Bastardized Hainan Chicken (Salad)

A Hainan chicken meal is usually a lot of rice, a lot of chicken, and maybe a little cucumber. And cilantro. I've been trying to shake things up at home a bit, so I turned this into a salad, even adding some rice vinegar to the ginger scallion oil (gasp!).

No bones, no rice. I would've added cucumber and cilantro if I had any on hand, but I didn't. And I'm okay with that because it was still delicious.

• 4 chicken thighs, trimmed of fat
• 1 knob ginger, crushed
• 1 bunch scallions, cut into 2" pieces
• salt

In a medium pot, fill halfway with water, add the ginger, scallions and salt. Bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, fill another medium pot halfway with water, bring to a boil and add the chicken. Boil for 1 minute and allow the frothy stuff to float to the top. Discard the frothy water, rinse the chicken, and then transfer to the first pot with the rest of the ingredients. Add fresh water so that there's at least 2 inches covering the chicken.

When it returns to a boil, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let the chicken poach undisturbed for 15 minutes. If the chicken isn't yet done, repeat this step.

Remove the chicken and allow it to cool and then pull it apart into strips. The basic stock can be strained and saved for another use.

And now for the ginger scallion sauce.

• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Combine the ginger, scallions and salt in a heat proof bowl. Heat the oil in a saucepan until a single piece of chopped scallion dropped in the oil sizzles and bubbles violently. Carefully pour the oil over the ginger scallion mixture and stir. Add the vinegar and stir again.

At this point, the ginger scallion sauce is more of a dressing than merely an oil. I tossed the chicken in it and then plopped a bunch of that over some fresh green lettuce. I'm still getting through the sweet pickled chiles I made months ago, so I added a few of those as well.

"Claypot" Rice With Chicken, Chinese Sausage, Shitakes

I don't have a Chinese clay pot, but I so wanted one when I saw this recipe on 3 Hungry Tummies. I went ahead and made it without the pot, anyway, using a medium saucepan.

After some online research and consideration of what's currently in my pantry, I made some slight modifications. The common denominators in most recipes seem to be the clay pot, the rice and the sausage. Most everything else seems to be fair game.

I didn't use chiles. I also don't have salted fish, so I made do without that. For the egg, instead of mixing it into the rice at the end, I fried it separately and served it on top. I added shitakes and served it with some Chinese mustard greens. The specific sausage I used was a Taiwanese style sausage, which is shorter, thicker, a little sweeter and more fragrant. All smiles.

Marinating the Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2" pieces
• 1 Chinese sausage, sliced
• 2 dried shitakes, hydrated and sliced
• 2 scallions, cut into 2" pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (Microplane recommended)
• 1 tbsp soy
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tsp corn starch

If the shitakes are not yet hydrated, begin to hydrate them first. Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl and let marinate for an hour. Add the shitakes when they are hydrated. It'll be fine.

Preparing the Rice

• 1 cup rice (I used short grain sushi grade rice)
• 1 1/2 cup water

• 2 tbsp light soy
• 1 tbsp dark mushroom soy (careful with this!)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1/2 cup chopped scallions
• 2 fried eggs

Start with only the rice and water in a medium saucepan, or more properly, a Chinese clay pot. Bring to a boil and then add the marinated chicken mixture to the top. Don't mix. Cover and let simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

Mix the soy, dark soy, sugar and sesame oil. Drizzle evenly over the cooked rice and chicken. Again, don't stir. Cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes on low heat, making sure the rice is cooked through.

Remove from heat, add chopped scallions and stir to combine. Serve topped with a fried egg. Serves 2.

Great with unsweetened hot tea.

Indian Style Pilaf

I think the book (which one, I forgot. look up Madhur Jaffrey) intended for the chicken and the pilaf to be served together, so I might as well share the pilaf recipe, too. I would be careful if you choose to use ground spices in lieu of some of the whole ones. You would probably have to use very little, as the effect you're going for is subtle and fragrant. Also, I specified a sweet onion to give the pilaf something to directly contrast with the spicy chicken. Trust, it's worth it.

