Beautiful & aromatic: fresh chili sauce from Zhejiang

Chili peppers are not usually associated with the cuisines along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but now and then you will find spicy delights that increase in heat the further upriver you go. Anhui and Jiangxi, for example, have some pretty fiery dishes and more than their share of diehard chiliheads, and of course by the time you get the headwaters of the Yangtze, you are in pepper central: Sichuan.

However, out in the east in the delta area there is not much to be had in the way of chili peppers. The desire in such places as Jiangsu and Zhejiang tends more towards the subtle and the gentle. Dishes are generally seasoned with considerable restraint so that the natural flavors of the ingredients have the chance to shine.

Even so, chilies are welcome here as long as they are tamed. Usually showing up in condiments such as this sauce made from fresh peppers, the heat is turned down to an understated vibration, with fermented black beans, garlic, and green onions rounding out the flavors against a light oil base that restrains their raw natures even further. A short cooking both ensures that the sauce can be stored for weeks without molding and melds the various aromas together into a truly refined sauce.

 

Toss the chilies into the garlic & oil

I like to keep a small jar of this on the kitchen table to spark up simple dinners or breakfasts, and if I’m in a hurry or just don’t know what to eat, this beautiful red and black sauce comes to the rescue by turning even the blandest meal into a delight: smother hot eggs or rice or cooked cauliflower or bean curd or noodles with it, and then settle in for a very pleasing time.

But this is more than just a condiment, for it is a great way to pull together a fast dinner. Quickly stir-fry something like chopped chicken or sliced fish or shredded pork, and then toss in this sauce at the last minute. It couldn't be simpler.

Next week's post will show you some easy ways to prep your fresh chilies and garlic, so stay tuned!

Fresh chili sauce

Xīnxiān làjiāojiàng 新鮮辣椒醬

Zhejiang, Jiangsu

Makes 1½ cups

6 large red jalapeno peppers (6 to 7 ounces)

1 teaspoon sea salt

4 to 6 cloves garlic

And then add the black beans

¾ cup fermented black beans

¾ cup fresh peanut or vegetable oil

3 green onions, trimmed

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

1. Wash the peppers and pat them dry. Stem and seed them (see Tips), and then cut them into small (less than ¼-inch) dice. Place the peppers in a small colander, toss them with the 1 teaspoon salt, and let the extra liquid in the peppers leach out over the next hour or two; discard the liquid.

2. Peel and chop the garlic into pieces about the same size as the diced peppers. Rinse the beans in a colander, shake dry, and then coarsely chop them, into something along the same size as the garlic and peppers.

3. Pour the oil into a cool wok and add the garlic. Slowly fry the garlic in the oil over medium heat until it sizzles and smells wonderful, but has not yet browned. Add the chilies and stir these together, and then add the beans. Slowly fry these together for around 15 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain little more than a gentle bubble in the oil.

The fast track to Nirvana

4. While the sauce is simmering away, cut each green onion lengthwise in half and then crosswise into pieces that are about the same size as the chilies. Add the green onions to the sauce after the 15 minutes are up, as well as the sugar. Stir and cook the sauce until the onions have wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning with the salt, using more or less as needed. Refrigerate it in a glass jar.

Tips

Use other, fierier peppers here if you like this sauce hotter.                                                                                                         

You can leave the seeds in the peppers if you like them that way, but I prefer the smoothness of a seedless sauce, as well as the lack of bitterness that the seeds often provide.

Citrus chili oil that rocks

Homemade chili oil that has a good layer of ground ingredients lurking at the bottom of a jar is -- in my little universe, at least -- the sign of an excellent Chinese restaurant, one that pays attention to the little details and doesn't just scoop a sour sauce out of a generic can.

One such place in downtown Taipei was a Cantonese dive called Yangcheng Fandian, or literally Sheep City Restaurant. Why Sheep City? 

Well, Yangcheng is the name of a town in Guangdong up the Pearl River from Hong Kong and almost directly north of Macau. In other words, this is an area where good food is to be found.

Calling it a restaurant, though, was a bit of an overstatement, for this was just a hole in the wall with an array of blasting propane burners along the back wall, a sheet of corrugated plastic reaching out into the alley to protect diners on rainy days, and a bunch of folding tables and chairs. Located on a busy alley next to the post office and, more importantly, across the street from the many bookstores we adored, Yangcheng was a place we frequented very, very often. The food was dependable home-style fare, and they had a particular knack for using fresh ginger in just the right amounts. 

But what we really came for was their homemade chili oil and its slightly crunchy, slightly chewy goop that we would toss with abandon on every plate that hit our table. Even the rice was not out of bounds, and I would invariably end the meal by polishing off my bowl of rice with a huge glop of chili goop, wipe the chili-induced heat off my shiny face, and then walk down to the street, happily worrying any lingering bits out from between my teeth.

