Oath of the Peach Garden (Temple Dish)
This Zhejiang temple cuisine dish has a light, fragrant aroma and crisp, fresh texture. It is cool, refreshing, and appetizing, making it a delicious cold dish perfect for summer.
Ingredients
dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked then cut into strips)
to taste
cooked winter bamboo shoots (cut into rice-sized pieces)
to taste
cooked wheat gluten (cut into rice-sized pieces)
to taste
pine nuts
to taste
cooked potato (mashed into paste)
to taste
cooked carrot (mashed into paste)
to taste
fresh water chestnuts (peeled)
to taste
walnuts
to taste
green bell pepper (or cucumber) (cut into leaf shapes)
to taste
leafy greens (or spinach)
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
MSG
to taste
fine salt
to taste
white sugar
to taste
cooking wine
to taste
vinegar
to taste
cornstarch
to taste
minced ginger
to taste
sesame oil
to taste
ground black pepper
to taste
Instructions
1
Prepare bamboo shoots and wheat gluten
Cut winter bamboo shoots and wheat gluten into rice-sized pieces separately, toss with fine salt, MSG, and minced ginger, then mix in wet cornstarch. Fry pine nuts in oil heated to low heat until just fragrant, then set aside.
2
Prepare dried shiitake mushrooms
Soak dried shiitake mushrooms until fully rehydrated, cut into strips 4 cm long and 3 cm wide, toss with MSG, salt, sugar, and cooking wine to marinate briefly, then dredge in dry cornstarch.
3
Prepare mashed potato mixture
Mash cooked potato and cooked carrot into a smooth paste. Wrap in a clean cloth and squeeze out excess moisture, then mix in minced ginger. Cut rehydrated dried shiitake and winter bamboo shoots into thin strips, add to the mashed mixture and stir to combine.
4
Decorate platter edge
Blanch green bell pepper in boiling water briefly, toss with fine salt and MSG, then cut into leaf shapes. Arrange peeled water chestnuts and walnut meat around the edge of a long serving platter, alternating with the green bell pepper pieces for garnish.
5
Stir-fry wheat gluten and bamboo shoot pieces
Heat oil in a wok, and when it reaches low heat, add the coated winter bamboo shoot and wheat gluten pieces. Fry until they turn opaque white, then remove. In a separate wok, add broth, MSG, and fine salt, bring to a boil, then thicken with cornstarch to make a sauce. Immediately add the fried wheat gluten and pine nuts, toss with cooking wine, then arrange on one end of the long serving platter.
6
Stir-fry mashed potato mixture
Heat a wok over medium heat, add oil, then add the prepared mashed potato mixture. Add salt, MSG, white sugar, and white vinegar, stir quickly, then pour out onto the other end of the serving platter to complete the dish.
