This is a great brine/marinade for chicken from Chef Jesse. We did not marinate the chicken, but instead vacuum-packed the chicken with the brine and cooked it in the sous vide method (in hot water bath). Black vinegar is a very interesting product that can only be found at Asian food stores and I dare you to taste it on its own and report back on how you liked it.
Black Vinegar Brine
Yield: just over 1 cup
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients
1/2 c sugar
1 dried de arbol chili
2 T fresh ginger, minced
4 T black vinegar
4 T sherry vinegar
4 T water
4 T soy sauce
Directions
Place sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat and let it caramelize, do not stir too often. Combine all liquid ingredients and add to the sugar when caramelized. Be very careful because the sugar will splatter and seize up. Place the sugar over medium heat and it will begin to become liquid again. Add the ginger and chili. Cook until the sugar mixture is all liquid again.
For chicken: Marinate chicken for about 3 hours in the liquid and grill.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Green Sriracha
This is a very easy and intense sriracha sauce. We combined it with mayonaise to make a spread/dip for our bahn mi sandwiches (pictured below).
Green Sriracha
Yield: about 1 cup
Active Time: 20 mins
Inactive Time: 1 day
Ingredients
8 jalapenos, roughly chopped (with seeds and everything)
6 cloves of garlic
1 stalk of basil
3/4 c pickle brine
Directions
Combine all ingredients, cover and let sit over night at room temperature. Transfer to a blender and blend until almost smooth, but leaving some chunks for texture.
Yield: about 1 cup
Active Time: 20 mins
Inactive Time: 1 day
Ingredients
8 jalapenos, roughly chopped (with seeds and everything)
6 cloves of garlic
1 stalk of basil
3/4 c pickle brine
Directions
Combine all ingredients, cover and let sit over night at room temperature. Transfer to a blender and blend until almost smooth, but leaving some chunks for texture.
Pickled Vegetables
This week in class Chef Jesse taught us how to pickle everything under the sun. We did beets, tomatoes, jalapenos, squash and carrots. We used the carrots for the Mango and Mung Bean Sprout Slaw, the tomatoes and beets for the bahn mi (picture below) and the jalapenos for a green sriracha sauce.
Pickled Vegetables
Yield: 2 quarts pickling liquid
Active Time: 10 mins
Inactive Time: 45 mins + 1-2 days
Ingredients
8 c rice wine vinegar
3 c sugar
1 c salt
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
1 T coriander
1 T black peppercorns
Directions
Toast all spices until fragrant. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from saucepan and let cool. Pour over any vegetables and let sit in the fridge for 1-2 days. For the vegetables: half cherry tomatoes, slice beets and squash 1/8 in thick, julienne or grate carrots and slice or leave jalapenos in large chunks.
Yield: 2 quarts pickling liquid
Active Time: 10 mins
Inactive Time: 45 mins + 1-2 days
Ingredients
8 c rice wine vinegar
3 c sugar
1 c salt
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise
1 T coriander
1 T black peppercorns
Directions
Toast all spices until fragrant. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from saucepan and let cool. Pour over any vegetables and let sit in the fridge for 1-2 days. For the vegetables: half cherry tomatoes, slice beets and squash 1/8 in thick, julienne or grate carrots and slice or leave jalapenos in large chunks.
Mango and Mung Bean Sprout Slaw
This was a light but flavorful slaw that Chef Jesse served with some sous vide chicken, green curry rice and wok charred vegetables. Don't worry about getting a ripe mango for this slaw, since you actually want a greenish mango which are usually plentiful that to market during the summer. This would go great with any BBQ or asian flavored meats. I will post the recipe for the brine for the pickled carrots as well.
Mango and Mung Bean Sprout Slaw
Servings: 15
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
1 c mung bean sprouts
1 c pickled carrots, julienne
1/2 head nappa cabbage, julienne
1 large greenish mango, julienne
1/4 c tamarind paste
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 c lime juice
2 inch lemongrass, inner part only
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 dried de arbol chili
Directions
In a food processor, blend lemongrass until it is as broken down as possible. Add the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice, shrimp paste and chili. Blend for 2 minutes or until a uniform dressing with no large chucks is formed. Mix with the mung beans, pickled carrots, cabbage and mango.
