National Chinese technique — fundamental to all regional cuisines
Chinese cooking uses a hierarchy of stocks (tang) that form the foundation of braised dishes, soups, and sauces. High broth (shang tang): the most refined, made from chicken, pork, ham, and sometimes dried seafood; used for delicate soups and luxury dishes. Master broth (er tang): secondary extraction; good for everyday cooking. The philosophy that the quality of the stock determines the quality of every dish is as fundamental in Chinese cuisine as it is in French.
Chinese superior stock is rounder and more complex than French stock — the addition of ham provides salt and pork umami; the result is deeply satisfying and clean
{"Shang Tang (superior stock): whole chicken, pork spare ribs, Jin Hua ham, blanched first, long simmer (4–6 hours) never boiled","Er Tang (secondary stock): second extraction from the same bones; appropriate for everyday soups","Vegetarian tang: dried mushroom, kombu, spring onion, dried shrimp (or ginger only for vegan Buddhist version)","Never salt stock during making — salt when using in final dish; unsalted stock is more versatile"}
{"Jin Hua ham is the Chinese equivalent of prosciutto di Parma — a small piece adds extraordinary depth","The shang tang should be perfectly clear and golden — Chinese restaurants maintain large pots of shang tang constantly","Dried scallops (gan bei) added to chicken stock transform it — exponential umami increase"}
{"Rapid boiling — clouds the stock and extracts harsh flavours from bones","Not blanching bones first — unsalted impurities cloud stock and create off-flavours","Salting during making — limits flexibility for final application"}
Land of Plenty — Fuchsia Dunlop; Every Grain of Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop