Crispy Duck Legs

I was excited to do another batch of duck wings for my Superb Owl festivities; tragically, none were available at the farmer's market. But they did have legs! And so I modified, using a similar preparation, and was well rewarded for my efforts.

Ingredients

• Duck legs
• Sweet soy sauce

Procedure

1. Wash duck legs; pat dry.
2. Place in Dutch Oven with cover; cover in water.
3. Heat oven to 275 degrees.
4. Place pot in middle rack of oven; let simmer for 3 hours.
5. Remove from oven; place legs on paper-towel-covered plate; put in the fridge for an hour, and conserve the water or stock for later (you'll be able to skim off the amazing creamy duck fat, which is prefect for... pretty much everything).
6. Heat oven to 375 degrees
7. Toss duck legs in sweet soy sauce and place in cast iron skillet(s) (three fit perfectly into one), skin side up.
8. Cook for 30 minutes, add a bit of water to the pan to keep from sticking, and cook for another 60 minutes
9. Remove, let cool, and enjoy.

Verdict

Remarkable. The simmering gets off enough of the fat that the duck isn't chewy, but not so much to make it dry. The skin separates and is beautifully crispy, with a warm, gooey layer of fat and tender meat underneath. Heat a bit of the sweet soy to drizzle over top, as well - these are amazing either on their own, or as part of a good winter meal with potatoes and greens.

Collard Greens with Indian Spices

Had some lovely rainbow collards and needed an accompaniment so fish curry, so whipped this up - with great success.

Ingredients

• 1/2 bunch collard greens, chopped very small (1/2")
• three cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. ginger, minced
• one small hot or medium-hot pepper, diced fine (I used jalapeño)
• 1 tsp. black mustard seed
• 1/2 tsp. tumeric
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• several ounces high-temperature oil (sunflower or similar)

Procedure

1. Add enough oil to coat and have a thin layer in base of wok, and heat to medium-high
2. When oil is shimmering, add mustard seed and fry until grey and popping, 2-3 min.
3. Add garlic; fry for 20-30 sec.
4. Add ginger and pepper, and fry for 3-4 min.
5. Add remainder of spices and mix well
6. Add collards and stir well so all are covered in oil and spices; cover wok
7. Cook covered 10-15 min., occasionally stirring to keep from all sticking to wok
8. Serve hot and enjoy!

Verdict

Fantastic. Spicy, flavorful, and a nice charred flavor on the edges. Worked very well with my fish-potato curry.

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shoulder

Via Alton Brown, a great recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. vegetable oil
• 2-3 lb. lamb shoulder
• 16 oz. red wine blend, plus 1 tablespoon (recommended: Syrah, Grenache or Mourvedre)
• 4 large sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon chopped leaves
• one medium onion, quartered
• four cloves garlic, sma
• 1/2 c. flour
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Procedure

1. Put a 10-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium heat for 5 minutes. 
2. Toss the lamb with the vegetable oil in a medium mixing bowl. When the pan is hot, sear the lamb for 1 minute on each side. 
3. Remove to a plate and cool for 3 to 4 minutes. 
4. Add the meat to a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, then pour in the 16 ounces of wine and 4 rosemary sprigs, along with the garlic and onion. Remove as much air as possible so that the wine is completely surrounding the meat. Put the bag in a container to prevent leaks and refrigerate for 3 hours.
5. Heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
6. Transfer the contents of the bag back to the 10-inch straight-sided saute pan or Dutch oven and cover. Put the pan on the middle rack of the oven and braise until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone, about 4 hours.
7. Remove the meat from the oven to a platter. Discard the rosemary. Cover the meat with aluminum foil to keep warm while finishing the sauce.
8. Filter the sauce, and set the pan over medium-low heat
9. Simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the flour slowly at a time, adding as it absorbs
10. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of wine and the remaining chopped rosemary and continue to cook for another minute. 
11. Taste and adjust seasoning by adding salt and pepper, if needed.
12. Drizzle over meat as served, and enjoy!

Verdict

Fantastic. Tender, flavorful, not overly lamb-y. 

Cream of Potato Soup with Sausage and Scallops

Pretty thrown-together, but a huge success.

