Taiwanese Pickled Garlic Smashed Cucumber

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: asian, quick, easy, Taiwanese, vegetarian, sides, healthy, low cal
Serves: 1 large jar, about 6 portions as sides | Prep time: 1 hour | Cook time: marinate for 4 hours

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Pickled smashed cucumber is a common side dish in Taiwan that pairs well with almost anything. You can find it in pre-packed lunch boxes or in self-serve portions in small restaurants in the market. It cuts the grease and cleanses your palate. This mildly spicy and very garlicky version is super easy and you can make it in 5 minutes (after soaking the cucumbers in salt for 1 hour 🤫). You can serve it immediately, but it’s best served after marinating for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

2 large (450g/1lb) cucumbers
1 tsp kosher salt
Pickling liquid:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar

Directions:

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo).

Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1 tsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 1 hour at room temperature to allow excess water to be released. After 1 hour, discard the released cucumber water and rinse the salt off the cucumber. Set aside in a colander.

In a large glass jar (with a lid), add in the pickling liquid ingredients: garlic, chilli, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and rice vinegar. Put on the lid and shake until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the smashed cucumbers (from step 1), ensuring all the cucumber is submerged in the pickling liquid. Close the lid and let it marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight. Done! Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week, best eaten within 3 days.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Pickled Garlic Smashed Cucumber

Ingredients:

2 large (450g/1lb) cucumbers
1 tsp kosher salt
Pickling liquid:
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 bird’s eye chilli, thinly sliced
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar

Directions:

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo). Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1 tsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 1 hour at room temperature to allow excess water to be released. After 1 hour, discard the released cucumber water and rinse the salt off the cucumber. Set aside in a colander.
In a large glass jar (with a lid), add in the pickling liquid ingredients: garlic, chilli, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and rice vinegar. Put on the lid and shake until the sugar has dissolved. Add in the smashed cucumbers (from step 1), ensuring all the cucumber is submerged in the pickling liquid. Close the lid and let it marinate for at least 4 hours in the fridge or overnight. Done! Keeps in the fridge for at least 2-3 days.

April 16, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Garlic Soy Sauce Paste/Dressing

Date Published: April 16th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 16th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: easy, Asian, quick, Taiwanese, <15 mins, sauces
Serves: 1.5 cups of sauce | Prep time: 5 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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Soy sauce paste is one of the most popular sauces you’ll find in Taiwanese street food, often drizzled over a wide variety of dishes including fried fish cake tempura, century egg with silken tofu, dan bing, sautéed vegetables…the list goes on! It’s so versatile, yet so difficult to find outside of Taiwan.

Soy sauce paste is more than just thickened soy sauce – it’s lightly sweetened but still maintains the umami profile. It’s a little similar to oyster sauce – in fact, some people use it interchangeably with vegetarian/mushroom oyster sauce if soy sauce paste is not readily available.

This recipe is a garlic version of the classic soy sauce paste which in my opinion makes it even better! It’s quick and easy, and the sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week – just give it a shake each time you’re about to use it!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Garlic puree:
- 4 cloves (25g) garlic, peeled with fibrous ends cut off
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
Soy sauce paste:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce (ie. kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup (60ml water)
- 2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar

Directions:

Make the garlic purée: Add the garlic with 1/2 cup of water into a high speed blender. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.

Add the soy sauce paste ingredients to a saucepan

Make the soy sauce paste: In a small saucepan on MED heat, add in the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let the sauce come to a light simmer. While you’re waiting, in a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 Tbsps of water. When the sauce has come to a simmer, add in the cornstarch/water mixture and continuously whisk for about 1 minute or until the mixture comes to a gloopy paste. Turn off the heat and set aside to let cool.

Once the soy sauce paste has slightly cooled, add in the garlic purée (from step 1) and 2 Tbsps of sugar. Mix it all together and taste to adjust salt or sugar. Done! Keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Summarized Recipe:

Garlic Soy Sauce Paste/Dressing

Ingredients:

Garlic puree:
- 4 cloves (25g) garlic, peeled with fibrous ends cut off
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
Soy sauce paste:
- 1/4 cup (60ml) soy sauce (ie. kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup (60ml water)
- 2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar
- 1.5 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps water
2 Tbsps (25g) granulated sugar

Directions:

Make the garlic purée: Add the garlic with 1/2 cup of water into a high speed blender. Blend until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
Make the soy sauce paste: In a small saucepan on MED heat, add in the soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Let the sauce come to a light simmer. While you’re waiting, in a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch and 2 Tbsps of water. When the sauce has come to a simmer, add in the cornstarch/water mixture and continuously whisk for about 1 minute or until the mixture comes to a gloopy paste. Turn off the heat and set aside to let cool.
Once the soy sauce paste has slightly cooled, add in the garlic purée (from step 1) and 2 Tbsps of sugar. Mix it all together and taste to adjust salt or sugar. Done! Keeps well in the fridge for up to 1 week.

