Lunch today. I love it when somebody rhapsodizes about things simple. Like a new potato. Or the sound of a dishwasher. It's mindful. It's comforting. It's chastising.
This recipe is from Rowley Leigh's food column in the FT. I substituted asparagus for about-to-wilt rocket leaves and chopped Romain lettuce that I had in my fridge, which is fine, except you'll probably need more dressing to cover the expansion of foliage. I used fresh trout.
"A simple enough assembly: the most important point is not to let any of the ingredients see the inside of a fridge once they are cooked. Fillets of smoked trout could well be substituted for fresh. Enough for a light lunch for four or a starter for six.
Ingredients
750g Cornish early, Jersey new or other new potatoes, as fresh as is conceivably possible
2 trout weighing 300g-350g each
1 lemon
1 bunch green asparagus (454g)
2 egg yolks
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbs sunflower oil
1 tbs cream or crème fraîche
10 tarragon leaves
Method
● Place the new potatoes in a bowl of cold water and agitate fiercely with a coarse scrubbing pad to remove the skins. If that fails to remove them, scrape them off them with a small knife or abrasive cloth. Place the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender – 20 to 25 minutes – and then drain and allow to cool. If using potatoes with tough skins, it is best to cook them with the skins on and then remove them while they cool.
● If using fresh trout, sprinkle some sea salt on a sheet of foil and season the cavities of the fish with sea salt, milled pepper and a few slices of lemon. Wrap each trout in the foil and bake in a hot oven, 200ºC, for 15 minutes. Remove and leave to cool in the foil packages.
● Peel and trim the stalks of the asparagus and place the spears in a very large pot of boiling, salted water for two minutes. Remove and allow to cool, having spread them out on a tray in a cool place.
● Make a dressing by whisking together the egg yolks, mustard, vinegar and seasonings before adding the oil, cream and chopped tarragon. Add a little lemon juice to sharpen if required. Remove the foil and skin from the fish and lift the fillets off the bone. Break the flesh up into large flakes and place in a large bowl. Slice the potatoes thickly and add them to the bowl. Cut the asparagus into short finger lengths and add them in turn. Pour the dressing over, very gently mix together and spoon on to plates."
~Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009~
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Drove along the 290 Highway,
on our way to Austin for Memorial Day -
A romantic weekend mini-break.
On the way there is Whataburger,
McDonalds, Sonic, Love's,
The occasional Subway.
There's also Kickapoo Road -
it shares a name I grew up with, back home.
Round Top, Benham, Chappell Hill.
These names I knew only by name,
Through the window of a car,
Across the highway's access road.
On the way there is Whataburger,
McDonalds, Sonic, Love's,
The occasional Subway.
I wonder whether there is an end to this interminable B-roll,
Is this all there is to my new "home"?
Then we stop and I get out of the car,
It's a Love's, with Taco Bell and Church's beside.
I stare at the soaring criss-crossing highways,
The sense that this is a big big country, great.
In confronting the fear I erase it.
I know there is a future waiting out there for me.
Still scared though.
on our way to Austin for Memorial Day -
A romantic weekend mini-break.
On the way there is Whataburger,
McDonalds, Sonic, Love's,
The occasional Subway.
There's also Kickapoo Road -
it shares a name I grew up with, back home.
Round Top, Benham, Chappell Hill.
These names I knew only by name,
Through the window of a car,
Across the highway's access road.
On the way there is Whataburger,
McDonalds, Sonic, Love's,
The occasional Subway.
I wonder whether there is an end to this interminable B-roll,
Is this all there is to my new "home"?
Then we stop and I get out of the car,
It's a Love's, with Taco Bell and Church's beside.
I stare at the soaring criss-crossing highways,
The sense that this is a big big country, great.
In confronting the fear I erase it.
I know there is a future waiting out there for me.
Still scared though.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Sweet and sour pork
Cut and paste from ex-blog again - sorry. But we just had it for dinner last night, so I thought it would be an appropriate post. An Asian classic.
This is my mum's recipe, with tweaks from Barbara Tropp and Yan-Kit So - who brought Asian cooking to America and UK respectively the way Julia Child did French cooking and Marcella Hazan did Italian cooking (I received her cookbook in the post today!). I promise you that, unlike the starchy sugar-fest goop you get at most Asian restaurants in the USA, this dish tastes fresh, healthy and clean.