Ingredients

• Four medium or two large potatoes, diced small (1/4" cubes)
• 5-6 oz. scallops, diced small (1/2" cubes)
• 8-10 oz. sausage (either loose or liberated from its casings)
• 6 oz. milk
• 6 oz. heavy cream 
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• butter

Procedure

1. Warm butter over medium heat in heavy, deep-sided cast iron skillet with cover
2. Put potatoes in skillet, and mix around in butter
3. Add salt and pepper
4. Making sure to mix the potatoes to keep from sticking, sautée for 15 min. until soft
5. Add sausage and mix well; cover, and cook for another 15-20 min.
6. Add milk and raise heat to medium high; cook for 5 min.
7. Add scallops and cook for 5 min.
8. Add heavy cream, raise to a low boil, and cook for 5 min.
9. Serve hot or lower temperature to lowest setting, and keep warm on stove until serving
10. Enjoy!

Verdict

Just fantastic - good blend of flavors and textures, and a great way to start a meal.

Empanadas

I made another big batch of pulled turkey - further recipe to come - and was left with just a bit more meat than fix into one of my standard large Pyrexes. What to do? Well: meat pies is what. After perusing the standard recipes for English-style meat pies – most of which seem to involve weird things like cooking in boiling water – I decided to look into empanada recipes instead. Bingo. Many called for frying the pies, which while okay was not either a) the kind of messy effort I wanted to put in, or b) the effect I was going for. I wanted a nice flaky meat pie, and that's what I got.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 C. shortening [I of course used duck fat]
• 1/3 C. milk

Procedure

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk or stir with a fork until well mixed. 
2. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.
3. Sprinkle with milk. Stir pastry with a fork until mixture begins to hold together; if mixture is too dry, sprinkle on another tablespoon of milk.
4. The pastry should not be sticky. Knead on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Let rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight before using. [I went overnight, wrapped in plastic]
5. Before baking, pre-heat oven to 375 F
6. Pinch off several tablespoons and roll into balls.
7. On a well floured surface with a floured rolling pin, roll balls out into 5 or 6 inch circles 1/8-inch thick.
8. Fill with a tablespoon or so of filling; brush edges with water and fold over to make half moon shapes. Crimp to seal edge with a fork or pinch with your fingertips.
9. Bake for 25 min. or until golden brown
10. Enjoy! 

Verdict

Fantastic. Nice and flaky and savory; can also be wrapped in foil and frozen or kept in fridge for future reheating.

Salty Duck Fat Cranberry Yogurt Scones

Okay, haters gonna hate but this is some REAL scone action. Modified from an Alton Brown recipe, and glad I changed the things I did.

Ingredients


• 2 c. flour
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 4 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. duck fat (or other shortening - but do yourself a favor and go for duck fat)
• 3/4 c. whole milk yogurt (subbing for cream)
• 1 egg
• Handful dried currants or dried cranberries

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. 
3. Cut in butter and shortening. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. 
5. Stir in fruit. 
6. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds (should make 12-15).
7. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brown.
8. Enjoy!

Verdict

Amazing. I was going for a little more salty than called for, and it worked - and the yogurt made the scones nice and fluffy. Fantastic stuff.

Duck Wings

An amazing deal the other week at the farmer's market: 10 duck wings for $10. I wasn't about to pass up that opportunity, especially with the Super Bowl upcoming and hot wings needed. And I'm glad that I did.

Procedure

1. Wash duck wings; pat dry.
2. Place in Dutch Oven with cover; cover in duck stock and/or water.
3. Heat oven to 300 degrees.
4. Place pot in middle rack of oven; let simmer for 3-4 hours.
5. Remove from oven; place wings on paper-towel-covered plate, and cover with another paper towel. Put in the fridge for an hour, and conserve the water or stock for later (you'll be able to skim off the amazing creamy duck fat, which is prefect for... pretty much everything).
6. Heat oven to 425 degrees
7. Place parchment paper on baking sheet and put wings on top
8. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until crispy; turn and do the same on the other side.
9. Remove and toss with sauce (detailed below)

Hot Wing Sauce (for 8-10 wings)

1. Melt 3 oz. unsalted butter butter in a small bowl along with the 2 cloves minced garlic. 
2. Pour this along with 1/4 c. hot sauce and 1/2 tsp. salt into a bowl large enough to hold all of the wings, and stir to combine.

