Yellow Chive Chinese Recipes
(for my competitive cooking friend)
Martin Yan, gave a recipe, around 1996 or 1997, that appeared only one time on his TV programs. It was called Taxi Driver Noodles. Supposedly sold to Hong Kong Taxi drivers, it has never been published in any of his cookbooks, and I've written his website several times and never received a response about it. So, here I give it from my memory. If it had something not in the original, or something taken away, I apologize.
Below are links to Specialty Produces info on the three types of chives needed for this recipe. Briefly, they are: yellow chives, garlic chives, and regular culinary chives. But the regular chives, when grown in the Chinese manner, are almost triangular in the stem and are sold with the heads. This is considered too bitter for Western tastes. I politely disagree with that assessment.
Yellow Chives Garlic Chives and Chives
Taxi Driver Noodles
serves 3 to 4
Plan ahead to separate the noodles. Place them in a large bowl with warm water. They need 5 minutes to separate. I chop them before putting them in the lukewarm water. Uncut, they are too long to eat. But if you like to cut with chopsticks, leave them long. They must be immersed in warm water to separate. Either way they need this time to not be clumped up. Clumped up, they make for poor texture. You can prepare the flank steak while waiting on the noodles. After the 5 minutes, drain in a colander in the sink. Shake to remove excess liquid.
If there is more fat than you like on the flank steak, remove it and the silver skin. Cut it into 3-4 mm (1/8") wide Chinese style bite size pieces. Marinate with the light soy, wine and cornstarch for 10 to 15 minutes. Then drain it. Slice the onions into Chinese take out restaurant style bites. Reserve. Slice the scallions for a relish. I toss the bean sprouts in, with their buds on whole, but it is more delicate and polite to remove them.
Heat the wok for 5 minutes on low to medium low. Make a garlic and ginger paste. (Garlic and Ginger Grater)
When the wok is hot add the oil and garlic and ginger mixture. Chow for 30 seconds. Add the beef and raise the heat to high. Brown the beef. Remove the beef to a warm bowl, covered. Add more oil and chow the onion until translucent and some of the edges, of some of the onions have browned. Return the beef. Chow all. Add the noodles. Chow to mix all well. Add the black soy and chow until the white of the rice noodles has turned a caramel color. Add the sesame oil. Dish the food, top with scallions and bean sprouts. Serve soy, hot sauce, sesame oil on the table for those who want more.
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By translating "yellow chives" into simplified Chinese and running a netsearch on those letters, I found some recipes and append them below. I have not made them. I do stand by my translations.
Title: Yellow Chives Scrambled Eggs
Yield: 2 servings
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Category: Breakfast
Cuisine: Chinese
Website: https://baike.baidu.com/item/韭黄
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Ingredients
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5 eggs, whole
150 grams yellow chives
1 tbs oil - see Cook's Note
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp MSG
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Instructions
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Preheat a wok or utensil and add 1 tbs of oil after 5 minutes of
heating.
While the wok is heating, break eggs into a measuring cup. Add the
salt and MSG and whisk to homogenize. Cut the chives into 3/4"
lengths.
Pour the eggs into the heated wok, add the chives. Allow to set for
1-2 minutes, turn once and continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes longer.
Turn out onto a warm plate.
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Notes
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Cook's Note: the quantity of 1 tsp of salt is quite a lot in the ratio of other ingredients by weight.
Try 1/2 tsp. of salt to start. This recipe used Chinese "cooked oil". When deep frying, strain the oil, and reserve. Cooked oil is used as a condiment in some Chinese dishes. The oil develops a flavor that cannot be beat in some dishes.
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Title: Stir-fried Pork with Chives
Yield: 2 servings
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Website: https://baike.baidu.com/item/韭黄
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Ingredients
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200 grams yellow chives
100 grams pork - See Cook's Note
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp salt
1 green chile - See Cook's Note
1 tbs water
1 egg - for it's white
1 tbs xio xing wine - in equal halves, that is 7.5 mL of wine by halves of 15Ml (1/2 oz.) total
2 tsp. chicken stock powder
5 tbs oil, peanut
1 tbs sesame oil
2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
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Instructions
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If you wash the chives, dry them a day before use. They wok best when dry. If the pork meat is moist, take a paper towel an dry it somewhat.
Shred the pork into slices approximately 2 to 3 mm (1/8") by 1 to 1.5"
inches long.
Marinade: break the egg white, add the salt and with a fork and whisk to a softer than soft peak. Add the wine. Mix the pork into this and rest 15 minutes to marinate. While marinating, cut the chives into 3/4 to 1 inch lengths. Reserve.
Wearing gloves, split the chile, destem and remove the veins and seeds. Slice the chile into the thinnest slivers you can.
The Chinese recipe as given here: if there are flower heads or buds on the chives, cut them off and reserve.
Preheat the wok and add 2 tbs of oil. Using a microplane, mush the garlic and reserve for immediate use. Wok the pork, adding the 1 tbs. of water and stir until the pork shreds turn white. Remove to a warm bowl and cover.