• 1 cup basmati rice (or other long grain rice)
• 1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (or vegetable oil)
• 4 whole cardamom pods
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 5 whole cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt

In a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat, saute the onion in butter until golden. Add the cardamom pods, cinnamon, cloves, turmeric and bay leaves and saute for 2 minutes or until your kitchen begins to smell like a buttery spice market. Add the rice and stir for another two minutes so that all the grains are coated. Add the water and salt, bring it to a boil, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting and cover. Let it simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes and then take it off the heat. Keep covered until ready to serve, at which point you can fluff with a fork. It's really fluffy!

Madhur Jaffrey's Spicy Indian Chicken

I loved this dish so much that I'm going to actually share a recipe! I don't normally cook Indian food at home because I don't like handling so many spices and oil over a stove, especially turmeric, but this one cooks in the oven. It's fast, and it's incredibly easy.

So much thanks to my friend Stephen for sharing. Here's the recipe as I have adapted it for my pantry. I would use more freshly ground spices if I had a grinder. Working on it!

• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp smoked hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground pepper
• 2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of one very large juicy lemon
• 4 leg-thigh pieces of chicken, skinned and cut apart
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

Combine cumin, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, pepper, salt, garlic and lemon juice and mix into a paste. Rub the paste all over the chicken pieces until they're well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for several hours (I did this late at night and waited until the next day around lunchtime to cook).

Let the chicken temper for about half an hour before cooking.

Preheat the oven to 400degF. Place the chicken pieces on a baking dish and brush with the oil. Bake for 20 minutes, turn the pieces over and bake for about 20 minutes more or until done. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving with rice pilaf.

If you want to save all the tasty bits in the baking dish, add a little water and stir over high heat on the stove until the sauce comes together and is a bit reduced. If the dish isn't stove safe (like glass), add the water and place back in the oven, stirring occasionally until you reach the desired consistency of a sauce.

RECIPE: Star Anise Chicken

I invited my friend Pam over to catch up on life and throw back a few beers after a long exam week. It's also been a long time since I've really cooked a meal. Figured I'd default to one of my favorite homemade comfort foods- chicken braised in a sweet and garlicky star anise soy. It's really easy (my definition), I never make it the same way twice, and it's always delicious.

star anise pods

If you've never seen star anise before, it's a dried spice that translates a lot of anise flavor to any sauce it's cooked in. It's very strong, so you don't need much. When combined with soy, garlic, a little ginger and sugar, the resulting flavor is remarkably bright and floral. If cooked long enough, whole garlic cloves will literally melt in your mouth and impart an impossibly sweet and savory flavor.

star anise chicken, summer squash and carrots

The chicken is obviously the best part, and I've been tweaking the recipe each time to try and find ways to make it even better. Usually, I'll start cooking the chicken from the very beginning so that it absorbs as much flavor as possible from the braising liquid, but I found that by the time I finally found the sauce to be suitable, the chicken would be overcooked. This time, in order to fix this, after de-boning the chicken thighs, I used the bones first in the braising liquid. After letting that simmer away for about 45 minutes, I added the chunks of meat and let that go for another 30 or so minutes. The meat didn't absorb as much sauce as usual, but it tasted more like chicken... and with that sauce... omg heaven.

• 2-3 lbs chicken thighs, with skin and bones
• 10 cloves garlic, slightly smashed and peeled
• 1 sweet onion, roughly chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, smashed
• 1 whole star anise
• 2 tbsp mushroom soy sauce
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup xiaoshing wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/3 cup sugar

Trim the fat from the chicken thighs, leaving some skin. De-bone, reserving the bones. Cut the remaining meat into six pieces.

In a medium pan on high heat, add some cooking oil. When it begins to shimmer, add the garlic and onions. When the onions begin to sweat, add all of the remaining ingredients except for the meat (yes the bones at this point). Top off with chicken stock or water to one inch above the bones. Let simmer low for 45 minutes.

