Q. Is it possible to get the recipe for shrimp in lobster sauce? I have eaten this dish in many Chinese restaurants, but not one would give me the recipe. — Aaron Cohen, Boca Raton
A. When Cohen’s request arrived, I called Kim Wu, co-owner of the Dragon Palace Chinese restaurant, 4170 N. State Road 7, Lauderdale Lakes, 954-485-7510. Kim graciously agreed to fax me their recipe for Dragon Palace Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, which she explains is one of their early bird specials.
When the recipe arrived, I was puzzled that it didn’t include lobster. So I called Kim. She explained that long ago, lobster shells were used to make the sauce for this dish. But the majority of restaurants now simply use a “creamy” sauce. The restaurant makes the shrimp in lobster sauce to order, so the recipe that Kim sent was for one serving. I adjusted it so that husband Guy and I could enjoy it for dinner.
And enjoy it we did on a mound of white rice with some steamed sliced carrots and snow peas on the side. The combination of readily available ingredients is well balanced so no one flavor dominates. The sauce is creamy with just the right touch of sherry wine. It is a light but very satisfying dish and quick to assemble.
Sesame Lemon Pork fine in warm weather
Q. We had the best pork dish a few weeks ago at a Chinese restaurant in Connecticut. I asked the manager if he could give me the recipe or tell me what was in it, but I wasn’t successful. I know it was made from strips of pork tenderloin, and had some sort of lemony sauce on top. It was served at room temperature on top of shredded lettuce and was really delicious. I wondered if you had any pork salad recipes in your files that you could share. — Emily Howell, Fort Lauderdale
A. Might as well add another good Chinese dish to this column. Back in the early ’80s, a talented cook by the name of Marlene Sorosky (cookbook author and spokesperson now living in California) developed an article titled Lemons Unlimited for our then Cuisinart magazine. One of the recipes was called Chinese Sesame Lemon Pork made with strips of pork tenderloin coated with sesame seeds before a quick deep frying. It is served at room temperature and makes a wonderful dish in any weather, but particularly in our warm climate. The lemon sauce drizzled over the top is a delightful combination of sweet and sour. I think you will enjoy serving this tasty dish.
Oeufs a la Tripe made without tripe
Q. Have you ever heard of a preparation called Oeufs a la Tripe? I’ve been trying to track down a recipe for it. I understand there is no tripe involved. Do you have such a recipe and could you explain the name? — Alex Kerr, Fort Lauderdale
A. First of all, no one seems to know exactly how the name Oeufs a la Tripe, based on a French classic, came to be. Although the name is misleading since no tripe appears in the dish, one theory is that the onions in the recipe resemble tripe, hence the reference. Whatever the basis of its name, this dish is excellent for brunch or lunch. The basic recipe contains hard-cooked sliced eggs with onions in a flavorful cheese sauce.
I have several recipes for the dish, one using Roquefort cheese, the others using gruyere or swiss cheese. I have always preferred the Roquefort version, being a big fan of this blue-veined cheese. It gives the dish some culinary credibility (that’s my way of saying “oomph”).
Roasting garlic the easy way
Q. Please tell me how to roast garlic. I understand it is sweeter after roasting. — Alberta Goldman, Fort Lauderdale
A. There are several methods for roasting garlic, but one of the easiest is: Peel off the outer papery skin of a whole head of garlic. With a sharp knife cut about 1/2 inch off the top of the head — enough to expose the tops of the cloves. Place on a square of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper, if desired, and enclose the head in the foil.
Place the wrapped garlic in a custard cup or some other small oven-proof container and bake in a preheated 375-degree oven 35 to 40 minutes, or until the garlic feels very soft. Remove from the oven, open the foil and let cool to room temperature. It is ready to enjoy squeezed onto or into any number of things.
Have a cooking question? Trying to track down a long-lost recipe? Send your questions (be sure to include phone number) to You Asked for It, Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauerdale, FL 33301-2293. Sorry, no personal replies.
ENTREE
DRAGON PALACE SHRIMP IN LOBSTER SAUCE
THE RESTAURANT SERVES A HEARTY PORTION OF 12 SHRIMP FOR EACH ORDER. I CUT THIS BACK TO 10 MEDIUM SHRIMP EACH, WHICH IS AMPLE.
6 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
1 cup water, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
20 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces very lean ground pork
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons dry sherry wine
11/2 cups chicken broth
Fresh-ground black pepper, to taste
1 large egg, beaten
2 cups cooked white rice
1 tablespoon thin-sliced scallions, for garnish
In a small bowl, stir together 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water; set this thickening mixture aside.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons cornstarch and teaspoon salt. Add the shrimp and toss well to coat. Keep tossing about 2 minutes, then rinse the shrimp under cold running water. Pat dry and set aside.
In a nonreactive wok or large skillet, bring the remaining 3/4 cup water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pork, separating it with a fork, and cook about 2 minutes, or until no longer pink. Drain well, discarding the liquid. Remove pork from pan and set aside. Wipe out the wok or skillet.
