Chinese moon cake recipe

How to Prepare / Make / Cook - ?Chinese moon cake recipe

My father was born in Hangzhou (Hangchow), a small town on the outskirts of shanghai. It is a famous place, not only for the scenic beauty of its mountains and the West Lake but also for its food. The chen family tomb is still in Hang-hou and is tended by my late fifth aunt’s son. It is a Chinese tradition for children to say they are from the place the where their father was born rather than where they were actually born. And so although I have never lived in Hangzhou, I feel a special bond to my father’s home.

The first time we went to Hangzhou, in 1972, we traveled with my sixth aunt on my father’s side and two first cousins. One of the first things my mother did ws to take us to one of those big restaurants by west lake to have west lake fish. She had often told us how a chefs helper wouldbring the fish to the table and slam it on the floor to kill it in front of you so you would know it was fresh. Fortunately, they no longer did this, but the fish was delicious and even more so with the view of West Lake in front of us.

After our fish lunch we spent the rest of the day walking on trails in the mountains, stopping at teahouses to drink Hangzhou’s celebrated Dragon Well green tea brewed with mountain spring water from the famous Tiger Run spring. We had bowls of hot sweet soup made with the starch of lotus root gathered from West Lake and flavored with chestnut bits flowers from the sweet olive tree (Osmanthus fragrans), which grows in abundance there.

My mother wrote this recipe in honor of my father’s birthplace. Note that the fish is soaked in boiled – not boiling – water. That way it cooks gently and does not dry out. You need a fine – textured freshwater fish for this recipe. That was never a problem for us because my father loved to fish. He would bring the fish home live, and we would keep it in the extra bathtub until ready to cook it.

1 freshwater bigmouth or smallmouth bass, cleaned and scaled (1 ½ to 2 pounds)
(If unavailable, use any firm, white-fleshed fish such as striped bass, cod, or red snapper.)
1 tablespoon dry sherry
5 slices unpeeled gingerroot, 1 X 1/8 each
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
2 tablespoons cornstarch

1. Rinse the fish in cold water and drain. Make 3 slashes, crosswise, on the meatiest part of each side of the fish for even cooking.

2. Bring water to a boil in a fish poacher or oval roaster large enough to submerge the whole fish. Slide the whole fish into the boiling water and add the sherry and 3 of the gingerroot slices. Cover the pan tightly and immediately remove from the heat. Let the fish soak in the hot water for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through.

3. While the fish is soaking, chop up the remaining 2 slices of gingerroot and put it into a garlic press and squeeze to extract the juices. You should have about ¼ teaspoon. Mix the gingerroot juices with the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens. Discard the garlic.

4. Remove the fish from the roaster with a big spatula and flat plate held underneath. Drain off the water carefully. Place the fish on a large oval serving platter and pour the sauce over it. Serve immediately.