Chipotle Sauce

Same, but with one chipotle pepper and sauce diced in place of the hot sauce.

Sweet Soy 


Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c. sugar
• 3 c. dark soy sauce
• 1/2 c. water
• 1/2 star anise pod
• 2-4 cardamom pods
• 1 (1") piece fresh ginger root, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Heat sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar becomes lightly brown. 
2. Slowly stir in soy sauce. 
3. Once the sugar and soy sauce are combined, stir in the water, star anise, cardamom, ginger, and garlic. Increase heat and bring to a boil. 
4. Simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 15 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and cool. 
6. Strain sauce and pour into a lidded bottle or jar. 
7. Store in the refrigerator.

Sweet Soy Sauce

Using a ratio of 2 Tbs. sweet soy to 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil, whisk until combined, and toss wings in mixture. You also will need to pour it back over to cover completely - but it's worth it. The wings for the sweet soy round were also smoked for 3 hours before being put in the Dutch Oven - worth it.


Verdict

One of the better things I've made. Just fantastic.

Pork Belly

After an initial experiment with pork belly-to-bacon that went good-not-great, I was determined to learn my lessons and treat that most excellent of meats with the care it deserves. This was not simple, but it was totally worth it.

Procedure

1. Take pork belly, wash and pat dry
2. Put belly in a brine - I won't go over it again here, but a basic not-too-salty brine is recommended (bourbon and maple don't hurt - I added onion powder and fried garlic to this one [with excellent results]) - and put in the fridge for five days to a week. Either a sealed Ziploc or airtight tupperware will do.
3. When ready to smoke, remove from brine, rinse and pat dry.
4. Smoke for three hours; remove and let cool.
5. At this point it makes a great bacon (I used one for this purpose), but there's also a highly recommended second step.
6. Heat oven to 250 degrees.
7. Put pork belly in covered Dutch oven or Pyrex container, and cover with either pork stock or water (if, for some reason, you don't have pork stock - which you should)
8. Let simmer in oven for three hours
9. Remove from oven and set pork belly aside; reserve stock either for later or add to simmering broth for ramen or other soup. Not surprisingly, it adds a deliciously smoky, creamy wondrousness to any soup.
10. When soup is ready - or maybe a pork bun, or really anything - heat a cast iron skillet to medium-high. Don't be shy! 
11. Drop the belly in the pan with tongs and spatula at the ready to prevent from sticking. It will sizzle something wonderful.
12. Cook for about a minute on each side to crisp up the belly proper
13. Set aside, slice and serve with soup or direct application to mouth.
14. Enjoy! 

Verdict

Well, just amazing. Really.

Perfect Fried Chicken

I've been trying for a while to find a fried chicken recipe that works for me, with mixed results - until now. The solution came from the fantastic Bill Neal's Southern Cooking - every recipe I've used out of there is fantastic - and a slightly modified version follows below.

Ingredients

• 1 chicken (3-4 lbs.), cut into 9 pieces [I used four thighs and four drumsticks, instead]
• 1 c. buttermilk [no buttermilk available - I used 1 c. whole milk with 1 tbs. lemon juice, let it sit for 5 min. to curdle]
• 1 c. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper [I also added 1 tsp. red pepper]
• 1 c. lard [yes - this is important. Duck fat or schmaltz can also do][see also more on LARD]
• 1 1/2 c. peanut oil [I used corn oil instead]

Procedure

1. Put the chicken pieces in a glass or stainless steel bowl and toss with the buttermilk - marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours [next time I may also add 1 tbsp. hot sauce to the buttermilk for spicier chicken]
2. Combine flour, salt and pepper(s) in a large paper bag
3. Preheat lard and oil in deep cast iron skillet on medium-high heat to 375F (190C)
4. Drop the chicken pieces into the paper bag, shaking well to coat evenly with the seasoned flour
5. Add dark meat pieces to the skillet first, skin side down, followed by white meat pieces
6. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and fry for 15 min.
7. Remove cover, turn each piece, and fry for another 10-15 min.
8. Remove chicken and let drain in a second paper bag
9. Serve and enjoy! (preferably with biscuits and greens)

Smokeout Menu - 3 September 2011

Long time no blog!

