Soy Rice Fire, inspirations from classic Chinese recipes and techniques - Part 16

One of my favorite ways of cooking winter melon is to make a braise with ham. In this dish, I use a melon baller to create winter melon balls instead of cutting the melon into slices as traditionally done.

Vegetables• [Simmering]

Braised winter melon with ham

In this beloved Sichuan dish, enriched soy sauce, called fu zhi jiang you (复制酱油), brings an irresistible aroma and balanced savory, salty, and sweet flavors to the sliced pork.

Cold dishes and salads• Meat• [Boiling/Poaching]

Sichuan white-cut pork with garlic sauce (四川蒜泥白肉)

One of the dishes many Beijing locals swear by is “Zha Jiang Noodles (炸酱面)”. What sets it apart from other noodle dishes is the sauce, zha jiang, meaning “fried sauce”.

Rice, noodles, and grains• [Simmering]

Zha jiang noodles, old Beijing style (老北京炸酱面)

In this delightful dish, the minimalist approach of Cantonese cooking— using just soy sauce, ginger, and scallions—allows the natural flavors of the lobster shine brightly.

Fish and shelfish• [Stir-frying]

Cantonese stir-fried lobster with ginger and scallions (广式姜葱龙虾)

Fresh fava beans are great on their own when simply blanched or sautéed; they’re even better when stir-fried with Chinese bacon (la rou in Mandarin or lap yuk in Cantonese).

Meat• Vegetables• [Stir-frying]

Stir-fried fava beans with Chinese bacon

Wrapping glutinous rice and pork ribs in lotus leaf is guaranteed to create an irresistible parcel after a long steaming.

Meat• Rice, noodles, and grains• [Steaming]

Steamed glutinous rice and pork ribs in lotus leaf

The juicy, tender stem of celtuce has a beautiful jade-green color, mild and nutty flavor with a hint of lettuce, and crisp texture. This celtuce salad with rice vinegar and sesame oil is light and refreshing.

Cold dishes and salads• Vegetables• [Pickling/Raw]

Celtuce ribbon salad

A signature dish from the city of Hangzhou, Dragon Well shrimp is flavored by the famous tea from the city: Dragon Well tea or Longjing cha (龙井茶) in Mandarin.

Fish and shelfish• [Stir-frying]

Dragon Well shrimp (龙井虾仁)