Remove the star anise and ginger. Add the thigh meat and continue to simmer low for one half hour. Taste and adjust with sugar, salt or soy depending on your preferences. Serve over steamed rice with veggies sauteed with ginger and garlic. Top with a little hot sauce to contrast with the sweetness.

RECIPE: Fried Wontons

My roommate was putting together a Southeast Asian themed dinner party this weekend with a focus on the use of lemongrass- Vietnamese meatballs in lettuce cups; beef rendang. I was going to contribute a lemongrassy version of my family's fried dumplings, but then I found myself with less than a few hours on the clock, and going with what was immediately available around me, I went with a recipe for fried wontons.

shrimp and pork filled fried wontons

I actually don't remember ever making wontons before. It may have to do with my family's regional upbringing, but we always made dumplings at home. In the US, Chinese American restaurants usually use a very flavorful pork filling and they're found in either wonton soup or fried with a side of sweet and sour sauce. In the more authentic cuisine I've had, wontons are rarely fried (though they can be) and they're filled with a combination of shrimp and pork, often served over noodle soup. The wrappers are much more delicate and practically melt in your mouth to reveal the tender filling.

After doing some research online, here's the filling recipe I ultimately adapted and went with:

• 1/2 lb lean ground pork
• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
• 4 whole water chestnuts
• 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
• 1 tsp very finely chopped ginger
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp mushroom soy
• 1 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white pepper

Coursely chop the shrimp. Finely chop the water chestnuts. Combine everything in a bowl and mix well. Let sit an hour in the refrigerator, covered, before using.

I was actually quite surprised at how well these turned out for a first try. The flavor profiles were verging on what pork and shrimp shiu mai taste like, minus the mushroom. I have a lot of the filling left, so I may find myself experimenting in the dim sum realm...

RECIPE: Magic Sauce: Ginger Scallion Oil

My only memories of enjoying this sauce outside of my own making it is when my family in New York went to Chinatown or Flushing. We would go enjoy some dim sum and then shop in the markets for the week's provisions. Almost every shop sells their own house-made roast pork, fried pig, roasted duck, and soy sauce chicken (jiang you ji). It's an experience of smells with funky fish at one end of the store and savory meats at the other. We'd always bring home some roast pork and soy sauce chicken and it's the chicken that always came with ginger scallion oil.

Soy sauce chicken is a deceptively humble name for something that is reliably delicious and always available at the Chinese market (folks who don't like bones, stay away). A whole chicken is poached in a bath of soy, sugar(s) and spices to yield moist meat with a subtle, complex sweetness, fragrant with anise and peppercorns- it pairs divinely with the ginger scallion oil, which my friends in Atlanta and I have endearingly called "magic sauce."

ginger, scallions, salt: before being hit with hot oil

It is, in fact, an oil, so it's greasy, but don't let that stop you from enjoying this with fatty foods. When married, the brightness of the ingredients really shines and complements many meats. I don't think I've ever hosted a party or dinner where any of the sauce was left- and I make a lot. Some recipes will also include some combination of soy, mirin or vinegar, but this recipe more closely resonates with my childhood memories and I think its simplicity is key. Peanut oil is ideal, but expensive, so to be perfectly honest, I often default to canola oil just because it's cheap and in my pantry.

• 2 tbsp finely grated ginger (ideally "microplaned")
• 1/2 cup finely chopped scallions, both green and white parts
• 1/2 cup peanut oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Combine the ginger, scallions and salt in a heat resistant bowl, like Pyrex. Place the bowl on a kitchen towel at least two times the footprint of the bowl. This will prevent hot splashing oil from damaging any tabletops.