In commemoration of tomorrow's smoke-out, I'll actually be making an effort to document what gets made. Some old favorites, some new jacks – should be a grand old time.

No-Knead Rolls

Tired of spending $3 a pack on rolls, and with enough experience and confidence in my bread making, I decided to actually make the rolls this time. I'd just started a batch of the Sullivan Street no-knead bread and found a roll recipe almost the same, so tripled the ingredients and set up two bowls to rise over the next 18 hours. Via Fabulous and Delicious:

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C. warm water
• 1/4 Tsp. dry active yeast
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/4 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp. sugar
• 3 C. flour
• cornmeal for the baking pans

Procedure

 

• Add all ingredients (except the cornmeal) to a bowl and mix with a spoon until the ingredients are decently mixed. The dough is going to be very sticky. 
• Once mixed, cover the bowl with a towel or saran wrap and let the dough sit for 12 hours. (I've done as little as 8 hours with success.) After the dough has sat for at least 8 hours (ideally 12), it will be bubbly and at least doubled in size. 
• 
• Place a generous amount of cornmeal on a baking sheet to keep from sticking while baking.
• To prepare the rolls, place a 1/4-1/2 cup of flour on a plate or counter top. 
• Separate the dough into 8 pieces; take each piece of the dough and roll/dust the outside with the flour, then mold the piece of dough into a round shape and place it on the baking sheet.
• Once all the rolls are made and placed on the baking sheet, let them sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour so they may rise some more.
• Place broiler plan in the oven and heat to 425 degrees. 
• Bake the rolls on the middle/top rack for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden on the outside and sound hollow when tapped on top. 
• Remove from the oven, and let them cool on rack

Verdict

Delicious!

Pulled Pork

Via Alton Brown, my stand-by recipe.

Ingredients

Brine:
    •    8 oz. molasses
    •    12 oz. pickling salt
    •    2 quarts water
    •    6-8 lb. Boston butt

Rub:
    •    1 Tsp. whole cumin seed
    •    1 Tsp. whole fennel seed
    •    1 Tsp. whole coriander
    •    1 Tbsp. chili powder
    •    1 Tbsp. onion powder
    •    1 Tbsp. paprika

Procedure

1. Combine molasses, pickling salt, and water in large pot
2. Add Boston butt making sure it is completely submerged in brine, cover, and let sit in refrigerator for a minimum of 8 hours. 12 hours is ideal.
3. Place cumin seed, fennel seed, and coriander in food grinder and grind fine. Transfer to a small mixing bowl and stir in chili powder, onion powder, and paprika.
4. Remove Boston butt from brine and pat dry. Sift the rub evenly over the shoulder and then pat onto the meat making sure as much of the rub as possible adheres.
5. Place butt in smoker and cook for 12 hours
6. Remove from smoker and set aside to rest for at least 1 hour; pull meat apart with 2 forks

Verdict

Just amazing.

Vegan-But-Great Refried Beans

Ingredients

• 2 c. pinto or black beans
• 6 c. veggie stock
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 poblano (or large jalapeño and small spicy) pepper
• 1 Tsp. ginger powder
• 2 Tsp. tumeric powder
• 1 Tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tsp. salt
• oil

Procedure

1. Heat generous amount of oil to medium-high in deep, heavy pan or pot - cast iron is the best, or non-stick
2. Add garlic, fry until fragrant and then add onions, and fry until translucent
3. Add pepper and combine, stirring until pepper begins to soften
4. Add spices and mix together well
5. Add beans, mix all together
6. Add stock, stir, and raise heat to high; bring to boil
7. Keep pot at a low boil for quite a while (at least an hour), adding more water when necessary
8. When beans have softened, use a potato masher to pound them to a paste; add more water and oil if necessary to cohere, and lower heat to medium-low
9. Continue cooking, stirring, and adding water – having a bit stick to the bottom isn't bad if you can scrape it up and avoid burning
10. When it reaches your desired level of consistency, remove from heat and serve with soft corn tortillas
11. Enjoy!

