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.

Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts

Chinese dishes always catch my attention, especially when they involve the use of unusual ingredients or give nods to regional cuisine. This particular dish -- Lamb Stir-Fry with Potatoes and Pine Nuts -- checks off both boxes. 

First, there are the pine nuts. That happens to be an ingredient that I do not use very often in my cooking. It is also an ingredient that I did not associate with Chinese cuisine. I was wrong on that point. There are quite a few dishes across trhe various Chinese regions that incorporate pine nuts, including dishes from my favorite region, culinarily speaking, Sichuan. 

That brings me to the other ingredients featured in this lamb recipe, namely, Chinese chile oil and red Sichuan pepper oil. The reason why I love Sichuan cuisine is the use of peppers to create spicy dishes. Most of the Sichuan dishes that I have made to date -- from Qiatou Yi Nen to Jiaoma Jipian -- feature chicken. So, cooking with lamb was a nice change of pace. 

The oils presented some challenge, at least when it came to acquiring them. I had some difficulty finding in them in Asian markets, although the difficulty was greater when it came to the red Sichuan pepper oil.  I also spent some time looking online; however, my relative unfamiliarity with a lot of the websites and products made me a little reluctant to try to the oils. Eventually, I took a risk and I think the dish turned out well. 

In the end, this dish got me thinking about going back to some of my cookbooks, especially the one by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Beyond the Great Wall. There may be more of those recipes to come. Only time will tell ....

LAMB STIR-FRY WITH POTATOES AND PINE NUTS

Recipe from Saveur

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 9 ounces boneless lamb leg, cut into 1 1/2inch by 1/4 inch strips
• 1 Yukon Gold potato, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red Sichuan pepper oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 2 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1-2 tablespoons Chinese chile oil (optional)
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
• Chopped cilantro, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the lamb. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, the Shaoxing wine, 1/2 teaspoon of the sugar and corn starch. Add the lamb and turn to coat, then cover and refrigerate for 40 minutes or up to 24 hours. 

2. Prepare the potato. In a medium pot, cook the potato until tender yet firm, about 2-3 minutes, then drain and set aside. 

3. Prepare the sauce. In a small bowl, stir together half of the Sichuan pepper oil, 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, the oyster sauce, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce and sugar. Set aside. 

4. Cook the dish. Place a large wok or skillet over high heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and add the lamb and stir-fry until browned, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. To the empty wok, add the remaining vegetable oil, the garlic, ginger, and scallions and stir-fry until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Add the onion and cook until tender 3-4 minutes. Add the reserve potato and continue stir-frying until browned at the edges, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved lamb, leaving any juices in the bowl, and the Sichuan oil mixture and stir-fry to coat, about 2 minutes. Stir in the chile oil (if using), then transfer to a platter.

5. Finish the dish. Top with the remaining Sichuan pepper oil, pine nuts and cilantro. Serve hot with white rice. 

PEACE.

Mala BBQ Wings

Mala sauce originates in China's Sichuan province,which is known for its spicy cuisine. The name, mala, means numbing and spicy; and, in the context of this sauce, it refers to the use of chiles and Sichuan peppercorns. The sauce is typically prepared by combining those ingredients, along with tobanjiang, ginger, garlic, shallots, sesame oil, and other spices.  Once completed, mala is typically served alongside other dishes, as a condiment or dipping sauce. 

This rather unique sauce inspired me, as part of my Wings Around the World project, to create a mala wing sauce. This required more research, because the typical sauce would not work very well. It is more of a brothy type of sauce, which would have a hard time holding itself to the chicken wings. Moreover, some versions use oil, which, in my humble opinion, would not provide a very pleasant wing-eating experience. I am not a big fan of wing dripping in oil, even if that oil is so spicy that I would not know it because the Sichuan peppercorns had numbed my tongue. 

I eventually found a recipe for a mala barbecue sauce, which was served in connection with pork spare ribs (mala paigu). Obviously, barbecue sauces have the great texture for wings. Most restaurants that serve wings usually offer a barbecue sauce option. Yet, unlike a standard barbecue sauce, this mala barbecue sauce balances the five elements: salty (or han in the Sichuan dialect), sweet (tian), sour (suan), hot or pungent (la) and bitter (ku). (For more about the balance of flavors, check out my Laozi Iniative, which is part of The Mindfulness Foodways.) The sweet comes from the sugar and sweet wheat paste, the bitter comes from the black vinegar, while the hot or pungent comes  and Sichuan peppercorns and the doubanjiang, and the salt comes from the hoisin sauce and a little from the Shaoxing wine. 

I prepared the sauce (a picture of it is to the right). I placed the wings in a ziploc bag, added about 2/3 of the sauce and mixed the wings to ensure that they were covered. I allowed the wings to marinate for about 15 minutes or so (you can obviously go longer if you would like, but put the wings in the refrigerator if you do so). I then broiled/roasted the wings in the oven for about 30 minutes. Once they were done, I moved the wings to the bowl and tossed them with the remaining 1/3 of the mala sauce. 