Add the oil to the wok or skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and cook 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the sherry wine and chicken broth; stir in the reserved pork and shrimp. Simmer gently about 2 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through. Stir in the reserved cornstarch thickening mixture, return to a simmer and cook, stirring, about 1 minute or until thickened.
Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and slowly drizzle the beaten egg around the edge of the pan, then pull it through the mixture with the tip of a pointed soup spoon.
To serve, divide the rice between two warmed serving plates. Top each with half of the shrimp mixture. Garnish with the sliced scallions. Makes 2 servings.
Per serving (with rice): 1,016 calories, 68 grams protein, 46 grams fat, 76 grams carbohydrates, 545 milligrams cholesterol, 984 milligrams sodium, 1 gram total fiber, 40 percent calories from fat.
Per serving (without rice): 749 calories, 63 grams protein, 45 grams fat, 18 grams carbohydrates, 545 milligrams cholesterol, 982 milligrams sodium, .23 gram total fiber, 54 percent calories from fat.
ENTREE
CHINESE SESAME LEMON PORK
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin
1 large egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon minced gingerroot
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash fresh-ground black pepper
Lemon Sauce (recipe given)
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
Oil, for frying
8 cups shredded lettuce
Chopped parsley, for garnish
Slice the pork into 1/2-inch-thick slices and cut each slice into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 1 inch long. Set aside.
In a small bowl beat the egg white with a fork until it is foamy. In a large nonreactive bowl, stir together the cornstarch, lemon juice, sherry, ginger, soy sauce, salt and pepper until smooth. Then stir in the egg white until blended. Add the pork strips and toss well until they are coated with the marinade. Let them marinate 30 minutes at room temperature.
While the pork strips are marinating, make the Lemon Sauce.
Put half the sesame seeds in a nonreactive mixing bowl. Remove half of the pork from the marinade and use two forks to toss the strips with the seeds, partially coating each piece. Transfer to a nonreactive dish. Repeat with the remaining pork and sesame seeds.
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a wok or deep saucepan to 375 degrees. Fry the pork, a few pieces at a time, about 4 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove the pork with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on paper towels. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while frying the remaining pork. Reheat the Lemon Sauce over low heat; do not boil. To serve, divide the shredded lettuce among 4 serving plates. Arrange a quarter of the pork strips on top of each and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with the parsley. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (includes Lemon Sauce): 438 calories, 40 grams protein, 22 grams fat, 22 grams carbohydrates, 107 milligrams cholesterol, 639 milligrams sodium, 4 grams total fiber, 44 percent calories from fat.
SAUCE
LEMON SAUCE
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dissolve the cornstarch in the water; set aside. In a medium nonreactive saucepan, stir together the lemon juice, marmalade, garlic, lemon zest and dissolved cornstarch. Stir over medium heat until mixture boils. Stir in the sesame oil and salt. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Per (1-tablespoon) serving: 26 calories, .07 gram protein, .29 gram fat, 6 grams carbohydrates, no cholesterol, 75 milligrams sodium, .06 gram total fiber, 10 percent calories from fat.
APPETIZER
OEUFS A LA TRIPE
THIS VERSION OF OEUFS A LA TRIPE USES ROQUEFORT CHEESE AND IS SAID TO HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE FRENCH TOWN OF ALBI. SOME OTHER VERSIONS CALL FOR SWISS OR GRUYERE CHEESE AND OFTEN HAVE CHOPPED HAM ADDED. NOTICE THIS CONTAINS ABSOLUTELY NO TRIPE.
Roquefort Sauce (recipe given)
4 cups water
1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 hard-cooked eggs, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices plus 1 hard-cooked egg yolk, sieved, for garnish, optional
4 slices toast, each cut into 4 triangles
Make the Roquefort Sauce; set aside.
Bring about 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the onions and blanch 2 minutes. Drain well. Discard the water and dry out the pan.
In the same pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the blanched onions, cover and cook about 5 minutes, or until very soft. Do not let the onions color.
Stir in the Roquefort Sauce and simmer gently over low heat, uncovered, about 7 minutes. Add the sliced eggs and simmer 1 minute.
To serve, place four toast points on each of four serving plates. Divide the egg mixture on top and garnish with the sieved egg yolk, if desired. Makes 4 servings.
Per serving (includes Roquefort Sauce): 442 calories, 15 grams protein, 32 grams fat, 23 grams carbohydrates, 291 milligrams cholesterol, 508 milligrams sodium, 1 gram total fiber, 66 percent calories from fat.
SAUCE
ROQUEFORT SAUCE
2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1 cup warm milk
2 ounces Roquefort cheese, crumbled (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/8 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
Pinch dried thyme
White or cayenne pepper, to taste
In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the warm milk, cheese and 1/4 cup heavy cream. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened and smooth. Stir in the nutmeg, thyme and pepper. If the mixture seems too thick, stir in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cream. Makes about 1 cup.
Per (1-tablespoon) serving: 52 calories, 1 gram protein, 4 grams fat, 2 grams carbohydrates, 14 milligrams cholesterol, 73 milligrams sodium, .03 gram total fiber, 77 percent calories from fat.
