dimanche, juin 08, 2008

Grilled (Satay) Beef on Glass Noodles

Grilled Satay Beef on Glass Noodles

I was listening to Danny Chan in the car when suddenly I couldn't stop sobbing. Was I sad that my favourite HK singer died young? Probably, but I do have a very nice CD compilation of his best songs (offered to me by a Secondary Schoolmate whom I've since lost sight of). But hearing him sing in Cantonese was surely more the cause of this feeling of sadness, it brought to mind the nearly 13 years I've been away from home and nowadays it is starting to feel like 13 years too long.

You can take this girl out of Asia but not the Asian out of her. In my (now lost) youth, I had this dream : to learn many European languages. Looking back, I think I haven't done too badly. I'm fluent in French, know enough Spanish and German and am currently learning Italian. But somehow nothing gives me greater kick than hearing someone speak Cantonese or doing some cursing and swearing in Hokkien. Knowing that those kids of mine wouldn't be able to do any of that saddens me further.

E's Hub came back from a business trip in China and kindly gave me a pack of Mung Bean (aka Glass) Noodles. I thought of cooking them in a soup at first (they were quite large) but finally decided upon a Grilled Satay Beef on Glass Noodles.

Basically did the dish in 5 parts :

1) Sliced the beef (I used onglet/lombatello) and marinated it in light soy sauce, kecap manis, oyster sauce, sherry and sesame oil for a few hours. The same sauces and adding in corn starch and water or stock will use to fry the glass noodles with later on;

2) Immersed the dried glass noodles in hot water the time it took me to prepare the rest of the ingredients;

3) Cooked a thin omelette and shredded it;

4) Prepared and stir-fried some vegetables e.g. zucchini, carrots, asparagus, Chinese mushrooms, red peppers, chilli...in a fragrant ginger-garlic-sesame oil base;

5) Made satay sauce (actually quite optional) for the beef that I would have nicely-grilled (but still rare) on my iron grill.

Then I assembled them (glass noodles, vegetables, omelette, beef...), sprinkled some sesame seeds, fried shallots and fresh coriander leaves on top of everything and served the dish hot.

6 commentaires:

Anonyme a dit…

13 years to miss Cantonese, that's formidable. Last month I caved in and actually bought a whole DVD series of "Heart of Greed" which is a TVB production.

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Umami, that NYC trip of yours was quite something. Esp for someone like me who's stuck in a cul de sac. I'm still salivating over that fried rice with very distinct grains.

Your TVB series is the funny sort or the I-cheat-you-harm-your-whole family-and-we-cry-like-mad kind? Or the kil-kill-kill type?

I can't wait to go home in July and spend my nights watching TV but the problem with Singapore is that we've dubbed all the good stuff in Mandarin (boring language if you ask me) and will have to rent if we want to have them in Cantonese.

Anonyme a dit…

Heart of Greed is a typical family/ family business drama with jealous concubines, wayward kids and in laws from hell. Silly, predictable and a good way to pass the time.
It was so popular they made a Part II version.

petite fleur a dit…

When my HK friends were here last month, I couldn't stop speaking Cantonese. It just felt so comforting. X family was surprised to hear me speak so fast cos when I speak French, I speak slowly.

Beau Lotus 涟 a dit…

Well, in 2 weeks I'll be back home speaking Cantonese...And watching TV.

petite fleur a dit…

I'm so envious. It's been 1.5 years since I was last back home.

Have a good trip !!