While in Nagoya, Japan, a group of us were on a mission wandering off the main drag, looking down dark alleys and searching block by block for our destination. About to give up when we turned around to look at one last corner when lo and behold, out of the darkness a bright sign beckons to us. Hurray! We found our destination in search of... Gyoza!
Gyoza are pan-fried dumplings like potstickers. In my opinion, dumplings are pretty close to the perfect food. You have a delicious meat filling, with some form of wrapper and a flavorful dipping sauce. That's meat, carbs and flavor in a nice, neat little bite-sized package!
Small and addicting. Like a potato chips, you just can't have one.
Five different types were tried... I don't remember which order they were presented, but we had he basic pork filled, curry flavored, shiso, shrimp filled and cheese filled. Yes, they have cheese filled gyoza!
All were delicious. We could have eaten another round, but we were moving onto our next food quest of the evening.
Ago is in the Sakae area of Nagoya. Can be difficult to find since it's a few blocks off the main drag.
However, through the magic of Google Maps, the location is listed below.
Musashi
Back to Nagoya, Japan, the places we've eaten at are casual places that served drinks and bar style food, knows as Izakaya, where the dishes are small and meant to be shared.
These places tend to focus on a food or a technique and keep it simple to produces delicious small dishes that go along with beer. This is a Japanese version of Tapas. Instead of wine, there's beer and sake, probably shochu too.
Musashi is a kushiyaki (grilled meat on skewers) establishment. We just call it "The Meat on Sticks" place.
This place actually has an English menu. However, whoever did the menu must have been setting up an inside joke? It could be just phonetic, but I don't know.
Can you spot the items I'm referring too?
The main "meat on sticks" menu. Pretty straight forward. Note: the eating low and high on the hog. The Japanese are into textures as well as flavor, hence the offal on the menu. <
Very common to have fresh cabbage on the menu. The veg for the meal? Also, Worcestershire flavored sauce is a common bottle on the table. The cabbage offers a fresh sweet crunch as a contrast to the grilled food.
A typical setup - beer, the food on the stick and the container for the spent sticks. Pass the food, please!
Bacon wrapped Mochi (Rice cake) with cheese. Bacon and cheese + Grilled = Can't go wrong!
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Some would say this is the best way to eat veggies, Bacon wrapped asparagus.
Grilled beef rib seasoned with salt. Very tender beef and worth the wait.
Grilled meats = Mmmm. Mmmm. Good!
Grilled pigs feet. A challenge item for some of use, but the skin was very tender and flavorful.
Yes, worth a try. Just don't think about what you're eating!
Chicken Giblets. Surprisingly tender. No funky flavors. Another safe item for most people.
Located close to the Nagoya Marrion, but there are two or three other locations throughout Nagoya.
Now that I've mapped the place. Maybe I can remember where Musashi's is located the next time I'm back in town.
Look for the brown sliding doors - with the small black awning.
I don't remember going through the open door on the right.
Actually, the new year started February 19th, but celebrations usually last a couple weeks.
From what I do remember, the first few days are celebrated with immediate family. Afterwards, the extended family is invited over for dinner so family ties can be renewed.
Symbolic foods are important to bring good luck and prosperity for the up and coming year.
Today's dish is chicken lettuce cups made with some good luck ingredients.
Bamboo shoots for a fresh start for the new year
Carrots for good luck
Lettuce brings prosperity
Mushrooms give longevity and opportunity
Water chestnuts creates unity
This chicken version is easier to make and the ingredient can be easily found at most local supermarket.
I used chicken thighs but a chicken breast is a good alternative. Chicken breast are easier to clean too.
Chicken Lettuce Cups
4 Chicken Thighs (about 1.25 lbs) - deboned, cut into 1/4" cubes (approximately)
1 T Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1.5 t Cornstarch
1) Mix chicken, soy sauce, garlic and cornstarch together and let marinade for about 30 minutes.
Veggies (The Good Luck Ingredients)
1 - 8 oz can of water chestnuts, chopped about 1/4" dice
1 - 8 oz can of bamboo shoots, cut into 1/4" pieces
5 Dried Shiitake, rehydrate in warm water for 15 minutes, cut into small pieces
1 C Fresh Mushroom, cut into 1/2" pieces
1/4 C Carrots, 1/4" dice
3 Green Onions, chopped into 1/4" dice
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 T Oil for cooking
Stir Fry Sauce - Mix the following ingredients in a bowl for later.
2 T Oyster Sauce
2 T Hoisin Sauce
2 T Sherry or Rice Wine
1 T Soy Sauce
2 t Toasted Sesame Oil
1.5 t Cornstarch
1 t Sugar
Directions
This recipes uses a two-step approach where the chicken is cooked for a few minutes and saved in a bowl. The veggies are cooked next for a few minutes and the chicken is added back in to finish the cooking process.
1) Heat a pan on medium-high with 1 T. When the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook about 3 to 4 minutes. This gets the chicken cooked about 80%. Pour the chicken onto a separate bowl.
First, partially cooking the chicken.
2) Add the other T of oil to the pan. When hot, add the fresh veggies - carrots, mushrooms and garlic. Stir fry for about 3 minutes.
Cooking the fresh veggies first.
3) Add the bamboo shoots and water chestnuts and allow to cook for about a minute
4) Add the chicken (and the juices) back into the pan with the veggies.
5) Cover and let steam for about 3 minutes (to finish cooking the chicken).
6) Add the green onions and the stir fry sauce. Cook another minute or two.
7) Serve with lettuce cups. Fill lettuce like you would a taco.
Optional: Add extra Hoisin sauce to the lettuce cup or some Sriracha sauce. Also, can garnish with fresh minced green onions or a few sprigs of cilantro. Can be served with white rice too.
The Academy Awards are just around the corner. That means people are gearing up for an Oscar party!
Here's an appetizer that's easy to make and requires only two ingredients, plus dipping sauces if you like.
Easy Pigs in a Blanket
1 - 8 oz can of refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (e.g. Pillsbury)
1 - 13 oz package of mini-size smoked link sausages (e.g. Little Smokies)
The sausages are cooked so you're just cooking the crescent roll.
My YouTube Video: Channel eat4f1
1) Separate the crescent rolls into triangles (usually 8 per tube). Cut each triangle into thirds.
2) Roll the dough around the sausage - starting at the wide end and working towards the narrow end.