In the end, I have to say that this sauce was not as spicy or as numbing as I had expected after reading many articles about Mala sauce. That is probably a good thing for everyone else, given my love for really spicy foods means that, if I found it spicy, it would probably be too hot for everyone else. It could also be the result of the balance of flavors that I mentioned above. This allowed the sweet and bitter, to shine as much as the spicy/numbing. These wings were very good. I count them as a success in my efforts to globalize buffalo wings. Until next time ....

MALA BBQ WINGS

Recipe from The Mala Market

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 12 chicken wings (drummettes and flats)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons doubanjiang (chile bean paste)
• 2 tablespoons tianmianjiang (sweet wheat paste)
• 2 tablespoons Chinese dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 2 tablespoons Zhenjiang black vinegar
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons Chinese roasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground Sichuan pepper
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. Place the chile bean paste on a cutting board and mince it with a knife to break down any whole beans. Add it to a small bowl with the sweet wheat paste, vinegar, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, hoisin, sesame oil and ground Sichuan pepper and stir to combine. You could add all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth as an alternative. 

2. Prepare the wings. Place the wings in a ziplock bag. Add about 2/3 of the sauce to the bag and mix so that the wings are covered with the sauce. Allow the wings to rest for about 15 minutes, if you want to marinate them longer, place them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. 

3. Cook the chicken wings. Heat a grill on medium high heat or the broiler of an oven. Rinse the chicken wings and pat them dry. Season with salt and pepper. Oil the grates of the grill (if using) and place the chicken wings on the grill.  Grill or roast for about seven minutes and then flip the wings, grilling them for about seven minutes more. 

4. Finish the dish. Once the wings reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, remove them from the grill. Add the wings to a large bowl and pour the rest of the sauce over the wings. Toss the wings to ensure that the sauce covers all of the wings. 

PEACE.

White Mushroom & Cilantro Soup

"Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without."

-- Siddhartha Gautama

Those words came to mind as I stared down at this bowl of soup. A warm broth, infused with miso and sesame flavors, full of mushrooms and garnished with cilantro leaves. 

In the hours that led to this bowl of soup, I had a conflict. I was standing in the aisle of my local supermarket, staring down at a bottle of miso. That bottle cost $12.99. That was a lot of money for one bottle of an ingredient that I do not normally use in my cooking. Truth be told, I am not even much of a fan for miso soup, which I often skip if it is served as part of a meal at a Japanese restaurant.

However, I really wanted to make a particular soup -- White Mushroom & Cilantro Soup -- which I found on the website of the International Buddhist Society. I had all the ingredients that I needed -- white mushrooms, cilantro, soy sauce, sesame seed oil and even Korean barbecue sauce (which was far cheaper per bottle) -- but the miso. I searched up and down the shelves, looking for any other bottle of miso that was less than $12.99. I had to have searched at least two or three times, but to no avail. I was on the verge of returning those ingredients and giving up with preparing the soup. 

Then my eyes trained on something else ... a $2.99 package of red miso soup mix. That package had more than just red miso. It had dried bits of tofu and seaweed (the usual ingredients one would expect in a miso soup). I thought that if I could sift those bits out, I could have dried red miso, which I could make into a paste with a little water.  I bought the package and headed home. 

I prepared the soup, using the sifted and picked through red miso powder, which I made into a paste. The end result was an absolutely delicious soup that was stunning in its presentation. (And, presentation is one of my weaker qualities as a cook.)

Once I finished the preparing and eating the soup, I realized that the struggle I found myself was not going to be answered by anything on a grocery store shelf. It would only be answered by myself, relying upon my own ability and creativity to come up with a solution. To find the peace that I needed to prepare this recipe. 

WHITE MUSHROOM & CILANTRO SOUP

Recipe from International Buddhist Society

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil
• 3 teaspoons miso
• 1 tablespoon black soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon vegetarian barbecue sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mushrooms. Heat a wok over medium high heat. Add the oil. Add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Set aside.

2. Prepare the broth. Bring 8 bowls of water to a boil. Add the miso, black soy sauce and barbecue sauce. Stir well. Add the mushrooms. Cook for 2-3 minutes. 

3. Finish the dish. Stir in the sesame oil and cilantro. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

PEACE.

Jiaoma Jipian (Chicken in Sichuan Peppercorn and Scallion Sauce)

Although I have been cooking for years, I find that I still have a lot to learn. This observation rings especially true as I explore the cuisines of different cultures around the world. My explorations take me back to one of my favorite regional cuisines, at least in China. That cuisine can be found in the Sichuan province. The cuisine has a special place for me because it caters to my love of spicy food. Yet, the spice does not always come from the use of hot chiles, such as the Tien Tsin. In the Sichuan province, "spice" does not always equate to "heat."

