Victoria is home to Canada’s oldest and North America’s second oldest Chinatown, which was established during the Gold Rush of the early 1850s.
At its peak, more than 40,000 immigrants lived in a few square blocks in the city centre.
Today it is a vibrant place to shop for Asian ingredients, vegetables, fish and meat.
While visiting, I joined chef Heidi Fink on her culinary tour. In her 10th year leading cooking enthusiasts through the grocery stores, restaurants and teashops, she shared her wealth of knowledge of Oriental cuisine.
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Feb. 15 marks the beginning of the 15 days of Chinese New Year celebrations and many special meals.
Chinese Hot and Sour Soup
This is one of my favourite authentic Chinese recipes. Dark soy is thicker and more flavourful than standard soy sauce so use it sparingly.
- 2/3 c. boneless pork loin, cut into 1/4 inch strips 160 mL
- 2 tsp. dark soy sauce 10 mL
- 4 small Chinese dried shitake mushrooms
- 3/4 c. dried black fungus 185 mL
- 1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch 20 mL
- 1/2 c. canned sliced bamboo shoots, cut lengthwise into 1/8 inch wide strips 125 mL
- 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar 30 mL
- 2 tbsp. rice vinegar, unseasoned 30 mL
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce 15 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. sugar 8 mL
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for frying 30 mL
- 4 c. using mushroom soaking liquid and sodium reduced chicken stock 1 L
- 3 to 4 oz. firm tofu, rinsed and drained, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 85-110 g
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. sesame oil 5 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper 8 mL
- 2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions 30 mL
- 2 tbsp. fresh whole cilantro leaves 30 mL
Toss pork with dark soy sauce until well coated.
Soak shitake and black fungus in boiling hot water to cover, about 30 minutes. Cut and discard stems from shitakes, then squeeze excess liquid from caps and thinly slice.
Squeeze liquid from black fungus and trim hard nubs. In another bowl, stir 1/4 cup (60 mL) cooled mushroom soaking liquid with cornstarch and set aside. Stir together vinegars, light soy sauce, sugar and salt.
Heat a wok or heavy pan over high heat. Add vegetable oil and stir fry pork until it changes colour, about one minute. Add shitake mushrooms, black fungus and bamboo shoots and stir fry one minute.
Add stock and bring to a boil, then add tofu. Return to a boil and add vinegar mixture. Stir in cornstarch mixture and return to a boil. Liquid will thicken. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer one minute.
Beat egg with a fork and add sesame oil. Add egg to soup in a thin stream, stirring slowly in one direction with a spoon. Stir in white pepper. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro before serving.
Source: adapted from Bruce Cost.
Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage
At dim sum, this is usually presented in a lotus leaf packet. I can’t find lotus leaves and I don’t like the flavour of banana leaves so I serve this in a bamboo steamer. Cantonese sausage can be found in the freezer section.
- 1 1/4 c. short grain glutinous sweet rice 375 mL
- 4 Chinese dried shitake mushrooms, also called black mushrooms
- 1 Â boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1/4 tsp. salt 2 mL
- 1 tbsp. Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 15 mL
- 1 tsp. cornstarch 5 mL
- 2 links Cantonese sweet sausage, also called lop cheong
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tbsp. Chinese rice wine 15 mL
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce 30 mL
- 1 tsp. dark soy  5 mL
- 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch 15 mL dissolved in 1 tbsp. cold water 8 mL
- 2 tbsp. vegetable oil for stir fry 30 mL
- 1/4 tsp. Asian sesame oil 2 mL
- black pepper or white pepper to taste
Cover rice with cold water and soak for one hour, then drain and steam in a bamboo steamer lined with cheesecloth.
Meanwhile, soak mushrooms in boiling hot water until softened, about 30 minutes. Cut out and discard stems, then squeeze excess liquid from caps and thinly slice caps. Save mushroom soaking liquid for another use.
Thinly slice green onions, keeping pale green and white parts separate from dark green parts. Quarter sausage lengthwise and finely chop.
Heat wok or large heavy pan over high heat and add vegetable oil. Add mushrooms, sausage and pale green and white parts of green onions, then stir fry one minute. Add rice and stir fry, breaking up any clumps, one minute. Add sesame oil, pepper and remaining green onions and stir fry until combined well.
Source: adapted from Bruce Cost.
Pork and Chive Dumplings
Sauce:
- 1/2 c. soy sauce 125 mL
- 1/2 c. black vinegar, also called sugarcane juice vinegar 125 mL
- 1 tbsp. sesame oil 15 mL
- 2 tsp. toasted white sesame seeds 10 mL
Filling:
- 1 lb. ground pork 500 g
- 1 c. finely chopped garlic chives 250 mL
- 2 tsp. minced garlic 10 mL
- 1 tsp. salt 5 mL
- 1 tsp. cornstarch 5 mL
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger 5 mL
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 5 mL
- 1 package round dumpling wrappers (3 1/2 inch) 9 cm
- vegetable oil, for frying
Make the sauce by combining all ingredients and set aside until ready to serve. Makes about one cup (250 mL).
Make the pork filling by combining all ingredients except for dumpling wrappers and vegetable oil.
Working with one dumpling wrapper at a time, place a tablespoon (15 mL) of pork filling in the centre of the wrapper, moisten the edge of the wrapper and fold in half. Pinch the dumpling at one end and pinch as you go until you have a total of six pleats and the dumpling is closed.
Place dumpling on a parchment lined baking sheet. Repeat with re-maining dumpling wrappers until all filling has been used. Cover dumplings with a damp paper towel until ready to cook or at this point they can be frozen and cooked later.
In a large non-stick skillet, heat two tablespoons (30 mL) of oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, arrange the dumplings in a single layer and cook, until the bottoms begin to brown, about one minute. Pour one-half cup (125 mL) water into the pan, cover with a lid and steam until the filling is almost cooked through, about two minutes. Uncover and cook until the water has evaporated and the bottoms have become golden brown and crisp, about two minutes. Serve warm.
Source: adapted from the Tasting Table Test Kitchen.
Sarah Galvin is a home economist, teacher and farmers’ market vendor at Swift Current, Sask., and a member of Team Resources. She writes a blog at allourfingersinthepie.blogspot.ca. Contact: team@producer.com.
