Chinese Spring Celery And Pork Recipes

CHINESE SPRING CELERY AND PORK

Steps:

• Mix the pork strips with the wine-cornflour and leave to marinate for an hour or two in the fridge.
• Heat a wok and fry the ginger in oil until golden brown.
• Add marinated pork strips, soy sauce and bean curd and stir-fry until simmering.
• Remove and set aside.
• In the same wok, stir-fry the celey with the sugar.
• Briefly add pork mixture to warm through.
• Serve immediately, garnished with the capsicum.

CANTONESE CHAR SIU PORK AND VEGETABLE SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• To make the filling, combine the sugar, salt, white pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water in a small bowl. Stir this flavoring sauce well and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until soft and aromatic. Add the cabbage, celery, and carrot, stirring to combine well. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 1 minute, until the vegetables have collapsed slightly. Add the flavoring sauce, stirring to combine, and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, until most of the liquid has disappeared and the vegetables have just cooked through. Add the pork and continue cooking, stirring to combine the flavors and heat through, about 1 minute. Give the cornstarch a final stir, and pour over the filling mixture. Cook for about 30 seconds, to bind the mixture nicely. Transfer to a platter and spread out. Set aside to cool completely before using. You should have about 3 cups. (The filling can be prepared 2 days in advance, covered, and refrigerated after cooling. Return to room temperature before wrapping.)
• Before assembling the spring rolls, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch. For each spring roll, use about 1/4 cup of filling, placing it slightly below the center of the skin. Follow the directions on page 75 to create the cigar shape, taking care to not wrap too tightly because you want just two layers of skin around the filling. Before rolling up the spring roll all the way to seal it, brush beaten egg on the upper two edges to ensure that the skin seals well. Set the finished rolls, seam side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying.
• Fry the rolls in two stages. Heat 1 inch of oil in a wok, saucepan, or deep skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if bubbles rise immediately to the surface and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.) Slide in few spring rolls and fry for about 1 1/2 minutes, turning as needed, until light golden. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the other rolls. These rolls soft en as they sit, so after their first frying, refry them for 45 to 60 seconds in 350°F oil until crispy and golden brown.
• Serve hot, whole or cut in half diagonally, with the dipping sauce of your choice.

PORK STEW WITH CELERY

Steps:

• Cut meat into 2-inch chunks, trimming off excess fat.
• Slowly brown meat and onions in the butter using a large, heavy skillet, or a heavy, enamelled and cast-iron pot that has a lid.
• Add celery to meat.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add wine or broth and water.
• Cover.
• Simmer slowly for 35 to 45 minute or until meat is very tender.
• Meanwhile, blend the flour into the whipping cream until smooth and free of lumps.
• When meat is tender, add flourcream mixture.
• Bring to a boil quickly and cook until thickened, stirring.
• Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

SPRING ROLLS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry (reserving the soaking liquid for use in soups). Cut off and discard stems and thinly slice the caps.
• Cut the barbecued pork into fine juilienne pieces. Set aside.
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add vegetable oil, barbecued pork, cabbage, bean sprouts, celery, scallion, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms, and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes, or until the cabbage and celery are just limp. Add soy sauce and pepper, remove from heat, and allow to cool.
• When mixture has cooled, place spring roll wrappers on work surface and loosely cover with a dampened cloth. In a small bowl, combine the flour and 4 teaspoons cold water. Place 1 wrapper on the cutting board with a corner facing you. Spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture near the bottom corner into a 3/4-by-2-inch rectangle. Fold the corner nearest you over the mixture. Roll the wrapper up once, the fold in the sides. Continue rolling the wrapper up tightly by, before you reach the end, lightly paint the far corner with the flour-water mixture. Continue rolling to seal the roll into a tight cylinder. Set aside seam-side down, and cover with a dampened cloth. Repeat with remaining wrappers.
• In a 3-quart saucepan,. heat vegetable oil over high heat until oil temperature reaches 375°F. Carefully add 3 to 4 spring rolls at a time, and fry until golden brown, turning rolls, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with several thicknesses of paper towels. Carefully cut in half or in thirds. Repeat with remaining spring rolls. Set oil aside to cool before discarding. Serve immediately.