There is a different kind of "spice," namely numbness, which comes from the Sichuan peppercorn. That is not actually a pepper; instead, it is the berry from the prickly ash tree. I previously explored this ingredient when I made Qiatou Ni Yen, which is a hot chicken dish from Sichuan province. The recipe came from Fuschia Dunlop's The Food of Sichuan. Dunlop's book provides a fascinating look at the region's cuisine, and, I have quite a few recipes that I have wanted to make from the book. 

This recipe represents a return to that book and the cuisine, but with a twist. I chose to prepare Jiaoma Jipian. The word, jiaoma, refers to the Sichuan peppercorn; and, this dish features that ingredient in the sauce. The sauce combines a modest amount of the peppercorns with a lot of scallion greens and some salt. These ingredients are then combined with a mixture of sesame oil, soy sauce and cold chicken broth or stock. 

Once the sauce is prepared, it is poured over some pre-cooked chicken that has been cut into bite-sized pieces. The recipes typically leave it to the cook as to how to prepare the chicken. However, I decided to poach the chicken because I could use the liquid in the preparation of the sauce. So, I used some bone-in chicken thighs, as both the bone and the skin would help to flavor the broth as the chicken cooked.  

This recipe represents a departure from what I generally make. As I think about it, I usually make hot dishes, whether meat or vegetable, appetizer or main course. It is relatively rare for me to prepare a cold dish. However, this dish was very easy to prepare. A simple poaching of the chicken (which Fuschia Dunlop provides instructions for in her book) and an equally simple combination of the sauce ingredients. 

In the end, this dish is very delicious. The only change that I might make is to add some more Sichuan peppercorns because I did not get as much of the numbing effect as I expected. It works just like chiles: the amount can be adjusted if you want more of the heat (or numbing feeling) or reduced if you want less of that effect. Something to try the next time that I prepare this dish. 

JIOMA JIPIAN

(Chicken in Sichuan Pepper and Scallion Sauce)

Recipe from Fuschia Dunlop, The Food of Sichuan, page 71

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 14 ounces cold poached chicken meat, off the bone
• 1/2 teaspoon whole Sichuan pepper
• 1 3/4 ounces scallion greens
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 2 Teaspoons sesame oil
• 7-8 tablespoons cold chicken stock
• Salt

Directions:

1.  Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken into bite-size slices. Place in a serving dish.

2. Prepare the sauce. Cover the Sichuan pepper with a little warm water and let soak for about 20 minutes. Wash the scallion greens thoroughly, shake dry, and then slice thinly. Place on a chopping board with the drained Sichuan peppercorns and a pinch of salt, then use a sharp knife or mezzaluna to chop them together extremely finely. 

3. Finish the sauce. Transfer the chopped ingredients to a small bowl, then add the soy sauce, if using, along with the sesame oil and 7 tablespoons of stock and mix well. If you are not using soy sauce, add an extra tablespoon of stock and season with salt to taste. 

4. Finish the dish. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Mix well before eating. 

PEACE.

Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi

The last time that I visited Fort Lauderdale for work, I went down to the hotel restaurant for a drink and dinner. The food is pretty good, but sometimes it can be hit or miss. As I sat at the bar drinking a nice local brew, I decided to get an order of Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi. I love Edamame, and, the name of the dish, with its reference to Togarashi, piqued my interest.

I have previously posted about Togarashi. It is a uniquely Japanese spice blend that is heavy on the chile pepper, but includes some other interesting ingredients, such as dried seaweed and hemp seeds. The key thing to remember about Togarashi is that the preparation involves seven ingredients. That gives you Shichimi Togarashi.

Having prepared some Shichimi Togarashi for myself, I decided to recreate the dish that I had at that Fort Lauderdale restaurant. I searched the Internet and came across a few recipes, which I used as a starting point. The recipes called for ingredients that I would have expected in the dish, such as rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

However, in the end, the recipes fell a little short from what I had in the restaurant. The restaurant version had a more reduced, slightly sticky sesame sauce that coated my fingers with a very delicious chile sesame mixture as I ate the Edamame. This turned the dish into a "finger-licking" good appetizer. My re-creation of Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi produced a runnier sauce and, hence, cleaner fingers. Still, the flavors were essentially there, especially the Togarashi, which makes the dish. 

WOK CHARRED EDAMAME WITH TOGARASHI

Recipe adapted from multiple sources

Serves several

Ingredients:

• 4 cups edamame in shell, thawed
• 1 tablespoon shichimi togarashi
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Prepare the edamame.  Heat a wok over high heat. Add the peanut oil or vegetable oil. and Add the edamame. Toss the edamame until they are coated with the oil. Then add the rice vinegar and togarashi. Toss again to ensure that the edamame are covered with the spice blend. 