3) Depending upon the website
Pillsbury recommends baking 375F for 12 to 15 minutes while Hilshire Farms recommends 400F for 9 to 10 minutes. I tried both temperatures and both worked.
The key is to bake until golden brown which worked out to 375F for 13 minutes and 400 F for 11 minutes.
Finished results - Golden brown top and bottom.
Can be eaten as is or with a dipping sauce, such as, ketchup, mustard, ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing. No rules here. It's a party! Par-tay!
Ru Ri Iro is a Japanese restaurant that serves combination lunches. Here in Japan , the combo meals are often called, "Sets".
A typical Set - Rice, miso soup, pickled veggie, a side dish and the entree.
This entree consisted of two perfectly fried shrimp (cruncy and not greasy) and a croquette. I don't remember if it was potato or a seafood/crab croquette, but I would guess potato. A little side salad and tartar sauce.
Another day another special Set.
Rice and miso soup again, side dish of squash and a little pickled veg. Again two perfectly fried shrimp and a maguro (tuna) burger patty. Surprisingly, the patty tasted beefy with a very slight tuna finish. However, I would have guessed it was a beef patty if I didn't hear the description, "maguro hambugro". The only two words that made sense to me in the whole ordering process. All my years of eating in Japanese-American restaurants finally paid off. lol.
The custard dish is Chawanmushi - a savory egg custard dish.
I don't know if this is part of the meal or the owner was being nice to our group, but our meal came with green tea ice cream topped with a little sweetened red beans, but it was a nice way to finish the meal.
Nap, Nap Time.
Ru Ri Iro - location shown on the map below. From a coworker, at night this place becomes a Izakayu. A bar that serves small dishes.
A picture worth a bunch of words. How it looks from the outside. Note the distinctive wooden triangular sign.
While in Japan, ramen is a must try. I'm not talking about the instant ramen where you add hot water to a cup, but ramen where the broth is made from scratch and the ingredients are fresh. No freeze dried carrots or freeze dried meat bits here.
A local lunch spot is Shige (phonetically it sounds like "she-gay". That's how it sounds to my American ear.).
There are actually two Shige's across the street from one another. According to the locals, Shige-the restaurant is owned by the Dad while the son opened up Shige-the ramen joint.
Also, according to the locals, the restaurant is a Chinese restaurant.
What?!?!? My gaijin American mind is thinking - there's no General Tso's, Sweet and Sour Chicken or Family Dinner #3. I guess Shige the restaurant ain't know Panda Express knock-off.
Back to the ramen..
There are two options. The most popular amounst us is the Chili Noodle.The other option is the Shoyu Noodle.
Chili Ramen - Rich, thick hearty spicy broth. Pork and sesame paste (Guessing it's sesame paste based upon the jars next to the wok. Laden with bean sprouts, little bits of ground meat and topped minced green onions and blackened garlic oil (?).
The wheat noodles that are thick like spaghetti.
Searching the web for ramen broth with sesame paste, I find a reference to Tantanmen. Which is a ramen version of Dan Dan Noodles - a spicy Szechuan spicy noodle dish.
Is this ramen shop showing it's Chinese heritage?
Besides ramen, there's gyoza and kari-age (fried chicken). There's a larger menu which I can't read so I stick to the Set lunches.
Set A - Ramen (Chili Noodle) with a stir-fried side dish (that varies daily). Today's dish is stir-fried eggplant with minced pork.
Set B - Chili Noodle, rice and fried chicken (Kari-age). Delicious fried chicken that's not greasy at all.
A little salt-pepper powder for the chicken - The Magic Dust. The little salad is has a slightly sweet sesame dressing that's a nice foil to the spicy broth and chicken.
Freshly made gyoza - fried dumplings. Can't go wrong with these little bundles of joy.
The sprog making dumplings.
Shige senior's is on the left while Shige junior's is on the right.
Due to added responsibilities at work, I've been slacking off on my blog for a couple years.
On the upside, I've been fortunate enough to travel to Nagoya, Japan.
Bright Lights! Big City!
Strange and exotic food?
From what I've learned, different regions in Japan have their local food specialties. In Nagoya, chicken and miso are the local specialties foods.
Imagine eating locally sourced foods in the U.S. The buzzword "locally sourced" usually means the restaurant is hip and trendy, often charging a premium for dishes that usually focus around beets, but that's a rant for another post.
One of the first places we've dined at was a local chicken wing chain named, "Yamachan". They are famous for their Tebasaki Chicken wings.
These deceptively simple looking chicken wings are not sauced and are not battered nor floured before frying. Yet, the wings are crispy.
The main flavor that hits you is salt and pepper (mainly white pepper?) with a very faint hint of sugar. No heavy dose of garlic, soy or teriyaki sauce. Just chicken, salt and pepper.
Simple yet addicting.
The instructions on the back of the chopstick pouch imply you only eat the second joint. I do find the wing tip has an irresistible layer of crispy, salty skin bits.
Red Miso covered MM skewers. (MM = Mystery Meat which was chicken.) What surprised me was how sweet the miso was. I was expecting a salty coating, like the miso used in soup, but the coating was sweet and molasses tasting.
Kimchi fried rice is a nice side dish. Slightly tart from the fermented kimchi and peppy from the red pepper. The kimchi is rather mild compared to well aged Korean kimchi.
The logo is a dude in a chicken suit flashing a peace sign.
There are many locations throughout Nagoya. This one is across the street from the Hilton.
When someone tells you, "Don't play with your food."
Your reply should be at least, "No! I'm having too much fun!"
Optional: "Special" words can be added to your response to place more emphasis on the "None of your foshizzle business" meaning of your reply.
Uploaded to YouTube a couple years ago, but forgot to publicly share.
Ah, Technology. Friend or Foe? Discuss.
A little two second video created to pull stills for a pizza making post.
Videos were a nice work around to find the perfect image instead of trying to time shutter for the perfect shot.
For example, below, pizza is stretched out nicely and I'm not in the picture. Perfect!
BTW... The pizza turned out nicely with a thin, light crispy crust.
Original recipe and post can be found here: http://eat4fun.blogspot.com/2008/10/oct-29-daring-baker-pizza.html
For thicker more bready crust, I suggest using less water. Baker's ratios future blog topic.
Maranda of Jolts & Jollies was our January 2012 Daring Cooks hostess with the mostess! Maranda challenged us to make traditional Mexican Tamales as our first challenge of the year!
