Abalone shreds with mung bean sprouts

This beautiful Beijing dish is very subtly flavored, making it an understated classic worthy of a palace meal or a place on the table of the wealthiest merchants in the capital. Nothing here is loud or obtrusive, but rather is classic Beijing cuisine at its most refined.

To begin with, the bean sprouts have both their heads and tails nipped off so that only the pure white stalks remain. These are then simply stir-fried with only a suggestion of green onion and ginger to provide flavor. 

On top of this the abalone will practically disappear, for its white flesh has been cut so as to match the sprouts; it is quickly simmered in a gentle mixture of stock and rice wine to cut the fishiness a bit and allow it to marry well with the crisp vegetable bed. 

King top shell -- yum

Only when a mouthful is tasted do the two main ingredients display their individual natures.

Really and truly easy, and yet really and truly elegant.

Abalone shreds with mung bean sprouts

Bāosī yínyá  鮑絲銀芽

Beijing
Serves 4

  

7 to 8 ounces fresh, frozen, or canned abalone (see Tips)

12 ounces very fresh mung beans

1 cup good chicken stock, salted or unsalted

2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste (for unsalted stock)

1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons fresh peanut or vegetable oil

2 green onions, white parts only, trimmed and finely minced

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger

Nipped & not

1. If you are using fresh or thawed frozen abalone, trim off the foot and any tough parts. If you are using canned abalone, simply rinse it off and pat dry, and then trim off any discolored areas. Then, cut the abalone across the grain into thin slices, and then cut them crosswise into matchsticks about the same width and length as the white stalks of the bean sprouts. (Because canned abalone will still taste of the can, place the julienned abalone in a sieve or colander, set this in the sink, and douse it liberally with boiling water; taste a piece, and if you can’t taste any stale flavors, proceed to the next step, otherwise blanch it once more.)

2. Next, prep the bean sprouts by using your fingernails to pinch off the heads and the whiskery tails. Don’t skip this step, as this is what sets this dish in a different universe from rustic cooking. If you aren’t using the sprouts right away, place them in a bowl and cover them with ice water; the will keep well this way for a day or two if covered and refrigerated.

Rinsed well...

3. Pour the stock and rice wine into a small saucepan and heat it over high until it boils. Add the salt and abalone, and bring it to a boil, and then lower the pot to a simmer; gently cook the abalone for about 15 minutes, or until the stock has reduce to an almost syrupy texture. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and gently stir the abalone over low heat until the sauce thickens. Remove the saucepan from the heat but keep it warm.

4. Drain the sprouts in a colander and shake off all the water; lay them on a tea towel and pat them lightly to get rid of as much water as possible (see Tips). Heat a wok over high until it starts to smoke, and then pour in the oil. Add the green onions and ginger to the oil and stir them around quickly to release their fragrance. Then, add the bean sprouts. Stir-fry the sprouts quickly until they just lose their rawness, and then toss in about 2 or 3 tablespoons of the abalone’s sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. Scoop the bean sprouts out onto a serving plate and then pour the abalone and sauce over the center of the sprouts.

Tips

Farm-raised abalone from anywhere other than China or Japan is the best choice here, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch. Check the labels when you buy.

Another alternative is the large sea snail called “king top shell” that is sold in cans; very tender and tasty, it mimics abalone admirably.

... & then towel dried

Because all of the ingredients are white here, this dish looks fantastic if plated on something of a deep, contrasting color. No garnishes are needed in that case. Otherwise, tuck some cilantro or something into the side of the bean sprouts to add a touch of color.

When you nip off the heads and tails of the sprouts, it turns into a completely different vegetable, much better mannered, much prettier, and also much more pleasant on the tongue, as the beany head and the hairy tail are little more than distractions, when you come to think of it, so toss them in the compost bin.

Since you don’t want the bean sprouts to boil instead of stir-fry, make sure that they are as dry as possible. This will give them a much crunchier texture.

Strange flavor bean fish that's neither strange nor fishy and barely a bean

The names of some dishes are evocative, like floating islands or red velvet cake.  Others are very straightforward and completely no frills, such as steamed rice or corn on the cob.  Still others require a leap of faith before you even think of sticking them in your mouth, which is what happened with me before I attempted spoonfuls of a scrumptious version of dirty rice and a rather vile rendering of spotted dick. 

And then there's the final category: downright weirdly named foods.  Strange Flavor Bean Fish has got to have one of the top worst names ever.  It's like if a potential Miss America were saddled with a moniker like Salmonella Boozer; it's just not right.  

Fresh mung beansprouts

But in fact, "strange flavor" is a direct translation of the name for the smooth Sichuanese sauce that's highlighted here: guaiwei.  Why it would be called "strange" is beyond me because it's nothing more than some of our wonderful Chili Oil, a few dabs of sesame paste, a sprinkling of toasted ground Sichuan peppercorns, and a good fistful of aromatics like garlic, ginger, cilantro, and green onions all bound in a savory sauce.  So, "strange" would not be my first choice for the name here; if it were up to me, I'd go with "yummy."

