Cantonese cuisine is one of the greatest known to the world,.culinary delights like barbecued meats, especially "char siu" (sweet barbecued pork) and "siu ngor" (barbecued goose), shark's fin soup, double-boiled soups, prawns and crabs steamed or cooked in black sauce, dim sum are the famous dishes.

Braised Carp With Ginger
Grouper In Black Bean
Pan Fried Chicken With Lemon
Roast Pork
Roast Pork Dumpling (Char Siu Bao)
Scrambled Eggs With Shrimps
Spring Rolls
Stir Fried Garoupa
Stir Fried Lobster And Chicken
Stir Fried Noodles
Stir Fried Shrimp With Assorted Vegetables
Steamed Translucent Dumplings
Won Ton Soup

 

Braised Carp With Ginger

Ingredients:
2 kilo Large carp
250 gm. fresh ginger
250 gm. fresh scallions
6 tbs. oil
40 gm. wine (double distilled)
2 cups water
4 gm. msg
5 gm. coarse sea salt
dash pepper
7 to 8 droops sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
8 to 9 drops dark soy sauce
12 gm. fresh coriander leaves

Preparation

Cut the carp but leave the scales intact. Carp scales have a crispy chewy texture and are edible.
Peel and crush the piece of fresh ginger. Remove the roots from the scallions, then cut into halves.
Heat wok till smoking hot. Add oil. Sauté the ginger and scallions to bring out the aroma. Lightly brown the carp on both sides. Add the wine and two cups of water. Add the coarse sea salt, pepper, msg, sesame oil and sugar.

Bring to a boil before adding the dark soy sauce (Dark soy sauce will retain its dark color only if it is added when the liquid is boiling). Cover and braise over high heat for 20 minutes. Taste. The carp can take in quite a lot of flavor. Add more salt to taste if required.Thicken the sauce with starch and water. Serve, topped with the coriander.

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Grouper in Black Bean

Ingredients:
1 lb grouper fillets or any other firm flesh white fish
1 egg white beaten
1 tsp cornstarch
dash of ground white pepper
1/2 tsp sesame oil
oil for deep frying

Sauce
1 tbsp Fermented black beans
4 cloves garlic
1 tsp Fresh ginger, minced fine
1 tsp sugar
use mortar and pestle to pound the black bean with the garlic, add sugar and mix well

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
2 scallions, chopped

Preparation
Add the beaten egg white, cornstarch, pepper and sesame oil to the grouper mix well and set aside

Pre-cooking the fish*
In a hot mild steel wok, heat oil for deep frying. Quickly deep fry the fish in very hot oil, remove the fish with skimmer just when it begins to firm up and change color, drain excess oil leave two tablespoons of oil in the wok. Add the black bean paste, fry for a few seconds in low heat to release the aroma, take care not to burn the paste.

Turn up the heat and add the pre-cooked fish turn very briskly with the spatula, be careful not to break the fish. Sizzle the ingredients with  wine, turn again the fish, when it is done it begins to flake,don't over cook than required.  You may add  in half a tablespoon of hot oil, to give it a sheen and to keep the dish hot .Serve on plate and garnish with chopped scallion
Serve immediately

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Pan Fried Chicken with Lemon

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts, skinned & boned

Batter
2 tbsp. white flour
½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp. cornflour
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
2 tbs water
4 fl oz groundnut oil for frying

Lemon Sauce.

2 tbs lemon juice
1 lemon, cut in thin slices
5 tbsp. rich chicken stock
1 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 tbs sugar
1 scant tsp salt
white pepper to taste
1 scant tsp cornflour mixed with
1 scant tsp water
1½ tsp. sesame oil

Instructions:

1.Beat the chicken breasts lightly between two pieces of plastic wrap.Combine all the batter ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and mix well. Add the flattened chicken and coat thoroughly.

2.Heat the wok until hot and add the oil. Fry the chicken pieces over a moderate heat until they are brown and crisp, about 2 minutes on each side.Drain on paper towels.

3.Drain the wok and wipe clean. Add the lemon sauce ingredients and simmer for 2 minutes. Meanwhile cut the chicken into bite size pieces and arrange on a serving plate. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve at once.

