Steamed white custard from Shunde

The city of Shunde in the Pearl River Delta, downstream from the capital city of Guangzhou and north of Hong Kong, is home to most of China’s milk dishes. No one really knows why milk is such a big deal here, for beef certainly isn’t, but there you have it.

Cow’s milk is a true rarity in the traditional cuisines of China, although it has become more common over the past couple of decades as a beverage or as a major ingredient in things like ice cream and yogurt. Back when I was a student in Taiwan during the late seventies, though, the only milk to be had was powdered, and seeing Klim powdered milk in its iconic big yellow can still makes me nostalgic. Over the following decades, fresh milk made quite a headway in local diets, mainly because parents wanted to increase their calcium intake, and also because who can argue with the joys of ice cream?

Japanese custard pots work great

But Shunde is a completely different bird, culinarily speaking. Milk has traditionally not been consumed fresh there, but rather cooked and used as part of a dish, rather than drunk as a beverage. 

A lot of this has to do with the Chinese preference for hot foods over cold, but also because so many Chinese people have lactose intolerance. Cooking will not destroy the lactose in milk, but the relatively small amount of milk that is generally used in Shunde’s foods is another reason why it has become an acceptable – and most definitely delicious – part of one of Guangdong’s most delightful cuisines.

Called "double-skinned milk" in Chinese, I haven't a clue where the two skins are, as only one seems to form whenever I've made it, which is when you first heat up the milk. As every cocoa lover knows, that skin sticks to your lips at the wrong time, and to be honest, there never really is a good time to have milk skin glued to your face. Anyway, that's the moniker it's stuck with, so who knows...

Divide the custard among the bowls

Most directions for this dish demand that you preserve that skin and return it to the custard just before the final steaming. Honestly, I've tried it many ways and can't see the difference whether I mix the skin back into milk (as in the recipe below) or strain it out or fastidiously reserve it for the top. And so, out goes that step.

The customary recipe for this custard calls for nothing more than whole milk, egg whites, and sugar. And so, unlike just about any other custard recipe out there, this classic sweet is pure white. It’s therefore stunning when served with contrasting colors, like red raspberries or in a black bowl or with just a drizzle of honey on top.

But because no yolks were used, this custard is also exceptionally mild in taste. You won’t register much beyond the flavor of the milk and sugar. For that reason, use only really good quality whole milk here. You want that richness to shine through.

Egg whites only

You can make this custard as sweet as you like. It’s quite good with all the sugar mixed into the hot milk, but also exceptional if you reserve the sugar as a crunchy topping. Again, traditionally speaking, in Shunde the sugar is incorporated right into the custard so that it turns this into a genuinely sensuous, smooth dessert.

People who are getting over a cold or in some other kind of recovery will probably enjoy this, since it's pure protein, easy to digest, and quite delicious. According to Chinese medicine, you'd want to serve it hot or at least very warm, since cold foods are considered detrimental when the body is weak. 

That being said, be assured that you can serve this custard chilled, and that makes this especially perfect for a small tumble of fresh fruit on top. A couple of cookies on the side wouldn't hurt, either.

This is not at all what Shunde's grandmas do, but I won’t tell them if you won’t.

Good hot or cold

Steamed white custard

Shuāngpí níunăi 雙皮牛奶

Guangdong

Serves 4

1¾ cups (400 ml) fresh whole milk of the best quality

2 tablespoons sugar, or 2 teaspoons sugar for the custard plus more sweetener for the topping (see headnotes)(see Tips)

Pinch of salt

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Use a heatproof cup for measuring the milk. Add the sugar and salt to the milk, and then microwave it until the milk is very hot and a skin has formed on top (about 4 minutes on high - see Tips). Let the milk cool down until it is no more than warm to the touch, as you do not want it to curdle the egg whites. 

2. Gently whisk the cooled milk into the egg whites. Strain the milk mixture back into the measuring cup and discard any foam and solids in the strainer. 

Strain out the foam and solids

3. Use 1 large (3 cup / 750 ml) heatproof bowl or 4 smaller covered chawan-mushi (Japanese custard bowls). Set up a steamer that can easily hold whatever you are using here. Divide the milk among the bowls and cover them, either with foil or lids. Steam a large bowl for around 10 minutes and the smaller ones for around 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the bowls sit in the hot steamer for another 5 minutes to completely set up. Be sure that you do not over-steam them, as this will ruin the texture. Garnish the custard, if you like, and serve hot or cold or in-between.

