Read Quick & Easy Chinese Online
Authors: Nancie McDermott
Quick & Easy Chinese (44 page)
This simple condiment provides a satisfyingly sharp contrast to the rich, dark flavors of
Soy Sauce Noodles with Beef and Greens
(page 145) and other dishes. The hot chiles can be serranos, jalapeños, or even tiny Thai chiles if you love hot and spicy flavors.
½ cup white vinegar
½ teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons chopped or thinly sliced fresh hot green chiles
MAKES ABOUT
½
CUP
Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, and chiles in a small bowl, and stir well. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
I love the sunset color and piquant flavor of this simple dipping sauce. Made with canned pineapple juice for an extra burst of sweet-and-sour flavor, it tastes wonderful with grilled or fried foods. I love it with fresh raw or steamed vegetables and rice, when I need to round out a quick stir fry. The liquid from a can of pineapple chunks or rings works fine here, if you don’t have pineapple juice proper.
1
/
3
cup pineapple juice
1
/
3
cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1
/
3
cup sugar
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, sugar, ketchup, and salt. Stir everything together well. In a small bowl, combine the water and cornstarch and stir until smooth.
Bring the pineapple juice mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often to dissolve the sugar and mix everything well.
Stir in the cornstarch mixture, watching as the sauce becomes first cloudy and then clear within just a few seconds. Stir well as it thickens to a satiny smooth texture with big bubbles, about 15 seconds more. Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl, and cool to room temperature. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
(left to right) Tangy Plum Sauce, Sweet-and-Sour Dipping Sauce, Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce
This dip uses bottled plum sauce, widely available in Asian markets and often in supermarkets as well. Made from a traditional salt-preserved plum, it has a marvelously sweet-and-sharp flavor that goes nicely with grilled and fried dishes. You could also use duck sauce, a popular sweet-and-sour dipping sauce which is easy to find. (To brighten the flavor of plain prepared duck sauce, stir in a squeeze of lemon or lime juice or a dash or two of vinegar before serving.)
½ cup prepared Chinese-style plum sauce or duck sauce
1 tablespoon white vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon light-brown or dark-brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
MAKES ABOUT
½
CUP
Combine the plum sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk or stir well to dissolve the sugar and salt and mix everything together well.
This incendiary condiment graces noodle shop tables throughout Asia and makes a versatile addition to your sauce and seasoning shelf. A simple concoction of coarsely ground red pepper flakes cooked briefly in hot oil, it can be spooned onto noodles or soups, or added to dipping sauces and salad dressings. You can scoop up both flakes and oil, or spoon out only the rust-colored oil. The chiles burn easily during the cooking process, so have a big bowl handy in which to turn out the chili oil as soon as it is ready.
1
/
3
cup vegetable oil
½ cup coarsely ground red pepper flakes (see Note)
MAKES ABOUT
1
/
3
CUP
NOTE
Red pepper flakes work well in this recipe, but if you adore chili heat and want a stellar version, grind whole dried red chile peppers yourself. Use dried chiles de arbol or chiles japones, widely available in supermarkets; or small dried red chiles found in Asian markets, often imported from Thailand, Korea, or China. Break off and discard the stem ends, and then transfer the chiles to a small food processor or a blender. Grind until you have small chili flakes and seeds, pulsing the motor as you go. Don’t forget to clean your food processor or blender very well
.
Place a heatproof medium bowl next to the stove for the finished chili oil.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is hot enough to sizzle a red pepper flake on contact. Add the red pepper flakes and stir well. They should bubble and sizzle in a lively way. Continue stirring, and as soon as they have colored just a little, pour the chili oil, including the red pepper flakes, into the bowl.
Let the chili oil cool to room temperature. Transfer to a glass jar and cover tightly. Store at room temperature for up to 1 month.