Fu Qi Fei Pian (Husband and Wife Beef Slices)

Ingredients:

500 grams (1.10 lb) tender beef, 1000 grams (2 cups) gravy made by stewing chicken or duck, 5 grams (1/6 oz) peppercorns, 5 grams(1/6oz) cassia, 5 grams (1/6 oz) star anise, 50 grams(2 1/2 tbsp) salt, 25grams (1 ¾ tbsp) Chinese white liquor, 50 grams(1 1/2 tbsp) soy sauce, 5 grams( 1 ¼ tsp) MSG, 10 grams (2 tsp) spicy oil, 5 grams (1tsp) pepper powder, 5 grams (1/6oz) sesame and 10 grams (1/3oz) peanuts crushed.

Directions:

1. Wash beef, clean and boil for 5 minutes. Take out and drain off the water.
2. Heat the sauce in a pot, add peppercorns, cassia, salt, liquor and ½ cup of water and bring to a boil.Put in beef, stew for 2 hours. Take out and cool off.
3. Use 50g (3tbsp) of the sauce along with soy sauce, MSG, spicy oil and pepper powder to make a seasoning.
4. Cut beef into thin slices and put on a plate. Sprinkle on seasoning, then sesame oil and peanuts. It’s now ready to serve.Key to success: Timing and fire under the boiling process must be accurate.
Features: Spicy, peppery and delicious.

Mandarin Fish Soup

Ingredients:

1 mandarin fish (about 600 grams or 1.32lb), 10 grams (1/3 oz) scallions sectioned, 5 grams (1/6oz) ginger sliced, 30 grams (2 tbsp) vinegar, 5 grams (1tsp) salt, 25 grams (5/6 oz) each of ham, bamboo shoots and dried mushrooms previously soaked in water, 25 grams (5/6 oz) lard, 750 grams ( 1 ½ cups) chicken soup or
other stock or simply water, 5 grams (1 1/4 tsp) MSG, 40 grams (2 1/3tbsp) mixture of cornstarch and water, 2 eggs, 5 grams (1 tsp) pepper powder , 30 grams (2 tbsp) vinegar, 5 grams (1tsp) sesame oil, 5 gram (1/6 oz) each of shredded scallions and ginger.

Directions:

1. Gut fish, wash it clean, cut off its head and cut fish into two halves along the spine. Put fish in a basin with the skin side down. Add half of the sectioned scallions and ginger slices, half of cooking wine and 2g (2/5 tsp) of salt and marinate for 10 minutes. Then steam for 5 minutes. Get rid of scallions and ginger. Use chopsticks
to stir fish into small pieces. Get rid of the skin and bones.
2. Cut ham, bamboo shoots and mushrooms into shreds. Whip egg in a bowl.
3. Heat oil in a wok to 100-135 Celsius (230-275 Fahrenheit), stir-fry remaining sectioned scallions. Add soup and remaining cooking wine, and bring to a boil. Get rid of the scallions, add bamboo shoots, mushrooms, soy sauce, MSG, fish meat, remaining salt, pepper powder and bring to a boil. Thicken the sauce with mixture of
cornstarch and water, put in whipped egg, vinegar, sesame oil and pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle on shredded ham, scallions and ginger and it is ready to serve.
Key to success: The steaming process should not be overdone.
Features: With a shiny color, the dish offers soft and tender fish meat with a salty and delicious taste.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

250 grams(0.55lb) chicken breast, 75 grams (0.165 lb)peanuts, 75 grams (5 1/2 tbsp) cooking oil, 10 grams (1/3 oz) dried red chili, 1/2 egg, 2 grams ( 1 1/4 oz) peppercorn, 5 grams (1tsp) soy sauce, 5 grams ( 1tsp) vinegar, 5 grams (1tsp) sugar, 15 grams (3tsp) cooking wine, 2 grams (2/5tsp) salt, 5 grams(1 1/4 tsp) MSG, 2 grams ( 1/14 oz) each of finely cut scallions, sliced garlic and sliced ginger, 50 grams (2 2/3 tsp) mixture of cornstarch and water, along with some water.