Tips

If you want to use a sweet garnish like turbinado sugar, honey, maple syrup, fruit, etc., use no more than 2 teaspoons sugar in the custard itself.

Keep an eye on the milk while you heat it in Step 1 if you are not quite sure of its power. You can always microwave the milk in 1 minute spurts if you are at all unclear of how long your microwave takes, since you don't want the milk to boil over and make a mess and ruin your day. 

The best sashimi comes from the Pearl River Delta. Period.

Raw fish is usually known outside of China by its Japanese name, sashimi. In fact, it is almost invariably considered a Japanese creation. 

However, the Chinese have been enjoying raw fish for at least 2,000 years. It is a local delight in many parts of the Coastal Southeast — including the Hakka areas, Chaozhou, and throughout the Pearl River Delta — but for some unknown reason this incredibly delicious way with raw fish has remained a secret. I am here to change all that.

My personal favorite is from the Shunde area of the Delta. As this area is a gorgeous patchwork of fish ponds, freshwater fish like carp is usually called for. The pure white flesh is then removed from the skin and bones (these are reserved for stock or congee), and the fish is cut on an angle into slices so thin and translucent that they are described as “cicada wings.” 

Fluke (L) & yellowtail

A dish this stunning is usually reserved for a banquet, and the translucent slices are arranged in a single layer, often on a frozen platter or a large bed of ice. Small bowls of condiments and seasonings then surround the main attraction, and diners mix together whatever they like as a seasoning dip for the fish. 

However, raw fish is also so simple to make that it can be easily mastered by even a beginning cook.

Excellent quality farmed carp are not yet widely available here in the States, but I have found two very good substitutes: farm-raised yellowtail (hamachi) and the flatfish known as Korean fluke (hirame). The best Japanese-style fish shops should be able to get hold of the highest-quality farmed fish for you, or else you could check out a trusted sashimi restaurant and see if you could order a couple pieces now and then.

The crunchy bits

Why do I specify that it be farmed? This all has to do with having complete control over the fishes’ environment. Raw fish must be pristine — there’s no two ways about it. The best way to allay concerns about parasites is to select the right kind of fish (no tuna, for example) and to insist on the right kind of perfect farm-raised fish.

The other concern — one that we don’t want to talk about, much less think about as relating to our food — is pollution. In addition the regular garbage that we dump into our oceans, the one we should have the most concern for at this point when it comes to eating fish, I believe, is the radiation emanating from places like Fukushima, Japan, and now creeping down the western coast of the United States.

One advantage of using farmed fish for a raw dish is that the farmer knows with certainty what the fish are being fed, how clean the water is, and how healthy his stock is. The best fish farmers and wholesalers then carefully regulate the care these fish are given from the moment they leave the ponds until they reach restaurants and retail shops. 

Gently fry garlic

My advice to anyone who wants to enjoy raw fish is to find the best fish store in the area, get to know the owner, and find out where the fish comes from. Then, rush it home in a chilled bag and stick it immediately into the coldest part of your refrigerator.

Yellowtail is very good in this dish: it is buttery and has wonderful texture. It is, admittedly, my favorite raw fish. But if I’m really being picky, I would have to go with the fluke here. The reason is that it is a leaner fish and so can be sliced much thinner. Yellowtail will fall apart if sliced too thinly and tossed. It will still taste good, yes, but the textural thrill will be gone. The fluke, though, keeps its shape, and it is firm enough to handle the onslaught of a range of condiments.

Unlike Japanese sashimi, the raw fish of Shunde are given a stellar array of complements. I have, as always, played with them a bit, but basically this is the real McCoy. I have also mixed up everything at the last minute into a sort of tossed salad. I much prefer the dish this way, since we then can easily have bits of everything in every bite. 

Ta da! Garlic chips

What you are aiming for is a perfect balance of soft and crunchy, sweet and tart, salty and nutty, fresh and dried, fried and raw. Serve the dish in little chilled bowls with ice cold beer.

My thanks to Lee of Berkeley’s Tokyo Fish Market for answering all of my questions and for supplying so much of the information here on fish selection.