In a small saucepan, heat the oil on high heat until the surface begins to shimmer or when a small sliver of scallion dropped in the oil begins to form bubbles. Be very, very careful at this point.  Using an oven mit (you want to protect your hands, wrists and forearms), pour the oil directly from the saucepan over the ingredients in the bowl. It will sizzle and splash! Exciting.

And delicious. Let it cool before serving.

Goes great with my Poached Chicken. Recipe [here].

RECIPE: Garlic Cooked Slaw

When I was thinking about what to put in my tacos this weekend, I had already decided on a Chinese style pulled pork. Slaw seemed like a natural accompaniment, but it didn't make sense to me to use the typical mayo or even vinegar based slaw. I wanted to complement the Asian theme in flavor. Even using a soy/rice vinegar sauce still didn't seem right. I began to recall this simple dish my mom makes at home which involves shredding cabbage and carrots and sauteing it with garlic, much like the way we prepare many vegetables. I took this as a launching point for experimentation.

The closest thing I can compare this to is perhaps moo shu pork? In the Western tradition, I've observed that cabbage is often either braised or left raw for slaws. I like this in-between compromise where you've still got some of that raw flavor and some crunch, but also some yield and tenderness. Think Venn diagram comparing cabbage and brussel sprouts.

• 1/4 head of cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tsp soy
• 1 tsp dry sherry
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine the soy and dry sherry and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil on high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the garlic. As soon as this becomes aromatic, add the cabbage and continuously toss for about five minutes or until they've passed the wilting point and become slightly translucent, but not completely limp. Take off of heat and immediately drizzle the soy/sherry mixture over the cabbage, deglazing the bottom of the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

RECIPE: Pan Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Carrots

Many can't get over the bitter flavor of brussel sprouts, which is definitely something I encountered as a child. Out of curiosity, my mom made brussel sprouts only once. She just dropped them whole in a clear broth soup she was making and let them boil away. That was an epic fail because after a prolonged cooking time, the bitter flavor only enhanced. I've since explored this territory on my own and I must say- if you're not a fan of brussel sprouts, I will convert you. My success rate is pretty damn high, something like 100%, and that's more than a few people.

At any rate, many of my friends have had my garlic pan roasted brussel sprouts and I've continued to find ways to improve the recipe further. The addition of carrots offers some sweet contrast and the use of dry sherry and a little soy to deglaze the pan at the end is like the MSG you don't feel bad about. Or at least I don't.

• 1/2 lb brussel sprouts, halved lengthwise
• 1/2 lb carrots, cut in 1 in. pieces, split lengthwise
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• 1 tsp tamari soy
• salt and pepper

It is critical to use high heat for this recipe. Ventilation fans: GO!

Prepare a medium size pan on high heat with a tablespoon of neutral oil, like canola. When the surface of the oil starts to ripple, add the brussel sprouts, carrots and garlic. Stir to coat everything evenly in the oil, then bring the heat down to medium-high. Keep stirring every minute or two to prevent things from burning, which they will if pieces aren't turned (I prefer this process to roasting in the oven only because I can be this particular).

Once an aesthetically pleasing browning has occurred over most of the brussel sprouts and carrots, turn the heat down to medium. Add a little pepper and then salt liberally, but not too much your first time, obviously. Test one to see if it's still crunchy and a little tender. You don't want to cross the threshold where it's too tender, though. A little crunch is good.

At this point, combine the dry sherry and soy in a small bowl. Bring the heat on the pan back to high. Once you're convinced the pan is fucking hot again, drizzle the mixture over the pan WHILE stirring the vegetables. This will at once deglaze, caramelize and evaporate all at once. Immediately turn the heat off and transfer everything to a serving plate. Et voila!

Wow, that was a lot more difficult to explain than I thought it would be.

RECIPE: Poached Whole Chicken

I honestly don't know where I first got the idea for this. I may have read it somewhere, but I definitely don't remember my mother or anyone in my family preparing a chicken this way. The basic concept is to take a cold or near room temperature chicken and place it in near boiling water (off the heat) and let them reach equilibrium. If you "tease" the chicken, so to say, towards doneness, it's a more gentle way of cooking the meat and won't overcook the outer layers of protein before the inside gets done. The result is a perfectly done chicken in all respects. The thighs and legs are juicy, the breasts are almost impossibly moist and the entire ensemble carries an intense chicken flavor.

