Recipe: Stir-fried Pork Kidney "Flower" with Sesame Oil 麻油腰花

So sorry I've been missing, my loves! I hope I haven't lost all my readers. If I even had any to begin with. Apart from Alice and Tina, that is. Anyways.

The weather is finally getting colder here in Taiwan - I can almost hear my boyfriend and his brother scoffing at this statement - with lows of around 50˚F. Yes, I understand that this is nothing when compared to the brisk winters of, say, Wisconsin, but keep in mind that not many households in Taiwan come with heating - mine included - so nights can get rather miserable when you're just trying to enjoy a TV show but can barely stay on the couch because you're so bundled up in blankets and sweatpants. It's all futile, though, because the humidity is just going to pierce through all those layers and go straight into your bones. Like an arrow in the knee.

One perk of these wet winters, however, is the amounts and variety of soup and stews that we employ to chase away the winter chills. A popular not-so-secret ingredient in these concoctions: rice wine. I mean the French do basically the same thing with vin chaud and the British with mulled wine, except we eat ours.

Usually the first dish my mother reaches for when the chill hits is chicken soup with rice wine and sesame oil, but for some time now I've been craving sauteed pork kidneys. No, thank you for your concern, but these are not pregnancy cravings. So the story is: there's a Shanghai restaurant close to my house that makes AMAZING stir-fried pork kidneys with sesame oil. Every time I go there with my parents, I order it, and it's great, right? Right. Except the past three times I've went, they've sold out.

So I requested for my mother to buy pork kidneys at the market and for us to do this ourselves.

Ingredients:
• 2 Pork Kidneys 
• 1 Stick of Old Ginger (The older the better)
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 1 1/2 Cup Cooking Rice Wine
• 1 1/2 Cup Water

Let's start with how to deal with the kidneys.

Yes, organs are scary. They're not desired, and they usually have weird texture. Deal with it. They're nutritious and cheap and if you go on through life without ever trying anything new, then I personally think that you're boring.

If your butcher sells kidneys, then chances are he - or she - will know how to clean them for you. If they are not equipped with such technique, then here's what you have to do: take a small sharp knife and slice the lobes length-wise around, as you would an avocado. Once the kidneys are halved, take a spoon and scoop out the white bits in the middle and wash the lobes clean. Don't ask.

This coming part is important. Do not skimp out on this part, otherwise your meal will taste... less than appetizing.

Soak the kidneys for AT LEAST ONE HOUR in cold water. If you want to be meticulous, change the water whenever it becomes murky until the water stays clear. My mother soaked the kidneys in cold water for two hours, and I assure you that there were no leftover... odors.

Since you're waiting, you might as well prepare the only other ingredient that isn't liquid: the ginger. This stew is supposed to warm the soul, and nothing truly does that better than old ginger. Younger ginger has a sweeter taste and more tender texture, and is usually used in sauces or salads or julienned and eaten as a sort of amuse-bouche. Old ginger is tangy and spicy and gritty and mean on the teeth, not fit for chewing but very good for stewing.

You can choose to peel the ginger if you want, but since the pieces aren't used for anything other than flavor, feel free to just scrub the skin clean and leave it on. Slice the ginger at a slight diagonal. Not too thin but no more than a quarter of an inch thick. Set aside.

Once you've finished soaking the lobes, take a sharp knife and make diagonal scores across the outside - first one way, then another - so you're left with a diamond pattern as pictured above. If you've ever dealt with calamari or duck breasts, then you should know what to do. After you've scored the lobes, cut them into little 'filets' about an inch wide.

After you've done that, blanch the 'filets' for about 2 seconds, just enough that they curl at the edges. You can do this either by just dunking them quickly in a pot of boiling water or running them under a hot-water dispenser.

Whew! That's done!

Now get out your wok, or a VERY deep frying pan or soup pot, and turn the hob (hob. I love that word. hob.) on at medium-high and let your wok, or pan or pot, heat up. Once it's heated up, pour in the sesame oil, and throw in the ginger slices.

Once you start smelling the kick of the ginger and the aroma of sesame oil, dump in the filets and toss very quickly. You should see the kidneys and the ginger starting to shrink a little from the heat. Don't worry, nobody is trying to rob you of your satisfying portions. It's still going to be just as good.

Oh, I totally forgot, by the way. My mother also threw in a few thinly sliced pieces of pork belly because she didn't feel like the meat-to-soup ratio was high enough. Bless her.

Give everything about a minute to soak up the flavors, and dump in the rice wine and water. Keep in mind these are suggested portions. You are more than welcome to up, or down (you wuss), the amount of alcohol. Bring everything to a quick boil for about 30-seconds, and you're done! If you're feeling fancy, serve this with white rice or some blanched noodles, but the whole thing is more than delicious on its own.

Kick back, get drunk, and enjoy!