Braised Fish (Salmon) Head

Braised Fish (Salmon) Head

2 cups water
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup sake or white wine
1/2 cup ponzu (can this be replaced with soy sauce and rice vinegar?)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp hondashi
2 Tbsp brown sugar
80g sliced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, sliced

Put all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
Add salmon collar / head just enough so that the liquid would cover the fish completely.
Covered.
Simmer for 10 minutes.

Turn the fish over (if desired) and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

If you have more fish, you can remove the fish and use the broth to cook another batch.
If not, turn off heat and let the fish sit in the broth overnight to absorb more flavor.

Hunan Cuisine: Beef with Cumin

Beef with Cumin

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

12-oz trimmed beef steak, such as sirloin, chuck or round (maybe flank)
2 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped
2-4 tsp dried chili flakes
2 tsp ground cumin
salt
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cups peanut oil for frying

For the marinade

1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp potato flour
1 Tbsp water

Cut the beef across grain into thin slices, 1.5 by 1.25 inches.  Add the marinade ingredients and mix well.

Heat the peanut oil to 275F.  Add the beef and stir gently.  As soon as the pieces have separated, remove them from the oil and drain well; set aside.

Add 3 Tbsp oil to wok.  Add ginger, garlic, fresh chilies, chili flakes, and cumand and stir-fry briefly until fragrant.  Return the beef to work and stir well, seasoning with salt to taste.

When all ingredients are sizzling and cooked, add the scallion green and toss briefly.  Remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil and serve.

Hunan Cuisine: Tiger-skin Steamed Pork

Tiger-skin Steamed Pork

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

1-lb 10-oz pork belly, with skin, in one piece
1 Tbsp sweet fermented glutinous rice wine, or Shaoxing wine
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2.5 Tbsp black fermented beans, rinsed
2 cups Peanut oil for frying

Boil the pork belly for 8-10 minutes until nearly cooked.  Remove and pat dry.

Heat the oil to 350F.  Dry the prok bellow skin side down for about 3 minutes, until skin is a rich, dark red-brown.

Remove pork from the oil and return to original cooking water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes until skin is puckered all over (the "tiger skin" effect).  Draink and coool slightly.

Cut the pork into 1/2-inch slices.  Layer the slides over a heatproof bowl, makeing sure each piece of skin is in contact with the bowl.  Put any ragged bits of meat on top.  Scatter the salt, soy sauces, and black beans, over the meat and place in steamer.

Steam the meat for at least 30 minutes, or as long as possible, preferrably 1.5 hours.  To serve, flip the bowl over the serving dish.

Hunan Cuisine: Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Beans and Chilies

Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Beans and Chilies

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

1 lb spare ribs, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 tsp finely chopped fresh giner
1 Tbsp black fermented beans, rinsed
Dried chili flakes to taste
2 tsp lard (optional)

Blanch the ribs.

Place the ribs with all the ingredients.  Steam over high heat for 30 minutes, until cooked through.

Hunan Cuisine: Sauces for Noodles

Sauces for Noodles

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

Hot Sesame Sauce

2 Tbsp sesame paste

2 Tbsp cold water

1 Tbsp fermented bean curd, mixed with its juice

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinkiang vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Combine ingredients together.

Toppings

2-4 Tbsp chili oil with sediment

5 Tbsp preserved mustard tuber (about 2 ounces), rinsed and finely chopped

1/3 cup crushed roasted peanuts

2 scallions, green part, finely sliced

Sauce can be served with liang fen, mung bean jelly.  Soak dry liang fen in boiling water for about 30 minutes.

Or try with Korean noodle.  (?)

Cold-Tossed Noodle Sauce

1.5 Tbsp sesame paste

1.5 Tbsp fermented bean curd, mixed with its juice

2 tsp light soy sauce

1.5 Tbsp clear rice vinegar

1.5 Tbsp chili oil with sediment

2 tsp sesame oil

Cook the plain flour-and-water or egg noodles per instruction.  Drain, dry.  Can mix with a little peanut oil to prevent sticking.

Same toppings as above, minus the oil.  Can also add cilantro.

Yueyang Hot-Dry Noodle

1 Tbsp chopped salted chilies

4 tsp sesame paste

1 tsp crushed garlic

2 tsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp chili oil with sediment

Cook 7-oz dried or 1 lb 6-oz fresh Chinese noodles and drain well.  Add the sauce and mix well.

Toppings with mustard tuber, scallions and sesame seeds.

Hunan Cuisine: Fragrant-and-Hot Spare Ribs

Fragrant-and-Hot Spare Ribs

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

2.5 lb meaty spare ribs, 3 1/4-inch sections
2 quarts aromatic broth (see below)
2 tsp garlic, finely chopped
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp chili bean paste
1 tsp chopped salted chilies
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried chili flakes
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp finely chopped red bell pepper
3 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
2 tsp sesame oil
Peanut oil for deep-frying

Blank the ribs in boiling water.  Drain.

Simmer the ribs in aromatic broth for about 40 minutes, until tender.  Drain.

Heat the oil to 350F.  Deep-fry the ribs until golden.  Drain.

Add 3 Tbsp oil to wok.  Add 2 tsp garlic, 2 tsp giner, 1 tsp chili bean paste, 1 tsp chopped slated chilies and stir-fry until fragrant.  Add 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried chili flakes, and 2 tsp sesame seeds and stir a couple times.

Add 3 Tbsp water and the fried ribs and toss them in the sauce.  Add red bell pepper and scallions.  Off heat, stir in the 2 tsp sesame oil.

Aromatic Broth

2 quarts stock or water
1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peel left on, sliced
2 scallions
4 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
1.5-2 tsp salt
Caramel color if you want a golden broth

(some of all of the following spices)
small handful dried chilies
2 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
3 slightly crushed dried/red cadamom (cao guo)
few pieces of cassia bark
6 bay leaves
4 star anise
6 gloves
6 cardamom (green?) pod

Hunan Cuisine: Spiced Salt

Spiced Salt

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop

4 Tbsp salt

4 Tbsp whole Sichuan pepper

couple pieces of cassia bark

2 crushed red/dried cardamom

5 bay leaves

2 star anise

8 cloves

Stir-fry all the ingredients in a dry wok over medium flame for about 10 minutes, until the salt is brownish and the aromas is deep.  Store in airtight jar.