2. Finish the dish. Allow the edamame to sit in the hot wok for about 30 seconds to char. Then remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil and the sesame seeds. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Dai Carrot Salad

The name "Dai" refers to several groups of the Tai people, including the Tai Lu and Tai Koen. These groups live principally in the southern southwestern regions of China's Yunnan province.  These groups also live in neighboring countries, such as Myanmar, Thailand and Laos. They are one of the many cultures within China that are profiled by cookbook authors Jeremy Alford and Naomi Duguid in their book, Beyond the Great Wall.

Given where they live, it comes as little surprise that the cuisine of the Dai bears some resemblances to the food and dishes of those neighboring countries. Alford/Daguid at 13.  For example, Dai cuisine often features a lot of fresh herbs and vegetables, creating a colorful vibrancy to many of the dishes. Indeed, as one Dai chef - Mi Wei - observed, "without herbs there is no Dai Food." That quote comes from an interesting article on Not Quite Nigella, which explores Dai cuisine further than I can do with this post.

Back to Alford and Duguid, they observe that many Dai recipes are also are known for combining tart and sour tastes with hot and spicy flavors. Thus, there is a significant presence of various chiles, black peppercorns, and Sichuan peppercorns in Dai recipes. This dish - which is a rather simple recipe for a carrot salad - represents that balance. The balance comes from one ingredient: the pickled peppers. I did not have access to store bought pickled chiles, so I pickled my own. (Recipes can be easily obtained with an Internet search engine.) The vinegar and heat from the chiles features prominently in the dish, with the remaining ingredients (the soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted sesame oil) working to round out the harshness from the pickled chiles. 

I do have a few more Dai recipes lined up in the queue, which will offer additional opportunities to explore this cuisine a little further. The use of chiles has definitely caught my attention, as well as the overlap of the Dai cuisine with the foods of Thailand and Laos.

DAI CARROT SALAD

Recipe from Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid, Beyond the Great Wall, at pg. 83

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 pound large carrots
• About 2 tablespoons pickled red chiles or store bought pickled chiles, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 3 scallions, mashed and sliced into 1/2 inch lengths
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 to 3 tablespoons of coriander leaves

Directions:

1. Prepare the carrots. Peel the carrots. Using a cleaver or chef's knife, slice them very thin (1/8 inch thickness if possible) on a 45-degree angle. You should have 3 cups. in a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Toss in the carrot slices and stir to separate them. Cook just until slightly softened and no longer raw, about 3 minutes. Drain.

2. Prepare the salad. Transfer the carrots to a bowl and let cool slightly, then add the chiles and scallion ribbons and toss to mix. 

3. Prepare the dressing. Whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Pour over the salad while the carrots are still warm. Stir or toss gently to distribute the dressing, then turn the salad on to a serving plate or into a wide shallow bowl. 

4. Finish the dish. Serve the salad warm or at room temperature. just before serving, sprinkle on the salt and toss gently, then sprinkler on the coriander and toss again.

ENJOY!

Mi Zhi Ji Chi Chuan

Behind every recipe there is a story or an image. That is certainly the case when it comes to Mi Zhi Ji Chi Chuan, which are chicken wing skewers. I struggled to tell that story or frame the image. Someone else has fortunately captured what I was thinking when I came across a recipe for these chicken wings. It is cook and author Lillian Chou, who wrote the following in an article for the food magazine, Saveur:

My favorite chicken wing joint, Kuan Dian, is set atop a shack in Xicheng district, near central Beijing. Here, a grill in a makeshift kitchen overlooks a maze of hutongs, the traditional alleyway dwellings unique to Beijing, and rowdy students clamor over chicken wings that have been smoldering over charcoal embers until the blistered skin resembles a crisp veil the color of mahogany. 

Lillian Chou, Fire in the Belly, Saveur No. 157 (June 6, 2013). Her words conjured up exactly what I was thinking: a small restaurant or food stall in or near a maze of alleys, with a cook standing over a grill, turning skewer after skewer of chicken wings.

The word "chuan" refers to a range of kebabs, from those made with proteins (like lamb, beef, chicken or pork) to those made with seafood or even vegetables. I have previously made Yangrou Chuan, lamb kebabs as part of my Kebab-apalooza challenge. When I prepared for that challenge, I researched a variety of chuan recipes. When I came across a recipe for Mi Zhi Ji Chi Chuan, I was immediately intrigued by the use of chicken wings. These wings were not the diminutive wings that are dumped in a deep fryer, tossed with a sauce and dumped into a basket like buffalo wings in the United States. This chuan requires full-sized wings -- marinated in a sauce that combines elements of sweet, spicy, and salty -- skewered and then grilled to perfection (or, in my case, as close to perfection as an amateur cook can get). 