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Roast Pork

Ingredients
1-1/2 lb. shoulder of pork, best with some fat attached
1 cup light soy sauce
6 tbs. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. brown bean paste, available in can at Asian grocery stores
1 tbsp. hoi sin sauce, available in bottle
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. Chinese rose wine, sherry will do
2 cloves garlic
red coloring optional
1 tbsp. sesame paste, available at Asian grocery stores
1/2 cup thick malt syrup, honey may be substituted

Preparation
Cut pork into long strips approx. 1-1/2" diameter, make incision at intervals and lightly pound meat
with meat pounder
Put all the ingredients into a good size bowl and mix well
Marinate the pork for an hour
Remove pork and mount each piece on a skewer
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
Grill for 15 minutes turning the meat half way through
Heat malt syrup a little water to melt
Remove pork from oven, brush pork with the melted malt syrup
Return pork to the oven and continue cooking for another 10 minutes
Remove pork, brush again with the malt syrup
Return pork to the oven for another 5 minutes
Serve, sliced into thin slices 1/4" or thinner

Alternatively
Buy ready-made cha siu sauce, available bottled, from Chinese grocery store
Marinate pork with the sauce and roast in oven for 30 minutes, turning once or twice to even the
cooking.

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Roast Pork Dumpling (Char Siu Bao)

Ingredients:
For the Dough
20 oz flour
1 cup sugar
6 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tsp white vinegar
2 tbsp lard
6 oz lukewarm water
wax paper
2 egg whites

For the Filling
10 oz Chinese roast pork
1 clove garlic
1 sprig scallion
5 tbsp starch
6 tbsp water

For the Sauce
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
dash of pepper
2/3 cups water

Preparation

The Filling
Fry the garlic and scallion in 2 tbsp oil.
A the sauce ingredients
Add the roast pork
Thicken with the starch and water

The Dough
Sift the flour with the baking powder.
Heap the flour on the table,make a crater in the middle, add sugar, beaten egg white, vinegar, lard, warm water. Mix the ingredients together and knead into a ball, leave dough to rest for half an hour.
Roll the dough between your palms into a long cylinder of 40mm diameter cut into 20 pieces.
Flatten each piece of dough into a disk and add the filling, bring the edges up and gather at the center.
Put each dumpling on a piece of wax paper and put into a steamer, bring the water to boil put the steamer over the boiling water, cover and let steam for 10 minutes over high heat.

Ready To Serve.

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Scrambled Eggs with Shrimps

Ingredients
100 g  raw shrimps, shelled and deveined
1/2 tsp salt
dash of ground white pepper
pinch of sugar
few drops sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch
2 cups oil for pre-frying

The scrambled egg
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
dash of ground white pepper
salt
ground white pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp oil for frying

Preparation

The shrimp
Dry shrimps on paper towel and put in a bowl
Blend in salt, pepper, sugar, cornstarch and sesame oil, set aside
Use an iron wok,heat wok till smoking hot.
To prevent sticking, coat the bottom of the wok with cold oil and pour the oil back into the container,add the oil for pre-frying.
Heat oil until hot, put in the shrimp and pre-fry for ten seconds till the shrimps turn white and opaque,pour oil, shrimp and all back to the oil container over a strainer

The scrambled egg:
Break the eggs into a bowl, beat until just blended add salt and pepper to taste
Blend in one tablespoon of oil and the pre-fried shrimp.
Heat one tablespoon of oil in a hot wok
Pour in the egg mixture
Lower heat

Use spatula to move the egg mixture at the bottom of the wok to the top again and again till the egg mixture is just cook through Make sure that the egg is not overcooked and still soft.
Serve very hot with  rice

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Stir Fried Garoupa

Ingredients:
450 gm. Garoupa fillets
half egg white
75 gm. stock
2 gm. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash pepper
3 to 4 drops sesame oil
1.5 gm. msg
3 to 4 drops zhaoxing rice wine
5 slices ginger
2 stalks scallions
2 cups oil for deep frying

Dry the Garoupa fillets and cut into approximately 45mm by 30mm and 5mm thick pieces. Add the slightly beaten white of half an egg. Wash and clean a piece of fresh ginger and cut into 5 thin slices.
Wash and clean 2 stalks of fresh scallions, remove the roots and half of the green part. Cut at angle into 30mm sections. Add the salt, sugar, pepper , msg, sesame oil and starch to the stock

 
Heat the oil till smoking hot. Quickly fry the fish in the hot oil till the corners of the fish pieces begin to stiffen. Lift out the fish with a large strainer and drain off the oil, leaving 2 tablespoons in the wok.
Sauté lightly the ginger slices, return the fish to the wok, add the rice wine and let it sizzle. Add the seasoned stock and scallions.Quickly stir-fry over very high heat till the fish just firm but not flaking.
Add a table spoon of hot oil. Stir-fry quickly and dish up.

