Chef Yvonne kicks off a three-part series that champions some of the most beloved ingredients in Chinese cookery. First up: the low-down on a key element in many popular dishes, plus two recipes (one traditional, one modern) that showcase its versatility
PHOTOGRAPHS INDIA WHILEY-MORTON FOOD STYLING POLLYANNA COUPLAND
Yvonne Poon’s guide to the Chinese pantry PART #1
Most recently she’s been a chef at popular pop-up restaurant Wontoneria in London’s Charlotte Street.
As the youngest member of our family, I was always glued to my mother’s side, watching her prepare and cook our family meals from scratch each night. It never ceased to amaze me that, despite having four kids and working full time as a seamstress from home, she always found precious time to lovingly prepare three to five fresh dishes every day. I would vigilantly observe her adding a splash of this and a pinch of that to each dish, as nothing was written down. All her recipes were taught from feeling and tasting.
Shaoxing wine (along with soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil) is used in the majority of my mum’s Cantonese recipes. It’s a traditional ingredient made from fermented glutinous rice and you’re sure to find a bottle of it in every Chinese household. It’s produced in the city of Shaoxing, in eastern China, which is renowned for rice wine production.
The heady fragrance of this ‘yellow’ wine when it’s being used to deglaze the wok at a fierce heat is always enticing – it simply smells and feels like home before I’ve even tasted the dish. The liquid’s distinctive flavour adds complexity, sweetness and depth to many sauces – if you’ve ever thought your homemade Chinese cooking might be missing something, it’s often a splash of shaoxing.
Standard shaoxing wine is readily available in most supermarkets these days, but you’ll often find higher quality versions in Asian supermarkets. The wine comes in different grades of quality, depending largely on how long it’s been aged – the best shaoxing wines are similar to dry sherry, but the ‘cooking wine’ grade is what you’ll find in most stores. Just make sure you don’t drink that one, as it’s salted!
If you manage to get your hands on a high-quality shaoxing wine, it’ll be a rich yellow colour: fruity, mellow and warming. It’s perfect for d
