1996 Valentine’s Dinner

Dim Sum

Chicken Shu-Mei

Ham Bow (Steamed Meat-Stuff Buns)

Skewered Beef

Sake

Green Tea

Mou Shu Pork

Galanga Soup

Wonton Soup

Silver-Wrapped Chicken

Coconut Barbecued Ribs

Crunchy Almond Chicken

Sweet Apple Egg Rolls

Cappuccino

Chicken Shu-Mei

• 1 lb ground chicken or turkey
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp MSG (optional)
• pinch of sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped green onion
• 1 egg white
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp chopped bamboo shoots or water chestnuts
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 pkg shu-mei skins or Gyoza skins

Mix all ingredients (except the skins) together. Place 3/4 Tbsp filling in the center of each wrapper and bring up the corners so that you have a little money bag. Leave the top open so that you can see some of the meat. Steam in an oiled bamboo steamer for 15 minutes over high heat.

Ham Bow (Steamed Meat-Stuff Buns)

Bread Dough:

• 2 pkg fast-rising yeast
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup milk, heated to lukewarm
• 4-1/4 cups bread flour

Filling:

• 1/2 lb Barbecued Pork Strips, chopped into medium small dice
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup minced Napa cabbage (Chinese celery cabbage)
• 1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• pinch salt
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

Barbecued Pork Strips:

• 2 lbs boneless pork butt, cut in long strips 2″ square
• 2 Tbsp Chinese chicken soup stock (or regular chicken stock with 1 tsp minced ginger)
• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp soybean condiment (mein see)
• 1 Tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
• 1-1/2 Tbsp honey
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• few drops red fool coloring

Bread Dough:

Sprinkle yeast over lukewarm water and then add the sugar. Allow to stand and then stir in the yeast. Add the warm milk. be careful that this is only lukewarm (about 90 degrees). Stir in the flour and knead until smooth. Place the dough on a plastic countertop and cover with a large metal bowl. Allow to rise until double in bulk, about an hour. Punch down the dough and allow to rise another 30 minutes.

Filling:

While dough is rising, prepare filling. Combine all ingredients in a wok (except dissolved cornstarch), and chow just until the mixture is hot. Thicken with cornstarch and allow filling to cool.

Construction: Punch the dough down and knead for 1 minute. Roll the dough into a snake about 1 foot long and divide into 24 pieces. Roll each into a ball and then roll out into a 4″ circle.

Fill each bun as you roll it. Place a heating teaspoon of filling in the center of the dough circle. With your fingers, gather the sides of the dough up around the filling in loose folds, meeting at the top. Pinch the dough together so it will hold. Place the filled bun upside down on a 2″ square of waxed paper and place in a bamboo steamer. When all the buns are finished cover the steamer and allow the dough to rise until not quite double in size. In about 30 minutes the dough should spring back slowly when pushed gently with your fingers. Steam them for 15 minutes. Serve with a bit of Chinese mustard.

Barbecued Pork Strips

To make marinade, combine all ingredients except pork. Marinate the pork for 3 hours, unrefrigerated, or 6 hours in the refrigerator. Turn the strips every hour or so.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place a large cake pan half filled with water on the lowest shelf of your oven. This will catch drips from the meat and prevent smoking. Place the meat strips directly on an oven rack and put in the top position of the oven. Be sure that all of the meat is over the dripping pan. Roast for 45 minutes without disturbing the meat. Then turn the heat up to 450 F and roast an additional 15 minutes, or until the pork strips are crisp and a rich brown color. Slice the meat and serve it hot or cold.

Variation: Set up a grill for indirect heat. Place the strips directly on the grill rack (oil it first to avoid sticking) and grill over the lowest heat for 45 minutes.

Skewered Beef

• 1 lb flank steak
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 medium onion

Cut the beef across the grin into 1/8″ strips. Toss beef with all ingredients except onion. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Cut onion into 1″ pieces.

Thread 1 onion piece, 1 beef strip, and 1 onion piece on each of 30x 6″ skewers. Set oven control to broil. Broil with tops 4″ from heat, turning once, until done – about 6 minutes.