A chuan vendor in Xinjiang.
(Source: Wikiwand)

And, as much as I love this recipe, it nevertheless conjures up another image, one that is far less enjoyable than a small makeshift kitchen overlooking a maze of alleyways in an old part of Beijing. This image is a much darker one, and, it is one that is currently unfolding. The many forms of chuan originate with the Uyghur people. They are the people of East Turkestan, now known as the Chinese province of Xinjiang. The Uyghur culture is the subject of a systematic attack by the Chinese government. This attack is all encompassing and, to say the least, very inhumane. I have previously discussed this matter at length. I won't repeat it here, except to say that the attack upon the Uyghur culture threatens the very source of beloved recipes or foods such as Mi Zhi Ji Chi Chuan. That is the darker image: a juxtaposition of the Chinese love for chuan and the cruel oppression of those who brought forth the recipes.  

In the end, every recipe has a story or conjures up an image. I stand corrected in that, some recipes may conjure up more than one story or image. Some may be good, while others are bad. The important thing is to ensure that all images can be seen and that all stories can be heard. Nothing should be hidden or repressed. Every person should know what truly lies behind what they eat.

MI ZHI JI CHI CHUAN

Recipe from Food.com

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce, divided
• 1/4 cup peanut oil, divided
• 1/4 cup Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 2 teaspoons honey
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 scallions finely chopped
• 1 ginger, peeled finely chopped (2 inches)
• 2 pounds whole chicken wings, tips removed
• 6 12-inch bamboo skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons hot sesame chile oil

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken. Stir together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, half of the Sichuan peppercorns, black pepper, honey, toasted sesame oil, 2/3 of the minced garlic, scallions, ginger and pinch of salt in a bowl.  Add chicken wings and toss to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. 

2. Prepare for grilling. Heat a charcoal grill or set a gas grill to high.  When hot, bank coals or turn off burner on one side.  While grill is heating up, remove chicken from marinade and working in batches, thread 2 wings lengthwise onto a skewer and set aside.

3. Grill the wings. Grill the wings on the hottest part of the grill, turning as needed until charred in spots and cooked through (about 12-15 minutes). If the outside starts to burn before wings are cooked, move to cooler section of grill until done. 

4. Finish the dish. Whisk remaining soy sauce, peppercorns and garlic, plus vinegar and hot sesame chile oil in a bowl and drizzle over wings on serving platter.

ENJOY!

Chicken Wings with Momofuku Octo Vinaigrette

If there was ever a show that I came close to binge watching, it was Ugly Delicious, a Netflix show starring Chef David Chang. I loved the show because it is one part cooking, one part history and one part honesty. I watched the first season, and, then watched it again. It made me think about what side I would take on the debate as to what is authentic pizza. It got me thinking about the history and contribution of African-Americans to American cuisine before I really took the plunge into High on the Hog, both the book and the Netflix series. It even got me questioning whether I would favor the Chinese dumpling over the Italian ravioli. 

Much of the television I watch now involves food, directly or indirectly. However, few shows actually get me thinking about it. I began to look into Chef Chang's restaurants and I wanted to try one out. However, I was unable to find one that was near me. I then started looking for cookbooks, but, honestly, I have not bought one. His most popular one, Momofuku, still sits on my wishlist. 

In 2019, I finally made it to one of Chef Chang's restaurants. It was Momofuku in Las Vegas. I was in Las Vegas for work and, once that was done, my beautiful Angel joined me for a few days. I took her to this restaurant and we had one of the best meals that we have ever had in Las Vegas. 

Ever since then, I have always wanted to make a dish based upon Chef Chang's recipes. However, as noted above, his cookbook has remained on my wishlist, rather than in the cart. Nevertheless, this year I came across a recipe for chicken wings that used Momofuku's Octo Vinaigrette. The combination of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and chiles seemed perfect for a chicken wing recipe. I printed it out and decided to make it as part of my Super Bowl spread for this year. 

The actual recipe is not from David Chang's cookbook; instead, someone else modified and simplified the recipe. I used that modified recipe, which worked well. The one change I would make relates to the cooking process. As provided in the recipe, I baked the wings. Baking wings is a healthy way to prepare chicken wings, but it does not always provide for the best preparation. In the future, I might put the wings under the broiler or on the grill. This would help to crisp the edges, which would definitely help in the presentation department. 

CHICKEN WINGS WITH MOMOFUKU OCTO VINAIGRETTE

Recipe by David Chang, Momofuku, as adapted by Steamy Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds of chicken wings, tips saved for another use
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped, peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chile pepper
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons canola, vegetable or grapeseed oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken wings. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. Place the chicken wings on the parchment paper in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

2. Prepare the vinaigrette. While the chicken is baking, combine together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, large enough to fit all of the wings. 

3. Finish the dish. Toss the wings in the vinaigrette to coat.

ENJOY!

Hamachi Kama

Most everyone eventually succumbs to social media advertising. They fall prey to the algorithms that utilize their browsing history to place advertisements for things that he or she might purchase. In my case, those algorithms place a lot of ethnic food ingredients, along with a variety of Buddhist-related items. (My love of learning about different cuisines, along with my increased interest in Buddhist meditation has no doubt played a role in the product placement on my timeline.)

