Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
Subject: RECIPE: stir-fried lotus root (WAS: Re:Seasame [sp] Chicken)
From: demers@mdcbbs.com (Diane DeMers)
Date: 13 Oct 92 17:02:32 PDT
Distribution: world
Organization: M&E (Division of EDS), Cypress CA

 In article <1992Oct12.200859.10072@sbcs.sunysb.edu>, ejohnfel@libws4.ic.sunysb.edu writes:
> Hi all,
> 
> 	I am desparate to get a hold of a recipe for Seasame Chicken!
> I just adore it, but I can't seem to find any recipes for it. Can anyone
> help me?
> 
> 	By the way, if anyone else is interested, I would cheerfully accept
> recipes for any type of Chinese dish, so send along **YOUR** favorite dish!
> 

I don't have one for Sesame Chicken, but here's one of my favorites:
It's really easy & practically goof-proof!

		Stir-fried Lotus Root

Well, I've finally come up with a reasonable recipe for one of my
favorite side-dish Chinese foods: Stir-fried lotus root. Lotus root
can be found in an asian grocery store, and now (fall) is the best time 
of year to find them. They are a tuber, shaped somewhat like a yam, but 
they generally don't get thinner than about 1 or 1 1/2 inches, and are
connected to each other by a thickened ring which is where the roots
actually grow from. This is where they are usually separated, though
sometimes you'll see a few that are still connected. It doesn't
matter, really. Find a nice-looking one that is not too damaged (it's
easier to prepare, doesn't affect quality). Cut off the ends, scrub it, 
and peel it. DON'T put the remainders into your garbage disposal! Cut 
off any discolored area. Most recipes calls for it to be "slivered", 
which basically means to cut it up into matchstick-sized pieces, but 
I usually make them about 1/8 to 1/4 inch square, and about 2 inches 
long. I'm too lazy to cut them up as small as matchsticks. The size is 
not critical, but it's best if they're all about the same, so they
finish cooking together. 

1 or 2 lotus roots, cut into sticks as above
approx. 6 or 8 coin-sized slices of peeled fresh ginger
oil for the wok
1/2 to 1 tsp salt
approx 1/2 c water

Heat the oil in the wok. (I have one of those hybrid wok-frying pan
things which has a non-stick coating, so I used only about 1 Tbsp of
oil; a 'regular' wok will need more). Add the ginger, and stir-fry a
little. Add the lotus root, and stir-fry until the lotus root gets a
little brown here and there. Add salt, stir-fry another minute or two,
then add the water and cover the wok for about 5 min. (Longer if the
sticks are thicker). Turn down the heat a little while covered, but 
make sure that it keeps simmering. Remove cover, and turn up the heat. 
Cook it until the water is all gone, and stir-fry a little bit more 
(maybe 1 minute). Voila! You're ready to eat it!

Some notes: 

If you don't like the taste of ginger, don't bother to try this. :-) 
I've never had lotus root any other way, except in some kind of stew,
so I don't have any recommendations for what to use if you don't like
ginger. It might be good with just garlic; maybe I'll try that some
time.

My amounts and times are pretty vague because it depends upon so many 
things. I use lots of ginger, but it's good with just a little. Don't 
burn the ginger when you're stir-frying it alone, but it's good to get
it golden brown. Don't eat the ginger slices unless you *really* like 
ginger. If I'm serving this to others, I usually try to remove them
before serving.

You need some salt. I've tried making it with almost no salt, and it 
just doesn't seem to work. Doesn't help to add the salt after cooking 
either. 

Sometimes it gets kind of gooey or sticky. This is ok, it's the 
natural starch of the root coming out. Sometimes there are what look 
like hairs in the dish, but it's from the roots. I don't know what
exactly causes this to happen.

If your slices are thicker, or you're cooking a lot, increase the
water some. Since you cook it away, the amount isn't really critical,
you just want to make sure that it gets cooked enough.

One average lotus tuber (5-7" long, 3" dia.) makes about 3-4 servings,
more or less depending on the total number of dishes you have.

If I'm making other things that need the wok (usually), I make this 
first, turn it out on a plate or in a bowl that can be covered. After 
everything else is done, I throw this back into the wok for a few 
minutes, or nuke it in the microwave. It reheats fairly well, though
it does get a little limper each time, it still tastes good. I've 
never tried to freeze it, so it's anybody's guess how that would be.

Apologies to our metric-using friends. Since amounts are so variable,
I didn't take the time to add conversion amounts.

-- 
Diane DeMers - demers@mdcbbs.com - (714) 952-6571 EDS Unigraphics Div.
   snail-mail: 10824 Hope Street, Mail Stop 2S-137, Cypress, CA 90630
   ************ insert generic disclaimer here ***********
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking