Asian Food Night

Green chicken curry (Thai)

The last few entries have been focused on traditional American comfort food.  I love my stews, potato salad, and big American-style breakfasts.  But I also love Indian, Thai, and Chinese food.  These cuisines are HUGE on flavor!  Countless spices, such as coriander, cumin, and cardamom, tantalize your taste buds.  Fresh garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, and Kaffir lime leaves add layers of complexity to the food.  And the pungency of fish sauce, bean paste, and oyster sauce give Asian cuisines the umami component missing in many Western dishes.

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I first fell in love with Thai food in Minneapolis, tasting my first coconut-based curries and Pad Thai at a local restaurant called Sawatdee (a common Thai salutation, meaning hello, goodbye, good day, etc.).  I was a little hesitant to try these very different foods (I was only 19, and eating an onion was a bold move).  My then girlfriend had brought home leftovers, specifically green curry chicken.  Finding it in the fridge the next day, I heated it in the microwave, and started eating it.  Wow!  In addition to the delicious flavor, the spiciness of the chilies was intense. 

Papaya salad

In addition to exploring Asian cuisine in restaurants, I began cooking Asian dishes a few years ago.  Most of my cooking focused on Thai and Vietnamese, which were my favorite cuisines at that time.  After a year or two of indulging in homemade curry pastes, papaya salads, and delicious stir-fries, I was craving something new.  

It was then that I had my first really good Indian feast.  Rachel’s friend from work invited us over for a dinner party.  Her friend had grown up in India, as did her husband.  For dinner, they made these delicious dishes, such as grilled paneer (an Indian cheese) with vinegared red onions, dals, and lamb.  I can’t recall all the exact foods they prepared.  I just remember leaving that night, stuffed, and very excited about Indian food!

Always prep your ingredients for Asian recipes (they move fast)

Indian food is one of the most challenging cuisines to cook at home.  First, you need dozens of spices.  Second, the prep time can require hours, especially if you’re making a few entrees and the common dipping sauces for naan (Indian flatbread).  Since I started cooking Indian in 2008, I have only had the time (or patience) to cook full Indian dinner parties a few times.  It’s just too exhausting!  It makes me really appreciate Indian food, whether at a restaurant or a friend’s house.

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Thai Basil Chicken, Szechuan Broccolini, and Stir-Fried Cabbage

Back to the present.  Rachel & I had a couple friends coming over for dinner, and we knew they liked to eat more vegetables than meat.  Asian food is great for this preference, and I wanted to find a couple new recipes to complement my Chicken Basil stir-fry dish (something I make every few weeks).  I found a delicious, spicy recipe for broccolini (not baby broccoli but actually a cross between broccoli and kai-lan).  And another recipe that turned out very well was a spicy stir-fried cabbage.  As with most Asian recipes, make sure to prep everything in advance, since most of the recipes move quickly.  My favorite tool in the kitchen is a well-crafted knife.  One of my good friends gave me a Global chef's knife a few years back, and I love it!  


Link: Global 8" Chef's Knife

For wine pairings, I recommend Gewurztraminer or Riesling.  The residual sugar in these wines handles the spice and intense flavor of the food.  I also love beer with spicy Asian food.

Enjoy!

Stir-fried Chicken with Basil

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 Serrano chiles, minced

3 T. peanut oil

1 lb. chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ medium red pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

½ medium green pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces

20 leaves of Thai or regular basil

4 oz. button mushrooms or large white mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)

4 oz. roasted, unsalted cashews (optional)

1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 T. water

Sauce: 4 T. fish sauce, 4 tsp soy sauce, 4 tsp sugar, 2/3 cup water

Directions:

1. Mix up the sauce

2. Heat wok or large frying pan to high heat, then add the oil

3. Add the garlic and chiles; stir & sauté for 30 seconds

4. Add chicken and lightly salt it; then stir & sauté for 2 minutes, or until it begins to turn white

5. Add onions, peppers, and mushrooms (if using), and light salt it; then stir & sauté for 3-4 minutes

6. Add sauce, mix well, and sauté for 30 seconds

7. Add cornstarch mixture, stir, and sauté for 30 seconds

8. Mix in basil and cashews

9. Taste for salt and spice level, and adjust accordingly

10. Serve over rice

Szechuan Broccolini

Ingredients:

