Baked Eggs Peking Style Food

BAKED EGGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a kettle or small pot of water just to a simmer.
• Brush the insides of 8 small ramekins with the melted butter. Crack 1 egg into each ramekin. Add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream to each ramekin and season with salt and pepper. Add any combination of toppings to the ramekins. (Or even better, let your guests add their preferred toppings.)
• Place the ramekins in a high-sided baking dish. Pour the simmering water into the baking dish until it comes about halfway up the ramekins. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and bake until the eggs reach a custard-like consistency and the yolks are just set, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the ramekins from the water bath. Let cool slightly before serving.

BAKED EGGS THREE WAYS

Steps:

• For the Sicilian-style eggs, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Scatter the tomatoes and garlic over the base of a small ovenproof dish. Drizzle over half of the oil and all the vinegar, then season well with salt and pepper. Bake for 3 minutes.
• Scatter half of the basil and the olives over the tomatoes, then make a space in the centre and crack the egg into the space. Scatter the rest of the olives and the capers over the top with the second teaspoon of oil, and some more freshly ground black pepper. Bake for another 8-12 minutes or more, depending on how you like your egg cooked. Serve with crusty bread or warm ciabatta, if you like.
• For the all-in-one croque madame, keep the oven at 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Tear the bread into bite-sized chunks and toss with the olive oil in a small ovenproof dish. Tear the ham into pieces and toss through, then push towards the edges to leave a space for the egg. Drizzle the stock over the bread and crack the egg into the centre. Scatter over the cheese and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes or more, depending on how you like your egg cooked. Serve scattered with some chopped parsley or snipped chives if you have some spare.
• For the smoked mackerel, kale and mustard, keep the oven at 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and boil a half-full kettle.
• Put the kale in a sieve and pour over the kettle water to wilt it a little. Cut a wedge from the lemon to save for serving. Tip the kale into a bowl with the crème fraîche and mustard, then grate over a little lemon zest and season with a squeeze of juice. Toss together and spoon into a small ovenproof dish. Flake the mackerel over the top, then crack the egg on top of that.
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or more depending on how you like your egg cooked. Eat with wholemeal toast or rye bread, and serve the lemon wedge alongside for squeezing juice over.

EASY BAKED EGGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F (175°C).
• Using a 6-cup muffin pan*, butter the muffin cups.
• Crack one egg into each muffin cup. Add your choice of additional ingredients.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

PORK WITH PEKING SAUCE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Shred the pork by cutting it into thin slices, then stacking them up one on top of the other, and cutting across into shreds.
• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pork shreds with the rice wine or sherry, dark soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the pork for 20 minutes.
• While the pork is marinating, shred the cabbage or lettuce. Arrange the shredded cabbage on a plate.
• Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot , add the pork shreds and stir-fry until they change color and are nearly cooked. Remove from the wok.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the ginger and the sweet bean sauce (or hoisin or sweet bean paste/water mixture). Cook until aromatic.
• Add the pork back into the pan and mix with the sauce. Season with salt, soy sauce and/or freshly ground white pepper if desired.
• Arrange the pork shreds on the shredded vegetables and add garnishes, if desired. The flavor of green onions is especially good with this dish.

BAKED EGGS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Sprinkle cheese evenly in the bottom of the baking dish. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, mustard powder, salt and pepper. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese.
• Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes or until firm. Let cool slightly before cutting into squares to serve.

PEKING DUCK

Steps:

• For the duck: Prick the duck all over with a small knife or fork. Carefully pour hot water over the duck to rinse. Discard the hot water. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting pan and dry all over by patting it with paper towels. Sprinkle the duck with salt and pepper and leave it in the roasting pan until ready to cook.
• In a small bowl, mix together the honey, 6 tablespoons water, five-spice, soy sauce and brown sugar. Brush the duck all over, inside and out. Let dry for about 10 minutes and then brush again. Repeat this process until you have used all but 4 to 5 tablespoons of the glaze (reserve this glaze). Ideally, let the glaze marinate on the duck overnight, leaving it uncovered in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the duck in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. Flip the duck over, baste with the reserved glaze and cook until the skin is crisp and golden brown, another 45 minutes. Make sure you check halfway through that it is not getting too dark. If it is getting too dark before half the cook time is up, turn your heat down and lower the rack in the oven. When the duck is cooked, remove from the oven and let rest while you make your sauce.
• For the sauce: In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water and set aside. Next, heat a pan or wok over medium heat and add the hoisin, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. When the sauce starts to bubble slightly, add the cornstarch mixture and stir well to thicken. Set aside and let cool. Carve and slice some duck. Place a teaspoon of the sauce in the center of each pancake, add a couple slices of duck, garnish with the scallions and cucumbers and serve immediately.

PEKING-STYLE NOODLES

Steps:

• If you are using fresh noodles, blanch them first for 3-5 minutes in boiling water. If you are using dried noodles, cook them in boiling water according to packet instructions.
• Plunge them in cold water, drain thoroughly, toss them in the sesame oil and set aside until you are ready to use them. Covered with cling film, they can be kept for up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Heat a wok or large frying pan until hot. Add the groundnut oil and, when it is very hot, add the garlic, ginger and spring onions. Stir fry for 15 seconds, then add the pork. Stir well to break up and stir fry for 2 minutes or more until the pork loses its pink colour.
• Add the rest of the ingredients except the spring onion garnish, stirring all the time. Bring to the boil, turn the heat down low and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Plunge the noodles into boiling water for 30 seconds or until they are just heated through, then drain well in a colander or sieve. Quickly tip the noodles into a large bowl and pour the hot sauce over the top. Mix everything together loosely then sprinkle on the spring onions and serve.

PEKING-STYLE FRIED BEAN CURD

Steps:

• Cut the bean curd into 1/2 inch slices.
• Before frying, coat with flour then dip into the egg.
• Heat the wok then add 2 T oil.
• Arrange the slices of bean curd evenly on the bottom of the wok.
• Fry over medium heat for about 1 minute, or until golden brown.
• Sprinkle with onion, ginger root and sherry, salt, sesame oil and stock.
• Pierce the bean curd with a fork to allow the liquid to seep through.
• Turn heat to low and cook until the liquid is absorbed by the bean curd.
• Shrimp's eggs may be added to this dish if desired.

BAKED EGGS, PEKING STYLE

Steps:

• Wash shrimp thoroughly. Drain. Dry them on a paper towel then chop fine.
• Beat eggs. Add stock, shrimp, salt, oil and sherry. Mix thoroughly.
• Pour mixture into a greased casserole dish.
• Bake in a 400° oven 15 minutes. Serve immediately before it falls.