How to Make Oyster Sauce From Real Oysters
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Most of the oyster sauces on the market are oyster-flavored seasoning because they contain almost no oyster. I spent a lot of time researching the commercial oyster sauce-making process, then tested and modified this recipe for home cooking. I increased the oyster ratio so the umami taste becomes significantly better; plus, you can custom the sauce to your needs, such as no food additives, low sodium, less sugar, or gluten-free.
INGREDIENTS
To make the oyster liquid
1 lb (454g) of shucked oyster (the weight includes the liquid, the actual oyster is only 10 oz)
6 cups (1.4 L) of water
1 tbsp (17g) of salt
1 shallot, sliced thinly
1 scallion cut into stalks
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 inch of ginger, sliced thinly
To make the Caramel Solution
10 tbsp (125g) of sugar
2 cups of water
To Season and Thicken the Oyster Sauce
2 tbsp + 2 tsp (45g) of salt
1.5 tbsp (25 g) of dark soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1 tbsp of MSG, optional
Cornstarch water (3 tbsp of water mixed with 1.5 tbsp of cornstarch)
INSTRUCTIONS
Make a salt solution by dissolving 1 tbsp of salt into 6 cups of water.
Add one cup of salt solution (reserve the rest for later use), the shucked oysters, and the liquid from the shucked oysters into a sauce pot. Then bring it to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Pour the cooked oyster&water through a sieve and collect the liquid into a big pot.
Put the cooked oysters, shallot, ginger, scallion, garlic, and 1 cup of salt solution into a powerful blender. Blend into a puree.
Pour the oyster puree into the saucepot and simmer for 5 minutes. Then let it go through a fine cheesecloth with a big pot to collect the liquid.
Rinse the blender and the sauce pot with 1 cup of the salt solution, then pour it through the cheesecloth; this helps to cool down the oyster puree so you can squeeze it with your hand.
In batches, continue to rinse the oyster puree with the rest of the salt solution. Stir well and squeeze the cheesecloth until no more liquid comes down. Discard the solid part of the oyster.
Simmer the big pot of oyster liquid over medium-low heat for 1-1.5 hours or until 1/3 cup of liquid is left. You don't need to babysit the pot the whole time, but keep an eye on it to prevent burning.
While waiting, heat the sugar in a saucepot over medium-low heat. Stir for 6-8 minutes or until all the sugar is melted and the color turns golden brown. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer to dissolve the caramel. Turn off the heat and remove it to the side.
Check back the oyster liquid. Once you have 1/3 cup of liquid left, turn the heat to the lowest and stir for 5-8 minutes or until the liquid turns into a brown sticky paste. This is what we call oyster concentrate, which is too flavorful to cook with.
Add the caramel solution to the oyster concentrate in batches and stir thoroughly to dissolve.
Season oyster caramel solution with salt, dark soy sauce, and MSG; then bring it to a simmer. Add the cornstarch water in batches and stir until the sauce thickens.
Store the oyster sauce in clean, sealable jars for two months in the fridge and 12 months in the freezer. Use this sauce for any recipe that asks for oyster sauce.
How to Make Perfect Steamed Bao Buns (Chicken Baozi Recipe)
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A perfect steamed bun should be fluffy and airy like cotton; The filling should be flavorful and juicy. This video will give you 5 simple tips to making the best chicken steamed buns.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE WRAPPER (makes 16 wrappers)
600 grams of all-purpose flour (Amazon Link -
300 grams of lukewarm water
2.5 tsp of active dry yeast (Amazon Link -
1 tsp of sugar
2 tbsp of butter
Ingredients for the filling (Makes about 16 fillings)
400 grams of ground chicken
1 tsp of five spice powder (Amazon Link -
Black pepper to taste (Amazon Link -
1 tbsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1 tbsp of oyster sauce (Amazon Link -
1 tbsp of fish sauce (Amazon Link -
2.5 tsp of dark soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1/4 cup of chicken stock
1.5 medium size onion, diced
10 cloves of garlic, diced
4 scallions, diced
3-4 tbsp of vegetable oil (Amazon Link -
INSTRUCTIONS
Make The Wrapper
Combine 300 grams of lukewarm water with 2.5 tsp of yeast and 1 tsp of sugar. Than wait for 5 minutes for the yeast to activate.
Mix the yeast order with the all-purpose flour until a rough dough forms. Then add 2 tbsp of room temperature butter and continue to knead until the dough becomes smooth.
Cover the dough and let it proof for 1.5 hours or until it is doubled in size.
Make the Filling
Saute the diced onion with a few tablespoons of oil over medium low heat until slightly golden. Then add diced garlic and diced scallions. Continue to stir until all the aromatics are golden brown. Remove everything, including the oil, to the side and allow it to cool.
