2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp chicken stock
1 tbsp shao hsing wine, or dry sherry
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 to 1 1/2 pounds gai lan (chinese br, occoli)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp peanut oil
Directions
Gai lan is Chinese broccoli. It's not much like the Western stuff.
It has thinner stems, flowers and leaves and is eaten more as a green.
Combine the oyster sauce, chicken stock, Shao Hsing wine, sugar and
sesame oil in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until sauce
thickens. Set aside.
Wash the gai lan in cold water. Trim off and discard the tough
bottoms. Peel stalks if they are thick and tough; leave gai lan whole
or cut into thirds.
Bring 3 to 4 quarts of water to a boil in a wok or stock pot; add the
salt and oil. Add the greens, bring back to a second boil. Turn off
the heat and let greens stand for a minute or two. When the green
stalks brighten, test one for doneness. It should be tender and
crisp. Drain immediately and shake off excess water.
Transfer to a platter, pour dressing over, and serve immediately.
Serves 4 to 6.
PER SERVING: 35 calories, 2 g protein, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fat (0
g saturated), 0 mg cholesterol, 298 mg sodium, 2 g fiber.
Joyce Jue, San Francisco Chronicle, 7/8/92.
Posted by Stephen Ceideberg; October 19 1992.
Servings: 4 servings
Blanched Gai Lan Dressed With Rice Wine & Oys Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Alcohol; Beverages; Rice; Vegetable; Wine Recipes
The History of Recipes
Written recipes as an idea can be traced way back into distant history, at least as far back into recorded history as the Egypt of the Pharoahs, and quite possibly further than that. In practice though, in the main part, these early cook books were just very basic hieroglyphic or cunieform instructions for food preparation.
In an interesting twist, the oldest recipe discovered so far, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of clay tablets in ancient Sumerian which describe the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making anyone who tried it feel `exhilarated, wonderful and blissful`. Later on, in The time of the romans 25BC a roman called Apicius assembled a number of documents describing recipes prepared by the Romans. He describes how the meals of wealthy Romans were split into starters, main meal and afters, a very modern way of dining. Additionally, he tells us how the ancient Romans used many different spices, including many that are still in use today for example basil, mint and dill. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many foods and spices from Arab cuisine, including parsley, basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new tastes led to an eruption in manuscripts on food, the majority of which are kept safe in private cookery archives. Over the succeeding few centuries, the upper-class families of the West competed with each other to offer the most extravagent banquests, and because of this the best cooks and their collection of recipes were highly sought after. Notwithstanding that, it was during the 19th century that formal cookery and cookery books reached a high level of popularity. Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally well-known Fannie Farmer in the USA, devoted their lives to collating, testing, and recording the recipes of their peers. When we get to the 20th century, cookery publications were in great demand, as a result of higher levels of literacy, more leisure time and being a little richer. |
We hope you enjoy this Blanched Gai Lan Dressed With Rice Wine & Oys recipe.