[Eat4Fun - Happy New Years! I've been wanting to make tamales again, but didn't have a plan. Fortunately this month's challenge gave me the extra push and a new recipe to try out! I decided to try the Green Chile Chicken Tamales.]
Recipe Source: Green Chile Chicken Tamales adapted from Epicurious http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Chile-Chicken-Tamales-108055
Mandatory Items: You must prepare a “dough” and a filling. These must be wrapped in a corn husk, parchment paper, or plastic wrapped and steamed to cook.
Variations allowed: Creativity is highly encouraged. Be it sweet, savory or altered due to dietary preferences and restrictions.
Preparation time: Soaking the corn husks: 3 hours or up to 1 day
Green Chile Chicken Tamales: Makes about 24 tamales
Ingredients 1 – 8 ounce (225 gram) package dried corn husks (If you cannot find corn husks, you can use parchment paper or plastic wrap.)
For filling: 1 pound (455 gram) tomatillos (can sub mild green chilies – canned or fresh) 4 – 3 inch (7½ cm) serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped (can sub jalapeno) 4 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 ½ tablespoons (22½ ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 cups (480 ml) low sodium chicken broth 4 cups (960 ml) (400 gm/14 oz) cooked and shredded chicken 2/3 cup (160 ml) (30 gm/1 oz) roughly chopped fresh cilantro (also known as coriander)
For the masa dough: 1 1/3 cups (320 ml) (265 gm/9⅓ oz) lard or vegetable shortening 1 ½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (10 gm/1/3 oz) salt (omit if already in masa mixture) 1 ½ teaspoons (7½ ml) (8 gm/¼ oz) baking powder (omit if already in masa mixture) 4 cups (960 ml) (480 gm/17 oz) masa harina (corn tortilla mix), I used instant masa mix 1 ½-2 cups (360 ml – 480 ml) low sodium chicken broth
Directions:
1. Place the dried corn husks in a large pot and cover with water.
2. Place a heavy plate or a smaller pot full of water on top of husks to keep them in the water. Let soak for 3 hours or up to 1 day, flipping occasionally until husks are softened.
3. Once husks are softened, boil chicken about 20 minutes or until fully cooked. [I used a whole chicken using the breast and leg meat.]
4. Immediately place hot chicken into the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Turn mixer on high to shred chicken (this takes about 3-5 seconds). [My preference is to dice the chicken, especially the breast, against the bias. I don't like stringy meat in tamales.]
5. Place an oven rack on the top setting. Turn the oven on broil. Peel and rinse the tomatillos.
6. Line a heavy baking sheet with foil. Place tomatillos on baking sheet and place under broiler.
7. Broil (grill) until black spots form on tomatillos, then flip and broil (grill) other side. This takes about 5-10 minutes per side depending on the strength of the broiler.
8. Place roasted tomatillos and juices from the pan into a food processor and allow to cool about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chopped Serrano chiles and process until smooth.
9. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
10. Add the tomatillo puree and boil, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes (it should turn thick like a paste).
11. Add in the chicken broth, stir to mix well. Reduce heat to medium low and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until mixture coats the back of a spoon and is reduced to about a cup (240 ml).
12. Stir in the chicken and cilantro. Salt to taste.
13. Prepare the dough. In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium high heat, cream together the lard or vegetable shortening, baking powder and salt.
Mix in the masa harina, one cup (240 ml) at a time.
14. Reduce the mixer speed to low, gradually add in 1 ½ cups (360 ml) of the chicken broth.
15. If the mixture seems too thick (you can taste it for moistness) add up to ½ cup (120 ml) more of the broth 2 tablespoons (30 ml) at a time. (The dough should be a cookie dough like texture).
16. Take 3 large corn husks and tear them into ¼ inch (6 mm) strips. (I would suggest you put these back in the water until use because they dry out and start breaking when you try to work with them.
17. Take a large pot with a steamer attachment. Pour about 2 inches (5 cm) of water into the bottom of the pot, or enough to touch the bottom of the steamer. Line the bottom of the steamer with corn husks.
18. Unfold 2 corn husks onto a work surface. Take ¼ cup (60 ml) of dough and, starting near the top of the husk, press it out into a 4 inch (10 cm) square, leaving 2-3 inches (5 -7½ cm) at the bottom of the husk. Place a heaping tablespoon (15 ml) of the filling in a line down the center of the dough square.
19. Fold the dough into the corn husk.
20. And wrap the husk around the dough.
21. Fold up the skinny bottom part of the husk.
22. And secure it with one of the corn husk ties.
23. Stand them up in the steamer. If there aren’t enough tamales to tightly pack the steamer, place crumpled aluminum foil in the excess space.
24. Steam the tamales for about 40 minutes or until the dough deepens in color and easily pulls away from the husk. [I steamed for 90 minutes.]
[The tamales turned out different. The texture was reminiscent of an English pudding - rich and soft, probably due to the extra lard and baking powder. I'm more familiar with a firmer, denser texture.
The filing was good. The serrano chiles gave the filling a little spicy bite.
Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose awesome Char Sui Bao as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious!
[Eat4Fun - Posting a month late on this one. I made all three recipes.]
Recipe Source: I looked at quite a few blogs and various websites as well as referring to various cook books. Through trial and error my recipes are a slight variation. Sara's recipe for marinade using maltose was based on Blue Apocalypse's recipe.
Mandatory Items: Prepare char sui and then make char sui bao.
[Char Sui served with Spicy Mustard. Dijon can be used as a substitute, but you don't get the kick.]
Char Sui (Cantonese BBQ Pork)
Ingredients
1 pork fillet/tenderloin (roughly 1-1.5 pounds) 4 large cloves of garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon (3 gm) ginger, grated 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 ½ tablespoons maltose (you can substitute honey) 1 ½ tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 1 tablespoon shaoxing cooking wine ½ teaspoon (2 gm) ground white pepper pinch of salt ½ teaspoon (2 gm) five spice powder ½ teaspoon sesame oil ½ teaspoon pillar box red food colouring [I left out the food coloring.] (1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)
Directions:
1) Trim the pork loin to remove fat and tendon and slice lengthways so you have two long pieces, then cut in half. By cutting the pork in to smaller pieces to marinate you will end up with more flavoursome char sui. If you want to leave the pork in one piece you can do this as well. Place in container that you will be marinating them in.
2) Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. I placed my maltose in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to work with. Maltose is quite a solid hard sticky substance.
3) Cover pork well with ⅔ of the marinade mixture. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, I find it is best left to marinate overnight. Place the reserved ⅓ portion of the marinade covered in the fridge. You will use this as a baste when cooking the pork.
Cooking Method in the oven
4) Pre-heat oven to moderate 180˚C/350°F/gas mark 4.
5) Cover a baking tray with foil or baking paper. Place on top of this a rack on which to cook the pork.
6) Place pork on the rack and place in oven.
7) Bake for approximately 10 minutes, basting and turning.
8) Turn the heat up to moderately hot 200˚C/400°F/gas mark 6 for the final 20 minutes as this will aid the charring. Cook until cooked through.
Baked Char Sui Bao (Cantonese BBQ Pork Bun)
Filling 350 gm (12 oz) char sui (finely diced) 2 green onions/spring onions (finely sliced) 1 tablespoon hoisin 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil ¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock 1 teaspoon (2 gm) cornflour ½ tablespoon vegetable oil (1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)
Dough Ingredients
2½ teaspoons (8 gm/1 satchel) of dried yeast ¼ cup (55 gm/2 oz) sugar ½ cup warm water 2 cups (280 gm/10 oz) plain flour 1 egg (medium size - slightly beaten) 3 tablespoons oil ½ teaspoon (3 gm) salt Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a dash of water (1 cup=240 ml, 1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)
Filling Directions:
1) Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or pan.
2) Add diced char sui to the wok/pan and stir then add spring onions, cook for 1 minute.
3) Add hoisin, dark soy sauce and sesame oil to the pork mixture, stir fry for one minute.
4) Mix cornflour and stock together and then add to the pork mixture.
5) Stir well and keep cooking until the mixture thickens, 1 or 2 minutes.
6) Remove mixture from wok/pan and place in a bowl to cool. Set aside until ready to use.
Bun Directions:
1) Place the sugar and warm water in a bowl, mix until the sugar has dissolved. Add yeast and leave it for 10 - 15 minutes until it becomes all frothy.
2) Sift flour in to a large bowl.
3) Add yeast mixture, egg, oil and salt and stir. Bring the flour mixture together with your hands.
4) Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly elastic.
5) Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise until it is double in size. This will take from 1 - 2 hours depending on weather conditions.
6) Once dough has doubled in size knock back and divide in to 12 portions and shape in to round balls.
7) Place a good sized tablespoon of filling on the dough circle. Then gather the edges and seal your bun.
8) Place the bun seal side down on your baking tray. Continue with rest of dough.
9) Once all buns are complete brush surface with egg wash.
10) Place in oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
[Steamed bun - The buns look a little off - bubbly exterior. It should be smooth. Flavor was good.]
Bun Ingredients 1 cup milk, scalded ¼ cup (60 gm/2 oz) sugar 1 tablespoon oil ¼ teaspoon (2 gm) salt 2½ teaspoons (8 gm/1 satchel) of dried yeast 3 cups (420 gm/15 oz) plain flour (1 cup=240 ml, 1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)
Filling Directions:
1) Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or pan. Sauté the shallots for one or two minutes until soft.
2) Add diced char sui to the wok/pan and stir.
3) Add oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sesame oil to the pork mixture, stir fry for one minute.
4) Mix cornflour and stock together and then add to the pork mixture.
5) Stir well and keep cooking until the mixture thickens, 1 or 2 minutes.
6) Remove mixture from wok/pan and place in a bowl to cool. Set aside until ready to use.
Bun Directions:
1) Scald milk and then stir in sugar, oil and salt, leave to cool until it is lukewarm. Once it is the right temperature add yeast, leave until yeast is activated and it becomes frothy, about 10 - 15 minutes. [I used quick yeast so this step was skipped - proofing the yeast]
2) Sift flour in to a large bowl.
3) Add milk/yeast mixture to the flour. Bring the flour mixture together with your hands.
4) Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly elastic.
5) Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise until it is double in size. This will take from 1 - 2 hours depending on weather conditions.
6) Punch down dough and divide in to 20 equal portions.
7) Roll each dough portion in to a 7 – 8cm (2¾ - 3 ¼ inches) round.
8) Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the centre of the round, gather the edges together at the top and place on a 8cm (3 inch) square of baking paper. Repeat until all dough has been used.
9) Cover and let rise for 20 minutes.
10) Place buns in bamboo steamer, leaving space between the buns.
11) Heat water in a wok until it is simmering and place steamers one on top of each other in the wok.
12) Place lid on top bamboo steamer and steam for approximately 12 minutes.
Results I thought the char sui wasn't bad and the buns were only okay.
The texture on them was a little off. Maybe it was how I made the dough in the food processor where the dough was more bread like. The buns should be fluffy and soft, but still have a little density to them. The baked buns came out a little dry. The steamed buns came out a little airy.
It's been awhile since I've had a Tofu Tuesday, but this one is inspired by a dish I had at a local restaurant - Salt and Pepper tofu.
The salt and pepper tofu was deep fried with a flavorful salt and pepper coating. The center of the tofu cubes were soft and custard-like.
This is my attempt at recreating the dish. I opted to use medium firm tofu since firm would not give a custard consistency while silken may not hold up to the handling.
Salt and Pepper Tofu 1 Block of Tofu, medium firm, cut into 1 inch cubes. 1 T Cornstarch 1/2 t Salt 1/4 t White Pepper 1/4 t Black Pepper Scant 1/4 t Sichuan Peppercorn, toasted and ground. 1/4 C oil for frying
Garnish 1 Green Onion, coarse chop 1/2 Serrano Pepper, minced 1 clove garlic, minced a few sprigs Cilantro
Directions 1) Mix salt and peppers in a bag 2) Add tofu to bag to coat 3) Heat oil and pan fry over medium heat until nicely browned on all sides 4) Drain browned cubes on a paper towel. 5) Pour out oil from the pan, leaving about 1 T. 6) Fry the garlic, green onion and Serrano for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. 7) Add tofu and mix together 8) Plate and garnish with cilantro
Sarah from Simply Cooked was our November Daring Cooks’ hostess and she challenged us to create something truly unique in both taste and technique! We learned how to cook using tea with recipes from Tea Cookbook by Tonia George and The New Tea Book by Sara Perry.