RECIPE: SWEET AND SOUR PORK
(serves 5)
(cooking time: 20-30 mins)
A - Meat
400g/1 lb lean pork shoulder, sliced into little chunks
2 tbsp corn starch
1 egg
Rice flour
Potato starch
B - Sauce
8 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp soya sauce
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
C - VEGETABLES
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1" ginger, cut into fine threads
1 big onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped into small pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 red chilli, sliced
3 stalks scallions, sliced into 3cm strips
A. Marinate the sliced pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar. Coat with 2 tblsp of cornflour. Add 2 tbsp of water and stir in one direction until all the water is absorbed. Beat in one egg. Knead thoroughly and rest for 15 mins or longer.
(B - Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients for the sauce)
After the meat has been marinated well, coat each slice with a combination of rice flour and potato flour in the ratio of 1:1. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok until smoking slightly (180 degrees celcius). Deep fry one batch until cooked and crisp, about 4 mins. Remove and drain. Repeat until all the meat has been cooked (about 3-4 batches). Add and heat more oil as needed.
C. Heat 2 tbsp of clean oil. Fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 3 mins. Add in onion, cucumber, tomatoes, chilli, and scallions. Stir fry for about 2 mins. Then add sauce and bring to a boil. Adjust the taste. Thicken with cornstarch solution if needed.
Add in the fried pork and mix well. Or serve pork with sauce in a separate bowl. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.
This is my mum's recipe, with tweaks from Barbara Tropp and Yan-Kit So - who brought Asian cooking to America and UK respectively the way Julia Child did French cooking and Marcella Hazan did Italian cooking (I received her cookbook in the post today!). I promise you that, unlike the starchy sugar-fest goop you get at most Asian restaurants in the USA, this dish tastes fresh, healthy and clean.
RECIPE: SWEET AND SOUR PORK
(serves 5)
(cooking time: 20-30 mins)
A - Meat
400g/1 lb lean pork shoulder, sliced into little chunks
2 tbsp corn starch
1 egg
Rice flour
Potato starch
B - Sauce
8 tbsp water
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp soya sauce
4 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp rice or white wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
C - VEGETABLES
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1" ginger, cut into fine threads
1 big onion, peeled and chopped into small pieces
1 cucumber, seeded and chopped into small pieces
2 tomatoes, chopped into small pieces
1 red chilli, sliced
3 stalks scallions, sliced into 3cm strips
A. Marinate the sliced pork with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar. Coat with 2 tblsp of cornflour. Add 2 tbsp of water and stir in one direction until all the water is absorbed. Beat in one egg. Knead thoroughly and rest for 15 mins or longer.
(B - Meanwhile, prepare the sauce by mixing all the ingredients for the sauce)
After the meat has been marinated well, coat each slice with a combination of rice flour and potato flour in the ratio of 1:1. Heat about 1 inch of oil in a wok until smoking slightly (180 degrees celcius). Deep fry one batch until cooked and crisp, about 4 mins. Remove and drain. Repeat until all the meat has been cooked (about 3-4 batches). Add and heat more oil as needed.
C. Heat 2 tbsp of clean oil. Fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 3 mins. Add in onion, cucumber, tomatoes, chilli, and scallions. Stir fry for about 2 mins. Then add sauce and bring to a boil. Adjust the taste. Thicken with cornstarch solution if needed.
Add in the fried pork and mix well. Or serve pork with sauce in a separate bowl. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Homestyle Pot Roast
My momma (The Boy's mum) has a great recipe for pot roast. I remember sitting at her dinner table one cold Christmas night and tucking into this hearty braise and watching in horror as The Boy creamed his plate with barbecue sauce. =)
This braise has plenty of flavour enough - thanks to the sweetness of the vegs and the tanginess of the Worcestershire sauce. And it's so very easy - 'put in a pot and forget about it' easy - like most braises. The uniqueness of this braise, however, is that it is cooked on the stove for a very very long time on very very low heat, much like a slow-cooker, but with very very little braising liquid. The meat basically braises in its own juices. You wouldn't even know it's cooking just by looking at it, but it is.
It's simple, basic, and hearty. Thanks for the recipe, momma Akins!
RECIPE: HOMESTYLE POT ROAST
(serves as much as you can fit in your Dutch oven!)