April 16, 2024April 16, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 鹽酥雞

Date Published: April 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: appetizers, Asian, easy, snacks, Taiwanese
Serves: 4 as a snack (1 large bowl) | Prep time: marinate for 12 hours | Cook time: 20 minutes

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Ohhh yesssssss! I’m so excited to share this recipe with you all because Taiwanese popcorn chicken is SUPER addicting and is one of my all time favourite Taiwanese street foods. There used to be quite a few night market food stalls in Taiwan that sell this, but for some reason in recent years it’s been harder and harder to find. My parents’ place in Taiwan is within walking distance to the Shih-lin night market and when we were kids, we used to visit every summer and would occasionally go to the shitty small movie theatre in the night market for a cheap late night flick. Instead of popcorn as the traditional movie theatre food, popcorn chicken was our weakness. We would always go to the same popcorn chicken stall and each order our own large portion for the movie, along with a few fried tempura fish cakes. It was a time of bliss – I’d look forward to the chicken more than the actual movie 🙃. Now every time I see Taiwanese popcorn chicken, I’m transported back to those days of my parents taking us kids to the movies and indulging at the night market. That shitty movie theatre has since closed down and that food vendor is no longer there 😢, but I’m glad I figured out how to recreate the recipe so I can have it on demand any time.

How does Taiwanese popcorn chicken differ from regular popcorn chicken, you ask?

First of all, the batter coating is made with sweet potato starch rather than just regular flour which creates a more delicate crisp. Secondly, the chicken is marinated in a mix of common Taiwanese ingredients such as cooking rice wine, white pepper, and 5-spice powder that gives it a distinct flavour. Thirdly, this is eaten without a sauce, but topped with ground white pepper, salt, and chilli powder (optional). Fourth and finally, it is served with deep fried Thai basil leaves which in my opinion is crucial and adds an extra layer of flavour between bites of chicken. I am a Taiwanese popcorn chicken snob and will only order from food stalls if they serve it with the basil leaves 😅.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chicken Marinade:
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps cooking rice wine/michu
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsps white sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
- 3 large (~650g) chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
2 Tbsps all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1.5 cups thick sweet potato starch (if you can only find the fine powder, sprtiz some water to make small clumps)
4 cups oil for frying (ie. canola, vegetable)
1 large handful of Thai basil leaves, washed and throughly dried
Seasoning:
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp fine salt

Directions:

Marinate the chicken overnight: Combine all the chicken marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl: soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, sugar, salt, white pepper, 5-spice powder, and chicken thigh pieces. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.

The next day, mix the chicken around in the marinade and add in the flour and baking powder. Mix well until combined.

Bread the chicken: Pour the sweet potato starch into a wide base bowl. Place a few pieces of the marinated chicken at a time into the sweet potato starch and coat the chicken in the starch and gently pressing the starch into the chicken so it sticks better. Remove the coated chicken and place onto a plate. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are coated in starch.

Cook the chicken: Heat the oil in a wide base pot. The oil is ready when it starts to shimmer and immediately sizzle when you add a dust of flour or a drop of batter. Fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes at a time or until golden brown. Remove onto a cooling rack or paper towel-lined plate.

Once you’ve fried all the chicken, fry it all again a second time for 1 minute, starting with the first batch. This double fry method will give you a crispier coating. Once all the chicken has been refried, add in the basil leaves to the oil and fry for another 10-20 seconds and remove onto a cooling rack or a paper towel-lined plate to crisp up.

Add the seasoning: In a small bowl mix together the chili powder, white pepper, and salt. Once the chicken has cooled a little, put them all in a big mixing bowl along with the basil, and sprinkle the seasoning over top. Toss so all the pieces are evenly coated with seasoning. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken 鹽酥雞

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:
- 3 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1.5 Tbsps cooking rice wine/michu
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tsps white sugar
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
- 3 large (~650g) chicken thighs, skinless, boneless, cut into 3-4 cm pieces
2 Tbsps all purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1.5 cups thick sweet potato starch (if you can only find the fine powder, sprtiz some water to make small clumps)
4 cups oil for frying (ie. canola, vegetable)
1 large handful of Thai basil leaves, washed and throughly dried
Seasoning:
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp fine salt

Directions:

Marinate the chicken overnight: Combine all the chicken marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl: soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, sugar, salt, white pepper, 5-spice powder, and chicken thigh pieces. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight.
The next day, mix the chicken around in the marinade and add in the flour and baking powder. Mix well until combined.
Bread the chicken: Pour the sweet potato starch into a wide base bowl. Place a few pieces of the marinated chicken at a time into the sweet potato starch and coat the chicken in the starch and gently pressing the starch into the chicken so it sticks better. Remove the coated chicken and place onto a plate. Repeat until all of the chicken pieces are coated in starch.
Cook the chicken: Heat the oil in a wide base pot. The oil is ready when it starts to shimmer and immediately sizzle when you add a dust of flour or a drop of batter. Fry the chicken in batches for 3-4 minutes at a time or until golden brown. Remove onto a cooling rack or paper towel-lined plate. Once you’ve fried all the chicken, fry it all again a second time for 1 minute, starting with the first batch. This double fry method will give you a crispier coating. Once all the chicken has been refried, add in the basil leaves to the oil and fry for another 10-20 seconds and remove onto a paper towel-lined plate to crisp up.
Add the seasoning: In a small bowl mix together the chili powder, white pepper, and salt. Once the chicken has cooled a little, put them all in a big mixing bowl along with the basil, and sprinkle the seasoning over top. Toss so all the pieces are evenly coated with seasoning. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

April 14, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad

Date Published: Mar 5th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 5th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, side dishes, salads, mains, <30 mins, easy, quick, healthy, low-cal, Taiwanese, vegetarian
Serves: 2 as mains, 1 large plate | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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This recipe came to me on a search to use up leftover salad ingredients to clear the fridge before our 2 week vacation overseas. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and kept us on track of our healthy eating goals! This dish is like a cross between a smashed cucumber salad and a tomato egg stir-fry (番茄炒蛋).

