23- Soaking Information: The Best 23- Soaking Information Recipe from Cook'n

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	23- Soaking Information

Dried ingredients must be soaked before use to "develop" their flavor and texture and restore them to their original size and shape. The soaking time is based on the nature of the ingredient itself and how it's to be cooked. The same dried ingredient needs less soaking time for a slow-cooked dish than for a stir-fried one. Some ingredients are not only soaked, but simmered as well. Generally speaking, it's better to oversoak than undersoak. In many cases, the longer the soaking, the better the ingredient's texture and taste.

Soaking is done in two ways: The ingredient is rinsed and cleaned first, then soaked; or soaked first until it expands, rinsed clean, then soaked again until soft. In either case, the dried ingredient should always be immersed in water, always rinsed in cold water and always drained thoroughly, before use. Here are the details:

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abalone (for braising):
Clean in warm water. Scrub thoroughly. Soak 4 days in cold water. Change water every day.

abalone (for stir-frying):
Soak overnight in cold water. Drain. Pour boiling water over. Simmer covered 6 hours. Let cool in the liquid. Clean each abalone and drain.

agar-agar (for gelatins):
Soak in hot water until dissolved. Strain if lumpy.

agar-agar (for salads):
Soak 2 hours in cold water. Change water 2 or 3 times. Drain well. Cut in 2-inch sections.
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bean curd sticks:
Break in 2-inch lengths. Boil until soft (about 20 minutes).

Or: Soak 2 hours in warm water. Drain. Cut in 2- or 3-inch sections.

bean curd sticks, sweet:
Soak 1 hour in warm water.

beans, black:
Soak 2 to 3 hours in cold water. Drain.

beans, black fermented:
Soak 10 minutes in cold water. Rinse to remove salt. Drain.

beche-de-mer:
Soak a few hours in cold water. Brush and clean thoroughly. Cover with fresh water. Boil 5 minutes. Remove. Drain. Let cool. Brush and clean again thoroughly. Cut underside; remove internal organs. Repeat process at least 10 times (Unless absolutely clean, beche-de-mer will not expand and soften.)

Or: Soak 24 hours in warm water. Change water several times. Cut underside, remove internal organs. Rinse. Cover with fresh water. Simmer 4 hours. Rinse thoroughly.

bird's nest:
Soak overnight in cold water. Clean, removing loose feathers with tweezers. Parboil 10 minutes. Rinse.

Or: Place in cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer covered 1 hour. Let cool; clean and rinse.

Or: Soak 4 hours in cold water. Drain. Rinse. Boil 5 minutes at high heat in water to cover (with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda added). Drain. Discard liquid. Place in pot with 7 cups stock. Boil 15 minutes over high heat. Discard stock.

bird's nest (For chips):
Pour 3 cups boiling water over 1 cup dried bird's-nest chips. Let stand overnight. Drain. Transfer to saucepan. Add 4 cups hot water. Simmer 30 minutes. Drain and cool. Squeeze out excess water. Remove feathers and impurities.

bird's nest (For stuffing):
Place in hot water to cover and boil 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Rinse with cold running water. Remove foreign materials. Drain. (Stuff into poultry and steam according to recipe directions.)
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cabbage, salted:
Soak in warm water 15 minutes or until soft. Rinse 2 to 3 times with cold water to remove impurities.

chestnuts, dried:
Parboil 10 minutes. Strip off outer covering. clams, dried: Soak as in oysters, dried.

cuttlefish, dried:
Soak overnight in cold water to cover. Rinse several times under cold running water. Peel off membranes. Remove cuttle bone. Cut body and tentacles in 1-inch squares or large strips.
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duck feet, dried:
Wash. Pour boiling water over to cover. Soak 5 minutes. Drain. Remove skin and discard. Clip claws. Remove bones. Cut each foot in two.

duck liver, cured:
Soak 2 hours in cold water. Rinse and drain.

duck liver, cured (For steaming):
Soak 30 minutes.
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fish, dried:
Soak 4 hours in cold water. Rinse.

fish, dried (For steaming):
Soak 10 minutes in cold water. Rinse and drain.

fish's maw:
Soak 3 hours in cold water. (It will expand to four times its volume.) Drain. Place in boiling water with 1/2 teaspoon vinegar, 1 teaspoon ginger juice and 1 tablespoon sherry added. Simmer 5 minutes. Drain. Rinse in cold water to remove all traces of oil. Squeeze dry.

Or: Soak overnight in cold water. Squeeze dry. Parboil 5 to 10 minutes. Rinse. Squeeze dry.

