sauced

Tamarind Shrimp with Avocado Cucumber Salad

By Liz:

OK, this is a bit of a cheat because it's not new. But I just rediscovered it this week and remembered how much I liked it, so file under re-discovered weeknight staples.

I'm having one of those weeks (months?) where life doesn't leave much time for cooking, and we've defaulted to takeout more nights than I'd like to admit. So in an effort to reclaim my kitchen, I skimmed the blog for my favorite recipes in the last year.

All this takes is a little chopping and a quick stir fry - 20 minutes tops - for tart citrus shrimp, cool cucumber salad, and the crunch of crispy shallots and peanuts. Delicious.

Tropical Tamarind Shrimp with Avocado Cucumber Salad

3 T. peanut oil
1 large shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings 
3 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2-3 Thai chilies, with seeds, minced
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and cleaned

Sauce

2 heaping teaspoons tamarind concentrate
3 T. sugar
2 T. soy
2 T. Asian fish sauce (nam pla)
2 T. lime juice

Salad

2 avocados, cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large cucumber, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 half sweet onion, minced
3 T. lime juice
zest of one lime
1 t. sugar
1 t. Asian fish sauce (nam pla)
3 T. fresh coriander, chopped
1/3 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
steamed jasmine rice

Fry shallot and make tamarind sauce:

Heat oil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then fry shallot, stirring, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain (shallots will crisp as they cool). Reserve oil.

Combine all sauce ingredients – tamarind, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and lime juice – and stir until well mixed. (If you can’t find tamarind concentrate, you can soak 4 T. tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup boiling water until dissolved, and then strain out the solids).

Make salad and cook shrimp:

Combine all salad ingredients, minus the peanuts, in a bowl. Cover and set aside.

Transfer reserved oil to a heavy skillet and sauté ginger, garlic, chilies, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds (careful not to burn). Add shrimp and sauté until barely pink, about 2 minutes. Stir in tamarind mixture and simmer until shrimp are just cooked through, about 2 minutes more.

Spoon shrimp and salad over rice, then sprinkle with peanuts and fried shallot.

Quick Asian Noodle Soup

By Karena:

I would have entitled this entry "Quick Japanese Noodle Soup" except for the use of Shao Xing Cooking Wine, Bok Choy and Soy Sauce which were decidedly Chinese, therefore rendering our creation not wholly authentic.  Despite our departure from traditional ingredients, the results were delicious.  Dave and I found these Japanese Udon noodles, firm tofu, and spicy fermented turnips at Great Wall - our new favorite Asian market fix, located in the nearby "borough" of Fairfax, Virginia.  This made for a delicious and quick Sunday night meal, a staple we will undoubtedly repeat.  Please excuse the amateur photography - I promise the photo doesn't do the balance of flavors any justice.

Ingredients: (4 servings)

- 2 quarts beef broth

- 1 cup water

- 1 tsp. chili paste

- 3 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 lb. fresh Japanese Udon noodles

- 1 lb. Bok Choy, chopped

- 6-8 oz. Firm tofu, cubed

- 2 T Dark Soy Sauce

- 1.5 Shao Xing Cooking Wine

- 1 T Rice Vinegar

- 1 lb. stir-fry beef

 - Bunch of cilantro, chopped

- Drizzle of Sesame Oil

- Spicy fermented turnip, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Add beef broth, water, garlic, and chili paste to a stock pot.  Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, simmer for 5-10 minutes.

3. Add Noodles, Bok Choy, Tofu, Soy Sauce, Cooking Wine, and Rice Vinegar and simmer for another 5 minutes.

4. Add Stir-fry beef, and simmer until beef is cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

5. Adjust for seasoning, take off heat, and serve in soup bowls.

6. Garnish with fresh cilantro, drizzle with sesame oil and top with fermented turnip, if desired.

Seared Ahi Tuna Salad

By Karena:

So there has been some call for winter salad recipes. ;)  I think this works in any season, but is hearty enough for winter and works well with winter greens such as red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce with some persimmons or pears mixed in.  Nothing is more simple, rewarding and aesthetically pleasing than seared Ahi tuna.  Enjoy!

