Cumin Lamb

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I already have a cumin beef recipe on my blog, and it’s delicious. The problem is I love all iterations of the famous Xinjiang speciality and I can’t say no to any version, ever since I first tried it at Old Mandarin Islamic Restaurant in San Francisco decades ago.

This version uses celery in place of bell peppers and lamb in place of the beef. Try both and see which version you prefer. (Spoiler alert: I can’t choose.)

Ingredients:

For the lamb:

  • 1 pound boneless lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

For the marinade:

  • 3 tablespoons cumin seeds
  • 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
  • 12 small dried red Chinese chiles
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

For the stir-fry:

  • 4 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges or slices
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced lengthwise into thirds and crosswise into 2-inch pieces
  • salt
  • 1/4 bunch of cilantro, leaves and thin stems only
  1. Prepare the lamb: Place the lamb in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain through a fine-mesh strainer set in the sink and press on the lamb with your hands to remove excess water. Return the lamb to the bowl, add the baking soda, and vigorously massage the baking soda into the meat, lifting the meat, throwing it down, and squeezing it for 30 seconds.
  2. Prepare the marinade: Heat the cumin seeds, peppercorns, and chiles in a skillet over medium-high heat, tossing until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle. Pick out the chiles and set them aside. Grind the cumin and peppercorns until roughly crushed but pieces still remain. Stir. in the soy sauce and scrape the mixture into the bowl with the lamb. Work the marinade into the meat for 30 seconds and set aside.
  3. Prepare the stir-fry: Heat a wok over high heat until lightly smoking. Add 1 tablespoon oil and swirl to coat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally until lightly charred and tender, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  4. Wipe out the wok and return it to high heat until lightly smoking. Add 2 more tablespoons of oil and swirl to coat. Add half the lamb and cook without moving for 1 minute. Continue cooking while stirring and tossing until lightly cooked but still pink in spots, about 1 minute. Transfer to the bowl with the onions and celery. Repeat with the remaining oil and lamb, adding the cooked lamb to the same bowl.
  5. Return the wok to high heat until lightly smoking. Add the chiles and immediately return the cooked lamb and vegetables. Cooking, stirring and tossing occasionally until the lamb develops a medium crust, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt, add the cilantro, and give it another toss to combine. Transfer to a platter and serve with rice.

Dashi Deviled Eggs

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I didn’t realize I love deviled eggs until I was almost thirty but man, have I made up for lost time. Red pepper and gouda deviled eggs? Check. Spanish deviled eggs? Check. These deviled eggs, adapted from The Wok and made with Japanese instant dashi and topped with ethereal katsuobushi, are my new favorite. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, you’ve done it again.

Ingredients:

  • 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
  • 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon instant dashi granules
  • Salt
  • Thinly sliced green onions, to garnish
  • Shichimi togarashi, to garnish
  • Katsuobushi shavings, to garnish
  1. Cut the eggs in half lengthwise. Place the yolks in the bowl of a food processor and set the egg white halves aside on a serving platter. Add the vinegar, mustard, mayonnaise, and instant dashi to the food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
  2. Transfer the yolk mixture to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip (or a ziplock bag).
  3. Pipe a small dollop of filling into each egg white, distributing evenly. Top with green onions, shichimi togarashi, katsuobushi, and serve.

Crab Fried Rice

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It’s Dungeness crab season! The best season! Crab curry! Pasta with crab! Crab fried rice! This Thai version of fried rice, fragrant and spicy with lemongrass and chiles and flecked with chunks of Dungeness crab, is one of my favorite renditions of the classic dish that seems to be ubiquitous throughout the Bay Area come every winter.

Ingredients:

For the prik nam pla:

  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice 
  • 1/4 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 Thai chile, thinly sliced

For the fried rice:

  • 3 1/2 cups lump crab meat, preferably from Dungeness crab
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced makrut lime leaves
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 cups cold day-old cooked jasmine rice
  • 3 teaspoons granulated sugar 
  • 4 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions, plus more for garnish
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Cilantro leaves, for garnish
  • Lime wedges, sliced cucumber, for serving
  1. Make the prik nam pla: whisk together all prik nam pla ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
  2. Make the fried rice: heat oil in a large wok or large skillet over medium until shimmering. Add garlic, lemongrass, and makrut lime, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Crack eggs into wok; cook, undisturbed, just until edges of whites start to set, about 15 seconds. Stir eggs using a spatula until scrambled, about 30 seconds. Add rice and sugar; cook, stirring often, until rice is slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, and fish sauce until incorporated, about 1 minute.
  3. Add reserved crabmeat to wok; cook, stirring constantly, until crab is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add green onions and pepper; turn off heat, and stir until green onions soften, about 1 minute.
  4. Garnish with cilantro and extra green onions, and serve immediately with lime wedges, sliced cucumber, and prik nam pla.

Antipasto Salad

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Whatever happened to antipasto salad? (Unfortunately) relegated to the ’90s, I think of it as a chopped salad’s long-lost relative. Italian herbs, cheese, and salami may not have made the the healthiest salad a few decades ago, but this updated version features kale, radicchio, and avocado too for a Californian take on an updated classic. Serve this as a side to pasta, as I do, or eat it as a light meal on its own. Either way, it’s delicious.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small or medium garlic clove
  • 1/3 cup good quality olive oil
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, drained and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 ounces deli-sliced salami, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 bunch kale, stems and ribs removed, leaves coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced
  • Black pepper
  • 1 head radicchio, cored and coarsely chopped
  • 1 avocado, halved, peeled, and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
  1. Mince the garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt and chop and scrape the garlic and salt back and forth with the flat side of a knife until it forms a mostly smooth paste.
  2. Scrape the garlic paste into a large serving bowl and whisk in the olive oil, vinegar, thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Add the mozzarella, salami, kale, chickpeas, and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, then gently stir in the radicchio and avocado. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Cheddar and Jalapeno Cast Iron Cornbread

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I’m not a baker. Despite my best attempts, I can’t seem to produce consistent results when it comes to anything doughy, with rare exception. Thankfully, this cornbread is one of those rare exceptions. Gone are the days of dry, cardboard-y cornbread. This has a moist crumb, a touch of sweetness, and a hint of heat thanks to the jalapeno.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter, plus 1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 2 cups flour 
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal 
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups milk
  • 8 ounces aged cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups) 
  • 1 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels (from 2 ears)
  • 1 small jalapeno, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Heat a 10 or 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium. Add butter, and swirl pan until butter is melted and bottom and sides of skillet are coated. Remove from heat and set aside.
  2. Whisk together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center of dry ingredients; add milk, cheddar, corn, melted butter, jalapeno, and eggs. Mix until batter is just combined. (Make sure not to overmix.) Pour batter into prepared skillet, and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven until cornbread is light brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes.
  3. Cut cornbread into slices and serve with softened butter, if desired.