3/4 lb Pork
2 ts Wine
1 tb Soy sauce
1 Level tablespoon corn flour
-(cornstarch)
Oil for deep-frying
4 ts Brown bean sauce
1 tb Water
1 tb Vinegar
1 Level teaspoon sugar
1/2 Level teaspoon red pepper,
-crushed
1 ts Pressed ginger juice
1/4 ts Sesame oil
1/2 Level teaspoon corn flour
-mixed with 4 tablespoons
-water
This dish is Szechwanese in origin.
"The annual run of the shad upstream stopped east of Szechwan, where
they spawned in lakes as large as small seas. Farther upstream, the
waters became more turbulent. The rapids cut through gorges, making
navigations upstream laborious, and the waters tan too swiftly to
make lakes where fish could be raised. This may be the reason for a
peculiar dish of pork known as Mock Fish, an attempt to reproduce the
taste of a well-sauced fish. It you close your eyes you can almost
believe it. The contrariness of Szechwan cooking lies in the fact
that veal or beef may be substituted in the recipe below with little
change in its taste. The taste of th original substances is all but
lost in the sauce. No one seems to mind, because the use of
seasonings is extraordinary.
Sliver the pork very finely, and marinate it for 2 to 3 hours in a
mixture of wine, soy sauce and corn flour. Deep-fry the slivers for
about 2 minutes, until well browned. Set them aside to drain. In a
bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients except the corn
flour and water mixture. Saute the pork in the bean sauce mixture
for a few minutes in a deep frying pan, until heated through. Then
thicken the sauce with the corn flour flour and water, stirring
gently to make it smooth.
From "Chinese Gastronomy" by Hsiang Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin, First
Harvest/HBJ, New York, 1977. Introduction by Lin Yutang.
