Cha choi
The Sichuan preserved mustard vegetable known as cha choi is not pretty - it's a mis-shappen, khaki lump covered with reddish-orange chilli paste. The flavour, however, is mouthwatering - spicy, salty and sour with a crisp texture.
At Chinese dry-good markets, cha choi is often displayed in the large brown clay crock the vegetable was aged and preserved in. At supermarkets, the vegetable is usually sliced or julienned and sold in vacuum-sealed plastic bags. Rinse off the chilli coating before using the cha choi, but take care because the red paste can stain fingers and cutting boards.
The simplest way to prepare cha choi is to slice, julienne or chop it and serve it in small dishes alongside plain congee, noodles or rice. If you want to add another flavour, rinse the vegetable, pat off the excess moisture, cut it into thin slices then toss with a generous amount of pure sesame oil. If wrapped tightly and stored in the fridge, it keeps for weeks. It is good in soups, stir-fries and steamed dishes. Because it is so salty, however, it is best to under-season the other ingredients in the dish.
Cha choi goes well with pork. For a variation on the traditional home-style steamed pork patty, finely chop the vegetable and mix it with slightly fatty minced pork, chopped soaked dried mushrooms and fresh coriander. Mix in the usual seasonings of soy sauce (not too much), sugar, white pepper, cornstarch and sesame oil. Press into a heat-proof dish and steam until cooked.
For an easy stir-fry, julienne fresh pork, cha choi (approximately two parts pork to one part cha choi), thin slices of boiled ham (don't use Yunnan ham because it's too salty), onion and red bell pepper. Everything should be julienned to about the same size.
Heat oil in a wok and cook the onion until it is tender. Add the pork, cha choi, ham and red pepper and cook until the pork is almost done. Sprinkle in a little soy sauce, sugar and white pepper, stir to mix in the seasonings and remove from the heat. Drizzle with sesame oil and serve immediately.
Cha choi is delicious in a quick soup. Mix three parts minced pork with one part minced cha choi. Heat a small amount of oil in a soup pan and fry a couple of slices of peeled fresh ginger until fragrant. Add the pork, cha choi and ground pepper and cook until the meat loses its pink colour. Add soaked mung bean vermicelli to the pan and cover with chicken broth. Bring to the boil, remove from the heat, sprinkle with spring onions and drizzle with sesame oil.