In our efforts to be more healthy in this new year, we stocked up on fresh salad ingredients in bulk from Costco just over a week ago and have been slowly getting through it before our trip (it’s amazing how long cos lettuce keeps in the fridge!). It’s the night before our flight and we managed to finish all the leafy greens, but I still had one cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes left. Toby has not been a fan of this batch of cherry tomatoes and says they’re too tart for him (I think it’s fine), so instead of making a basic chopped cucumber and tomato salad, I looked for other options that might mask the tomatoes, but to also be quick and easy so I could start packing. I came across this recipe from Bon Appétit. It came out beautifully and so easy the first time. I’ve made some adaptations and added in exact measurements and ended up with this recipe to share!

What is Asian Smashed Cucumber Salad?

Smashed cucumber salad is a very popular Chinese starter/side dish. It’s served cold and in its essence is a mix of cucumber, salt, raw garlic, and some sort of acid (usually black vinegar). It’s supposed to light and refreshing, yet still have a punch of garlicky saltiness to be savoury. There are many variations out there and some people will add in sesame seeds, chilli, ginger, and/or cilantro. You’ll commonly see this dish not only in nice restaurants, but also in small street-side shops in Taiwan. It’s quick, easy, and takes minimal effort and ingredients. An Asian smashed cucumber salad does not traditionally have tomatoes nor eggs in it, so if you want to go the OG route, leave them out, but I prefer this version because it bulks it up and balances the dish out so it’s not so punchy in flavours and you can eat a whole bowl in one sitting as a main meal.

Smashing is important!

A key component to this dish is smashing the cucumbers. If your cucumbers look like they’ve been chopped, then you haven’t smashed them enough. You want the outside skin to crack and the inside to be crushed, but not flattened. Smashing cucumbers allow the marinating sauce to penetrate deeper and infuse the flavours better. It’s also a good way to relieve some stress 😜.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup black vinegar
2 Tbsps granulated sugar
6 eggs
3 green onions/scallions, sliced
1/4 tsp white pepper
Drizzle of sesame oil
2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo).

Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.

Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.

Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

Summarized Recipe:

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup black vinegar
2 Tbsps granulated sugar
6 eggs
3 green onions/scallions, sliced
1/4 tsp white pepper
Drizzle of sesame oil
2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo). Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.
Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.
Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.
Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

March 5, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Date Published: Aug 8th, 2022 | Last Updated: Aug 8th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, sides, snack, appetizers, healthy, low cal
Serves: 8 eggs | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5-10 mins + resting overnight

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The empty bottle of the brand of sweet vinegar I used. Any sweet vinegar should be fine.

I’ve had a bottle of Chinese sweet black vinegar in the back of my pantry for the past 2 years that has gone untouched and collecting dust. I have no idea what I originally bought it for but whatever it was, I only ever used a small amount. Toby says I bought it originally because I couldn’t find regular black vinegar and tried to use this as a substitute and failed – I have no recollection of this 😅🤷🏻‍♀️. I’ve tried to look for recipes to use up this bottle over the years but I can only ever find it used in a very specific Chinese pork knuckle dish. This bottle has become an eye sore and in a desperate attempt to clean out my pantry before we hit the road again, I decided to try adding it to a marinade for tea eggs. I had very low expectations for this – I just wanted to make something somewhat edible so I’m not wasting it. The end result turned out so much better than I could have ever hoped for! It gave the egg a subtle sweetness along with the saltiness. In fact, it was so good that I ended up buying another bottle of sweet black vinegar just so I can keep making these tea eggs, which is now my favourite way to eat them.

Chinese sweet black vinegar isn’t as tangy as regular vinegar. It’s more subtle and has a light sweetness with a star anise/liquorice flavour. When mixed with the rest of the marinade ingredients, it makes a slightly sweeter tea egg that’s lighter on the palate compared to the classic tea egg that’s usually only soy sauce based. Soft boiled eggs are my favourite style of eggs and perfect for this recipe. The yolk remains soft and jammy which allows some of the marinade to penetrate through giving it more flavour. Make sure you set a timer to cook them perfectly. I’ve included cooking times for medium and hardboiled eggs as well if that’s your thing.

What is a tea egg?

If you’re unfamiliar with tea eggs, it’s a classic Chinese side dish commonly made of hardboiled eggs marinated in a soy-sauce based concoction with black tea leaves. The eggs are cracked before marinating and as a result you get a beautiful marbled appearance on the eggs with a savoury umami flavour with a hint of tea. I remember getting a few of these in a baggie from the local 7-11 in Taiwan before hopping on a train and having these as a snack. I’ve never had them soft-boiled until I started playing around with this recipe. It’s a total game changer and I think this will be the only way I’ll be having my tea eggs from now. 😛

Tips for using up leftover marinade:

Sauté with garlic, cabbage, splash of shaoxing wine until the cabbage cooks down, then stir in chilli paste like lao gan ma or leftover red chilli oil wonton sauce.
Reuse the marinade again! Make sure you reboil the liquid and let it cool before using it again.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 30 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.

