the Soycialist

Tag: #cantonese

chinese cuisines

  • Garlic Vermicelli Shrimp 蒜蓉粉丝虾

    Garlic Vermicelli Shrimp 蒜蓉粉丝虾

    TOTAL TIME: 25 minutes

    YIELD: 2 servings

    CALORIES: 320 kcal per serving

    SPICINESS:

    A Cantonese favorite often served at family banquets and holiday feasts. Tender shrimp are steamed over vermicelli that soaks up all the garlicky, savory juices, creating a dish that’s aromatic, flavorful, and irresistibly satisfying.

    INGREDIENTS 备菜

    Item 配菜Amount 用量
    Shrimp 虾8 pieces
    Vermicelli 粉丝1 bundle
    Garlic 蒜2 heads
    Bird’s Eye Chilies 小米辣1 – 3
    Oyster Sauce 蚝油1 tbsp
    Light Soysauce 生抽2 tbsp
    Sugar 糖1 teaspoon
    Salt 盐1 teaspoon
    Cooking Oil 食用油45 g
    1. Recommend buying head-on shrimp from Costco, which is much fresher than the pre-packaged ones at regular supermarkets. The shrimp heads can also be used to make shrimp oil. Whole Foods usually doesn’t carry head-on shrimp.
    2. Remove the heads and shells of the shrimp, leaving only the last segment of the tail shell.
    3. Cut the chili and garlic into smaller pieces to make them easier to blend in a food processor.
    4. You can use the oyster sauce and light soy sauce shown in the picture as a reference for purchase.
    1. 虾推荐购买 Costco 的带头虾，比一般超市盒装的要新鲜很多，虾头还能用来煸虾油。Whole Foods 通常没有带头虾。
    2. 虾去头去壳，仅保留尾部最后一节虾壳。
    3. 将辣椒和蒜稍微切小一些，方便料理机打碎。
    4. 蚝油和生抽可以参考图片中的品牌购买。

    INSTRUCTIONS 做法

    1. Soak the vermicelli in warm water until softened; once ready, the noodles will turn from translucent to milky white with a springy texture. 粉丝用温水泡软，泡开后的粉丝由透明变成乳白色，并带有弹性。

    2. Devein the shrimp. 去除虾线。

    3. Make a slit along the back of each shrimp, cut a small hole in the middle, and thread the tail through to create a decorative shape. 在虾背部划一刀，在中间切一个小口，将虾尾从小口穿过，做出造型。

    4. Blend bird’s eye chili and garlic into a fine paste using a food processor. 小米辣与大蒜用料理机打碎成末。

    5. Heat oil until hot, then pour it over the mixture. 热油淋入蒜蓉末。

    6. Add 2 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and a pinch of salt. Mix well to make the garlic sauce. 加入2勺生抽、1勺蚝油、1茶勺白糖和少许盐，搅拌均匀，制成蒜蓉酱。

    7. Wrap softened vermicelli around your fingers into small bundles and arrange neatly on a plate. 将泡好的粉丝在手指上绕几圈，整齐放入盘中。

    8. Place the shrimp on top of the vermicelli and spread the garlic sauce evenly over the shrimp. Any extra sauce can be refrigerated for later use. 把处理好的虾依次放在粉丝上，并将蒜蓉酱均匀铺在虾身上。剩余的蒜蓉酱可冷藏保存备用。

    9. Bring water to a boil in a steamer, steam the dish over high heat for 10 minutes, and serve hot. 水开后放入蒸锅，大火蒸10分钟即可出锅。

    Voila! Bon appétit!

    Tips:

    • The leftover garlic sauce can also be used to steam scallops for an equally delicious result, or served as a dipping sauce for grilled oysters. 剩余的蒜蓉酱还可以用来蒸扇贝，同样鲜美；或者当作烤生蚝的蘸料，也很好吃。
  • Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce 干蒸豉汁排骨

    Steamed Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce 干蒸豉汁排骨

    TOTAL TIME: 45 minutes

    YIELD: 2 servings

    CALORIES: 600 kcal per serving

    SPICINESS: Not Spicy

    A common dim sum favorite made with bite-sized pork ribs marinated in a savory black bean sauce. The ribs are seasoned with black fermented soybeans, garlic, and a touch of soy sauce, then steamed until tender and juicy. The result is a fragrant, flavorful dish with a rich umami taste and a hint of sweetness, perfect for enjoying with steamed rice or as part of a dim sum spread.

