Cold Marinated Bean Sprouts

This recipe is for the Commander, who professed a love for bean sprouts over a beer factory brew. I've made it several times and find it quite tasty, while it also satisfies my wife's urging to eat more veggies. The recipe is Ken Hom's, from his book Illustrated Chinese Cookery. An extremely good book that has sections covering its history, ingredients, equipment, techniques, menus as well as the requisite recipes, it sets the benchmark for Chinese cookbooks. He's the Smoky of Chinese cooking. Order it online or go to Cave's where I got mine several years ago.

Serves 4

450g (1 lb) fresh bean sprouts

2 fresh red or green chiles

3 tablespoons Chinese white rice vinegar or cider vinegar

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

Trim and discard both ends of the bean sprout and put trimmed sprouts in a glass bowl ( he trims the sprouts for the sake of appearance - I prefer not to). Split chiles in half, remove seeds (if you're a girly man) and finely shred. Add it and other ingredients to the bean sprouts and mix well. Let it marinate for at least 2 to 3 hours, mixing it from time to time. When ready to serve, drain the bean sprouts and discard the marinade. He recommends using it as an appetizer or as a salad course with grilled meat or fish.