Chinese
White Cut Chicken
A whole chicken poached, not fried, then shocked in ice so the meat stays juicy. The ginger and scallion are woken with a little hot avocado oil, not a bowl of it, and not sesame oil.
1 hour
The kitchen
Recipes for a real week
Amounts you can scale, notes from a careful kitchen, and a short word of Scripture at the table. Sheet-pan suppers, roasted vegetables, and the Instant Pot are filed with the rest.
20 recipes
Chinese
Soy Sauce Chicken
Thighs and drumsticks simmered in soy, ginger, and honey, then rested in the pot. No fryer, and no oil.
50 minutes
Chinese
Honey Char Siu
Pork shoulder, roasted, with soy, honey, garlic, and five-spice. No red dye, no hoisin, and no seed oil. It will be browner than a shop window, and that is honest.
50 minutes, plus at least 4 hours of marinating
Chinese
Tomato and Egg
Soft eggs and tomatoes in one skillet. A tablespoon of avocado oil for the whole pan.
20 minutes
Chinese
Cantonese Steamed Eggs
Eggs loosened with broth, strained, and steamed over a quiet simmer until they are just set. A spoon of hot avocado oil at the end, not sesame oil.
25 minutes
Chinese
Garlic Gai Lan
Chinese broccoli, blanched until it is bright, then tossed with garlic and oyster sauce. One tablespoon of avocado oil.
15 minutes
Chinese
Garlic Baby Bok Choy
Halved baby bok choy, blanched, then finished with garlic. The same quiet method as the gai lan, and the same small amount of oil.
15 minutes
Chinese
Steamed Pork Patty
Ground pork, water chestnut, and ginger, steamed on a plate until the center is 160°F. No frying.
35 minutes
Chinese
Black Pepper Beef
Thin beef, a hot pan, and enough pepper that you can taste it. One tablespoon of avocado oil, in two quick batches so the meat sears.
25 minutes
Chinese
Beef and Broccoli
Broccoli blanched so it stays green, beef seared in a spoon of avocado oil, and a thin oyster-sauce coat. Not a thick brown gravy.
30 minutes
Chinese
Cantonese Tomato Beef
Beef seared, then folded with onion and tomato. Honey only if the tomatoes need it. One tablespoon of avocado oil.
25 minutes
Chinese
Egg Fried Rice
Cold rice, eggs, and two tablespoons of avocado oil. Soy is a seasoning, not a dye. No sesame oil.
20 minutes
Chinese
Steamed Ginger Shiitake Chicken
Thighs steamed with soaked shiitake and ginger. The mushroom water becomes the sauce. No fry, and no sesame oil.
45 minutes
Chinese
Hot and Sour Soup
Broth, mushroom, tofu, vinegar, and white pepper, with an egg trailed in at the end. Thick enough to see, not thick enough to stand a spoon. No oil.
25 minutes
Chinese
Egg Drop Soup
Broth, ginger, and eggs poured into a slow stir so they set in threads. A light body from a little cornstarch. No oil.
15 minutes
Chinese
Ginger Scallion Tofu
Warm silken tofu, soy, a pile of ginger and scallion, and one tablespoon of hot avocado oil poured over so it sizzles. No sesame oil.
15 minutes
Chinese
Winter Melon Soup
A clear pot. Winter melon simmered until it turns translucent, with ginger and a little pork or chicken added at the end so the meat stays tender. No oil.
40 minutes
Chinese
Bitter Melon with Beef
The melon is salted and rinsed so the bitterness softens, then cooked briefly with beef and fermented black beans. It should still taste bitter. That is the vegetable.
30 minutes
Chinese
Steamed Black Bean Ribs
Riblets with rinsed fermented black beans, garlic, and ginger, steamed until they are tender. Not fried first.
1 hour
Chinese
Chicken and Mushroom Clay Pot Rice
Rice cooked in a heavy pot with marinated chicken and soaked shiitake on top. A spoon of avocado oil and soy at the end for a little crust, not a ladle of oil. No Chinese sausage in this pot.
45 minutes