Packaged soy skins

And now we come to the fish part of the story.  I'm guessing here, but I'd put my money on the possibility that this was originally a vegetarian version of a seafood dish that turned out to be more popular than the original.  Fish filets have been known to find themselves wrapped up in soy skins and fried into crispy little packets, so the step from seafood to mung bean sprouts isn't really too bizarre, since both end up being relatively bland but juicy foils for the crunchy outside that serves as a conduit for all of that great sauce. 

About the only thing I'm 100% sure of with regard to the name here is that the "bean" refers to the beansprouts!

A word about mung bean sprouts: buy them no earlier than a day before you plan to use them because they have the shelf life of a may fly.  Store them in the refrigerator in a plastic container and covered with water, as this will slow down the almost instantaneous decay that seems to be in these sprouts' DNA.  The soaking will also serve to crisp up the sprouts and make them even more delightful.

Roll the sprouts in the soy skin

Soy skins, also called doufupi or yuba, can be found fresh or frozen in most Chinese grocery stores.  Fresh soy skins should be used up relatively quickly, as they are prone to mold even under the best of circumstances.  Frozen ones will stay in great shape for months as long as you are careful not to bend or crush them, for the skins will shatter at the least provocation.  Fresh or frozen, keep them covered with damp tea towels from the moment you take them out of the package until you fry the filled soy skin rolls - this will help them stay supple and crack free.

Have everything ready for this dish here before you start.  It is best if it's eaten immediately after the rolls are filled, fried, and sauced, so the best way to keep the fuss to a minimum is to arrange all of the ingredients by the stove until about 10 minutes before serving.  The sauce can be made in advance and the sprouts blanched and chilled, so that all you have to do is roll the sprouts up in the soy skins and fry them.

The only difficult thing that remains is your explanation to your guests as to how this dish got its name.

The Un-fish

Strange flavor bean fish 
Guaiwei douyu  怪味豆魚  
Sichuan

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

"Fish":

10 to 12 ounces mung beansprouts
1 large sheet soy skin (fupi 腐皮) , fresh or frozen

¾ cup peanut or vegetable oil

Sauce:

¼ cup roasted sesame paste or tasty peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce paste (jiangyougao 醬油膏, see Note below)
2 teaspoons sugar
3 to 4 teaspoons flavorful vinegar
3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Chili Oil, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons boiling water
3 to 4 teaspoons finely minced ginger
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 green onion, trimmed and finely minced
4 tablespoons finely minced cilantro
½ teaspoon finely ground chili powder, optional
½ teaspoon ground roasted Sichuan peppercorns, or to taste

Voila, a soy cigar

1. Blanch the beansprouts by placing them in a saucepan and covering them by at least 1 inch with tap water. Cover the pot and bring it to a rapid boil. As soon as the water is about to go from a simmer to a full boil, check one of the sprouts: it should be crispy yet the raw edge should be cooked away. Immediately dump the sprouts into a colander in the sink and rinse the sprouts with cold tap water to stop the cooking. Drain the sprouts thoroughly.

2. Lay the soy skin sheet on a cutting board and cut it in half. Cover both sides with a damp tea cloth to soften the sheet a bit while you mix up the sauce. Pour the oil into a wok and set it on the stove.

Test the heat of the oil

3. Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a measuring cup or bowl, taste, and adjust the seasoning as desired. It should have the consistency of heavy cream.

4. Remove one of the soy sheet halves and spread half of the blanched bean sprouts near the round edge as shown (above right). Fold both edges over the sprouts and then roll up the soy skin in a tight cigar (above left). Repeat with the other skin and the rest of the sprouts, and keep both rolls covered with the damp tea towel.

5. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until wooden chopsticks or tongs inserted into the oil immediately bubble. Carefully lower the end of one of the rolls into the hot oil; it will fry very quickly, so move it through the oil in order to lightly brown every part of the soy skin, both top and bottom. Remove the fried roll to a cutting board and fry the other roll.

. 

Fry the soy roll

6. Cut each roll into 6 or 8 pieces, depending upon the number of your guests, and arrange the rolls on one or two serving plates. Drizzle the sauce over the "fish" and squirt some more of your chili oil on them as well to add a nice red flourish. Serve while the "fish" are still hot and crispy.

Note: Soy sauce paste is a thickened savory condiment with the consistency of catsup. It's used as is as a dipping sauce or in stir-fries, or it can be added to sauces like here to provide more body as well as rounder flavor. There's many brands out there, so find one you like. If you don't have any handy, oyster sauce is a good substitute.