Verdict

Delicioso!

Spicy Garlic Green Beans

Basically I like green beans, full stop. Hard to beat fresh out of the garden in the summer - hard to beat dilly beans - and a simple stir-fry with garlic is always fantastic. Following on my friend Manfred's  technique when I visited over the summer, I made the following simple and super-satisfying preparation.

Ingredients

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
1 large or 2 small shallots, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt

Procedure

In a large skillet, heat oil to medium
Add shallots, garlic, pepper and salt
Stir into oil and cook 2-3 minutes until garlic is fragrant and shallots begin to soften
Add beans, and cook, stirring to cover entirely in oil and frequently enough to redistribute, for 10-15 minutes or until desired level of softening
Serve and enjoy!

Verdict

Fantastic - spicy, garlicky, beany. The oil is great for putting over rice, mopping up with bread, whatever.

Mackerel Fillets Simmered in Soy Sauce

Some delicious Boston Mackerel from the market the other day, and Bittman provides a great recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup sake
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 6 thin slices peeled fresh ginger
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon 
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 4 mackerel fillets, ~1 lb. total, skin on

Procedure

1. In a 12-inch skillet with a cover, mix together all ingredients except fish. 
2. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, uncovered.
3. Add fish skin-side down and simmer until cooked through, 7-10 minutes - once the fish turns opaque, poke it with a small sharp knife. When the point meets little resistance entering the thickest part, the fish is done. 
4. Spoon a fillet and some sauce onto a mound of rice
5. Enjoy!

Verdict

Excellent!

Sichuan Peppercorn Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast meat cut into strips
• 
4 carrots, julienned
• 1 red pepper, sliced

• 1 onion, sliced
• 1/2 c. mushrooms, sliced

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 
1 tsp ground or crushed Szechuan peppercorns

• salt to taste

Procedure

1. Marinade chicken strips with ground Szechuan peppercorn and salt for 30 minutes.
2. In a hot pan, drizzle some oil and pan-fry chicken strips until golden brown; remove and set aside.
3. Add a little more oil to pan and sauté the garlic. 
4. When fragrant, add carrots, red pepper, and onion; stir-fry for about 5 minutes, adding water when necessary.
5. Cover, and steam for several minutes.
6. Add mushrooms and cover for 2 minutes.
7. Return browned chicken strips to the pan and continue stirring. 
8. Add salt to taste and ¼ cup water to loosen brown bits in the pan. 
9. Cook until combined.
10. Serve, and enjoy!

Chicken Liver Paté

For reasons that are probably a bit beyond my comprehension, I've gotten incredibly into liver recently. Specifically bird liver which, astoundingly, is just about the cheapest part of the bird you can buy. So armed with the larger part of a pound of smoked chicken liver (courtesy a friend's smoker), I proceeded to make some paté.

Chicken Liver Paté

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb. chicken liver, smoked
• 3 cloves elephant garlic, roasted
• 1/2 onion, chopped, caramelized
• 2 oz. cream sherry
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1 tbs. butter

Procedure

1. Chop all ingredients finely
2. Melt butter in saucepan, add garlic
3. Add onions, liver and pepper; stir thoroughly
4. When hot, add sherry and cook down, mushing all ingredients together to a delicious goo
5. When gooey, remove from heat and let cool for a few mintues
6. Throw 'er in the food processor or blender
7. Get everything out, put in a container and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours
8. Serve on crackers and eat the hell out of it

Verdict

Duh. Obscenely decadent and delicious.

Alternately, if you prefer it in the original French, there's

Dominique's Foie Gras via Claire

Ingredients

large goose liver (500g)

salt

white pepper

sugar

cognac

Procedure 

Rajouter sel, poivre blanc, muscade râpée, une pincée de sucre, deux cueilleres soupe d’alcool, porto, cognac, armagnac, tu couvres d’un film, et tu laisses macérer une nuit.