Note that the larger the pot you use for this, the longer it will take to get the water to boil, but the massive volume of the water will mean less iterations as equilibrium is reached.

• 1 whole chicken
• 1 inch piece of ginger, crushed
• salt

Place chicken in large pot or stockpot and fill with just enough water to cover the chicken. Bring water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for 5 minutes. Take off heat, drain, and refill with water 1 inch below rim of pot. Add ginger and salt generously. Bring to boil, cover, then take off heat and let sit for 1/2 hour.

Check with meat thermometer to see if the internal temperature has reached 165 (note that this is lower than recommended by FDA, but I'm still alive). A knife can also be used to cut a slit in the thigh and if blood emerges, it's not done. If done, remove from pot and serve immediately or chill. If not, bring the water back to a boil, cover, remove from heat and let it reach equilibrium again, about another 1/2 hour or however long you think it might take to reach the temperature for doneness.

It's definitely a process that involves several tries and some intuition, but once you have it down, it's really quite easy and the result is incomparable. I recommend serving with a ginger/scallion oil or a ginger vinegar soy.

RECIPE: Ramen Soup Stock

There's three tiers of ramen in my book: dirt cheap college-grade instant ramen, legitimate instant ramen that sells for about $2 a pop (like Shin Ramyun) and restaurant or homemade ramen, which is essentially just noodle soup.  I admittedly usually keep a stock of Shin Ramyun in my cabinets if I need a quick meal and I always have some vegetables on hand to top a bowl off with a poached egg.  Not ideal, but at least it's a complete meal.

Every now and then I want to make some really good ramen from scratch, so I'll pick up some pork bones from the market.  Add some ginger, onion and umami, and you got a pretty awesome base for a great noodle soup.

• 2-3lbs pork bones (neck, whatever...)
• 1 onion, halved
• 1 inch piece of ginger, smashed
• 2 sheets dry kombu
• salt and pepper

Place bones in a stock pot and fill with water to cover one inch above them.  Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer for five minutes.  Drain pot, rinse bones and then refill with water 3/4 high up the pot.  Add onion and ginger.  Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer for four hours, covered.  Continue adding water to maintain 3/4 depth.

Rinse kombu under faucet and then add to pot.  Simmer another 45 minutes and then remove kombu and ginger.  Season with salt and pepper, but not too aggressively.

Remove bones and save if you'd like to use the scrap meat.  Strain remaining stock and there ya have it!  Store in refrigerator for up to a week or freeze for months.  When serving, add soy sauce and/or miso paste to taste.

RECIPE: Roasted Pork Butt

I first found the recipe for this from David Chang's Momofuku cookbook.  The recipe was conceived for Korean style BBQ with lettuce wraps, kim chi, oysters and the whole shebang.  While I haven't changed the preparation for the butt, I've changed up how it's served- whether over rice, in soup, the suggested lettuce wraps... my next foray may be in tacos...

• - 6-8lb boston butt, with fatty skin intact
• - 1 cup kosher salt
• - 1 cup sugar
• - 1/2 cup brown sugar
• - 1 tsp salt

Combine first cup of salt and cup of sugar.  Rub all over your butt and let sit and cure in refrigerator overnight.  Rinse off your butt, dry and place in a Dutch oven, fatty side down.  Cover and roast in 275 degF oven for five hours or until meat pulls apart easily with fork.  Baste with bottom juices every 45 minutes or so.

Remove from oven.  Combine brown sugar and tsp of salt.  Sprinkle generously on your butt.  Place under broiler uncovered for 10 minutes or until sugar caramelizes nicely.

Serves a lot of people, or not very many in the case of my butt-greedy friends.