Tangerine Peel Chicken
Makes 4 servings
1 piece dried tangerine peel
2 tangerines
Marinade:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
Sauce:
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons lager beer, such as Tsing Tao
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 dried red chiles
One 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and julienned
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
In a small bowl, soak the dried tangerine peels in warm water to cover until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Cut into narrow strips and set aside.
Slice off the ends of the tangerines with a knife, hold the fruit with one cut side on the board, and slice downward from top to bottom to remove the peel in strips, working your way around the fruit. Cut deeply enough to remove the white pith. Now cut toward the center of the fruit on one side of the membrane. Slice the fruit segment while leaving the membranes intact. Cut away the white pith from half of the tangerine peels and cut the peels into long, narrow strips. Place the fruit and peels in 2 separate bowls and set aside.
To make the marinade, combine the cornstarch, soy sauce and wine in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the chicken and stir to coat evenly. Let stand for 10 minutes.
To make the sauce, combine the orange juice, beer, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and white pepper in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Place a stir-fry pan over high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the onion, chiles, and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink. Add the green onions and the dried and fresh tangerine peels; stir-fry until the green onions soften, about 1 minute. Add the sauce and bring to a boil. Add the tangerine segments and stir to coat it with the sauce. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until the sauce boils and thickens, about 30 seconds.
Transfer to a serving plate.
Red and Gold Fried Rice
This dish combines two of Canton's classics: tomato beef and fried rice. Tasty and fulfilling, this dish is also very quick and easy to make. It's a popular lunch order for many workers in busy Hong Kong. The dash of ketchup gives a nice tangy taste to silky scrambled eggs over rice.
Makes 4 servings
4 dried black mushrooms
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced ginger
4 ounces ground beef
3 cups cold cooked long-grain rice
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup sliced green onions
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon Rich Homemade Broth (page 49) or canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, lightly beaten
In a small bowl, soak the mushrooms in warm water to cover until softened, about 20 minutes; drain. Discard the stems and chop the caps.
Place a wok or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the oil, swirling to coat the sides. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beef and mushrooms and stir-fry until the meat is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Add the rice, separating the grains with the back of a spoon, and cook until the rice is heated through. Add the tomatoes, green onions, ketchup, broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and salt and stir to combine. Make a well in the center of the rice, add the eggs, and gently stir the eggs until they form soft curds, about 1 minute. Stir to mix the eggs into the rice.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve.
About Master Chef Martin Yan
The celebrated host of over 3,000 cooking shows, broadcast worldwide, Martin Yan enjoys distinction as a certified Master Chef, a highly respected food consultant, a cooking instructor and a prolific author. His diverse talents have found expression in 30 cookbooks, including the award-winning Martin Yan's Feast, Martin Yan's Asian Favorites, Chinese Cooking for Dummies, Martin Yan's Chinatown Cooking (intro by Julia Child), Martin Yan's Quick & Easy, and his latest, Martin Yan's China (a cookbook that documents his travels throughout the far reaches of China, and his culinary discoveries).
In Martin Yan's China, Chef Yan devotes half of the show to exploring China and everything it has to offer and the other half to the kitchen. Chef Yan visits Beijing, the home of Mandarin cuisine; Chongqing, home of Sichuan cuisine; Guangzhou, home of Cantonese cuisine; Shanghai, Xian and many more.
>> Buy his latest book on Amazon
For more information: http://www.yancancook.com
