Muslim style boneless lamb

Tenderest lamb imaginable

Of the three major influences on Beijing's cuisine -- Manchuria, Shandong, and Muslim -- perhaps the most remarkable one is the last. China in no way is an Islamic nation, nor has any of its emperors or presidents ever been a Muslim. But the foods of Central Asia were carried into the northern regions of China over a thousand years ago, and they took root in a land that has enthusiastically welcomed their flavors and aesthetics. 


True, many Chinese converted to Islam over the years, and the northwest and western regions still are home to a great many Muslims. But something happened to the spices and meats and breads that wound their way along the northern Silk Road and finally into the nation's capital: the foods became unmistakably Chinese.


Take this lamb recipe, for example. The meat is simmered for hours until little more than a harsh look makes it fall apart in your hands. And yet it is not at all dry: in fact, this might be the tastiest and juiciest lamb you've ever tried. It is on a par with the most delectable lamb dishes China offers.


But it is more than that: exotic spices that were imported into China -- cinnamon and fennel -- nestle up to Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, ginger, and green onions to scent even the innermost regions of the meat. Soy sauce and North China's beloved sweet wheat paste (tianmianjiang) season the sauce, but in keeping with halal rules there is no rice wine. 


The meat is perfectly delicious as is, but to bring it up one more level, it is fried in roasted sesame oil, which not only flavors the exterior, but also crisps up the edges and offers some of that inimitable Chinese counterpoint of tastes and textures.


This is served simply with some tender Spring Wraps to enfold the meat, along with a sprinkling of either shredded green onions or cilantro, plus the Fried Sweet Wheat Paste, which has a recipe down below, and the Mustardy Cabbage Mounds in the previous post make the perfect accompaniment. You can, of course, use plain sweet wheat paste instead of heating it up, but there is a rawness in the stuff that comes out of a jar, and this responds happily to a quick frying with some sesame oil, sugar, and a sprinkle of soy sauce to balance out the flavors.  


Leftover meat can be used, along with some of the cooking stock, as a terrific topping for plain wheat noodles. Top with some blanched greens and you have an utterly delicious meal practically as an afterthought!

Peppercorns and lamb

Muslim style boneless lamb -- 鍋燒羊肉  Guoshao yangrou
Serves 6 to 8 as a main dish and around 16 people as part of a multicourse meal


Lamb

Approximately 3½ pounds boneless organic, free-range lamb (leg or shoulder; see Tips)

1 leek or 5 green onions, trimmed and cleaned (see Tips)

10 slices fresh ginger

3 whole star anise

½ cup regular, good quality soy sauce

2 tablespoons sweet wheat paste

2 inches stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

1 tablespoon whole fennel seeds

Filtered water to cover

1 cup fresh roasted sesame oil

Garnish

Fried Sweet Wheat Paste Sauce (recipe follows)

Shredded green onions and/or cilantro sprigs

Double the Spring Wraps recipe if you are serving the entire amount

1. Rinse the meat and pat it dry. If your butcher has not bundled the lamb in a net, use kitchen twine to tie it up, which will keep the meat from disintegrating during the long simmering.

2. Place the meat in a pot, cover with tap water, and bring the water to a boil. Simmer the meat for about 10 minutes, at which point scum will have risen to the surface. Dump out the water and rinse both the meat and the pot. Wipe all of the scum off with a paper towel and return the meat to the pot.

3. Add the leek or green onions in one piece to the pot (they are easier to remove this way), as well as the ginger, star anise, soy sauce, sweet wheat paste, cinnamon, Sichuan peppercorns, and fennel seeds. Add enough filtered water to cover the lamb. Bring the pot to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Slowly cook the lamb uncovered for 4 hours, or until extremely tender. Cool in the stock. Remove the lamb from the stock and let it drain; see Tips. (You may prepare the lamb ahead of time up to this point and refrigerate the meat; the stock can be used for other things, as suggested above, and the fat can be easily removed once it is chilled.)

4. Remove the net or twine. Cut the meat in half with the grain so that you have two large slabs. (Fry only as much of the meat as you want to serve immediately.) Heat the sesame oil in a wok over medium-high heat until it starts to smoke and carefully add one half of the meat. Fry it on both sides until crispy. Cut it against the grain into strips and serve with the Spring Wraps, shredded green onions and/or cilantro sprigs, and Fried Sweet Wheat Paste Sauce. To eat, smear some of the sauce down the middle of a wrap, add a strip of the lamb, and tuck in some of the green onions; roll them up together and eat with your hands.

