Alternative recipes incorporating Guava and Jujube／冬季嚐鮮 芭樂、棗子入菜
Alternative recipes incorporating Guava and Jujube
◎English Translation by Peng Hsin-yi
◎Photos by Lin Yu-en
Guavas and jujubes are Kaohsiung's most popular winter fruits. The Guava-Jujube Festival was created to demonstrate recipes that incorporate these fruits into various recipes. This year, the Kaohsiung Restaurant Workers' Union brings new and creative recipes to demonstrate. A new recipe even incorporated the fruits into savory dishes. All new recipes were well received by festival visitors.
Ms. Su Yue-lan is the chef behind the Guava Bavarian and Guava Bread recipes. She believes food should compliment and highlight ingredients' natural flavors. This is certainly exemplified in her Guava Bavarian masterpiece. The recipe requires the guavas to be slightly overripe, with yellowish skin, creamy flesh and producing an aroma of fruit in full bloom. The guavas are then processed in a blender and are run through two layers of cheesecloth, removing any remaining solids. She then mixes fine sugar and gelatin with cold milk. The mixture is heated over low heat and stirred continuously until boiling. The thick, creamy, fragrant guava puree is then folded in, filling the air with the delicious scent of guava and milk. The mixture is then cooled to room temperature, poured into moldings and chilled. The lactose intolerant can simply replace the milk with water and achieve just as delicious results.
Ms. Su also developed the guava bread recipe. This is made by adding Guava puree to dough and using dragon's eyes as a substitute for raisins. It has a springy texture with a distinctive guava flavor, enhanced by the dried fruit.
The fruits have also been incorporated into savory dishes, including Guava Dumplings and Jujube Steamed Cake. Mr. Wang Sian-yi is the chef responsible for developing these recipes. The guavas he uses are firm in texture and can withstand heat. The guavas are grated into matchstick shaped pieces. The Guava Dumplings are filled with fresh shimp and ground pork that has a 6:4 lean to fat ratio. They are then seasoned with salt, sesame oil, granulated chicken stock and a little soy sauce. Mr. Wang said the guava sticks must be kept short so that they fit into the dumpling wraps. Guava is slightly acidic, which brings out the sweetness of the shrimp. The juice from the guava mixes with the juices from the meat resulting in flavorful dumplings.
Another recipe Mr. Wang created was a spin on the traditional steamed cake with jujube. First he dissolves black sugar (unrefined sugar, in its rawest form) in water and then pours it into a mixture of flour and yeast. He then mixes it until the dough is soft and malleable. He then adds the diced dried red jujubes and chunks of fresh green jujubes, pours the batter into the molds and then steams it.
As the chef lifts the lid of the steamer, a warm fragrance emerges. The steamed cake has a subtle flavor of black sugar blended with the natural sweetness of the dried and fresh jujubes. The fruit chunks soften after steaming and almost melt in your mouth. It is a delicious desert that warms your heart.
冬季嚐鮮 芭樂、棗子入菜
◎文／侯雅婷
◎攝影／林育恩
以高雄冬季盛產的芭樂和棗子入菜，是高雄餐飲職業工會研發團隊的創舉。在行銷高雄冬季果品「芭棗節」現場，示範由芭樂和棗子製成的一系列的庶民料理，散發出一股清新的鮮、香、甜，還與食材很搭！引起廣大迴響，也為芭樂和棗子找出更多元的食用方法。
蘇月蓮師傅的料理講究真材實料，芭樂果凍充份展現其烹飪功力。她特別選用最能展現芭樂濃郁風味和口感的完全成熟黃芭樂作為果凍主原料，將黃芭樂打成果汁，以兩層紗布過濾，瀝出濃、稠、香的芭樂汁，再將白砂糖和果凍粉均勻攪拌，倒入鮮奶以小火熬煮並持續攪拌，俟水滾後再加入芭樂汁，煮至滾沸，空氣中瀰漫著濃濃的牛奶混合芭樂的香氣，俟冷卻後分裝就大功告成，對牛奶過敏的人可改以水代替。
蘇老師的芭樂麵包改良歐式麵包，口感Q彈，同樣採用黃芭樂原汁加入本地特產的桂圓，口感層次豐富，屬於專業級的上層佳作。
精通麵食類料理的王賢懿師傅，研發出芭樂水餃，選用質地硬的芭樂刨成絲，加上新鮮蝦仁、瘦肉和肥肉。瘦肉與肥肉以6:4比例充份混合，使用鹽、香油、雞粉及少許的醬油調味。王師傅提醒，刨芭樂絲時不宜過長，避免芭樂絲凸出水餃皮外，王師傅說，製作芭樂水餃食材可依個人喜好調整，喜歡吃什麼就多放點。芭樂本身帶有微微的酸味，引出鮮蝦的味道，一口咬下，滿口芬芳，滋味豐富。
另一道棗子發粿須先將黑糖水、麵粉和酵母菌攪拌至軟軟的狀態，加入大塊切丁的棗子和提香的紅棗，結合黑糖和紅棗的香氣，再加上蒸過後的棗子質地變軟，吃起來有股甜味，是道紮紮實實、溫暖人心的甜品。