Shunde raw fish appetizer

Shùndé yúshēng 順德魚生

Pearl River Delta

Serves 4 to 6

Seasoned ginger:

2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh, peeled ginger (young or mature)

2 tablespoons sugar

Simply delicious

2 tablespoons pale rice vinegar

1 tablespoon water

Garlic chips:

2 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced

Bowl of cool tap water

½ cup fresh peanut or vegetable oil for frying

Fish:

8 to 10 ounces (best-quality and freshest imaginable) Korean fluke or yellowtail sashimi, unsliced and completely chilled

Dry condiments:

2 tablespoons finely chopped toasted peanuts

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

½ bundle cellophane noodles, fried until puffy and broken into smallish pieces

¼ cup julienned taro root, deep fried until golden, optional

2 to 3 tablespoons finely shredded laver seaweed (nori)

Moist condiments:

1 red jalapeno pepper, seeded and very thinly sliced

2 green onions, white part only, thinly julienned

¼ cup chopped cilantro, optional

¼ cup finely sliced lettuce (like romaine)

2 tablespoons Sichuan or mustard pickle, finely chopped and rinsed

Moist condiments

Dressing:

2 tablespoons seasoned ginger marinade (above)

1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 to 2 tablespoons garlic oil from the fried garlic (above)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste

½ teaspoon good quality regular soy sauce, to taste

1. First make the seasoned ginger: Place the ginger in a small work bowl. Mix together the sugar, salt, and water, and microwave for about 30 seconds. Stir the vinegar until the sugar dissolves, and then pour this over the ginger. Allow the ginger to marinate for at least 1 hour.

2. To make the fried garlic chips, first soak the garlic in the water for about 5 minutes and then rinse them until they feel slippery; this steps gets rid of the sticky juice that would otherwise make the garlic clump up. Drain the garlic well and pat the slices completely dry with a towel. Heat a wok over medium heat until the sides feel hot, pour in around 1 inch (or more) of oil, and test the oil with a slice of garlic: if it immediately is surrounded with bubbles and floats, the oil is hot enough. Add all of the garlic and stir it gently with chopsticks so that the slices float freely in the oil. Have a slotted spoon and plate lined with a paper towel ready. When the garlic turns a light golden brown, start paying extreme attention to it, for it is almost ready. As soon as it is a uniform golden brown, scoop all of the garlic out with the spoon, shake off the oil, and spread the garlic out on the paper towel. Pour the garlic oil into a measuring cup and let it cool.

3. Prepare the very cold fish by removing the skin and any dark areas (unless you like the flavor of the dark meat, of course). Slice the fluke very thinly on the diagonal, which will give you nice, wide pieces. If you are using yellowtail, slice it on the diagonal into pieces around ⅛-inch thick. Arrange the fish slices on a plate, cover them with plastic wrap, and refrigerate immediately.

4. Toss the fried garlic and the dry condiments together in a small work bowl. Toss the moist condiments together in a medium work bowl and keep them chilled.

Cellophane noodle puffs

5. Just before serving, drain the ginger and reserve the seasoned vinegar. Add the ginger to the moist condiments along with the dry condiments and the raw fish. Toss these lightly together; your hands are the best utensils for this. Drizzle in about half of the vinegar and 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil, as well as all of the sesame oil, lemon juice, and about 1 teaspoon soy sauce. Toss these again as gently as possible and taste. Add whatever seasoning you think the dish needs and then serve immediately.

Divine fish puffs from the lush Pearl River Delta

Fish is such an integral part of life in the Pearl River Delta that it is a part of just about every meal. 

And, because there is so much of it, ingenuity often comes into play when turning a commonplace ingredient into something that lures hungry diners to the table.

One such dish is this, where fresh, flaked fish is combined with beaten eggs and seasonings into little golden spheres that puff up as they are fried. 

These may not seem like much, but they are easy, versatile, and remarkably delicious. The puffs can be made ahead of time, too, which allows the final braise to come together quickly. 

Beat yolks into fish

My father-in-law used to make fish paste dishes like this, and so just the aroma of this dish makes me think of him.

As always, Shunde’s dishes tend to be designed for freshwater fish like carp or dace, as these are most plentiful in the surrounding waterways and fish ponds. And so, if you have them available, they work perfectly here. If not, use a mild saltwater fish. 

