Good Food, Fast Food : From China: Lamb in Flash

A decade ago, Nina Simonds, author of a serious book on Chinese cuisine, was an honored guest at a banquet in Taipei. When she got back to the United States, it’s likely she copied the elaborate dishes served at the banquet, right down to the last bit of exotica. In those days, she prided herself on re-creating some of China’s most difficult dishes, and no ingredient was too obscure for her to find.

Today, Simonds trims recipes down to things she can accomplish in half an hour, shops for Chinese ingredients at the supermarket, serves flour tortillas instead of Mandarin pancakes and whips out one-dish meals for guests.

What happened? It’s simple. Simonds became a mother. “My son, God bless him, has radically changed my life,” she says. “Even though I’m a food professional, I no longer want to spend hours in the kitchen.”

Jesse, now 5, has more taste for crisp chow-mein noodles than braised chicken with shark’s fin or three-flavor lobster slices, both from her first book, “Classic Chinese Cuisine” (Houghton Mifflin: 1982). And Simonds isn’t free to travel far in search of uncommon ingredients. “I’m facing reality, what other working parents are facing,” she says. And that’s good because it has induced Simonds to produce a book that offers inspiration to all harried fans of Chinese food.

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It’s “China Express” (William Morrow: $25), a collection of streamlined, contemporary recipes and her fourth book on China and its food. To really desperate cooks, those who heat up frozen dinners and bring home pizza, the recipes may look daunting.

But anyone who knows Chinese cooking will recognize that this is good, honest food made as directly as possible. A marinade might contain only three ingredients; a sauce is similarly brief. A list of ingredients might look long, but all of them can be picked up at the corner market. “The basic point of Chinese cooking is to use what’s available and what’s fresh,” Simonds says.

She, husband Don Rose and Jesse live in Salem, Mass., where Asian ingredients aren’t as readily available as in Los Angeles. An example of her new style is Cantonese steamed fish fillets. This, she says, is one of the fastest recipes in her book, ready in less than 15 minutes. Simonds would serve the fish with steamed asparagus or broccoli and rice or bread. “It’s a wonderful meal,” she says. “Fresh and so light.”

Flash-cooked lamb with leeks, based on a northern Chinese regional dish, is another quickie. The sauce has only three ingredients. Simonds would serve the lamb with flour tortillas lightly brushed with sesame oil and steamed; broccoli or stir-fried spinach.

Scallion pancakes, on the other hand, are, according to Simonds, “more of a labor-intensive dish.” But the ingredients couldn’t be simpler--flour, salt, oil and green onion tops. And the labor is worth it, at least in Simonds’ household. Along with chow mein noodles, this is Jesse’s favorite Chinese snack.

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FLASH-COOKED LAMB WITH LEEKS

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, shank portion 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine or sake 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons minced ginger root 1 tablespoon cornstarch Stir-Fry Sauce 5 tablespoons corn or safflower oil 2 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil 8 cloves garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced 4 cups leeks, white part only, cut into fine julienne shreds

Using sharp knife or cleaver, trim lamb of fat and gristle and remove any tendons. Separate muscles of meat and remove any filmy skin. Cut meat across grain into thin slices about 1/6 inch wide and 1 1/2 inches long. Place slices in bowl. Add soy sauce, wine, sugar, ginger root and cornstarch and toss lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate 30 minutes in refrigerator. Prepare sauce and set aside.

Heat wok or skillet. Add 1/4 cup corn oil and heat to about 400 degrees. Add lamb slices and stir-fry over high heat, stirring continuously, until meat loses red color and separates. Remove with slotted spoon and drain in colander.

Clean out skillet. Reheat skillet, add 1 tablespoon corn oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Heat until very hot. Add garlic and leeks and stir-fry over high heat about 1 1/2 minutes, until leeks are just tender. Add cooked lamb and Stir-Fry Sauce and toss lightly to coat. Transfer to serving platter. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

374 calories; 1,049 mg sodium; 123 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 27 grams protein; 1.32 grams fiber.

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Stir-Fry Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice wine or sake 1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar or Worcestershire sauce Combine soy sauce, wine and vinegar.

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CANTONESE-STYLE STEAMED FILLETS

2 pounds firm-fleshed fish fillets 2 tablespoons rice wine or sake 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 slices ginger root, about size of quarter, smashed with flat side of heavy knife or cleaver 1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons chicken broth 2 tablespoons corn or safflower oil 2 teaspoons sesame oil 3 tablespoons finely shredded green onions, white part only 2 1/2 tablespoons finely shredded ginger root 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rinse fish lightly and pat dry. Place in bowl. In another bowl combine rice wine, salt and ginger root and lightly pinch ginger slices in wine to impart flavor. Add to fish, being sure to lightly coat fillets. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in refrigerator 20 minutes. Place fillets skin-side-down on heat-proof plate with rim and place in steamer tray. Combine soy sauce and chicken broth and pour over fish.

Fill wok or large pot with water for steaming and heat until boiling. Place fish on steamer tray, then place over water and steam until fish flakes when prodded with knife, 6 to 12 minutes depending on type of fish. Combine corn and sesame oils in heavy pan and heat until smoking. Sprinkle cooked fillets with green onions, shredded ginger root and pepper, and slowly pour hot seasoned oil over seasonings. Serve at once. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about:

196 calories; 447 mg sodium; 59 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 26 grams protein; 0.07 gram fiber.

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SCALLION PANCAKES

2 cups cake flour 1 teaspoon salt Corn or safflower oil 1 cup boiling water All-purpose flour 1/4 cup sesame oil 1/2 cup minced green onion tops

Combine cake flour and salt in bowl and stir with wooden spoon to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons corn oil and boiling water until rough dough forms. If dough is too soft, knead in about 1/4 cup all-purpose flour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead 5 minutes, or until smooth, kneading in more all-purpose flour as necessary. Cover with cloth or wrap in plastic wrap and let stand 20 minutes.

On floured surface, roll dough into long roll shape about 1 inch thick. Cut into 16 pieces. Keep unused dough covered. Place 1 piece dough cut-side-down on work surface and roll out to 5-inch circle. Brush top with sesame oil and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon green onion tops. Roll up like jelly roll and pinch ends to seal. Flatten roll slightly with rolling pin and coil into snail shape, with seam on inside. Pinch end to secure and set aside on lightly floured surface.

Prepare remaining pancakes and let stand 30 minutes. Reflour work surface and roll each coiled pancake out to 4-inch circle. Place on lightly floured tray and let stand 30 minutes.

Heat heavy skillet. Add 1 cup corn oil and heat to 350 degrees. Add several pancakes and fry, turning once, until golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 3 minutes. Remove with handled strainer and drain briefly in colander, then place on paper towels. Transfer to baking sheet and set in 200-degree oven to keep warm while frying remaining pancakes. Reheat oil after each batch. Serve immediately. Makes 16 pancakes.

Each pancake contains about:

111 calories; 148 mg sodium; 8 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram protein; 0.06 gram fiber.