(cooking time: at least 4 hours)
1 Dutch oven with a heavy lid
A - Meat
Brisket or Chuck (approx 1/2 pound per person)
1 onion, chopped finely
B - Braising liquid
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Light soy per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Dark soy per pound of meat
1 tbsp Water per pound of meat
C - Vegetables
1 Onion, cut into small cubes
3 Carrots, cut into small rounds
2 Potatoes, diced into small cubes (I substitute one sweet potato to enhance the sweetness)
Celery, diced (adds depth to the flavour)
A - Heat 2-3 tbsp of canola oil into your Dutch oven till very hot. Brown the meat on both sides. Take out and set aside (I usually place them on the overturned cover of my Dutch oven).
B - Add 1 tbsp oil in Dutch oven and fry the chopped onions till soft. Add braising liquids and, when it is bubbling, use a wooden spoon to scrape off the bits at the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return the meat into the Dutch oven and arrange it in a single layer, making sure that there is a layer of onions below and on top of the meat. Cover with parchment paper (punching the middle down till it's almost touching the meat) and a heavy lid. Braise on very very low heat for at least 4 hours.
* Now, don't worry that the liquids are going to dry out after such a long time. If you use a very very low heat, it won't. The idea is to use the meat's own juices to cook the meat. In fact, don't be surprised if, in step C, you see a puddle of water collected on the surface of the parchment paper when you remove the lid! Scoop that water out and throw it away please.
C - 50 minutes before serving time, remove the parchment paper and taste. Add more Worcestershire sauce or soy as needed. Add the vegetables in and return the lid on. When ready to serve, take the meat out and cut into big chunks. Mix it all up and... viola!
Serve with mash potatoes or rice. We also had vegetarian dumplings for appetizers and cupcakes from Crave for dessert last night - yums! Thank you for the cupcakes, L!
This braise has plenty of flavour enough - thanks to the sweetness of the vegs and the tanginess of the Worcestershire sauce. And it's so very easy - 'put in a pot and forget about it' easy - like most braises. The uniqueness of this braise, however, is that it is cooked on the stove for a very very long time on very very low heat, much like a slow-cooker, but with very very little braising liquid. The meat basically braises in its own juices. You wouldn't even know it's cooking just by looking at it, but it is.
It's simple, basic, and hearty. Thanks for the recipe, momma Akins!
RECIPE: HOMESTYLE POT ROAST
(serves as much as you can fit in your Dutch oven!)
(cooking time: at least 4 hours)
1 Dutch oven with a heavy lid
A - Meat
Brisket or Chuck (approx 1/2 pound per person)
1 onion, chopped finely
B - Braising liquid
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Light soy per pound of meat
1/2 tbsp Dark soy per pound of meat
1 tbsp Water per pound of meat
C - Vegetables
1 Onion, cut into small cubes
3 Carrots, cut into small rounds
2 Potatoes, diced into small cubes (I substitute one sweet potato to enhance the sweetness)
Celery, diced (adds depth to the flavour)
A - Heat 2-3 tbsp of canola oil into your Dutch oven till very hot. Brown the meat on both sides. Take out and set aside (I usually place them on the overturned cover of my Dutch oven).
B - Add 1 tbsp oil in Dutch oven and fry the chopped onions till soft. Add braising liquids and, when it is bubbling, use a wooden spoon to scrape off the bits at the bottom of the Dutch oven. Return the meat into the Dutch oven and arrange it in a single layer, making sure that there is a layer of onions below and on top of the meat. Cover with parchment paper (punching the middle down till it's almost touching the meat) and a heavy lid. Braise on very very low heat for at least 4 hours.
* Now, don't worry that the liquids are going to dry out after such a long time. If you use a very very low heat, it won't. The idea is to use the meat's own juices to cook the meat. In fact, don't be surprised if, in step C, you see a puddle of water collected on the surface of the parchment paper when you remove the lid! Scoop that water out and throw it away please.
C - 50 minutes before serving time, remove the parchment paper and taste. Add more Worcestershire sauce or soy as needed. Add the vegetables in and return the lid on. When ready to serve, take the meat out and cut into big chunks. Mix it all up and... viola!
Serve with mash potatoes or rice. We also had vegetarian dumplings for appetizers and cupcakes from Crave for dessert last night - yums! Thank you for the cupcakes, L!