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Stir Fried Noodles

Ingredients:
6 oz. noodles, softened in boiling water for five minutes and drained
2 tbsp. oil for frying
3 oz. bean sprouts
3 oz. Chinese mushroom, soaked in water, squeezed dried and cut into shreds
3 oz. pork, shredded
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. dark soy sauce
dash ground white pepper
dash sesame oil
dash msg
4 tbsp. stock
1 tbsp. cornstarch

Preparation

Heat oil in wok, fry noodles in both sides till crisp and brown put on serving plate, stir fry bean sprouts, Chinese mushroom and shredded pork in remaining oil for two minutes, add light and dark soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil and msg and stir fry for two more minutes, thicken with cornstarch mixed with chicken broth and add to the other ingredients, bring to a boil, pour sauce over fried noodles.

Ready to serve.

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Spring Rolls

Ingredients:
12 sheets Spring Roll wrappers
1 egg, beaten
6 cups oil for frying
115 g chicken breast meat
115 g pork
140 g cooked and shelled shrimps
60 g Chinese roast pork
6 Chinese dried mushroom, soaked
1 cup shredded bamboo shoot
170 g chives

Seasoning for chicken
2 tsp egg white
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each rice wine and cornstarch
sesame oil, pepper and sugar

Seasoning for pork
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp each of rice wine and cornstarch
sesame oil, pepper and sugar

Glaze
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 heap tsp of cornstarch

Preparation
Cut pork and chicken into strips. Mix with the seasoning
Cut Chinese roast pork and mushroom into strips
Cut bamboo shoots into slices and blanch in boiling water
Cut into strips
Cut chives into 5 cm lengths

Filling
Pre-fry seasoned chicken and port in oil
Put wok over high flame and add 1 tbsp oil
Add chives and stir fry for a few seconds add salt to taste, remove and set aside
Add 1 tbsp oil and stir fry the mushroom, bamboo shoot, and shredded meat.
Add Chinese roast pork strips and stir fry for a few seconds over high heat
Add the glaze and stir well.
Remove and leave to cool.
Mix together all the filling ingredients adding the cooked shrimp and chives

Wrapping
Place a piece of the Spring Roll pastry on the table one corner facing you
Put 2 tbsp of the filling in the center of the pastry
Fold the nearest corner of the wrapper up covering the filling
Fold the two sides
Finish by rolling away from you
Glue the last corner with the beaten egg
Repeat for all the 12 Spring Rolls

Deep Frying
Put wok over high flame, add oil,when oil is heated to approx. 180 degrees C.
Use  long wooden chopsticks hold on to the Spring Rolls,one piece at a time in the oil for a few seconds, pinching the fold to prevent from opening, before letting go.
Fry until golden brown,drain off excess oil in a colander.

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Stir Fried Shrimp with Assorted Vegetables

Ingredients:
1/2 lb raw shelled shrimp
t tsp cooking wine or sherry
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 egg white
3/4 tbsp corn starch
1/2 cup oil for frying
1/2 cup each of diced brown onion and diced carrot
1/4 cup each of diced button mushroom, precooked green peas
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp cornstarch
dash of black pepper
sesame oil
2 tbsp water

Preparation
Rinse and devein shrimp
Drain
Mix shrimp with wine, salt, eight white and cornstarch in that order, mixing after each addition.
Before frying, add one tbsp oil and mix so that the shrimp will separate easily during frying.
Heat the wok then add oil.
Fry the shrimp over medium heat until cooked (precooking),remove shrimp.
Remove oil from the wok,reheat the wok and add 2 tbsp oil,stir fry the brown onions until fragrant.
Add the diced vegetables, 2 tbsp water and stir fry until the liquid has almost completely evaporated and the ingredients are cooked.
Add shrimp and the thickening mixture of salt, cornstarch, pepper, sesame oil and 2 tbsp water.
Turn the heat to very high,stir quickly to mix.
Transfer to a serving plate and serve.

