Recipe(tried): Saturday night dinner - Szechwan Style Prawns with Dried Chilies, Chicken with Walnuts and Broccoli

We are going back to Chris' hometown this afternoon and I plan to cook the followings for dinner tonight. His grandma is visiting from the north and has requested "real Chinese Food". (as Chris' families often prepares Malaysian food which is the conbination of Chinese, Malay and Indian style.) I will also add stir-fry bok choy with small white prawns and oyster sauce, claypot beancurd (tofu), and a light chicken soup that's flavored with Chinese dry dates and dry scallops. And of course, the whole lot will be eaten with stemed jasmine rice. The dessert is the hazelnut pound cake i made last week. It will be served over some vanilla ice cream. **We often serve it over a chocolate beer sauce but Granny cdoesn't like the taste of beers so... (I left the recipe at home so it will be posted later.) And as usual, our family always includes freshly squeezed juice and fruits.

have a great weekend,
eggy/m'sia
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Szechwan Style Prawns with Dried Chilies
This dish can be done with chicken (sort of like the Kong Bao chicken that's famous in the west.) It can also be done with crabs.
serve 6

500g prawn prawns med. to large size
1cup cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cornflour
1 tbsp. water
1/2 egg white, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp. salt

seasonings and sauce:
8-10 large dried chilies
1 tsp. cornflour
2 tsp. cold water
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
2 tsp. Chinese wine
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. white vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
3 tbsp. oil
2 spring onions, sectioned
1 tsp. grated or finely chopped fresh young ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Shell and de-vein prawns, put into a boil and add cold water and salt. Stir and leave for 2 min, then rinse under cold tap for 1 minutes. Drain well.

Make the marinade by mixing cornflour with cold water then adding egg white and salt. Add prawns, mix well, leave for 30 minutes in the fridge.

Prepare seasonings and sauce. Break or cut tops off chilies, shake out and discard seeds. (*If you like it spicy, leave some seeds intact.) Mix cornflour and water in small bowl, then stir in lightly soy sauce, wine sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Start cooking about 5 min b4 serving, for this is one dish that must be served immediately it is cooked. Heat a wok coat inside with a thin layer of oil. Fry the chilies over med. Heat until they are almost black. This takes only a few seconds, and they should be stirred and turned all the while so they are not burnt. Remove chilies from wok and drain on absorbent paper towel.

Drain any excess marinade from prawns, add prawn to wok and stir fry over high heat. The prawns must not be overcooked. 10 to 20 seconds is enough for smaller ones and 35-40 seconds for large prawns. Add spring onions, ginger, and garlic and stir fry briefly. Stir seasoning mixture again to blend the cornflour smoothly, add to the wok, stirring constantly until cornflour boils and thickens. Turn off heat. Return chilies to the wok, stir to mix and serve immediately with white rice.

Chicken with Walnuts and Broccoli
Serve 6

750g (1 1/2 lb) chicken breasts
3 tsp. cornflour or chestnut flour
1/2 tsp. 5 spice powder
1/2 tsp. salt
oil for deep frying
1 cup peeled walnuts
100 g (4 oz) tender broccoli florets
1 1/2 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 small cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. Chinese wine
1 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornflour
2 tbsp. cold water

Bone chicken breasts and cut fresh into small pieces, about 12 mm (1/2 inch) squares. Sift cornflour, 5 spice and salt over chicken and mix well. Set aside. Heat oil and deep fry walnuts over a moderate heat until golden. Lift out and drain on paper.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the extra oil in wok and quickly stir fry the broccoli over high heat for 3 minutes until barely tender. Lift on to the plate. Add remaining oil to wok, fry ginger and garlic for a few seconds, then add chicken and fry, stirring constantly, over high heat until chicken changes color (this will take only a min. or 2). Add remaining ingredients mixed together and stir over heat until liquid boils and thickens. Remove from heat, mix in walnuts and broccoli and serve immediately.