Article 72: Analysis of Famous Sichuan Dishes (Dishes 11-15): Chicken Tofu Pudding, Egg White Chicken Slices, Pocket Tofu, Smoked Beef, Braised Pork Knuckle with Red Dates

11. Chicken Tofu Pudding

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 125g chicken breast. Side ingredients: 5g minced ham, 5 fresh bok choy hearts. Seasonings: 1500g clear broth, 4 egg whites, 40g cornstarch, 3g Sichuan salt, 1.5g MSG, 0.5g white pepper.

Preparation: (1) Remove the tendons from the chicken breast, pound it into a fine paste, put it in a bowl, add 50g of water to dissolve it, then add egg white, pepper powder, Sichuan salt and wet starch, and stir into chicken paste.

Blanch the fresh bok choy in boiling water, then cool it and trim it neatly.

(2) Place a pot over high heat, add 1300g of clear broth, add Sichuan salt and bring to a boil. Add the chicken puree to 200g of cold clear broth, stir well and pour into the pot. Gently stir a few times, bring to a simmer, then transfer the pot to low heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until the chicken puree has solidified into a snowflake-like consistency.

Place the bok choy in a large soup bowl, then scoop the chicken tofu on top.

Add MSG to the broth in the pot, pour it into a bowl, and then sprinkle with chopped ham.

Quality standards: The chicken is white in color, the chicken puree clumps together without falling apart, the texture is exceptionally tender, and the taste is savory and refreshing.

Key to success: When making this dish, you must first master the consistency of the chicken puree. If it is too thick, it will not be tender; if it is too thin, it will be runny. The ratio of egg white to water mixed with the chicken puree must be in accordance with the amount indicated in the ingredients.

Secondly, the heat and technique for poaching the chicken mousse are important. First, bring the clear broth to a boil over high heat. Stir it clockwise with a ladle to make the broth swirl in the pot. Then, pour the chicken mousse into the pot and let it swirl with the broth. Immediately reduce the heat to low and do not let it boil. Once the chicken mousse has clumped up and turned white and is fully cooked, it can be served. Skim off any foam from the broth and pour it into a bowl.

12. Eggplant Chicken Slices

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 125g chicken breast. Side ingredients: 15g chicken thigh, 25g bamboo shoot tips, 10g pea sprouts. Seasonings: 10g ginger, 15g scallion segments, 1g white pepper powder, 850g chicken broth, 2g MSG, 4g Sichuan salt, 4 egg whites, 50g cornstarch, 5g chicken rendered fat, 1000g pork rendered fat (approximately 100g used).

Preparation method: 1. Preparation method (1) Remove the tendons from the chicken breast, pound it into a fine paste, put it in a bowl, add Sichuan salt (2.5g), meat broth (100g) and sesame powder, add egg white and wet starch (40g) and stir well, then add MSG (1g) and meat broth (150g) and stir into a thin paste.

Cut the ham and bamboo shoots into thin slices 3cm long and 1.5cm wide.

(2) Place the wok over high heat, add lard and heat until it is three-tenths cooked. Tilt the wok outward (with the inside higher), use a ladle to scoop chicken paste (about 50g) and pour it steadily and quickly along the edge of the wok (the higher side) into the wok. Quickly tilt the wok inward so that the oil soaks the chicken paste and forms chicken slices. Use a spatula to gently stir along the edge of the wok and lift the chicken slices off the wok.

After preparing each piece of chicken in the same way, rinse the scraped chicken pieces in 500g of broth to remove the oil.

(3) Heat 30g of oil in a wok to medium heat, add ginger and scallions and stir-fry until fragrant. Add 100g of broth, bring to a boil and remove the ginger and scallions. Add ham, bamboo shoots, Sichuan salt, MSG and pepper and bring to a boil. Add chicken slices (drained) and pea shoots and stir well. Thicken with cornstarch slurry, transfer to a plate and drizzle with chicken lard.

II. Spreading method (1) and (3) are operated in the same way as the rushing method.

(2) Place the pot over medium heat, heat the pot with lard, then scoop the chicken paste (about 30g) into the pot, lift the pot and rotate it to spread it into chicken slices, use a spatula to lift it and put it into the broth to remove the oil, and do the same with the remaining chicken paste.

Quality standards: The chicken slices are white and tender, the sauce is clear and glossy, and the flavor is light and savory.

Key to the preparation: The preparation method of this dish is the same as that of "Floating Oil Chicken Slices" in Shandong cuisine. However, the Shandong version of "Hibiscus Chicken Slices" uses "Hibiscus" steamed egg custard as the base, topped with braised chicken slices.

In Jiangsu, the method is to stir-fry the chicken roe balls (oblong shape).

The first two are more difficult to make, and the key lies in the preparation of the chicken paste and the method of spreading the pancakes.

To make the chicken paste, first break up the chicken paste with a small amount of clear broth, then gradually add egg white while stirring in one direction. Then add more clear broth to make it into a thin porridge consistency. The consistency should be such that when ladled into a pot, it can automatically flow into sheets. Finally, add salt, MSG, and cornstarch and stir well. When making the pancakes, the key is that the pan must be smooth and clean, the oil must be white, and the oil temperature must be appropriate.

The key to this process is to heat the pan, pour in oil, swirl it around a few times to pour out the oil, then pour in more oil, add the chicken paste (hot pan, cold oil), and heat it gradually until it forms sheets that have completely solidified. Pour it out and spread it into 3-4 chicken slices in batches before adding the sauce.

13. Pocket Tofu

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 1000g gypsum tofu. Side ingredients: 100g winter bamboo shoots, 50g fresh seasonal leafy greens. Seasonings: 3g Sichuan salt, 1g pepper powder, 10g baking soda, 1000g milk broth, 750g meat broth, 1000g cooked vegetable oil (100g consumed).

