Sweet and Sour Cabbage
1 pound Chinese cabbage
1 red bell pepper
5 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
4 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil, or to taste, optional
2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, for stir-frying
2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
Pinch of salt, optional
Remove the leaves from the Chinese cabbage, discard any wilted leaves or
ones with browned spots. Lay several of the leaves on top of one another,
and cut crosswise into thin strips.
Remove the stem from the bell pepper. Cut the bell pepper in half and remove
the seeds and white pith from the middle. Cut the bell pepper lengthwise into
thin strips.
In a small bowl, combine the white wine vinegar, rice wine or dry sherry, soy
sauce, sugar and hot chili oil. Set aside.
Heat the wok and add oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped ginger. Stir-fry
for about 10 seconds, until the ginger just starts to become aromatic. Add the
cabbage. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the red bell pepper. Stir-fry for
another minute, or until the cabbage is tender but still crisp. Add a pinch of
salt to the cabbage during stir-frying if desired.
Give the sauce a quick re-stir and swirl it into the wok. Cook, stirring to mix
everything together. Serve immediately.