Juicy Vegetarian Potstickers with Lotus Root Stir Fry

I've made Vegetarian Jiaozi Potstickers before, and I preferred them to the standard meat-filled ones.  I've noticed this on several occasions.. the vegetarian ones are always more surprising.  No two veg jiaozi recipes will yield the same flavor, and that's the beauty of it... there are endless variations possible for equally delicious outcomes.
Since I've been in a cabbage mood this week, when I stumbled upon a cabbage mushroom filling, just the thought of that savory umami madness made me salivate, and off to work I was..

Ingredients
Potstickers: Yield 3-4 dozen dumplings, recipe from TheWoksofLife
3-4 dozen dumpling wrappers (mine were store-bought)
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp grated ginger
1 onion, chopped
1 green chile, diced
2 cups (250g) shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1/4 head or cabbage, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 medium carrots, grated (1 1/2 cups)
1 cup chopped garlic chives (or leeks or scallions)
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp shaping wine
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 egg or 2 Tbsp oil

Dipping sauce:
1 tsp sesame oil
1 small clove garlic, grated
1 tsp Doubanjiang (broadbean and chile paste)
1 Tbsp black vinegar
1 tsp rice vinegar
juice from 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp soy sauce
few pinches sesame seeds

Lotus Root Stir-Fry: Serves 4 as a side
2 Tbsp oil
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 slit green chile
1 lb (apport 500g) lotus root, sliced into 1 cm pieces and placed in a bowl of water
1 large zucchini, halved lengthwise, then sliced into 1 cm pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp black vinegar
1 tsp sesame seeds
chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions
1.  Make the potsticker filling.  Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based pan and add green chile and grated ginger.  Cook until fragrant, then add the onion and cook until translucent.  Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring for about 10 minutes on medium heat, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and it has mostly evaporated.  Add the cabbage and carrots and cook, stirring until tender.  This should take about 5 more minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in the chives, pepper, sesame oil, shaking wine, soy sauce, and sugar.  Set aside and let cool.
2.  While the filling is cooling, make the dipping sauce.  Stir it all together and set aside.
3.  Go back to your filling.  You want it to be cool enough to handle.  Stir in the last Tbsp of oil.. or egg.  I used egg because I thought that was a bit too much oil.  I don't regret my choice.
4.  Get wrapping.  Dip your finger in some water and run it along one edge of the wrapper.  Place about 1 tsp of filling in the center of the wrapper, then fold in half and seal by making pleats or ruffles with the side of the wrapper your ran your wet finger on.
Ok, it's kind of hard to explain.  Here's a video that shows the movements.  I did the crescent moon one.  Place them on a floured surface while you finish doing the rest.
5.  Make your stir fry.  Drain the lotus root slices from the water.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the slit green chile, garlic, and ginger.  Cook until fragrant, then add the lotus root slices.  Cook, stirring for about 5 minutes, then add the zucchini slices.  Cook, stirring for another 5-10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your veggies.  Deglaze with some soy sauce.  Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil, black vinegar, and sesame seeds.
6.  Cook your potstickers.  In a large flat pan, brush a bit of oil.  Place the potstickers one by one in the pan, making sure they do not touch each other.  Do this in batches if needed.  Let fry for about 1 minute, then add 1/4 cup water, cover, and let steam until the water evaporates (about 2 minutes).  Set aside and repeat.

Now your "hard work" may be rewarded.

Serve as many potstickers per person as desired with a bit of dipping sauce and a serving of stir fry garnished with chopped cilantro.

I only had 25 wrappers, so I ended up with quite a bit of leftover filling.

This was not a problem.. I served it over rice the for leftovers but could have easily worked it into an omelet or stir-fried with rice noodles.

Each day is a new day..

Doesn't it feel good to have magic in your fingertips?

Spicy Szechuan Chicken Noodle Soup

Oh hello there..
It's been a while.
It's not that I haven't been cooking.. I've been cooking like crazy!  It's just that I've been cooking variants of my already posted recipes and while I'm enjoying rediscovering ingredients, I missed you. .. a lot.
Since it is the Chinese or Lunar New Year, I had to make a Chinese dish at least once this week.. and when I say Chinese, I mean Sichuanese.  It's not that I don't appreciate other Chinese regional cuisines.. it's just that Szechuan just really really really rocks my boat.
This "soup" has a deep flavorful broth.  It is spicy, but it all really depends on the spiciness of your bean paste.  Weaklings stay away.
Welcome to the year of the Monkey!

Adapted from GourmetpersuAsian

Serves 4

Ingredients

2-3 large chicken legs with thighs, bone-in skin on

2 Tbsp sunflower oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

5 cups water

20 small Shiitake mushrooms

2 baby bok choy, leaves separated

1 large handful Chinese watercress leaves

juice from 1 lemon
lots of ground green peppercorns

3 knobs glass noodles (or egg noodles)

Seasoning:

3 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp sugar

3 star anise

2 tsp five-spice powder

1 inch chunk ginger, sliced

4 large cloves garlic, sliced

4 Tbsp Doubanjiang (Pixian spicy broadbean paste)

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

Garnish:

