SERVES 4 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
I especially like meat dishes that are richly flavored yet light, so I especially like this dish! Drawing on the textures of wild mushrooms and pearl onions to make its statement, it is a good choice at any time of year.
The lamb needs a full hour or so to come to tenderness in the sauce, so you might like to cook it, without the vegetables, a day in advance. The final stewing with the vegetables takes only minutes.
The addition of fresh orange zest to the aromatics truly enhances Chinese stir-fries and stews, but only if you first wash the fruit. Even homegrown citrus comes with a coating of pollution-born residue, so it will make a huge flavor difference if the outside of the fruit is cleaned with care. We use a mildly abrasive scrubber and a weak solution of liquid detergent. It sounds a bit nutty, but the difference is pronounced!
When paring off the zest, take only the orange part; the white pith is very bitter.
Mincing the zest is always preferable to grating it when adding to aromatics in a stir-fry. The drier, coarser mince infuses better in the oil, with less risk of burning or clumping.
1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon China Moon Chili-Orange Oil (page 15)
1 tablespoon “goop” from China Moon Chili-Orange Oil
1 pound lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
AROMATICS:
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
½ to ¾ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
Finely minced zest of ½ small scrubbed orange
SAUCE:
2 cups China Moon Infusion (page 72), China Moon Double Stock (page 72), or unsalted chicken stock
2 tablespoons mushroom soy sauce
⅓ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for searing and stir-frying
1 rounded cup red pearl onions
8 to 10 French market carrots, halved or quartered, if fat, or 1 carrot, thickly julienned
1 large or 2 small Chinese or Japanese eggplants, cut into ½-inch cubes, skin left on
½ pound wild mushrooms, trimmed and cut, if large
3 fat scallions, cut into 1-inch nuggets
Fried Ginger Threads (page 29), for garnish
Fine green and white scallion julienne, for garnish
1. Combine the marinade ingredients through the “goop” in a bowl. Add the lamb and toss well to coat. Seal and set aside to marinate for 3 to 4 hours at cool room temperature, or refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before searing. Re-toss to separate the cubes.
2. Combine the aromatics in a small dish, and seal until ready to use.
3. Combine the sauce ingredients through the cider vinegar in a small bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
4. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to glaze the pan. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the lamb in a single layer with room between the cubes, working from the outside of the pan to the center (where it’s hottest). Brown the cubes well on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes, lowering the heat if needed to prevent scorching. Remove the lamb to paper towels to drain. If you are searing the meat in batches, wipe the pan clean, reheat, and re-oil it.
5. Return the lamb to a clean wok or a heavy saucepan to hold it snugly. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan. Cover the pan tightly and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer over moderate heat. Simmer until the meat is very tender, about 45 minutes. Lift the lid occasionally to stir the cubes and check that the liquid does not boil. Remove the meat in a single layer to a plate. Reserve the sauce; repeatedly skim the surface of grease as it cools.
6. Blanch the pearl onions in boiling water to cover for 1 minute. Refresh in ice water; drain. Trim, skin, and cut lengthwise through the root end, if large. Return the water to a boil and blanch the carrots until half-cooked, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Immerse in ice water to chill; drain.
7. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to glaze the pan. When the oil is hot enough to foam a scallion ring, reduce the heat to moderate and add the aromatics. Stir gently until fully fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, adjusting the heat so they foam without scorching. Add the onions, toss briskly 1 minute to sear, then add the carrots and toss for 1 minute more. Add the eggplant and toss for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and scallions, and toss until very hot, about 2 minutes more. Adjust the heat to maintain a merry sizzle and drizzle a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Don’t worry if the vegetables brown a bit; they will be flavorful. Spread the vegetables on a platter to cool.
To this point, all the above may be done a day in advance. Seal and refrigerate the ingredients; let come to room temperature before continuing.
8. About 20 minutes before serving, spread the vegetables in the bottom of a 2- to 3-quart Chinese sandpot or other heavy casserole. Scatter the lamb on top. Stir the sauce and add it to the pot. Cover tightly and bring to a simmer over moderate heat. Simmer until the meat heats through, 8 to 10 minutes.
9. Serve in warm bowls of contrasting color. Garnish with a sprinkling of the ginger threads and the scallion julienne.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: I love potatoes with this dish—boiled little new potatoes in their jackets or Wok-Seared New Potatoes (page 424). Steamed or fried rice would also be good, as would thick slices of garlic bread or fettuccine dressed lightly with oil and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. A plate of sautéed greens or a green salad with some sprigs of cress or radicchio would be a nice counterpoint to the brownness of the casserole.
