A refreshing and crunchy appetizer from Beijing

As the weather heats up around here, it's time for me to start thinking about cool and refreshing meals, because if you're anything like me, your appetite lags in direct proportion to the rise in mercury.  

One way to make food more appealing is to offer a spread of what the Chinese call "stomach openers," or kaiweicai, the very definition of appetizers. Most of what I offer here are vegetarian - that's because to my mind few things are as refreshing on a sweltering day as cold salads and chilled veggies.

Today's recipe is a popular Beijing-style dish that is an easy toss of blanched spinach and fried peanuts. As with all things Chinese, though, the secret is in the balance, in the timing, and in the brilliant contrasts between flavors and textures.

If you've been cooking along with this blog, Spinach and Peanut Appetizer will prove to be particularly foolproof since it relies on the delicious fried peanuts I showed you how to make a long while ago. Plus, you'll want to spike this dish with either the dressing that's given below or, if you are really industrious, you'll be able to lace it with some of that glorious garlic-infused sweet vinegar that is the ambrosial by-product of the Sweet Pickled Garlic Cloves of Shanxi. In fact, this makes perfect sense, because Shanxi is up there in the northern reaches of China, not too far at all from Beijing, and so if it seems that these dishes come together as if they were closely related, that's because they are.

Easy peasy

The only thing I ask you to take particular care with - aside from frying the peanuts, of course - is the washing of the spinach. Nothing destroys a spinach dish faster than grit, and spinach seems to hold onto sand with impressive tenacity. The best way to wash spinach is to use the trick I learned eons ago from Marian Morash's Victory Garden Cookbook: Wash the spinach in a tub of warm water, which is easier on your hands and so makes swishing around the leaves a whole lot more pleasant. Rinse and swish the spinach, changing the water each time until there is absolutely no sand left in the bottom of the bowl. Then, shake the leaves dry; you don't need to get them totally dry for this dish, as they are going to be blanched.

Chinese dishes rarely call for spinach to be stemmed. If you have a tough bunch of spinach, though, this is a great time to learn how to remove the stems ala Julia Child: just grab the leaves with one hand while pulling up on the stems like a zipper with the other... totally easy and a skill that will come in handy more times than you'll think possible. No need to throw out the stems, though; toss them into your stockpot or rinse them well, chop them finely, blanch or stir-fry, and season as desired. (Sorry, but my thrifty Scot nature has a nervous breakdown at the first sign of waste.)

Enjoy this dish either chilled or slightly warm. If you are making it ahead of time, wait until the last minute to toss in the dressing and peanuts so that the spinach remains a lovely emerald green and the peanuts stay crunchy.

Wash the spinach carefully, please

Beijing-style spinach and peanut appetizer 
Bōcài huāshēng 菠菜花生
Beijing
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer, 2 to 3 as a side dish

1 bunch (about 12 ounces) fresh spinach, as tender as possible
¼ cup fried peanuts
2 to 3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

3 or more tablespoons sauce from the sweet pickled garlic cloves (or
1 clove garlic, finely minced, plus 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon tasty dark vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar)
Sea salt to taste

1. Clean the spinach as directed above, removing any tough stems. Blanch the spinach by bringing about 2 inches of water to a boil in a large (2 quart) covered saucepan before adding the spinach, covering the pot again, and then quickly tossing the spinach with a pair of tongs as soon as the water boils again. Once all of the leaves have wilted, but are still bright green and barely cooked, drain the spinach in a colander set in the sink. Spray cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking and preserve the color. Lightly squeeze the spinach dry and chill it if you are not serving it immediately.

2. If you haven't fried the peanuts yet, do so now, as they will need to cool down before they become crispy. 

The delectable dressing

3. To make the dressing, combine the sesame oil with either the sauce from the Sweet Pickled Garlic Cloves or the rest of the ingredients. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

4. Just before serving, toss the spinach with the sauce and the Fried Peanuts. Serve cold.

A proper Xi'an biscuit with my tea...

It’s been said that this dish has been around for over a thousand years and was a staple on the arid plains of North China along the Silk Road, which makes a whole lot of sense, for sheep and goats are the few types of domestic animals that can live up there and thrive.

Shaanxi has traditionally been a relatively poor part of China, but rich in history and culture, for this once was the seat of empire for around ten dynasties. The royal families settled here where it was the most dangerous, their troops massed around them to fend off attack by ancient enemies to the north and west. And that is one of the many reasons why the food here is so wonderful, especially around Xi’an in spite of it being almost unknown outside of the country. 

One dish that showcases the ability of these hearty northerners to combine practicality with an intense enjoyment in good, honest food is this rich lamb soup.  But what makes it unique is not the soup itself – it’s the chewy bits of biscuit that bob around the top in place of the more common noodle.

English... er, Chinese biscuits

Since this comes from a high desert area where water is precious, noodles would have been a luxury, so something else had to take their place. And some brilliant cook whose name has been lost in the dust of time came up with the brilliant idea of these biscuits which taste like the best English muffins ever when they are fresh off the grill and then dry into leathery hardtack after a couple of days.

