Summer Menu
Scrambled Eggs with Chives (韭菜炒鸡蛋)
Tofu and Rocket Salad (马兰头拌香干)
Bean Sprouts with Tomatoes (西红柿炒豆芽)
Smashed Cucumer Salad (拍黄瓜)
Smoked Fish (熏鱼)
Drunken Chicken (醉鸡)
Braised Beef Shank (滷牛腱)
Red Braised Gluten (紅燒烤麩)
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Scrambled Eggs with Chives
(韭菜炒鸡蛋)
Ingredients:
6 eggs plus 1 egg yolk - 1 Tbsp potato flour - 2 Tbsp water - 1 tsp light soy sauce - 1 tsp salt - 1 tsp sugar - 3 Tbsp oil - 120g chives
1. Beat well eggs and egg yolk
2. Mix potato flour, water, soy sauce, salt and sugar
3. Add mixture to eggs and beat well until blended
4. Cut chives into small pieces, drain on paper towels
5. Heat oil, add chives and stir fry them until bright green
6. Beat egg mixture again and pour it into wok
7. Let cook underneath and stir gently
8. Stop cooking when eggs are done but still moist. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Côte de Provence Miraval 2018 rosé. Made of grenache, cinsault, syrah and rolle. Light bodied, pale rose colour, refreshing acidity, intense floral and fruity notes of white flowers, strawberries, red cherries and herbes de provence. A delightful rosé to be enjoyed together with this light and tasty Chinese dish.
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Five-Spice Tofu Coriander Salad
(豆腐干拌香菜)
Ingredients:
500g five-spice tofu, cut into thin strips - 5 Tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped - 2 Tbsp light soy sauce - 2 Tbsp sesame oil - 1 Tbsp chilli oil (optional) - 1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorn oil (optional)
1. In a large bowl mix tofu, coriander, sesame oil and soy sauce
2. Either add chilli and peppercorn oils or serve them aside
3. Place and arrange salad nicely on a serving platter. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Corse Pierre Chanau 2019 rosé. Made of niellucciu, grenache and sciaccaelu. Crisp and fragrant, salmon colour, refreshing acidity, zesty notes of lemon, redcurrant, candied redcurrant and elderflower. A light rosé that makes a proper balance with the exquisite flavours of the Five-Spice Tofu Coriander Salad.
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Oyster Sauce Lettuce
(蚝油生菜)
Ingredients:
1 lettuce - 2 Tbsp oil - 2 Tbsp oyster sauce (vegans may use vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms)
1. Wash the lettuce leaving the whole leaves
2. Drain the water from the lettuce with a spinner
3. Heat oil, add the lettuce and stir fry for 1 minute
4. Turn off the heat, the lettuce should shrink, it will show a dark green colour
5. Wait 2-3 minutes and drain the water released by the lettuce
6. Transfer to plate, add oyster sauce on the top of the lettuce and serve. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Saint Mont Un Air de Campagne 2018. Made of tannat, pinenc, cabernet franc and cabernet sauvignon. A soft and lively rosé from Southwest France showing an enticing rosé colour with fruity notes of fresh+candied redcurrants and cranberries. An aromatic rosé that matches pretty well the savoury oyster sauce.
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Smashed Cucumber Salad
(拍黄瓜)
Ingredients:
2 cucumbers - 1 tsp garlic, finely chopped - 1 Tbsp light soy sauce - 1 Tbsp Zhenjiang vinegar - 1 tsp salt - 1 tsp sugar - 1 Tbsp sesame oil - 1 red chilli (optional), seeded and minced - 1 Tbsp chilli oil (optional)
1. Partially peel cucumber leaving 50% of the skin and cut the end off
2. Smash cucumber with a cleaver
3. Cut cucumber diagonally into diamond shaped pieces
4. Transfer cucumber into a bowl and add garlic
5. Prepare sauce with soy sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar and sesame oil
6. Pour sauce into the bowl with the cucumber and mix well
7. Transfer to a serving plate
8. For a spicier salad add chilli and/or chilli oil. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Sancerre Jean-Baptiste Thibault La Duschesne 2018 rosé, from the Upper Loire Valley Made of pinot noir. Light bodied, fresh and crisp, lively notes of redcurrant, raspberry and roses. A rosé that blends to perfection with the flavours of the cucumber and its delicate spices.
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Smoked Fish
(熏鱼)
Ingredients:
450g white fish fillets (with the skin on) - 2 Tbsp light soy sauce - 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce - 2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine - 3cm ginger root (peeled and sliced) - 1 scallion (cut into 4 tubes) - 1 star anise - 1 cinnamon stick - 1 piece dry tangerine peel - 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns - 1 tsp salt - 3 Tbsp sugar - 250ml chicken or vegetable stock - Oil for deep frying - 2 Tbsp coriander leaves, chopped
1. Cut fish into big pieces and pat dry
2. Transfer fish into a bowl with the soy sauces, wine, ginger, scallion, anise, cinnamon, tangerine peel, peppercorns, salt and sugar, let marinate for 2 hours
3. Drain fish and set marinade aside
4. Heat marinade + stock in a clay pot or casserole until it boils, lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes
5. Pass marinade through a sieve keeping only the sauce, pour sauce back into the pot
6. Deep fry fish in small batches for 5 minutes or until flesh is firm and starting to turn golden
7. Drain fish on paper towels, then add fish to clay pot, stir gently, heat and let boil for 3-4 minutes
8. Refrigerate overnight, the fish will absorb the sauce flavours and remain moist
9. Drain sauce prior to transferring fish to a serving plate. Sprinkle with coriander leaves. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Sancerre Reverdy Ducroux Les Vignes Silex 2016 blanc. An elegant wine from the Upper Loire Valley made of sauvignon blanc. Light bodied, dry and mineral, high acidity, notes of lemon, lime, elderflower and wet stones, hints of grass. A wonderful white to match the smoky-fishy flavours of this classic Shanghainese cold dish.