4 soft boiled eggs (6 min steam)

chopped green onions

chopped cilantro

sesame oil

Directions

1.  Prepare the broth.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pot or dutch oven and add the chicken pieces.  Cook until lightly brown on all sides, then add the vinegar.  This part releases steam, so be prepared.
2.  Add the water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is done (the meat comes off the bone).  While this is happening, steam your eggs and prepare, chop, and slice the rest of the ingredients.
3.  Remove the chicken and let cool.
4.  Prepare the seasoning.  In a separate saucepan, heat the 3 Tbsp oil on high and add the sugar and let become golden.
5.  Add the star anise and five-spice powder and let bubble for 30 seconds before adding the ginger and garlic slices.
6.  Stir, all while keeping on the heat for another 30 seconds.  Then comes the flavor.  Add the 4 Tbsp doubanjiang.  This will make it too spicy for the weak.  It was perfect for me.  If you're unsure, use only 2 Tbsp and add more later into your own bowl (although the effect isn't the same).  Let bubble for another 30 seconds.
7.  Remove from heat and stir in the soy sauce.  Pour this mixture into the broth along with the mushrooms, bok choy, and watercress.  Keep the broth at a simmer.
8.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and discard.  Put the meat back into the broth with its fellow citizens.  Add the lemon juice and grind some pepper in there.
9.  Cover and simmer for another 5 minutes to let the flavors infuse.
10.  Decide what to do with the noodles.  Depending on in you are going to finish everything in one sitting or will be having leftovers, you can decide to cook the noodles directly in the broth or separately.  I soaked mine separately because I knew I was going to have leftovers.
11.  Serve spooned over noodles garnished with 1 egg per person, the chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and a few drops of sesame oil.

Eat with chopsticks for the optimum effect..
The greens in this are incredible.  I love how the bok choy whites stay crunchy while the leaves wilt into a heavenly stew partnership.
And slurp those noodles... don't dare cut them.  They symbolize a long and healthy life...

Long Chinese Eggplant Japchae

Today was a good day.  Our Earth's amazing fruits have been offered to me for my intense discovery and enjoyment.

Long Chinese eggplants, also called finger eggplants found their way to my desk this morning along with a few jars of homemade jam.  Those eggplants have the word "finger" in them and they are purple!!  'Nuff said.
I also discovered some chiles from the Kabyle area of Algeria offered by a neighbor.  This dinner was the perfect combination of the gifts of life (minus the jam.. because it just wasn't going to happen for dinner).

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

3-4 long Chinese eggplants (finger eggplants), quartered lengthwise and cut into pieces

1 Tbsp oil (I used coconut)

Japchae:

2 Tbsp oil

1 onion, sliced into moons

2 carrots, grated

1 cup cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup sliced leeks

2 eggs

1 green chile (mine was from Kabyle)

250g Dangmyeon noodles (Korean sweet potato starch noodles), cooked and piping hot

Sauce:

1 tsp doubanjiang paste (Pixian broadbean chile paste)

2 Tbsp light soy sauce

2 Tbsp black vinegar

4 garlic cloves, grated

1 inch piece ginger, grated

Garnish:

few drops sesame oil

chopped green onions

sesame seeds

crushed peanuts

Directions

1.  Start with the eggplants.  Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based pan and cook the eggplant slices in one layer for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook until all sides are colored and they are bite tender.  Remove and set aside.

2.  Make your sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.

3.  Heat 1 Tbsp oil in the wok and cook the onions until translucent.  Push them to the sides of the wok and add the carrots and leeks in the center.  Stir fry for about a minute, then push to the sides and add the cabbage and green chile.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then push to the sides.

4.  Add the last Tbsp of oil in the center of the wok.  Crack the eggs and let them set a bit.  Stir to break them, then stir fry everything, adding half the sauce.

5.  Add the cooked hot noodles and the eggplants along with the rest of the sauce and heat through.
6.  Serve with desired garnishes

Anything mixing Korean style cooking, Chinese vegetables and Algerian chiles can only be a win win situation.  This was a slice of heaven on a cold day..

Hake in a Spicy Black Vinegar Sauce

When I have run out of ideas and the grocery store doesn't inspire me, I feel helpless.  This helpless feeling is followed by annoyed grunts an rummaging around my kitchen.  What unblocks this feeling is when I realize I can make a single serving of something, just for me.  This means I can eat anything I want as spicy as I want and nobody will be there to complain.  This usually means I'll be eating fish, and since my new neighborhood's grocery store does not have a very nice fish selection (nor a very nice fish monger) I've temporarily reverted to frozen filets.  As much as I love fresh fish and seafood.. I can't just hold out for it.  I don't know when I will start to find my fish monger pleasant or the section mouthwatering as I did in my previous neighborhood, but in the meantime, I can make something crazily amazing with good old frozen filets.  Those may sound boring, but they always get a good makeover in my kitchen..
It's very hot these days so I wanted something light but tangy.
And then.. as I opened my last cupboard, I spotted the holy black vinegar.  This condiment plays a major role in my Chinese recipes.  It's not as sour as normal clear white vinegar and has a rounder fuller taste.  It's the main character in potsticker dipping sauce and makes a great dressing.. especially when mixed with sesame.
I was planning on steaming the fish.. because if I was Chinese, I would probably always steam my fish.  Just as my water was boiling under the steamer basket, the power went out and did so each time I used the boost option on my induction stove.
I should probably look into that.
I ended up baking and it turned out just as I was hoping.. but I still would have steamed if I had the option.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 very large zucchini, spiralized

1 hake filet
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 chopped scallions
some sesame seeds for sprinkling
red pepper flakes for garnish

Sauce:

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp black vinegar

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp doubanjiang (fermented broadbean and chile paste)

1/2 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
Directions
1.  Make the sauce by stirring all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2.  Brush your filet of hake with the sauce, then sprinkle with half of the chopped scallions, half the cilantro, and some sesame seeds.  Steam or bake for 7-10 minutes.  If you bake, do this at 200°C 400°F.

