Chicken Satay Recipe

By Zak Pelaccio
Fatty Crab, New York

Makes 12 skewers; serves 4 people

For the marinade:
3 Tbs. palm sugar
4 cloves garlic
3 stalks lemongrass, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Thai chiles, stems removed
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 Tbs. cincalok (available at well-stocked Asian markets)
2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
4 boneless skin-on chicken thighs

For the peanut sauce:
3 cups plus 2 Tbs. peanut oil
4 oz. peanuts, coarsely ground in mortar and pestle
1 Tbs. red chile flakes
3 cloves garlic
3 medium shallots, cut into chunks
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and sliced
1 Tbs. coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 Tbs. fennel seeds, toasted and ground
1 Tbs. cumin seeds, toasted and ground
4 oz. candlenut
1 Tbs. belacan, toasted (available at well-stocked Asian markets)
1/4 cup coconut milk
3 Tbs. palm sugar, broken
2 Tbs. tamarind pulp
Kosher salt

For the basting liquid:
1/4 cup dried whole cayenne chiles
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup coconut cream
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
3 Tbs. seasoned rendered chicken fat (such as schmaltz)
2 Tbs. cincalok
Kosher salt
12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 20 minutes
Fresh or pickled cucumbers, for garnish (optional)

Make the marinade:
Puree all marinade ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor until smooth and pour over the chicken thighs. Marinate for 48 hours.

Make the sauce:
-Heat 3 cups of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F. Drop in the peanuts and fry until they just begin to take on color. Remove the peanuts with a slotted spoon and drain in a colander. When cool enough to handle, grind them in a mortar and pestle and set aside.
-Purée the chiles, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, coriander, fennel, cumin, candlenut, and belacan in a food processor until a very fine paste forms.
-Heat the remaining 2 Tbs. oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the paste and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and beginning to sizzle, 2 to 4 minutes. Pour in the peanuts, coconut milk, and palm sugar and bring to a simmer. Add tamarind and continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. -Let cool, season to taste with salt, and pour into small dipping bowls.

Make the basting liquid:

-Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and toast until dark but not black. Transfer to a blender and blend them with the oil. Set aside.
-Combine all basting liquid ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and keep warm for basting.
-Separate the chicken skins from the thighs and cut the skins into 9 pieces. Cut the thighs into 12 pieces of the same size. Thread 4 pieces of chicken and 3 pieces of skin onto each skewer, leading with the chicken meat and alternating with the skin. Refrigerate until ready to cook and up to 2 days.
-Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat. Just before cooking, brush the chicken with the basting liquid. Grill the chicken skewers, flipping once and brushing once or twice with the basting liquid, until cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes.

Serve 3 skewers per person with the peanut sauce on the side for dipping and the cucumbers, if using.

Shojin Salad with Peanut Flavored Tofu Dressing

By Mari Fujii, Author, The Enlightened Kitchen: Fresh Vegetable Dishes from the Temples of Japan

Serves 4

8 thin spears asparagus, woody ends removed
4 lettuce leaves, torn into bite-sized pieces
1 ½ cups tomatoes, dice cut in ½-inch pieces

Dressing
1 block tofu (silken, if available)
2 tablespoons peanut butter, unsweetened
2 tablespoons rice vinegar or any white vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup
dash of black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. Wrap the tofu in a paper towel, place a plate on top and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to remove excess moisture.

2. To make the dressing, blend the tofu, peanut butter, rice vinegar, olive oil, maple syrup, black pepper, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor.

3. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water, drain, plunge into cold water, then slice diagonally into 1-inch pieces. Spread the lettuce on a serving place, arrange the asparagus, tomato, avocado and cucumber on top, and cover with the dressing.

Chef’s Quote: This creamy peanut, lemon and tofu dressing is a great way to enhance the taste of fresh vegetables

Banana Coconut Cake

Courtesy of Quick & Easy Asian Desserts

Serves 6
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins

1 cup (125 g) rice flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 cup (150 g) shaved palm sugar or dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) water
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 ripe bananas (750 g), peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup (100 g) grated fresh coconut or 1/2 cup (75 g) dried coconut flakes
4 tablespoons melted butter

1. Line a steamer with a muslin cloth, spread the rice flour on it and steam for 10 minutes. Alternatively, dry-fry the rice flour in a wok for 5–10 minutes over low heat. Set aside to cool thoroughly, then sift the flour into a mixing bowl, removing any lumps.

2. Combine the salt, sugar and water in a bowl and mix well. Drizzle the mixture on top of the flour and then mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the ground cardamom and mix well.