For the salad:

• 1 lb. of the freshest Ahi Tuna
• 1 lb. of greens (red leaf lettuce or butter lettuce work well)
• 1 persimmon or Asian pear, diced into bite-sized strips
• Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
• tsp of sesame seeds, toasted
• a handful of sesame sticks or crackers for crunch (in the bulk section of most grocery stores)
• Diced scallion whites (optional)

For the dressing:

• 6 T olive oil
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 1.5 T soy sauce
• sea salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tsp honey or more to taste
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil, if desired
• 1/2 tsp of dijon, if desired

1. Wash and dry the lettuce and place in a salad bowl.  Dice the persimmon or pear and add to the greens.  Add toasted sesame seeds and sesame sticks and toss. Add scallion if using.

2. Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. 

3. Season the Ahi steak with salt and pepper.  On a very hot pan, sear the tuna on both sides for only 1 minute each side or until desired done-ness.  Let rest for 4-6 minutes, then slice into wedges.

4. Toss the salad with dressing and put into salad bowls.  Top salad with seared tuna and serve!

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork

By Karena:

It's about time that Dave and I showcased something out of this cookbook.  Fuchsia Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook on Hunan cooking is a staple in our household; a gift that keeps on giving.  Not suited for a non-fat diet, this particular recipe really was a favorite of Chairman Mao's - he apparently insisted that all his personal chefs know the recipe and prepare it often.  You can find it in many Chinese restaurants specializing in Hunan cooking, or you can ask for it by its Chinese name, "Mao Shi Hong Shao Rou".  The star anise and chilis were really aromatic, making it difficult to wait the 45 minutes for it to simmer!  We served it over basmati rice and paired it with our favorite baby bok choy side dish and it was delicious!

Chairman Mao's Red-Braised Pork (Serves 4)

• 1 lb. Pork Belly or Pork Spare Ribs
• 2 T Peanut Oil
• 2 T White Sugar
• 1 T Shaoxing Cooking Wine
• 3/4 oz. fresh ginger, skin left on and sliced
• 1 Star Anise
• 2 Dried Red Chilis
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• Light Soy Sauce
• 3 Green Onions, green and white parts chopped
• Salt

1. Plunge the pork into a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until partially cooked.  Remove and, when cool enough to handle, cut into bite-sized chunks. If using spare ribs, slice along the bone, leaving the bone in for additional flavor.
2. Heat the oil and sugar in a wok over a gentle flame until the sugar melts, then raise the heat and stir until the melted sugar turns a rich caramel brown.  Add the pork and splash in the Shaoxing wine.
3. Add enough water to just cover the pork, along with the ginger, star anise, chilis and cinnamon stick.  Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 40-50 minutes.
4. Towards the end of the cooking time, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce and season with soy sauce, salt and a littlle sugar to taste.  Garnish with green onions and serve!

Sauteed Baby Bok Choy: (Serves 4)

• 1 lb. Baby Bok Choy, bottoms discarded and stems/leaves chopped in half.
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 T Shaoxing Wine
• 3 glugs of Peanut Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Heat a saute pan and heat the peanut oil until hot.
2. Throw in the diced garlic and cook until soft.
3. Add the fresh Bok Choy leaves and coast with the oil.
4. Add more oil if desired, splash in the Shoaxing wine and stir in salt and peper to taste.
5. Cook until Bok Choy is soft and wilted about 4-5 minutes.
6. Take off the heat and enjoy!

Eton Dumplings… Made by Judy

By Liz

Things I love about Brooklyn:

1. Neighborhood shops – grocers, bakers, coffee-roasters, tamale-makers – that do one thing, and do it really well.
2. Eton, the Carroll Gardens cubbyhole that makes nothing but dumplings, noodles, and shaved ice (in the summer).
3. Judy, amidst earning her high-powered law degree, rolling dumplings at Eton several nights a week.

Judy came about this gig in the quintessential Brooklyn way: sitting on her stoop, and chatting with a guy who knew a guy. That guy knew that Eton, the classically-trained chef who fell in love with shaved ice on his honeymoon, was looking for a dumpling-maker.

Judy knew that Eton could use her skills, since she had already given him a Korean kimchee dumpling recipe, which sold out as a special. So she wandered over, was offered a rolling pin and, within minutes, a job.

It’s just one more reason to love the shop and its $3.50 set of five dense, juicy dumplings. The place is not perfect: the sparse shop has all the charm of a college dorm, and the veggie dumplings taste like rabbit food.

But the price is right for the pork, which have become more consistent as the restaurant hits its stride (it opened last summer.) And I still have try the hand-pulled noodles, and hopefully the famous kimchee. 