Preparation: (1) Peel the tofu that is in good condition and cut it into 30 strips that are 6cm long and 2cm square; cut the winter bamboo shoots into domino-shaped pieces and wash the bok choy.

(2) Use two woks, place them on two burners, put 500 grams of boiling water in one pot, add baking soda and keep it simmering.

In another pot, heat vegetable oil to 70% hot, add tofu strips in batches, fry until golden brown, remove and soak in alkaline water for about 4 minutes, then remove and rinse in clean water to remove the alkali.

Then soak it in the alkaline water for about 5 minutes, and then rinse it with clean water.

(3) Blanch the fried tofu in boiling water again and then blanch it twice in meat broth.

(4) Bring the milk broth to a boil in a pot, add winter bamboo shoots, pepper powder, Shaoxing wine, and Sichuan salt. After boiling, add tofu strips, bok choy, and MSG. Stir and pour into a soup bowl.

Quality standards: The tofu is soft, tender, and fragrant; the broth is milky white and has a savory flavor.

Key to the operation: To make the tofu soft, tender, and firm without falling apart, and hollow with a filling of soy milk, the key lies in the amount of alkaline water used and the soaking time.

Generally, the ratio of alkali to water is 1:100, and it is just right when it feels slippery when rubbed between your fingers.

The purpose of soaking the tofu in alkaline water for the first time is to remove the grease from the surface of the tofu. The second soaking is to soften the tofu and make it tender. The second soaking is the key. At this time, you must pay close attention to the changes in the tofu. Once the tofu has softened completely, take it out and rinse it clean. Do not overcook it.

14. Smoked Beef

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 500g lean yellow beef. Seasonings: 5g Sichuan salt, 5g white sugar, 2g five-spice powder, 1g MSG, 20g ginger, 5g sesame oil, 500g cooked rapeseed oil (approximately 100g used).

Preparation method: (1) Select the shank meat from the hind leg of the cow, remove the skin with a knife, and trim away the dirt. However, do not wash it with water, otherwise the drying time will be longer and the beef will easily spoil.

Cut off the edges and corners, then roll it into large sheets of uniform thickness.

(2) Lay the beef slices flat on the cutting board, sprinkle evenly with Sichuan salt that has been stir-fried until dry, roll them into a cylindrical shape, and let them dry until the beef turns bright red (about 14 hours in summer and 4 days in winter).

(3) Spread the dried beef out and lay it flat on a wire rack and put it into the oven to dry with charcoal fire.

Then steam for about 30 minutes, remove and while still hot, cut into small leaves 4cm long and 3cm wide, then steam again for about 1 hour.

(4) Place a wok over high heat, add cooked vegetable oil and heat to 70% hot. Add ginger (crushed) and fry until fragrant. Remove the ginger and wait for the oil temperature to drop to 30% hot. Move the wok to low heat, add the beef slices and fry slowly until cooked through. Remove excess oil, add Shaoxing wine and stir well. Add chili powder, Sichuan pepper powder, sugar, MSG and five-spice powder, stir well, remove from heat and let cool. Drizzle with sesame oil and it's ready.

Quality standards: The meat slices are large and thin as paper, with a bright red color, tender and spicy texture, and a refreshing and fragrant taste when chewed.

Key to the operation: Making this dish requires a high level of knife skills. The beef slices are placed into thin and even large pieces, and then go through four processes: marinating, drying, baking, and frying.

The baking and frying processes are crucial to the quality of the finished product.

When baking, maintain a medium heat to ensure the meat slices are heated evenly; they are done when they feel dry to the touch. The purpose of frying is to reduce the moisture in the meat slices and deepen their color. It also requires low heat and warm oil. If the heat is too high and the oil temperature is too high, the meat slices will become dry and tough.

15. Braised Pork Knuckle with Red Dates

Ingredients: Main ingredient: 1000g pork hock. Side ingredients: 150g red dates, 300g rock sugar, 500g chicken carcass, 1600g chicken broth. Seasonings: 2500g cooking oil (approximately 100g used), salt, cooking wine, MSG, scallions, ginger, and caramel coloring (all in appropriate amounts).

Preparation: (1) Scrape and wash the pork hock clean, put it in a pot of water and boil for 40 minutes. Remove the bone, coat the skin with a layer of cooking wine, and then deep-fry until golden red.

(2) Place chicken bones at the bottom of the pot, put the pork knuckle skin-side down in the pot, add fresh broth, cooking wine, salt, green onion, ginger, rock sugar and caramel coloring, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat for 3 hours, add jujubes and simmer for another 30 minutes.

(3) Remove the braised pork knuckle from the water and place it in the center of a plate. Arrange the jujubes around the pork knuckle, garnish with orange segments, and then pour the original sauce over the pork knuckle and...

Simply place it on the jujubes.

Quality standards: Bright red color, tender and soft pork knuckle, intact shape, and a sweet and savory aroma.

Key points of operation: According to the quality standards of this dish, three points should be noted during the operation. First, the oil temperature for frying the pork knuckle must reach 180-210℃ (80-90% hot) before putting it into the pot, and it should be shaken constantly to make the skin brown quickly.

The proper way to prepare it is to insert a chopstick into the pork hock, place it skin-side down, cover the pot, and fry for about 2 minutes. Secondly, once the pork hock is tender enough to melt in your mouth, gently remove it from the pot with a flat plate and invert it onto another large round plate to prevent the skin from breaking and crumbling. Thirdly, after placing the pork hock and jujubes on the plate, simmer the broth over high heat for about 2-3 minutes to increase its concentration, and then pour it over the pork hock and jujubes. This will ensure that the pork hock retains its perfect color and shape.