Dark & delicious

Fried Sweet Wheat Paste Sauce – 炸甜麵醬 Zha tianmianjiang

Makes about ½ cup

3 tablespoons roasted sesame oil

½ cup sweet wheat paste (tianmianjiang)

2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons regular soy sauce, or to taste

Toasted sesame seeds, optional

1. Pour the sesame oil into a wok and warm it up over medium heat until it is very liquid. Stir in the sweet wheat paste until the oil is incorporated. Taste and add as much sugar and soy sauce as needed. Cool to room temperature.

2. Scrape the sauce into either a container or small dishes for individual service. (This can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator or at room temperature.) Sprinkle with the sesame seeds as garnish, if desired.

Tips

Use any tasty cut of boneless lamb; it should be fatty for the most flavor, and it can be full of connective tissue and tendons (as in the leg), since these will become soft and tender by the time the meat is fully cooked.

Some butchers will provide a net for boneless cuts like this. If yours doesn’t, simply tie kitchen twine around the lamb as for a roast (i.e., tightly around the meat at 1-inch intervals).

If you are using a leek, keep the root end on, split it down the center, and then rinse the leek under running water to remove all of the sand and dirt. Shake the leek dry and add it to the pot without cutting it up further; this makes its later removal much easier.

The brands of sweet wheat paste vary, so use your own judgment when seasoning the sauce. It should not be overly sweet, but rather have a lovely balance of sweet and savory. 

Top and bottom photo credit: Jen Y. Cheng

Candied walnuts with prawns

Few things in life give such immediate pleasure as candied walnuts. They are one of those things that everyone seems to adore, as they strike some happy chord in the brain.

Fortunately, they are also a snap to make. And, if you like tempura shrimp, combining them with candied walnuts and a bit of Japanese mayonnaise will turn this into immediate heaven for you. This is a lively Cantonese dish that is easy to master and fun to serve.

This is also great food for fancy dinners, as most of it can be done ahead of time, and yet just fancy enough that your guests will be thrilled. I served them to Mexican cooking icon Diana Kennedy at a party in her honor a while ago, and I heaved a huge sigh of relief when she pronounced them delicious.

Luscious halves and pieces

Serving up tasty walnuts -- as with any other nut -- depends on one thing and one thing only: freshness.  So, start with the best walnuts you can find, which for me usually means heading over to the health food store where I can rummage around in their bins and taste a couple before buying them.

Get the walnut halves and bigger pieces this time, rather than the smaller bits. These are usually the best when it comes to quality anyway, and it's nicer to serve up walnuts this way than as a crumble. 

The second thing you have to remember when using walnuts is that they must be blanched first to get rid of the bitterness in their skins. This will also serve to turn the nuts into tender pillows that only need to be fried to wake up their flavors. Candied walnuts are so good that I often serve them on their own as a cocktail snack or little side dish, and they disappear awfully fast. So be sure to make enough!

Fry the shrimp with tempura batter

The seasoning can be adjusted to fit your palate and whatever it is you are serving them with. I like a bit of spice in them, but this can easily be omitted or exchanged with something else. A dash of toasted sesame seeds also adds another dimension, if you like, and gives a nice, pale contrast to the dark walnuts, but this again is all up to you. 

Deep-frying prawns or large shrimp for this recipe is also easier than it looks. The secret is tempura flour, which you can buy already prepared in most East Asian markets (look in the Japanese aisle if it is a Chinese or Korean market). Then, stir ice water into the flour before dipping in the prawns and deep frying. It is the ice water that makes the batter explode in the hot oil, which then turns the batter into something lighter than air.

The sauce is simply Kewpie mayonnaise, a Japanese brand that I love. And I serve the prawns over nothing more than thinly shredded cabbage or iceberg lettuce. This may seem awfully prosaic, but the flavors of the mayo and walnuts and fried prawns trickle down into a delicious dressing. Plus, the heat from the prawns cooks the veggies every so slightly so that it makes this simple bed the perfect foil for everything else.

