Title: Hot and Sour Cabbage
Categories: Entree Vegetable
Yield: 4 Servings
| 5 | | Napa cabbage leaves |
| 3 | tb | Peanut oil |
| 4 | | Large dried chili peppers |
| 1/2 | tb | Szechuan peppercorns |
| 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 1 | tb | Thin soy sauce |
| 1/2 | tb | Rock sugar |
| 1/2 | tb | Chinkiang vinegar |
| 1 | ts | Sesame oil |
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Preparation: Separate, wash & dry cabbage leaves. Stack them up and cut
them crosswise into 1" wide pieces. Finely mince or grind Szechuan
peppercorns. Crush rock sugar with cleaver handle; mix with soy sauce;
reserve. Stir-frying: Heat wok to moderate; add oil. Wait 30 seconds.
Stir-fry whole chilis until they just blacken; quickly add peppercorns.
When they exude pungent odor, push up side of wok and raise heat to high.
Add salt & cabbage all at once. Keep tossing cabbage until it is wilted &
soft. This takes several minutes. There should be about 2 T of water in
wok when cabbage is wilted. Add sugar & soy mixture. When sugar has melted,
toss with cabbage, then sprinkle vinegar over all. Keep tossing on high
heat for another 20 seconds. Add sesame oil; toss briefly; remove to
serving dish. If serving this dish cold, wait until it has cooled, then
cover & refrigerate.