Jane Says: Get Your Kitchen Ready for Chinese New Year
“What are some staples for someone aspiring to cook Chinese food at home?”
—Mike Mescon
Most of the fresh ingredients called for in Chinese recipes are readily available—in addition to everyday produce such as bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, spinach, garlic, shallots, and scallions, you can find bean sprouts, bok choy, chiles, daikon radishes, ginger, napa cabbage, and various kinds of tofu at most supermarkets. Odds are, you’ll also have your pick of grass-fed beef, pastured pork and chicken, or sustainable seafood, which is a big plus in my book.
And when you have an assortment of essential dry and liquid ingredients—fermented black beans, chile bean paste, sesame oil, and so on—in the pantry, you’ll discover how easy it is to make Chinese dishes part of your culinary repertoire. I don’t mean to imply that you need to organize an entire Chinese meal each time the spirit moves. Stir-fried asparagus with oyster sauce is stellar with a steak or burgers, for example, and stir-fried garlic lettuce, a mainstay on Chinese tables when celebrating the Lunar New Year (Happy Year of the Ram!), is fabulous with pan-seared or steamed fish.
Pretty soon, you’ll discover the crossover appeal of any number of items—and what I mean by that is the dishes you use them in won’t taste especially Asian; they’ll just taste really, really delicious. Fermented black beans are little umami bombs when added to the usual weeknight sautéed broccoli and garlic or vegetarian pastas. Star anise and a judicious dollop of chile bean paste can do worlds for a basic pot roast, and deglazing a skillet with a splash of Chinkiang vinegar or Shao Hsing wine takes a simple pan sauce to a whole new level.
If you don’t have a wok, don’t let that stop you from cooking Chinese food at home—a large skillet (not nonstick) will do—but having the right tool for the job, as well as a handle on basic stir-frying technique, does make a big difference.
The pantry staples below may all be found at Asian grocery stores and online sources. In cases where I’ve given a specific brand name, it’s been on the recommendation of a Chinese-cooking authority such as Grace Young, Bruce Cost, Naomi Duguid, or Fuchsia Dunlop, and it’s what I use in my own kitchen.
Chile Bean Paste
This spicy paste, which is made with soybeans, has a more rounded flavor than so-called chile garlic sauce, so don’t confuse the two. A good all-purpose chile bean paste brand is Lee Kum Kee. Store in the fridge after opening.
Chinkiang Vinegar
This type of “black vinegar” from eastern China, made from black glutinous rice, is often compared to balsamic vinegar, although it isn’t as syrupy. The quality varies widely; lesser brands may include sugar and/or caramel coloring. Better-quality Chinkiang vinegars, such as the Gold Plum brand, are aged to give them a complex, smoky, almost malty flavor; they’re used in dipping sauces for spring rolls or dumplings, with noodles, and in braised dishes.
Cooking Oils
It’s imperative to use an oil with a high smoking point for stir-frying. Peanut oil is the traditional favorite, and two consistent brands are Planters and Spectrum. But Young, who has interviewed numerous Chinese cooks for books such as The Breath of a Wok and Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge, stresses that a variety of oils are used, including grapeseed, safflower, and canola.
Dried Chiles
Look for glossy, fragrant specimens that are two to three inches long. Sunlight and heat are as detrimental to dried chiles as they are to herbs and spices, so store them in a jar in a cool, dry, dark place.
Dried Noodles
Noodles symbolize longevity, and are often included in a Lunar New Year celebration. The two most common dried types are cellophane (aka bean thread or glass noodles) and rice sticks (vermicelli).
Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
Think of dried shiitake (aka Chinese dried mushrooms or, in Japan, dried winter mushrooms) as a shortcut to deep flavor. They can be sold in cellophane, boxes, or loose, and vary in quality. Pale, thick, cracked mushroom caps (fa gwoo) are renowned for their intense, almost meaty flavor; they must be soaked for two to three hours before cooking. Thinner, darker mushroom caps are less flavorful and less expensive—they only require soaking for 30 minutes.