Add 3 tbs of oil and when hot, add the garlic and chile. After 30 seconds, add the chive buds if you have any and wok for 30 more seconds. Next add the pork and chives and wok until the chives become soft. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and heaping tsp. of chicken stock powder. Add the remainder of the xio xing wine and 1 tbs of sesame oi. Chow to mix and plate.
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Notes
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Cook's Notes:
If using pork shoulder, remove as much fat as practical. If using loin
or tenderloin, you can partially freeze to make julienning easier.
By green chile is meant anywhere in heat from a jalapeno to the tiny
Thai chile. The trick here is to use a razor blade sharp knife and
make shreds the thickness of a hair, figuratively speaking.
Salt is 2.5 grams, but don't measure, use the 1/2 teaspoon. The wine
can be a "dash" from the bottle. There are some sets of measuring
spoons that include a 1/2 tablespoon measure, but no need to buy such.
Optionally, use the cornstarch in place of the egg white.
In China, the chives are sold with the flower heads on and in this
recipe, the cook removes the heads and uses them at the end of
cooking. In the USA, yellow chives are sold less mature.
If using American chicken stock powder, omit the salt. The powder is
enough salt. The original recipe calls for 1 tbs of chicken stock
powder, but Knorr Swiss and USA equivalents would make this dish too
salty.
Title: Spring Rolls with Yellow Chives
Yield: 12 pieces
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Preparation Time: 1/2 hour
Category: Appetizers and Soups
Cuisine: Chinese
Website: https://baike.baidu.com/item/韭黄
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Ingredients
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12 spring roll wrappers
150 grams pork, finely diced
150 grams shrimp, bay shrimp, diced
100 grams bamboo shoots
100 grams yellow chives, minced
40 grams shitake mushrooms, after reconstituting
40 grams pork, ground
40 grams flour, all purpose
50 cc water
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
1 tbs sesame oil
1 yolk, beaten for the wrapper sealant
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Instructions
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Parboil the bamboo for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the sour taste. Rinse
under cold running water and drain dry. Use a paper towl to absorb
excess liquid. Julienne for spring rolls.
The shitake mushroom will weigh 3 to 4 times their dry weight, after
reconstituting them. They need 10 to 15 minutes in warm water if
whole, but only 1 to 2 minutes if sliced. Once reconstituted, squeeze
out the excess liquid. Reserve this liquid and strain it through a
coffee filter. Destem, and dice the 'shrooms.
If using larger than bay shrimp, split and remove the sand vein. Chop
the shrimp, leaving some toothiness. Add the ground pork, shrimp,
mushroom, flour and water. Mix and add the cornstarch, and salt. Mix
the reserved mushroom soaking liquid with the chicken stock powder,
sugar, pepper and sesame oil. Add all ingredient together to a sticky
paste. You can wear gloves if you prefer.
Put 50 grams (about 2 ounces) of filing in each spring roll. Moisten
the edges with a beaten egg yolk, wrap and reserve.
Preheat at least 2" of oil in a wok or deep fryer. Fry until golden
brown, drain on paper towels and serve with a dipping sauce.
Title: Carp with Yellow Chives
Yield: 2 servings
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese
Website: https://baike.baidu.com/item/韭黄
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Ingredients
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100 grams carp
150 yellow chives
200 grams peanut oil
1 red bell pepper
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
8 grams salt
5 grams MSG
2 grams sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbs water
1 gram pepper
1 egg, for it's white
1 tbs sesame oil, scant
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Instructions
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Preheat an oven to 200 degrees. This will be used to keep the fish warm while finishing the recipe.
Cut chives into 1 to 1.5" lengths. Reserve. Cut the bell pepper into mouthfulls.
Make a marinade for the fish of: 1 beaten white, salt, cornstarch and MSG.
Cut the fish into mouthfulls and add to the marinade for 15 minutes. Mince the garlic and shred the ginger. Add 1 tbs of water to the cornstarch. Stir well and reserve.
While the fish is marinating, heat 200 grams of oil in a skillet. When the oil reach about 200 degrees F, add the fish and cook until golden brown. Remove the fish to a rack over a sheetpan covered with paper towels to a warm place.
Add the garlic and ginger. Stir 30 seconds. Add the chives and bell pepper. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the chives soften. Return the fish to the heat. Stir the cornstarch to mix well and add to the skillet. Add the MSG, sugar and pepper. Lastly season with the
sesame oil. Toss to blend and plate.
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Notes
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Cook's Note
I do not recommend the 200 degree temperature. Again, I give this recipe, untried by me. I would use a temperature of 250 to 300 for cooking.
Carp is the ingredient given in the recipe, but any firm white fish will work.
The recipe says that the oil consumption is but 8 grams.
Keep cooked fish oil separate from other cooked oil, or use a 1 inch
cube of potato to de-fish smell the cooking oil while it is hot. For
this recipe, after the meal is removed from the cooking utensil, heat
to 350 degrees F. and cook the 'tater until starting to brown.