Friday, May 8, 2009
Chilean sea bass with miso
This is adapted from Nobu Matsuhisa's recipe for black cod with miso. I remember my friend, Raj, calling me up one night and going to Nobu for dinner on a whim. Mind you, we were two students then living in a dorm - not really the kinda setting for a fancy night out - but we did it anyway. I still remember the black cod with miso that I had. And the good times with a good friend. Those were the days when we were young.
It turns out that this dish is a hit with my American friends too - a robust fish paired with a sweet marinade. Another attempt to eat more fish and less red meat.
RECIPE: Chilean sea bass with miso
(cooking time: 20 mins)
(serves 5)
1 Ziploc bag
1 baking dish
1 grill
A - Marinade
1/4 cup Sake (or Vermouth if you don't want to buy one entire bottle of sake)
1/4 cup Mirin
4 tbsp White miso paste (not red, not brown - white. I found it at Whole Foods (Miso Master), in the refrigerated section. Also available at Asian grocery stores.)
3 tbsp Sugar
B - Fish
1 1/2 pounds Chilean sea bass (centre-cut or fillet with the skin still on)
C - Garnishing
Toasted sesame seeds
Scallions, finely chopped
A - Mix the marinade in a Ziploc bag, making sure to quish the miso paste until it has "dissolved" in the liquids. Insert fish in Ziploc bag and marinate overnight in the fridge.
B - Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Pre-heat grill on high. Grill fish on both sides until brown. Place in baking dish, with the excess miso paste on top, and bake in oven for 15 mins. Transfer fish to highest rack and turn broiler on. Grill until surface of fish crisps slightly (or if using a fillet - make sure the skin side is up and crisping) and the miso is bubbling.
C - Transfer fish onto a serving plate. Careful - the fish will be flaking at this point, so make sure you have two very wide spatulas to lift it out of the baking tray and onto a plate! We had a minor disaster last night, with some fish landing on the kitchen table... 10 sec rule saves the day!
Serve with toasted sesame seeds and scallions sprinkled on top.
It turns out that this dish is a hit with my American friends too - a robust fish paired with a sweet marinade. Another attempt to eat more fish and less red meat.
RECIPE: Chilean sea bass with miso
(cooking time: 20 mins)
(serves 5)
1 Ziploc bag
1 baking dish
1 grill
A - Marinade
1/4 cup Sake (or Vermouth if you don't want to buy one entire bottle of sake)
1/4 cup Mirin
4 tbsp White miso paste (not red, not brown - white. I found it at Whole Foods (Miso Master), in the refrigerated section. Also available at Asian grocery stores.)
3 tbsp Sugar
B - Fish
1 1/2 pounds Chilean sea bass (centre-cut or fillet with the skin still on)
C - Garnishing
Toasted sesame seeds
Scallions, finely chopped
A - Mix the marinade in a Ziploc bag, making sure to quish the miso paste until it has "dissolved" in the liquids. Insert fish in Ziploc bag and marinate overnight in the fridge.
B - Pre-heat oven to 400 F. Pre-heat grill on high. Grill fish on both sides until brown. Place in baking dish, with the excess miso paste on top, and bake in oven for 15 mins. Transfer fish to highest rack and turn broiler on. Grill until surface of fish crisps slightly (or if using a fillet - make sure the skin side is up and crisping) and the miso is bubbling.
C - Transfer fish onto a serving plate. Careful - the fish will be flaking at this point, so make sure you have two very wide spatulas to lift it out of the baking tray and onto a plate! We had a minor disaster last night, with some fish landing on the kitchen table... 10 sec rule saves the day!
Serve with toasted sesame seeds and scallions sprinkled on top.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Stir-frying with a wok: Fried Rice and How to cook rice
Or "flied lice", as one of my American friends likes to joke. Yes, really funny. We speak English in Singapore and, just by the way, have a higher GDP per capita than... oops, is this my identity crisis rearing or what?
My Guatamalan housekeeper requested this recipe, fried rice being the ubiquitous poster child for Asian cuisine in United States. My brother has some fancy pants recipe for fried rice - and it is very good so I hope he will want to post it here some day when he gets a moment off his super duper job. But our goal here is Simplicity and Speed - as it usually is for me when I make fried rice. It's a quick fix. I also suggested an alternative with curry paste, which you can buy in a jar, if you are *really* in a hurry. I do that sometimes.