Dark & delicious

I have written about homemade chili oils before, but now I want to introduce you to something that I have been holding back just a little bit jealously. It is one of those recipes that I am proud to call my own, that has developed over the years into a personal favorite: Citrus Chili Oil with Black Beans.

The road to this recipe started with a desire to re-create this delicious sauce once we had returned to the States. I made some relatively good ones -- it's hard to go wrong with chili oil -- but they weren't yet perfect. And then I came across the late Barbara Tropp's second and final work, China Moon Cookbook, that includes favorites from her restaurant of the same name and which has many of her delicious Chinese-California fusion creations.

The recipe that struck me between the eyes was for her China Moon Chili-Orange Oil. This had all of the components I was seeking, plus a vibrant citrus note that took this condiment to stratospheric levels. In the 20 years since then, I have monkeyed around with it, adding more savory things, halving the oil (I am a sucker for the lovely goop at the bottom of the jar), and amping up the aromas with a whole bunch of ginger and garlic. 

Use the oil as you would any "bright oil," and savor the goop as a dipping sauce, to flavor marinades, and to perk up stir-fries. It goes with just about anything. And will prove highly addictive.

Citrus chili oil with black beans
 Juxiang douchi layou 橘香豆豉辣油
Cantonese with a twist

Makes about 1½ cups

Add dry aromatics to the oil

3 medium organic oranges

1 organic Meyer (or other) lemon 

7 or 8 garlic cloves

4 tablespoons fermented black beans (see Tips)

1 cup peanut or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

2 tablespoons finely minced ginger

½ cup coarsely ground chili pepper (see Tips)

1. Scrub the oranges and lemon; pat dry. Peel off the skins (colored parts only) with a potato peeler, and then dice the zest finely. (Use the flesh of the fruit for something else.)

2. Smack each garlic clove and peel it, but leave the peeled cloves more or less whole. Coarsely chop the fermented black beans; there is no need to rinse them. 

3. Pour both oils into a small skillet or saucepan and add all of the other ingredients to the cool oil. Heat this pan over medium until the oil starts to bubble, and then lower the heat and simmer the sauce for around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the sauce until the oil is a day-glo orange, the chili powder is dark brown, and the garlic cloves are soft. Remove from heat and cool. Store in a covered jar in a cool place, preferably in the fridge if you are not going to use it up within two weeks.

Tips

Stir the bottom as it cooks

Scrub the oranges and lemons well to remove any dust that might have worked its way into the pores; if they are commercial fruits, use hot water and a brush to clean off any wax. Dry the fruit well before zesting them, as water will explode in the hot oil.

Experiment with different types of dried chili powder, adding more if you love the heat. The chili powder can be very coarsely ground with the seeds still whole, or you can use a sifted variety that has the seeds removed. I like the varieties available at Korean grocery stores, since the turnover is fast and the offerings are both varied and of great quality.

Use the black beans that come in plastic bags or jars that don't have any sauce. They should be plump and dark, rather than shriveled and gray. You shouldn't rinse the beans here; just chop them roughly so that each bean is opened up and the flavor can ooze out.

Keeping the ginger cloves whole protects them from cooking too quickly and burning. This way they slowly poach in the oil and remain luscious. After cooking, smash the garlic with your spoon.

Starting the sauce off by adding the dry ingredients to the cool oil protects them from cooking too quickly. This slow simmer gives the aromatics a chance to release their oils and flavors before they brown, making the oil a gorgeous orange hue and the goop at the bottom a crunchy, chewy obsession.

Crepes and chili potatoes from Xi'an

I went to Xi'an to see the terracotta soldiers and stayed for the food.

Honestly, I love Xi'an. Unpretentious, beautiful, old fashioned, this former imperial capital that was once called Chang'an has become a bit of a cultural backwater, and few folks would notice it if it weren't for those soldiers from 2,000 years ago. 

That's what brought me there, but it is not what captured my imagination. In fact, I became more than a bit grumpy during our stay, as tour groups are herded into what seem to be mandatory "dumpling feasts" that have pretty but tasteless food, and it truly bothered me that I was wasting valuable stomach space and time on this endeavor.

Yum

There's just so much more to enjoy there, and much of it is the friendly people and glorious things they eat. After I got home, I wanted to learn how to re-create their street snacks and the things that families put on their tables, for it's simple, good food with haunting flavors and textures.

Take, for example, today's dish. Shaanxi (where Xi'an is located) has traditionally been a relatively impoverished area, and so the people there have learned to be frugal. However, they also love to eat, and this is the sort of meal that people on tight budgets could present to their guests with considerable pride. Everything works perfectly. Not a scrap of meat is in here, no fancy vegetables or sauces. The main ingredients are just flour and potatoes, which may sound like a carb meltdown, but it's a triumph of ingenuity over cash flow.

