Mutton @ Midnight - Recipe: Chinese-style Mutton Stew

One of the things that I have come to value as I've gotten older is the whole "the early bird gets the worm" thing. These days I try to retire before midnight, and I'm usually up around 6 or 7 a.m. I do enjoy waking up just as the sun is peeking out, with the birds singing in the trees. I do miss my early morning breakfast sessions with my father - the two of us sitting out on the veranda over coffee and crackers, reading the papers and passing articles of interest back and forth. The bro, on the other hand, is a night owl. One of the oddest things about my current living arrangement is the fact that my roommate is never awake at the same time as I am. Some days we walk past each other in the living room in the morning. He says, "Good morning," and I say, "Good night." It's not uncommon for him to only eat dinner at around midnight, hence, the title of this post.

This recipe was inspired by things that I remembered from the past. I know that the Chinese in parts of Northern China eat mutton during the winter months to keep warm.  I figured that since the brother was "burning the midnight oil" so to speak, leading up to our final exams, he could use some nourishment. I will admit that having my tee shirt, hair and hands smell like mutton for a day was not the most pleasant experience, but oh well, there are worse things in life.

Ingredients:

750 g mutton ribs, chopped into bite-sized pieces

Marinade:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp Shao Xing wine

Pinch sugar

Pinch salt

Stew:

1 small carrot, cut into large chunks

2 medium potatoes, cut into fours

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3 inch old ginger, peeled and sliced thinly

1-1 1/2 tbsp perserved soy beans (tau cheong), mashed

2 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

6 cloves

2 tbsp oil

Seasoning:

500 ml beef or lamb stock

1/2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 tsp sugar

Thickening:

1 tsbp corn flour

1 tbsp water

Chopped coriander leaves to garnish (optional).

Method:

Marinade mutton for about 30 minutes to an hour. 

Heat oil a non-stick skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger slices, spices and stir around for about 30 seconds, followed by minced garlic. When fragrant,  add preserved soy beans, and fry for anohter minute or so. Brown mutton ribs evenly in hot oil. Add stock and seasoning ingredients, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer, over low heat for about 1 hour. Stir occasionally. (At this point you may notice that the meat has released quite a lot of oil, in which case, skim the fat off using a teaspoon). Replenish water in the pot if necessary. Add in carrots and potatoes and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, topping up water as required.

When vegetables and meat are cooked to your liking, adjust seasoning and add thickening. 

Serve hot, garnished with chopped coriander, if desired.