Author: Ken Chan

Growing up, I had heard about 螞蟻上樹 but had never had it. In my mind, I pictured something like ants on a log with raisins on celery sticks filled with peanut butter. But, it is a real Sichuan dish, which I found in the the re-issued edition of The Food of Sichuan by Fuchsia Dunlop.

I used Korean sweet potato starch noodle, just because it was what I had on hand. However, one bundle of noodles was quite large, and threw off the recipe. I had to make some adjustments to compensate, as well as add some additional seasonings because my pixian broad bean paste was not as red as the version I saw on YouTube.

I prepared this dish based on the Caramelised Lotus Root recipe from Kylie Kwong’s My China with some substitutions and modifications.

• 3 pieces of lotus root, peeled and sliced thinly
• peeled and sliced ginger
• 2 cloves of garlic
• garlic olive oil
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp shao hsing wine
• 1 tbsp chinkiang vinegar
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp chili oil with black bean
• chili oil
• fresh herb, such as cilantro or basil

Add oil to a hot wok. Once the oil is heated, add the ginger and whole garlic cloves, and stir-fry until toasted and fragrant. For that extra boost of garlic flavor, I add a splash of garlic olive oil, which is sold at Costco. Next, I stir fried the lotus root for a few minutes, before adding the sugar, wine, vinegar, and soy sauce. The sugar and vinegar gives it a pleasant sweet-and-sour flavor. Kylie’s original recipe called for 1/4 cup of brown sugar, which I thought was a bit excessive. I ended up closer to the 2-3 tsp mark, and you can always add a bit more at the end if the balance between sweet and sour is off.

As the lotus root caramelizes, add 1 tsp of chili oil with black bean. I use the 老干妈 (laoganma) brand and stir fry for another minute. I finish the dish with some additional chili oil, and then some chopped fresh cilantro or basil leaves, depending on what I have on hand.

After having 干锅菜花 at a few Chinese restaurants, I’ve worked on a home version of my totally non-authentic dry roasted cauliflower. First, I start off with Chinese cauliflower, which I found available at select 99 Ranch markets. I’ve been finding it consistently at the Cupertino and Mountain View stores, but not the Foster City one.

Ingredients
Chinese cauliflower
1 shallot, sliced
1-2 chili pepper, remove seeds and sliced.
2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
1 Tbsp Light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp Chili oil with black bean
Hunan bacon 湖南臘肉, cut into slivers.
1/4 tsp Chili oil

1. Preheat a large cast iron skillet on low heat. I started with the 10.25-inch Lodge cast iron skillet, but switched recently to the 12-inch Lodge cast iron skillet. With 30% more surface area, I could precook all my cauliflower in one batch instead of two.

2. Wash the cauliflower and cut it into bite-sized pieces. I then dry the cauliflower in a salad spinner so that the cauliflower will roast instead of steam.

3. Add a thin layer of olive oil to the cast iron skillet. When hot, add the cauliflower. I leave the cauliflower alone for 5-10 minutes, allowing it to sear. As the cauliflower sears, I turn the pieces over and leave it undisturbed for a few more minutes. Repeat as needed. Once the cauliflower has been roasted evenly on all sides, remove it from the skillet.

4. In a hot wok, add some oil and stir fry the sliced shallots and chili peppers. I’ve used red chili peppers or green jalapeños, sometimes even both. As the shallots caramelize, add a pinch of salt and sugar. Add Hunan bacon to taste and continue to stir fry. Add the chili oil with black bean. I use the Lao Gan Ma 老干妈 brand of chili oil with black bean sauce.

I’ve been using the Hsin Tung Yang 新東陽 brand of Hunan bacon. I’ve found this in the refrigerated dried meats section at 99 Ranch and also in the dry goods shelves at Marina Food. I was perplexed, but the packaging states that it only needs to be refrigerated after opening. When refrigerated, the Hunan bacon gets hard and difficult to slice. Nowadays, I purchase a package of Hunan bacon and allow it to return to room temperature. I thinly slice the entire package and store it in a plastic food container in the refrigerator.

5. Add the roasted cauliflower to the wok. Add the shaoxing wine, soy sauce and sugar. For this dish, I don’t use measuring spoons–just a splash her and a splash there. After stir frying for 2-3 more minutes, I start taste testing.

First, I’m looking at the texture of the cauliflower. I want the cauliflower to be cooked, but still retain some crunch. I’ll take a bite and adjust my cooking times accordingly. Next, I’ll adjust the seasoning of the cauliflower to taste with more soy sauce or salt. Once the texture and flavors are to my liking, I add just a touch of chili oil. I recently started a new bottle of Hsin Tung Yang chili oil just for variety. I’ve also used the S&B La-Yu Chili Oil before. Each has its own taste, so use whatever you like.