Any type of rockfish, flatfish, or even eel will work here, as the flesh is reduced to a pulp and any character it might have had disappears into the eggs, allowing it to be employed basically for its consistency and gentle seasoning.

This will be a delight for anyone who has ever tasted commercial Chinese fish balls and wished they had better flavor and a more delicate texture. 

Fried fish puffs

In fact, you can use the extra fish puffs just as you would fish balls: in clear soups, hotpots, stir-fries, other braises, and stews. The only caveat is that you cook them briefly so that these golden clouds do not disintegrate.

Shunde braised fish puffs

Shùndé huì yúfŭ 順德燴魚腐

Pearl River Delta

Serves 4 to 6, with around 30 extra fish puffs

Fish puffs:

8 ounces white-fleshed fish fillets, boned and skinned

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 to 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced

1 green onion, trimmed and finely minced

A few grinds of fresh black pepper

Fish fillets & garlic

2 teaspoons rice wine (Taiwan Mijiu)

5 teaspoons cornstarch

3 large eggs, separated

Peanut or vegetable oil for frying (used is fine if it is fresh-smelling)

Braise:

8 ounces fresh mushrooms (Chinese black, oyster, etc.)

2 tablespoons fresh peanut or vegetable oil

12 thin slices peeled ginger

2 green onions, green and white parts separated, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths

Half a carrot, peeled and cut into thin diagonal slices (see Tip)

12 fish puffs (from the above recipe)

3 tablespoons rice wine (Taiwanese Mijiu)

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup unsalted chicken stock or water

Fish chopped with blade...

1. Rinse the fish and pat it dry. Remove any tiny bones or silver skin, and then finely chop the fish into a paste, first using the blade side of your Chinese knife and then the back. Scoop up the fish paste and place it in a medium work bowl with the salt, and then use chopsticks to stir it rapidly in one direction for a few seconds to mix in the salt. Add the garlic, green onion, rice wine, and cornstarch until fluffy. Finally, beat in the egg yolks until everything is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with a whisk until they form soft peaks. Fold the whites into the fix mixture with a silicon spatula until you have an even, cloudlike mass.

& with back of blade

2. Have a clean plate and a Chinese spider or slotted spoon next to the stove. Place a wok over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add about an inch of oil. Swirl this around in the wok to coat the inside about halfway up, and then lower the heat to medium. Use a clean spoos (plastic spoons from the yogurt shop work well here) to scoop up about 1 tablespoon of the fish mixture and use another spoon to scoot in into the oil as a ball. Gently fry the fish puff until it is golden on both sides. Add as many balls of the fish mixture as will fit very loosely into your wok, remembering that they will swell up as they cook; I cook about 8 at a time. Use chopsticks or the spider to remove the puffs to the waiting plate. Repeat with the rest of the mixture until all of it has been fried. Set aside 12 of the puffs for this recipe and refrigerate the other cooled puffs. (The recipe can be done ahead of time up to this point.)

3. Clean the mushrooms and remove any tough stems. If they are small like maitake, separate them into clumps about the size of the fish puffs. And if they are large, like many Chinese black mushrooms, cut or tear them into halves or quarters so that they too are similar in size to the fish puffs.

Golden globes

4. Place the cleaned wok back over medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the 2 tablespoons oil. Swirl this around in the wok to coat the inside about halfway up, and then lower the heat to medium. Add the ginger and let it brown, and then raise the heat to high. Add the white halves of the green onions and toss them quickly in the scented oil before tossing in the mushrooms and carrot slices. Sear these in the hot oil until the mushrooms are very lightly browned, and then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring the liquid to a full boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-high. Cover the wok and let the puffs braise for about 10 minutes, or until most of the sauce has been absorbed. Open the wok, quickly reduce the sauce further over high heat until there is only a mere slick at the base of the wok. Taste and adjust the seasoning, and then toss in the green parts of the onions. Toss these together gently until the onions begin to slightly wilt, and then serve in a wide bowl.

Orange plum blossoms

Tip

To make decorative "plum blossoms," first peel the carrot. Cut 5 V-shaped furrows down the side, making them spaced evenly apart. Then, cut the carrot in thin slices. You can make these ahead of time and refrigerate them in a little container of ice water. 