3.  While that is happening, heat the sesame oil in a wok and add the spiralized zucchini.  Cook, tossing for only 2-3 minutes.  Do not let it get mushy.
4.  To serve, lay the zucchini noodles in a plate, lay the cooked hake over it, spoon as much of the sauce as you like over it all.  I used a little more than half and then did it again the next day for lunch.  Garnish with the rest of the chopped cilantro and scallions... and don't forget the red pepper flakes!

Scream for joy
Now
No really.. do it.
This is the most wonderful and simple creation I've imagined in a long time.  It literally takes 15 minutes to put together and has a crazy tangy perfect Chinese taste.
I spiralized zucchini but this would work well with rice noodles and other garnishes such as hard boiled egg (which I tried the next day).
The secret is all in the sauce...

Cantonese Braised Beef and Daikon Stew

Awkwardly, as I was about to prepare a Boeuf Bourgignon, my heart quickly switched to hoisin and garlic.  I suppose the beef and carrots and the "stew" part are the same, but my flavor yearning was for spice, umami, and daikon.  It's funny but I only just recently learned that my favorite "long white turnip" that I use regularly in various recipes from various cultures is called "daikon" in English.  I've always preferred it to it's stubby purple-beige counterpart in taste, and when it's available, I have a hard time resisting placing it into my basket.  I use it sautéed in duck fat when making magret, or in couscous, cooked in that magical ras el hanout meat and vegetable broth.  I've had it in miso soup with seaweed, too, which was a pleasant surprise.  My yearning directed me to a Chinese dish, but this time, a Cantonese recipe.

Adapted from Yi Reservation.
Ingredients
600g stew beef
500g daikon turnip (1 large), peeled and chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp oil
2 star anis
1 dried red chile (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 dried orange peel
5 cloves garlic, 3 sliced and 2 grated
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 Tbsp chu hou sauce (I subbed hoisin + the 2 grated garlic cloves)
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tsp doubanjiang (optional)
2 Tbsp shao xing wine
1 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp freshly ground green pepper
Scallions and cilantro for garnish
Directions
1.  Cut the beef into 1 inch cubes.  Blanch in some boiling water for 8 minutes, then drain and rinse.
2.  Heat the oil in a wok.  Add the star anis, dried chile, bay leaf, and orange peel and fry for 30 seconds until the aroma is released.
3.  Add the ginger and garlic slices and cook another 30 seconds.
4.  Add the blanched beef and stir to coat, cooking for about 1 minute.
5.  Deglaze with the shao xing wine, then add the chu hou, hoisin, oyster, and doubanjiang sauce.  Stir well to coat the meat and cook for another 3 minutes.
6.  Transfer everything but the dark soy, green pepper, and garnish into a slow cooker and cook on low for 7-9 hours.
7.  Before serving, stir in the dark soy and green pepper.  Taste and add salt or light soy sauce if needed.  I didn't think it needed anything extra.

Serve with rice or noodles and garnish with cilantro and scallions.
I served mine with some Stir-Fried Cabbage as well, which was a pleasant enhancement.

Do not skip the orange peel.
It's amazing...

Xián Dàn - Salted Duck Egg

During my last trip to wonderland, I planned to pick up some Century Duck Eggs for a friend in need.  You must be careful when picking up eggs in a Chinese supermarket, because right next to those creamy black and amber delights are other types of duck eggs; some intriguing and others with questionable ethics.  If you pluck the eggs on the far right, you will end up with duck fetus eggs, or balut.  I understand it's a cultural thing and a delicacy, but I draw the line there.  I couldn't ethically bring myself to eating an almost hatched egg.  I read that some like them up to the maturity where they have a light duvet.  It's probably delicious, but it's not for me although I consider myself adventurous.  I'd eat a grilled scorpion or toasted grasshoppers any day, but not that.
The other type of egg you can find there is the salted duck egg.  I've seen that in a few different recipes and felt so curious I picked up a 6 pack and decided to offer them along with the Century eggs.
The salted duck egg is one that has been placed in a brine (saturated salt water solution) for about 1 month as a preservation method.  The eggs must then be cooked before eaten.  These are usually eaten hard boiled an then mixed into congee (something I should probably get around to making).  Sometimes the raw yolk is used as a dressing or stir fry sauce, with the raw white discarded.
I was supposed to be offering these, but as I waited for the gift retrieval day, every time I opened my fridge, these eggs would scream "Please taste me!!!!!!!"
As I have a hard time giving into temptation, I decided to sample one or 2 of these little delights.
12 minutes in the steamer and they were done.  They would be a perfect topping to my evening Japchae and Kimchi plan.

Once the eggs are cooked, peel them and please do not just take a bite.  The outer white part is extremely salty and having a mouthful of just the white would be more of a punishment than a discovery.  The inner white part furthest from the shell is pleasantly edible with an interesting texture completely different from "normal" egg whites.

The best way is to use it completely (white and yolk) crumbled on a soup or stir fry as I did with my Japchae.  If you want to get a pure sample, scoop out the yolk which should have an amazing oily spreadable texture and place this nectar directly into your mouth.

Your eyelids will flutter with a pleasant sting, and you will be baptized into yet another intriguing Asian egg eating circle.

Soy Sauce Chicken and Fried Brown Rice

Since yesterday, the sun seems to be noticeably rising earlier and setting later, the birds have been happily chirping away into the late morning, and sour taste cravings are in the forefront.
Happy New Year, we have entered the year of the Goat!
As the Chinese New Year marks the beginning of seasonal Spring (not western calendar spring), the Goat is important to me.  I'm not sure what it symbolizes in Chinese astrology, but to me it symbolizes fraternal love.  Precisely, the love I have for my brother, and the reciprocal love he has for me.  Although my brother was born under the Rabbit and I myself under the Pig, the Goat has always been a heartwarming symbol for us (which my parents probably never will understand.)
So, as I probably won't be posting any goat recipes (unless that little buggar shares one with me), I'll be gorging on farmer's goat cheese all year while sharing my latest Sichuan Cuisine experiences.. which I am quite proud of as of yet.  The chicken has an almost roasted visual appeal, but a tender broth infused texture and flavor, which intrigued me when I ate it fresh off the stove, and again even more the next day!