1 T soy sauce

1 T rice wine vinegar

½ tsp sugar

1 T sesame seeds

2 tsp vegetable oil

½ tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp grated ginger

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 T peanut oil

3 cups broccolini (baby broccoli)

Directions:

1. Mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in bowl and set aside

2. Heat a wok or large skillet to high heat

3. Add oil

4. Add red pepper flakes, ginger, and garlic

5. Stir for 30 seconds

6. Add broccoli and stir for 1 minute

7. Add soy mixture and stir

8. Sprinkle with sesame seeds

9. Serve over rice

Stir-fried Cabbage with Chiles & Ginger

Ingredients:

½ lb. Green or Red Cabbage, cut into strips

2 slices bacon cut into ½” pieces

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Serrano chile, minced (or to taste)

3-4 slices of fresh ginger, cut into ¼” slices

1 star anise

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp soy sauce

1 T. peanut oil

Directions:

1. Heat wok or large frying pan to medium heat, then add oil

2. Add bacon to the oil before it gets too hot (you want the bacon fat to melt into the oil a little)

3. Sauté bacon for 1 minute, then add the garlic

4. Sauté for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic begins to brown slightly

5. Add the ginger, chiles, and anise; stir

6. Add the cabbage, stirring to coat the cabbage thoroughly

7. Sprinkle with the salt, and let sauté for 5-6 minutes, or until the cabbage has begun to wilt

8. Add the soy sauce, stir

9. Taste for salt and spice level, and adjust accordingly

10. Serve over rice

Comfort Food

Poulet Rôti (Roast Chicken)

Roast chicken is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods.  From that moment you can begin to smell the wonderful aromas coming out of the oven...to that final succulent bite of juicy, herb-flavored meat...it’s the cornerstone of a classic meal.  Add in a few sides, such as roasted rosemary potatoes, homemade pecan & cranberry stuffing, and fresh cranberry sauce, and you’re in for a real treat.

To start, let’s begin with the chicken itself.  First, you need to find a high-quality, properly raised whole chicken.  Farmers markets in New York often sell humanely raised chicken (i.e. true free-range, pastured birds), but another great option is a local Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA).  Check out Local Harvest’s CSA website to search for a CSA near you (http://www.localharvest.org/csa/). 

Greenmarket Farmers Market - Union Square, NY, NY

This afternoon, I found a great 3 ½ lb. chicken at a NY farmer’s market, from Grazin Angus Acres (http://www.grazinangusacres.com/), a farm in Ghent, New York (about 3 hours north of the City of New York, just south of Albany).  An impressive organization, the farm is committed to raising cattle and chickens with a sense of humanity and understanding, which is the opposite of the horrible farm conditions of large companies (i.e. Perdue, Tyson, etc.).  Also, beyond the treatment of animals, the health and flavor of these cattle and birds is immensely better than the junk coming out of large corporations.  Think of it as fresh squeezed orange juice instead of Minute Maid. 

Grazin Angus Acres - Ghent, NY (upstate New York)

If you can’t find a CSA or farmers market near you, stores such as Whole Foods (WFM) also offer better alternatives to poorly raised Perdue and Tyson chickens.  Just note, even birds from WFM will not be the same as those found at farmers markets, which are straight from the farm.  On a side note, as Michael Pollan (http://michaelpollan.com/) has emphasized, it's important to get to know where your food is coming from.  Farmers markets and visits to the actual farms are great ways to take this step.  How else will we be responsible consumers if do not know the process, the hard work that our farmers perform day in and day out?