Dunk them in an ice bath or under cold running water until cooled

Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.

Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard, especially for soft-boiled eggs.

If your container doesn’t immerse the eggs, rotate the eggs 6 hours later or next morning for even marinating

Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.

Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).

Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Unintentionally Amazing Soft Tea Eggs (茶葉蛋)

Ingredients:

Marinade:
- 1/2 cup Sweet Black Vinegar
- 1/4 cup light soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps dark soy sauce
- 2.5 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 2 Tbsps (or 2 tea bags) extra strong black tea leaves
- 1 cup water
8 large eggs

Directions:

Make the marinade: Mix all the ingredients of the marinade (vinegar, soy sauces, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, tea leaves, water) in a saucepan and heat on MEDIUM until it boils, then turn the heat down to LOW-MED and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
Make the eggs: While the marinade cools, boil a pot of water (use a pot large enough to allow all the eggs to submerge in the boiling water without crowding). Once the water boils, carefully lower the eggs into the water – be careful not to crack them. Start a timer and boil for 5 minutes and 15 seconds for soft-boiled eggs, 7 minutes for medium eggs, or 10 minutes for hard boiled eggs.
Prepare an ice bath for the eggs while they are boiling. Once the timer goes off, immediate transfer the eggs to the ice bath to cool. If you don’t have any ice, run the eggs under cold water until completely cooled.
Once the eggs are cooled, use the back of a spoon and gently crack the egg shells around the entirety of the egg. You want the egg shells to be cracked and broken without breaking the actual egg. This allows the marinade to get through the shell and create a marbled effect. Be careful not to hit them too hard to break the eggs inside, especially for soft-boiled eggs.
Once the marinade has fully cooled, transfer the marinade with the ingredients to a container or a large ziplock bag and add in the cracked eggs. Ensure the eggs are submerged in the marinade. Choose a container or a bag big enough to fit all the marinade and eggs. It’s better to use a deeper container than a wider one so the eggs submerge better.
Let the eggs marinate in the fridge overnight, or best for 24 hours (or longer!).
Serve the eggs either cold, room temperature, or slightly warmed. Enjoy!

August 8, 2022August 8, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Date Published: Feb 16th, 2022 | Last Updated: Feb 16th, 2022
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, Asian, easy, mains, sides
Serves: 2-4 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins

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This was one of my all-time favourite dishes growing up in Taiwan. My brother once got mad at me when we were kids when I ate them too fast, lol. The sauce is SO good, you MUST serve it over white rice to soak up all the delicious flavours. This recipe is commonly found in the beerhouses of Taiwan or seafood shops.

The clams that are traditionally used are called hai gua zi (海瓜子) which roughly translates to ‘ocean melon seeds’ – I think it has to do with the oval shape of them that resembles melon seeds? 🤷🏻‍♀️ They’re small oval clams with a patterned shell that are commonly found in the region. Any small species of clams can be used in this recipe as long as they’re fresh! I actually had a bit of a hard time finding fresh small clams for this recipe in Australia – even the local seafood shops didn’t have them. Surprisingly they were available at the Costco in Adelaide, SA however were a bit pricy at $20/kg for pipis (it was totally worth it though 😜).

Note the patterned shell and the oval shape of the hai gua zi –>

Image source: https://inf.news/en/nature/b6dd63ea2ba851d1cda05f356fb35732.html

What is a Taiwanese Beerhouse (啤酒屋)?

A Taiwanese beerhouse is a place where locals like to go afterwork to unwind, drink beer and eat hot stir-fry dishes. They’re not breweries, they’re just a place to drink and eat. If you’re a foreign visitor to Taiwan, chances are your host wouldn’t bring you to one of these beerhouses. They’re usually noisy, loud with drunk people, and no doubt lots of cigarette smoke. It’s frequented by people of lower socioeconomic classes and call girls as well as the average working man with their coworkers. It’s kind of like taking a guest to a rowdy grungy bar – it’s not for everyone, but the food is usually damn good. These beerhouses are becoming a dying culture and it’s getting harder to find them in Taiwan – possibly due to an attempt to elevate the social status of the area or maybe from the years of economic downturn and less availability of disposable income, or maybe it’s from Westernization 🤷🏻‍♀️. I remember my dad taking us out afterwork when I was a kid and getting out of the cab to see a long street of back to back beerhouses lit up with flashing neon lights (although in hindsight, beerhouses definitely aren’t the best place to bring children 😅). The last time I visited a couple years ago there were only two left on the street – the food was still just as good though!

What is beerhouse-style food?

Taiwanese beerhouses usually serve food that is made quickly over a high heat that packs a ton of flavour. These dishes are commonly very salty and/or spicy which goes great with a bowl of rice and a bottle of cold beer. Common dishes you’ll find are “three-cup” based recipes, which involve the triple threat for a lip-smacking combination: soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. It is often sautéed with ginger, garlic, and Thai basil – the basis of classic Taiwanese beerhouse flavours. This clam recipe doesn’t diverge far from the beerhouse basics.

Thai Basil vs Italian Basil?

