Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce is made from a vegetable also known as Chinese broccoli. (Courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen)
I was drawn to the title of the cookbook. “A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China that aren’t China (but still really Chinese)” (America’s Test Kitchen). This nickname, with a touch of culinary humor, acknowledges that many popular dishes called Chinese food actually originated in America.
Jeffrey and Kevin Pan, co-authors of America’s Test Kitchen’s popular YouTube cooking series Hunger Pangs, discuss American Chinese cuisine in this book. Jeffrey Pang writes about the first time he tasted chicken orange when he was a sophomore in college.
“Until that moment, the Chinese food I grew up eating was completely different from the Chinese food my friends from suburban Seattle were eating. It was almost like my friends and I were living in parallel food worlds. ,” explains James Beard Award-winning food writer Kevin Pang. “They had crab rangoon, empress chicken, and chop suey, which are dishes that aren’t in my vocabulary. When I eat Chinese food, I tend to eat things like radish cakes, winter melon soup, and stir-fried clams with black beans. I ate Chinese food.
“It was a concept as foreign to us Hong Kongers as Crunchwrap Supreme is to Mexicans.”
It turns out he liked orange chicken. And as time went on, no one from the Pan tribe rejected American Chinese food.
This book is filled with delicious recipes, American-inspired dishes like orange beef and American-style egg rolls, as well as authentic Chinese recipes.
Here are three of my favorites that fall into the latter category.
Hot and sour soup
Author Jeffrey Pan warns against using substitutes for this delicious soup. As written, the listed ingredients create a certain taste that is appealing and authentic. The tofu should be firm, not soft. Chinese black vinegar is essential. It has a unique malt-like sweet flavor. White pepper gives a floral aroma that black pepper doesn’t match.
Yield: 4-6 servings
material
7 ounces extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 (6 oz) boneless pork chop, trimmed
6 cups chicken soup
3 tablespoons soy sauce, other seasonings
1 can (5 oz) bamboo shoots, thinly sliced lengthwise
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon water, divided use
3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/2 teaspoon, divided
5 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1-3 teaspoons chili oil
1 large egg
3 green onions (thinly sliced)
Optional: Place on the table Chinese black vinegar, chili oil, white pepper
direction
1. Spread the tofu on a paper towel-lined plate and let it drain for 20 minutes, then pat dry with a paper towel. Place the pork chops on a separate plate and freeze until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pork chips to a cutting board and, holding a knife parallel to the board, slice into thin cutlets. Slice each cutlet crosswise into thin strips.
2. Add the stock and soy sauce to a large pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms are tender, about 2 minutes. Add tofu and pork and stir-fry. Cook until pork is no longer pink, about 2 minutes.
3. Combine 3 tablespoons water, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, vinegar, and pepper in a bowl, mix well, and add to the soup. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until soup thickens and becomes translucent, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, but do not allow to cool. Add sesame oil and chili oil, mix, and add soy sauce to taste.
4. Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup, then add the egg and mix to combine. Turn off the heat and use one hand to stir the soup with a fork or chopsticks while using the other hand to pour the egg mixture into the swirling soup in a slow, steady stream. Continue stirring the soup until thin ribbons of cooked egg appear, about 1 minute.
5. Sprinkle green onions on each portion. We prepare chili oil, black vinegar, and white pepper according to your preference.
Source: A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese) by Jeffrey Pang and Kevin Pang (America’s Test Kitchen)
sesame noodles
“Cold sesame noodles are a classic street food found throughout China. They’re cheap, filling, and extremely tasty,” writes Jeffrey Pan. If fresh thin white noodles are not available, substitute fresh lo mein or 12 ounces of dried wheat noodles. In a pinch, spaghetti works. ”
Yield: 4-6 servings
material
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese sesame paste
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar
1 tablespoon chili oil
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 pound fresh thin white wheat noodles
1/2 English cucumber, cut into 3-inch matchstick lengths
1/4 cup fresh coriander leaves
2 green onions, green part only, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds.View chef’s notes
Cook’s Note: To toast the sesame seeds, place them in a small skillet over medium heat. When the seeds are lightly browned, shake the handle of the skillet to rotate them. Keep an eye on the seeds as they burn easily. Remove from skillet.
direction
1. In a blender, mix the soy sauce, sesame paste, sugar, vinegar, 1 tablespoon water, chili oil, garlic, and ginger until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the mixer jar as needed. Transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the noodles and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. Place the noodles in a colander and rinse under running water until cool. Drain well.
3. Transfer the noodles to a bowl with the dressing and mix. Add additional water to adjust the consistency as needed until the sauce coats the noodles smoothly. Transfer noodles to a shallow bowl and top with cucumber, cilantro, green onions, and sesame seeds. serve.
Source: A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese) by Jeffrey Pang and Kevin Pang (America’s Test Kitchen)
Gai lan with oyster sauce
Oh, I love gai lan, the vegetable also known as Chinese broccoli. The stems are dense and crunchy, and the leaves and tightly packed buds are plant-like and irresistibly sweet. The dark green stems are longer, cylindrical, and less fibrous than common broccoli. It is sold in Asian markets and is sometimes stocked in supermarkets. But if you can’t find it, use its descendant, broccolini. Broccolini is a hybrid between Gai Lan and common broccoli. Gai Lan with Oyster Sauce is a classic Cantonese recipe.
Yield: 4 servings
material
5 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided into portions
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon Sichuan chili flakes
3 tablespoons chicken soup
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 pound gairan, trimmed
1/4 cup water
direction
1. Combine 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, garlic, and chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside. In a second small bowl, combine soup, oyster sauce, wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Cut and save 3 inches of leaves from the bottom of the galan stem. Cut the top part (leaves and florets) from the stem. Quarter the stem lengthwise if it is more than 1 inch in diameter, or cut the stem in half if it is less than 1 inch in diameter. Keep the leaves and stems separate from the stems.
3. Heat an empty 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until it begins to smoke. Reduce heat to medium, pour 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil around the wok and heat until smoking. Add the stems and water (the water will splatter). Cover and simmer until the gai lan turns bright green, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, increase the heat to high, and continue to cook slowly, stirring constantly, until all the water has evaporated and the stalks are crisp-tender, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to another bowl.
4. Heat the empty wok over high heat until it starts to smoke. Pour the remaining 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil around the wok and heat until smoking. Add the top half of the gai lan and half of the reserved leaves and cook slowly, but stirring constantly, until just starting to wilt, 1 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining gai lan tops and reserved leaves and continue to cook, stirring slowly and constantly, until completely wilted, about 3 minutes.
5. Push the gairan into one side of the wok. Add the garlic mixture to the clear and mash the mixture with a fork until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the gailan. Whisk the soup mixture to combine, add the stems and any collected juices, and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the gai lan, about 30 seconds. serve.
Source: A Very Chinese Cookbook: 100 Recipes from China and Not China (But Still Really Chinese) by Jeffrey Pang and Kevin Pang (America’s Test Kitchen)