Some friends from Xi’an told us that decades ago, the men who pulled the huge drayage carts in Shaanxi were so poor that they could only afford one meal a day. So, at 10:00 in the morning, they’d down a huge bowl of this nutritious and filling soup before going out to work as hard as any man ever could work.

We too used to enjoy enormous washbasin-sized bowls of this soup in winter at a small stand on Yanping North Road in Taipei, the stand run by old soldiers from this area. Their food wasn't fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it was always good. We would always peruse their menu and consider all the options before ordering, as usual, some of their lamb soup with biscuits. 

The soup would arrive in a cloud of steam along with one biscuit per person, and we’d crumble bits of it into our soup (using a knife to wiggle free the really hard parts) as we worked our way to the bottom of the bowl so that each bite would be chewy from the bread, and then we’d be so warm and full that we could walk miles afterwards. 

Rested dough

The traditional hardtack has been improved upon here; what we used to have with our soup was almost impossible to tear, especially if the biscuits weren't that fresh. 

These, though, are light as feather in comparison, at least when eaten fresh. Hot and sweetly toasty, they complement the filling soup perfectly, and are equally marvelous with some butter and honey for afternoon tea.

Lamb soup with biscuits 
Yángròu pàomó  羊肉泡饃

Shaanxi
Serves 4 to 6 as a main dish

Soup:

1½ pounds boneless lamb stew meat (or, if you’re feeling either adventurous or traditional, try mutton or goat), or beef stew meat

Filtered water as needed

10 cups lamb or beef stock, preferably unsalted

1 teaspoon fennel seed

1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns

2 whole star anise

1 small stick cinnamon

2 or 3 dried Thai chilies, optional

2 inches fresh ginger, smashed with the side of a cleaver

5 green onions, smashed with the side of a cleaver

1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

Biscuits:

2 cups Chinese flour (or 2 parts American all-purpose mixed with 1 part pastry flour), plus extra as needed

⅔ cup cool filtered water

1 teaspoon yeast

Garnishes:

2 bundles cellophane noodles soaked in cool water for at least 30 minutes

¼ cup dried wood ear mushrooms soaked in hot water for at least 1 hour

Handful of cilantro, chopped

Sweet Pickled Garlic,  plus some of the sauce, or balsamic vinegar

Chili sauce or Chili Oil as desired

1. Start this at least 2 hours before serving if using a pressure cooker, or at least 5 hours with a regular pan. To make the soup, cut the meat into pieces no larger than an inch square. Place them in a pressure cooker or pan, cover with filtered water, and bring the water to a boil. Simmer the meat for around 10 minutes, then dump out the water and the scum, rinse the meat in a colander, wash out the pressure cooker or pan, return the meat to the pan, and cover it with the stock. (If your pressure cooker or pan is relatively small, use less stock and add the rest later when the soup is finished.) Place the fennel and Sichuan peppercorns in a tea ball or tie in a piece of cloth; add this to the stock, as well as the star anise, cinnamon, chilies, ginger, green onion, and salt. Cover the pressure cooker, bring it to a boil over high and then cook it for about 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender; in a regular pan, bring the stock to a boil, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook the lamb until tender, adding more water as necessary to keep the meat submerged. Taste the lamb and soup and adjust the seasoning. (The soup can be prepared ahead of time and either refrigerated or frozen; as with most soups, it is better the next day, and the hard fat can be scraped off easily before the soup is reheated.)

2. While the lamb is cooking, start the biscuits: place ¼ cup of the flour in a medium work bowl and stir in both the water and the yeast; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the yeast rise for about an hour; the batter should be bubbly. Stir in 1½ cups flour to form a stiff dough and then turn the dough out on a smooth surface. Knead in about 6 tablespoons dough; the dough will be ready when it is no longer tacky and is very firm. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least 20 minutes.

Soaked cellophane noodles

3. Lightly knead the dough and cut it into 6 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and use a rolling pin to roll each ball into a circle about 3½ inches wide (see Tips); no extra flour should be necessary, but sprinkle on a bit if the dough sticks. Heat a large, nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium heat until drops of water hiss into steam when flicked onto the skillet. Place as many of the biscuits in the pan as will fit rather loosely; I usually do this in two batches. Cover the pan and let the cook over medium heat for 3 or so minutes, or until the bottoms are golden. Flip the biscuits over, cover, and cook until the other side is golden, too. Test one with a wooden skewer to ensure that it is cooked all the way through (the skewer should come out clean), remove the biscuits to a plate, and cover with a clean tea towel. Repeat with the rest of the biscuits until done.

4. Cut the soaked cellophane noodles in half and drain them. Cut the wood ear mushrooms into a thin julienne. Add these to the soup and simmer until the noodles are translucent, about 10 minutes.  Ladle the soup into large bowls, sprinkle on a bit of cilantro, and issue each diner a biscuit.  Serve while the soup is steaming hot, and have extra soup and biscuits ready for seconds.  Offer the garlic, vinegar, and chili sauce on the side for those who want to add a traditional Shaanxi style zip to their soup.

