As I’ve mentioned before, I have a large collection of modern, vintage, and antique cookbooks. One of the things I enjoy most is comparing how recipes have evolved over the decades and seeing how cooks adapted authentic dishes to the ingredients available at the time.
Where did I find this classic dish?
I first discovered this recipe for Twice Cooked Pork in Joyce Chen’s 1961 cookbook, where it appeared under the name “Chungking Pork.” Like many early Chinese-American cookbooks, it adapted traditional Chinese cooking for ingredients American home cooks could actually find.
Kung Pao Shrimp is one of those dishes that proves Sichuan cooking isn’t just about heat. The first thing you’ll notice is the balance of flavors. Sweet, sour, salty, and the unmistakable tingling warmth of Sichuan peppercorns all come together in a glossy sauce that coats the shrimp.
Shrimp also changes the character of the dish entirely. While Kung Pao Chicken is hearty and comforting, Kung Pao Shrimp is lighter and cooks in just a few minutes, making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. Crisp vegetables, roasted peanuts, dried chilies, and tender shrimp create a dish that tastes every bit as good as what you’ll find in an excellent Chinese restaurant.
My journey to discover different cuisines began in the early 80s. I became interested in Chinese, Thai and Indian food, but I had no idea where to start learning about these cuisines, which at that time were still quite obscure. Certainly there were Chinese and Indian restaurants, but Thai restaurants were a bit more few and far between.
A friend recommended this cookbook and this is where my journey to cook authentic Thai began. For me, Jennifer Brennan was my first Thai cooking teacher—even though we never met. Her book opened an entirely new world of flavors and techniques that I’ve been exploring ever since.
Also known as Larb Gai, this is one of Thailand’s classic dishes. Unlike many stir-fries, it uses no oil and comes together in just a few minutes. The combination of fresh herbs, lime juice, fish sauce, and toasted rice powder in Larb Gai gives it a wonderful balance of bright, fresh flavors and a unique crunch.
Serve warm with crisp cabbage leaves and cucumber slices
A word of caution:
Thai salads can be deceptively spicy. I think it’s because our Western palates don’t associate warm or cold with highly spicy. One of the hottest can be Som Tom (Green Mango Salad) and Yum Nua (Beef Salad) can be spicy too.
Orange Chicken was always one of my favorite takeaway dishes from our local Sichuan restaurant in Pasadena, Fu Shing. Although the restaurant specialized in authentic Sichuan cuisine, their Orange Chicken was impossible to resist.
This dish is not a traditional Chinese recipe in the way you would find in Sichuan. Instead, it is loosely inspired by dishes such as Tangerine Peel Chicken and Orange Peel Beef. Traditional Chinese versions are typically much spicier and far less sweet than the American adaptation.
Yu Xiang or Yu Shiang Eggplant is one of the great comfort foods of Sichuan cuisine. The name is often translated as “Fish-Fragrant Eggplant,” but don’t let that fool you—there is no fish in the dish. Instead, it refers to a traditional Sichuan flavor combination originally used in fish cookery.
This dish is all about balance. The eggplant becomes silky and rich while the sauce delivers layers of flavor: savory soy sauce, black vinegar, garlic, ginger, a touch of sweetness, and just enough heat to keep things interesting. It is the perfect example of how a few simple ingredients can be transformed into something extraordinary.
This is such an amazing dish. It has all the spiciness of Sichuan cooking, with that sweet and sour undertone that I really enjoy.
The story behind it is, we had a wonderful Sichuan restaurant near my old office in City of Industry, California called Lucky Dragon aka Lucky’s. We probably ate this fish accompanied with dry sautéed string beans and ma po tofu at least three times a week.
Make sure to have all your ingredients prepped and within reach.
Try to give the fish at least an hour with the glaze to soak up the flavors.
Ingredients:
Fish:
3/4 to 1 lb flaky white Fish, like Cod, cut into 4 manageable pieces.
1 Tbsp Hot Bean Paste
1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine
Prep the fish by mixing the wine and hot bean paste together and brush it over the fish and into the fridge.
Sauce:
2 Tbsp Hot Bean Paste
1 Tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
1 Tbsp Chinkiang or Rice Vinegar
1 tsp Sichuan Peppercorn, ground.
2 tsp Sugar
2 tsp Toasted Sesame Oil
Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
Vegetables:
3 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 cloves Garlic, minced
2 inch Piece fresh Ginger, minced
5-6 dried Whole Chilies
1/2 Red Pepper, chopped
3 Green Onions, chopped
2 Tbsp Water and 1 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed together.
Preparation:
Heat oil in your sauté pan or wok. Add the garlic, ginger and while chilies and sauté until just slightly golden. Add your red pepper and scallions and sauté for 2 minutes.
Gently add your fish and allow to cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
Then add your sauce and baste the fish for another minute depending on the thickness of the fish.
To finish, add the cornstarch and water slurry to thicken and serve immediately with steamed rice.
This article is part of The Pasadena Chef Cooking School. Explore more cooking lessons, techniques, and ingredient guides here. The Pasadena Chef Cooking School
Lucky’s Chili and Garlic Fish
This is such an amazing dish. It has all the spiciness of Sichuan cooking, with that sweet and sour undertone that I really enjoy. The story behind it is, we had a wonderful Sichuan restaurant near my old office in City of Industry, California called Lucky Dragon aka Lucky’s. We probably ate this fish accompanied with dry sautéed string beans and ma po tofu at least three times a week.
3/4 to 1lbflaky white Fishlike Cod, cut into 4 manageable pieces.
1TbspHot Bean Paste
1TbspShaoxing Wine
Prep the fish by mixing the wine and hot bean paste together and brush it over the fish and into the fridge.
Sauce:
2TbspHot Bean Paste
1Tbsplow sodium Soy Sauce
1TbspShaohsing Cooking Wine
1TbspChinkiang or Rice Vinegar
1tspSichuan Peppercornground.
2tspSugar
2tspToasted Sesame Oil
Mix all sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
Vegetables:
3TbspVegetable Oil
4clovesGarlicminced
2inchPiece fresh Gingerminced
5-6dried Whole Chilies
1/2Red Pepperchopped
3Green Onionschopped
2TbspWater and 1 Tbsp Cornstarch mixed together.
Equipment
Wok
Method
Heat oil in your sauté pan or wok. Add the garlic, ginger and while chilies and sauté until just slightly golden. Add your red pepper and scallions and sauté for 2 minutes.
Gently add your fish and allow to cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
Then add your sauce and baste the fish for another minute depending on the thickness of the fish.
To finish, add the cornstarch and water slurry to thicken and serve immediately with steamed rice.
A lot of people don’t realize that in Laos they make a mean fried chicken. It’s a speciality. They also make an amazing grilled chicken. So with this recipe you have the option to grill it, fry it or put it in the air fryer.
I’ve made a lot of Chinese food in my life, but I’ve never made 3 Cup Chicken-San Bei Ji, which is kind of an Asian standard with so many versions. I was really missing out. This is one of the best things I’ve ever made and super easy. Absolutely stunning. This is the Taiwanese version with basil.
