The other day, just as I was about to cook up some Teriyaki chicken, I thought of using the chicken thigh fillets to try out a dish off my new, neat cookbook. After minutes of browsing, I came across a Vietnamese dish that ticked all the ingredients I have in the pantry (well, except for the green chili and mint). It was such a hit, a definite must-share:

Stir-fried Chicken with Lemon Grass, Ginger and Chili

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tbsps oil
2 medium brown onions, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5-cm (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, finely grated
3 stems lemon grass (white part only), very finely sliced
2 tsps chopped green chili
500g (1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
2 tsps sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and Vietnamese mint, to garnish

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan or wok, add the onion, garlic, ginger, lemon grass and chili, and stir for 3 to 5 minutes over medium heat until the mixture is lightly golden. Take care not to burn the mixture or it will become bitter.
2. Increase heat to high; when the pan is very hot, add the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the sugar over the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing regularly until the chicken is just cooked.
3. Add the fish sauce, cook for another 2 minutes and serve immediately, garnished with the coriander and mint.

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

A taste of Vietnam

In three days time, our folks in the U.S. will be celebrating Thanksgiving day and traditionally, families and/or friends gather and serve up carved turkey, pumpkin pie, corn and the like. If I were to host a Thanksgiving dinner myself, I would definitely give the roast turkey a distinct Asian twist. Here’s how, according to fabulousfoods.com:

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
6 cloves garlic, minced
6 chopped green onions
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
1 -2 tablespoons sesame oil
kosher salt
coarsely ground black pepper

Instructions:

Remove giblets and neck from turkey, reserve for gravy. Rinse turkey with cold running water and drain well. Blot dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 325° degrees. Combine first all ingredients except green onion and cilantro and rub over turkey to coat. Pour remaining sauce into cavity. Add green onions and cilantro to cavity. Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow (about 2 1/2″ deep) roasting pan. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Insert an oven safe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, being careful the pointed end of the thermometer does not touch the bone. Pour poultry stock into bottom of pan.

Roast turkey in a pre-heated, 325° F. oven. To determine the approximate amount of time needed for cooking, click here for our turkey Roasting Chart. Loosely cover with aluminum foil to prevent over browning, remove foil during last hour and a half of cooking time. Continue to roast until thermometer registers 180 degrees F in the thigh, or 170 degrees F. in the breast.
Remove turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 15-20 minutes before carving.

Let me know how it turns out, if you’re keen to try this recipe for your holiday!

Happy cooking!

Post from: Blisstree

What’s cooking on Thanksgiving?

This is the soup that I mentioned back here. Snow has finally fallen on Cincinnati, and with these temperatures you can be sure the sniffles and flu are once more in frenzied action. We are trying to ward it off by having lots of antioxidants (that chocolate is never far away, but you can only have so much) and bowls upon bowls of this aromatic broth. For those already afflicted by colds and cough, it is soothing and calming, and very nice to sip for even breakfast, or right before bedtime, somewhat like chamomile tea. You can make other things like seafood and vegetables, tinola style. The garlic and onions and ginger — and if you have them, pepper leaves (I don’t, though if you’re in the same boat as I am you could use other greens like spinach or bok choy) — are great support for your immune system, so go ahead and slurp.

Some tinola recipes from the blogosphere:

From Mathy at Virundhu
From Enigmused at Recipezaar
From TulipFleurs
From Anchovylove
From Maria

As you can see, different strokes for different folks. The soup pictured here is made with leftover bones and carcass from a whole chicken, but I prefer using a whole chicken, minus the breasts (unless I don’t have anything else prepared to go with the meal, in which case I use everything); I’m also with the saute-then-slow-cook camp, where the garlic-onion-ginger combination is sauteed until golden and fragrant, so that it infuses everything, the broth, the chicken, the veggies….

Keep warm!!

Post from: Blisstree

Chicken Soup for the Sick: Mini-Tinola

VideoJug: How To Make Peking Duck

Thought I’d post this as I haven’t had the chance to post about making Peking Duck at home. It’s not exactly what you’ll get at the restaurant, but it’s pretty darn close. My recipe’s a bit more involved, so this should make you guys looking to make things easier happy!

Post from: Blisstree

How to Make Peking Duck

1 pound ground pork or turkey
4 tablespoons dark soy sauce
4 tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 teaspoons sugar
1 16-oz tofu block, diced
3 tablespoons garlic
1 tablespoon ginger
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes in oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot broad bean paste
1/3 cup dried tree ears, soaked in hot water, then rinsed, drained and chopped finely
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup chopped scallions / green onions
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon toasted and ground Szechwan peppercorns
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Post from: Blisstree

Ma Paw Dau Fu