Late last year, a certain Asian online grocery stores kept popping up in my timeline. The first item in the advertisement was Hamachi Kama, or yellowtail collars. Hamachi is the Japanese name for the yellowtail - or Japanese Amberjack.  The fish is commonly found in Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, where guests can find both raw and cooked preparations. However, the kama or collar (that is the section of the fish just behind the head and gills) is something truly special. It looks a bit unwieldly, like a little "u" with fins hanging off of it. 

If one did not know better, they would think that it is just a scrap that needs to be thrown away.  However, as the story goes, restaurant owners or cooks would keep the yellowtail collars, or Hamachi Kama, for themselves, friends or regular customers. The reason is simple. Far from a scrap, those collars have some of the fattiest and juiciest meat on the fish.

The Hamachi or Japanese Yellowtail
(Source: Clovegarden)

The collar is actually the clavicle bone of the yellowtail. There is collagen, connective tissue and a lot of fat in that part of the fish, which makes it very easy to cook and even forgiving to a certain extent if one overcooks the collar. And, the richness of the meat combined with the fact that a fish only has two clavicle bones means that the collars can be hard to find on menus. 

Yet, they can be easy to find online, as I have learned. I purchased a package of collars and immediately set out looking for a traditional recipe. Fortunately, the most traditional method of preparation is one of the simplest that I have ever come across. The collars are marinated in a combination of citrus juices (orange, lemon and lime), along with mirin and soy sauce. After marinating the collars for about a day, one just places them on a hot grill, basting the collars with the marinade. (I made a second batch of the marinade for the basting, rather than using the marinade in which the collars rested overnight.)  

That's it. The end result is one of the simplest, yet most delicious fish dishes that I have had in a very long time.  The only limit to me making this recipe as much as I can is the fact that I have to go back to that online store to purchase more collars.  

HAMACHI KAMA

Recipe from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup mirin or other rice wine
• 4 yellowtail collars
• Sesame Oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the marinade. Mix the lemon juice, lime juice, orange juice, soy sauce and mirin in a heavy plastic bag or lidded container.  Add the yellowtail collars. Marinate overnight or up to 1 day. If the collars are not submerged, then them periodically so that they get good contact with the marinade.

2. Prepare the basting sauce. Pour the marinade into a small pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce it by half and set it aside. 

3. Grill the collars. Pat the collars dry with paper towels and coat with a film of sesame oil.  Get your grill nice and hot and clean the grates.  Grill the collars over high heat, basting with the reduced marinade, for about 10 minutes to 20 minutes, depending on how large the collars are and how hot the fire is. The collars must be fully cooked and a little charred.  Serve with steamed rice and a salad.

ENJOY!

Bulgogi-Style Squid

For the few avid readers of my blog, you might have noticed a trend in some of the posts.  That trend involves South Korean-inspired recipes.  (I say inspired because, let's admit it, I am not a professional chef, and, I am a total rookie at cooking South Korean food).  It began with my personal culinary challenge to cook a main course (and two appetizers) from South Korea, which was part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes.   That was followed by an effort to Ojingeo Bokkeum (South Korean Spicy Squid).  And, then, there was the efforts at experimentation, first with Gochujang Chicken and now this recipe, a effort to create a Bulgogi-style squid. 

I realize none of this actually comes close or even approximates true South Korean cuisine, but, there is something about the use of peppers -- whether Gochujang or Gochugaru -- that has gotten my attention.  The heat of the chiles used in South Korean cuisine are different than the chiles used in other cuisines, such as the Piri-Piri chile, the Ancho chile, or my beloved Hatch chile. 

This recipe goes in a different direction, away from the chiles toward bulgogi.  I have made one bulgogi recipe in the past ... Flank Steak Bulgogi.  I noted in that post that flank steak is technically not the right cut of beef for Bulgogi. (It is ribeye.)  Now, I am throwing everything to the wind and using perhaps one of the most un-Bulgogi of ingredients: namely, squid. This was an experiment in creativity and, for a first time, it worked out fairly well.  The sweet (honey and sugar) combined with the salty (soy sauce), tied together by garlic, ginger and sesame to produce a fairy tasty dish.  

BULGOGI-STYLE SQUID

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds of squid, cleaned, slice bodies in 1 inch pieces 

      tentacles

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon rice wine or mirin

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Prepare the squid.  Combine the soy sauce, lemon juice, brown sugar, honey, rice wine (or mirin), garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.  Add the squid and toss.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

2.  Cook the squid.  Heat a pan over medium high to high heat.  Add the squid in batches and cook covered for about 3 to 4 minutes or until translucent.  Once the squid is cooked, serve with rice and a side, like broccoli.

ENJOY!