Mandatory Items: Prepare at least one savory recipe made with tea.
Variations allowed: Variations are encouraged. Feel free to use black, green, or white tea. Herbal teas (which are actually infusions, since they contain no tea leaves) are also allowed.
Eat4Fun - For this challenge, I used my own recipe.
Over the years, I've been working on my own Chinese BBQ sauce recipe. The following are pork spare ribs cooked in the sauce with the addition of tea.
Instead of baking, I use a method I call "braise-glaze". The ribs are braised for about an hour. As the sauce evaporates, it thickens to coat the coat the ribs.
The end result is a falling off the bone rib coated with a sweet Chinese bbq sauce.
Chinese Spare Ribs 1 Slab Spare Ribs, cleaned and trimmed to individual ribs. 1/2 C Ketchup 1/4 C Honey 1/4 C Maltose (or just use more honey) 1/4 C Hoisin Sauce 1/4 C Soy Sauce 1/4 C Onion, chopped 1/4 C Water 1 T Rice Wine 1 T Rice Wine Vinegar 1 T Brown Sugar 1 t Five Spice Powder 1 t Toasted Sesame Oil 2 Cloves Garlic, sliced Optional: 2 to 6 tea bags (I used Jasmine Green Tea and an English Breakfast Tea)
Directions 1) Clean and trim the ribs. 2) Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large pot and heat. Note: With the tea, you can add more or less depending upon how much tea flavor you want. 3) When the sauce has combined, add the ribs and stir to coat. 4) Simmer ribs, with the lid ajar, over low to medium low heat for about an hour - stir occasionally to ensure even coverage. 5) After an hour, you can turn up the heat to thicken the sauce, about 5 minutes. The ribs can be taken out for this step (if you feel the ribs are soft enough) or just leave in the pot to cook longer.
The October Daring Cooks' Challenge was hosted by Shelley of C Mom Cook and her sister Ruth of The Crafts of Mommyhood. They challenged us to bring a taste of the East into our home kitchens by making our own Moo Shu, including thin pancakes, stir fry and sauce.
Eat4Fun: My YouTube Video of the Challenge:
Shelley selected the recipe for this challenge because it is both accessible and adaptable to a variety of dietary requirements, while maintaining authenticity to what Moo Shu is supposed to be.
Deh-Ta Hsiung, a renowned authority on Chinese cuisine, published a beautiful book called The Chinese Kitchen. The book is a wonderful and encyclopedic volume containing a wealth of information about all aspects of Chinese cooking, from ingredients to process to history. The recipes are accessible, flavorful, and clearly written. His recipe for Moo Shu, like the others, is straightforward and delicious, and is what I am sharing with you for our challenge.
In preparation for this challenge, Shelly contacted Mr. Deh-Ta Hsiung, who is pleased to have his recipe as our challenge. Mr. Hsiung is widely considered an international expert on Chinese cooking, though his original work was in the arts and film-making. Chinese cooking was his passion, though, and he proceeded to take lessons from top Chinese chefs and work in professional kitchens around the world. Having written numerous books and articles, Mr. Hsiung is a respected authority in the world of Chinese cooking.
About this dish, specifically, Mr. Hsiung offered us a brief anecdote from his earliest work, regarding the origins of this dish's name. In The Home Book of CHINESE COOKERY, Mr. Hsiung discusses the dish as follows:
PORK LAUREL (MU-HSU PORK) Some explanation is needed for the name of this dish. In China, we have a tree called kwei; according to my dictionary, kwei is called laurel in English, and it is a shrub rather than a tree; but the laurels we have in the garden of our London home never seem to flower at all, while the Chinese laurel is a large tree which produces bright yellow, fragrant flowers in the autumn. The pork in this recipe is cooked with eggs, which give a yellow colour to the dish – hence the name. But to add to the confusion, the Chinese name of this dish is mu-hsu pork, mu hsu being the classical name for laurel (are you still with me?). So you might say that calling it pork laurel is taking a poetic license.
Simply put, Moo Shu is a stir fry, containing thinly sliced or shredded vegetables, meat (traditionally) and scrambled egg. It is usually served on flat, thin, steamed pancakes, and is accompanied by a complementary sauce.
Moo Shu pork (the protein most commonly used in Moo Shu dishes) originates in Northern China (commonly attributed to the Shandong province, though sometimes attributed to Beijing), rising in popularity in Chinese restaurants in the West in the 1960's and 70's. As the dish became more popular, different restaurants adapted the recipe to meet their own styles, or to accommodate for expensive or hard-to find ingredients, so there is a lot of variation among recipes. Common among them, though, is a basis of cabbage and the inclusion of scrambled eggs.
The history and etymology of the dish are widely disputed, as indicated by Mr. Hsiung's anecdote above. There are two primary theories as to the origin of the name. Many, including the author of our challenge recipe, suggest that the Chinese characters, read as mu xi, refer to a tree that blooms with small, fragrant blossoms. They suggest that the scrambled egg in this dish is reminiscent of these blossoms, and thus a variety of egg dishes are referred to as mu xi. An alternative suggestion uses the Chinese characters reading mu xu, roughly translating to wood whiskers or wood shavings. The dish is thus named, it is said, due to the appearance of the shredded vegetables and meat, resembling wooden whiskers, or wooden shavings that were used as packing materials.
Recipe Source: The challenge recipe provided for the Moo Shu filling comes from The Chinese Kitchen by Deh-Ta Hsiung. The pancake recipe comes from the same source, though we have also provided an alternate method for preparing them, adapted from a variety of online demonstrations. The sauce recipe provided is from epicurian.com.
Mandatory Items: You must make Moo Shu pancakes using the provided recipe, a stir fry, and a complementary sauce.
Moo Shu Pork:
Ingredients 2/3 cup (1 oz) (30 gm) Dried black fungus ('wood ears') ½ lb (450 gm) pork loin or butt ¾ cup (3½ oz) (100 gm) bamboo shoots, thinly cut 3 cups (6 oz) (170 gm) Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage), thinly cut 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) salt 4 tablespoons (60 ml) vegetable oil 2 scallions 1 tablespoon (15 ml) light soy sauce 2 teaspoons (10 ml) rice wine A few drops sesame oil 12 thin pancakes to serve
Directions:
1. Soak the fungus in warm water for 10-15 minutes, rinse and drain. Discard any hard stalks, then thinly shred.
2. Thinly cut the pork, bamboo shoots and Chinese cabbage into matchstick-sized shreds.
3. Lightly beat the eggs with a pinch of salt.
4. Heat about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil in a preheated wok and scramble the eggs until set, but not too hard. Remove and keep to one side.