There are no substitutions for basil in this recipe. You MUST use Thai basil which is a lot stronger in flavour. Basil is a key component of this dish and without a good strong basil, the flavours just won’t be right. You’d have to probably at least double the amount of Italian basil to get similar results.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.

Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.

In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.

Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.

Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Style Beerhouse Clams (台式九層塔炒海瓜子)

Ingredients:

1kg fresh small clams (ie. Pipis)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4cm ginger, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
2-3 long Thai red chilis, sliced (remove the seeds if you want it less spicy)
Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie. Shaoxing)
- 1 Tbsp of black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps oyster sauce
- 3 tsps white granulated sugar
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
1 LARGE handful (~3 cups) of Thai basil leaves
1 Tbsp sesame oil for drizzling

Directions:

*This recipe cooks QUICKLY on HIGH HEAT! Make sure all your ingredients are chopped, prepped and ready to go before you start cooking.

Rinse the clams thoroughly under running water. Optional: soak in salty water 15mins before.
Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients in a bowl: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
In a wok on HIGH heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic, ginger, and chilli for 2-3 mins until fragrant.
Add the clams to the pot and sauté for 30 seconds then drizzle in the sauce ingredients: cooking wine, black vinegar, oyster sauce, and white pepper. Mix around and let the sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes then put the lid on. Let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes or until they all open up. Careful not to steam them for too long or else the clams will get tough and chewy.
Once the clams have opened up, add in the basil leaves and drizzle the sesame oil over the clams. Sauté for another minute and turn off the heat. Serve! Best served over white rice.

February 17, 2022February 17, 2022

AbbyLeave a comment

Mom’s Savoury Pork & Cabbage Congee 鹹稀飯

Date Published: Nov 8th, 2021 | Last Updated: Nov 8th, 2021
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Asian, easy, healthy, soups, Taiwanese
Serves: 4-6 (as a main) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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This recipe is easy and cooks up quickly!

This recipe is near and dear to me. My mom used to make it for us when I was a kid and I don’t think I properly appreciated it until I moved out from home. I had to get a dental procedure done a couple months ago and was instructed not to eat any hard foods for a day or two and the first thing I thought about making was mom’s salty congee. I called her up in Canada on the way home from my procedure and she gave me the rough instructions and ratios for me to figure out (she never writes down recipes and just eyes the ratios when she cooks). I picked up the ingredients before heading home and made it that night for dinner. It was surprisingly super easy and it turned out just like mom’s. It was amazing, nostalgic, and brought me right back to my childhood. I ate 3 bowls in one sitting!

Now I crave this every time I’m sick (Toby has amazingly learned how to make this dish for me for when I’m unwell 😊). It’s so warm and comforting, kind of like the effects of a chicken noodle soup. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

350g pork mince
3/4 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup jasmine rice
7 cups (1.75L) water
4 cups of cabbage, chopped to 2cm squares
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp chicken stock powder
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the pork mince and cornstarch together (this may be easier to do by hand). Set aside.

Looks gross, I know – but just wait until the end!

In a large pot, add in the rice, water and pork. Break up the pork into smaller pieces when adding it to the pot and stir. Turn the heat on HIGH and bring it to a boil with the lid on.

Once the water boils, add in the cabbage, salt and chicken stock powder. When the water boils again, turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer with the lid on until the congee is to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally to ensure your congee doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

I like my congee thick and porridge-y consistency so I let it simmer a bit longer. If you prefer your congee more watery and soupy, turn off the heat earlier.

When the congee is to your liking, turn off the heat and immediately add in the beaten eggs. Stir the eggs into the congee until they are cooked (a few seconds). Mix in the white pepper and sesame oil. Add more salt and pepper to taste if you like. Serve!

Summarized Recipe:

Mom’s Savoury Pork & Cabbage Congee 鹹稀飯

Ingredients:

350g pork mince
3/4 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup jasmine rice
7 cups (1.75L) water
4 cups of cabbage, chopped to 2cm squares
1/2 Tbsp salt
1/2 Tbsp chicken stock powder
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

In a bowl, mix the pork mince and cornstarch together (this may be easier to do by hand). Set aside.
In a large pot, add in the rice, water and pork. Break up the pork into smaller pieces when adding it to the pot and stir. Turn the heat on HIGH and bring it to a boil with the lid on.
Once the water boils, add in the cabbage, salt and chicken stock powder. When the water boils again, turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer with the lid on until the congee is to your desired consistency. Stir occasionally to ensure your congee doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.
- I like my congee thick and porridge-y consistency so I let it simmer a bit longer. If you prefer your congee more watery and soupy, turn off the heat earlier.
When the congee is to your liking, turn off the heat and immediately add in the beaten eggs. Stir the eggs into the congee until they are cooked (a few seconds). Mix in the white pepper and sesame oil. Add more salt and pepper to taste if you like. Serve!

November 8, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)

Date Published: January 17th, 2020 | Last Updated: January 17th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: Taiwanese, mains, Asian, easy
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 10mins | Cook time: 30mins

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Gua zi rou 瓜子肉 is a ridiculously easy dish my mom made quite often when I was growing up. It’s a Taiwanese dish in origin similar to the ever popular Lu Rou Fan (marinated pork over rice) but requires way fewer ingredients and is so much faster to make. It’s not a dish that you’d see commonly sold in Taiwan and I’m not sure why – my guess is that the Lu Rou Fan outshines it and it is also such a simple dish to make yourself at home 🤷🏻‍♀️. I didn’t even know how easy it was to make until recently when I was suddenly craving it and called up my mom for her recipe. I always thought it took her hours of effort due to the delicious rich umami flavours, but it’s as easy as opening up a can, chopping, and simmering. Best of all, it can all be done in one pot for easy clean up!

