Chinese cooking is one of the greatest cuisines in the world and one of the most popular outside of its homeland. Peking and Cantonese style cooking are similar in its origin but they have different tastes. Peking style is predominantly fried dishes and Cantonese is more steam dishes.

Stir fry cooking is a common feature throughout the various regional cooking styles of China. All of the ingredients listed here may be purchased from our store store. We hope you enjoy Chinese style cooking.

MENU ITEMS:

1. Raindrop Soup
2. Sweet And Sour Prawns (Shrimp)
3. Chicken Dice With Fried Walnuts
4. Pork And Bamboo Shoots
5. Fried Lettuce
6. Boiled Or Steamed Rice
7. Gingered Fruit

Note: I don't know what kind of stomach those 4 persons shall have - I'd
say the amounts would suffice for a small army...

1. RAINDROP SOUP

Ingredients:

6 water chestnuts
2 scallions
1 tablespoon sherry
3 cups chicken stock (1 cup = 250 ml)
6 oz diced cooked chicken
salt and pepper

Instructions:

Slice the water chestnuts and slice the spring onions (scallions) finely.
Put these in a sauce pan with the chicken stock and the chicken. Bring
to the boil and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Add the sherry and season to taste.

2. SWEET AND SOUR PRAWNS (SHRIMP)

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh peeled prawns
2 tblsp tomato ketchup
1 tblsp sambal oelek (meshed hot chilies)
pinch of MSG (monosodium glutamate)
1 tblsp sugar
1 1/2 rice wine
1 tblsp cornstarch stirred in 2 tblsp water
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tblsp fresh ginger
3 oz scallions

Marinade:

1 egg white
3 tblsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 tblsp water
5 tblsp oil

Instructions:

Marinate prawns for 20 minutes in egg white, cornstarch, salt, water
and oil.

Mix together the tomato ketchup, sambal oelek, MSG, sugar, rice wine and
cornstarch. Peel garlic and ingwer and chop finely. Also chop
scallions finely.

Heat 3/4 litres oil in a pan or wok and fry half of the prawns. Take
them out of the pan after 45 seconds and drain them. In another pan or
wok put 5 tablespoons of oil and fry garly and ginger for 30 seconds.
Add prawns and fry while stirring constantly.

Add prepared sauce and fry for 1 minute. Add chopped scallions and 2
tablespoons oil.

3. CHICKEN DICE WITH FRIED WALNUTS

Ingredients:

4 dried mushrooms
4 oz shelled walnuts
1/3 cup oil
3 lb chicken
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tblsp sherry
2 tblsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp brown sugar

Instructions:

Soak the mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes. Chop the walnuts and fry
in 2 tablespoons of the oil for 2 minutes. Drain on absorbent kitchen
paper to remove all traces of oil.

Cut the chicken meat into small pieces, fry in remaining oil for 3
minutes over fierce heat, stirring all the time. Mix the cornstarch to
a smooth paste with the sherry, soy sauce, salt and sugar. Add to the
chicken and mix well.

Drain the mushrooms and chop roughly, add to the pan and cook for 2
minutes. Add the walnuts.

4. PORK AND BAMBOO SHOOTS

Ingredients:

2 lb lean pork
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tblsp sherry
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 litre water
4 oz bamboo shoots

Instructions:

Cut the pork into small cubes. Mix the soy sauce, sherry, sugar and
ginger together, add to the pork, toss well and leave for 10 minutes.

Put pork and flavourings in a large pan, add the water and bring gently
to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

Drain bamboo shoots and shred finely, add to the pan and simmer for 10
minutes. If wished, liquid may be thickened with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
mixed with a little cold water.

5. FRIED LETTUCE

Ingredients:

1 large lettuce
1 tblsp oil
2 cloves garlic
pinch of salt
1 tsp Vesop (this is a substitute for soy sauce)

Instructions:

Wash and trim the lettuce and shake off excess moisture. Cut into four.
Heat the oil and fry the lettuce for 1 minute. Add the crushed garlic,
salt and Vesop; mix well and cook for another minute.

6a. BOILED RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup long grain rice
2 cups water

Instructions:

Wash and drain the rice. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally to prevent sticking.

Reduce the heat to simmering, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes or
until all the water has been absorbed and the grains are quite separate

6b. STEAMED RICE

Ingredients:

2/3 cups long grain rice
3 - 4 cups water

Instructions:

Was and drain the rice Cook in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain. Put
the rice in a steaming tier and cook for 30 minutes. (If no steaming
tier is available, use a nylon or hair sieve in a wooden ban.)

7. GINGERED FRUIT

Ingredients:

15 oz canned pineapple pieces
11 oz canned lychees
1 tblsp chopped glace' cherries
2 tblsp chopped crystallized ginger
1 cup flaked toasted almonds

Instructions:

Drain the syrup from the canned fruits. Lightly combine the pineapple,
lychees, glace' cherries and ginger in a serving bowl. Chill well.
Sprinkle the almonds on top and serve immediatly.