Sunday 23 March 2008

China Modern


Here is a savoury post, an Oriental food one, with a real hit of Umami (thank’s Cynthia!). I am a real fan of Ching-He Huang, and think her book China Modern is fabulous. She fuses recipes so very well. It’s not just the food I love though, I like the pretty fabrics and bowls and plates too with the beautiful Chinese patterns.

Here are three dishes from China Modern, firstly a restaurant staple – egg fried rice, I have tried many recipes for this in the past, trying to find just the taste I was looking for. This is it, and I can only think that it is present here because of the Char siu pork in it.

I made this dish, Char Siu pork with sweet honey-orange Sauce and Pak Choi a couple of weeks ago, and it was lovely. Then I came upon another recipe further along in the book for the same pork; but instead of making a separate sauce, the marinade ingredients are brought to a boil, and they provide a sauce that gives just the exact flavours that I crave when I long for Chinese food.

The recipe for the pork with the orange sauce is here, but just keep the marinade and bring it to a boil (to make sure there are no raw pork juices in the gravy) to give the pork in the first picture. Ching’s East – West plate, also involves some parsnips roasted with oil and thyme, red onion cooked in a bit of butter with seasoning and a spoon of brandy plus some brussel sprouts. This is seriously one of my very favourite meals that I have made at home, and the pork is so tender. You do need a few bottles to make the marinade, but there isn’t anything that a well stocked store cupboard wouldn’t have. Particularly if you tend to hoard things like me!

She has a new book out about more traditional Chinese dishes in the Summer Time, and I am looking forward to it so much. Though, expect another Ching-He post before then =)

Also I would like to say Thank You to Margaret of Kitchen Delights who ran a competition with Hotel Chocolat to win an Easter egg – and I entered and won =).Thank you also to the nice people at Hotel Chocolat, your egg is absolutely gorgeous!

Happy Easter everyone.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Easter Kelly Jane.

Your food looks amazing as always.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Isn't it great when you find a recipe that tastes just like the taste you've fallen in love with in a restaurant? It took me years and years to learn to make Asian noodles the way I like them -- the way they taste in my favorite restaurants -- and I tried dozens and dozens of recipes. The secret, for me, was using authentic condiments, and tasting lots of brands to find the soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc., that had just the right flavor.

Pat said...

Happy Easter Kelly Jane! Ohhhhhhh isn't Hotel Chocolate just the absolute best!!! Your Chinese dishes sound really yummy and look good too!!!!

julie said...

Happy Easter! The food looks delicious, of course, and your Easter decoration is very pretty!

Cookie baker Lynn said...

I hope you had a wonderful Easter! I love the Easter egg wreath.

Your egg fried rice looks just the way I like it. I always put ham in mine, but the pork sounds good.

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Anna's kitchen table said...

Congratulations KJ on winning the egg!

I love Ching's book too and am really looking forward to her new one!

xx

Amanda at Little Foodies said...

I have that book but have never cooked from it. As per usual you always inpsire me to want to open one of my many cookery books and actually cook from them.

Happy Easter to you and yours.

Ax

Deborah said...

This sounds like a wonderful book! I have not cooked a whole lot of Chinese food - especially authentic - and this sounds like a great resource!

Peabody said...

Mmm, the pork with orange sauce sounds good.

KJ said...

I love chinese food, but I have never been able to cook it very well. Your dishes sound great.

I love the egg wreath. Really unusual and lovely.

Kelly-Jane said...

George, Thank you!

Lydia, That is just like me I tried a lot of recipes to firnd the one, but you have hit the nail on the head there - authentic sauces seem to be the key :)

Pat, it was a really delicious Easter treat!

Julie, thank you!

Lynn, thank you I bought it last year, and I was really loking forward to bringing it out this year again, an Easter tradition now! I've use ham too, and it's a great addition.

Thx-Saikat, I'm ok just now thanks, but if I change my mind I know where to find you.

Anna, Me too, I read there will be a TV series for BBC as well!

Amanda, There are a lot of great recipes in the book, my little one was very keen on the cahr sui pork, although not the gravy for some reason!

Deborah, It's a great little book!

Peabody, it was lovely :)

KJ, I've been really impressed with Ching-He's recipes, they taste like they should!

Thanks you all :)

KJxx