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.

Chaozhou's satay steak and bean sprouts

A couple of weeks ago I started talking about Chaozhou's cuisine, and before we start exploring the unequaled seafood of this area, I thought it would be nice if we first took a look at some of the unique flavors and influence in this culinary powerhouse.

First of all, Chaozhou is considered by most Chinese culinary experts to be one of Guangdong's three main cuisines, in addition to the dishes of the Hakka and, of course, the foods that are more typically Cantonese. But other than the fact that Chaozhou is located in the upper section of Guangdong province, that's pretty much where the similarities end, for just like Hakka cooking, this is more a case of geographic proximity than stylistic resemblances.

Guangdong province

As Chinese food writer Tang Zhenchang wrote in his Yongsun ji (Breakfast and supper journal), "Chaozhou cooking is not one of the Eight Great Cuisines, probably because it was assumed that Chaozhou cooking could be categorized with Guangdong cuisine. This also is not correct; generally speaking Cantonese cuisine cannot encompass the special characteristics of Chaozhou cuisine, something that that all diners know."

One of the main things that sets Chaozhou cuisine apart from the rest of Guangdong's cooking its marvelous shachajiang, or satay sauce. And although it bears the same name as the famous Indonesian sauce, Chaozhou's satay is completely different. Here it is a pungent and thoroughly addictive combination of dried shrimp, garlic, shallots, chilies, and dried fish. (Vegetarians can also enjoy this sauce, for meatless versions are available; these will usually have a Buddhist swastika on them.)

This satay is often used, as here, with another sauce that shows evidence of Southeast Asian influences: fish sauce, which for some reason is often referred to as "shrimp oil" (xiayou) in Chinese. These two come together to offer a delicious funkiness to the dishes of Chaozhou, but it remains a subtle undercurrent that beguiles the tongue and amplifies the freshness of the other ingredients. 

Chaozhou in Guangzhou

Satay sauce can also be used as a base for some delicious soups, as part of complex dipping sauces for meats and vegetables, and as a component in grilling sauces, but it is almost always first fried to release its fragrance and shrug off any canned aromas. In fact, it's this preliminary frying that gives depth and soul to satay dishes, elevating them into something pretty much approaching the sublime.

A couple notes about the vegetables here. First, I've added oyster mushrooms to the mix since I like the juiciness and extra layer of flavor they provide. So, if you're a vegetarian, you can use all mushrooms here instead of the beef. Do note the way that the mushrooms are prepped: they are torn down the length into long strips, rather than sliced, which gives them more of a "meaty" texture and helps keep them from falling apart.

Torn oyster mushrooms

Celery provides a really delicious herbal note here, as well as a nice crunch. You'll see that I've recommended a deep green celery because that's the kind that has all of the flavor; pale celery is rather bland. And if you can find it, Chinese celery is terrific here since it has an even more pronounced flavor than the Western kind. Finally, mung (green bean) sprouts lighten up the dish so that it doesn't become too intense from all of the sauce's strong flavors. 

Bean sprouts can be a bit of a pain because they seem to self-destruct within minutes of getting them home. The secret to keeping your sprouts happy is to submerge them in cool water and store them in the fridge as soon as you can. Change the water every day and use them as soon as humanly possible. They won't last forever, but this does eke a couple of more moments out of their limited lifespan.

You'll notice that I have you cook the beef, vegetables, and sauce separately. Feel free to just scoot the beef and vegetables up the side of the wok if you feel confident enough, and that is what I've done in the picture below. The main thing you want to be sure of is that nothing gets overcooked. Freshness is the hallmark of Chaozhou cooking, so keep the meat tender and the vegetables crisp, and then bind them together at the last second with this savory sauce.
If you want, serve this by itself over rice or in stir-fried fresh rice noodles (hefen) for a simple and delicious meal that will satisfy just about every sense you possess.


Satay steak and bean sprouts 
Yinya shacha niurou 銀芽沙茶牛肉  
Chaozhou
Serves 6 to 8 as part of a multicourse meal, or 2 to 3 as a main course

Steak:
1 pound skirt steak
2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 teaspoons light soy sauce

Sauce:

¼ cup Chinese satay sauce (shachajiang), preferably the Niutou (Ox Head) brand from Taiwan
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
¼ cup lightly salted stock
4 teaspoons dark soy sauce

 Everything else:

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
2 or 3 deep green celery stalks (Chinese celery preferred)
1 pound very fresh mung bean sprouts
4 green onions, trimmed
6 ounces oyster mushrooms, optional

10 tablespoons (or so) peanut or vegetable oil, divided

Toss the beef with cornstarch and soy sauce

1. Rinse the meat and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut the meat against the grain into ½-inch strips. Place them in a work bowl and toss with the light soy sauce and cornstarch. Allow the meat to marinade while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

2. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small work bowl.  Taste the sauce and add more sugar, satay sauce, fish sauce, or soy sauce as desired, since there's a wide variety of differences among the various satay and fish sauces. You can also adjust the seasoning at the end.

3. Slice the ginger against the grain into very thin pieces, and then cut these up into thin strips. Wash the celery stalks carefully and trim off both ends; if the strings are tough, then remove them too. Slice the celery crosswise into 2- or 3-inch pieces, and then slice them lengthwise into thin julienne. Rinse the beansprouts and drain thoroughly. Cut the green onions in half lengthwise and then into pieces that are the same length as the cut celery. Clean the mushrooms, if you are using them, and tear them into shreds, starting at the caps and pulling them gently down their stems until they are about the same size as the steak strips.

Quickly reduce the sauce

4. Heat 6 tablespoons of the oil in a wok until the oil smokes, add the ginger, and stir-fry it for a few seconds to release its flavor. Toss in the beef and any of its juices, and stir-fry the beef until most of the pink is gone. Remove the beef to a clean plate or work bowl.

5. Heat the rest of the oil over high heat and add the mushrooms. Stir-fry them until they are lightly browned all over, and then toss in the celery for a few seconds to take off the raw edge. Add the bean sprouts and just barely cooked - you do not want to have them anything other than crisp, so be careful. Remove the vegetables and add them to the beef.

6. Get the wok hot again and pour in the sauce. Reduce it very quickly until it is syrupy, and then add all of the vegetables and beef to the wok. Quickly toss them all together over high heat to combine, and then serve immediately.

Maps courtesy Wikipedia Commons.