“Danny Kaye: ‘In Real Chinese Cooking, The Secret Is Timing’”
Family Weekly
Sarasota Herald-
By: Danny Kaye, as told to Helen Dorsey
I was in China a hundred years ago, when I was a child. My first acting stint was with La Vie Paree company, touring the Far East.
I’ve always been interested in Oriental cuisine. I love Chinese cooking for its infinite variety. There are two prerequisites to good Chinese cooking: fierce heat and speed. I insist on using real Chinese ingredients. Although there are farms in the U.S. that grow Chinese vegetables, most of the spices come from Taiwan. I’ve been known to fly to Hong Kong to get a special meat cleaver or the right condiment.
In my Chinese kitchen, I have a restaurant stove, chopping block, woks, steamers, cleavers, spatulas, ladles and chopsticks. I work quickly—as you must with Oriental cooking—keeping the ingredients within easy reach and cleaning up as I go.
The best way to judge a Chinese chef is by what he can do with vegetables. Vegetables
must be heated through and served quite hot, but crisp to the teeth. The secret of
the chao (stir-
Danny Kaye’s Sweet-
For the Fish
- 2 lbs. carp (or sea bass, porgy or red snapper), cleaned and scaled, head and tail left on
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- ½ inch fresh gingerroot, minced
- 1 scallion, cut into ½-
inch pieces - 3 tablespoons seasoned flour
- Few drops onion juice
- 1 egg white
- 3 cups peanut oil
Wash carp under cold running water. Pat dry inside and outside with paper towels. With Chinese cleaver (or heavy, sharp knife) make three slashes on both sides of fish; place in flat glass dish.
Mix together soy sauce and sherry, sprinkle over fish. Scatter gingerroot and scallion over fish; let marinate 10 minutes.
Dry off fish, discarding gingerroot and scallion. Dip fish in batter made by mixing flour, onion juice and egg white.
Pour peanut oil in 12-
Lift out fish; drain on double-
For the Sauce
- 2 Chinese mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 4 slices fresh ginger, minced
- 1 scallion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons dried shrimp, optional
- ½ cup bamboo shoots (canned, drained, rinsed with fresh water)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sherry
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Chinese parsley for garnish
Soak mushrooms in warm water 20 minutes. Drain. Cut each mushroom in quarters.
Heat peanut oil in wok with ginger, scallion, shrimp. Stir-
Mix together soy sauce, sugar, wine vinegar, and sherry. Add to wok vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil.
Mix together cornstarch and water to form a smooth paste.
Stir paste, mushrooms and sesame oil slowly into mixture until thick and smooth. Taste to correct seasonings. Pour over fish, garnish with snipped parsley. Serve at once. Serves 4
Shrimp Tempura
- 2 lbs. large shrimp
- 2 lbs. fillet of sole (or fresh tuna)
- 1 lb. asparagus (or bunch bok choy)
- 1 lb. snow peas
- Large green pepper
- Large onion
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
- 2/3 cup cold water
- 5 tablespoons all-
purpose flour - Few tablespoons grated Japanese horseradish
- Peanut oil
Shell, devein shrimp but leave on tails. Slit lengthwise without cutting all the way through, and press open butterfly fashion.
Cut fillets into 1-
Make batter from egg yolks, water, flour and horseradish.
Pour oil in skillet (or wok); heat until bread cube dropped in hot fat browns immediately.
Dip shrimp, fish, vegetables in batter, shaking off excess batter. Cook few pieces at a time, until golden. Reheat oil each time, being sure it is hot enough. Drain ingredients well on absorbent paper. Serve at once with sauce made from 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 4 tablespoons sake and 4 tablespoons clam juice (or fish stock). Serves 6
NOTE: All ingredients in Danny’s recipes are available in Oriental food shops or through mail order.