Dimpled surface

Tips

Make your own stock, if you like, by cooking 3 pounds bones in enough water to cover; either skim off the scum the forms or rinse the bones as you do the meat in Step 1. In a pressure cooker, the stock should take an hour or so; in a stockpot, figure on about 3 hours.

Notice the dimpled top of the uncooked biscuit on the right; I found that if I rolled the dough out another half or so inch wider and then used the palms of my hands to lightly roll the edges of the circle and gently make it smaller again, the biscuit wrinkled up a bit on top and had a nicer texture when it was cooked.

Beijing's spinach and peanut appetizer

Weather as hot as it's been lately demands cool and refreshing meals, because if you're anything like me, your appetite lags in direct proportion to the rise in mercury.  

One way to make food more appealing is to offer a spread of what the Chinese call "stomach openers," or kaiweicai, the very definition of appetizers.  Most of what I offer here are vegetarian - that's because to my mind few things are as refreshing on a sweltering day as cold salads and chilled veggies.  In the next column we'll take a look at what is probably the most scrumptious way to cook an egg, but for the nonce, as they say, it's nothing but vegetables around here.

A couple of readers recently asked that I provide a recipe for a popular Beijing style dish that is an easy toss of blanched spinach and fried peanuts, and I am delighted to oblige, as this is a great "stomach opener."  As with all things Chinese, though, the secret is in the balance, in the timing, and in the brilliant contrasts between flavors and textures.

Crispy fried peanuts

If you've been cooking along with this blog, Spinach and Peanut Appetizer will prove to be particularly foolproof since it relies on the delicious fried peanuts I showed you how to make a few months ago.  Plus, you'll want to spike this dish with either the dressing that's given below or, if you are really industrious, you'll be able to lace it with some of that glorious garlic-infused sweet vinegar that is the ambrosial by-product of the Sweet Pickled Garlic Cloves of Shanxi.  In fact, this makes perfect sense, because Shanxi is up there in the northern reaches of China, not too far at all from Beijing, and so if it seems that these dishes come together as if they were closely related, that's because they are.

The only thing I ask you to take particular care with - aside from frying the peanuts, of course - is the washing of the spinach.  Nothing destroys a spinach dish faster than grit, and spinach seems to hold onto sand with impressive tenacity.  The best way to wash spinach is to use the trick I learned eons ago from Marian Morash's Victory Garden Cookbook:  wash the spinach in a tub of warm water, which is easier on your hands and so makes swishing around the leaves a whole lot more pleasant. Rinse and swish the spinach, changing the water each time until there is absolutely no sand left in the bottom of the bowl.  Then, shake the leaves dry; you don't need to get them totally dry for this dish, as they are going to be blanched.

Soak the spinach in warm water

Chinese dishes rarely call for spinach to be stemmed.  If you have a tough bunch of spinach, though, this is a great time to learn how to remove the stems a la Julia Child:  just grab the leaves with one hand while pulling up on the stems like a zipper with the other... totally easy and a skill that will come in handy more times than you'll think possible.  No need to throw out the stems, though; toss them into your stockpot or rinse them well, chop them finely, blanch or stir-fry, and season as desired.  (Sorry, but my thrifty Scot nature has a nervous breakdown at the first sign of waste.)

Enjoy this dish either chilled or slightly warm.  If you are making it ahead of time, wait until the last minute to toss in the dressing and peanuts so that the spinach remains a lovely emerald green and the peanuts stay crunchy.


Beijing-style spinach and peanut appetizer 
Bocai huasheng   菠菜花生  
Beijing
Serves 4 to 6 as an appetizer, 2 to 3 as a side dish

1 bunch (about 12 ounces) fresh spinach, as tender as possible
¼ cup Fried Peanuts
2 to 3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

3 or more tablespoons sauce from the Sweet Pickled Garlic Cloves (or
1 clove garlic, finely minced, plus 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, plus 1 tablespoon tasty dark vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon sugar)
Sea salt to taste

The garlicky dressing

1. Clean the spinach as directed above, removing any tough stems.  Blanch the spinach by bringing about 2 inches of filtered water to a boil in a large (2 quart) covered saucepan before adding the spinach, covering the pot again, and then quickly tossing the spinach with a pair of tongs as soon as the water boils again. Once all of the leaves have wilted, but are still bright green and barely cooked, drain the spinach in a colander set in the sink.  Spray cold water over the spinach to stop the cooking and preserve the color.  Lightly squeeze the spinach dry and chill it if you are not serving it immediately.

2. If you haven't fried the peanuts yet, do so now, as they will need to cool down before they become crispy.

3. To make the dressing, combine the sesame oil with either the sauce from the Sweet Pickled Garlic Cloves or the rest of the ingredients.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  


4. Just before serving, toss the spinach with the sauce and the Fried Peanuts.  Serve cold.