Adapted from ChinaSichuanFood

Soy Sauce Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
Marinade:
4 chicken legs
1 inch piece ginger, grated
1 green onion, cut
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Rub the soy sauce all over the chicken, then add the grated ginger and green onion.  Marinate for 2 hours in the fridge.

Simmer:
2 inch piece ginger, sliced
2 bay leaves
5 star anis
3 dried red chiles
1 green onion, cut
1 cinnamon stick
white part of 1 leek, sliced

3 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shao Xing wine
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp sugar
Garnish:
chopped cilantro
Directions
1.  Place all the "simmer" ingredients in a pot or deep pan and bring to a simmer.  Let simmer for 5-7 minutes.

2.  Slide in the marinated chicken.  Bring to a boil, then cook covered and simmer for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken once.
3.  Turn up the heat a bit, flip chicken again, and cook, uncovered for another 5-10 minutes until done (you can tell by poking it.. if the juices run clear, it's done).

My own personal creation
Fried Brown Rice
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup seaweed (rehydrated)
1/2 cup wood ear mushrooms (rehydrated)
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup sliced leeks
1 green chile, seeded and sliced
2 eggs, beaten

1 cup cooked brown rice
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp Soy Sauce Chicken Simmer Broth (once chicken is done cooking)
1 Tbsp black vinegar
Directions
1.  Heat half the oil in a wok and add the carrots and leeks.  Cook until fragrant, then add the chile and cabbage.  Make sure not to overcrowd the wok, pushing the "done" ingredients to the side to make room for the new ingredients in the center.
2.  When the cabbage starts to become tender, make room in the center and add the beaten eggs.  Let cook without touching for about 2 minutes, then stir into pieces.
3.  Make room in the center and add the rehydrated wood ear mushrooms and seaweed.  Heat through.
4.  Make room in the center again, add the rest of the oil, wait a few seconds, then add the cooked brown rice.  I used brown basmati rice.  I have a hard time using any other type of rice.  I don't know why, but it just doesn't seem "right."  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring only the rice, then stir everything together.
5.  Add the soy sauce broth and vinegar and stir fry another 30 seconds.

Serve hot, without the broth, garnished with some chopped cilantro.

This would have been excellent with some Goat.

Chicken Hearts with Cabbage Fried Rice

So, I stumbled upon some chicken hearts the other day at my local supermarket while waiting in line for just salad and green onions.  The person before and after me had them in their basket, and I must have said out loud "wow I be that's insanely delicious..." which is not unusual for me to say to myself out loud.
Lucky for me, the person behind me actually answered my self comment.  He was either Vietnamese, Cambodian, or Laos (I still don't have it down pat) but with his wife, they seemed to know exactly what they were talking about.  He saved my spot in line while I quickly ran over to the meat section to buy the absolute last saturday night chicken hearts in the aisle.  He then explained to me in detail (to the utter exhaustion of the cashier) how to prepare them, that they are not tough, but rather tender, and are best grilled or pan fried and paired with shallots.
Be still my hearts.. and rock my world.
The best part is that they are very healthy.  Any heart is good for the heart, and they are almost dirt cheap (for meat).  My ginger chile garlic concoctions of late have quickly and efficiently kicked my cold out of my body, and now this is perfect to strengthen that important little muscle trapped in my cage soon to find itself in a straight jacket all next week, dying to breathe again. 

Serves 2

Chicken Hearts

150-200g (around 1/2 lb) chicken hearts, quartered lengthwise and rinsed

4 small or 2 normal shallots, sliced crosswise

1 Tbsp oil

Marinade:

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 tsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp black vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Cabbage Fried Rice

2 Tbsp oil

2 carrots, peeled and grated

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 slit green chile

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup cooked rice

2 eggs

1 green onion, chopped

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp black vinegar

juice from 1/2 lemon

few cracks green pepper

Garnish:

Thai chile

chopped green onions

chopped cilantro

Sriracha sauce
few drops sesame oil

Directions

1.  Make the marinade for the chicken hearts by stirring all the ingredients together.  Place the sliced hearts into the marinade and refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour.  Do this either in the morning or as the first step before prepping all the other ingredients.

2.  Make the cabbage fried rice.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the carrots.  Cook stirring for 1-2 minutes, then add the cabbage and chile.  Cook, stirring until cabbage is tender, about 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic and cooked rice.  Heat through, stirring and making sure the rice is well coated.  When ready, push everything to the sides of the wok to make space for the eggs.  Crack the eggs into the center of the wok and let simmer and bubble.  Stir lightly in the center to break the yolks and spread out the egg.  When you can stir and the eggs break apart into pieces, stir in the rest from the side to make a homogenous mixture.

Stir fry for another 1-2 minutes, then add the green onions, lemon juice, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper.  

3.  During the "off" time of the cabbage fried rice, cook the chicken hearts.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the shallots.  Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes, then add the marinated chicken hearts.  Let cook for 2-3 minutes, then stir and let cook another 2-3 minutes.

Serve the chicken hearts with the cabbage fried rice garnished with a few droplets of sesame oil, chopped cilantro, and chopped green onions.  I added a Thai chile to my plate and a  drizzle of Sriracha for extra red hot heart thumping.

