Cool Treats for Hot Temperatures: Chinese Summer Recipes

Cool Treats for Hot Temperatures: Chinese Summer Recipes
Jun 22, 2013 By Jamie Caldwell , eChinacities.com

With summer finally upon us, it’s time to ditch hot pot and steaming soups and dig into crisp, light dishes to counteract the rising temperatures. Luckily, China’s many cuisines serve up a range of cold dishes that don’t require long hours spent slaving over a stove. Here are three liang cai (cold dishes) recipes guaranteed to cool you down and fill you up on those hot summer days.

1) Xiao Cong Ban Doufu | Green Onion Mixed with Tofu| 小葱拌豆腐
A healthy cold dish with a texture reminiscent of feta, Xiao Cong Ban Doufu is a delicious summer treat. Fresh tofu makes all the difference in this simple recipe, so make sure you ask the friendly tofu vendor at your neighbourhood wet market to give you the freshest bean curd he or she has to offer.

Recipe
Ingredients: Soft tofu (250 g), green onions (150 g), salt (to taste), sesame oil (to taste).

Method: Cut the tofu into bite size pieces and put in a bowl. Roughly chop the green onions and scatter on top of the tofu. Season with salt, sesame oil and MSG and toss with a spoon to mix. Eat immediately.

2) Laohu Cai| Tiger Salad| 老虎菜
Laohu Cai, from the Northeast of China, is a cool refreshing bite on a hot day and packs a powerful vitamin punch. Legend has it that a particularly inept daughter was asked by her mother to cook dinner. The girl had no idea where to begin, but she bravely soldiered on, slicing up peppers, cucumbers, onions and coriander, then throwing the raw ingredients together with a makeshift sauce to create a colourful salad. When the mother saw the fruits of her daughter’s labours, she sighed and said, “Oh, daughter... you are such a tiger” (in Northeastern China, “tiger” is slang for “simpleton”).

Recipe
Ingredients: Green bell pepper, cucumber, yellow onion, red chili pepper, coriander, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil.

Method: Julienne the bell pepper, cucumber, yellow onion and red chili pepper. Roughly chop the coriander. Toss all the ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil to taste. Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetable salad and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Variations of of this dish include: adding scallions instead of yellow onion, using sesame oil in lieu of chili oil or adding chopped tomatoes.

3) Shaoxing Zui Ji| Drunken Chicken| 绍兴醉鸡
A delicious appetizer that graces many a banquet table in China, Drunken Chicken comes from Zhejiang cuisine – an offshoot of Jiangsu cuisine, one of the Eight Culinary Treasures of China. Some cooks steam the chicken, but poaching is the original method used by chefs from Zhejiang. The liberal usage of Shaoxing wine adds a tipsy taste to this cold dish.

Recipe
Ingredients: One whole chicken (giblets and innards removed), scallions (5 stalks – white parts only), salt (3 tsp), ground white pepper (0.5 tsp), ginger (0.5 oz), Shaoxing rice wine (1.5 c), white sugar (2 tsp), ice cubes and water.

Method: Thinly slice the scallions and ginger. Mix the salt and pepper and rub all over the chicken. Let the chicken sit for one hour. Bring six cups of water to boil in a large pot. Add the scallions and ginger. Add the chicken, making sure there is enough water to cover the entire bird and bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 20 minutes. While simmering, lift the chicken out of the water and pour out the stock that collects in the cavity.

Turn off the flame and allow the water to cool to almost room temperature (about 10 minutes). Do not disturb the chicken during this process. Take the whole chicken out and blanch it in a bowl of cold water and ice. Remove the chicken from the water and cut into bite-size pieces (keeping the bone in adds significantly to the overall flavour of the dish) and place in a large container with a lid.

In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 c. chicken stock (the liquid you poached the chicken in) with the sugar and Shaoxing rice wine until the sugar dissolves. Taste the marinade and add salt as needed. If the Shaoxing wine is too strong, add a bit more chicken stock. Pour the marinade over the chicken and let sit in the refrigerator overnight. Discard the marinade and serve cold. 

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Keywords: Chinese summer recipes

1 Comments

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tomgee

Don't forget bidan dofu, huanggua lapi, lian mien, does anyone remember the pineapple ice? I think they called it suijinbolo or something like that.

Jun 26, 2013 20:23 Report Abuse