Susanna Foo has been consistently acclaimed for her stunning interpretations of Chinese food and hailed as one of America’s best chefs by publications as diverse as Esquire, Food & Wine, and USA Today. In this book, she shares the revolutionary recipes that established her reputation, from Crab Sui Mei with Red Bell Pepper Sauce to Soy-Braised Cornish Hens. Each one relies on straightforward preparation and easily available ingredients, illustrating Foo’s belief that good Chinese food is every bit as easy to prepare as Italian food and relies on the same principles of simplicity and freshness.
2 cups medium- or short-grain white rice, washed and drained
1/2 pound fresh spinach
1/4 cup corn or olive oil
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 scallions, finely chopped
6 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 cup peeled, diced tomato
2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Cook the rice in a rice cooker, following the manufacturer's instructions, Set aside.
Wash the spinach, remove the stems and dry on paper towels. Julienne the spinach finely, then dice into small pieces.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet until hot and add the garlic. Cook over high heat, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Add the eggs and cook over medium heat until lightly set. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring with chopsticks or a wooden spoon to separate the eggs into small pieces, until they are golden brown and you can smell their aroma. Add the scallions. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
Add the cooked rice and the spinach and mix well; the spinach should coat the rice and give it a green color.
When the rice is hot, add the crabmeat, tomato, salt and pepper to taste. Fold together carefully with a wooden spoon so as not to break up the lumps of crab- meat. Serve as soon as the mixture is heated through.
