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For Two Portions

A historical recipe from Chinese cook book, by Vernon Galster (1917).

A historical recipe

Chinese cook book, by Vernon Galster (1917). Project Gutenberg eBook #74369.

From an old book: a historical recipe, not current advice. Its methods, additives and storage may be unsafe by today's standards.

Source and licence

From Chinese cook book, by Vernon Galster (1917). Digitised by Project Gutenberg, eBook #74369 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74369). Public domain in the USA; its status may differ elsewhere.

Read the original Public domain in the USA

What was changed: As printed, from the book's text; Project Gutenberg's header and licence removed. Ingredient lines were read out of the text by a program. A historical recipe, not current advice.

China. Associated with China by the book is about Chinese cookery (Cooking, Chinese); the recipe itself names no place (confidence 0.4). "Associated with" means only that the evidence named here links this recipe to that place. A recipe isn't labelled as representing an entire country because a source associates it with one, and regional origins are kept where the source gives them.

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Ingredients

  • 1 TABLESPOONFUL CHINESE SALTY SAUCE
  • 1 TABLESPOONFUL CHINESE SWEET SAUCE
  • a tablespoonful of lard
  • 5 CHINESE WATER
  • 3 DROPS SESAMUN OIL

Method

  1. (Prepare all of these ingredients before starting to cook the Suey) 1 POUND LEAN PORK (Sliced size and thickness of half dollar.) 1 CUP SPANISH ONIONS (Sliced thin.) 1 CUP CELERY (Sliced thin crosswise.
  2. Remove leaves.) 1 CUP CHINESE MUSHROOMS (Soak in water until soft.
  3. Remove stems, slice.) 5 CHINESE WATER CHESTNUTS (Pare and slice thin.) 1 TABLESPOONFUL CHINESE SALTY SAUCE.
  4. 1 TABLESPOONFUL CHINESE SWEET SAUCE.
  5. 3 DROPS SESAMUN OIL.
  6. 1 TEASPOONFUL CORNSTARCH (Dissolved in a little water.) Cook in an iron kettle on a very high flame.
  7. Fry the pork until half done, using about a tablespoonful of lard, meat fryings or peanut oil.
  8. Add the onions and fry a few minutes longer;
  9. then add the celery, mushrooms, Chinese water chestnuts and salty sauce together.
  10. Cover with tight fitting lid and allow to cook in its own juices for about 8 to 10 minutes.
  11. Stir occasionally, adding water or soup stock (hot) if necessary to prevent burning.
  12. Then turn flame low and stir in thoroughly the Chinese sweet sauce, sesamun oil and corn starch, and it is ready to serve.
  13. Serve on oblong chop suey dish, and with it serve rice (cooked Chinese style) and Chinese tea.
  14. RICE (Cooked Chinese Style) Wash a half pound of good quality head rice (Jap style rice will not cook properly in this manner) and cover with water.
  15. The depth of the water above the rice should be exactly the same depth as the rice.
  16. Boil fast, stir frequently until all of the water is absorbed by the rice, then cover with tight fitting lid and set on low flame (with asbestos pad between) for 30 minutes, and leave without stirring.
  17. NOTE—Careful attention should be directed to the size of the flame which is used during the 30 minutes.
  18. Understand that you are to have as much heat as the rice will stand, without stirring, at the same time without burning it.