THE FRUGAL GOURMET

SOMETIMES A discovery
becomes sc commonplace in
our lives that we forget its
implications.

Consider how fife changed with
the realization that foods could be
dried. This oldest method of
preserving food was probably
discovered during the arid wind-
storms 30,006 years ago,

Preservation of food for the
winter was the most important
result of this process, but consider
that this discovery also allowed
people to travel with a food supp-
ly in their bags.

Finally, dricd food gave us
possibilities for trade because the
food would not spoil en route.
Life was seriously changed when
we learned to dry foods.

We continue to dry certain
foods today because the process
changes and enriches the Mavor.

Almost any food product can
be dried. Chinese black
mushrooms are a goad example.

Fresh Chinese mushrooms, now
available in many B.C.
supermarkets, simply do not have
that wonderful cich flavor you
find in the dried ones.

Many of the following! recipes
are variations on ancient dried-
food dishes. | know you will en-
joy them.

DRIED OYSTERS AND PORK

IN LETTUCE
(serves 4 as part of
a Chinese meal)

This is wonderful. tun to
prepare and ever more fun to eat.
You will begin to wonder if the
Chinese also invented the burrito!
I think they did.

4 ounces dried oysters, rinsed and
soaked for 2 hours
6 Chinese dried
soaked for 2 hours
Yo pound lean
ground

T tablespoon light soy sauce

Ya teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or
dry sherry

2 cloves garlic, crushed

] feaspoon cornslareh

2 tablespoons peanut vil for
chowing

8 water chestnuts,
coarsely

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
42 teaspoon sesame oil

6 green onions, chopped
8 Jettuce-leaf cups fiecherg Iytiuce)

Soak the oysters and
mushrooms, drain and grind
together coursely. Mix with the
ground perk.

Add the soy sauce, ginger, rice
wine, garlic and cornstarch. Mix
well and place in a steaming dish.
Steam for 20 minutes.

When ready to serve dinner add

muslirooms,

pork, cogrsely

chopped

the peanut oil to a hot wok.

Chow the steamed — mixture,
along with the water chestnuts,
oyster sauce, sesame oi] and green
onions, breaking up the mixture
as it cooks for about 3 minutes.

Drain any excess fat from the
cooked meats and serve in a bow!
along with the lettuce cups en the
side,

Place a bit of meat in each cup
and roll up and ear like a burrito.

CHINESE SAUSAGE, DRIED

DUCK AND ROAST PORK
SAND POT
(serves 4 as pact of
a Chinese mea!)

The flavors of these meats, each
already very rich because they are
dried, combine in this dish to of-
fer a distinct. and wonderful
blend.

It is. very typical of the ‘hot

sand pou’ dishes you find in
Hong Kong. Sand pots can be
purchased in Oriental markeis.

Vy pound dried duck. ent into J-
inch-square pieces (use a cleaver
for this), seaked in’ ample water
overnight

3 Chinese sansaves (‘lop chone"),
whole

Ttablespoon peanut oi}

i clove garlic, chopped fine

J medium yellos onion, peeled
and sliced

M’ feaspoon freshly grated ginger
¥2 pound Barbecued Pork Strips
(recipe below)

4 yrven onions, slivered

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

Pinch of brown sugar

V2 teaspoon sesame oi}

White pepper, ground, to taste

1 medium head icebery lettuce,
torn

NEWS photo Paul MeGiain
DRIED FOODS of all kinds are found in Asian markets. This oldest method of preserving food: was
probably discovered during arid windstorms 30,000 years ago.

Simmer the soaked dried duck
along with the sausage fer 20
minutes. Cut the sausage into 1-
inch pieces

Chow the duck and sausage
quickly in a wok along with the
remaining ingredients except the
lettuce. Drein the fat.

Place in asand pot over tte let-
tuce and place on a beat diffuser
over a hot burner. When all is
piping hot, serve.

BARBECUED PORK STRIPS

(serves 4-8 for a dim sum snack

or a course ina Chinese dinner)

For this recipe choose pork butt
that has litle streaks of fat in it
and the result will be juicy and
Mavorful.

2 pounds boneless pork butt
MARINADE

2 tablespoons chicken soup, fresh
or canned

Shore News - 47

afi gitigy seve

2 tablespoons dark say sauce

1 fablespoon saybean condiment
Chmein see")

PE tablespoon Chine
dry sherry

44) tablespoons froney

34 feuspoon salt

i large clove garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (found
in Oriental markets)

A lew drops of red foed coloring

Cut the pork into long. strips
1% jnches to 2 inches square,

Mix all for the marinade and
marinate the meat for 3 hours
unrefrigerated, or 6 hours in the
refrigerator. Turn the strips every
four ur so.

Preheat the oven to 350°F,

Place a large cake pan half fill-
ed with water on the fowest shelf
of your oven. This will catch drips
from the meat and prevent smok-
ing.

Place the meat strips directly on
an oven rack and put in the top
position of the oven. Be sure that
all che meat is over the dripping
pan.

Roast for 45 minutes without
disturbing the meat. Then turn the
heat up to 450°F and roast for an
additional 15 minutes or until the
pork strips are crisp and a rich
brown color.

Slice the meat and serve it hot
or cold, or use in other dishes as
directed.

SALTED COD IN CREAM
SAUCE
(serves 4-6 as a fish course
for an italian meal)

The secret to refreshing this
dried salt cod is lots of water.

It is soaked for days and you
can fiad it ready to go in Roman
fish markets. They use wonderful
old marble tanks that sit out on
the street filled with ‘‘baccata’’
and with a stream of fresh water
running into the tank all the time,

You can find this dried fish in
any Italian market.

1 pound dried salt’ cod fillets,
soaked and refreshed for 2 days

1 yellow onion, peeled and chop-
ped

Pearrot, unpeeled, sliced

1 bay leal, whole

6 peppercorns

CREAM SAUCE

1% tablespoons butter

1 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons flour

va cup dry white wine

Peup milk
“a cup ezveam
1 ‘guspoon
chopped
Salt and freshly
pepper to taste

1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted,
for garnish

Buy pieces of salt cod that are
fairly thick and fresh looking. Cut
them into 12-inch pieces across
the grain of the fish.

Rinse well and place in a large
bowl. Cover with water and allow
to soak, changing the water 2 or 3
times each day, for 48 hours. You
do not have to refrigerate.

Drain the cod and place in a
4-quart soup pot. Add fresh water
to cover and the onion, carrot,
bay feaf and peppercorns.

Bring to a simmer and cook for
20 minutes or until the fish is
tender.

While the fish is cooking,
prepare the sauce. Heat the oil
and butter in a small frying pan
and add the flour. Cook just a
few minutes to prepare a roux. Do
not discolor,

e orice wine or

capers, rinsed and

ground = biaek

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