Sichuan Pickled Shitake Mushroom & Cucumber

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A wonder side dish to go with cold cuts, any main courses. 

Ingredients:

Small Lebanese cucumbers 7 (cut into quarters and deseeded)
Sea salt 65g
Peanut oil (or veggie oil) 1 Cup
Sichuan peppercorn 1T
Dried red chillies 15
Fresh ginger 1 large knob (julienned)
Dried Shitake mushroom 20 - 25 (soaked in warm water for 30 min, remove stalks, chopped)
Sugar 100g
Light soy sauce 2.5T

* prepare a 2 L glass jar, sterilised.

  1. Sprinkle the salt over the cucumber and mix well in a colander. Leave for 1 hour, then rinse well in cold water, drained.
  2. Heat a wok (or saucepan), add the oil till hot, put the chillies and peppercorns till slightly blacked.
  3. Add all the sauces in, ginger, mushroom. Slow sauté till fragrant, finally add the cucumber in for 1 min.
  4. Pack everything into the jar, let cool and seal. It's ready to serve after 1-2 days. Usually last about 2 weeks.

Sichuan Spicy Boiled Beef

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Ingredients:
A. Beef (sliced) 150g, soy bean sprouts 100g, dry chilli (chop off the head) 30g
B. Salted dry black bean 10g, minced ginger 30g, sliced garlic 30g

Seasoning:
A. Chilli bean sauce 1T, soy sauce 1t, sugar 1t, black fragrant vinegar 1T, rice wine 1t, water 2 cups
B. Corn starch + water 2T, chilli oil 1T, *chilli peppercorn powder 10g, sesame oil 1t

Marinate:
soy sauce 1t, white pepper 1t, sesame oil 1t, rice wine 1t,  corn starch 1T

  1. Marinate the beef
  2. Blench soy bean sprouts and set as a base on the serving plate.
  3. Heat the oil in a wok, add ingredient B, turn off the heat.
  4. Add seasoning A, and turn the heat back on to medium; stir in corn starch water (from B)
  5. Add point 1. Then layer all on top of the bean sprouts.
  6. Use a new pan, add 2T of oil till it's heated, add dry chilli, chilli peppercorn powder then add sesame oil & chilli oil. Pour on top Point 5. Ready to serve.