5. Heat the remaining oil. Stir-fry the shredded pork for about 1 minute or until the color changes. Add the fungus, bamboo shoots, Chinese cabbage and scallions. Stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes, then add the remaining salt, soy sauce and wine. Blend well and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add the scrambled eggs, stirring to break them into small bits. Add the sesame oil and blend well.
To serve: place about 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of hot Moo Shu in the center of a warm pancake, rolling it into a parcel with the bottom end turned up to prevent the contents from falling out. Eat with your fingers. (See Final Preparation and Serving section below for more complete details.) Thin Pancakes:
Ingredients 4 cups (960 ml) (560 gm) (19¾ oz) all purpose flour About 1½ cup (300ml) (10 fl oz) boiling water 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vegetable oil Dry flour for dusting
Directions:
1. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl. Gently pour in the water, stirring as you pour, then stir in the oil. Knead the mixture into a soft but firm dough. If your dough is dry, add more water, one tablespoon at a time, to reach the right consistency. Cover with a damp towel and let stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Lightly dust the surface of a worktop with dry flour. Knead the dough for 6-8 minutes or until smooth, then divide into 3 equal portions. Roll out each portion into a long sausage and cut each sausage into 8-10 pieces. Keep the dough that you are not actively working with covered with a lightly damp dish cloth to keep it from drying out.
3. Roll each piece into a ball, then, using the palm of your hand, press each piece into a flat pancake. Dust the worktop with more dry flour. Flatten each pancake into a 6 to 8 inch (15 cm to 20 cm) circle with a rolling pin, rolling gently on both sides.
4. Place an un-greased frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, lower the heat to low and place the pancakes, one at a time, in the pan. Remove when little light-brown spots appear on the underside. Cover with a damp cloth until ready to serve.
Alternate method for preparing the pancakes: Once the dough has rested and been kneaded again, divide it into an even number of small pieces, rolling each into a ball. Working with two balls of dough at a time, dip the bottom of one ball lightly into sesame oil and press it onto the top of the second ball. Press the double layer flat, then roll the doubled pancake layers into 6 to 8 inch circles. In a dry pan, cook on each side until dry and lightly blistered (but without browning). Separate pancakes after cooking.
Alternately (I know, an alternate to the alternate...), if you would prefer not to dip the dough in the sesame oil, you can achieve a similar result with a slight modification. Again working two pieces at a time, roll each piece into a three inch pancake. Using a pastry brush, brush sesame oil onto the top of one of the pancakes, and top it with the other pancake. Further roll the doubled pancake into a 6 to 8 inch circle and cook as the above alternate method. This method was actually our favorite of the three, and yielded the best results – very thin pancakes that held up a little better and had the most authentic texture. We had the best luck brushing a bit of sesame oil on both circles of dough, then sandwiching them together. Just be careful separating the pancakes after cooking them on both sides – heat (steam) does get caught between them, so don't burn your fingers! Hoisin Sauce: (source: http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/13249/hoisin-sauce.html)
Ingredients 4 tablespoons (60 ml) soy sauce 2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut butter OR black bean paste 1 tablespoon (15 ml) honey OR molasses 2 teaspoons (10 ml) white vinegar 1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) garlic powder 2 teaspoons (10 ml) sesame seed oil 20 drops (¼ teaspoon) Chinese style hot sauce (optional, depending on how hot you want your hoisin sauce) 1/8 teaspoon (⅔ ml) black pepper
Directions: 1. Simply mix all of the ingredients together by hand using a sturdy spoon. 2. At first it does not appear like it will mix, but keep at it just a bit longer and your sauce will come together.
Final Preparation and Serving:
Each of the three components that comprise the complete Moo Shu dish are served separately, and the diner prepares each serving on his or her own plate. Most restaurants provide four pancakes, a serving of Moo-Shu and a small dish of hoisin sauce as a single serving. To prepare each pancake for eating, the following is the most common process: a small amount of hoisin sauce is spread onto the pancake, on top of which a spoonful of the stir-fry is placed. In order to prevent (or, realistically, minimize) the filling from spilling out while eating, the bottom of the pancake is folded up, then the pancake is rolled, similarly to a soft taco. Once rolled, the prepared pancake is eaten immediately.
Eat4Fun's Closing Comments: 1. I suggest using 1/2 the salt called out in the filling recipe. 2. The pancakes is a bit of work. I suggest finding soft flour tortillas or premade thin pancakes at the Asian market, usually found in the freezer.
3. The Hoisin sauce is more like a peanut dipping sauce, but not as sweet as Hoisin.
Steph from Stephfood was our Daring Cooks' July hostess. Steph challenged us to make homemade noodles without the help of a motorized pasta machine. She provided us with recipes for Spätzle and Fresh Egg Pasta as well as a few delicious sauces to pair our noodles with!
This challenge is all about getting your hands dirty, by making a style of pasta or noodle without the use of motorized tools. So many cultures make flour as a method of preserving wheat and rice harvest, and then use the flour to make staple food items such as bread and noodles.
As a bonus, I want to challenge you to find examples from your cultural background!
Mandatory Items: Prepare some pasta by hand, without the use of motorized tools, and prepare the appropriate sauce/seasoning to go with it. The concept of "noodle" or "pasta" is being applied very loosely here, as some traditional recipes may seem closer to a dumpling than what you consider a noodle. Use your own judgment and creativity here.
Variations allowed: Many variations are allowed here – no strict recipe is required. It goes without saying that people with dietary requirements may substitute the "traditional" ingredients in favor of ingredients that are appropriate for them. Similarly, substitutions may be made where suggested ingredients are not readily available, or are cost prohibitive.
I wanted to make something that I remember from my childhood, Rice Noodles (aka Fun). The difference between mein (as in chow mein) is that mein refers to wheat based noodles while Fun refers to non-wheat noodles.
Recipe is based upon what my mom's recipe. She doesn't measure out ingredients using cups, but this is what I've come up with.
