Lamb Time

It is still chilly outside even though we had seen some signs of spring is coming.  I was craving for some lamb to keep the body warm.  There was a dish that I liked a lot from the Chinese restaurant I went to during the Chinese New Year.  I tried making the dish at home.  I believe I had succeed in making it as close as I possibly could.  It tasted like a spicy stir fry beef.  It was really tender and didn't even have that gamey smell from the lamb meat. 

Lamb chop with XO sauce（XO醬羊肉）

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Lamb chop, sliced
3 cloves of garlic
3 slices of ginger
1 stalk green onion
1 pkg. Fresh Japanese organic mushroom
Marinate sauce: cooking wine, cornstarch, sugar, oysters sauce, 1 tbsp each.

Directions:

1.  Marinate sliced lamb chops with oysters sauce,sugar,cooking wine, cornstarch.
2.  Stir fry fresh mushroom on dry wok to dry up the liquid, scoop out and set aside.
3.  Heat oil, add garlics and gingers, then 1 tbsp XO sauce.
4.  Add in lamb chops on high heat, stir fry quickly.
5.  Return mushroom and stir fry together for 5 minutes.
6.  Stir in green onion, stir well and serve hot.

I also tried to make a stew lamb in clay pot which I really love to order at restaurant.  I was really happy it turned out well that the meat was tender and not too salty after stewed for two hours.



Claypot Stew Lamb（枝竹羊肉煲）

Ingredients:

4 pcs. Fermented tofu
3 cloves of garlic
3 slices of ginger
1 tbsp cooking wine
half piece of rock candy )or 1 tbsp sugar)
1 tbsp  black bean paste
a little soy sauce
1 lb. Lamb chop with bones
5 sticks dried bean curd sticks
Fresh gingko nuts 銀杏（白果）10顆 - optional
5 Water chestnuts 馬蹄 (optional)

Direction:

1. Break bean curd sticks into 2 inches long and soaked until soft.
2. Peel and cut across water chestnuts into slices.
3. Heat oil in a wok or regular pan, add garlics and gingers stir until fragrant.
4. Crush and add fermented tofu pieces and mix well.
5. Add lamb chop and brown with above for 5 minutes,add soy sauce and sugar.
6. Sprinkle the wine around, stir in water chestnuts,gingko nuts and mix well.
7.Cover and cook on high to bring to boil, then turn to low to simmer for one and a half hour.
8. Transfer the meat into a clay pot continue cook in low.
9. Drain the bean curd sticks and add into the clay pot. 
10. Cook with meat for another half hour.
11.  Serve with clay pot while it's still hot.