Oysters with Lemongrass Chile Mignonette

Perhaps one of the greatest things about a mignonette sauce is its adaptability to ingredients. One never has to stick with a traditional mignonette that consists of shallots, vinegar, salt and vinegar. The sauce is, in many ways, a small canvas on which a cook or chef could create a variety of culinary artwork. 

Over the years, I have produced some culinary artworks (I use that phrase very lightly). I've prepared a Balsamic Mignonette, Lemon-Basil Mignonette, Beer Mignonette, Peach Champagne Mignonette, Mango Habanero Mignonette, and Green Mignonette. None of these mignonettes come close to a work of art. I am no culinary Leonardo da Vinci, Khalil Rabah, Amoaka Boafu, or Diego Rivera when it comes to mignonettes or any other culinary work. 

That is okay, because mignonettes are not supposed to be masterpieces. The sauces always play a supporting role. That role focuses upon highlighting the sweetness or brininess of the oyster. If someone is using an oyster to eat a mignonette, then they have turned the entire experience on its head. Mignonettes are intended to elevate the eating of raw oysters. 

But, I firmly believe that mignonettes can serve another purpose, namely, to introduce people to new flavors and flavor combinations. A mignonette should serve not only to enhance, but to educate. I often look for unique or different mignonette recipes that shed some additional light upon a cuisine or a people. That search led me to this Lemongrass Chile Mignonette. Lemongrass is a common ingredient in southern and southeast Asian cuisines, from Sri Lanka to Vietnam and every where in between (think Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia and Indonesia). It is also a foundational pairing with chiles. Together, both ingredients add something missing from raw oysters. Lemongrass provides a citrusy aroma, as well as a little bitter or tartness, which works well with sweeter oysters). Chiles, of course, provide a little kick that also works very well with sweet oysters. 

Together, lemongrass and chiles (or, in this case, sambal oelek, which is an Indonesian chile paste) play their supporting role. They worked very with the Chesapeake Bay oysters that I paired them with, both Misty Points and Chincoteague Salts. But, I hope that this mignonette will open the door for those who may not be as familiar as myself with Burmese, Thai, Cambodian, Laotian, Vietnamese, Malayasian or Indonesian cuisine. Both ingredients can be found in many recipes from across the region. If you are looking for a starting point, perhaps consider Aromatic Chicken from the Shan Hills, a Burmese recipe' Ga Xao Xo Ot (Lemongrass Chile Chicken), a Vietnamese recipe; or Larb, a Laotian dish. All of these recipes are easy to make and delicious to eat.

OYSTERS WITH LEMONGRASS CHILE MIGNONETTE

Recipe from Hama Hama Oysters

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 dozen oysters
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 1 makrut lime leaf
• 1 tablespoon chopped lemongrass
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1/4 cup finely minced shallots
• 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black peppercorns

Directions:

1. Infuse the vinegar. Heat the vinegar to a simmer, take off heat, and add lime leave and lemongrass. Let the vinegar infuse for at least an hour in the refrigerator (overnight is even better). 

2. Finish the mignonette. Strain out the aromatics and stir in the shallot, sambal and pepper. Chill for an hour to let the flavors come together. 

PEACE.

Nasi Goreng Berkat

There are two atolls, consisting of more than two dozen coral islands, in the Indian Ocean that lie far from any major land mass. It is 1,683 kilometers (or 1,013 miles) from these islands to the nearest point in Australia (Exmouth). It is slightly shorter -- 1,270 kilometers (or 789 miles) from the islands to Indonesia (Jakarta). While not the most isolated places on Earth, these islands -- known as the Cocos Islands or the Keeling Islands -- are truly isolated.

The islands are formally a part of Australia, the result of the expansion of colonialism and the British empire, which formally annexed the islands in 1857. Yet, the inhabitants of the Cocos Islands have stronger cultural connections to southeastern Asia than anywhere in the United Kingdom or even Australia, which took control over the islands after a transfer of power from the U.K. in 1955. And, it is this connection that I wanted to explore, to learn more about the people and their cuisine. 

The history of the people, known as the Cocos Malay, goes back to at least 1825, when they were brought to the islands by a British trader, Alexander Hare. Soon thereafter, another British trader, John Clunies-Ross, took control of the island. Clunies Ross forced the slaves and indentured servants to work on coconut plantations to produce copra, the dried white flesh of the coconut.  The workers all toiled for the Clunies-Ross family under a basically feudal system for generations. The system ended in the late 1970s, when Australia forced the family to sell the islands to the government. The coconut and copra production was taken over by the Cocos Islands Cooperative Society, LTD., but ultimately ceased in the late 1980s.

The Cocos Malay people.

