The Steamer And The Cleaver In Chinese Cookery
When I was young, I delighted in buying take-away Chinese food from a tiny Chinese restaurant near my office
. As there was very little space, we were obliged to wait in the kitchen as the food was being prepared and that was my first experience of the Chinese cook wielding his wicked-looking cleaver at the speed of light, tossing the ingredients into a red-hot wok, a few brief turns and the perfectly-cooked meal was good to go.
The Steamer
As essential to Chinese cooking as the wok and cleaver, however, is the steamer. A Chinese family kitchen may easily get along without an oven, but not without a good steamer. These are generally made of bamboo baskets (zhu zheng long) in varying sizes. They are placed on an inset which fits inside a saucepan or wok of boiling water and may be stacked one above the other, cooking several dishes at a time, a practical and energy-saving method. These basket steamers are both cheap and easily available. Bamboo is durable and can be washed much as any other utensil. Metal steamers known as gang zheng long are also available, which work on the same principle.
Steaming is a test of the quality of the eating material and is therefore a favourite method of cooking fresh fish and sea-food. The steam does the cooking and the food does not come into contact with water at all. When cooking pastry such as dim-sum a layer of cheese cloth is laid onto the bottom of the steamer to prevent sticking.
The Cleaver
An absolute essential for the Chinese cook is a cleaver, the da dao. A broad bladed knife, lethally sharp, it is used for slicing vegetables in dainty strips, cutter wafer-thin slices of meat or even chopping up bones. The heavy, wide blade is used for crushing garlic or ginger and makes a handy conveyor of chopped ingredients from the chopping board to the wok or saucepan eliminating the need for an extra plate. It can also be used to tenderise tough meat.
Cleavers are available in a variety of materials, including stainless steel and tempered carbon steel, which takes a very fine edge. Cleavers are also available in a variety of sizes, heavier cleavers being more suitable for chopping bones.
by: Larry F
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