Some nice easy to follow recipes:
Category: Food
INGREDIENTS
- Chicken stock (with 4 smashed ginger slices and 2 whole scallions) enough to cover chicken, usually about 4 cups or more
- Whole chicken1 (ideally 3 lb) – washed, loose fat removed and set aside
- Ginger – enough for four thick unpeeled slices for stock and at least 3 TBSP peeled & grated for sauce, about 4-5” knob
- Scallions – 2 whole for stock and at least 3 TBSP of minced white part w/ a touch of the light green part minced, for colour, about 1 bunch
- Grapeseed or avocado oil – almost 4 TBSP, enough to mix with desired quantity of ginger/ scallions (equal parts) to make a paste, roughly about 2/3 of the amount of ginger/ scallion
- Salt
DIRECTIONS
- Wash chicken, remove anything loose inside, pat dry and rub with salt. After 5 minutes rinse off salt and leave chicken to drain.
- Bring stock with ginger slices and scallions to boil.
- Lower chicken gently into boiling stock to cover, breast side up
- Reduce heat to medium and bring stock with chicken back to rolling boil, in uncovered pot. (Gentler heat is better – more tender – and will require less standing time in the liquid off the burner afterwards).
- Turn off heat (not remove from) and keep covered and undisturbed for 30 – 60 mins
- Check after 30 mins by inserting skewer into thigh – it’s done when the small puncture draws clear liquid (or to temp of 165° – which is too much for chicken breast in my opinion)
- Remove bird from pot (with wooden spoon inserted into cavity so as not to break the skin), rub skin with sesame oil and place in freezer2 for ten minutes to stop cooking process.
- Transfer to cutting board and remove the back by cutting with poultry shears up either side of the tail (set aside for private nibbling or to add to mother stock – I always eat the tail, yum!). Slice off legs and wings, and split breast in half, before cutting all cleanly Chinese style, with a cleaver.3
- Lay out on platter in the shape of a whole, flattened chicken. Serve with finely trimmed green part of scallions (slightly curled)* and with dipping sauce. Your chicken may have a slight pink tint to it which is normal – it IS cooked! If this grosses out your guests, cook it longer in the poaching liquid.
- Reserve (freeze) stock for next time – the richer it gets, the more flavour for your chicken, until you want to use your stock for soup!
- Use (freeze) reserved chicken fat for cooking rice or stir frying vegetables – yumm!
Dipping Sauce:
- Grate 4 or finely mince peeled ginger and white part of scallions (1:1 ratio) with small amount of light green part for colour, and place in heatproof bowl. Do by hand for the right texture or if you are good with the food processor, pulse the mixture carefully to avoid excess liquid or becoming mushy.
- Heat oil until almost smoking, and then pour into minced ginger/ garlic mixture and mix well. (I prefer to do this rather than sautéing the mix, however briefly, because I don’t want to cook them, just warm them and release the flavours.)
- Stir in enough salt to make sauce more than seasoned
1As we prefer dark meat I just use chicken thighs if it is just for us; the only real reason to use a whole chicken would be cost and to recreate the whole chicken on the platter
2 prefer to do this rather than the usual method of putting into an ice bath, to avoid stripping the chicken of any flavours absorbed during cooking.
3To avoid slippage, bone splintering and flying chicken from ill placed cuts, I position the cleaver at the cut location and hit with a rubber mallet.
4Grating the ginger rather than finely mincing it is more of a hassle but extremely rewarding in taste as the finer texture allows for more subtle and integrated flavour
Categories
Reivew: Kitzuki Ramen (formerly Kukai)
Kitzuki Ramen is currently my favorite Portland area ramen place. Click on below for photos and comments:
Categories
Review: EC Kitchen
Jan V. and I ventured to EC Kitchen, a Taiwanese restaurant, next door to Chinese Delicacy. EC Kitchen is known for unadorned, clean, non-greasy Taiwan style food. We arrived at noon, and saw a single fellow diner, who had ordered beef noodle soup enhanced with tomato. It looked very hearty, but neither one of us felt hungry, and decided to order appetizers from their nice photo menu.
Chewy tofu and steamed buns:
Scallion pancakes:
Taiwan style sweet sausage (options: spicy sausage & Cantonese style):
Chive pocket:
Pork belly bun with pickled veggies and cilantro:
Turnip cake is not pictured, but very good.
We enjoyed the shared appetizers, and rate it a JV “2”; and probably a “3” for well prepared and healthier food. We need to return and try some of their entrees. The beef shank noodle soup sounds good. Their signature items (preservative free sausage, beef shank, and turnip cake) are available in refrigerated units for take out.
Categories
Asian soups (other than ramen & pho)
Pho Oregon #27: Hu Tieu My Tho $8.50. Clear noodles with large shrimp, barbecue pork, pork liver, quail egg, and fish balls. Bean sprouts on side plate. A varied mix of meat, veggies, and seafood — clear noodles underneath. Very clean tastes. Nicer decor than most Asian Restaurants.
