Phoenix and Dragon

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 120 g shrimp(s), raw, peeled, fresh or frozen, approx. 14 – 16 cm
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour
• ½ tsp chicken stock powder, strong bouillon
• 2 pinches of cayenne pepper
• 150 g boneless chicken breast, frozen
• 3 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 15 g ginger root, chopped, fresh or frozen
• 2 small green chili peppers (cabe rawit hijau)
• 200 g broccoli
• 50 g carrot(s)
• 2 Pepper, red, long, mild
• 1 tsp tapioca flour
• 1 pinch(s) of cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp rice wine (Arak Masak)
• 80 g orange juice
• 2 tbsp tomato juice
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder, strong bouillon
• 1 tbsp salty soy sauce (Kecap Asin)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (saus tiram)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce, light
• 5 tbsp sunflower oil for frying
• n. B. Almond flakes, white
• n. B. flowers and leaves

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 15 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

A perfect combination of shrimp, chicken breast and broccoli, a top recipe from China’s Szechuan cuisine, takes some time and discipline.

Dry the fresh, rinsed or thawed shrimp thoroughly with kitchen paper. Mix the tapioca flour with the chicken stock and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle half of it over both sides of the shrimp. Thaw the frozen chicken breast and cut the appropriate amount across the grain into approximately 1 cm thick slices. Cut the slices lengthwise into approximately 1 cm thick strips and then cut these into approximately 2 cm long pieces. Thaw the pieces, pat dry, and sprinkle both sides with the tapioca mixture. For the vegetables, snip off the ends of the garlic cloves, peel them, and press them through a garlic press. Wash and peel the fresh ginger, cut them into thin slices, and chop them into small pieces with a cleaver. Weigh the frozen goods and thaw them. Wash the small green chilies and cut them crosswise into thin slices. Leave the seeds in place but discard the stems. Cut off 1 cm of the bottom of the washed broccoli stalk and remove about 2 cm of the florets, including the stalk. Chop large florets into chopstick-sized pieces. Cut the upper, non-woody parts of the stalk crosswise into approximately 1 cm wide rolls. Peel the stalk, which has woody edges, and cut lengthwise into strips, shortening them to approximately 2 cm. Chop the green leaves into small pieces. Keep the leaves, stalks, and florets separate. You will need 80 g of broccoli florets, 60 g of broccoli stalks, and 30 g of broccoli leaves. Wash the carrot, cut off both ends, peel, and slice into approximately 3 mm thick slices using a corrugated grater. Wash the red bell pepper and cut diagonally into approximately 1 cm wide pieces. Leave the seeds in place but discard the stalk. For the sauce, mix the cayenne pepper into the tapioca flour and dissolve it in the rice wine. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Heat 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil in a wok. Add the garlic cloves along with the ginger and chili pieces and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the carrots, peppers, and broccoli stalks and stir-fry for another 1 minute. Add the broccoli florets and stir-fry for 90 seconds. Remove the vegetables from the wok with a slotted spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil to the wok and let it heat up. Then stir-fry the chicken pieces for a maximum of 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and broccoli leaves and mix. Deglaze everything with the sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute. Divide the mixture among the serving dishes. Clean the wok, add the remaining oil, and fry the prawns until pink. Immediately remove the prawns and divide them among the serving dishes, garnish, and serve warm with cooked white basmati rice. Note: The cooking times given are based on a gas burner with at least 4.5 kW power. This wonderful dish cannot actually be cooked on conventional ceramic hobs. Chinese chefs let the flames pierce the wok, meaning the wok burns for a few seconds, starting with the garlic and ending with the shrimp. It’s the art of cooking to let something burn and not scorch.