Judy looking like a badass in the tiny Eton kitchen

Judy's delicious handiwork

Amazing Incredible Steamed Pork Buns

By Liz

When John and Judy decided to throw their epic appetizer party, they drew up a list of everything they might possibly want to try… and then decided to make all of it. When they ran this brilliant plan by me, I upped the ante by suggesting we throw in homemade steamed pork buns.

Last summer we had fallen collectively in love with the steamed buns at Momofuku, a devotion complicated by our love-hate relationship with the restaurant (overpriced place and overhyped chef), but tempered by the fact that David Chang sure does know his pork.

We procured a bamboo steamer and two cases of wine, and settled in for an epic day of cooking. John and Judy decided to go whole hog (ha!) and in the midst of making eight other appetizers, had brined a pork shoulder overnight, pickled onions, and concocted a tangy BBQ sauce.

Ideally, we’d be smoking Boston Pork Butt on a grill, but we adapted the recipe for a Brooklyn winter, using the fire escape as our second fridge (and, as night fell, freezer). Do not be fooled, the pork buns are not for the weak-willed. I'm fairly comfortable with dough, but this bad boy was all leaden resistance. I coaxed it to rise on the radiator and pleaded with it to knead.

At last, six hours later, we reached the moment of reckoning: we dropped two little buns into the steamer and counted down the seconds with NASA-level focus. We opened the top and… the buns puffed! We did it!!

We had created a masterpiece: fluffy buns stuffed smoky pulled pork, crunchy onions, and tangy bbq sauce. Spontaneous celebration erupted, we grabbed beers from the fire escape fridge, collapsed on the couch, and toasted to our success.

Alton Brown's Pork Brine
4 lb. bone-in pork shoulder

3/4 cup molasses
12 ounces pickling salt
2 quarts bottled water

Brine a bone-in pork shoulder overnight, for 12 hours. Bring the meat to room temperature. Cook at 300 degrees until the meat registers 195 on a meat thermometer. Pull off the bone with two forks while still warm and the fats are still liquid.

Judy's Quick Pickled Onions
3 cup cider vinegar
1 T. sugar
Toasted cumin seeds
2 full red onions, slivered  

Bring vinegar and sugar to a boil, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add slivered onions for a minute. Pour into a glass mason jar in well ventilated area. Let sit for 24 hours.

John's Tangy BBQ sauce
1 cup French's yellow mustard
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 t. Worcester
1 t. cayenne
Tabasco and siracha, to taste
Fresh ground pepper
Pinch of salt

Warm all the ingredients together on the stove and simmer for 20 minutes. Cooking mellows out the mustard.

David Chang’s Steamed Buns
1 cup warm water (105-115°F), divided
1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast
3 tablespoons sugar plus a pinch
2 tablespoons nonfat dried milk
3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Canola oil for greasing and brushing

Stir together 1/4 cup warm water with yeast and pinch of sugar. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Whisk in dried milk and remaining 3/4 cup warm water.

Stir together flour and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in a bowl, then stir in yeast mixture (do not add baking powder yet) with a fork until a dough forms. Knead dough with your hands in bowl until all of flour is incorporated. Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead, dusting surface and hands with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until dough is elastic and smooth but still soft, about 5 minutes. Form dough into a ball.

Put dough in an oiled large bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, about 2 hours.

Punch down dough, then transfer to a lightly floured surface and flatten slightly into a disk. Sprinkle baking powder over center of dough, then gather edges of dough and pinch to seal in baking powder. Knead dough with just enough flour to keep dough from sticking until baking powder is incorporated, about 5 minutes. Return dough to bowl and cover with plastic wrap, then let dough stand 30 minutes.

Cut 16 (3- by 2-inch) pieces of wax paper. Form dough into a 16-inch-long log. Cut into 16 equal pieces, then lightly dust with flour and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Roll out 1 piece of dough into a 6- by 3-inch oval, lightly dusting surface, your hands, and rolling pin. Pat oval between your palms to remove excess flour, then brush half of oval lightly with oil and fold in half crosswise (do not pinch). Place bun on a piece of wax paper on a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Make more buns with remaining dough, then let stand, loosely covered, until slightly risen, about 30 minutes.

Set a large steamer rack inside skillet (or wok) and add enough water to reach within 1/2 inch of bottom of rack, then bring to a boil. Carefully place 5 to 7 buns (still on wax paper) in steamer rack (do not let buns touch). Cover tightly and steam over high heat until buns are puffed and cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer buns to a plate with tongs, then discard wax paper and wrap buns in kitchen towels (not terry cloth) to keep warm. Steam remaining buns in 2 batches, adding boiling-hot water to skillet as needed.