I cannot believe how tender these were.  If I had not cooked them myself, I would never have guessed they were organs.  I've tasted liver (other than fois gras) gizzards (other than confit) and kidneys (rognons) and they do taste very much like organs, which isn't something I go crazy for.  These are very soft and meaty without that extra gamey strange taste.  The best part is that any heart you eat will nourish your own...except any of that Hannibal nonsense.

Black Vinegar and Garlic Dipping Sauce

After what felt to me like an eternity of abstinence, I regained my place as an artist in my workplace tonight.

I have to admit to having taken the shortcut route since I made the turkey and shiitake potstickers during the holidays and froze them for a day like today, but I was able to innovate with the dipping sauce.

Yield 3/4 cup

Ingredients

1 1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp black vinegar

1 tsp ShaoXing wine

2 tsp grated garlic

1 tsp grated ginger

2 Tbsp chopped scallions

1 Thai chile, chopped

1 tsp white sesame seeds

Stir all the ingredients together and use as a glaze on some garlic steamed baby bok choy or as a dipping sauce for jiaozi.

That extra punch of garlic, ginger, and Thai chile is a perfect remedy for any "under-the-weather" weakness you may be feeling.  It's as much revigorating as it is healing.. and with the freezing cold happening right now.. it was just what was missing from my life to really hit the spot.

No, not that one.. the other one...

Suan La Tang - Hot and Sour Soup

There is something that engulfs my soul each time I make a meal like this.  I've had this type of soup before in restaurants, but I've never enjoyed it as much as I did this homemade version.  I added the same type of seaweed found in miso soup.  I don't quite know what it's called because the package was in Korean, but it's definitely seaweed and not kelp.

This soup has all the functional elements working together to make me feel happy again.  It has the heat from the chiles, the hot temperature, the tang from the vinegar, the complete meatiness of the shiitake mushrooms, and the green slippery seaweed.  Not to mention how beautiful it becomes at the very last minute when the beaten egg is stirred in.  It goes from a watery pot of strangeness to a blooming delicacy.

I can't really cite a recipe that I followed because I didn't use one.  I followed the basic guidelines for hot and sour soup.. which involve egg, corn starch, vinegar, tofu (in this case, paneer), and mushrooms.  The rest was all me.

Needless to say I blew myself away with this one.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

8 dried shitake mushrooms soaked in 2 cups hot water for 15 minutes

1 handful dried seaweed, rehydrated and cut with kitchen shears

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 tsp white pepper

2 Thai chiles, chopped

2 pinches angel hair chile

2 Tbsp soy sauce or tamari

3/4 cup paneer or firm tofu, cubed

1/2 cup frozen peas

4 cloves garlic grated

1 Tbsp corn starch mixed with some cold water

5 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 eggs, beaten

garnish:

chopped scallions

drizzle sesame oil

Directions

1.  Heat the stock, white pepper, celery, and chiles in a pot.

2.  Meanwhile, slice the soaked shiitakes and strain the soaking water.

3.  Add the cut seaweed and sliced mushrooms along with their strained soaking water to the pot.  Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered for about 5 minutes.

4.  Add the soy sauce, paneer,  and peas and simmer a few more minutes.  Add more water if necessary.

5.  Add the garlic and corn starch mixture.  Heat through, stirring.  The corn starch is for thickness.  Add more if you like it thick.. less if you like it thin.  I like mine thin.  Do this for a minute or two.

6.  Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar and beaten eggs.  

Cover until ready to serve.

Serve garnished with some chopped scallions and a few drops of toasted sesame oil.

Enjoy hot... very hot.. and very spicy!

This meal is mostly balanced according to the elements.  It's served in a broth with seaweed and egg (water), mushrooms (earth), garlic, chile, and paneer (metal), and the sour element (wood) from the vinegar.  I suppose there's a fire element missing, but all you need to do is drink a glass of wine and you have it made.

Usually there is some sort of meat added but I wanted it to be semi-vegetarian and I didn't quite feel the need to add any meat.  If I did, I would have chosen ground turkey because it's rather neutral and would absorb the sour and spicy flavors of the broth.  The paneer, mushrooms, and eggs made it more than meaty enough for me.

Stiletto Ginger Garlic Chile Cockles

Ok I probably should have named this

Stiletto FAIL!

But not because of my genius preparation...because out of the 550g (19.4oz) cockles I bought, only about 75g (2.6oz) of them opened.  I usually trust my fishmonger, but today, my smiling crazy brunette must have been off, and some slow unusual guy replaced her.. and he sold me some bad cockles!!

NOT a good start to Stiletto Night.

Fortunately, my evening was saved by a few things.  Among them, an incredible Chabichou

a Poitou goat cheese with a nice firm center and gooey creamy outskirt, enveloped by a wrinkly pungent skin.

MmmMMmprrRrrRr (can you hear me purring from here?)

One of the other Stiletto-saving events of the evening is the blasting Pulp Fiction DVD IN ENGLISH I'm watching as I'm writing this... and the best part is all the lovely memories it brings back as if my best friends were right here next to me, sniffing my Chabichou breath as I recite the lines.. and dance to the Jack Rabbit Slim dance contest with Mia Wallace.

Si I decided to post this because my sauce was completely worth it.  It's a Chinese-style stir-fry that rocked my world, and I will re-use with (fresh) clams or tellina, or mussels or even jackknives.  Oh yes.. jackknives would go very very well with this business!

Serves 1

Ingredients

400-500g (1 lb) shellfish of your choice (I used cockles), soaked in saltwater for 2 hours and rinsed

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp olive or sunflower oil

2 cloves garlic, grated

1 inch ginger, grated

3 Tbsp chopped leek

2 Thai chiles, chopped (not for the weak)
1 Tbsp ShaoXing cooking wine

1 tsp sesame seeds (I used black)

Directions

1.  Don't forget to do that soaking in water with salt business.  This is important for the shellfish to release their sand.  You may want to change the water once during this time and be sure to remove any that are already opened.. those ones are dead.