Cantonese delight

Candied walnuts with prawns 
Hetao xia  核桃蝦  
Guangdong

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multicourse meal 

Candied walnuts:

3 cups very fresh shelled walnuts (halves and large pieces)

Boiling water, as needed

4 cups peanut or vegetable oil

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon five-spice powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds, optional

Shrimp:

12 prawns or large shrimp, shelled but with the tail attached if possible

2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ cup tempura flour

Filtered ice water, as needed

To serve:

Shredded head cabbage or iceberg lettuce (about 3 cups)

1. Place the walnuts in a medium heatproof work bowl and cover them with boiling water. Leave them in the water for at least 10 minutes (although longer is better here), and then drain and rinse. Pat the walnuts as dry as you can, since you will be frying them. 

Nuts before & after caramelization

2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat until a wooden or bamboo chopstick inserted in the hot oil is immediately covered with bubbles. Place a dry work bowl next to the stove for the fried walnuts and have a slotted spoon handy. Add the walnuts to the wok and gently stir them in the oil until they are a golden brown and taste toasty and crunchy. Remove them with the slotted spoon to the dry bowl. Drain off and reserve (you will need it later for the prawns) all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the wok. Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set it next to the stove.

3. Return the fried walnuts to the wok and sprinkle them with the sugar, salt, and spices. Stir-fry the walnuts with the seasonings over medium-high heat until the sugar caramelizes. Immediately empty the wok onto the parchment paper and use chopsticks or a fork to separate the walnuts. (If you want to add the sesame seeds, sprinkle them over the walnuts and then toss some more.) The walnuts can be prepared ahead of time up to this point, placed in a covered container, and refrigerated. Just before you cook the shrimp, pick out and reserve the prettiest walnuts and reserve them as garnish.

4. Clean and devein the prawns (slit the backs of the prawns only until you get to the long, gray string; remove that, as it is the prawn's sandy intestinal tract). Keep the tails attached, if at all possible, but remove any legs, heads, and shells. Place the shrimp in a small work bowl and toss them with the rice wine and salt; let them marinate for about 15 minutes and then drain. Pile the shredded cabbage or lettuce into a shallow mound on a serving platter and have a large, clean work bowl next to the stove, along with the mayonnaise and salt.

5. About 15 minutes before you want to serve this dish, mix the tempura flour with just enough ice water to make a batter the consistency of thick cream. Pat the shrimp dry. Return the oil to the wok and place it over high heat. 

Pick up the prawns by the tail

6. When a bit of the batter dropped into the hot oil immediately bubbles and floats to the surface, pick up the prawns one at a time by the tail and dip the bodies into the batter. Gently lower them into the hot oil and repeat with about half of the prawns. Fry and turn the prawns until the tails are bright pink, the batter is golden brown, and the shrimp float, but do not overcook them. Use a slotted spoon or chopsticks to remove them to the clean work bowl. Repeat with the rest of the prawns until all are cooked.

7. Immediately add all of the walnuts (except for the ones reserved as garnish) to the shrimp and squeeze about ¼ cup of the mayonnaise over them and a pinch or two of salt. Toss and add a bit more mayo as desired; it should be a light dressing and not be so much that it turns the batter soggy. Taste the dressing and adjust the flavors as needed. Quickly arrange the shrimp and walnuts on top of the cabbage or lettuce, sprinkle the reserved walnuts on top, and serve.

Tips

Use either fresh or frozen prawns/shrimp. The only requirement is that they are sustainable and of excellent quality. 

When you place any food in hot oil, do it this way to avoid getting burned: put it down on the surface of the oil and then slide it in so that the oil doesn't splash on you.

Add the prawns to the hot oil one at a time and in different places so that they do not stick to each other.

When deep frying anything, avoid overcrowding the wok with too much at one time. What this does is radically lower the temperature of oil, causing the food to poach rather than fry. Also, things will clump up this way. So, even though it may seem that you are taking more time by frying small amounts, you will end up cooking the foods faster and achieving nice, crispy exteriors.

Cleanup for a wok and spatula covered with caramel is a lot easier than it looks; simply fill the wok with hot water and wait a few minutes until the caramel has dissolved.

Spring bamboo teaser from Anhui

In one of my previous lives I must have been a panda. That is the only explanation I can think of for my undying love for any- and everything made with bamboo shoots. And the more I look into Anhui's cuisine, the more I find to like, because bamboo shoots spring up everywhere just like, well, bamboo shoots.

The misty reaches of southern Anhui province are home to some pretty spectacular bamboo forests, and the long, thin "spring" type of bamboo (as opposed to the thicker and squatter "winter" bamboo shoots we've discussed earlier) of Mount Wenzheng are commonly held to be some of the best around, as they are tender, juicy, flavorful, and crunchy. 

