Soy Rice Fire, inspirations from classic Chinese recipes and techniques - Part 21

The lotus roots are pickled with white rice vinegar and sugar. Ginkgo nuts and wood ear mushrooms add colors and textures. This cooling, feel-good dish is perfect for the summer.

Cold dishes and salads• [Pickling/Raw]

Pickled lotus root salad with ginkgo nuts and wood ear mushrooms

With beef meatballs and sweet corn kernals (both cooked and uncooked), this egg custard is comforting and fully of flavors and textures

Poultry and eggs• [Steaming]

Steamed egg custard with sweet corn and beef meatballs

With a unique aroma and a complex salty, bitter, and sweet taste, fermented black soybeans add a nice punch to the sweet and delicate manila clams.

Fish and shelfish• [Stir-frying]

Manila clams in fermented black bean sauce

The “white” in the name refers to the fact that the chicken is poached in a simple, clear broth until just cooked through, which results in extremely juicy and tender meat in their natural color and flavor.

Cold dishes and salads• Poultry and eggs• [Boiling/Poaching]

White-cut chicken (白切鸡)

Among the many varieties of amaranth, my favorite is the multicolor variety. Here, the multicolor amaranth leaves turn the cooking liquid into a beautiful red-purple broth while retaining their vibrant green and red colors when cooked.

Vegetables• [Stir-frying]

Stir-fried amaranth with garlic

Chinese eggplant is perfect for simple and quick cooking methods like steaming. Here, the steamed eggplant is jazzed up by the fish-fragrant sauce made with chopped salted chillies, ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, and rice wine.

Meat• Vegetables• [Steaming]

Steamed eggplant with fish-fragrant pork

It’s easy to understand why Yangzhou fried rice has become the most famous fried rice in the world if you have tasted a well-made one with generous amounts of shrimp, ham, and mushrooms.

Rice, noodles, and grains• [Stir-frying]

Yangzhou fried rice (扬州炒饭)

These Shanghai-style wontons, using larger wrappers and stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and meat, are perfect for one-dish meal.

Dumplings, dim sum, and snacks• [Boiling/Poaching]

Shanghai-style vegetable and meat wontons (菜肉馄饨)