Fraiche Bleu

Showing posts with label Chinese Food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese Food. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Lion's Head - Chinese Pork Meat Balls




Growing up in an ethnic family, this was one of our favorite Chinese soul-food meals. The dish is known as Lion's Head and is anything but the ferocious creature that the name brings to mind. Originating from China, the dish is made of ground pork and vegetables, stewed together so that the green leaves form the main of a lion's head. Hence the name.

Not only is the soup a reminder of those rainy day home cooked meals, but I am sure that it will soon be one of those soul foods that you will crave.

Ingredients:
1-2 pounds of ground pork
2 oz of green onions
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 oz of minced fresh whole ginger
1 tablespoon of flour
2 tablespoons of Distilled Rice Wine (substitute white wine)
2 tablespoons of  aged soy sauce
2 cans of chicken broth

Directions:
1. Mince and dice your fresh ginger and onions and set it aside.
2. Mix together your ground pork with the ginger and onions in a bowl.
3.  Mix in the flour, rice wine, and soy sauce.
4. Form into oval shaped balls and brown on both sides for 4-7 minutes or until you are able to flip the balls without them falling apart.
5. Add your chicken broth and then place cleaned vegetables on top of the meat and soup. 

6. Cook on medium heat, covered, for 45 minutes and serve over white rice.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Scallion Pancakes i.e. Green Onion Pie


Ah - this goodie is one of my child hood favorites, and the bane of my dinner time existence. These scallion pancakes, otherwise known as green onion pies, are an old Chinese traditional appetizer. Don't be fooled by the miniscule recipe. Despite the ingredients, these come out rather tasty and will have you addicted in no time!

As for me, it's good bye to the usual freezer burned made for toaster oven versions from the Asian grocery stores. I've sampled fresh and home made and I'm never going back!


Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 cup of boiling (or very hot) water
1 cup of chopped scallions
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1.5 tbsp of vegetable oil
Salt - to taste
White Pepper (optional) - these can be found at a local asian supermarket

Directions:

1. Place 2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl.
2. Pour in the boiling or very hot water into the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
3. Dump out the mixed dough and kneed for a few minutes - be sure properly flour your workspace and your hands. You don't want the dough to be sticky.
4. When properly kneaded, form into a ball and wrap with saran wrap - let sit for 30 minutes.
5. Take this time to chop up your scallions or green onions (they should look like picture 5).
6. Also pour your sesame oil into a small bowl and dilute it with 1.5 tbsp of vegetable oil.
7. After 30 minutes have passed, take out your dough and cut it in half.
8. Roll the dough until it looks like picture number 8. Be sure to properly flour your roller, hands, and work surface. Again, you don't want the dough to be sticky.
9. Brush your diluted sesame oil over one side of the dough (the one facing up) and salt to taste. You can also sprinkle white pepper if you want. Then sprinkle your scallions/green onions over the dough as shown in picture 9.
10. Roll up your dough the way you would a cigarette. Pinch the ends and make sure they stick together. If the dough is too dry, you may dip your fingers in water and then smooth out the ends with your wet fingers.
11. Roll the dough into itself like you would a cinnamon roll (shown in picture 11). Make sure the seams are stuck in place (again use water to assist you if you need).
12. Roll the cinnamon roll like dough into a flat circle - just thin enough so that you can see the scallions or green onions peeking through. Make sure your work surface, rolling pin and hands are properly floured - you do not want it to be sticky.
13. Heat a frying pan with some oil. When hot, shadow fry the pancakes on each side for about 3-5 minutes until golden.

Enjoy!!!