Iron Chef: Octopus

If memory serves me right, it has been a long time since I have stepped foot in Savage Bolek Kitchen Stadium.  My last challenger -- Radish Sprouts -- got the better of me.  While the three dishes each highlighted a certain creativity (for who would have ever thought of a radish sprout broth), the execution fell short of the expectations that I had set for myself. 

After that challenge, I decided to take a sabbatical from the Iron Chef battles. I needed to work on my creativity, my skills and my dishes.  As the days, weeks and months passed, I spent my time trying new foods, cooking with new ingredients, and honing my skills. 

But, as helpful as this time away from Savage Bolek Kitchen Stadium has been, the Iron Chef must return to face another challenger.  A challenger who could be as creative and crafty as the Iron Chef.  Coming from far away, this challenger will present the Iron Chef with many more opportunities to express not only his creativity, but his love for cuisines around the world.

Allow me to introduce the challenger ... OCTOPUS. 

FIRST COURSE

The first course is a nod to Japanese cuisine, with Taku Su, a cold salad that combines octopus with cucumbers and seaweed.  All of the ingredients are tied together with a vinaigrette of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar with sugar and salt to round out the taste .

TAKO SU (OCTOPUS SALAD)

Recipe from Just One Cookbook

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the octopus):

1/4 pound octopus cooked, sliced thinly

1/2 English Cucumber

1/2 tablespoon dried wakame seaweed

1/2 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Ingredients (for the vinaigrette):

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon toasted white sesame seeds

Directions:

1.  Prepare the octopus. Slice the octopus very thinly.  

2. Prepare the cucumber.  Alternatively peel a 1/2 inch side strip lengthwise, leaving a strip intact.  With this method, the cucumber slices have some decorative dark green accents and a little bit of extra crunchiness.  Cut the cucumber into small pieces using the cutting technique Rangiri.

3.  Prepare the seaweed.  In a small bowl, soak the dried seaweed in warm water.  Let it soak for 15 minutes.  Drain and squeeze the liquid out.  Set aside.

4.  Prepare the vinaigrette.  In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the vinaigrette.

5.  Finish the dish.  Add the cucumber, octopus, seaweed and sesame seeds and toss all together.  Chill in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes.  Serve immediately.  

SECOND COURSE

The second course takes its inspiration from Mexican cuisine, with the octopus being served with a sauce featuring the smoky heat of ancho chiles and the sweetness of honey.  Much like the Tako Su, the mild flavors of the octopus work as a tableau upon which the flavors of the sauce can show themselves.  The hardest part is making sure that the octopus itself, as the secret ingredient, is not eclipsed by that sauce. 

GRILLED OCTOPUS WITH ANCHO HONEY SAUCE

Recipe adapted from Tom Colicchio

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the octopus):

1/2 pound octopus tentacle, cooked

Ingredients (for the sauce):

2 dried ancho chiles
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons of honey
1/8 cup of grapeseed oil or vegetable oil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  Toast the chiles over moderate heat, turning, until fragrant and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the vinegar, honey and garlic and bring just to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and let stand until the chiles are softened, about 20 minutes.  transfer to a blender and puree until smooth.  With the machine on, add the grapeseed or vegetable oil until incorporated.  Season the sauce with salt.

2.  Prepare the grill or broiler.  Heart the grill or broiler.  Grill the cooked tentacle until the suckers start to crisp and brown around all of the edges, about 4 minutes.

THIRD COURSE

For the final dish, I draw upon Hawaiian cuisine.  This is a play on the popular dish of Ahi Poke; however, instead of the rare tuna being the star of the poke, it is octopus.  The avocado, tomato and onions in this dish, combined with the lemon juice, provide a very bright background that allows the octopus to take the center stage.  The fish sauce provides that salty, umami flavor that rounds out the dish . 

HAWAIIAN OCTOPUS POKE

Recipe adapted from Cookpad

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1/2 pound octopus tentacle, cooked

1 avocado
1/2 tomato
1/4 onion
1 bunch green onions
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1/2 clove grated garlic
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

Directions:
1. Prepare the avocado. Pit the avocado, peel and dice.  Put the diced avocado into a bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to prevent discoloring.

2.  Prepare the onion.  Cut the onion in half and slice thinly along the grain.

3.  Prepare the octopus.  Slice the octopus.  Put it in a bowl and mix with the fish sauce and garlic.

4.  Prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Cut the tomato roughly and chop a generous amount of green onions.

5.  Combine ingredients: Put the avocado, onion, tomato, green onions, sesame oil and white sesame seeds in a bowl and mix.  Chill in the refrigerator.

6.  Plate the dish.  Just before plating, add the octopus and mix well.  

Gochujang Chicken

This recipe is an experiment wherein an air fryer recipe never made it into the air fryer.   As readers of this blog probably know, my beautiful Angel and I recently bought an air fryer.  I am intrigued by air fryers, because I have basically given up on a deep fryer.  I did not want to deal with the leftover oil.  When one adds the negative health aspects of deep fried food, that made it easy for me to move on from a deep fryer or event the cooking process.  When I recipe called for deep frying, I would broil it or grill it.  