Daliang's gift: crab stir-fried with milk

Many Chinese people have difficulty digesting milk in any form, and it is difficult to say whether lactose intolerance is the reason that dairy products never gained much of a foothold in China, or whether it was because cattle require large expanses of grass for fodder, and arable land has always been in short supply around there, and so Chinese people never developed any particular need to digest milk. Whatever the reason, milk has never been a part of most Chinese cuisines, even peripherally, which is why lard has always been favored here over butter.

But as with any hard and fast rule, there are exceptions.

In southeastern China, whole milk is boiled until a skin forms on the surface; this is then removed, stretched out, and dried to form “milk fans” (乳扇 rŭshàn) that have a texture and use similar to bean curd skins and tofu batons, which makes sense, since both the milk and the soy milk are treated the same way. 

Out in the arid regions of western China, the yogurt and kefir of Central Asia has made its way into the local cuisines; in fact, one of the most divine yogurts I ever tasted was in Xinjiang’s capital, Ürümqi – rich and creamy, this took all of my attention away from the whole roasted lamb that was the nominal guest of honor, and I told the waitresses to keep the yogurt supply coming while everyone else tore into the meat.

Use the best full-fat milk here

The most unusual devotion to dairy here, though, lies in the Pearl River Delta of Guangdong, because unlike everywhere else in China, the milk there is consumed fresh, but with that inevitable Chinese twist, of course.

Centering around the magnificent local food capital of Shunde is an area called Daliang, which boasts a culture that prizes dairy cattle like none other in China. Milk is transformed into sweet, trembling puddings there by gelatinizing them with fresh ginger juice, rather than eggs or thickeners, resulting in a monumentally tender confection. The local egg custard is a clever creation called “double-skinned milk” because the milk is boiled until a skin forms, and then the hot milk underneath is sweetened and solidified with the addition of egg whites, which keep the custard a snowy white and add only the faintest suggestion of eggs to the dessert. There's also deep-fried milk, which actually is yet another type of custard that is chilled, cut into batons, and then fried in a batter. (Yes, it's insanely good.)

Strangest by far, but also one of the most delicious, is the Daliang dish called “stir-fried milk.” As with that double-skinned custard, only egg whites are added, and this lends a certain mystery to the final creation because you really are not that sure what is going on in there until you read the recipe.

Different approaches to this dish abound in the Pearl River Delta – some feature shrimp or pork or chicken, for example – but I love this crab-studded version with tiny bits of charcuterie to wake the palate out of any reveries that threaten to take this over the edge from subtle into somnolent.

The milk beginning to curdle

One change I've made to the original recipe is the addition of toasted almonds instead of the traditional little tropical nuts called lǎnrén 欖仁, or Indian olive, because I just haven’t seen them much around here. But have no fear because they taste faintly of almonds, and so toasted shredded almonds work perfectly here as a substitute, lending a nice textural contrast and depth of flavor to these gentle pillows.

Serve this as a main dish, if you like, but I rather enjoy it as a first course in small bowls, as they lend a sense of wonder to the meal and make my guests even hungrier for the food that is to come.

Crab stir-fried with milk 
Dàliáng chǎo níunǎi 大良炒牛奶 
Guangdong

Serves 2 to 6 

Almonds:

1 tablespoon (or so) fresh peanut or vegetable oil

¼ cup sliced almonds

Milk:

½ cup whole milk

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Crab:

1 cup cooked crabmeat (fresh best, frozen second, and canned a distant third place)

3 tablespoons fresh peanut or vegetable oil, divided, plus more if needed

½ Chinese sausage (lop cheong)

5 large egg whites

Sprinkle of sea salt

¼ teaspoon mushroom seasoning or fish sauce (see Tips)

Luscious fat inside the crab shell

1. First toast the almonds by filming the bottom of a wok (see first Tip below) with a tablespoon or so of oil before adding the almonds; toss the almonds over medium heat – adjusting the heat as necessary – until they are a golden color and smell toasted. Scoop them out onto a plate covered with a paper towel.

2. Bring the milk to a boil (either in a saucepan on the stove or in a measuring cup in the microwave), let it cool down until just warm to the touch, and stir in the cornstarch.

3. Pick over the crabmeat carefully, removing any shells or cartilage, but keep the meat in pieces as large as possible. Toss in about 1 tablespoon of oil and a pinch of salt.

