Cooking and Recipes – Page 37

Miso Soup with Clams

May 27, 2010May 27, 2010

Even though it’s almost summer, it’s still cold and rainy in the Bay Area. Warmer weather seems to be on hold and I’ve been craving steaming, brothy soups. Asian soups are my favorite (surprise, surprise) and miso soup with clams has been the perfect antidote to this week’s stormy weather.

This recipe is adapted from Recipes of Japanese Cooking, a book I bought at the Kinokuniya in Shinjuku. I have no idea if you can get this book in the states, but this soup couldn’t be easier to make at home.

Ingredients:

3/4 pounds clams
2 cups dashi broth
1/2 tablespoon sake
2 tablespoons miso paste
1 green onion, thinly sliced

1. Rinse the clams thoroughly with cold water, removing sand and dirt from their shells. Drain.

2. Add the broth and sake to a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it ocmes to a boil, add the clams, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook until the clams are cooked and the shells open, about 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the miso gradually into the soup while softening with some hot broth and dissolving on a ladle. Remove from heat just before it comes to a boil. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish with the sliced onions.

Moules Marinière

May 24, 2010

Moules marinière is a classic mussel dish found on just about every French menu ever. It also happens to be ridiculously easy to make. All you need are a few ingredients you probably already have in your pantry, some fresh mussels, a few minutes to spare and voila, you’re good to go.

Make sure to pick up a loaf of crusty French bread before you make this dish too; it’s a perfect vehicle for soaking up the shallot and parsley-flavored broth. There are countless recipes for moules marinière but my favorite is the one I slightly adapted from Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cookbook. The butter to shallot to wine ratio is just right.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
salt and pepper
4 pounds mussels, scrubbed
4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped

1. Heat the butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the shallots. Cook for 2 minutes, until the shallots are soft and just beginning to brown. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add the mussels to the same pot and cover with the lid. Cook just until all the mussels are open, about 8 minutes. Shake the pot, keeping the lid pressed on top, then add the parsley and shake again. Pour into a warmed serving bowl and serve with bread.

Gyoza

May 19, 2010

Gyoza, or Japanese potstickers, differ from their Chinese counterparts in that they have a thinner wrapper. They have a richer garlic flavor too, and are usually served with a soy-based rice vinegar and chili sauce. Sometimes I make a double batch as I’m wrapping the gyoza and stick the extras in the freezer – they make for a quick, delicious meal later on, and they’re much healthier than the store-bought frozen version.

Ingredients:

2 cups finely chopped cabbage
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
1/2 cup chopped water chestnuts
4 green onions, minced
3 tablespoons sake
1 tablespoon oyster-flavored sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package potsticker wrappers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken broth

1. In a bowl, toss cabbage with salt; let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and press cabbage to extract excess moisture. Add ground chicken, water chestnuts, 3 minced green onions, sake, oyster-flavored sauce, 1 tablespoon ginger, garlic, and cornstarch; mix well.

2. In another bowl, combine rice vinegar, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, sesame oil, remaining minced green onion, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon of minced ginger to create dipping sauce. Set aside.

3. To shape each potsticker, place a teaspoon of filling in center of one wrapper. Brush edges with water; fold wrapper over filling to form a half-moon. Press and pleat edges to seal. Set filled potsticker down firmly, seam side up, so that it will sit flat.

4. Place a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add half of potstickers, seam side up, and cook until bottoms are golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup broth, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until dumplings are tender and liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes.

5. With a spatula, remove potstickers from pan and place them on a serving platter. Repeat to cook remaining potstickers. Serve warm with dipping sauce.

Braised Mushrooms and Tofu

May 6, 2010

This is one of the first Chinese dishes I learned to make. I was still a kid and had just picked up Martin Yan’s Culinary Journey Through China, and though I didn’t really care for tofu at the time, I wanted to acquire a taste for it. This is the dish that did it.

Browning the tofu long enough to create a crispiness on the outside and spongy texture on the inside is key, so don’t rush this stage of the recipe. If you do it right, the browned tofu absorbs the savory, salty black bean sauce perfectly.

Ingredients:

1 package extra firm tofu
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons black bean garlic sauce
2 teaspoons oyster flavored sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 green onion, sliced
1/2 pound white or cremini mushrooms, halved
1/4 pound oyster mushrooms, halved
6 shiitake mushrooms, halved
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1. Cut tofu in half horizontally to make 2 pieces. Slice each of these halves into six rectangular pieces to make a total of 12 slices of tofu.

2. Combine the chicken broth, black bean garlic sauce, oyster flavored sauce, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl to make the sauce.

3. Place a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add the tofu and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove tofu and set aside.

4. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the sauce, reduce heat to low, and cover, then simmer until the mushrooms are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the cornstarch solution and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens.

5. To serve, arrange the tofu in a circle around the edge of a serving plate. Place the mushroom mixture in the center and garnish with green onions.

Tomato, Basil, and Ricotta Crostini

April 25, 2010

I know I posted a crostini recipe not even two weeks ago, but this one is too good to not share. The key to these extremely simple tomato crostini is in the quality of the tomatoes, so ideally, wait until tomatoes are in season to make these babies. Even better if you have access to a tomato vine or two.

Adapted from A Platter of Figs, I made this recipe countless times last summer when I had access to both fresh tomatoes and homegrown basil. Throw a dollop of creamy ricotta cheese on there too, and you’re in heaven.

Ingredients:

1 large shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced, plus another peeled garlic clove
2 pounds tomatoes, diced
1 loaf Italian ciabatta
1/2 pound fresh ricotta
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
A handful of basil leaves

1. In a bowl, mix the shallots and vinegar with a little salt. Whisk in the olive oil. Add the garlic and the cherry tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and toss gently. Leave to marinate for a few minutes.

2. Cut the ciabatta into 1/2-inch slices. Spread the slices on a baking sheet and toast on both sides under the broiler until golden. Rub the toasts very lightly with a peeled garlic clove.

3. Spread a tablespoon of fresh ricotta on each toast, them put them on a platter. Spoon the marinated tomatoes over the toasts. Sliver or tear the basil leaves and arrange over the crostini.