China's northern provinces are justly famous for their noodles and breads, but another item that doesn't get mentioned enough are its crêpes. Yes, crêpes.

Frying crepe

Again, nothing foofoo about this at all; simply flour, water, and salt fried in a barely oiled flat pan. But what you end up with are thin pancakes that are wonderfully bouncy and chewy, their edges rimmed with crunch, and they are the ideal foil for the potatoes. The people in Shaanxi province often wrap any number of items in crêpes, so this is a delicious skill to master if you like the local foods as much as I do.

You might have never tried stir-fried potatoes before, and this is a great place to start. China's north has taken to such native American foods as potatoes and chilies like a house on fire, and now they are as much a part of the local cuisine as anything else. But instead of baked or mashed or french fried potatoes, you will find stewed and braised and even stir-fried renderings of this lovely tuber.

Onion & potato matchsticks

When you stir-fry potatoes, the key is to use the right variety of potato and then cut it correctly. Yukon Golds are great, as they hold their shape and don't break down like regular baking potatoes. If you don't have them in your area, ask your grocer to recommend something similar.

Next, you'll need to cut these into thin matchsticks called julienne. Don't be tempted to grate the potatoes; you'll end up with mush rather than gently crunchy strips. See the directions below on how to do this right.

This makes a deliciously satisfying meal any time of the day. I especially enjoy this for breakfast with a bowl of hot soy milk. 

Dappled crepes

Crepes and chili potatoes 
Jianbing juan tudousi 煎餅捲土豆絲 
Shaanxi
Makes 6 filled crepes and serves about 2 people

1 cup Korean noodle flour (see Tips)
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm filtered water
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, or similar variety
2 green onions, trimmed
4 tablespoons (or so) peanut or vegetable oil
1 to 3 teaspoons dried powdered chili (see Tips)
1 teaspoon sea salt
Chili Sauce (see below)

1. Place the flour in a medium work bowl. Stir the salt into the warm water until it dissolves and then mix the salt water into the flour to form a thin batter with the consistency of cream; it's quite all right if there are some lumps in the batter. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cut into slices, then julienne

2. You may peel the potatoes or leave them unpeeled, whichever you prefer. Rinse the potatoes and pat dry. Slice off one edge of the long side of a potato so that it lies flat on your cutting board. Then, cut the potato into very thin slices before cutting the slices into very thin matchsticks. Repeat with the other potato. Cut the green onions into 2-inch pieces, flatten slightly with the side of a cleaver or heavy knife, and cut them into thin matchsticks, as well.

3. Heat the oil in a wok over medium high and add the chili powder to taste, as well as the salt. Let the chili heat up in the oil and slowly turn from red to brown. Turn the heat up to high and add the potatoes and green onions. Stir-fry quickly until the potatoes have lost their rawness but are still slightly crisp. Cover the wok, remove from the heat, and let it sit on the side while you cook the crêpes.

Make the chili oil

4. Heat a flat skillet about 8 inches in diameter over medium high. Lightly oil the pan using a piece of paper towel dipped in oil. (More than that and the crêpe will roll around in the pan, rather than stay put.) When the oil barely starts to smoke, pour in about a sixth of the batter and swirl the pan around so that the batter covers most of the bottom of the pan. Cook it, adjusting the heat as necessary, until the top has some bubbles and is fairly dry, and the edges start to curl up. Flip the crêpe over and cook for a few seconds to barely brown the other side. Remove to a plate and cover with another plate to keep the crêpe warm. Repeat with the rest of the batter until you have about 6 crêpes.

5. Make the Chili Sauce (below). Serve the crêpes and potatoes hot alongside the sauce, and have everyone fill and roll their own crêpes, dribbling a bit of the sauce inside the crêpe. Eat with chopsticks at the top of the roll and the fingers of the other hand steadying the bottom. Enjoy.

Chili Sauce

Chili Garlic Sauce

This is a sauce I like to make for just about anything, from dumplings to meats to veggies:

2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee brand Chili Garlic Sauce (or your favorite)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

1. Heat the chili garlic sauce and soy sauce together in a pan until bubbly. Remove from the heat and pour in the sesame oil, taste, and adjust seasoning.

2. Scrape into a small bowl and serve.

Tips

Korean noodle flours

The Korean noodle flour I love has changed its packaging. Here is a picture of the new look on the left, with an equally good brand on the right. Both work really well for Chinese breads and pastas, as they have the correct amount of gluten. American flours tend to have too much gluten, and so Chinese recipes made with them come out tough.

Use as much or little chili powder in the potatoes as you like. It's hard to give an exact amount, as chilies and palates differ so much. Besides, you can always add more zip with the sauce if the filling is not hot enough.