There fame was secured long ago in the Anhui tongzhi (Anhui gazeteer), which said, "Bamboo shoots are produced in Liuyi, Anhui, and the flavor of the Wenzheng ones are the finest." And during the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), bamboo shoots were held in such high esteem that they were sent as tribute to the imperial palace. Lots of baggage for these little guys to handle.

Frozen "spring" bamboo shoots

But handle it they do, and with considerable aplomb. As of this date, though, echt bamboo shoots from Mount Wenzheng are not yet available anywhere near where I live, so I've resorted to some frozen spring bamboo shoots that are really quite good. These are available year round, and this cool appetizer is done with a minimum of effort, so when hot weather hits your area, consider making this refreshing dish to start your next meal.

Light colored vinegar is the traditional sour note in this dish, but I've come to like fresh lemon juice here instead for its spectacular burst of liveliness and scent. (And that's not just a California thing... lemons did, of course, originally come from China, so I'm just returning the favor.) Only a minimum of sugar is added to balance out the lemon's tartness and a touch of salt to wake up the palate. 

Also, I sprinkle Toasted Sesame Seeds on top in addition to a few drops of roasted sesame oil to add another level of flavor and texture. I've included a recipe below for these sesame seeds, which bumps up the flavor and texture a couple of more notches.

Pandas shouldn't have all the fun.

Tender shoots being toweled off

Mt. Wenzheng style bamboo shoots 
Wenzhengshan sun 問政山筍 
Anhui

Serves 6 to 8 as an appetizer

1 pound frozen spring bamboo
Filtered water as needed
1 tablespoon sea salt
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or a light colored, tasty vinegar
1½ tablespoons sugar, or to taste
½ teaspoon sea salt
Roasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon (or more) Toasted Sesame Seeds (recipe below)
Garnish, optional

Whack the shoots to open them up

1. Place the bamboo shoots in a medium saucepan and cover them with water; add the tablespoon of sea salt and bring the pot to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-high and simmer the shoots until the thickest parts are tender. The easiest way to do this is to pierce an end with a paring knife; it should go in easily. Do remember, though, that frozen vegetables have all been blanched to some degree, so also be careful to not overcook the shoots and turn the tips into mush.

2. Drain the bamboo shoots and immediately rinse in cool water so that they stop cooking. Drain and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

3. Cut the shoots into 2- to 3-inch lengths. Slice the tip ends into thin strips. Hit the thicker ends with the side of your cleaver to help tenderize them some more, and then cut them into very thin strips. 

4. Place the bamboo in a medium work bowl. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and half teaspoon sea salt, and toss the bamboo in the seasonings. Let the bamboo shoots then sit there for a few minutes to give the sugar and salt the chance to dissolve; if you taste them right away, they will taste sweeter and saltier than they will later on because both ingredients are still crystalline. Once these crystals have melted away, do a taste test and add more lemon juice, sugar, or salt as needed. Refrigerate covered so the bamboo shoots get a chance to chill and absorb the seasonings.

5. Just before serving, pile up the bamboo shoots on a pretty plate, drizzle some sesame oil over them, and then sprinkle with the Roasted Sesame Seeds. Decorate with a few sprigs of cilantro or some little bamboo leaves, if you have them.

It doesn't get easier than this

Toasted sesame seeds 
Ganchao zhima  乾炒芝麻 
All over China
Makes ½ cup
½ cup raw sesame seeds (any kind)

1. This is one of those recipes that are super easy, but it's also one of those rare ones where lots of senses are involved: eyes, nose, and even the ears.

2. First check the sesame for tiny rocks or foreign matter. Heat a small dry frying pan over medium-high heat until the edge of the pan feels hot to the touch. Do not add any oil.

Stir the sesame

Add the sesame seeds to the dry pan and lower the heat to medium. Stir the sesame very often with a flat spatula while they toast, and as the seeds heat up and start to crackle, be sure to stir them constantly. 

3. The seeds will begin to pop and smell delicious as they turn a golden brown, and as soon as they are gold all over, pour the seeds into a shallow bowl to cool off. (If you leave them in the pan, they will continue to cook and probably burn.)

4. Store the toasted sesame in a jar in a cool, dry place. Try to use them up in a week or two so that they don't lose that freshly toasted flavor.