Mou Shu Pork

• Mandarin Pancakes (or small flour soft taco shells)
• 1 lb boneless pork loins
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 6 large dried mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 8 oz bamboo shoots, drained & cut into 1/4″ strips
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 2 green onions (with tops), cut diagonally into 1/4″ pieces

Cut pork into 1/8″ x 2″ slices. Stack slices and cut lengthwise into strips. Mix 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 tsp cornstarch in glass bowl; stir in pork. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Soak mushrooms in warm water until soft, about 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms; remove and discard stems. Cut caps into thin slices. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a 10″ skillet or wok until hot. Mix eggs and salt. Cook eggs until firm, turning once. Remove eggs; cut into thin strips.

Heat 2 Tbsp oil in skillet until hot. Cook and stir pork until no longer pink. Add mushrooms, bamboo shoots, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, garlic, & sugar. Heat to boiling. Mix 1 Tbsp water and 1 tsp cornstarch; stir into pork mixture. Cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Add egg strips and green onion; cook and stir 30 seconds.

Pour pork filling into serving bowl; arrange hot pancakes on platter. To serve, unfold pancake and spoon 1/4 cup filling down center. Roll up; fold one end over to contain filling.

Galanga Soup

This was a powder Greg purchased in an Oriental market. We never found it again.

Silver-Wrapped Chicken

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1/4 cup Chinese bean sauce
• 1/4 cup minced green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbsp dry sherry
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp five-spice powder
• 12 chicken thighs, each split crosswise into 2 pieces (or 12 boneless breast halves, cut in half)
• 24x 9″ foil squares
• vegetable oil for deep frying

Combine first 12 ingredients in a large bowl and stir to blend. Add chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight, stirring occasionally.

Place one foil square on work surface with one corner pointing toward edge. Place one chicken piece in center of foil. Drizzle with 1 tsp marinade. Fold bottom corner over chicken. Fold sides in. Lift section of foil containing chicken and fold upward, leaving top corner of foil exposed. Fold top corner into flap. Repeat with remaining chicken and foil. Discard remaining marinade.

Pour oil into heavy large Dutch oven to depth of 6″. Heat to 350 F. Working in batches, carefully add chicken packages (oil will bubble vigorously) and fry until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes per batch. Using tongs, transfer packages to paper towels and drain.

Arrange packages on platter and serve warm.

Variation: Instead of deep frying the packages, place on the top rack of a grill and grill over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes.

Wonton Soup

• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 green onion (with top), chopped
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 24 wonton skins
• 5 cups water
• 3 cans (10-3/4 oz each) condensed chicken broth
• 3 soup cans water
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 cup spinach, turn into small pieces (or 1 cup watercress)

Cook and stir pork and green onion until pork is brown; drain. Add 2 tsp soy sauce, cornstarch, ginger, & salt. Place 1 tsp filling on center of each wonton skin. Moisten edges with water. Fold each skin in half to form a triangle; press edges to seal. Pull bottom corners of triangle down and overlap slightly. Moisten one corner with water; pinch to seal. Wontons can be covered and refrigerated no longer than 24 hours.

Heat 5 cups water to boiling; add wontons. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 2 minutes – wontons will break apart if overcooked. Drain.

Heat chicken broth, 3 cans water, & 1 Tbsp soy sauce to boiling in 3 quart saucepan; add spinach. Heat just to boiling. Place 3 wontons and 1 cup hot broth in each soup bowl.

Coconut Barbecued Ribs

• 4 lbs baby back pork ribs, cut into individual ribs (or use boneless riblets)
• 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 cup packaged light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped shallots (packed)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
• 2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
• 1 tsp salt

Rinse ribs and pat dry. Steam ribs in a bamboo (or other) steamer for 20 minutes, or until tender. Remove ribs from steamer and cool.

Combine coconut milk, cilantro, brown sugar, shallots, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and salt in a food processor and process until almost smooth. Transfer to a 2″ x 10″ x 15″ glass baking dish. Add ribs and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Remove ribs from marinade; reserve marinade. Grill or broil ribs until golden brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Transfer marinade to small, heavy saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Serve ribs with marinade.

Crunchy Almond Chicken

• 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 thin slice ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2-1/2 to 3 lb broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

Place almonds, garlic, & ginger in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until finely ground. Mix almond mixture, salt, paprika, cumin, & pepper. Dip chicken into margarine; roll in almond mixture. Place chicken, skin side up, in an ungreased baking pan (2″ x 9″ x 13″). Bake uncovered in 375 F oven until thickest pieces are done, 55 to 60 minutes.

Variation: Substitute 1-1/2 to 2 lbs of boneless chicken breast for whole chicken. Reduce baking time to 20 minutes.