4. Cut the lop chong into small (⅛-inch or smaller) dice. Place them in a wok or pan without any oil and fry them until they render their fat and are lightly crispy. Remove them to a plate covered with a paper towel and wipe out the wok.

5. Lightly beat the egg whites until they are broken apart and only very slightly foamy. Stir in the milk mixture, crab, fried lop chong, and mushroom seasoning or fish sauce. Prepare your serving bowl or small individual bowls next to the stove, warming them first, if possible.

6. Heat the rest of the oil in the wok over medium heat until it starts to shimmer, and then pour in the crab mixture. Use a silicone or wood spatula to stir the crab gently around over the heat, making sure to run the spatula along the bottom of the wok to keep the milk from burning. As the liquid heats, it will start to form curds. Drizzle in a bit more oil around the edge if it starts to stick. As soon as the liquid has turned into curds, immediately scoop it out into the bowl(s); if there is extra liquid, drain it off and enjoy it yourself, since it tastes great but doesn't look very nice. Sprinkle the crab with the toasted almonds and serve with spoons.

Tips

Confession time: I like to use a small (8-inch) restaurant-style frying pan here instead of a wok because nothing sticks to it after years of using it mainly for eggs; use whatever pan or wok you like, but be sure that  your wok doesn't have any black crud in it that will flake off and mar your beautiful crabby clouds. 

If you were wondering what to do with the body from the Savory Crab and Cellophane Noodles, this is one of my favorite suggestions. This dish can easily be doubled if you have two crab bodies left over, or if you want to serve more of this dreamy dish.

One thing really nice about making this with crab that you have to shell yourself is that you get to keep all of the good stuff like the fatty tomalley. For this reason, I don't let the fishmonger clean the crab for me, as she's just washing away the best part of the crab. 

To clean a whole cooked Dungeness yourself, first pull off the legs, crack them lightly with the butt of a knife, and set them aside. Turn the crab over and pull off the thin plate. (Only male Dungeness crabs are sold – we love our fertile females! – so you'll never find one with a triangular plate around here.) Then turn the crab right-side up and pull off the top of the crab over a bowl, reserving the juices. Pull off and discard the feathery lungs on both sides of the body. 

Chinese mushroom seasoning

Everything else in there besides the cartilage and shell is edible, so reserve and enjoy what you like and add them to this dish. If there is a lot of liquid and/or fat in your crab, you might need to add more cornstarch to the dish to make it solidify correctly. But if you end up with too much liquid anyway, just do as I do and surreptitiously drain it off into a bowl for yourself to enjoy.

The savory bits in this recipe can be swapped with happy abandon. Try some roasted duck, slivers of ham, or tasty mushrooms instead of the lop chong.

The mushroom seasoning here is a great addition to your pantry, as it offers extra umami kick without all sorts of additives. It is sort of like bouillon, but is not as salty, and it should contain no MSG or meat products. See the photo on the right for the brand I use. If you can't find it, use fish sauce.

Ginger milk pudding

Milk and China don't seem like an obvious pair. In fact, many of my Chinese friends are so lactose intolerant that they can't even enjoy ice cream. But there is one place in southern China -- one village, to be exact -- where milk is turned into the most amazing dishes. And what's more, these turn out to be impeccably Chinese.

Located south of the capital city of Guangzhou in Guangdong province, the Shunde district boasts one of the most famous schools of Cantonese cooking. Shunde is nestled in the Pearl River delta, a land of inventive fish, chicken, and pork dishes. Freshness is most likely the defining characteristic of the local foods, and so classic creations like White Cut Chicken (baiqie ji, the bird gently poached and served with simple but pungent dipping sauces) and simple steamed seafood draped with aromatics are what first come to my mind when I think of Shunde.

Bamboo teeth

But there is a small place there called Daliang where cow's milk has taken hold of the imagination and is turned into sweet and savory creations that baffle the mind and delight the palate.  

Stir-fried Milk (chao xian nai), which combines fresh milk and egg whites to form a light custard, results in a pure white pillow that cossets bits of fresh shrimp, chicken, crab, or whatever the chef takes particular pleasure in that day. It is one of the most comforting foods imaginable, sort of like nursery food for a baby emperor, but also so terribly sophisticated that I could see someone like the Duchess of Windsor devouring it with glee.