Gua zi rou directly translates to “melon/cucumber meat” which is exactly what this dish is made of: minced pork and Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜). These two ingredients are simmered over half an hour and you end up with a salty mix of meat and slightly crunchy cucumber in a rich liquid sauce to drizzle over a warm bed of rice.

There is no doubt many brands out there, but the brand of Chinese cucumbers I’ve grown up with since a child is pictured below. Don’t ask me what the difference between the brands are, but this is the one I most often see at the shops and the one our family has been buying for ages – it just feels wrong to buy any other brand now. We call them jiang gua/醬瓜 and commonly eat it as an accompaniment to congee. They’re essentially pickled cucumbers (pickles), but instead of marinating it in vinegar as is common in the Western world, these are marinated in soy sauce, sugar and vinegar to make a salty/sweet/slightly tangy bomb of flavour.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

500 ground pork
1 tsp cornstarch
1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.

Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).

In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.

(While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)

After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Ground Pork with Pickled Cucumbers 瓜子肉 (Guā Zǐ Ròu)

Ingredients:

500 ground pork
1 tsp cornstarch
1 jar of Chinese pickled cucumbers (jiang gua/醬瓜)
1/3 cup green onion, chopped (optional)
Cooked rice – for serving (optional)

Directions:

Mix 1 tsp of cornstarch with the ground pork. Set aside.
Strain the jar of pickled cucumbers, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the pickled cucumbers (you can use a food processor here to save some time).
In a wok over medium heat, add a drizzle of oil and sauté the white part of the green onion for 30 seconds until fragrant (optional). Then add in the ground pork, diced pickled cucumbers, and the reserved pickled juice. Mix it all up, put a lid on the wok and let it gently simmer for half an hour, intermittently stirring.
(While you’re waiting for the pork to simmer, you can cook your rice now. Your pork should be done when the rice is cooked.)
After half an hour, taste and adjust saltiness as needed. If it’s too salty, add some water. If it’s not salty enough, add some soy sauce (I usually don’t add anything additional, but to each their own taste). Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

*Remember: the pork and the sauce is supposed to be salty and meant to be eaten over warm rice to dilute out the salt, so keep that in mind when adjusting the saltiness!

January 17, 2021January 17, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Breakfast Burger

Date Published: August 27th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 27th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: mains, Taiwanese, Asian
Serves: 6 patties (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 10 mins per patty

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Toby enjoying a Taiwanese breakfast burger feat. the triangle sandwich!

Taiwanese people love breakfast food. When I say breakfast food, I don’t mean scrambled eggs, pancakes or eggs benedict. I mean Taiwanese breakfast food that can include dan bing (cheese crepes), oil sticks, white triangle sandwiches with pork floss, noodles and even breakfast burgers (yes, burgers for breakfast!) – all often served with a side of hot or cold soya bean milk or milk tea (always my preference). I’ll be honest and admit that I don’t often order burgers for breakfast in Taiwan because A) I always tend to sleep in when I can and miss breakfast and B) it’s just way too much food for me early in the morning. When Toby visited Taiwan for the first time in 2019, he saw someone order one and it looked so delicious that he wanted to try it himself. This burger BLEW. HIS. MIND. It was his new favourite breakfast item, even surpassing my personal favourite cheese dan bing. I forgot all about this burger until recently when I came upon on Lady&Pups blog while looking for some recipe inspo for this week’s menu. Despite her rant on Taiwan, she makes a mean breakfast burger, which is where this recipe originally came from. I’ve tweaked it a little and simplified the directions with some added personal notes on my experience with this recipe.

What makes Taiwanese breakfast burgers different from regular burgers? The construction of the burger is pretty similar: burger bun, lettuce, tomato, ketchup…etc., but the difference is all in the burger patty. These patties are packed with flavour and often made with ground pork or beef with carrots, onion and soy sauce. It kind of reminds me of the filling of a dumpling but with more intensity and grilled. It’s also commonly topped up with sweet mayonnaise and a fried egg. This recipe comes together pretty easy and quickly. Just chop, mix, form the patties and you’re good to start grilling! Stack the burger however you like and add or takeaway anything you fancy.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Burger patty:
- 500g ground pork or beef
- 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
- 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
- 2 1/2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsps cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
Oil and butter for frying
Condiments:
- Sweet mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Ground white pepper
To assemble:
- Large eggs (1 per burger)
- Hamburger buns
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Thinly sliced tomato
- + whatever else you prefer

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients for the burger patties in a bowl and mix until combined.

Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal balls (or 4 for larger patties) and flatten them to create patties. Use your thumb and make an impression in the middle of each patty (this helps the patty keep a flat shape and stops it from puffing up in the middle).

Heat a skillet on MEDIUM heat (or a grill) and add in a couple of teaspoons of oil and a small teaspoonful of butter. When the oil and butter starts sizzling, lower your patties into the pan and cook until both sides are browned (~3-5 mins on each side).

Remove the finished patties from the pan and use the leftover oil to fry the eggs.

