21
PAge heAder.....
SPECIAL INGREdIENTS
Lemon grass
An aromatic fresh herb that is used in curry
pastes, stir-fries and soups. Trim the base,
remove the tough, outer layers and finely
slice, chop or pound the white interior. Whole
stems can be added to soups or curries. Dried
lemon grass needs to be soaked in water, but
the flavor of fresh is superior.
Lychees
Delicious fruit with a light texture and flavor,
peel away the rough skin, remove the seed
and use. They are also available in cans.
Rice wine vinegar
Milder than most western vinegars, it
usually has an acidity of less than 4%. It has
a mild, sweet, delicate flavor and is made
from rice.
Sambal oelek
This is a paste made from ground chili
peppers and salt. This can also be used as an
ingredient or an accompaniment.
Tamarind
Tamarind is a large brown bean pod
containing a pulp with a fruity, tart flavor.
It is available as a dried shelled fruit, a
block of compressed pulp or as a purée or
concentrate.
Tofu
Tofu, or bean curd, is a high protein, low fat
food made from soy beans. It is available in
very firm or soft blocks and is either fresh or
vacuum-packed. It takes on the flavor of the
spices and sauces it is cooked with.
Turmeric
This is best known in its powdered for m
and is often used to color food. It has a
bitter flavor. It is occasionally available
fresh as a root, rather like ginger, wh ich is
peeled and then grated and finely chopped .
Powdered turmeric is commonly avai lable
in the supermarket.
Szechuan pepper corn
These are available from most Asian
supermarkets and have a slight anise taste.
Water chestnuts
Small white crisp bulbs with a brown skin.
Canned water chestnuts are peeled and
will keep for about 1 month, covered in the
refrigerator. Made from the fermentation of
rice starch which is converted into sugars.
Used widely in Chinese and Asian cookery.
Substitute it with dry sherry.
Chinese rice wine or Shaoxing wine is
a sweet amber colored wine made from
fermenting glutinous rice. Widely used
in cooking, in marinades and sauces.
Substitute with dry sherry.
BEW800XL_IB_B12.indd 21 13/09/12 1:24 PM