Ginger fibers left behind

As can be imagined, milk is also given a sweet turn in a number of the local specialties, like Deep Fried Milk (zha niunai); here, the milk is thickened with cornstarch and flour, and the resulting batter is cooled, cut, and fried, so that the crunchy outside contrasts with a molten interior. A light sugar dusting completes the dish.

Another is Double Skinned Milk (shuangpi nai), which is a true custard of sorts that celebrates the skin which forms on boiled milk as it cools. Like I said, these really are impeccably Chinese, and so things that Westerners care little about -- like the skin of milk or the skin of fish -- are often treasured mainly for their texture in Chinese cuisine.

Squeeze out the juice

Today we're going to enjoy a purely magical dish called Ginger Milk Pudding (jiangzhi zhuang nai, literally "ginger juice bumping milk"). You have to try this if for no other reason than to prove to yourself that fresh ginger juice really causes hot milk to gel up into a perfectly soft and creamy pudding.

Fresh ginger juice is a snap to make. All you need is a coarse grater and a fine sieve. I adore my bamboo ginger grater, which you can find in some Chinese hardware stores, but any good grater will do. If you do get your hands on a bamboo grater, beware of its sharp teeth, which do an admirable job of separating the stringy fibers in the ginger from its fleshy pulp, as well as the flesh from your knuckles.

With agave nectar

Some Chinese recipe books will tell you to wrap the grated ginger in muslin and squeeze out the juice. I've always found that too much bother. I just scoop the ginger into one hand and squeeze it dry over a fine strainer placed inside of a small measuring cup, and keep grating and squeezing until I have the amount needed. A juicer could be used, too, but that would call for cleaning the machine, and I think that's too much bother, too. Hence the grater and the sieve.

Traditionally, sugar is used in this pudding, but agave nectar provides an additional subtle layer to this dish, and I have taken the liberty of drizzling a little more on top to add a final punctuation to the silky surface. A tiny pinch of salt is also something I like here; it's virtually undetectable, but adds a slight balance to the sweetness.

Use the absolutely best full cream milk you can find. If it is at all possible, get something local and impossibly fresh. Like all dishes where one ingredient is the star, use the finest quality you can because there's no place for that ingredient to hide.

This is served warm according to traditional recipes, but chilled is to my mind beyond delicious. The pudding takes on a firmer texture in the fridge and becomes even silkier. It's startlingly good this way.

Whenever you're having children over, make sure to have them help you with this because it really is kitchen magic.

Ingredients

Ginger milk pudding 
Jiangzhi zhuang nai 薑汁撞奶  
Guangdong
Makes 4 servings

1 large finger of fresh ginger, either young or brown-skinned (see Tips)
Large pinch of sea salt
4 tablespoons agave nectar, plus more for the topping, or sugar to taste (see Tips)
2 cups fresh, organic, full fat milk

1. Grate the ginger. Squeeze the pulp over a fine grater placed on top of a small measuring cup until you have 4 tablespoons of ginger juice. Set out 4 dessert bowls with little more than half a cup capacity. Stir the juice and pour a tablespoon into each bowl (see Tips).

2. Add a small pinch of salt to each bowl, as well as a tablespoon of the agave nectar, or a teaspoon or more of sugar.

Yogurt-y texture

3. Heat the milk in the microwave or on the stove until it almost boils, and then pour half a cup of the hot milk into each of the bowls. Don't stir the milk, as it will mix with the ginger juice and sweeteners as it pours into the bowl. Let the bowls set up, which only takes a minute, and don't stir or disturb them. Serve the puddings either warm or cold with a swirl of agave nectar on top, if desired.


Tips


Try to select the plumpest, heaviest "hands" of ginger you can find, as these have the most juice. Hawai'ian ginger is good and often is organic.

Younger ginger will have a very mild heat, and older ginger will of course be hotter. Both are good, so use what is available and what you like.

Ginger juice portioned out

Grate the unpeeled ginger over a small saucer to collect all of the juice and pulp. 

Please use full fat milk that is the best you can find, as you'll taste the difference. I am extremely fond of Straus Family cream top milk, which comes from California's northern coast.

Honey is tasty here, but it doesn't dissolve fast enough when the hot milk hits to blend into the pudding. Also, if you pour it on top of the cold or cool pudding, it seizes up into a sticky clump. Agave nectar behaves well.