Rice Noodles (Fun) 1 C Rice Flour 2 T Wheat Starch (or Cornstarch) 1 t Tapioca Starch (to give the noodles a little chew) 1.5 C Water (or use a 50/50 mixture of Chicken broth and water) 1/4 t Salt (can omit if using broth)
1) Mix all the ingredients to form a slurry. 2) Use a steamer and an 8 x 8 inch Pyres dish or a round pie pan. 3) Lightly oil (with an oily towel or use Pam) the glass dish. 4) Pour about 1/3 cup of batter and spread. 5) Steam about 3 to 5 minutes.
Finished Rice Noodles (Fun)
What you can make...
Chow Fun
Dim Sum: Rice noodle rolled with Shrimp
Dim Sum: Rice noodle rolled with Pork
Dim Sum: Rice Rolls (Cheung Fun)
Simple Comfort Food: Rice Noodles drizzled with Soy Sauce
Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!
This month's challenge is hosted by Jami Sorrento a two year non blogging member of Daring Cooks. What do you think of when you think about Potato Salad? A fat laden high caloric salad that you only indulge in on occasion –and even then you feel guilty? Well this month we are going to challenge you to make the most delicious and healthy Potato Salad. The possibilities of what you can do with a fresh, natural, and versatile vegetable like potatoes are limitless! Did you know that a medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana?
Potatoes are a nutritional powerhouse and you can keep potato salad healthy by using low-fat and fresh toppings that still taste great.
For example, what other fresh and healthy vegetables or toppings do you like? Asparagus, roasted red peppers, artichoke hearts, olives? Do you have some new salts or a spice you would like to try? How about a different oil or vinegar you have been dying to taste? Here is your chance for TOTAL CREATIVITY!!! You can make your potato salad hot or cold- just come up with a yummy, healthy and fresh potato salad that looks as good as it tastes.
I am so excited about this challenge because first of all I am of Irish decent and love potatoes. Second – I get to see all the delicious creative salads you come up with. I hope we will all expand upon the normal potato salad we make and use some new ingredients or seasonings to make the best, healthy Potato Salad ever.
Mandatory Items:To make any type of potato salad – hot or cold - that is healthy and delicious. We’d love to see all kinds of ethnic and cultural variations!
[Eat4Fun: I'm posting this challenge a bit (very) late, but my take on this salad is to incorporate more vegetables (add color to a potato salad) and use a vinaigrette. One way to make a dish healthy is to cut back on the fat content. Fat has more than twice the calories of carbs and protein so by cutting back on fats you're reducing calories quite a bit.
My YouTube Video:
This is a recipe I made on the fly with ingredients I had readily available.
Recipe Healthy Potato Salad 3 Boiled potates (about 3 cups diced) 2 T Vinegar 1/4 t Salt 1/4 t Black Pepper 1/2 C Tomatoes, Diced 1/2 C Corn Kernels 1/2 C Cucumber, Diced 1/2 C Carrot Shredded 1/4 C Red Onions, Thinly Sliced {Tip - sliced onions can be soaked in cool water to tone down the spiciness.) 2 T Bacon, Crumbled (Optional)
Dressing 3 T Vinegar 1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 t Dijon Mustard 1/4 t Salt 1/4 t Black Pepper 1/4 t Garlic Powder 1/4 t Dried Parsley 2 T Blue Cheese, Crumbled (Optional)
Steps: 1) Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 to 20 minutes. 2) While still hot, peel and dice potatoes 3) Salt, pepper and sprinkle the potatoes with vinegar. Mix gently. Refrigerate to cool. 4) Top with veggies and make dressing. 5) Potato salad can be dressed a few hours before hand to let the flavors infuse.
Our May hostess, Denise, of There’s a Newf in My Soup!, challenged The Daring Cooks to make Gumbo! She provided us with all the recipes we’d need, from creole spices, homemade stock, and Louisiana white rice, to Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh.
[Eat4Fun: When I lived in New Orleans, gumbo was delicious comfort food that everyone could make, even the cafeteria at work made good gumbo.
For this challenge, I picked the Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo recipe.]
Recipe Source: The recipes for Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo, as well as the stocks, Creole spices, and rice, are from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh (Andrews McMeel Publishing, October 2009).
Notes from Denise: Roux. Crucial to the gumbo is the roux. According to Besh, there are other thickeners besides flour for making their roux, but only a flour-based roux yields that traditional flavor. As for the fats in a roux, just about anything works. Rendered duck fat, chicken fat, or lard is preferred, but canola oil works nearly as well. Use a 1:1 ratio of flour to fat/oil. Heat the oil first and whisk the flour into the hot oil. This speeds up the process and yields a deep, dark chocolate-colored gumbo. Always add the onions first to the dark roux, holding back the rest of the vegetables until the onion caramelizes. Otherwise, the water in the vegetables will keep the onion from browning and releasing its sweet juices. Chef Link stresses that it’s essential to whisk the roux constantly as it cooks (but not so vigorously that you splatter the roux and burn yourself), because if even a small bit of flour sticks to the pot, it will become spotty, scorch quickly, and burn the entire roux. Also, Link advises against using a wooden spoon to stir the roux, until after the onions are added. A whisk allows the roux to pass through it and reduces the possibility of splashing, as well as getting into the sides of the pan.
Holy Trinity. As a culinary term, Wikipedia tells us the holy trinity originally refers specifically to chopped onions, bell peppers (capsicums), and celery, combined in a rough ratio of 1:2:3 and used as the staple base for much of the cooking in the Cajun and Louisiana Creole regional cuisines of the state of Louisiana, USA. The preparation of classic Cajun/Creole dishes such étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from the base of this holy trinity. Similar combinations of vegetables are known as mirepoix in French cooking, refogado in Portuguese, soffritto in Italian, and sofrito in Spanish. While a "trinity" may refer to a generic representation of three cornerstone ingredients of a particular national cuisine, a trio of specific ingredients combined together to become essentially flavor bases, much like its original usage within Louisiana cuisine, are also called "trinities". This is often created by sautéing a combination of any three (or at least, the primary three ingredients in a more complex base) aromatic vegetables, condiments, seasonings, herbs, or spices.
Okra. These delicately ridged and tapered green pods, sometimes called Ladies’ fingers, are a member of the mallow family and are bursting with tiny seeds as well as the glutinous compounds that make okra such a natural thickener for soups and gumbos. When buying okra, look for smaller, greener spears. I was able to find fresh okra at Whole Foods. Good frozen okra will also work fine, especially if it’s pre-sliced. In addition to adding it to both gumbos, I deep-fried some okra for garnish on top of the Seafood Gumbo (sliced into ½ inch (15mm) thick slices, dipped in buttermilk, dusted in a mixture of equal parts cornmeal and flour, fried a few minutes until golden, and seasoned with Creole Spices).