The Cocos Malay -- who number about 600 -- are predominantly Malay in ancestry, but their ancestors were brought in from not just British Malaya (now Malaysia and Singapore), but also the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), New Guinea (now Papua New Guinea), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and even as far away as South Africa. The Cocos Malay are united by their language, a distinct dialect known as Basa Pulu Kokos and their Muslim religion.  

Drawing from that heritage, the cuisine of the Coco Malay draws its influences from Malaysian, Indonesian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Yet, the Cocos Malay cuisine is distinct. There are dishes such as vegetarian rice noodles, sweet and sour fish, and ayam payang (chili chicken).  

This particular recipe reflects the Indonesian influences upon Cocos Malay cooking. The dish, nasi goreng, is the Indonesian version of Chinese fried rice. As the story goes, Chinese traders and migrants brought the dish to the East Indies, where the locals made it their own. The recipe serves an very good purpose, as it was a way to make use of leftover rice and other ingredients. In fact, the best rice to use is day-old rice, as its drier texture makes it easier to fry. 

Just as the Indonesian people took fried rice and made it their own through nasi goreng, the Cocos Malay have taken nasi goreng and, in turn, made it their own. However, given the Cocos Islands are relatively isolated, if it does not come from the sea or could be cultivated from small personal gardens, then it is to be imported. There is one exception ... the coconut. And it is coconut flakes that help the Cocos Malays make the nasi goreng their own. 

NASI GORENG BERKAT

Recipe from Travel by Stove

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 3 cloves garlic, mashed
• 4 shallots, mashed
• 1 teaspoon Sambal Oelek (Malaysian chile paste)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Maggie chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 red chiles, sliced
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup mustard greens, chopped
• Sesame oil
• 1 piece skinless chicken, shredded

Directions:

1. Saute the garlic and onion. Heat the oil and saute the garlic with the onion, shallots, and Sambal. When fragrant, add the rice and mix well. Add the soy sauce and Maggie powder. Stir until well incorporated, then add the mustard greens, coconut, and sliced chiles.

2. Finish the dish. Drizzle a little sesame oil over the rice and serve with shredded chicken. 

PEACE.

Ping Gai (ປີ້ງໄກ່), Laotian Grilled Chicken

Certain recipes have the ability to transport someone across the world. This particular recipe took me to a street full of food stalls in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. Perhaps it is the Ban Anou night market, just a short distance from the Mekong River. Maybe it is one of the morning markets, such as the Khua Din Market or the Talat Sao Market. It could have been anywhere in the downtown city area where wafts of street food fill the air.

In any event, I am drawn to this region by the smell of grilled chicken. But, not just that chicken. There is so much more. Chicken marinated with a mixture of soy sauce, oyster sauce, and, that very special, fish sauce.  There is something about fish sauce, that umami from southeast Asia, that is intriguing to both the nostrils and the taste buds. Fish sauce features prominently not only in the preparation of this grilled chicken, but also the thin, vinegary dipping sauce that is served with it. The aromas were so intriguing as I made this dish, I could not wait to taste it. And, when I tasted it, I could not wait to make it again. This dish - Ping Gai - is probably one of the best chicken dishes that I have made, and eaten, in recent memory.

The recipe that I found may not be truly authentic, there is a good possibility that it is an interpretation of Ping Gai or ປີ້ງໄກ່, which is translated into "roast chicken." The traditional cooking process begins with a chicken that is halved, and then pounded flat. The recipe I had called for the use of skinless, boneless thighs. I compromised with skin-on, bone-in thighs. Once the chicken is prepared, it is marinated in a sauce consisting of fish sauce, garlic, turmeric, coriander and white pepper. Other spices, such as chiles, find their way into the marinade. Once marinated, the chicken is then grilled over a charcoal flame on low heat. The final dish is then sliced and served to customers with that tangy dipping sauce.

As I noted above, this is one of the best chicken recipes that I have made in a very long time. I say that even though I did not marinate the chicken overnight. I think if I did that, it would have turned out even better.  I also think that the combination of the marinade and the dipping sauce makes Ping Gai an excellent candidate for buffalo wings. Some of the best wings that I have had are grilled, and, between the marinade and the sauce, this recipe is full of flavor. Don't be surprised if you see a Ping Gai buffalo wing post in the near future. 

PING GAI (ປີ້ງໄກ່), LAOTIAN GRILLED CHICKEN

Recipe available at Allrecipes

Serves several

Ingredients (for the Marinade):

• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, or more to taste
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems and leaves
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 10 chicken thighs

Ingredients (for the Dipping Sauce):

• 2/3 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 lime juiced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste

Directions:

1.  Prepare the marinade. Grind peppercorns coarsely using a mortar and pestle, electric grinder or spice mill.  Chop cilantro finely and transfer to a mixing bowl. Stir in the freshly ground pepper, oyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, oil and cayenne.  Add chicken thighs and toss by hand until completely coated.  Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the fridge for 4 to 12 hours.