This is a great way to use up leftovers.
So, instead of paying $9 at Pei Wei, here is your very own flied lice...
RECIPE: FRIED RICE
(serves as many as you want)
(cooking time: 15 mins)
1 saucepan + 1 sieve OR electric rice cooker
1 wok
A - Rice
This dish is at its best with leftover rice, which dries out a little in the fridge, but if not:
1 cup per person Rice (short or long grain)
Water
B - Base
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped finely
1 per person Eggs
C - Seasoning
Dark Soy or Kechap Manis (sweet thick dark soy)
A lot of white pepper
Chili sauce or chili oil (optional)
OR
Curry paste (in a jar)
D - Meat/Vegetables
* Really whatever you like - good to use up leftovers - but here are some suggestions:
Frozen peas, Broccoli, Carrots, Scallions or Cilantro - diced
Chicken OR Shrimp - pre-cooked
A - Wash rice by rinsing it in cold water and draining. Repeat until the water becomes less cloudy. I usually use the water from the first rinse to water my plants.
Cook rice. There are two methods:
(i) Put rice in a non-stick saucepan with water. 1 3/4 cups of water per cup of rice (long grain) or 1 1/2 cups of water per cup of rice (short grain). Put the lid on tightly and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Cook for 12 minutes. Tip the rice into a sieve and let it drain and sit for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
(ii) May I suggest, yet again, a rice cooker? I'd be happy to recommend some good ones - forget the fuzzy logic contraptions, just get a good basic rice cooker.
B - In a wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add eggs. Now, this is the trickier timing part: When the egg is still a little uncooked on top, add the rice and separate the grains vigorously. This way, each rice grain is coated with egg.
C - Add a few swirls of dark soy or kechap manis to taste (about 1 swirl per cup of rice), and white pepper to taste. Stir and flip (the definition of "stir-fry") the rice until evenly coated with the seasoning. Optional: Add chili sauce or chili oil.
If using curry paste from a jar, fry the onions, then the curry paste, then add the eggs and rice.
D - Add the other ingredients and mix everything well.
Serve with chopped scallions or cilantro.
Update: In Chinese cooking, there are four elements to a perfect dish - colour, fragrance, beauty (presentation), taste. I mention it here because, upon reflection, one other reason I like fried rice is because it is pretty composition of colours: RED (carrots/red chilis) + GREEN (scallions, broccoli, frozen peas) + WHITE (rice)
My Guatamalan housekeeper requested this recipe, fried rice being the ubiquitous poster child for Asian cuisine in United States. My brother has some fancy pants recipe for fried rice - and it is very good so I hope he will want to post it here some day when he gets a moment off his super duper job. But our goal here is Simplicity and Speed - as it usually is for me when I make fried rice. It's a quick fix. I also suggested an alternative with curry paste, which you can buy in a jar, if you are *really* in a hurry. I do that sometimes.
This is a great way to use up leftovers.
So, instead of paying $9 at Pei Wei, here is your very own flied lice...
RECIPE: FRIED RICE
(serves as many as you want)
(cooking time: 15 mins)
1 saucepan + 1 sieve OR electric rice cooker
1 wok
A - Rice
This dish is at its best with leftover rice, which dries out a little in the fridge, but if not:
1 cup per person Rice (short or long grain)
Water
B - Base
2 tbsp Vegetable oil
1 Onion, chopped finely
1 per person Eggs
C - Seasoning
Dark Soy or Kechap Manis (sweet thick dark soy)
A lot of white pepper
Chili sauce or chili oil (optional)
OR
Curry paste (in a jar)
D - Meat/Vegetables
* Really whatever you like - good to use up leftovers - but here are some suggestions:
Frozen peas, Broccoli, Carrots, Scallions or Cilantro - diced
Chicken OR Shrimp - pre-cooked
A - Wash rice by rinsing it in cold water and draining. Repeat until the water becomes less cloudy. I usually use the water from the first rinse to water my plants.
Cook rice. There are two methods:
(i) Put rice in a non-stick saucepan with water. 1 3/4 cups of water per cup of rice (long grain) or 1 1/2 cups of water per cup of rice (short grain). Put the lid on tightly and bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium. Cook for 12 minutes. Tip the rice into a sieve and let it drain and sit for at least 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
(ii) May I suggest, yet again, a rice cooker? I'd be happy to recommend some good ones - forget the fuzzy logic contraptions, just get a good basic rice cooker.