Assemble the burger: bottom bun + lettuce + cucumber slices + beef patty + fried egg + dusting of white pepper + ketchup + sweet mayonnaise (spread on the top bun) + top bun. Feel free to take away or add more ingredients to your liking! Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Breakfast Burger

Ingredients:

Burger patty:
- 500g ground pork or beef
- 1/2 cup carrots, finely chopped or grated
- 1/2 cup onion, finely minced
- 2 1/2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsps cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 1/4 tsp five spice powder
Oil and butter for frying
Condiments:
- Sweet mayonnaise
- Ketchup
- Ground white pepper
To assemble:
- Large eggs (1 per burger)
- Hamburger buns
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Thinly sliced tomato
- + whatever else you prefer

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients for the burger patties in a bowl and mix until combined.
Divide the meat mixture into 6 equal balls (or 4 for larger patties) and flatten them to create patties. Use your thumb and make an impression in the middle of each patty (this helps the patty keep a flat shape and stops it from puffing up in the middle).
Heat a skillet on MEDIUM heat (or a grill) and add in a couple of teaspoons of oil and a small teaspoonful of butter. When the oil and butter starts sizzling, lower your patties into the pan and cook until both sides are browned (~3-5 mins on each side).
Remove the finished patties from the pan and use the leftover oil to fry the eggs.
Assemble the burger: bottom bun + lettuce + cucumber slices + beef patty + fried egg + dusting of white pepper + ketchup + sweet mayonnaise (spread on the top bun) + top bun. Feel free to take away or add more ingredients to your liking! Done!

August 27, 2020March 22, 2021

AbbyLeave a comment

Taiwanese Stir-fry Lamb with Water Spinach 炒羊肉 (chǎo yáng ròu)

Date Published: August 23rd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 23rd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: taiwanese, mains, asian, sides
Serves: 1 large plate (enough for 4 ppl as sides) | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 15 mins

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Shihlin is home to the largest and arguably the most popular night market (士林夜市) in Taiwan. Lucky for me our home was only a 5 minute walk from the famous night market and it was almost a nightly ritual to have supper there after closing time of my dad’s vet clinic. The night market is full of the best street food Taiwan has to offer. The food stalls are always bustling with the sound of sizzling oil, the scraping of woks, and shouting across the room from servers that hastily take your order.

Over the many years we’ve lived in Shihlin, we’ve seen many food stalls come and go and many food trends suddenly appear then disappear, but the old school stalls where the locals know and love always stay right where they are. Same location, same time, rain or shine. 士林炒羊肉 (Shihlin Stir-Fry Lamb) is one of these OG stalls. This place actually started off in a shop across the road from my dad’s vet clinic on DaDong Road over a decade ago. The shop was run by a man and his family. In the morning they’d serve traditional breakfast items like soya bean milk, oil sticks, sandwiches…etc. I remember buying breakfast for my family at the start of the work day. Then at night he’d open late and serve stir-fry lamb. My dad would often work until 11-midnight and we’d head over to his place for a late night supper after closing. I don’t ever remember it being that crowded, but then again we’d always go really late at night. I’m not really sure of the reason for their move (perhaps the rent was getting to expensive, perhaps the man had health issues, or maybe he just didn’t want to run the business anymore 🤷🏻‍♀️), but I remember returning back to Taiwan one summer and my parents told me he closed his shop and now his daughters run a food stall at the Shihlin night market serving only the stir-fry lamb we know and love. They opened up the stall in a small alleyway just off of the main road of the night market where exposure was limited, but surprisingly over the years they’ve built up their business pretty well and always seems to be busy despite of the location. Their place used to be one of our go-to locations when we visit Taiwan, however they’re not open as often anymore with seemingly random operating hours which makes it hard to plan for and their prices have gone up drastically as well ($150NT for a plate is quite expensive for Taiwan street food). However on those nights when the stars have aligned and we happen to catch them while they’re open, we indulge ourselves and order a plate of stir-fry lamb each. My mom doesn’t usually eat lamb, but this is the only place she’ll ever have it. Stir-fry lamb is a common dish across many street food/hole in the wall restaurants in Taiwan, but this places makes it different. I’m not sure what it is, but their sauce just seems more rich and creamy than the other places.

If you’ve never had stir-fry lamb before, it’s thin-sliced lamb that’s cooked in sa-cha sauce (Chinese bbq sauce) with water spinach and garlic. If you’re a fan of sa-cha sauce, then you’ll love this dish. It’s funny that it’s translated as bbq sauce because I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone use it for barbecues. I see it most often used in stir-fries or eaten as a dip with hotpot or dumplings. The most famous brand is the “bull head” brand and it’s really the only brand I’ve ever known. The sauce is oily and pasty, mainly made of shallots, garlic, and dried shrimp. I don’t quite know how else to describe this since there aren’t any other sauces that is quite like this one (or at least none that I know of).

