1 stephen ceideburg
1 frying chicken
2 tsp ginger juice, or minced ginger
2 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tsp sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1/4 cup salted fermented black beans
1 clove garlic
Chop the chicken, bones and all, into Chinese serving pieces--about
an inch and a half. Use a juicer to get the 2 teaspoons of ginger
juice. You can just mince it, but there will be a subtle difference.
Put the chicken into a big bowl and sprinkle with the ginger juice or
minced ginger. Combine sugar, salt, cornstarch, sesame oil, soy sauce
and booze in another bowl. Blend it to a smooth paste. Rinse the
black beans in a strainer until visible salt is gone. Drain and mince
finely along with the garlic. Add to the seasoning paste and mix
well. Add all this to the chicken and mix to coat thoroughly.
At this point, I put the chicken on two 8 inch pie plates and put each
plate into a steamer compartment on my aluminum steamer. If you don't
have one you can improvise using a large pot and a low-sided dish
held just above the water by an inverted dish or whatever. The idea
is to allow the steam to circulate around the chicken while keeping
the boiling water from splashing into the dish holding the it. Start
the water boiling and place the plate onto the inverted dish in the
large pot. Cover tightly and steam for 25 to 30 minutes--a little
longer if you like your chicken well done. The water should be
boiling just enough to produce steam. When you're handling the dish,
BE CAREFUL. Steam burns are no fun.
This makes enough for four served with rice. (And there won't be any
leftovers.) I serve it with steamed rice, a bowl of chopped up green
onions, and small dishes of hot mustard, hoisin sauce and Vietnamese
chili dip. I usually put out small dishes of Chinkiang vinegar and
spiced salt as well. Dip a piece of chicken into the sauce of your
choice and then into the green onions and enjoy! The taste is rich
and subtle, the chicken succulent and steamy. The green onions and
dips serve as a counterpoint the richness.
It's one of the few Chinese dishes I know that I can serve to someone
who "doesn't like Chinese food" with no problems. It's a quick and
easy dish once you get it down. The fermented black beans, hoisin
sauce, fresh ginger and sesame oil are fairly specialized, but any
good Oriental market and many supermarkets will carry them. All will
keep for a long time in the fridge. The sesame oil is the dark,
cooked Oriental variety, not the health store variety. The latter
won't work. While you're in the Chinese market, pick up a can of
preserved tea melons or sweet mixed pickles. They're an excellent
accompa- niment. Water melon pickles or chutneys also go well with
it. One hint--don't let the chicken sit in the bean sauce mixture too
long. It's not a marinade and will become overpowering if left too
long.
From "The Step-by-Step Chinese Cookbook" by Georges Spunt. Thomas Y.
Crowell Company, New York. 1973.
Serves: 4
Recipe Categories: Chicken; Chinese; Poultry
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