2.  Heat the oils in a wok or heavy based pan.  Add the leeks and chile cook for about 1 minute.

3.  Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then deglaze with the ShaoXing.

4.  Add the rinsed and drained cockles.  Cover and cook for about 6-8 minutes.  After this time, they should have all opened wide to expose their inner selves.  If they haven't.. throw them out and complain to your fishmonger.. which is what I'm going to do very very soon.

5.  Add the sesame seeds and stir to mix.

Serve hot.  Eat with fingers and tongue.  Enjoy this experience as I was planning to.

Either way, console yourself with some excellent cheese... Please.

Oh and watch Pulp Fiction.

Next time, I'll be doing this to Moulin Rouge... aaah yes I love this idea!

Pidan Century Duck Eggs

 

I made an incredible discovery last night.  I'm not saying I discovered this as ChrisCo "discovered" America, but I made a personal discovery after trying a century egg.

Those things I never thought to try (at least in France) which I always thought were somewhat rotten by their sulfuric odor and black aspect... definitely a water element...are actually intriguingly delicious!

I found them at my Asian Wonderland last week during my mystery tour and reported back to one of my friends who has told me he had always wanted to try them.  You don't have to tell me that type of thing twice.  Within a few days, a dinner party was arranged with one of the appetizers being a century egg.  

What is that black strange thing exactly?

It is a delicacy dating back from the Ming dynasty in China in which a hen, duck, goose, or quail egg is cured in a solution of lime, ash, salt, and clay for about 100 days (not 100 or 1000 years as the name suggests.)  The pH of the alkaline solution changes the pH of the egg (around 10 to 12) curing it, turning the white an amber color and the yolk a dark greenish grey with a creamy center.  The first century egg is said to have been an accident.  Some construction workers found these eggs that had been sitting under a pile of alkaline clay and lime on the site.. and one of those had the guts to actually eat the egg.  The rest is history, as we say.  

It is also said to have some medicinal properties for digestion, lower blood pressure, improve appetite, vision, liver issues, and act as an aphrodisiac. It is a Wood element, after all.

The Thai and Laos literal translation of this delicacy is "Horse Urine Egg" which refers to the ammonia odor after shelling. The odor is pungent and the eggs should be rinsed after shelling to reduce this aspect.

How should we enjoy the delicacy?

It all depends on the type of party you're having. It can be chopped up and used as a topping for congee (a Chinese rice porridge), it can be served on a stick with pickled ginger, it can be used in a salad with a tangy vinegary soy sauce. It can be stir-fried, breaded and deep fried.. but the best way to try it for the first time is "au naturel" so that you can really understand the different levels of textures and flavors.

Lets talk about that now, shall we?

When you first shell it, there is a strangeness about it. It goes against anything we know about eggs to shell and end up with a brown glistening jelly ball in your hand. The snowflake pattern is breathtaking. 

When you cut it open it is even more amazing. There are truly the different layers of curing which almost look like the insides of a geode, glistening and delicate, and wanting to be displayed.

See what I mean? 

This is exactly what it made me think of. Something unique and full of a past life that I will now uncover and become One with.

I found it beautiful.

The whites are now an amber gelatin with a snowflake pattern on the outside. The texture is just that.. a jelly you can grab with your fingers. The taste is mild when tasted without the yolk. It is pleasant to let it melt in your mouth. 

The yolk is creamy and a bit more funky. It is mild at first, and then the aftertaste becomes more and more pleasant as it has passed through the tasting organs. It leaves you wanting more, with that lingering addictive taste that keeps you intrigued. I thought it would be extremely salty, but it wasn't. I can see a black vinegar and soy sauce mix going well with these in a salad, but I really enjoyed just tasting the wedges of the egg without any adornments.

I served these with some wasabi covered black beans and some prawn crackers for our appetizer before the Bo Bun dinner.

I will without a doubt buy these again during my next trip to Asian Wonderland...

5 Elements & Love

Happy New Year and Best Wishes of Peace and Health to all!

This year I'm going to learn more about 5 Element cooking and incorpoate those principles of balance into my life.

Earth, Fire, Water, Wood, Metal, and of course, Love because without Love, nothing worth sharing can be produced..

It's hard to find something involving how to apply the Feng Shui philosophy to cuisine instead of interior design.  I'm not looking for a book of recipes, but a way to understand clearly how to incorporate those 6 elements into my creations.  I understand the words, but it's all unclear for now.
I know each element is associated with color, taste, and organ.
I would have thought chile would be in the Fire category, but it is in the Metal one.
Where is fish?  I would have thought Water, but I'm not so sure.
Thankfully, I know where my Love is...

It seems complex.. any tips or book recommendations?

Singapore Mei Fun with Duck

As I walked into my favorite Asian Wonderland, Paris Store, a dizzying sense of calm and euphoria came upon me.  I felt so sure of myself, having perused the aisles plenty of times, having helped newcomers a few times with unfamiliar products, and having searched long and hard for specific items with the reward of actually finding them.

This time I had my list of regular items and a few extras I was hoping to discover.

I went there for egg roll papers for my share of the New Year's Eve annual potluck.  That was my regular item.  The item I was hoping to discover was gochugaru, a Korean chile powder or paste (I should have done my homework on that one before going on that journey) for a kimchi project that's been on my mind for a while, but which I unfortunately didn't find, or which I may have found, but didn't know that I was holding the researched product in my hands.