As you may already know, I’ve been trying to cook more Taiwanese/Chinese foods lately to get back to my roots. Now that we’re all in a pandemic, international travel is out of reach for probably another 6 months (or likely longer) and it will be a long time before I’m able to see my family or visit Taiwan again. Trying to recreate my favourite childhood foods is a way for me to reconnect with home from so far away. This recipe is my copycat version of the stir-fry lamb from the Shihlin night market. It’s still not as good as the night market version, but I suspect that’s due to the lack of MSG in my recipe. I hope you enjoy it anyway as much as I do!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

375g lamb, thinly sliced (Slice it as thin as you can manage. It may be easier to freeze the lamb for half an hour first before you slice it. You can use sliced hotpot lamb as well.)
Marinade:
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tsps Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand), try to avoid the excess oil
- 2 tsps black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie ShaoXing Wine or rice wine)
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps ground peanuts (or substitute with 1 Tbsp all natural peanut butter without sugar)
- 1/2 Tbsps white sugar
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 birds eye chillis, sliced (for mild spiciness – feel free to add more!)
1 large bunch of water spinach (also called Kang Kong or 空心菜)
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (ie Shao Xing Wine or rice wine)

Directions:

Make the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl (egg, bbq sauce, black vinegar, cornstarch, vegetable oil). Add the lamb slices to the bowl and mix. Set aside to marinate for about 15mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Make the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside (bbq sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, peanuts, sugar).

Chop the water spinach in half to separate the stems from the leaves

Prepare the water spinach by first washing and trimming off the ends of the stems that may be discoloured or hardened. Discard these pieces. Next, separate the leaves from the stems by chopping the bunch in half (it doesn’t have to be too exact, just eyeball the halfway point). Chop the stems into 4-5 cm pieces and set aside in a bowl. Put the leaves in another bowl.

In a non-stick wok or a wide base pan on MED-HIGH, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the marinated lamb for a couple of minutes until just brown (doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through). Remove the lamb from the pot (strain it if there’s a lot of oil) and discard the rest of the oil from the pot except for 1 tablespoon.

I used hotpot lamb slices for this recipe which happened to be a fattier cut so I had a LOT of oil in my pot. Try to use a leaner cut or be prepared to strain out all the oil!

Add in the garlic and chillies and stir-fry in the leftover oil until fragrant (~30 seconds). Add in the spinach stems and stir-fry for another couple of minutes until it starts to soften.

Then add in the lamb, water spinach leaves and 1/4 cup cooking wine. Do not stir the pot and put on the lid to let the veg steam for 1 minute.

We’re not stirring the layers at this point because we want to keep the tougher spinach stems on the bottom to cook more while the leaves on the top layer steams as the cooking wine evaporates.

Remove the lid and stir everything together. Add in the sauce and stir-fry until it’s evenly mixed through. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Turn off the heat and add a drizzle of sesame oil before serving.

(Optional: If you find that your cut of lamb is too fatty and there’s too much oil in your dish, you can strain out the oil before serving.) Done! Serve as a main dish with some rice or as a side.

Summarized Recipe:

Taiwanese Stir-fry Lamb with Water Spinach 炒羊肉 (chǎo yáng ròu)

Ingredients:

375g lamb, thinly sliced (You can buy it already sliced usually in the hotpot section at the Asian grocer, or just buy regular lamb and slice it as thin as you can manage. It may be easier to freeze the lamb for half an hour first before you slice it.)
Marinade:
- 1 medium egg
- 2 tsps Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand), try to avoid the excess oil
- 2 tsps black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 2 Tbsps vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup Chinese BBQ sauce 沙茶酱 (Bull head brand)
- 2 Tbsps soy sauce
- 2 Tbsps Chinese cooking wine (ie ShaoXing Wine or rice wine)
- 1 tsp black vinegar
- 2 Tbsps ground peanuts (or substitute with 1 Tbsp all natural peanut butter without sugar)
- 1/2 Tbsps white sugar
6 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 birds eye chillis, sliced (for mild spiciness – feel free to add more!)
1 large bunch of water spinach (also called Kang Kong or 空心菜)
1/4 cup Chinese cooking wine (ie Shao Xing Wine or rice wine)

Directions:

Make the marinade by mixing all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl (egg, bbq sauce, black vinegar, cornstarch, vegetable oil). Add the lamb slices to the bowl and mix. Set aside to marinate for about 15mins while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Make the sauce by adding all the sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set aside (bbq sauce, soy sauce, black vinegar, peanuts, sugar).
Wash the water spinach and trim off the ends. Next, separate the leaves from the stems by chopping the bunch in half. Chop the stems into 4-5 cm pieces and set aside in a bowl. Put the leaves in another bowl.
In a non-stick wok or a wide base pan on MED-HIGH, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and stir-fry the marinated lamb for a couple of minutes until just brown (doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through). Remove the lamb from the pot (strain it if there’s a lot of oil) and discard the rest of the oil from the pot except for 1 tablespoon.
Add in the garlic and chillies and stir-fry in the leftover oil until fragrant (~30 seconds). Add in the spinach stems and stir-fry for another couple of minutes until it starts to soften.
Then add in the lamb, water spinach leaves and 1/4 cup cooking wine. Do not stir the pot and put on the lid to let the veg steam for 1 minute.
Remove the lid and stir everything together. Add in the sauce and stir-fry until it’s evenly mixed through. Taste and adjust flavours as needed. Turn off the heat and add a drizzle of sesame oil before serving. Done! Serve as a main dish with some rice or as a side.
- (Optional: If you find that your cut of lamb is too fatty and there’s too much oil in your dish, you can strain out the oil before serving.)

August 23, 2020April 3, 2024

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