, like angelica have therapeutic qualities. The red bean paste is a tonic which nourishes the Heart. Being well steamed the pudding is also easy to digest. So you can also serve this for the old and sick as restorative food.
Ingredients
550g glutinous rice
4 tablespoons of oil
lard or butter for greasing the bowl
3 tbs sugar
420g sweet red bean paste
25g walnuts and/or ginko nuts
6 tbs candied and dried fruit in particular angelica, cherries, lychee, loquat and dates
Preparation
Wash the rice and place in a saucepan. Cover with 1 cm water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 30 minutes adding more water if it seems to be sticking. Add the oil and all the sugar, turn and stir until well mixed. Meanwhile soften the red bean paste by placing in a pan of hot water for 30 minutes. Grease the sides of a large heatproof basin or bowl heavily with the fat. Stick the nuts and candied or dried fruits in a pattern on the sides and bottom of the basin. Divide the rice into four portions and the bean paste into three portions. Place a layer of sweetened rice in the basin, then spread a thinner layer of sweet bean paste on top of the rice. Repeat the layers, finishing with a rice layer and packing the mixture down into the bowl. Cover the basin and refrigerate.
Cooking
When the pudding is needed place the whole basin into a covered steamer and steam steadily for at least one and a half hours in the manner in which you would cook Christmas pudding. Invert the basin on to a large round heated serving dish to turn out the pudding. Decorate with extra fruit.
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From 150 Recipes from the Teahouse
by Vivienne Lo and听Jenny Lo
published by Faber
ISBN 0571177972
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