3. Place 1/3 of the rice flour mixture into a heat-proof casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the banana slices on top of the flour mixture and top with 1/2 of the grated coconut. Add another layer of the rice flour mixture, banana and coconut, and finish with the final layer of the flour mixture. Drizzle the butter over the top evenly.

4. Steam the mixture for 30 minutes in a covered steamer until cooked. Remove from the heat, slice and serve hot.

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing, a member of the Periplus Publishing Group.

Braised Beef Short Ribs Adobo Recipe

recipe from Divina Pe of Sense & Serendipity

Adobo is considered the national dish of the Philippines. While chicken and pork adobo is the most popular one, I find that adobo made with beef short ribs is even better.

Once you’ve added the vinegar, allow it to simmer without stirring at all (secret trick to Adobo!) Just be careful with the seasoning and the reduction of the sauce, as adobo can become too salty.

The recipe states removing the meat from the bone to be combined with the gnocchi, but you can leave them just the way it is and serve with pasta, steamed rice, buttered orzo or couscous. But the combination of gnocchi and the short ribs are sublime and they are worth giving them a try. You can make your own gnocchi, or buy ready-made gnocchi from the store which only take minutes to prepare.

Makes 8-10 servings

3 pounds beef short ribs (2 1/2 –inch piece, bone-in)
coarse sea salt
2 tbsp grapeseed oil
1 head garlic, separated and peeled
4 thin slices ginger, cut into julienne
1 lemongrass, pounded and tie into a knot (optional)
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup cider, cane or coconut vinegar
1/2 cup light soy sauce
3 bay leaves
2 bird’s eye chili (optional)
1/4 cup chopped freshly parsley (for garnish)
200 grams (per person) cooked potato gnocchi, pasta or rice

To cook your short ribs, pat each rib with paper towels to remove the excess moisture. Heat a large stewing pot with lid or a dutch oven to medium high heat. While the pan heats up, lay the beef and season with salt on all sides.

When the pan is properly heated, add the oil. Then sear or brown the beef on all sides. Once browned, add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, peppercorns, chicken stock, coconut milk, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf and chilies. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to simmer for about 1 -½ to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. You can also cook this at a 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) preheated oven for 2-3 hours or until the meat is very tender.

When the meat is already tender, remove from the heat. Since adobo is best served the next day, place the pot over an ice bath to cool quickly. Once cool, cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight.

To reheat the dish the dish, remove first any hardened fat from the surface of the stew. Then, reheat the adobo in the oven at 350 F (175 C) until heated through.

To assemble the dish, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. While the water is boiling, remove the beef adobo from the oven. With slotted spoon, transfer the beef onto a plate. Then, strain the sauce through a strainer into another pan. Cut or break the beef into smaller pieces with a knife or a fork. Add to the sauce. Bring the beef mixture to a lower simmer.

When the water is already boiling, lower the heat slightly. Gently add the gnocchi into the water, stirring to prevent them from sticking. It is advisable to cook them by batch so they have enough room to cook. When the gnocchi floats to the top, gently lift them out with a slotted spoon, allowing the excess water to drain. Transfer the cooked gnocchi into warm individual bowls. Then spoon the beef adobo on top. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, if desired.

Basil’s Grandmother’s Chicken Curry

By Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, A Tiger in the Kitchen

1 whole chicken, cut up into parts
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1.5 tablespoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 teaspoon cumin
1 or 2 whole star anise (optional)
10 dried chili peppers
10 shallots
3 inches of ginger, peeled
20 cloves of garlic
1.5 heaping tablespoons mustard seeds
2 stalks of curry leaves
2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
Salt, to taste

Chop up the garlic, shallots and ginger. (You can use a food processor if you’d like a less chunky gravy.) Set a small portion of this mixture aside. Then mix up the rest with the chili powder, fennel seeds, coriander, turmeric, cumin and set that aside for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium to high heat until the oil is very hot. Add the mustard seeds and fry until the mustard seeds start to pop and split open. Add the small portion of garlic, ginger and shallots that you’d set aside and fry that a little, until fragrant, then add in the rest of the ingredients (the spice mixture, chicken, star anise, dried chili peppers, salt and curry leaves).

Cook for 45 minutes over medium heat, or until chicken is cooked through, stirring occasionally. If you’d like a gravy, cover the wok while cooking. If you’d prefer a dry curry, don’t cover it.  Serve with rice.