It's true.  Every time I've gone to that place, it's either for extra familiar items such as lentils or Indian products.. for which I need absolutely no help, or for real Chinese items, which are becoming more familiar and I can more or less work out the product by reading the English translated labels.. not the French.  I don't know who's in charge of translating Chinese food labels into French, but they seem to think that pickled mustard greens or turnip greens are "Chou."  I may be strange, but even if they don't use mustard or turnip greens in this country, they can at least imagine a literal translation such as "Verts de Moutarde" or "Verts de Navet" but not Cabbage!

Ok, that aside, you have to obviously have done your homework and if possible looked at photos of the item you are looking for, because you can't really count on getting any valuable information from the people who work there.  I'm not saying they're bad at their job, but you have probably about a 20% chance of targeting the right ethnicity of the person vs product you are searching.  Their French is ok, but since they don't really think of their products with their crappy French label translations, you'd better know how to pronounce it in Mandarin/Cantonese/Vietnamese/Korean/Thai.  And even then, you're not sure that particular person speaks the language you have phonetically memorized the product name in.. or that you are pronouncing it correctly.  No, no.. you're always on your own if you need product help.. or if you find someone like me shopping there and I happen to have already sourced the product.  Sometimes I giggle to myself when I spot first timers and hand around to see if I can be of any use to them.

I do love that place very much.  It's not a place I go to often, but it feels like it's so much a part of me that I have part of my brain stuck there sometimes.  I even have some delicious memories there..

So after proudly finding my kimchi and pickled mustard greens and unfortunately not finding my gochugaru, I went to the freezer section to find my egg roll papers.. quite sure of myself since I knew exactly which freezer they are kept in and which brand I wanted.

As my euphoria wore off, I opened the targeted freezer... my jaw dropped and my heart sank.  Completely empty.  With everything I mentioned above, there was no way I could ask one of the workers if they had any egg roll wrappers which they hadn't stocked yet because I can work out the "Cha Gio" part but the rest would have been sort of a hit or miss and I would have ended up with some Nuac Nam or Sriracha instead of the wrappers.  I frantically toured all the freezers just to make sure they hadn't changed spots.. and nothing.  There were a few freezers with sealed cardboard boxes inside and a big written sign saying "Do not open the boxes," but that's it.

There went my NYE offering.  I had finally found something that everyone liked, and now I had to change my plans.  It rarely happens that I make something everyone likes.  The picky eaters in my crowd are very hard to please.. and this time, they actually unanimously requested my egg rolls.

A part of me was secretly happy because it meant I'd probably come back again this week, and it's always a pleasure to peruse those aisles as if I own the place, but even then, I wasn't certain to find my egg roll wrappers.

A quick look left, then right (besides, I couldn't tell the people that worked there apart from the customers), and I tore open the first cardboard box in the freezer specifically labeled "Do not open."  At that moment, I may not have felt so sure of myself at first, but a big rush of adrenaline quickly put me in my rebel state.. and when I'm in my rebel state, nothing can stop me.  NOTHING!

People started looking at me and crowding to see what was in the secret boxes, but I no longer cared, I would state my cause, proudly, especially because the very first box I opened contained the prized egg roll papers I came so far to retrieve.

GLORY!

People all started digging into that box.. because apparently, they were also wandering around aimlessly hoping those egg roll papers would just appear (or someone working there would get around to stocking the empty freezers).

Obviously, EVERYONE is making egg rolls for the holidays.  

It's the only logical thing to do.. isn't it?

This post is supposed to be about my Singapore Mei Fun with Duck.  Yes, I know, I'm getting to that.

I knew I was having company over and I still had a bit of roasted duck leftover from Christmas Eve.  I was going to make a, Hachis Parmentier with duck instead of ground beef and a purée of carrots and sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes.  That idea was clear as day in my head since the morning.. but after my Paris Store fiasco, I was swept up with Asian Persuasion.  My guest of honor is a fan of rice vermicelli noodles and anything Asian I seem to make, so some Mei Fun with Duck was the only way to go, and to make the best use of the last of my duck meat.  I can do that French thing another time... or I'll probably end up eating it somewhere that exists already.

This.. is purely a "me" recipe.. meaning it corresponds to my mood and the elements surrounding my day more than any baked casserole could.

Plus, I wanted to try out my ShaoXing wine since I finally figured out what the bottle looked like!

This is "Singapore" style because of the turmeric.  The Chinese version of this is the same but without the turmeric.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

200g dried rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water 1 hour and drained

200g roasted duck meat, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp oil

2 handfuls sliced shitake mushrooms, soaked and drained

1 onion, sliced into moons

3 carrots, peeled and grated into matchsticks

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 green moroccan chile (or jalapeño), seeded and sliced

2 scallions, white parts sliced lengthwise, green parts chopped finely

2 eggs, beaten

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp turmeric (or heavily turmeric'd curry powder such as madras)

Stir-Fry Sauce:

1 Tbsp ShaoXing wine

1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1 Tbsp black vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Garnish:

Thai chile

green parts of scallion

Sriracha sauce (optional)

Directions

1.  Prep all your ingredients so that they are ready for when you need to throw it in the hot hot wok.  For the duck meat, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a wok and add the cooked duck meat.  Cook until browned, then set aside.  In the same wok, add the beaten eggs, cook, scramble, then set aside.

2.  Start the stir-fry.  Place the remaining oil in the wok.  Add the carrots, chile, and onion.  Cook until the onion is translucent, then push everything to the side without overcrowding and add in the cabbage and mushrooms.  If you think your wok is too small, do this in batches.

