BEEF HOR FUN

You may have noticed that this cookbook is very light on noodle and rice recipes，which may seem a little odd given the overwhelming prevalence of these two staples in the Chinese diet.However，there is a good reason:most noodle and rice dishes actually involve very similar steps，the first and most important being the prepping of the ingredients in an organized manner before going anywhere near a wok，and the second，the art of mixing the ingredients in the pan so that they are evenly distributed throughout the noodles or rice.If you can master these two techniques，the world of different noodle and rice combinations using the wealth of additional ingredients available is yours to explore.The noodle recipes I have shared with you，this and the one on the previous page，are my interpretations of what I would consider to be the two most famous noodle dishes that have found their way out of China.Hor fun noodles are flat，wide noodles made from rice flour-an absolute boon for coeliacs.There are several types，including fresh，dried andan in-between version that requires softening in a microwave before stir-frying.Give them all a go to find out which one you prefer.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

200g beef rump

vegetable oil，for deep-frying，plus 2 tablespoons

10g onion，finely sliced

10g spring onion greens，cut into 2cm sections

20g bean sprouts

1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine

800g partially dried hor fun noodles，heated in a microwave for 60 seconds

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

white pepper

grated lemon rind，to garnish（optional）

For the beef marinade

50ml water

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine

7g potato starch

1g baking powder

1.Place the beef in the freezer for around 112 hours until it is about 70 per cent frozen.

2.Using a sharp knife，cut the partially frozen beef into 1mm slices.

3.For the beef marinade，mix all the ingredients together in a dish.

4.Add the slices of beef to the marinade，cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

5.Heat the oil for deep-frying in a deep-fat fryer to 180℃.

6.Remove the beef from the marinade and deep-fry it in 2 batches-you will see the beef change colour almost instantly，at which point remove it from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.

7.Heat up a wok，add the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and wait until the pan begins to smoke slightly.

8. Add the onion, spring onion, bean sprouts and beef to the pan and saute until the onion is slightly soft.

9. Add the wine followed by the noodles and mix the ingredients well, then add the oyster sauce and dark soy sauce.

10. Finish by seasoning to taste with pepper and adding the sesame oil, then serve garnished with grated lemon rind, if you like.

CHEF’S TIP

Although this is probably the simplest of all the recipes in the book, this is no reason to skimp by buying cheap beef ! However, if for some reason, your meat turns out to be on the sinewy side, add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda to the marinade, which will help tenderize it.

hancheng

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