Servings: 15
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients
1 c mung bean sprouts
1 c pickled carrots, julienne
1/2 head nappa cabbage, julienne
1 large greenish mango, julienne
1/4 c tamarind paste
1/4 c fish sauce
1/4 c lime juice
2 inch lemongrass, inner part only
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1 dried de arbol chili
Directions
In a food processor, blend lemongrass until it is as broken down as possible. Add the tamarind, fish sauce, lime juice, shrimp paste and chili. Blend for 2 minutes or until a uniform dressing with no large chucks is formed. Mix with the mung beans, pickled carrots, cabbage and mango.
Cured Pork
This is a great way to cure pork belly or pork butt/shoulder. The meat gets a great crust on it and it was one of the best pieces of pork I have had, though I was starving, so that may have been a factor. We used this to make pork buns as well as bahn mi sandwiches (will post those too). This can be used for non-Asian applications as well.
Cured Pork
Active Time: 15 mins
Inactive Time: 1day, 3 hours
Ingredients
5 lbs pork belly or shoulder
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c salt
Directions
If using shoulder, cut into large slabs about 1.5 inches thick. Rub with salt and sugar. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and cover. This will allow some of the liquid to drain. Let sit for about 24 hours. To cook, preheat an oven to 250F and cook on the wire rack (uncovered) for 3 hours.
Cured Pork
Active Time: 15 mins
Inactive Time: 1day, 3 hours
Ingredients
5 lbs pork belly or shoulder
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c salt
Directions
If using shoulder, cut into large slabs about 1.5 inches thick. Rub with salt and sugar. Place on a wire rack over a sheet pan and cover. This will allow some of the liquid to drain. Let sit for about 24 hours. To cook, preheat an oven to 250F and cook on the wire rack (uncovered) for 3 hours.
Corn Fritters with Chili Carmel Sauce
These fritters were bright green in the center with nice kernels of fresh corn. They were light and fluffy and paired amazingly with this chili carmel sauce for a sweet/spicy/savory appetizer. You can also serve this sauce with grilled shrimp as Chef Jesse does at Happy.
Corn Fritters with Chili Carmel Sauce
Yield: 25-30 fritters
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients for the Fritters
8 cups fresh corn kernels
2 shallots, minced
1 bunch cilantro, mostly stems
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 jalapeno (with or without seeds)
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Ingredients for the Chili Carmel
1.5 c sugar, preferably raw
10 dried de arbol chilies, stems removed and pulsed in a food processor
1/2 c veggie stock
Directions
In a food processor, puree 4 cups corn, shallots, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper and jalapeno until smooth. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold eggs into the vegetable mixture. Then fold in the sifted mixture and then fold in the remaining corn. The batter can then be held for a few hours in the fridge, if desired. Fry in a wok with 1.5 inches of oil at ~350 degrees. Drop by the spoonful into the wok. They take about 8 minutes each to cook depending on the oil temp.
For the carmel sauce, place sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Let the sugar caramelize and do not over stir, just let it be. Once it is light brown in color add hot veggie stock and chilies. Be careful when doing this because the sugar may splatter. Keep on the heat for at least 15 more minutes to infuse the flavors. If the sugar seizes up, put back on the heat and try to melt it, this generally works.
Toss the fritters with the carmel sauce and garnish with green onions.