In your bowl, put salt, white pepper (I'm fairly sure I used regular), a pinch of sugar, 2 tablespoons of alcohol (porto, cognac, armagnac), cover with the transparent plastic, leave in the fridge one night.

Le lendemain, tu prends du film étirable, l’enrouler une douzaine de fois, comme un saucisson, fermer les bords avec le fil de fer. Il faut absolument fermer hermétiquement.

The next day, take some transparent plastic film, wrap up the liver a dozen times (I used to do 20 times), close the ends with twisty-metallic thingees. It HAS to be impermeable.

Faire bouillir 5 L d’eau dans une grande marmite, quand l’eau bout, tu éteints, et tu plonges ton foie dedans, et tu le maintiens au fond. Mets le couvercle. Quand l’eau est froide, ton foie est cuit. Il faut le retirer. Puis, l’enrouler dans un torchon et le laisser dans le frigo 5 a 8 jours (8 c’est mieux).

Get your biggest pot, and put 5 litres of water, bring to a boil (it might be easier to get your kettle's help on this, 5L is a lot of water). When the water boils, turn the stove off, place your liver at the bottom--keep it there (mine floated, so I had to submerge it under a couple of bowls-get creative). Cover the pot and leave it be. Once your water is cold, the liver is ready (it will take hours, of course). Take it out of the water, wrap it pretty snuggly in a kitchen towel, place it in the fridge for 5 to 8 days (8 days is better).

Bon appetit!

Bon appetit!

Savory Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes and Peppers

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
• 3 red peppers, roasted, skinned, chopped into 1/2" squares
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, oven-dried and preserved in oil (you could probably fudge this, but I had 'em)
• 4 cloves garlic, diced roughly
• 1 large onion, sliced medium-thin
• 1 14-oz. can foul mudammas
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 c. stock (I used veggie, you could also use chicken)
• olive oil

Procedure

1. Heat oil to low in a large saucepan with a lid
2. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant (~1 min.)
3. Add onions and stir; cook until they begin to soften
4. Add tomatoes and peppers with a bit more oil (from their containers works nicely)
5. Stir all ingredients together and add a bit of stock (~1/2 c.); stir again to combine and cover
6. Cook covered for several minutes, then open and add chicken
7. Cook chicken for several minutes, turn over, and add foul mudammas, stirring to combine
8. Cover again, and cook on low for about 10 min.
9. Uncover, and cook for about an hour on low, stirring occasionally and adding stock when the sauce gets too thick or starts sticking to the pan
10. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Verdict

Really, really good. Just really good. Still-thinking-about-it-now good.

Lemongrass Tofu Noodle Soup

Ingredients


For tofu:

• 12 oz. tofu, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. lemongrass powder
• 1 tsp. five-spice powder
• 2 tsp. sesame oil

For soup:

• 8 oz. dried Thai rice noodes, linguini-width
• 2 stalks lemongrass OR 2 tbsp. lemongrass powder
• 6 c. veggie stock
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk green garlic, bulb minced and stalk sliced
• 1 spring onion, bulb minced and stalk sliced
• 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets including stems
• 1 1/2 c. cabbage of some sort, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce 

Procedure

1. Combine soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. lemongrass powder and five-spice powder in spouted cup; pour over tofu in mixing bowl and mix with plastic spoon, covering tofu completely. Chill in fridge for at least half an hour.
2. Dunk noodles in a pot of boiling water, cover the pot and turn off the heat; allow the noodles to soften in the hot water for 10 min.; drain and set aside.
3. Put 1 tsp. sesame oil in wide skillet and heat to medium-low; sauteé tofu until slightly browned on all sides and firm, and set aside.
4. Put 1 tsp. sesame oil in a medium-large soup pot and heat to medium-low; 
5. Add ginger, garlic and spring onion bulbs, carrots and lemongrass (include left-over stalk pieces if using fresh), and sauteé until fragrant.
6. Add stock,  bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 min.
7. Add broccoli and cabbage; stir and allow to simmer 2 min.
8. Reduce heat to minimum and add the tofu, garlic and spring onion stalk, and fish sauce; cook for several minutes.
9. Ladle noodles into bowls and serve soup on top.
10. Enjoy!