Season the ground chicken with 1 tsp of five spice powder, some freshly ground black pepper to taste, 1 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tbsp of oyster sauce, 1 tbsp of fish sauce, and 2.5 tsp of dark soy sauce.
Pour 1/4 cup of chicken stock in batches and stir the filling until all the liquid is absorbed. Add the caramelized aromatics to the chicken and mix well.
Wrap the Steamed Buns
The dough has doubled in size. Punch the dough to eliminate the air bubbles. Then, knead it on the working surface for 6-8 minutes until smooth.
Roll the dough into a long even log. Divide the dough into 16 pieces. Cover them, so they don’t dry out.
Take one piece of dough. Flatten it first, then use a rolling pin to roll the edge back and forth. The left hand rotates the dough. Repeat that, and you will get a round wrapper with a thick middle and a thinner edge.
Put some filling in the middle. Pinch the corner to create the first pleat. Use your left hand to help to stretch, fold, and pinch the wrapper all the way around the edge until the bun is closed.
Put parchment paper under. Rotate the bun and shape it a little bit taller so it doesn’t become too flat.
Once you finish wrapping all the buns, put them in the steamer and let them raise for another 20 minutes or until they are 1.5 times the size.
Steam the buns over medium heat for 20 minutes (start counting the time after the water has come to a boil).
Turn off the heat. Do not open the lid immediately. Instead, let the buns sit in the steamer for 10 minutes to avoid shrinking. Enjoy!
Beef Chow Fun Recipe (Hakka Style Stir Fry Noodles)
Hakka Style Stir Fry Silver Needle Noodles (客家炒银针粉) is one of those recipes that are unknown in the western world but incredibly delicious. 银针粉(yínzhēnfěn) translated as silver needle noodles; they are made with rice flour and tapioca flour, and they have a unique bouncy and chewy texture. If you are a noodle lover, this one should be on your trying list.
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INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING THE SILVER NEEDLE NOODLES
250 grams of rice flour (Amazon Link -
80 grams of tapioca starch (Amazon Link -
200 grams of hot water
100 grams of room temperature water
INGREDIENTS TO MARINATE THE BEEF
200 grams of beef, sliced thinly
2 tsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1/2 tsp of dark soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1/4 tsp of 5 spice powder (Amazon Link -
1/4 tsp of baking soda (Amazon Link -
White pepper to taste (Amazon Link -
A drizzle of cooking oil
OTHERS TO COMPLETE THE STIR FRY NOODLES
3-4 tbsp of cooking oil as needed
2 whole eggs, beaten well
1 tbsp of minced garlic
2 tsp of fermented black bean, roughly diced (Amazon Link -
85 grams 3oz of carrot, julienne
4 oz of pickled mustard green, sliced thinly
2 baby bok choy, julienne
1.5 tbsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1.5 tbsp of oyster sauce (Amazon Link -
White pepper to taste
1 tsp chili flake to taste
2 tsp of toasted sesame seeds (Amazon Link -
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine the rice flour and tapioca flour thoroughly. Bring 200 grams of water to a boil, then slowly pour it into the flour mixture and stir until well mixed. Cover it and let it cool until lukewarm.
Slowly pour in about 100 grams of room temperature water in batches and knead it until the flour forms into a smooth dough.
Divide the dough into six smaller pieces. Roll each one into a long thin strip. Line all the strips together and roughly cut them into bite-size pieces (10-12 grams each).
Shape those bite-size dough pieces into pointy needle noodles by rolling them back and forth.
Bring 3 liters of water to a boil and add the noodles. Do not stir immediately. Give it a minute for the starch to set; then, you can stir so the noodles cook evenly.
If you eat the noodles right away, continue to cook for 2-3 minutes after the noodles float to the top of the water. If you are going to use the noodles as an ingredient to make stir fry noodles, continue to cook for 1-2 minutes after the noodles float.
Transfer the noodles into the ice bath to firm up the texture. Leave the noodles in there while preparing the ingredients for the stir fry noodles.
Cut the beef into 1/8 of an inch thick slices, then marinate with soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, baking soda, and vegetable oil. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Cut the stem part of the baby bok choy smaller and the leaves part bigger. Separate the leaves and the stem because they take different time to cook
Drain the silver needle noodles completely; Then season with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and some white pepper to taste.
Heat your wok until smoking hot. Add oil (1.5 tbsp) and swirl it around. Pour in the beaten egg. Swirl the wok again so the egg can cover the bottom of the pan. Once most of the egg is set. Flip it over and cook the other side for 10 seconds. Take it out and cut it into egg noodles. Set it aside.
Turn the heat back on high. Add more oil and heat it until smoking hot. add the beef and stir until the color is changed; remove to the side. Make sure you tilt the wok to leave the excess oil behind.
