Tag: Southeast Asian

Charred Cabbage with Garlic and Chili Crisp

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I don’t know if it’s ye olde age or what, but I’m really into cabbage lately. And chili crisp is an absolutely goated condiment; no such thing as too much. This side dish, adapted from Food & Wine, brings a ton of flavor to an otherwise mild-mannered vegetable. Don’t be put off by the amount of garlic: it mellows out and tastes spectacularly savory-sweet.

Ingredients:
  • 15 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 1/3 cup avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons coconut or granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce 
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (2 1/4-pound) head green cabbage, cut through core into 8 wedges
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk 
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup chili crisp
  1. Cook garlic and oil in a small saucepan over low, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and semi-softened, about 12 minutes. Drain garlic-infused oil into a small bowl. Transfer garlic cloves to another small bowl. Mash cloves using a fork; stir in sugar, fish sauce, and pepper. Set aside garlic chutney and reserved oil.
  2. Set a steamer rack inside a large pot filled with 1 inch of water; bring to a boil over high. Place cabbage on steamer rack; cover with lid, and cook until bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Remove cabbage; pat dry.
  3. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over high. Whisk together coconut milk and 1/4 cup reserved garlic oil in a small bowl. Brush cut sides of each cabbage wedge with 1 tablespoon coconut milk mixture; sprinkle wedges evenly with salt. Working in 2 batches, cook cabbage wedges in skillet until charred, 2 minutes per side.
  4. To serve, spread 1 1/2 teaspoons reserved garlic chutney over charred sides of each cabbage wedge; drizzle each wedge with 2 teaspoons chili crisp.

Nasi Lemak (the Easy Version)

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Nasi lemak is a Malaysian breakfast staple but I love it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I already have a knockout nasi lemak recipe but it’s time-consuming, and sometimes I want a shortcut without sacrificing flavor. This version saves you the trouble from making your sambal ikan bilis base from scratch, and you can make many of the components ahead of time, too.

Ingredients:

For the coconut rice:

  • 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt

For the sambal ikan bilis:

  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1/2 cup dried anchovies
  • 1/2 cup sliced shallot
  • 1/4 cup chili garlic sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons lime juice
  • Salt

To serve:

  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 2 cucumbers, sliced on an angle
  • Dry-roasted peanuts
  1. Make the coconut rice: combine the rice, water, coconut milk, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt in a rice cooker and cook according to rice cooker instructions. Let stand 10 minutes, then fluff the rice and keep warm.
  2. Make the sambal ikan bilis: heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the anchovies and let them sizzle in the oil, stirring until they are golden and crisp, about 3 minutes, reducing the heat as necessary so the fish does not burn. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon. Add the shallot to the pan, return the heat to medium, and cook the shallot in the oil until lightly caramelized, about 10 minutes.
  3. Return the anchovies to the pan and stir in the chili garlic sauce. Stir in the sugar and lime juice. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Season with salt if needed.
  4. Assemble the dish: pack a small bowl with coconut rice and invert onto a plate. Garnish with quartered eggs, a scoop of sambal ikan bilis, cucumber slices, and peanuts.

Chicken with Basil and Fish Sauce

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I finally got J. Kenji Lopez-Alt’s tome The Wok a few months ago and honestly? It’s one of the best cookbooks I’ve ever cooked from. All hits, no misses. The first dish I cooked out of the book was this Thai-style chicken stir-fry, with an Iranian twist. Lopez-Alt calls for Thai basil this recipe, but I was gifted a bumper crop of Persian basil and used that instead. Both basils posses a strong anise and licorice-like flavor so the substitution worked perfectly. Serve this with jasmine (or basmati!) rice and think of it as a delicious Thai-ish Iranian-ish mashup.

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/8-inch slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • Hot red pepper flakes to taste

For the stir-fry:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, 2 smashed, 2 minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2 cups loosely packed Persian or Thai basil leaves
  1. Prepare the chicken: Place chicken in a medium bowl, cover with cold water, and vigorously agitate it. Drain through a strainer set in the sink and press on the chicken with your hands to remove excess water. Return the chicken to the bowl and add the fish sauce, pepper, sugar, baking soda, and cornstarch. Stir vigorously with your fingers for 30 seconds. Set aside while you prepare the remaining stir-fry ingredients (at least 15 minutes).
  2. Prepare the sauce: Combine the fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and chile flakes.
  3. Make the stir-fry: Heat 1 tablespoon oil and the smashed garlic cloves in a wok over high heat until the garlic is sizzling at starts to brown. Add the chicken, spread it into a single layer, and cook without moving until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Continue cooking, tossing, and stirring frequently, until the exterior is just cooked, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
  4. Wipe out the wok and add the remaining tablespoon of oil and heat over high heat until shimmering. Add the minced garlic, ginger, and shallots and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Return the chicken to the wok and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked through and the shallots are softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. Add the sauce and toss to coat. Add the basil and toss until they’re wilted. Transfer to a plate and serve with rice.

Chicken Larb and Bean Thread Noodle Lettuce Cups

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I absolutely love larb and I absolutely love bean thread noodles in all their permutations. These lettuce cups are kind of a love child of both these dishes — not authentic by any means, but delicious nonetheless. Packed full of herbs, they make a perfect quick and easy meal when you’re craving something light but satisfying.

Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1 garlic clove, minceed
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • Salt
  • Juice of 2 limes (about 4 tablespoons)
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 cup basil leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  • 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons crushed peanuts
  • 4 ounces bean thread noodles, prepared according to package instructions
  • 1 head butter lettuce
  1. In a large skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the chicken and salt and cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 7 minutes.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and crushed red pepper flakes.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the meat mixture with the onion, basil, cilantro, mint, peanuts, and bean thread noodles and combine with the sauce. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
  4. Spoon the chicken and noodle mixture onto lettuce leaves and serve warm or at room temperature.

Garlic Noodles with Dungeness Crab

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If you’ve spent time in San Francisco then you know the city’s garlic noodles are iconic. They’re on countless menus but the original lies with Thanh Long, a classic Vietnamese restaurant in the Sunset District, that I lived near to many moons ago.

This dish is a love letter to Thanh Long’s infamous noodles. It’s absolutely worth seeking out fresh Dungeness crab for the best flavor.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh wheat noodles or spaghetti pasta
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 onion, sliced
  • 8 ounces lump crabmeat, preferably Dungeness
  • 1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked or sweet paprika
  • Black pepper
  • 1 green onion, sliced, for serving
  1. Cook the noodles to al dente according to package directions. Drain and rinse well with cold water.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon water to blend. Set sauce aside.
  3. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon each of the olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Add one-third of the garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the onion and stir-fry until the garlic just begins to brown, about another minute. Add the crab, Cajun seasoning, paprika, and pepper to taste. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
  4. Return the skillet to medium heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon each olive oil and butter. Add the remaining minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute or two. Add the sauce, let it warm up, then add the cooked noodles. Mix well to coat the noodles with the sauce, then add about 1/4 of the crab mixture and stir for another minute to warm through.
  5. Transfer the noodles to a serving platter and top with the remaining crab mixture, garnish with the green onions and pepper, and serve.