2. Prepare the dipping sauce. Combine rice vinegar, lime juice, garlic, sambal, fish sauce, cilantro, and honey to make the dipping sauce. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Grill the chicken.  Preheat the grill to medium high heat and lightly oil the grate.  Place the chicken thighs on the grill, discarding any excess marinade.  Cover and grill until thighs spring back to the touch, 5 to 6 minutes per side (a few minutes longer for each if you are using bone-in thighs).  An instant read thermometer should read at least 155 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice and serve with dipping sauce.

ENJOY!

General Tso's Catfish

A general cannot live by chicken alone.  That is the thought that passed through my mind when I decided to take the classic dish -- General Tso's Chicken -- and make a pescatarian version of it.  This recipe is an adaptation inspired by the one person who always inspires my cooking ... my beautiful Angel. 

The key to this dish is the pan-frying of the fish, rather than deep frying.  Don't get me wrong, I like deep fried fish.  I can remember as a kid going with my family to all-you-can-eat fish frys on Friday night.  I ate catfish fillet after catfish fillet.  A lot of time has passed, and, since then, I lean toward pan frying food rather than deep frying fish.  Recently, I found a General Tso's Chicken recipe from Food & Wine.  It was contributed by Grace Parisi, who described the recipe as one that is "adored" by Midtown Lunch blogger Zach Brooks. 

The thing I liked the most about Parisi's recipe is that it called for pan-frying, lightly coated chicken.   This method works well with fish (and pretty much most other proteins).  I knew I had a recipe that I could make General Tso's Catfish. 

However, the recipe needed a couple of alterations in order to make it fish-friendly.  First, I substituted catfish for the chicken.  Second, I substituted seafood stock for the chicken stock.  Third, I substituted Sambal Oelek for the chile-garlic sauce.  With these changes, the end result was still very delicious.  My inspiration wants me to make this dish again.  That is always a sign of success!

GENERAL TSO'S CATFISH

Adapted from Grace Parisi's recipe

contributed to Food & Wine

Ingredients:

1 1/2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil

1 large egg white
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of corn starch

1 pound of catfish fillets or catfish nuggets

1 cup of seafood stock

1 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek

3 tablespoons of sugar

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, plus more for frying

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, finely diced

2 large garlic cloves, diced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

Steamed broccoli

White rice

Directions:

1.  Prepare the catfish. In a medium bowl, combine the toasted sesame oil with the egg white, one tablespoon of soy sauce and 1/4 cup plus two tablespoons of corn starch.  Add the fish, stirring to coat.  Let stand at room temperature for twenty minutes.

2.  Prepare the sauce.  In a small bowl, whisk the seafood broth with the Sambal Oelek, sugar and remaining 1/4 cup of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.  In a large saucepan, heat one tablespoon of oil.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook over high heat until fragrant, which should take about one minute.    Stir in the broth mixture, add it to the pan and cook until thickened and glossy, about three minutes.  Keep the sauce warm over low heat.

3.  Cook the catfish.  In a large deep skillet, heat 1/2 inch of oil until shimmering.  Add the fish, one piece at a time and fry over high heat, turning once or twice, until very browned and crisp, about four minutes.  Drain the fish on paper towels and add to the sauce immediately with the scallions.    Cook until just coated, about thirty seconds.

4.  Plate the dish. Spoon some rice and add some broccoli to the plate.  Spoon the catfish with the sauce next to the rice. 

PAIRING THIS RECIPE

Food & Wine suggests a Prosecco as a good pairing for this dish.  The effervescence of the wine helps to cut through the sauce that coats the fish.  To this end, Cava and other sparkling wines could also work well. 

ENJOY!

Coriander Sesame Bluefish

While perusing the selection at Southern Maryland Seafood, I saw that they had some really nice, fresh bluefish fillets. The bluefish, Pomatomus Saltatrix, is a game fish found around the world.   In the United States, bluefish migrate up and down the east coast, moving north in the spring and returning south in the fall.  Bluefish can live for up to twelve years and grow to about forty inches long, although the bluefish in the Chesapeake Bay (where I live) usually only reach about twelve inches in length. They are closely related to jacks, pompanos and roosterfish.

Bluefish are truly an interesting species of fish.  The most striking feature of this fish is its razor-like teeth.  Those teeth are often the bane of fishermen, as the bluefish have the ability to strike and steal the bait.  Those teeth also tear into herring, mackerel, anchovies, striped bass and shad, which are part of the bluefish's diet. Indeed, bluefish will strike at most anything, even at things that it would normally not eat, including humans.  The voracious nature of the bluefish, as well as its teeth, have earned the fish the nickname of "marine piranha."  

