liuzhou

But if your fish is frozen and your batter isn't, you're going to run into problems.

Ex-member and food writer, Simon Majumdar has a podcast on this very subject, here. I haven't finished listening yet (it's 45 minutes long) but his regular podcasts are always well-researched, informative and interesting.

Most do. They don't last long otherwise. We are never far from the sea in the UK.

I wouldn't. Apart from the food safety issues, Freezing, thawing and refreezing negatively affects the texture of the fish.

But no one wants thin fish and chips, do they?

When @FauxPasposted a pic of a bottle of Shaoxing containing caramel, I reached out to an friend who is a Chinese wine writer for clarification. She passed my query on to someone more deeply immersed in Shaoxing technicalities. We await his opinion. In the meantime, my friend contacted me today to tell me to look out for a parcel she has sent me. I'm told this is the contents. Apparently, she has a few bottles lying around her office. A nice 20-year old Shaoxing. Looking forward to tasting.

I don't think anyone was denying that a lot of writers recommend dry sherry as a substitute. The question was more about, should they? A matter of opinion. All I am saying is that I don't think it's a great substitute. 1972 was 50 years ago. Things have moved on a bit. That said, I do think the salt is a big problem.

I've never used real maple syrup. so I'll pass. But thanks.

I went further afield today. Xinjiang, to be precise. Well, I didn't go, but my tastesbuds did. Xinjiang, for those who don't know, is China's troubled westernmost province. The local language is closer to Turkish than to Chinese. The original population is mostly Muslim, but in recent years thousands of Han Chinese have been settled there, upsetting the traditions. 新疆烤手工馕 （xīn jiāng kǎo shǒu gōng náng）A Xinjiang Flatbread with cumin, chilli, sesame seeds and salt. Accompanies almost every meal. The name nang is etymologically related to the naan bread of the Indian sub-continent and beyond. 新疆羊肉烤包子 (xīn jiāng yáng ròu kǎo bāo zi) Being Muslim, the locals don't eat pork, so mutton and beef are common. This is a Fried Mutton Bun. Delicious. 奶香肥牛串 (nǎi xiāng féi niú chuàn) Creamy Fatty Beef Skewers, again with cumin and chilli.. Nang Skewers Mutton Bun

Because in the former case the batter has adhered to the unfrozen fresh fish before being frozen, so the extra water content of the pre-frozen fish isn't a factor.

Sorry, but no. Even if the batter adhered (unlikely), the combined thawing and cooking time of the fish in the fryer would incinerate that batter.

I needed a teaspoon or two of fenugreek seeds for an Indian dish*, but could only buy half a kilo. I have enough seeds to feed the planet! *They are widely used in Indian cuisine.

Check out Boesenbergia rotunda on wikipedia.

I do not wish to unnecessarily prolong the discussion either, but you did ask and I was thinking of websites such as this of which there are plenty. To be clear, I have nothing against substitutions. I have to do it all the time with western foods. But I don't pretend I am replicating the dish as originally envisaged or even close.

Indeed, that is what gave rise to American-Chinese cuisine* in the first place. However, I just don't think that dry sherry is as close to Shaoxing as many writers seem to say. As for balsamic vinegar being a good substitute for Zhenjiang (Chinkiang in N. America) Vinegar, give me a break! *And British-Chinese etc.

That's pretty much what my butchers use for the major bones. Everything else is cleavered.

Absolutely. If I had to sub dry sherry for Shaoxing, I'd go bankrupt very quickly! I get through a bottle of cooking grade in two to three weeks.

I have a heavy duty cleaver for bones but still wouldn't attempt a pork shank bone. The local butchers don't either and their cleavers are heavier then mine. They saw them.

I've been waiting for the question, too! In my opinion, dry sherry is a poor substitute but can't think of a better one other than other Chinese cooking wines - 料酒 (liào jiǔ – literally, ‘ingredient wine’).

Mentioning 8-year old Huadiao when posting about dishes which use it reminded me that I was out of the stuff. So, all day a jar has been winging its way from Shaoxing to my kitchen! It arrived at my door about half an hour ago. Normal service can be resumed.

Talking of well done, here is a guide to ordering your steak to your preference, in China (Everyone knows we foreigners only ever eat steak!) Every restaurant selling steaks follows this table. 一分熟 (yī fēn shú) - One point done - Rare 三分熟 (sān fēn shú) - Three points done - Medium Rare 五分熟 (wǔ fēn shú) - Five points done - Medium 七分熟 (qī fēn shú) - Seven points done - Medium Well 全熟 (quán shú) - Cremated. Order the effing chicken instead! Using this will ensure that the kitchen knows what you want. What you want may well not be what you get, though. Note: China uses the American system of identifying beef cuts so Europeans etc. may flounder where the nomenclature is different.

Lunch (and Dinner probably). Stuffed myself at lunchtime. 一整跟大排骨 (小) (yī zhěng gēn dà pái gǔ) - literally 'one whole heel large bones (small)' - Grilled Pork Neck Bones with cumin and chilli powder. These were excellent. Very meaty and nicely spiced. 扬州炒饭 (yáng zhōu chǎo fàn) This was billed as being Yangzhou fried rice made with Wuchang rice, allegedly China's highest quality rice. It was neither. It was a boring fried vegetable rice that even included unadvertised c@rn!) 越南彩虹水晶卷 (yuè nán cǎi hóng shuǐ jīng juǎn) - literally 'Vietnam Rainbow Crystal Rolls' - Gỏi Cuốn Spring Rolls containing mango, fake crab (surimi), shrimp, vegetables and herbs. With spicy dipping sauce. Actually quite good. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't get the advertised lovely companion to eat with! Not at all sure I'll need dinner. The pork filled me up!

Yes, it is sometimes done with pickled veg here too, but not this time.

It was just steamed and mashed. Very simple.

I didn't really have a question about minority foods. My question was about which are discussed in the book. Now I know. But thanks.