Add the minced garlic, diced fermented black beans, sliced pickled mustard green, julienne carrot, and the bok choy stems. Stir over medium heat for a couple of minutes.
Add the well-drained silver needle noodles, cooked beef, egg, and the leafy part of the baby bok choy to the wok. Stir over high heat until the bok choy is soft and the noodles are heated up.
Before serving, sprinkle some chili flakes and toasted sesame seeds to taste.
Cantonese Shrimp Siu Mai (Learn to make the Most Popular Dim Sum)
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Shrimp Siu Mai is one of the must-order dim sum items whenever you go to a tea house restaurant. I will show you how to make it from scratch and give you some shortcuts if you don't want to put in so much labor.
INGREDIENTS (Makes 20 Siu Mai)
Make the Siu Mai Filling
14 ounces [400 grams] of peeled and deveined shrimp (Medium 41/50 per pound)
4.5 ounces [127 grams] of ground pork, 25% fat
3 pieces of shiitake mushroom, soaked and diced
1 whole egg
1/4 cup of diced scallions
1.5 tbsp of cornstarch
2.5 tsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
2.5 tsp of oyster sauce (Amazon Link -
1/2 tsp of sugar (Amazon Link -
1.5 tbsp of minced garlic
1.5 tsp of minced ginger
1/2 tsp of salt
2 tsp of sesame oil (Amazon Link -
Make the Siu Mai Wrapper
4.5 oz (127 g) of all-purpose flour (Amazon Link -
1/4 tsp of salt
2 oz (57g) of water
1/2 tsp of turmeric Powder (Amazon Link -
cornstarch as needed
Others
Minced carrot for garnish, optional
Make the Dipping Sauce
1 tbsp of julienned ginger
1.5 tbsp of Chinese black vinegar (Amazon Link -
2 tsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
INSTRUCTIONS
Make the Filling
Season the shrimp with 1/2 tsp of salt and some white pepper to taste.
Reserve half of the shrimp and keep them whole for presentation. Use a cleaver to smash the other half of the shrimp one by one, then roughly grind them into a paste. Shrimp is delicate, so this won't take too long. If you don't have a cleaver, please use a meat tenderizer.
Soak the dried shitake mushrooms in water 2 hours in advance. Squeeze to eliminate the water, then dice the mushrooms finely. If you can not find dried shiitake mushrooms, replace them with fresh mushrooms, diced carrots, or water chestnuts.
Combine the shrimp, pork, mushroom, egg, scallions, and cornstarch in a big mixing bowl. Although this is a shrimp siu mai, mixing it with some pork will balance the texture and the flavor.
Season the filling with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, minced garlic, ginger, and sesame oil. Next, mix the filling within one direction until the paste becomes gluey and sticky, then chill it in the fridge while making the wrappers.
Make the Wrapper
Add the turmeric powder and salt to the water and stir well, then pour the mixture into the all-purpose flour slowly and mix at the same time until the water is well absorbed. A classic Cantonese siu mai wrapper has a yellow color, which comes from turmeric or food coloring. Some recipes use egg yolk, but then you will end up with extra egg white, so I recommend using turmeric.
Gather the flour and knead it for a few minutes until a rough dough forms.
Set the paster roller at the thickness setting, feed the dough through, and a rough sheet will come out. Fold the sheet and feed it through the roller again. Repeat this process 6-8 times or until the sheet becomes smooth.
Gradually lower the thickness and feed the sheet through until it becomes 1 mm thick.
Use a 3.5-inch round cookie cutter to cut the wrapper into circles. Then, recombine the scraps and feed them through the pasta roller to make more wrappers. If you don't have a paster roller, feel free to cut the store-bought wonton wrappers into circles and use them as a replacement.
Dust the wrappers with cornstarch to prevent sticking, and set them aside.
Wrap the Siu Mai and Steam
Put 1.5 tbsp of filling in the middle of the wrapper and pack it tight. Push up the edges, then use your forefinger and thumb to surround the siu mai and make it into a cylinder.
Place the siu mai in the steamer on top of parchment paper, then top it with a piece of whole shrimp and garnish it with minced carrots. Continue to wrap the rest. High-end dim sum restaurants usually will use delicate fish roes as garnish. Try it if you have access to purchase fish roes.
Bring a pot of water to a boil and steam the siu mai over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine the julienned ginger, Chinese black vinegar, and soy sauce. This dipping sauce is non-spicy but is classic for all kinds of steamed dim sum.
Cantonese Ribs with Black Bean Sauce Recipe (Dim Sum Style)
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Steam Ribs in Black Bean Sauce (豉汁蒸排骨) is the most popular rib recipe in Cantonese cuisines. By sauteing part of the garlic and the fermented black soybean, the flavor really stands out. The citrus aroma from the orange peel is like a nice little spark that refreshes everything. These ribs are incredibly tender, juicy, and full of umami flavor.