Filé powder. Besh tells us filé has been a vital ingredient in Creole gumbo since the mid-1800s, when Choctaw Indians traveled in from communities on Lake Pontchartrain to sell it at the New Orleans French Market, along with bay leaves and handmade baskets. The Choctaws make filé by drying, then finely pounding, the leaves of the sassafras tree into a powder, then passing it through a hair sieve. The leaves, in the form of filé powder, contribute a unique and spicy note to gumbo. Originally, filé was used to thicken the stew when okra was not available, but he likes to use both. He cooks the okra in the gumbo and adds a couple dashes of filé, too, at the end. He also likes to pass filé at the table as a seasoning. The word comes from the French word filer, meaning, “to spin thread,” which is a warning not to add filé while the gumbo is still boiling, as it has a tendency to turn stringy. See link under Additional Information, below, for making your own filé.
Chicken. Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo calls for a whole chicken, cut up into 10 pieces. The bones and skin obviously add vital flavor throughout the cooking, especially if you’re using canned broth rather than homemade stock. However, once the chicken was cooked and the meat was ready to fall off the bone, after about 45-60 minutes, I removed the chicken from the gumbo, took the meat off the bones, and discarded the skin and bones. I then tore the chicken into bite-size pieces and returned it to the pot for the remaining 30 minutes. This was a personal preference, and mainly because some of the smaller bones were about to break loose into the gumbo and also because the chicken didn’t really brown well initially when put into the pot with the roux and onions. If you want to leave chicken pieces in the gumbo for serving, bones and all, I would suggest browning the chicken in a separate pot before adding it to the onion-roux mixture.
Shellfish. Gumbo crabs are small blue crabs that have been cleaned and halved or quartered. They are served in the shell, and you pick out the meat as you eat the gumbo. They’re available frozen, usually in 1-pound packages. Ask your fishmonger to get you some if you can’t find them in your grocery, or you can order them online. Fresh or pasteurized lump crabmeat is a reasonable alternative. Do not use shredded or imitation crabmeat. Like the chicken bones in the Chicken and Smoked Sausage Gumbo, these add flavor to the gumbo. I omitted the gumbo crabs and used the 8 ounces (225 grams) of lump crabmeat at the end, plus a few more shrimp (prawns) and oysters. Watch your timing when adding the shellfish at the end to avoid overcooking (add no more than 15 minutes prior to serving the gumbo)!
Sausage. Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo calls for 2 pounds (1 kilogram) spicy smoked sausage, cut into slices, and 6 ounces (175 grams) andouille sausage, chopped. I’m not sure what type of spicy smoked sausage to recommend. The andouille we found was pretty spicy, and we also used some Hot Louisiana-Brand Smoked Sausage we found at Whole Foods.
Mandatory Items: Prepare a pot of gumbo, using one of the recipes provided, a variation thereof, or any other gumbo recipe you find that tickles your fancy.
Drew’s Chicken & Smoked Sausage Gumbo Minimally adapted from My New Orleans: The Cookbook, by John Besh Serves 10-12
Ingredients 1 cup (240 ml) (230 gm) rendered chicken fat, duck fat, or canola oil 1 cup (240 ml) (140 gm) (5 oz) flour 2 large onions, diced 1 chicken (3 ½ to 4 lbs.), cut into 10 pieces [I cheated here and used a rotisserie chicken.] 2 tablespoons (30 ml) (15 gm) (½ oz) Basic Creole Spices (recipe follows), or store-bought Creole spice blend 2 pounds (2 kilograms) spicy smoked sausage, sliced ½ inch (15mm) thick [I could not find andouille so I used 1 lb of hot links and 1 lb of smoked kielbasa] 2 stalks celery, diced 2 green bell peppers (capsicum), seeded and diced 1 tomato, seeded and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced Leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme 3 quarts (3 liters) Basic Chicken Stock (recipe follows), or canned chicken stock 2 bay leaves 6 ounces (175 gm) andouille sausage, chopped [I could not find andouille so I used 1 lb of hot links] 2 cups (480 ml) (320 gm) (11 oz) sliced fresh okra, ½ -inch (15mm) thick slices (or frozen, if fresh is not available) 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Worcestershire sauce Salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Filé powder, to taste Tabasco, to taste 4-6 cups (1 – 1½ liters) (650 gm – 950 gm) cooked Basic Louisiana White Rice [From my recollection, gumbo was served with plain white rice, which is what I made.]
Directions:
1. Prepare homemade chicken stock, if using (recipe below).
2. Prepare homemade Basic Creole Spices, if using (recipe below).
3. Season the chicken pieces with about 2 tablespoons of the Creole Spices while you prepare the vegetables.
4. Make sure all of your vegetables are cut, diced, chopped, minced and ready to go before beginning the roux. You must stand at the stove and stir the roux continuously to prevent it from burning.
5. In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan, heat the chicken fat, duck fat, or canola oil over high heat. Whisk the flour into the hot oil – it will start to sizzle. Reduce the heat to moderate, and continue whisking until the roux becomes deep brown in color, about 15 minutes.
6. Add the onions. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir the onions into the roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Continue stirring until the roux becomes a glossy dark brown, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the chicken to the pot; raise the heat to moderate, and cook, turning the pieces until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
8. Add the sliced smoked sausage and stir for about a minute.
9. Add the celery, bell peppers, tomato, and garlic, and continue stirring for about 3 minutes.
10. Add the thyme, chicken stock, and bay leaves. Bring the gumbo to a boil, stirring occasionally.
11. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, skimming off the fat from the surface of the gumbo every so often.
12. Add the chopped andouille, okra, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper, several dashes of filé powder, and Tabasco, all to taste.
13. Simmer for another 45 minutes, continuing to skim the fat from the surface of the gumbo. Remove the bay leaves and serve in bowls over rice. Pass more filé powder at the table if desired.
[The finished Gumbo served over rice and accompanied by buttered bread (for sopping up the extra sauce) and a salad dressed with a vinaigrette (to provide a little crunch and sourness).]
[For dessert, I made a bread pudding with rum sauce. I didn't have any bourbon. :-) ]
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