Last Christmas, I got an air-fryer cookbook.  There are a lot of interesting recipes in that book, including one for Gochujang Chicken. The Gochujang sauce got my attention. I wanted to make that sauce.  However, the recipe in the book called for the use of chicken wing sections.  I had bone-in thighs.  While I could have thrown those thighs into the air-fryer, I needed the cooking times for bone-in thighs in an air fryer.  After looking around the internet, I just decided to cook the thighs in a conventional oven. 

Overall, the recipe worked very well.  I was able to get the skin crisp, the heat from the sauce was present, and, there were chicken thighs, which are perhaps the best part of the bird.  This is the type of experimentation that I hope to do more in the future!

GOCHUJANG CHICKEN

Sauce recipe from Urvashi Pitre, Every Day Easy Air Fryer, pg. 69

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the chicken):

1 pound of chicken thighs, with skin and bone

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon gochugaru

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Ingredients (for the sauce):

3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chile paste)

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon agave nector or honey

Directions:

1.  Make the sauce. In a small bowl, combine the gochujang, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, sugar and agave, set aside. 

2.  Cook the chicken.  Place the chicken skin side down and cook at 360 degrees Fahrenheit for 8 minutes.  Spread some of the sauce on the chicken and flip the thighs.  Spread more of the sauce on the skin and underneath the skin.  Continue cooking for about 6 minutes more or until the chicken is browned with crispy skin and with an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from the heat, let rest for about five minutes, and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Ojingeo Bokkeum (Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid)

It has been a few weeks since I completed my personal culinary challenge to cook a main course based upon South Korean cuisine.  That was part of my Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge.  I focused my cooking on seafood as part of South Korean cuisine, with a grilled squid recipe, followed by a fresh oyster recipe and the main course of grilled fish.  The seafood dishes were very delicious.  

I was particularly intrigued with the use of the South Korean ground chiles (Gochugaru) and South Korean chile paste (Gochujang).  As someone who loves chiles and the heat, it seems only natural that I would be drawn to South Korean cuisine.  I recognize that not every South Korean dish is spicy, but there appears to be a fair share of dishes that utilize chiles for a good kick.  Those are the dishes that I want to explore. 

So, when I wanted to find another South Korean dish to make, I just chose a protein -- in this case, squid -- and searched "spicy South Korean squid."  I eventually found this dish, Ojungeo Bokkeum or Korean Spicy Stir Fried Squid.  This dish is similar to Olingeo Gui or spicy grilled squid. Rather than grilling the squid, one uses a wok to quickly fry the squid in the spicy marinade.  

I made a couple of adjustments from the recipe that I found.  First, I decided to keep the one inch strips of squid intact, because I felt that the rolling up of the squid during the cooking process would "create" small tubular versions of the squid.  Second, I sliced the onion thinner than what was called for in the recipe. I wanted the dish to focus more on the squid than the onion.  Two inch strips of scallions (which was what was called for in the original recipe) did not seem right.  I thinly sliced the scallions and sauteed them up in the manner called for in the recipe. In so doing, the scallions still figured into to the flavor of the dish, but the thinly sliced scallions allowed for the squid to be front and center in the dish. 

In the end, there is one thing that I can say with absolute certainty ... I want to use Gochargaru and Gochujang in every dish.

OJINGEO BOKKUM (KOREAN SPICY STIR FRIED SQUID)

Recipe adapted from from Kimchi Mom

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)

1 pound squid, cleaned

2 tablespoons cooking oil

5 scallions, sliced thinly

1 green chile pepper, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 stalk of a scallion, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)

Directions:

1.  Prepare the sauce.  In a medium sized bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, Gochargaru, soy sauce and Gochujang.  

2.  Prepare the squid.  Rinse the squid.  Cut the bodies lengthwise along the ridge.  Flatten it out so that the interior wall of the body is face up on the cutting board.  Scrape off the interior.  Lightly score a diamond pattern on the squid.  To do this, first score a set of parallel lines (about 1/2 inch apart).  Score a second set of lines crosswise at about 30 degrees to the first set of line. Cut the squid length wise in 1 inch strips.  Repeat until all of the squid is cut.  

3.  Marinade the squid.  Add the cut squid bodies and tentacles to the sauce and toss to ensure that all of the pieces are evenly coated.  Let it rest for about 20 minutes.  

4.  Cook the dish.  Heat the cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add the green onions and pepper and saute until the onions start to wilt.  Add the marinated squid and cook until done, about 1 1/2 minutes or 2 minutes.  The squid will turn opaque and curl up, and the diamond pattern will be more apparent.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the sesame oil.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. 

ENJOY!