Yield: 25-30 fritters
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Total Time: 1 hr
Ingredients for the Fritters
8 cups fresh corn kernels
2 shallots, minced
1 bunch cilantro, mostly stems
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
1/2 jalapeno (with or without seeds)
1/2 tsp white pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Ingredients for the Chili Carmel
1.5 c sugar, preferably raw
10 dried de arbol chilies, stems removed and pulsed in a food processor
1/2 c veggie stock
Directions
In a food processor, puree 4 cups corn, shallots, cilantro, garlic, salt, pepper and jalapeno until smooth. Sift flour and baking powder together. Fold eggs into the vegetable mixture. Then fold in the sifted mixture and then fold in the remaining corn. The batter can then be held for a few hours in the fridge, if desired. Fry in a wok with 1.5 inches of oil at ~350 degrees. Drop by the spoonful into the wok. They take about 8 minutes each to cook depending on the oil temp.
For the carmel sauce, place sugar in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Let the sugar caramelize and do not over stir, just let it be. Once it is light brown in color add hot veggie stock and chilies. Be careful when doing this because the sugar may splatter. Keep on the heat for at least 15 more minutes to infuse the flavors. If the sugar seizes up, put back on the heat and try to melt it, this generally works.
Toss the fritters with the carmel sauce and garnish with green onions.
Tapioca Brulee
Sorry it has been so long since I last posted a recipe. This week in class we had Chef Jesse Yolt from Happy in Boulder come to class and teach us a lot about Asian food. I will be posting a bunch of his recipes, which were all amazing!
We made this tapioca brulee and it was awesome. I have never had tapioca pudding, but those in my class that had said this was way better than any pudding they had ever had, so don't shy away from this dish just because it is tapioca. We used shallow ramekins and everyone agreed that we should have used deep ones so that we could have more of the tapioca and less of the sugar on top, which added a nice crunchy contrast, but we would have liked a bit less. I think in the future I am going to make this with mango instead of pineapple purely because I love Thai mango sticky rice and this reminded me of that. We served it with carbonated pineapple! There is not a particularly easy way of doing this for home cooks, but it is do-able so let me know if you want to know how.
Tapioca Brulee
Servings: 12-16 individual desserts
Active Time: 1hr
Inactive Time: 2hrs
Total Time: 3hrs
Ingredients
1 bag tapioca pearls
1/2 pineapple, skin removed and pureed
1.5 cans coconut milk
sugar, to taste
salt, to taste
Directions
In a large pot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Salt the water. Add tapioca and cook until al dente, or until there is a small sphere of white surrounded by a clear layer of about the same thickness as the white dot in the center. Drain tapioca. While the tapioca is boiling, blend pineapple and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Add al dente tapioca and sugar to taste. Cook unti the tapioca is cooked through and the mixture has the consistency of custard. Portion into deep ramekins and place in the fridge to cool for about 2 hours. To finish sprinkle with sugar and brulee as with a creme brulee.
We made this tapioca brulee and it was awesome. I have never had tapioca pudding, but those in my class that had said this was way better than any pudding they had ever had, so don't shy away from this dish just because it is tapioca. We used shallow ramekins and everyone agreed that we should have used deep ones so that we could have more of the tapioca and less of the sugar on top, which added a nice crunchy contrast, but we would have liked a bit less. I think in the future I am going to make this with mango instead of pineapple purely because I love Thai mango sticky rice and this reminded me of that. We served it with carbonated pineapple! There is not a particularly easy way of doing this for home cooks, but it is do-able so let me know if you want to know how.
Servings: 12-16 individual desserts
Active Time: 1hr
Inactive Time: 2hrs
Total Time: 3hrs
Ingredients
1 bag tapioca pearls
1/2 pineapple, skin removed and pureed
1.5 cans coconut milk
sugar, to taste
salt, to taste
Directions
In a large pot, bring 2 gallons of water to a boil. Salt the water. Add tapioca and cook until al dente, or until there is a small sphere of white surrounded by a clear layer of about the same thickness as the white dot in the center. Drain tapioca. While the tapioca is boiling, blend pineapple and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Add al dente tapioca and sugar to taste. Cook unti the tapioca is cooked through and the mixture has the consistency of custard. Portion into deep ramekins and place in the fridge to cool for about 2 hours. To finish sprinkle with sugar and brulee as with a creme brulee.
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