    INGREDIENTS 备菜

    Item 配菜Amount 用量
    Pork Ribs 猪肋排500 g
    Scallions 葱15 g
    Garlic 蒜25 g (3 cloves)
    Ginger 姜8 g (3 slices)
    Fermented Soybeans 豆豉15 g
    Oyster Sauce 蚝油15 g
    Sesame Oil 芝麻油10 g
    Red Fermented Bean Curd 红腐乳10 g
    Light Soy Sauce 生抽15 g
    Sugar 白糖10 g
    White Pepper 白胡椒粉0.2 g
    Chicken Bouillon Powder 鸡精5 g
    Potato Starch 土豆淀粉30 g
    1. For the ribs, choose small pork spare ribs. I bought mine from Whole Foods and asked the staff to cut them into small pieces.
    2. Slice three pieces of ginger into thin strips. Crush 5 cloves of garlic, then mince them. Take one scallion, separate the white and green parts, and chop both. Combine the chopped scallion whites with the minced garlic and ginger, and set the scallion greens aside in a small bowl for later use (refer the 2nd picture).
    3. Dried fermented soybeans (douchi) can be found in most Asian supermarkets or online grocery shop e.g. Weee! or Walmart. Choose ones without visible salt crystals. Finely chop them with a knife and mix with the scallion–ginger–garlic mixture.
    4. For oyster sauce, light soy sauce, and chicken bouillon powder, Lee Kum Kee is a good brand choice.
    5. For red fermented bean curd, Wangzhihe is recommended. All of these seasonings are easy to find in Asian supermarkets.
    1. 排骨建议选用小肋排，我是在 Whole Foods 购买的，可以请工作人员帮忙剁成小块。
    2. 姜切三片，切成细丝；大蒜 5 粒，拍扁后切成末；一根小葱，葱白与葱绿分开，分别切成葱花。将葱白与蒜末、姜丝混合，葱绿单独放在一个小碗备用。
    3. 干豆豉一般在亚洲超市都能买到，一定要选择表面没有盐粒的。用菜刀切碎，与葱姜蒜混合。
    4. 蚝油，生抽和鸡精都可以选李锦记的
    5. 红腐乳可选王致和的，这些调料在亚洲超市也很容易找到。

    INSTRUCTIONS 做法

    1. Soak the pork ribs in clean water, ensuring they are fully submerged, for at least 30 minutes to remove blood and any gamey odor. 将排骨放入清水中浸泡，水量需没过排骨，浸泡至少 30 分钟以去除血水和腥味。

    2. Drain the water, rinse the ribs twice, and pat completely dry with paper towels. 浸泡后倒掉血水，用清水冲洗两遍，并用厨房纸彻底吸干水分。

    3. In a small pot, heat about 5 tablespoons of cooking oil over high heat until it smokes. Pour the hot oil over the scallions, ginger, garlic, and fermented black beans, then stir quickly to combine. 小锅中倒入约 5 汤匙食用油，大火加热至冒烟后，趁热浇入葱、姜、蒜和豆豉中，快速搅拌均匀。

    4. Add 10 g sugar (about 1 tablespoon), a pinch of white pepper, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, 1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce, 2/3 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 tablespoon red fermented bean curd juice. If you don’t have the bean curd juice, add a little salt for seasoning; if you dislike its flavor, simply omit it. 加入白糖 10 克（约 1 勺）、白胡椒粉（少许）、鸡精（约 1 茶匙）、生抽（约 1.5 勺）、蚝油（约 2/3 勺）、红腐乳汁（约 1 勺）。如没有红腐乳汁，可加少许盐调味；不喜欢红腐乳的可省略。

    5.Pour the sauce mixture over the ribs, toss by hand until evenly coated, then stir clockwise until all the sauce is absorbed (no oil left at the bottom) and the ribs feel slightly sticky to the touch. 将调好的料汁倒入排骨中，用手抓匀，再顺时针搅拌至料汁完全被吸收（盆底无多余油分），排骨表面略有粘感。

    6. Add about 3 tablespoons potato starch and mix to coat, creating a thin layer that locks in moisture. Once evenly coated, add about 1 tablespoon sesame oil, mix again, and marinate for 15 minutes. 加入土豆淀粉（约 3 勺）抓匀，使其在排骨表面形成一层浆锁住水分。拌匀后加入芝麻香油（约 1 勺），再次抓匀，腌制 15 分钟。

    7.Arrange the ribs evenly on a plate. Add a small amount of hot water to the baking tray, then bake on the upper rack at 230°C (450°F) for 15–17 minutes. 将排骨平铺在盘中，烤盘加少许热水，以 230°C（450°F）放在烤箱上层烤 15–17 分钟即可。

    Voila! Bon appétit!

    Tips:

    • At step 2, it is necessary to dry the ribs with paper towel otherwise excess moisture will prevent flavors from penetrating during marination. 第2步时一定要控干水分否则腌制时不易入味。
    • Unlike Western cooking, Chinese recipes often measure by spoon rather than exact grams. If unsure, follow the amounts in the ingredient list. 中餐调味通常不需精确到克，常用“勺”为单位，如不确定，可参考配料表的用量。
    • Traditionally, the ribs are steamed dry in a metal plate set in a wok, but using an oven is more convenient and avoids the risk of glass lids shattering. 这道菜的传统做法是用铁盘置于铁锅中干蒸，但操作不如烤箱方便，且玻璃盖质量不佳时有炸裂风险，因此更推荐烤箱替代。