Book of Days Tales

On this date in 202 BCE, Liu Bang was enthroned as the emperor Gaozu (漢高祖) of China, beginning four centuries of rule by the Han dynasty (with some breaks). Liu Bang was unusual as a dynastic founder in that he was born a peasant, although court historians eventually fudged his genealogy to make him a descendant of mythical royal ancestors (to give his rule divine legitimacy).

There are quite a few rudimentary recipes extant from the Han dynasty. Here’s one for pheasant, in modern form. You can substitute chicken of course.

Pheasant Rolls

Ingredients:

½ lb pheasant breast meat, shredded
½ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
3 shallots, peeled and minced
½ cup flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg white
vegetable oil

Instructions

Put the pheasant meat in a colander. Boil two cups of water, and pour the water over the shredded meat. Drain and mix the meat with the salt, rice wine, and shallots. Form this mixture into eight long fingers and press them tightly together with dampened hands.

Mix the flour, cornstarch and egg white into a thick batter and set aside for ten minutes, then stir well.

Heat oil in a wok or deep pot to 350°F/175°C. Dip one of the meat fingers into the batter so that it is covered all over and then place it gently in the hot fat using a wire spatula. Turn the roll so that it cooks evenly on all sides, and remove with a slotted spoon when golden and drain on a wire rack. This can be done in two batches of four. Serve hot with the dipping sauce of your choice.