Recipe | Oil-braised bamboo shoots

Ingredients (serves 2):

400 g of cleaned spring bamboo shoots

10 g spring onion, cut into 2-cm rolls

10 g yellow rice wine

20 g chicken oil

3 g dark soy sauce

10 g oyster oil

5 g sugar

3 g starch

100 g clean water

Method:

1. Cut the shoots into slices that are 8 cm long and 2 cm wide.

2. Boil in seething water for five minutes. Make sure the water submerges the shoots.

3. Rinse with cold water to crisp and eliminate oxalic acid.

4. Dry the shoots.

5. Put chicken oil (or vegetal oil) in a wok, and stir-fry the spring onion rolls over a low flame.

6. Add the bamboo shoot and stir-fry for one minute, before pouring in yellow rice wine, 100 grams of clean water and all seasonings except starch. Boil on middle and low flame, and simmer on low for five minutes.

7. Mix the starch with a bit of water, stir and put it in the wok. Turn up the flame until the mix is almost dry.

8. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe | Fried shepherd's purse with bamboo shoots

Ingredients (serves 2):

50 g shepherd's purse

150 g spring bamboo shoots

10 g yellow rice wine

30 g water

5 g salt

5 g starch

30 g chicken oil

Method:

1. Cut bamboo shoots into slanted thin slices and submerge in boiling water for three minutes.

2. Rinse the sprouts with cold water and set aside.

3. Add the shepherd's purse to another boiling pot of water for 30 seconds. Drain and chop.

4. Turn on the fire and put chicken oil and then bamboo shoots in a wok. Fry the shoots using the middle flame for about a minute.

5. Pour in yellow rice wine, water and salt. Stir. Add the shepherd's purse and stir-fry for another 30 seconds, before putting in starch mixed with a bit of water and stirring.

6. Serve and enjoy!

Contact the writer at yejun@chinadaily.com.cn.