B - In a wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add eggs. Now, this is the trickier timing part: When the egg is still a little uncooked on top, add the rice and separate the grains vigorously. This way, each rice grain is coated with egg.
C - Add a few swirls of dark soy or kechap manis to taste (about 1 swirl per cup of rice), and white pepper to taste. Stir and flip (the definition of "stir-fry") the rice until evenly coated with the seasoning. Optional: Add chili sauce or chili oil.
If using curry paste from a jar, fry the onions, then the curry paste, then add the eggs and rice.
D - Add the other ingredients and mix everything well.
Serve with chopped scallions or cilantro.
Update: In Chinese cooking, there are four elements to a perfect dish - colour, fragrance, beauty (presentation), taste. I mention it here because, upon reflection, one other reason I like fried rice is because it is pretty composition of colours: RED (carrots/red chilis) + GREEN (scallions, broccoli, frozen peas) + WHITE (rice)
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Steaming with a wok: Steamed Sea Bass
My first Asian post. Well, really I've cut and pasted from my ex-blog and added a couple more words, but this was what was on the dinner table one day this week - in our bid to eat more fish and less red meat.
In some Asian grocery stores in Houston, TX, you can find live fish (i.e. still swimming in a tank) - the best way of knowing whether the fish you've bought is fresh. The fish man sweeps your chosen fish out of the tank, cleans and guts it, and hands it to you in a bag. If you are queasy about looking your meal in the eye (quite literally), or are finicky about bones, he will be happy to fillet it. If you don't buy a live fish, the way to check that your fish is fresh is to look them in the eye (sorry) and check that it is bright and not dull and clouded over. Guess I'm reaping the benefits of compulsory home economics in school. No frozen fish for this dish, ok?
This a recipe for Steamed Sea Bass, courtesy of an older lady I once knew in London, and whose hospitability meant that I often graced her table for homecooked chinese food when I was homesick. I hope this blesses someone out there too.
In some Asian grocery stores in Houston, TX, you can find live fish (i.e. still swimming in a tank) - the best way of knowing whether the fish you've bought is fresh. The fish man sweeps your chosen fish out of the tank, cleans and guts it, and hands it to you in a bag. If you are queasy about looking your meal in the eye (quite literally), or are finicky about bones, he will be happy to fillet it. If you don't buy a live fish, the way to check that your fish is fresh is to look them in the eye (sorry) and check that it is bright and not dull and clouded over. Guess I'm reaping the benefits of compulsory home economics in school. No frozen fish for this dish, ok?
This a recipe for Steamed Sea Bass, courtesy of an older lady I once knew in London, and whose hospitability meant that I often graced her table for homecooked chinese food when I was homesick. I hope this blesses someone out there too.
RECIPE: Steamed Sea Bass
(Cooking time: 15 mins)
1 wok, with a steaming rack that fits into the wok OR an overturned bowl.
* Add water into the wok up till the level of the rack/bowl, cover tightly and bring to a boil. To steam, place the food on a plate, on the rack/bowl, cover and steam. I also have a nifty contraption to lift the steamed plate off the rack, but you can use oven gloves.
A - Garnishing
Ginger, sliced
Ginger, julienned
Scallions, cut into 1 inch stalks
Scallions, julienned
Fresh red chilli, julienned
2-3 tbsp Oil
B - Sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce (Lee Kum Kee carries one specially for seafood)
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine or Vermouth
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp water
white pepper (optional)
A. Layer one layer of sliced/cut ginger and scallions on a plate. Place fish over. Steam for 8 minutes per pound, but no more than 12 minutes maximum.
Remove fish and place on a fresh plate. Layer julienned vegetables over fish.
Heat oil until smoking. Pour over.
B. Mix sauce and heat to boiling. Pour over.
Monday, May 4, 2009
The "Spider": New names for old things
This is called a "spider" in the USA. Ah, the days where I had to pick deep-fried wontons or sweet 'n' sour pork pieces out of the wok one by one with a pair of wooden chopsticks - these days are over! The "spider" (aka long-handled wok strainer) is more difficult to find in Houston, TX, than you think... This one is also dishwasher-safe - hoorah!
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