Dried Tangerine Peel
You’ll often see this ingredient paired with cinnamon in beef stir-fries, for instance, but it’s by no means essential to a basic Chinese pantry. That said, I’m including it because right now is the time to make your own. Simply wash and dry tangerines or clementines, then remove pieces of the peel with your fingers. Remove any strands of pith, and then arrange the peels in one layer on a tray or plate. Let them dry, uncovered and turning every so often, in a dry, dim corner for four or five days. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dark, dry place.
Fermented Black Beans
These aren’t the turtle beans you would use in black bean soup, moros y cristianos, or a burrito, but black soybeans that have been steamed, then fermented with salt and spices, including ginger. A common seasoning for seafood, poultry, and meat, these beans must be rinsed in a few changes of water before using. They’re pungent, so after opening them, transfer to a tightly sealed glass jar; that way, they’ll keep almost indefinitely in a cool, dark, dry place. One brand to look for is Yang Jiang Preserved Beans.
Hoisin Sauce
Made from soybeans, sugar, garlic, sesame seeds, chiles, and spices, this thick, tangy-sweet, smoky sauce is as at home in a down-home barbecue sauce as it is in Hoisin Explosion Chicken or as a condiment for Peking duck. Koon Chun is one reliable brand; refrigerate after opening.
Oyster Sauce
This is an age-old seasoning made from dried oysters that has too often been bowdlerized with sugar and other additives. You get what you pay for, in other words. My go-to brand is Lee Kum Kee, and I use it in braises, soupy noodle dishes, and stir-fries; it’s especially nice with green vegetables such as broccoli and bok choy. Refrigerate after opening.
Sesame Oil
Although you may see a light-colored sesame oil at the supermarket, what you want is the fragrant, golden-brown kind that’s made from roasted sesame seeds; it’s not used for cooking, but in small quantities as a seasoning, often at the end of cooking. Choose a pure oil instead of one that’s blended with another oil, and because it can turn rancid easily, store it in the fridge. Kadoya brand is widely available and good quality.
Shao Hsing (or Shaoxing) Wine
This amber-colored wine, made from fermented glutinous rice, gives a characteristic nutty richness to dumpling fillings, marinades, sauces, and slow-simmered dishes like red-cooked pork belly. As with other wines used in the kitchen, avoid those labeled “cooking wine”—they’re dreadful. One brand to look for is Pagoda. A medium-dry sherry such as amontillado is an able substitution.
Sichuan Peppercorns
This fragrant, tongue-tingling spice from south-central China isn’t related to black and white peppercorns, but comes from the prickly ash tree. The whole berries are hollow; discard any seeds they contain, as they’re bitter. Choose well-cleaned, whole berries instead of ground pepper, for optimal aroma and freshness.
Soy Sauce
It seems a bit silly to include soy sauce in this roundup—like garlic, it’s morphed from “ethnic” ingredient to one that’s all-American—but there are some interesting nuances. When it comes to regular (aka “thin”) soy sauce, you can’t go wrong with the Japanese brand Kikkoman. It’s widely available, consistently well-made, comes in an organic version, and the dripless bottle, created by the late great industrial designer Kenji Ekuan, is a tabletop icon. So-called black, or dark, soy sauce, is thicker and has more richness and depth of flavor; the brand in my cupboard is Kimlan. Soy sauce is traditionally brewed from soybeans mixed with a grain, usually wheat, by the way; tamari is a gluten-free alternative.
Star Anise
This striking reddish-brown seedpod in the shape of an eight-pointed star is native to southern China and Vietnam. Its warm flavor gives five-spice powder its characteristic anise aroma and flavor. It’s used in Chinese soups, marinades, and red-cooked dishes.
White Pepper
Like black peppercorns, white peppercorns are the dried berries of a tropical vine. For black pepper, the immature (green) berries are harvested, briefly fermented, and then dried. For white pepper, the berries are picked when almost ripe (they’re yellowish red in color), then soaked to loosen their outer hull. Once that is removed, the peppercorns are dried. Because the volatile oil in the hull isn’t present in white pepper, it isn’t as aromatic as black pepper, but the flavor is still sharp. It’s usually sold ground.
Original article from TakePart