Asia Brings Me Back

It's been a while since I have blogged, but I am ready to restart writing about my favorite thing in the world (besides my family)..... food.

I was recently in Asia on a wonderful trip with my husband, Bill, and son, Ben.  The foods there were so remarkable and so inspiring, I had to start writing about it.  The fresh markets everywhere just drew me in, I would love to be able to shop like that on a daily basis. We here in the USA have become so accustom to shopping for the week or month at the giant supermarkets, stocking up on food to last. Our busy lives have demanded that kind of planning and buying. But, I would like to suggest we rethink our meal plans, because it is so, so worth it. 

Everything from vegetables to meats were available for purchase daily and fresh from these wonderful small markets all over the cities.  You can walk home from work and pick and choose fresh ingredients for your dinner from these beautiful stands. Or, no time?, there was an abundance of wonderfully prepared foods from equally interesting vendors. One such food is called Jian Bing, a Chinese crepe filled with incredible ingredients and eaten as a hand food, to go style.

Brian finding joy in my Jian Bing struggles!

Ben invited me to come along to his friend Brian Goldberg's house in Hong Kong to learn how to make Jian Bing. "What's to it", I thought, a big crepe, some interesting ingredients, how hard can that be? Well.. after lots of laughs, some really ugly crepes, a little bit of wine, we agreed it takes some practice.  Even with all our trial and error Jian Bings, they tasted really amazing.  We tested many different fillings, some were a hit, some were not, however, you can go wild with creating endless combinations inside a really delicious crepe.

Do I look like I am sweating yet?

I suppose you could use your own savory recipe for crepes, but Brian said he uses an authentic recipe. The recipes I looked up used various crackers and crunchy things in the filling, we used fried won ton wrappers. We all decided that a pasta thicker than a won ton wrapper would work better, perhaps a lasagna noodle.  Ok, now we are really mixing it up here; in Hong Kong with Brian Goldberg, making Chinese crepes with Italian ingredients.

 I don't remember the exact recipe for the crepe so I looked one up on line, forgive be Brian if it is wrong. I also promised I would send along some filling suggestions for these delights, I will get my creativity going and share my thoughts.

This is what our attempt looked like.

Let's start with the crepe recipe and the process, because it is quite different.

Jian Bing or 煎饼


3 T. millet flour
2 T. bean flour
1 T. all purpose flour
6 T. soy milk
1 1/2 t. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 - 1 1/2 t. black sesame seeds

Choice of fillings:

•  Duck, sliced scallions, plum sauce
• Chicken, shredded cabbage, hoisin sauce, cashews
• Ham and cheese, mustard, mayo ??????
• This is where your creativity comes in, mix it up!

Four fried won ton wrappers or the equivalent fried lasagna noodles (may use traditional chinese crackers called youtiao if desired)

Handful of chopped scallions, green part only

Handful of chopped cilantro

Method:

1. Whisk together the millet, bean, and all purpose flours, soy milk and vegetable oil until well blended (should be the consistency of whipping cream, add a splash of water if it is not thin enough).
2. Coat a large, non stick skillet with vegetable oil or cooking spray and set over medium low heat.
3. Pour 1/2 of the crepe batter onto the skillet, and swirl until the entire skillet is evenly coated with a thin layer of batter. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds.
4. Cook for about a minute, until it is just set. Flip the crepe over using two spatulas.
5. Crack an egg over the crepe, and gently break up the yolk, spreading the egg over the entire crepe.
6. Cook for about a minute until set.
7. Sprinkle the egg with choice of filling, scallions, and cilantro.
8. Carefully, fold the crepe in half
9. Schmear with condiment of choice, hoisin, plum sauce, etc. onto the folded jian bing.
10. Place a couple fried won tons or crackers into the center of the folded jian bing. Fold the two sides of the jian bing inwards, then fold the jian bing in half again (fold like you would a burrito)

Slice in half and serve immediately.

This is what a jianbing looks like made by a pro.

I hope you all get adventurous and try this, once you get the hang of it, it is a great treat. The street vendors make it look really easy. The fun in this food, is like most things, the adventure in trying something new. Try it with friends and family and I guarantee you'll have a great time. Try it with new friends and you become good friends fast.

Ben indulging in jianbing

Thank you, Ben for introducing me to new friends and to some of the most amazing delights in Asia. I look forward to my next trip over and bring back more recipes, stories, and great memories.

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