Pork Kidney in Aromatic Sauce
2 min readGuai Wei Yao Hua
500g pigs’ or lambs’ kidneys
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1tablespoon white vinegar or white rice vinegar
2teaspoons salt
SAUCE
12tablespoons groundnut or vegetable oil
1tablespoon finely chopped garlic
2 teaspoons peeled and finely chopped fresh root ginger
1tablespoon dark soy sauce
1tablespoon shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1tablespoon sugar
2teaspoons light soy sauce
2 teaspoons black rice vinegar
2teaspoons chilli bean sauce
1teaspoon roasted ground Sichuan peppercorns
1teaspoon sesame oil
1teaspoon chillioil
3 tablespoons finely chopped spring onions
The kidneys are stir-fried in a classic sauce, called strange-flavoured’ in Chinese because it incorporates so many different tastes: hot, spicy, sour, sweet and salty.
1. Using a sharp knife, remove the thin outer membrane of the kidneys, then cut the kidneys horizontally in half. Cut away and discard the small knobs of fat and any tough membrane surrounding them. Score the kidneys by making light cuts in a criss-cross pattern over the surface without cutting right through them, then cut into 2.5cm(1 inch) slices.
2. Combine the kidneys with the bicarbonate of soda and leave them to stand for 20 minutes(this helps to tenderize them and to neutralize their acidity). Rinse them thoroughly with cold water and toss them in the vinegar and salt to remove any remaining bitterness. Put them into a colander and leave them to drain for at least 30 minutes.
3. Blot the kidney slices dry with kitchen paper. Heat a wok over a high heat until it is hot, then add the groundnut or vegetable oil. When the oil is hot and slightly smoking, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fryfor 20 seconds. Add the kidney and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss them well with the kidney. Continue to stir-fry the mixture for another 2 minutes or until the kidney edges begin to curl slightly.
4. Turn the mixture onto a serving platter and serve at once, with plain rice and stir-fried vegetables.