Personally, I really like to cook with bluefish.  This recipe is a collaboration between myself and Clare's father, Frank.  After purchasing a good sized fillet, we pondered over how to prepare the fish.  Frank suggested that we use Asian flavors, such as sesame oil.  I thought that was a great idea and, together, we made a wet and dry rub incorporating a variety of Asian flavors to use on the fish.  This recipe is excellent and it is definitely one that I will make again.

CORIANDER SESAME BLUEFISH

A Chef Bolek Collaboration with Frank Savage
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 pounds of bluefish fillet, cut into four steaks

1 tablespoon of ground coriander

1 tablespoon of ground onion

1 teaspoon of ground garlic

2 teaspoons of ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of Sambal Oelek

2 tablespoons of canola oil

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

2 teaspoons of soy sauce

1 teaspoon of ground sea salt

2 tablespoons of sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Marinate the fish. Mix all of the dry ingredients (coriander, onion, garlic, black pepper, salt) together.  Mix all of the wet ingredients together.  Baste the bluefish steaks with the wet ingredients and then sprinkle the steaks with a good amount of the dry ingredients.  Let the fish stand for ten to fifteen minutes.

2.  Roast the fish.  Heat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the steaks in the oven to cook for fifteen minutes.  Turn on the broiler and finish the fish for about five minutes under the broiler.  

3.  Toast the sesame seeds.  After about ten minutes, heat the sesame seeds in a dry skill on medium high heat.  Toast the seeds.  

4.  Finish the dish.  Remove the fish from the heat.  Sprinkle some of the toasted sesame seeds over the steaks.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Spicy Swai with Rice Sticks

I have to admit that I need to learn how to cook Asian food.  Sure, it would be a great thing to learn how to cook Chinese, Japanese or Thai food.  However, I also want to learn how to cook some other cuisines, like Vietnamese, Malaysian or Korean.  This recipe is somewhat of an accident.  I really planned on making Bucatini with a Soft Shell Crab Sauce.  There is a seafood store that usually carries soft shells, even when no one else does.  However, when I went there, they did not have any soft shells.  So, I left dejected and wondering what I would make.  When I stopped at my local grocery store, I perused the small seafood counter and saw something that I had not seen before ... swai.

The swai, also known as the basa fish, is a species of river catfish from the delta.  The particular delta is not the Mississippi delta, but the Mekong delta.  For the most part, swai or basa are raised on commercial farms in southeast Asia, most specifically Vietnam and Thailand.  According to Seafood Watch, the swai have a "strong" potential to be a sustainable fish.  There are some concerns about the method by which farmers raise the swai, particularly the use of open cages.  There is some research that shows that the use of open cages may have an adverse effect on the environment, plus an increased possibility of disease amongst the fish and escape of the caged fish into the rivers or waters where the cages are maintained.  Still, in terms of sustainability, Seafood Watch rates the Swai as "good," although not as good as U.S. farmed catfish.

In making this dish, I wanted to try something different and push myself a little.  Given swai is a Vietnamese fish, I wanted to use my wok to make a stir fry.  As I strolled the aisles of the produce section, I picked up a couple red peppers, some baby eggplant, and some cilantro.  As I headed to the checkout aisle, I passed the Asian food section and debated whether I should serve this with rice or noodles.  I came across a package of "Rice Sticks," which are basically rice noodles.  Having never used rice noodles before, let alone in a stir fry, I thought I would give them a try.  I returned home and, with some ingredients out of the pantry, I created this dish off the top of my head.  And, while this dish will not win any awards, it actually turned out to be quite tasty.

SPICY SWAI WITH RICE STICKS

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
1 pound of swai fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 red peppers, diced
3 baby eggplant, diced
1 clove of garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons of fresh cilantro, chopped
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 teaspoon of sambal oelek
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Lemon, juiced

Directions:

1.  Prepare the rice sticks.  Generally, you place the rice sticks in warm water for five to eight minutes until they have softened.  Drain the rice sticks and set aside until you are ready to fry them.

2.  Prepare the swai.  Salt and pepper the swai liberally.  Sprinkle the lemon juice over the swai and set aside.

3.  Cook the vegetables and spices.   Heat the canola oil in the wok on high.  Add the peppers and saute for about three minutes.  Add the garlic, saute for a minute more.  Add the eggplant and continue to saute for about five minutes.  While sauteeing the eggplant, add the cilantro, sambal oelek, fish sauce and dark soy sauce.

4.  Cook the fish. Add the swai and stir to make sure that the liquid covers the swai.  Cook for about five to seven minutes.  Add the noodles and continue to stir until everything is incorporated well.

While this may not have been my strongest outing, it was definitely a tasty dish.  I plan on tweeking this recipe a little to improve upon it.  I'll keep you apprised of any changes in the recipe.  Until then ...

ENJOY!