Brining Ingredients (Salt, Sugar, Herbs, Pepper)

Back to the meal...after purchasing your chicken, the next step is to brine it.  A good brine is the secret to a juicy, delicious roast chicken.  Make sure that your brining solution is always cold, as anything above 
40º F could result in spoilage.  If you’re concerned, add a few ice cubes to bring down the temperature of the brine.  Just don’t add too many, which will dilute the solution.  Brine the chicken for 3-5 hours.  I have read that another option is to remove the chicken after brining, rinse & dry thoroughly, and then let it sit on a plate in your fridge overnight.  This supposedly dries it out enough to give you wonderfully crispy skin when you roast it (but I haven’t tried this yet).

Dried cranberries and pecans, ready for the stuffing

For the stuffing, make sure you cook it far enough in advance so that it can cool down before you stuff your bird.  You don’t want to take 150º F stuffing and push it into the cold chicken.  I personally love the pecan-cranberry stuffing, which I provided below, but any favorite stuffing would do.  I would highly recommend a homemade stuffing though rather than the processed version (i.e. Stove Top).  It’s healthier, more delicious, and lower in sodium. 

When your chicken is roasting, baste it with a little honey butter mixture for more delicious skin.  Also, you can roast your potatoes at the same time if you’d like, or make mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/jellied-cranberry-sauce-with-fuji-apple), or any other sides that your heart desires.

For wine, I would suggest a French Sauvignon Blanc (http://dailydishchef.blogspot.com/2010/08/vin-de-la-journee-wine-of-day_10.html), a Torrontés from Argentina, or maybe a lighter-bodied red, such as an Oregon Pinot Noir or a French Burgundy.  I also love a dry Riesling from Alsace and Albariño from Spain to pair with the roast chicken.

Cheers!


Ingredient List (one 3-4 lb. chicken serves 4 people, if served w/sides):

Brining Recipe

3 to 4 lb. whole chicken 1 gallon cold water

¾ cup kosher salt

½ cup sugar

¼ cup soy sauce

Handful of fresh herbs (thyme, oregano, rosemary, sage, etc.)

1 T. black peppercorns
Paprika & freshly ground pepper, for sprinkling over chicken before roasting
Optional: 2 T. butter and 1 T. honey, for basting chicken

1. In a large pot or bowl (big enough to fit brining solution and chicken), mix water and all other ingredients. 

2. Stir very well, ensuring that all the salt and sugar dissolve in the water.

3. Rinse chicken, remove neck, liver, and any other innards.

4. Gently place chicken into the brining solution, making sure it is fully covered.  If you have to, use a small plate or other object to keep the chicken submerged.

5. Brine for 3-5 hours in the refrigerator, making sure the solution is 40º F or cooler.

6. Remove the chicken, rinse with cold water, and thoroughly dry with a thin towel.

7. Preheat oven to 350º F.

8. Place the chicken (breast-side up) in an oven-safe roasting pan, and stuff the cavity of the chicken with cooled stuffing.

9. Tie the legs together with twine, dust with paprika and some fresh pepper.

10. Put the chicken in the oven, baking for 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until chicken juices run clear when pierced with a toothpick (or internal temperature of the breast is 165º F).

Optional: If you want to add a little indulgence, mix melted butter and honey in a small dish.  After the chicken has been roasting for 30 minutes, begin basting it with the honey butter mixture every 10-15 minutes, until it’s done.

Pecan Cranberry Stuffing Recipe

4 cups of bread cut into ½” cubes

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

½ medium onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 large carrot, diced

½ cup apple, diced

¼ cup dried cranberries

¼ pecans, lightly crushed

1 T. dried sage

½ tsp dried thyme

½ tsp dried rosemary

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp onion powder

Dash of garlic powder

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp salt (more to taste)

2 T. Olive oil

1 T. butter

1. In a large pot, turn heat to medium

2. Add olive oil; once hot, add onions

3. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add celery and carrots

4. Sauté for 7-10 minutes, until the veggies begin to soften

5. Add apple, stir, and sauté for another 3 minutes

6. Add butter, the spices, pecans, and cranberries, stir

7. Add stock and bread, mix thoroughly

8. Turn off heat, let sit for 5-10 minutes before using