Chiang Mai #30 Kuay Tiew Palo Moo $11.50. Choice of noodles with slow-cooked pork and pork belly, deep-fried tofu, Chinese broccoli, boiled egg, bean sprouts, Chinese brocolli and green onion served in a house special aromatic herbal soup. This dish had woon sen (clear) noodles. Liked the broth. Chiang Mai is northern style Thai.
Columbia River steelhead trout is delicious. In Portland, you can get fresh (never frozen) filet from Safeway or Freddy’s. Baked it at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, with just sea salt, lemon pepper, and oil on top; and it is perfect. Delicious — moist, buttery, similar in taste to salmon, but more delicate. Certainly better than the sockeye salmon I had yesterday, which wasn’t bad. Easy to cook. Regular price at Safeway is $11.99/lb. and Freddy’s is $8.99; but both run sales at $5.99/lb.
From the Guardian:
A Trip to Vietnam Inspires Tender Pork Ribs
By DAVID TANIS FEB. 12, 2016
I love pork ribs, but when it comes to how best to cook them, I don’t necessarily take the expected approach.
Not all ribs must be baked or grilled or smoked. I have nothing against a good dry rub or barbecue sauce — they have their place. But the Vietnamese method of braising ribs to succulence is one well worth considering.
I learned this technique in Vietnam from a chef I met, who used it for larger pork cuts, like shoulder or belly. The meat is first bathed in a fragrant wet marinade, perfumed with lemongrass, garlic, ginger, shallots, fish sauce, sugar and five-spice powder. This traditional Vietnamese seasoning is praiseworthy for its perfect balance of salt, spice and sweetness. Five-spice powder (a mixture of fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper) is essential — it adds aromatic complexity almost instantly.
Vietnamese Braised Pork Ribs
In Vietnam, you must get to the market early if you want to buy meat. One memorable market I visited was run by deft, take-charge, bossy lady butchers. They had every cut of pork, from snout to tail, all broken down with big cleavers and spread out on an oilcloth-covered table.
Business was brisk. It was common knowledge that if you didn’t get there by 10 a.m., all the meat would be gone, perhaps already in somebody’s pot, cooking away. There was no real need for refrigeration. More freshly slaughtered meat would be brought in the following day.
My chef friend browned the seasoned meat in a large wok, then added the remaining marinade and a few cups of water. Leaving the lid slightly ajar, he simmered the pork slowly to utter tenderness. It was then ready to be sliced and added to noodles or other dishes. (Stored in its cooking broth, it develops even more flavor.)
Back home, I made a version of this dish for friends using baby back ribs. Instead of wok-braising on the stovetop, I decided to cook them in the oven slowly, in a tightly covered baking dish, for almost two hours. I held off on browning until the end, which I accomplished by simply removing the cover and allowing the ribs to caramelize.
The pan juices, defatted and reduced slightly, are delicious spooned on top of the ribs, along with steamed rice and an abundance of fresh herbs: cilantro, mint, scallions, basil.
And to Drink …
These ribs, with their spicy, herbal, slightly sweet marinade, call for a wine that will reflect and amplify those flavors without dulling or overpowering them. That means an aromatic, balanced white with lively acidity; herbal, floral flavors and no oak. I think first of a dry riesling, either from Germany or one of the lighter Austrian versions, which should pair beautifully with these ribs. Likewise, an herbal, peppery grüner veltliner, also from Austria, would be an excellent accompaniment. I would also consider the constellation of restrained sauvignon blancs from the Loire Valley, and perhaps even a pinot blanc from Alsace or Austria. Don’t despair if you prefer a red. A bright young cabernet franc from the Loire would be delicious, as would any good Beaujolais. ERIC ASIMOV
INGREDIENTS
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer layer removed, lightly smashed and very finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (such as Red Boat)
- 1 tablespoon hot chile paste (such as sambal oelek)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon grated garlic
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped or grated ginger
- 3 to 4 pounds baby back ribs
- 4 scallions, slivered or chopped, for garnish
- Cilantro and mint sprigs, for garnish
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PREPARATION
- Make the marinade: In a small bowl, put the shallots, lemongrass, soy sauce, fish sauce, chile paste, salt, sugar, five-spice powder, garlic and ginger. Mix well.
- Put the meat in a deep baking dish or roasting pan and add marinade. Using your hands, coat ribs well. Let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and preferably overnight, well wrapped. Bring back to room temperature before proceeding.
- Heat oven to 450 degrees. Add 2 cups water to the pan, cover tightly with foil and place pan in oven. Cook for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees for 1 hour more. When done, the meat should be very tender, nearly but not quite falling off the bone. Remove cover and return to the oven for about 15 minutes until the ribs are nicely browned.
- Remove ribs from pan. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and skim fat. Reduce over high heat until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, divide ribs with a sharp knife and pile them onto a platter.
- Serve family style with steamed rice and pan juices. Garnish with scallions, cilantro and mint sprigs.