Or: Soak 1 hour in hot water. Wash several times in warm water to remove excess fat. Rinse. Wring out 4 to 5 times. Pour 2 tablespoons sherry over and let stand 15 minutes. Wring dry again.
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jellyfish, dried:
Soak overnight in warm, not hot, water. Drain. Remove red matter.
Cut in narrow strips, about 1 1/2 inches long. Quickly rinse in boiling water. Drain. (Strips may then be soaked for weeks in water, and used as needed. The water, however, should be changed every day.)
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lily buds:
Rinse with cold water to clean. Soak 30 to 60 minutes in warm water. Rinse. Cut off tough stem ends.

lotus root:
Soak 20 minutes in hot water. Rinse.
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mushrooms, black dried:
Rinse with cold water to clean. Soak 30 to 60 minutes in warm water. Rinse. Drain. Squeeze dry. Cut off tough stems. (Reserve stems and soaking liquid for stock.)

Or: Cover with hot, but not boiling, water. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes.

mushrooms, cloud ear:
Rinse with cold water. Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Wash. Rinse with cold water several times to clean. Snap off hard stems. (When using the tougher variety: Rinse. Simmer 1 hour. Wash and rinse.)

mushrooms, grass (For steamed dishes):
Soak 15 minutes in warm water.

mushrooms, snow:
Soak 5 or 6 hours. Transfer to fresh water, boil 5 minutes. Then drain.

mushrooms, snow (For soup):
Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Clean. Rinse. Squeeze dry.
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noodles, peastarch:
Soak 20 minutes in boiling water to soften. Drain. Rinse with cold water. Drain again.

noodles, peastarch (For stir-fried dishes):
Soak 10 minutes in hot water; 30 minutes in cold. Drain.

noodles, peastarch (For soup):
Soak 30 minutes to 1 hour in cold water. Drain. noodles, rice-flour: Soak 30 to 60 minutes in hot water. Drain.

Or: Soak 10 minutes in warm water. Drain. Simmer 10 minutes in stock. noodles, rice-flour (sticks): Parboil 5 to 10 minutes. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Drain again.

noodles, seaweed:
Soak as for noodles, peastarch.
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olives, dried:
Soak 30 minutes in cold water. Drain. Chop fine.

oysters, dried:
Soak 1 hour in cold water. Wash thoroughly. Soak 8 hours in warm water. Slit hard portion. Clean out sand. Rinse.

oysters, dried (For stewing):
Soak 2 hours in warm water. Clean as above.

oysters, dried (For stir-frying or braising):
Soak overnight in cold water. Rinse several times to remove grit. Then pour boiling water over and simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Rinse in cold water. Drain.
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red berries:
Soak 30 minutes in cold water. Wash and drain.

red dates (For braising):
Need no soaking.

red dates (For sweet dishes):
Soak 25 minutes in cold water.

rice, glutinous (For cooking):
Soak 30 minutes in cold water. Rinse until liquid runs clear. Dram. Add required cold water. Let stand 10 minutes. Cook according to recipe directions.

rice, glutinous (For coating and stuffing):
Soak 3 hours or overnight in cold water. Rinse.
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scallops, dried (for braising):
Soak overnight in warm water or a few tablespoons of sherry.

scallops, dried (For soup):
Soak as above.

scallops, dried (For stir-frying):
Soak 2 hours in cold water or sherry. Boil or steam 10 minutes; then shred.

seaweed, dried:
Tear into squares. Soak 1 hour in cold water. Rinse by lifting out of water repeatedly. Squeeze dry.

Or: Soak 10 minutes in warm water. Rinse several times. Squeeze dry.

seaweed, hair:
Soak 1 hour in warm water. Rinse until water runs clear. Drain in colander. Pour 2 tablespoons oil over. Squeeze to let oil penetrate. Rinse in cold water. Drain again. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons sherry. Squeeze to let sherry penetrate. Rinse and drain again.

Or: Parboil 2 to 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse in cold water. Drain again.

shark's fins (skinless):
Rinse in cold water. Soak overnight in warm water. Wash. Drain. Simmer 1 hour (with a garlic clove, small piece of ginger root or leek). Rinse.
Or: Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Wash. Drain. Simmer as above for 2 hours. Or: Soak overnight in warm water. Cook 2 hours in chicken broth, using the bowl-within-a-pot method of steaming.

Note: Already processed shark's fins are available in some Chinese food stores, but must be ordered several days beforehand. They are quite expensive.

shrimp, dried:
Rinse. Soak 30 to 60 minutes in warm water or sherry.

squid, dried:
Rinse. Soak 24 hours in warm water. Remove black outer skin. Split open. Clean out internal organs. Remove center bones. Cut off tentacles and slice in 1-inch pieces. Score inside of body diagonally in a grid pattern. Cut in small squares. (When cooked, these roll up like balls.)

sweet root:
Soak 30 minutes in cold water. Wash and drain.
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tangerine peel:
Soak 30 minutes in warm water. Scrape inside of peel. Rinse.

turnips, dried:
Soak 15 minutes in cold water. Wash. Separate, divide in small pieces. Rinse. Soak in fresh cold water 45 minutes more.
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vermicelli:
See noodles, peastarch.

The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

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