When I was a little kid, we had this dish at Peking Duck House and we loved it, so my mom started making it at home. I’ve still never seen it anywhere else, and it’s definitely one of my favorite dishes on Earth! (BTW, this dish and the Peking Duck are the only good dishes at Peking Duck House. Do not get anything else.) I looked it up on their website, and they call the dish, Assorted Meat w. Vegetable w. Tiensin Mung Bean Sheets. That’s kind of long and I don’t like the sound of it. My mom has been calling it Luke-Warm Toss (in Chinese) for years because it’s a dish served at that temperature so I’ll go with something like that.
*above photo added 7/23/13
First a note about Chinese chives, for those who haven’t cleaned them before. See the little bundles. Separate the outer most leave or two and pick off the bottom end because it may be dry or rough. Then pick all the wilted tops off. Plunge in cold water to wash. Then proceed to cut to size according to recipe.
Chinese Warm Toss Salad
~6 servings (as one of a few family style dishes)
- 3 sheets (4.4 ounces) mung bean starch sheets
- 2 cup julienne seedless cucumber
- 2 cups julienne carrots
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 2 1/4 cup Chinese chive segments (2″)
- 2 large eggs
- boiling water
- 8 ounces pork strips
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons corn starch, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce
- 1/2 pound shrimp (small is better), shelled and de-veined
- salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions –
1. Soak starch sheets in warm water for about 30 minutes.
2. Plate cucumber on a large serving platter, in one neat pile.
3. You can blanch the carrots or my mom nukes them, just until softened. Drain and set aside to cool. You can plate them in a neat pile next to the cucumber after they have cooled completely.
4. Heat a wok on high with 2 teaspoons of oil. Stir fry chives with a little salt, just until wilted. Remove and set aside in a bowl for 5 minutes. Drain thoroughly before plating in a neat pile by the carrots.
5. Whisk eggs together in a small bowl. Heat a wok on medium with just enough oil to coat. Pour a thin layer off egg in and swirl to make a thin layer. Remove immediately to a plate and repeat till you have finished the eggs. You want the egg to be thin but don’t worry if it breaks or what shape it is. When it has cooled, you can cut into 1/4″ strips. Set in a neat pile by the cucumbers.
6. Tear mung bean sheets with your hands into roughly 2.5″ square pieces. Drain and set in a large bowl. Pour boiling water in, covering the mung bean sheets and stir for a minute. Drain thoroughly and place in a neat pile between the chives and the eggs.
7. In a small bowl, stir together the pork, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok at high heat. Stir in pork rapidly with sugar, and 1-2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce to taste. As soon as pork is cooked (which is quick), remove to center of platter.
8. Mix shrimp with remaining 1 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a wok on high heat. Stir fry shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, just until all are pink. Scatter on top of platter and serve immediately.
It should be presented as pictured above, then tossed at the table. The few hot ingredients mixed with the cold ingredients will result in a luke-warm dish. It’s unique, healthy, and delicious!