Verdict

Fantastic - fresh and very flavorful.

Duck and Vietnamese Sausage Soup

Finally got around to using the duck stock when I found some Vietnamese sausage at an Asian market; put together a few ingredients from recipes I found and let 'er rip.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. Vietnamese sausage, sliced
• 4 cups duck stock
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 3-inch knob of ginger, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/2 package rice noodles
• 3 Star anise
• 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 tbs. soy sauce, or more according to taste
• 1 tbs. fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• sesame oil

Procedure

1. Soak rice noodles in cold water, drain and set aside
2. Heat sesame oil over medium-low heat
3. Add onion, ginger, star anise, sugar and five-spice powder; mix thoroughly
4. Add a few tablespoons of the duck stock, soy sauce and fish sauce to prevent ingredients from sticking
5. Add sausage and sauteé for several minutes
6. Add remainder of stock and raise to boil; lower temperature and simmer for 15 min. on medium heat.
7. Add noodles and cook for 10 min. at a simmer
8. Serve and enjoy!

Verdict


Spicy (this may be the result of some leftovers I threw in with some spice of their own, and the inclusion of the chilis the Vietnamese sausage came with), savory, tasty. A winner! Probably would be equally excellent with chicken stock if that's what you got.

Spicy Mexican Fried Green Tomatoes

While making Bill Smith's collards (cribbed from the excellent Holy Smoke), I decided to nose about for some other recipes and found a perfect one at the Southern Foodways Alliance, given that I have two green tomatoes and am doing Mexican pork tomorrow.

Ingredients

• 
2 green (unripe) tomatoes
• 
Salt
• 
1/2 c. white cornmeal
• 
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 
2 tsp. cumin

• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp. salt

• Canola oil for frying

Procedure

1. Slice tomatoes into 1/4" slices and salt both sides. 
2. Mix cornmeal, flour, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper in a shallow dish. 
3. Heat 1/4” oil over medium-low heat in a frying pan. 
4. Dredge tomato slices in cornmeal mixture, coating both sides generously. 
5. Fry in batches in oil until golden brown and tomatoes are softened. 
6. Drain on paper towels.
7. Enjoy!

Verdict

Astonishingly delicious. Very, very highly recommended.

Stir-fried Lamb with Green Onions

Ingredients

• 8 oz. lamb fillet, trimmed and very thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
• 1 tsp  white sugar
• 1½ tbsp  Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp  dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp  Chinkiang vinegar
• 1 tsp  sesame oil, plus extra to serve
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 2  garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 4  thin slices of ginger
• 8  green onions, cut into 2" lengths

Procedure

1. Combine lamb, light soy sauce, sugar and 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine in a bowl. Season to taste and stand for 30 minutes.
2. Combine dark soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and remaining Shaoxing wine and set aside.
3. Heat a wok over high heat until smoke appears. 
4. Add vegetable oil, swirl it around wok, add garlic and ginger, let it sizzle until just coloured (8-10 seconds), then immediately add lamb. 
5. Toss rapidly using a spatula until lamb is partially cooked and slightly charred (20-30 seconds), then add reserved dark soy sauce mixture and mix through. 
6. Add green onion and stir-fry until most of the sauce is absorbed. 
7. Check seasoning and add extra sesame oil if necessary.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Verdict

Delicious!

Cilantro Carrots with Cumin

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. carrots, each cut into 2" long pieces, then quartered lengthwise

• 6 tbs. orange or other sweet juice (I used mango nectar)
• 3 tbs. lemon juice

• 3 tbs. olive oil

• 2 tbs. ground cumin
• 
2 garlic cloves, pressed

• 2 tbs. minced fresh cilantro

Procedure

1. Combine carrots and 6 tablespoons water/juice in large saucepan. 
2. Season with salt. 
3. Cover and boil until carrots are crisp-tender, about 7 min.
4. Drain off any excess liquid. 
5. Transfer carrots to large shallow bowl. 
6. Mix in lemon juice, oil, cumin and garlic. 
7. Season with salt and pepper. 
8. Cool. 
9. Add cilantro. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at cool room temperature.)
10. Enjoy!