Nancy Young wrote:
> aem wrote:
>> The red-cooking sauce I posted the other day uses readily available
>> ingredients. If you can find hoisin sauce and chili bean paste, try
>> this one, too.
>>
>> This one is both sweeter and spicier than the sauce I posted the other
>> day. Especially good with chicken wings, it's from Ken Hom.
>>
>> 1.5 to 2 lbs. chicken wings
>> 1 TB chopped fresh ginger
>> 1 TB chopped garlic
>> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>>
>> Mix together:
>> 2 TB dark soy sauce
>> 1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
>> 3 TB hoisin sauce
>> 2 teaspoons sugar
>> 2 teaspoons chili bean paste
>> 2/3 cup water
>>
>> Heat a wok or heavy skillet on high heat. When hot, add 1 TB peanut
>> oil, the garlic, ginger and salt, stir for about 10 seconds, then add
>> the liquid mixture and bring it to the boil. Put it the wings, reduce
>> the heat to a bare simmer, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until
>> the chicken is done. Serve hot or at room temp.
>
> I have a question about two of the ingredients. I started to gather
> what I need this morning at the asian market.
> Rice wine was labeled rice cooking wine. Now, I'd never use
> cooking wine when a recipe calls for wine. Is it different for
> rice wine?
> Then I looked for chili bean paste. This is what I bought:
> Hot Broad Bean Paste ... ingredients, chili, bean, salt, vinegar,
> sesame oil. Did I buy the wrong thing?
>
> Thanks.
>
> nancy

You bought the right rice wine. They likely had a number of brands and
the difference is the taste.

Chili bean paste is fermented beans (usually broad beans) + red chili
peppers + salt. It should have a fermented tang plus heat. The stuff you
bought sounds close with the exception of the sesame oil which likely
won't matter in that recipe.