3.  Add in the garlic, ginger, and turmeric.  Stir fry for 30 seconds.

4.  Add in the browned duck meat, white parts of the scallions, and drained vermicelli.  Again, make sure not to overcrowd the work or everything will steam instead of stir-fry.  Cook for another minute.

5.  Add in the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, making sure the heat is high and the sauce gets evenly distributed.

Serve garnished with the green parts of the scallion, a thai chile, and some Sriracha sauce in case you need some more heat.

The perfect ending to my adventure-day..

Squash and Mushroom Dan Dan with Dangmyeon Noodles

A few days ago, I made some incredible Dan Dan Mian respecting the authenticity of the dish and adjusting the chili oil heat by plate.  I had a small bit of that dan dan sauce leftover that I just couldn't throw away, so I saved it in a jar in the fridge.  Since that day, it's been calling out at me.. but I've been doing so many other types of dishes that I wasn't quite ready to to a remake.  Now that I understand the concept of the dish, I allowed myself some room for freestyle.  Why not add a bit of squash?  It is Halloween, after all.  Since I'm not out disguised and partying like any normal American should be doing, I'll at least have my pumpkin in costume...
I had a piece of sucrine squash I needed to finish and taste-wise, it would worked out just perfect.  Why not transform it into fight food?  I decided to go half noodle and half strip mushroom, which are the same shape as noodles and are not very pungent, so would sub in just perfectly.  Since I didn't have time to grind, I just cubed some chicken filets and just let it flow out of memory.
The real star of the dish is the sauce, though.. so make sure you have the sauce.. otherwise you cannot call this dan dan anything.

Serves 3

Ingredients

700g (1.5lb) sucrine du berry or butternut squash, peeled and cubed

3 chicken cutlets, cubed

1 handful preserved radish greens

1 handful chopped leek greens

150g (5 oz) dangmyeon (sweet potato starch) noodles

100g (3.5 oz) dried strip mushrooms

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp five spice

1 tsp light soy sauce or tamari

Dressing:

1/2 cup heated Dan Dan sauce
2 Tbsp red chili oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
crushed peanuts for garnish
Directions
1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles and mushroom strips for about 5 minutes or to dangmyeon package instructions.  You can do the rest while this is happening.  Drain and set aside.
2.Heat the coconut oil in a wok and add the cubed squash.  Stir-fry for a minute or two, then add the preserved radish greens.
3.  When the squash starts becoming tender (about 2-3 minutes) add the chicken, garlic, leeks, and five spice.
4.  Stir fry until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes) then deglaze with the soy sauce.
5.  Give yourself enough time to make the dan dan sauce and red chili oil if you didn't already have it on hand.
6.  Assemble.  Place the strip mushrooms and noodles in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the hot dan  dan sauce.  Add some red chili oil, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts.

Ah... now THAT is fight food!

The dangmyeon noodles work very well here.  I was looking for they chewy slick texture and this did not disappoint!
I'll be moving on to Mexican now that I've had my weekly Chinese fix..

Dan Dan Mian with Udon Noodles

Noodles.
Slick oily spicy umami chewy Sichuan noodles.  The kind you slurp up and have to wipe your running nose after eating.  That's the kind of luxury these Dan Dan noodles bring to your life.
I'd been imagining these all day and made all the careful chili oil preparations when I realized I may be having company over that doesn't know me.  This isn't really a problem, it's just that people that know me expect to be eating something out of the ordinary when at my table.. some people do not do well with unknown flavors.
Lucky for me, everything went smoothly.. and I didn't even have a drop of red chili oil left after the meal!
Inspired by Yi Reservation
Serves 3
Ingredients

230g (8oz) dried udon noodles

1 handful fresh spinach (I didn't have any so I left it out)

Meat:

250g (9oz) ground turkey or pork

115g (4oz) preserved mustard or radish green, chopped

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp ginger, grated

1 Tbsp oil

1 tsp five spice

1 Tbsp light soy sauce or tamari

Sauce:

2 tsp grated garlic

2 tsp sesame paste (or tahini)

3 Tbsp light soy sauce or tamari

1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns

1 Tbsp Mirin or 1 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp black vinegar

2 + 2 Tbsp red chili oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

1 cup boiling hot water

Garnish:

chopped scallions (I used leek greens)

crushed peanuts
Directions
1.  Prepare the "meat" ingredients.  Heat the oil in a wok and add the ground turkey, ginger, garlic, and preserved greens.  Stir fry until cooked through, then add the five spice and deglaze with the soy sauce.  Watch out because the preserved greens are already salty, so don't overdo it with the soy sauce.  Cook until nice and brown and almost crispy.  Reserve.
2.  Cook the noodles with the spinach.  My dried Udon cooked for 5 minutes until they attained their desired chewy texture.  Then drain and rinse.
3.  While that is happening, prepare the sauce.  Stir everything but the chili oil and hot water together in a bowl until nice and smooth.  This may take some time because tahini tends to thicken with liquid.  Add 2 Tbsp of the chili oil and the boiling cup of water.  Stir well, finger taste test to see if the spiciness is enough.  I left the other 2 Tbsp on the table and added it onto my plate.
4.  Assemble.  Place home hot udon noodles and spinach in a bowl, spoon a few Tbsp of the sauce over the noodles.  Add some of the meat, then garnish with chopped scallions and crushed peanuts... and a few extra spoonfuls of red chili oil... if you can handle it.

Yes, you can eat this with chopsticks.. it's a slurp-with-face-near-bowl experience but its is the best way to enjoy this.

The spiciness was incredible.  I highly recommend making your own red chili oil.
I also discovered preserved radish greens.. which is very interesting.  They are pickled, crunchy, and salty, but with this earthy pleasant flavor.  Don't skip the preserved greens!