Giblets
Duck or chicken giblets, often discarded by Western cooks or relegated to the stockpot, are favored for their firm texture and flavor in China. The word gong in the name of this dish means gratuity to the emperor.
10 oz (300 g) duck or chicken giblets
2 teaspoons salt
4 whole star anise
4 bay leaves
1 cup (100 g) salted mustard cabbage, soaked, squeezed and sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Clean the giblets and drain. Put in a pan with salt, star anise, and bay leaves. Cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until tender. Remove giblets, drain and keep refrigerated until required.
To serve, slice the giblets thinly, then mix with salted cabbage and sesame oil. If desired, garnish with a little sliced red chili. Serve cold.
Chuan Wei Hun Tun
Boiled Dumplings in Hot Sauce
Steamed or boiled dumplings are a favorite snack in most of China, from Beijing in the north to Shanghai on the east coast, from the southern province of Guangdong to Sichuan in the far west. The filling differs from one area to another, as well as according to the season. In summer time in Beijing, the basic pork stuffing might be seasoned with fresh dill. The dumplings may be steamed, fried, boiled, served in soup (like the famous Cantonese wanton soup) or, as in this Sichuan version, bathed in a tangy sauce.
50 fresh wonton wrappers
7 oz (200 g) lean pork, finely minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ teaspoons very finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
Sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
4 tablespoons black soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon finely sliced scallion (spring onion)
Most wanton wrappers are 3-4 in (8-10 em) square. Turn a small Chinese soup bowl or a glass upside down on the wrappers and cut around the bowl or rim of the glass with a sharp knife to form circles.
Combine pork, egg, ginger, rice wine, salt, and pepper. Put a heaped teaspoonful of this in the center of a wrapper. Use your fingertip to smear a little water around the edge of the circle, then fold across to make a semicircle, pressing firmly to enclose the filling. When all the dumplings are ready, drop in rapidly boiling water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain.
Take 4 bowls and prepare the sauce separately for each portion. Put ¼ teaspoon garlic, 1 tablespoon black soy sauce, a pinch of sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in the bottom of each bowl. Divide the boiled dumplings among the 4 bowls and pour 1 tablespoon chili oil over each serving. Garnish with a little scallion. Stir before eating.
Restorative and satisfying, Chinese soups are usually drunk throughout a meal. Don't despair at the "exoticism" of some of the ingredients; most can be found in Asian food shops.
Dong Gua Tang
Winter Melon Soup
1 large winter melon
1 teaspoon salt
6 cups (1½ liters) gourmet or chicken stock (page 47)
4 oz (125 g) straw mushrooms, halved
1/3 cup (50 g) shredded cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup (50 g) shredded cooked duck (or double the amount of chicken)
1/3 cup (50 g) shredded cooked liver (duck, chicken or pork)
¼ cup (25 g) cooked or canned crabmeat
¼ cup (50 g) canned asparagus tips, drained
6 dried lotus nuts, soaked, peeled and hard core removed
Salt to taste
Choose a winter melon that will hold at least 6 cups liquid. Cut off the top or, if the melon is very large, slice it in half. Carve the skin decoratively. Remove central fiber and seeds. Scrape out some of the flesh, leaving about ¾ in (2 cm) flesh still clinging to the skin. Sprinkle the inside with salt and put winter melon in a large deep pan with boiling water to cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, drain and then put in a large steamer and steam for another 30 minutes.
Bring the stock to a boil and pour into the melon. Cover and steam for 25 minutes. Add all other ingredients and serve. Add some of the winter melon flesh, scraped out with a spoon, when serving the soup in individual bowls.
Yu Chi Tang
Shark's Fin Soup
Shark's fin is a real gourmet item, enjoyed for its texture and its ability to absorb the flavors of other ingredients.
1 oz (30 g) shredded dried shark's fin
3 cups (750 ml) gourmet or chicken stock (page 47)
3 teaspoons black soy sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
1¼ in (3 cm) ginger, very finely shredded
1/3 cup (50 g) finely shredded cooked chicken
2 tablespoons cornstarch, blended with water
1 teaspoon shallot oil (see Note)
1/3 oz (10 g) dried scallops (optional)
1/3 oz (10 g) dried fish maw (optional)
1½ cups (375 ml) chicken stock (optional)
1 teaspoon dry sherry (optional)
½ in (1 cm) ginger, sliced (optional)
1 scallion (spring onion) (optional)
1 heaped tablespoon finely shredded Yunnan ham
Soak dried shark's fin in hot water for