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Stir Fried Lobster and Chicken

Ingredients:
1 two pound lobster
1 lb. chicken
4 to 5 straw mushroom
2 stalks of spring onion
5 slices of ginger
1/2 tablespoon chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 to 5 drops sesame oil
4 to 5 drops shao xing rice wine
salt
starch
white pepper
1 egg white
1 clove garlic

The Sauce
In a small bowl mix the chicken broth, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, salt and sugar to taste and a little starch for thickening.

Preparation
Shell the lobster. You will get approximately half pound of meat. Cut the lobster meat into slices,sprinkle with a little starch. Set aside. Bone chicken, you will get approximately 8 ounces of meat.
Cut into slices. Add the egg white and mix in a little starch. Set aside. Remove head and tails of the spring onions. Wash and cut diagonally into lengths. Peel and crush the clove of garlic.

Stir Fry
Wash and dry the wok. Put on fire until very hot. Put in ladle of oil. Swirl oil in wok and empty oil back into the container. Put in a fresh ladle of oil. Quickly add the lobster and chicken slices.
Pre-cook for 30 seconds. Drain, leaving one tablespoon oil in wok. Add crushed garlic, ginger slices, spring onions and straw mushroom. Stir fry for a few seconds then add the pre-cooked chicken and lobster slices. Sprinkle with the rice wine. Add the sauce. Toss the ingredients into the wok for a few seconds and dish up.

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Steamed Translucent Dumplings

Ingredients:
6 Mushrooms, Chinese black, dried ¼ tsp Pepper, white
175 g Shrimp; shelled, deveined 1 tbs Wine, rice; or dry sherry
1 tsp Salt 1 1/2 tsp Soy sauce, light
1 ½ tbsp Oil, peanut 2 tsp Cornstarch
175 g pork mince 2 tbsp Chicken stock
¼ cup Bamboo shoots; diced fine 2 tap Coriander leaves; coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Water chestnuts; diced fine 2 Shallots; chopped
2 tsp Sugar, granulated Oil

Wheat Starch Wrappers Soy sauce, light; dipping
Mustard, Chinese; dipping

METHOD

Can be prepared entirely in advance and reheated a few minutes before serving.
Roll out the wrappers as thin as possible; otherwise they come out rubbery.
Cover mushrooms in warm water for 20 minutes. Cut off the stems at the base and discard them. Finely mince the caps.

Toss the shrimp with salt and let them stand 10 minutes. Rinse well with cold water, pat dry thoroughly. Coarsely mince.

Preheat the wok. When hot, add the peanut oil, add the mushrooms, shrimps, pork, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and half the green onions; stir-fry until the pork turns white. Season with the sugar, white pepper, wine and soy sauce. Combine the cornstarch and chicken stock in a small bowl and mix until smooth; pour into wok. Stir fry for 1 minute longer.

Remove the mixture to a shallow plate and mix in the remaining green onion and coriander. Allow the filling to cool, then refrigerate it until needed. Makes almost 2 cups of filling.

Prepare the Wheat Starch Wrapper dough. Pinch off 1-inch balls of dough. Lightly oil the ball and flatten it into a thin 3 1/2-inch circle. An oiled Chinese cleaver is traditionally used; however, a tortilla press or a rolling pin works.

Put 1 large teaspoon of filling in the center of the circle. Fold it in half and pinch the edges to seal the filling inside. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.
Place dumplings on a lightly oiled bamboo steamer. Steam over boiling water for 3 minutes.
Serve hot, dipped in light soy sauce and Chinese mustard.

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Won Ton Soup

Filling:

1/2 lb. Raw prawns, minced
1/2 lb. Pork, minced
2 stalks Green onions, chopped finely
4 Water chestnuts, peeled and chopped finely
4 Chinese mushrooms, presoaked and chopped finely
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Sesame oil (optional)

Combine and mix well

1 lb. Won ton wrappers

Place about 1/2 tsp. of filling in one corner of won ton wrapper. Fold this  corner over the wrapper 2/3 toward the opposite corner and bring it to the  left hand corner. Drop wonton into boiling water and cook 4 min. or until  pork is done. Remove won ton and blanch in cold water to prevent sticking.
Add won ton to hot soup stock of choice and serve.

Garnish (optional)

1/2 C. Chinese greens, chopped (pak choy or Napa)
1/2 C. Sliced chicken or 1/2 C. Sliced ham can be added to the hot broth and  cooked until done before adding won ton. Sliced barbecue pork, hard boiled  eggs or chopped green onions can be used as garnish.

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