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Ethnic EATING
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types of rice
Kelly Doolan of Tullamore College, Co. Offaly, talks us through Ireland’s burgeoning love for foreign foods
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thnic cuisine has become increasingly popular in recent years. This is mainly due to influences from other cultures through travel abroad and TV programmes, as well as an increase in immigrants from other cultures moving to Ireland and bringing with them traditional cuisines and increasingly available ethnic ingredients.
Chinese
Mainland China is vast in size and its climate is varied, having a ma jor impact on lifestyle, food choices and availability. The South enjoys tropical weather, meaning that much cooking is done outside and the food tends to be quick, light and often vegetarian. In contrast, Northern China is too cool for rice to grow well and wheat is the preferred staple, used in plenty of noodles and breads. In the West, tiny red chillies are used abundantly, while food choices in the East include more stews, soups and casseroles.
KEY CHINESE INGREDIENTS AND FLAVOURS: • Chillies: In general, the larger the chilli, the milder the flavour. Remove the seeds for a milder flavour, but be careful as the seeds and flesh 98 Easy Food
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can often ‘burn.’ Wear gloves during preparation or wash your hands immediately afterwards. • Chinese five-spice powder: A flavouring made from star anise, pepper, fennel, cloves and cinnamon. • Soy sauce: Light soy is used commonly with fish, poultry and vegetables, while dark soy is preferred for red meats and wherever a deep colour is preferred. • Hoi-sin sauce: A classic barbecue sauce used as an ingredient or dip. • Oyster sauce: Fresh oysters are steamed and their juices and meat combined to produce a sauce used to enhance the flavour of meat and vegetable dishes.
• Long grain rice – these long and slender grains are four to five times as long as they are wide. The perfect choice for side dishes, main dishes or salad recipes. • Short grain rice – these almost round shaped grains tend to cling together when cooked. Great for stir-fry recipes and puddings. • Brown rice – when cooked, it has a slightly chewy texture and a nut-like flavour. Brown rice is a natural source of bran. It takes longer to cook than white rice. • Parboiled rice – unmilled rice is soaked, steamed and dried before milling to make parboiled rice. Somewhat firmer in texture, it separates easily when cooked. • White rice – this rice has been completely milled and polished, removing the bran layer. It takes about 15 minutes to cook. • Arborio rice – this type of rice is best to use for risotto as it gives a nice creamy texture once cooked.
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Junior Cert
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Rice is n
steamer and strainer, a cleaver, a pestle and mortar and a food processor.
TOP TIP! When cooking in a wok, cut all meat and vegetables to a similar size and shape to allow them to cook for the same pan, deep ovenproof dish, wooden spoon. amount of time. POPULAR CHINESE DISHES:
1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Put the chicken into the pan and cook for four minutes on both sides until lightly browned. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. 2 Cook the onion and garlic in the pan for three to four minutes. Then place the onion, garlic, chicken, brown rice, lemon
Chicken with lemon • Starters: Chicken andrice, sweetcorn and garlic 4 soup, noodleServes soup, spring rolls, prawn 1tbsp olive oil 4 chicken breasts, skinned and cut crackers, sesame prawn toast. juice, chicken stock and lemon quarters into chunks into a deep ovenproof dish, and bake in 1 onion, chopped • Main courses: Sweet and sour pork, the oven for 20 minutes. 3 garlic cloves, chopped the dish from the oven. Add 420g cooked brown rice chow mein, beef and black pepper3theRemove cooked peas, season and garnish with 4tbsp lemon juice fresh parsley. 750ml hot chicken stock stir fry,1 lemon, hoisin lamb, Szechuan quartered Questions: 1 cup cooked peas prawns, aromatic roast 1 Name four different types of rice. salt and pepper 2 Why is salt sometimes used when freshly chopped parsley, to garnish duck, barbecue cooking rice? Equipment: Tablespoon, sharp knife, spare ribs. Fat 6g Carbs 37g Energy 322kcal chopping board, measuring jug, cup, weighing scales, large frying
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Protein 31g
Sodium
.3g
Fibre
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KEY EQUIPMENT FOR CHINESE COOKING: • Wok: The gentlysloping sides of a wok allow the heat to spread rapidly and evenly over the surface. The shape allows for deep-frying, steaming and braising, as well as stir-frying. • Other useful equipment may include: a trivet, bamboo SEPTEMBER 2015
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