Chinese 'New Cook' Dishes
Not quite the same thing as introductory dishes - three dishes that people new in the kitchen like to cook in China. (可乐鸡翅/西红柿炒蛋/鸡蛋煎饺)
I think every culture has those dishes people would get their hands on when they first started cooking. Like, I think in the USA… new cooks seem to reach for stuff like quesadillas, beef stroganoff, or maybe Shrimp Lejon (though it’s been well over a decade since I’ve been in the US, so I might be showing my age there).
Either way, 'new cook dishes' are an interesting category of food to me, because they’re not quite the same as 'easy' dishes. They seem to be more of a combination of (1) ease, (2) impressive-looking-ness, and (3) fun.
As we progress along our way in the kitchen, sometimes some of these 'new cook dishes' may begin to start to feel a bit… cringy. But upon closer inspection? Many of them are just these fun and tasty dishes that I honestly get nostalgic for.
So, indulging in that nostalgia, we're pretty excited to share with you three classic Chinese "new cook dishes" today, namely cola chicken wings, tomato and egg, and potstickers.
Coca Cola Chicken Wings
Chicken Wings, 8.
Marinade for wings:
Salt, ¼ tsp.
White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ⅛ tsp.
Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp.
Ginger, ~1 inch. Crushed.
Cinnamon (桂皮), ½ stick.
Dried Bay Leaf (香叶), 1.
Coca cola, 1 can.
Soy sauce (生抽), 1 tbsp.
Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 2 tbsp.
Dark soy sauce (老抽), ½ tsp. For color, optional but preferred.
Salt, ⅛ tsp. Or, to taste.
Process:
Marinate 8 chicken wings with ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine for ~15 minutes.
Over a medium flame, fry the wings with your pan covered until browned on one side, ~3 minutes. Flip, then add ~1 inch crushed ginger, cover, and fry for another ~3 minutes. Add ½ stick cinnamon and 1 dried bay leaf. Fry until fragrant, ~30 seconds.
Add 1 can of Coca cola, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine, and ½ tsp dark soy sauce (optional but preferred for color). Staying over a medium flame, keep the lid uncovered to allow the sauce to reduce - it should be at a light boil.
After ~10 minutes, flip the wings. Stay attentive here. You want the sauce to reduce to a syrup-y consistency but you do not want it to scorch. Once thickened to your liking, season to taste. Season with ~⅛ tsp salt, or to taste.
Tomato and Egg
Tomatoes, 2 medium.
Scallion, 1. Minced, white and green parts separated.
Eggs, 4.
Seasoning for the egg:
Salt, ⅛ tsp.
White pepper powder (白胡椒粉), ⅛ tsp.
Liaojiu a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tsp.
Lard (猪油), ~3 tbsp for frying the egg, ~1.5 tbsp for the stir fry.
Ketchup, 1 tbsp.
Reserved juice from crushed tomato gunk, 2 tbsp.
Liaojiu, a.k.a. Shaoxing wine (料酒/绍酒), 1 tbsp.
Seasoning:
Salt, ½ tsp.
Sugar, ½ tsp.
White pepper powder, ⅛ tsp.
MSG (味精), ⅛ tsp.
Slurry of ½ tsp cornstarch (生粉) mixed with ½ tbsp water.
Drizzle (~⅛ tsp) of toasted sesame oil (麻油).
Process:
First, halve two medium tomatoes, remove the gunk, and reserve in a bowl. Crush the gunk with your fingers. Mince the rest of the tomato.
Mince one scallion, separating white and green parts.
Season four eggs with ⅛ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine. Beat well until no stray strands of egg white remain.
Add ~3 tbsp of lard to a wok, heat until it can rapidly bubble around a pair of chopsticks. Add the beaten egg, allow to puff up. Periodically pull the egg up a bit to allow all the egg to set, then cut into ~1.5 inch pieces with your spatula and fry until lightly browned, ~1 minute more. Remove.
Same wok, add in ~1.5 tbsp lard. Melt it over a low flame, then add the scallion whites. Fry until fragrant, ~30 seconds, then add in 1 tbsp ketchup. Fry the ketchup until the oil separates from it, ~2 minutes, then add in 2 tbsp of reserved tomato gunk juice.
Swap the flame to high, combine, then swirl 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine over the spatula and around the sides of the wok. Add the tomatoes, brief stir fry; add the eggs, brief stir fry; add ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp sugar, ⅛ tsp white pepper powder, and ⅛ tsp MSG, another brief stir fry.
Swap the flame to medium low, add in the slurry of ½ tsp cornstarch mixed with ½ tbsp water, and fry until thickened, ~30 seconds.
Heat off, drizzle of ~⅛ tsp toasted sesame oil, out.
Potstickers
Frozen dumplings, 8.
Water, ~½ cup.
Egg, 1. Beaten.
Optional garnishes:
Black sesame seed.
Chopped scallion.
Over a medium flame, add one tablespoon of oil to a pan, and add in the frozen dumplings. Cover, moving the pan around the flame to let it heat evenly. 7-8 minutes later, once the popping has turned to sizzling, check for browning. If good, add in the water from a crack in your lid and immediately cover. Once evaporated, ~8 minutes, uncover.
Let the potstickers fry to crisp up once again, ~2 minutes. Add a beaten egg, cover to let the egg set, ~30 seconds. Garnish, serve in the pan.