Directions:
1. Cut Chicken breast into 1cm (0.4 inch) long each side. Put these in a bowl, add egg, 2 g (2/5 tsp) of soy sauce, 1 g (1/5tsp) of salt, 5 g (1tsp) of cooking wine and 30 g (1 2/3 tbsp) of mixture of cornstarch and water and mix well. Cut dried red chili into sections about 2cm (0.8 inch) long. Deep fried peanuts until they are crispy.
2. Make a sauce in a bowl with the following ingredients: remaining soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, cooking wine, salt, MSG, mixture of cornstarch and water, along with an additional 1 tbsp of water.
3. Heat oil in a work to 110-135 Celsius (230-275 Fahrenheit). Deep-fry peppercorns until they turn brown. Add red chili, scallions, ginger, garlic and diced chicken to stir-fry until they are done. Put in the sauce and quickly turn. Put in peanuts, mix and take out to serve.
Key to success: Pay particular attention to the right degree of fire during each cooking process. Features: The chicken is tender, the peanuts are crispy and the dish is spicy and delicious.

Fish- Fragrant Pork

Ingredients:

A small handful of dried cloud ear mushroom, 300g pork lean or slightly streaky, 50-75g tinned winter bamboo shoots or 2 celery sticks, salt, groundnut oil, 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons pickled chili paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic, 1 spring onion very thinly sliced.
For the marinade: 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon potato sauce, 1 tablespoon cold water, 1 teaspoon Shaoxin wine.
For the sauce: 1 1/2 teaspoon white sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinkiang or black Chinese vinegar, 3/4 teaspoon light soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 3/4 teaspoon potato flour, 3 tablespoons stock or water.

Directions:
1. Soak the cloud ear mushrooms in very hot water for 30 minutes (they should weigh about 30g after soaking).
2. Cut the pork into thin slices (ideally about 3mm thick), and then cut these into long, fine silvers. Place in a bowl, add the marinade ingredients and stir in one direction to combine.
3. Blanch the bamboo shoots in boiling salted water for a minute or two. Rinse in cold water, then slice thinly and cut the slices into very fine strips to match the pork. (If you are using celery, de-string the sticks and cut them into strips. Sprinkle with a couple of pinches of salt and leave them for 15 minutes or so to drain out some of their water content.) Thinly slice the cloud ear mushrooms, discarding any knobby bits. Combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Season the wok, then add 75ml of cool oil to the wok and reheat over a high flame.
5. When the oil is beginning to smoke, add the pork and stir-fry briskly, As soon as the strips have separated, push them to one side and tip the chili paste into the space you have created. Stir-fry very briefly until the oil is red and fragrant, and then add the garlic and ginger and mix everything together, tilting the wok back to normal. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds or so until you can smell the garlic and ginger. Tip in the bamboo shoots and mushrooms and stir-fry briefly – until just hot.
6. Stir the sauce in its bowl, and then add to the wok. Stir quickly to incorporate, throw in the spring onions, toss briefly and turn on to a serving dish.

Ma Po Tofu

Ingredients:
400 grams (0.88 lb) bean curd, 100 grams (0.22 lb) minced beef, 25 grams (5/6 oz) garlic sprouts, 100 grams (1/5 cup) cooking oil, 30 grams (1 2/3 tbsp) spicy bean paste, 10 grams ( 2tsp) black bean paste, 3 grams ( 3/5 tsp) chili powder, 3 grams (3/4 tsp) MSG, 4 grams (4/5tsp) salt, 15 grams ( 1 3/4tsp) soy sauce, 5 grams (1/6 oz) each of finely cut garlic and chopped ginger, 5 grams (1tsp) peppercorn oil, 50 grams (2 2/3 tbsp) mixture of cornstarch and water.

Direction:
1. Cut bean curd into squares 2cm (0.8 inch) long each side, soak in boiling water with 2g (2/5tsp) of salt for 3 minutes, take out and drain off the water. Finely cut garlic sprouts to less than 1 cm (0.4 inch) long.
2. Heat oil in a wok to 135-170 Celsius ( 275-340 Fahrenheit), stir-fry minced beef until it produces a distinctive aroma, and spicy bean paste, ginger, garlic, black bean paste, chili powder, salt, soy sauce and bean curd, 1 1/2 tsp of water and bring to a boil. Turn to low fire and cook for 5 minutes. Add MSG, mixture of cornstarch and water and finely cut garlic sprouts. Sprinkle on peppercorn oil and serve on a plate.

Key to success: Make sure to stir-fry beef until it produces a strong aroma before adding other ingredients. Becareful not to break the bean curd squares into small piece.
Features: Brownish, peppery, spicy soft and really delicious.