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Drunken Chicken
(醉鸡)
Ingredients:
5 chicken thighs - 1 tsp salt - 1 Tbsp goji berries - 2½ cups water - 2 thick ginger slides - 1 tsp salt - 1½ cups chicken stock - 1½ cups Shaoxing wine - 2 tsp sugar - 2 tsp salt - 1 Tbsp goji berries
1. Debone chicken thighs, keeping skins on
2. Boil bones with water, ginger and salt
3. Simmer stock for 30 minutes, let cool down (it will be used in the marinade)
4. Season chicken thighs with salt, roll each thigh lengthwise, then wrap with aluminium foil
5. Steam chicken for 20 minutes, turn off heat, let steamer covered for 5 more minutes
6. Transfer chicken (still wrapped) to a big bowl with iced water & ice cubes, let rest for 10 minutes
7. Mix stock, wine, sugar, sant and goji in a big bowl, unwrap chicken and place them into marinade
8. Let chicken marinate for 24h-48h, pick out chicken and discard marinade
9. Slice chicken in thick slices. Garnish with goji berries. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Viré-Clessé Jean-Luc et Paul Aegerter 2017, a relatively recent Burgundy appellation in the Mâconnais region producing exclusively dry white wines from chardonnay since 1999. In particular the 2017 vintage was extremely well rated: fruity and floral, generous notes of ripe white peach, honeysuckle and wet stones, hints of mint. An elegant and aromatic white wine that makes a splendid pair with the delicate taste of Drunken Chicken.
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Braised Beef Shank
(滷牛腱)
Ingredients:
500g beef shank - ¼ cup light soy sauce - 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce - ¼ cup Shaoxing wine - 1 star anise - 1 cinnamon stick - 1 Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns - 1 tsp cloves - 1 tsp black peppercorns - 1 piece dried tangerine peel - 2 bay leaves - 2 thick slices ginger - 4 scallions cut into 3 tubes each - 2 Tbsp sugar - 1 tsp salt - 4 cups water
1. Debone and clean beef shank, cutting into big pieces
2. Boil water and beef, then discard cooking water
3. Rinse beef under cold running water
4. Mix remaining ingredients in a pot and add beef
5. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes
6. Turn off heat and let cool down
7. Let beef and braising liquid rest in refrigerator for 24h-48h
8. Pick out beef, discard liquid and spices (or keep for later use e.g. soup base)
9. Slice beef. Garnish with cherry tomatoes. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Languedoc Devois des Agneaux D'Aumelas 2018 rosé. Made of grenache, syrah and carignan. Fresh and lively, its beautiful salmon pink colour reveals robust notes of strawberries and cranberries, also some hints of vanilla and caramel. Its flavour intensity balances well the aromatic profile of Braised Beef Shank.
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Red Braised Gluten (紅燒烤麩)
Ingredients:
1kg wheat flour - 1 Tbsp salt - 40cl water - 12 small dried Chinese mushrooms - 120g bamboo shoots, thinly sliced - 3 Tbsp oil - 2½ Tbsp dark soy sauce - 1 star anise - 1 cinnamon stick - 1 piece dried tangerine peel - 2 tsp sugar - 1 tsp salt - 25cl mushroom water
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1. In a large bowl mix flour and salt, add water gradually to make a dough
2. Knead dough for 5 minutes or until smooth and elastic, cover for 1 hour
3. Put dough in a colander and press/squeeze/wash it under running water until starch is gone
4. Roll dough and cut into 12-15 gluten pieces
5. Boil water, add gluten pieces and let them boil until they float; drain and squeeze excess water
6. Hydrate mushrooms in 50cl boiling water for 1 hour, pick mushrooms and reserve mushroom water
7. Heat wok and add 3 Tbsp oil, add mushrooms and heat through, same for bamboo and gluten
8. Add soy sauce, anise, cinnamon, tangerine peel, sugar, salt and mushroom water, bring to boil, cover and simmer for 30 minutes
9. Uncover, increase heat and let gluten absorb most of the liquid, add sesame oil. Bon appétit !
Wine pairing suggestion:
AOC Champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut. Made of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier. Red Braised Gluten should be eaten chilled or at room temperature. Its multiple textures (spongy/bready gluten, tender mushrooms and crispy bamboo) and sweet-salty aromatic tastes from the red braising spices work superbly with the fine bubbles and the elegant yeasty & fruity notes of biscuit, brioche, bread dough, peach and pear of Champagne Brut.