Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper and Twice-Cooked Pork

Fuchsia Dunlop's recipes are probably represented on this blog more than any other cook book writer for the simple fact that my favourite cook book is one of hers, a book called Sichuan Cookery.  I'd never been so blown away by a cook book as I was when I bought this.  I thought I knew Chinese cookery a bit (my first mistake was trying to encapsulate such a vast cuisine under that umbrella) but when I got this book I realised I didn't.  The food looked Chinese, using cooking methods and ingredients familiar to me, but nearly all the recipe were entirely new to me.  It seems I only knew Cantonese cuisine really.

After taking so much joy from her recipes, when I saw she had autobiography (called Shark's Fin & Sichuan Pepper) coming out, even though I normally don't read such books, I grabbed a copy and stuck it on the shelf where it stayed for months.  I've decided to go to China this summer though and so now seemed the perfect time to read it as I imagined the book would revolve around her time there, which it did.  For lovers of Chinese food and her recipe books I think it's a must read.  It is such an interesting tale of both the food and her journey discovering about it.  I saw parallels with myself too as the last few years of my life have seen such a transformation in what I like about food, with what I consider worth eating now unrecognisable compared to a few years back.  It's quite hard imagining the me of a few years ago that couldn't bring himself to put a bit of what he thought was tripe in his mouth, let alone relish it and choose it over king prawns when both sit on the menu.  Moving across to China Fuchsia had the same thing forced upon her, just in a somewhat more extreme fashion.

The Sichuan she tells about sounds amazing too, the sad thing being it seemingly doesn't exist any more as in the name of progress it's been razed to the floor and rebuilt more functionally.  I'm hoping that heading further afield will give me opportunity to find areas that have suffered less at the hands of modernisation.  Even if I don't I'm hoping the food is still the same.

The book also got me back to wanting Sichuan food which was reflected in a visit to Baozi Inn on Saturday and then knocking up some Twice-Cooked Pork on Sunday, adapting a recipe from Fuchsia's book.  Twice-cooked pork is a great representation of the complex layering of flavour and texture you can get in Chinese cuisine.  The belly is first boiled to remove greasiness and then sliced thinly ready for the wok.  Texturally you're left with tender meat, soft fat and chewy skin sat alongside almost crunchy leek.  From a flavour point of view it is spicy, salty and sweet with the umami so common to fermented foods like the black beans and chili bean sauce.  It really is very tasty and moreish.  Luckily I have leftover for today's lunch as thinking about it is making me want some more.

Twice-Cooked Pork

300gr pork belly
1 large leek
1.5 TB chili bean paste
1.5 TB sweet bean paste
2 TB black beans
1 ts dark soy sauce
1 ts sugar

Method

Simmer the pork belly for an hour then allow to cool fully.  I tend to do this the night before so it has a chance to dry a bit too.  Wet pork belly and oil aren't the best of friends, spattering rather a lot upon contact.

Slice the pork into bite size pieces that are maybe 3mm thick.  Each piece should be layers of fat and lean with a piece of skin, like mini rashers of streaky bacon.

Slice the leek into 3mm thick diagonal slices then rinse well to remove any grit.

Heat a little oil in a wok and stir fry the leeks for 30 seconds before removing to a plate.

Add more oil to the wok and stir fry the pork until browned, it may spit a bit.

Push the pork to one side and add the chili bean paste to the oil, cooking for 30 seconds before stirring into the pork.

Add the sweet bean paste, black beans, sugar and dark soy cooking for another 30 seconds.

Add the leeks and give another 30 seconds, stirring well until combined.

Serve with boiled rice and steamed Chinese greens.

Comments

[Tiffany]

Thanks for the recipes. I'm really keen on trying your pulled-pork recipe. I had it at a restaurant near me recently, and have been dying to make my own. Thanks again.