INGREDIENTS (Served 2)
500 of pork short ribs
2 tsp of salt to rub the ribs (Amazon Link -
1/4 cup of cornstarch to rub the ribs (Amazon Link -
1/4 cup of crushed ice to rub the ribs
3 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine to rub the ribs (Amazon Link -
1.5 tbsp of soy sauce (Amazon Link -
1 tbsp of oyster sauce (Amazon Link -
1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine (Amazon Link -
1/4 tsp of salt (Amazon Link -
1/3 tsp of baking soda (Amazon Link -
1/2 tsp of sugar (Amazon Link -
1/3 tsp of white pepper (Amazon Link -
1/3 tsp of aged tangerine peel, optional (if you don’t have it, use 1 tsp of orange zest.) (Product Link -
3 tbsp of garlic
3 tsp of ginger
2 tbsp of cornstarch (Amazon Link -
2 tsp of fermented black bean, roughly diced (Amazon Link -
2 tbsp of vegetable oil (Amazon Link -
INGREDIENTS
Slice the ribs in between the bones into bite-size pieces. Then rub with salt, corn starch, crushed ice and Chinese cooking wine for 8 minutes. This 8 minutes of rubbing is going to loosen up the grains and fibers, which tenderize the ribs physically - very important.
Rinse the ribs under cold running water for a few minutes or until all the starch is gone Then drain completely. This cleaning process will remove any unpleasant smell and wash off some of the Myoglobin, which is the redness that appears on the meat. If you don’t wash it, you will get a meaty, gamy taste and your ribs will be brown after cooking. This is completely optional and up to you but I as a Cantonese, we prefer our meat to have a light color and a clean taste especially when making steamed recipes.
In a mixing bowl, combine the marinading ingredients for the ribs: soy sauce, oyster sauce, chinese cooking wine, salt, baking soda, sugar, white pepper, granulated orange peel, 2 tbsp of minced garlic (reserve 1 tbsp for later), and 2 tsp of the minced ginger (reserve 1 tsp for later).
Even though the ribs are well-drained, it is still wet. Use paper towels to absorb as much water as possible then mix the ribs with the marinade.
Once all the flavor is well combined, add 2 tbsp of cornstarch and mix thoroughly. This will get you that classic dim sum rib texture. Set the ribs aside for now.
In a sauce pot, add the black soybean, the reserved garlic and ginger, and 2 tbsp of oil. Saute for a couple of minutes or until the aromatics are slightly golden on the edge. Turn off the heat. Let it cool.
Pour the aromatics and oil into the ribs and stir thoroughly. Let is sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour (over night will be even better).
Place the ribs in the plate and steam on high heat for 30 minutes. Make sure you have enough water in the pot so it doesn’t boil to dry.
Sprinkle some diced scallion as garnish. Enjoy
???? Dad's Cantonese Chow Mein (豉油王炒面)
Watch Daddy Lau teach us how to make Cantonese Chow Mein, also known as supreme soy sauce chow mein.
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???? LINKS MENTIONED ????
- Shrimp Chow Fun (虾炒乐趣):
- Longevity Noodles / Veggie Lo Mein:
- Chinese Broccoli:
- How soy sauce is made -
- Steaming rack with holes:
- Steaming rack:
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- Dad's 40 year old Chinese Chef Knife:
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If you don't live near an Asian market, you buy these online / on Amazon:
- Sesame Oil:
- Soy Sauce:
- Tamari (Dark Soy Sauce substitute):
- Rice Cooking Wine:
- Oyster Sauce:
- Vegetarian Oyster Sauce:
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Options for Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
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⏲ CHAPTERS ⏲
00:00 - Intro
00:43 - The backstory on soy sauce chow mein
01:06 - Noodles: fresh vs steamed
01:50 - Noodles: distinguishing between Chinese egg noodles
02:18 - Steam the noodles
02:50 - Chop ingredients
03:52 - Prepare sauce
04:37 - A quick primer on soy sauce
05:58 - Steaming noodles vs boiling noodles
06:57 - Dunk in boiling water
07:13 - Drain the noodles, separate, cool
07:40 - Heat wok, start cooking
08:43 - Secrets for making chow mein
09:39 - Flip noodles, add oil
11:29 - Add veggies, flavors
13:37 - Plate
14:05 - Meal Time!
15:03 - All about noodles + getting the perfect texture
17:24 - Dad’s favorite soy sauce brand?
17:56 - Why this dish doesn’t come with meat + naming philosophy
19:15 - Did you eat this in China?
19:51 - Restaurant vs homemade chow mein
21:40 - On Wok Hei
22:32 - As long as you’re happy!
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Chinese Subtitles by Wynee Pan -