The melange of spices is complex — and without the sweetness of the coconut milk, the taste of this chicken has a deep and slightly smoky quality to it. It’s a taste that will linger and intensify over days. (You might want to make this a day ahead.) Having found a recipe that’s a keeper, I’m of course greedy for more. Also on Basil’s grandmother’s lesson plan was a recipe for spicy Goan pork curry that he says is to die for. If we’re all lucky, maybe he’ll share it.

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang)

By Hisoo Shin Hepinstall, Growing up in a Korean Kitchen: A Cookbook

Following the traditional rule that this dish be made with utmost care, this recipe calls for making one portion at a time. Increase the recipe according to the number of servings.

1 ( 1½ pound) young spring whole chicken (skin removed)
or Cornish game hen
1/3 cup cooked  glutinous sweet rice
2 fresh chestnuts, shelled, skinned and halved
5 pitted jujubes (Korean dates)
3 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
2 whole 3 year old fresh ginseng roots
6 cups clear chicken stock
2 green onions, sliced into thin rings for garnish

1. Wash the chicken in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Form the rice into a ball and stuff it inside the cavity of the chicken. Add the chestnuts, jujubes, garlic, and ginseng roots to the cavity. Sew up the chicken with kitchen thread.

2.Place the chicken in a stockpot and add the stock. Bring it to a boil, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 1½ hours. Serve immediately with dishes of salt, freshly ground black pepper, hot red pepper powder and green onion rings. Allow each guest to adjust the seasoning.

Stir-fried Vegetarian Rice Noodles

Courtesy of Quick & Easy Asian Vegetarian Recipes

Rice vermicelli is a popular alternative to wheat noodles in vegetarian cooking, and is an excellent choice for those who do not tolerate wheat products well.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 mins + 20 mins soaking time
Cooking time: 30 mins

8 dried black Chinese mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
7 oz (200 g) dried rice vermicelli (beehoon or mifen)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 inch (1 cm) fresh ginger, cut into fine shreds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (200 g) thinly sliced cabbage
1 small carrot, cut into fine strips
1 bunch garlic chives, snipped into lengths
1 tablespoon vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce (see note below )
1 cup (50 g) bean sprouts, washed and trimmed
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 red finger-length chili, sliced, to garnish
2 limes, cut in wedges

1. After soaking the mushrooms, remove and discard the stems and slice the caps, reserving the soaking liquid. Set the mushrooms aside.

2. Bring a pot of water with the salt to a full boil, and add the rice vermicelli. Cook for exactly 3 minutes, then drain. Place the rice vermicelli in a mixing bowl and drizzle with the sesame oil; toss to coat thoroughly and set aside.

3. Heat the oil in a wok until smoking, and add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and salt, and stir-fry.

4. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes; stir in 3 tablespoons of the reserved mushroom water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

5. Add the garlic chives and vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 more minute.

6. Add the black pepper, stir to distribute evenly, and place the vegetables on the rice vermicelli. Toss to combine, garnish with the sliced chili, and serve with slices of lime.

Vegetarian mushroom oyster sauce is a soy-based sauce that is the vegetarian substitute for regular oyster sauce.

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing, a member of the Periplus Publishing Group.

Crunchy Tofu Nuggets

By Vicky Liley, Author, Asian Appetizers

Tofu is the tabula rasa of Asian cooking, and this recipe demonstrates just how delicious it can be when it’s seasoned with enticing flavors such as soy sauce, fresh ginger and mirin. Ever-versatile tofu also makes a guest appearance in a silky smooth sweet and spicy dipping sauce.

Serves 4

1 cake (10 oz/300 g) firm tofu,
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons mirin or sweet white wine
1/4 cup (45 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten with 2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup (60 g) crushed shredded wheat breakfast cereal
Oil, for deep-frying

Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce
31/2 oz (100 g) silken tofu, drained
1/4 cup (60 ml) sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)

1.  In a medium saucepan, combine the tofu, water, soy sauce, ginger and mirin. Gradually bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, turning the tofu occasionally. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

2. Cut the tofu into 1-inch (2.5 cm) blocks and lightly dust them with the flour. Dip the tofu blocks into the egg mixture, draining off any excess, then dredge them in the crushed wheat flakes.

3.  Make the Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce by processing the soft tofu in a blender until smooth. Add the chili sauce, soy sauce and coriander leaves and mix until well combined.

4.  Fill a deep saucepan or wok one-third full with oil and heat to 365°F (185°C). Deep-fry the tofu in batches until golden, 2–3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, with the Creamy Sweet Chili Sauce.

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing, a member of the Periplus Publishing Group.