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Tamagoyaki/Dashimaki Tamago with Mitsuba (Japanese Rolled Omelette with Herbs)

tamagpp Dear Japanese friends and all the experienced tamagoyaki makers, please be indulgent. What you see above is only my second attempt at the delicate task of preparing the Japanese omelette. The first time I tried making it, the result was tragical, so I expected a long series of failures. Surprisingly, this second omelette didn’t fall into pieces (even when I cut it) and, in spite of its messy looks, tasted wonderful. It made me so happy, I simply had to share my joy with you.

Tamagoyaki 卵焼き/玉子焼き, also called dashimaki tamago, is different from its European counterparts, not only because it contains some soy sauce and is sweet, but, most of all, because of a different frying method. Seasoned, beaten eggs are fried in thin layers, which are rolled successively with long cooking chopsticks and end up in a – hopefully neat – cylinder. A special rectangular or square pan is the traditional utensil, but it can also be made in a simple, round pan. I have seen the tamagoyaki making process dozens of times on television and internet and it always looked extremely difficult, especially for someone who, like me, lacks patience and dexterity and who isn’t used to cook with chopsticks.

Last year I decided to brave the tamagoyaki challenge and put the special pan as an obligatory item on the shopping list for my trip to Japan. I came back with a small rectangular pan and… didn’t have the courage to use it for over eight months! I don’t remember what has triggered my sudden urge to use it, but last week I thought I was fed up seeing the pan still unpacked in my drawer. I desperately needed very precise instructions, so I started to look for videos and finally followed the famous YouTube show called Cooking With Dog. I found it comprehensive, very well made and the concept of a talking dog funny and completely crazy. I have chosen this video also because the recipe called for mitsuba, the Japanese plant which starts forming a small forest on my balcony and which is particularly good with eggs. It was a sign I should choose this show and no other.

The video was very helpful and, apart from scaling down the recipe’s amounts, the only thing I changed was eliminating the sugar. Japanese omelettes are always sweet, the thing which doesn’t suit my taste buds, so my home-made tamagoyaki, even though clumsy and messy-looking, was the best because it was 100% savoury, just the way I love it. Check the Cooking with Dog show to see the original three-egg recipe and very comprehensive instructions, but, please, do not compare the final result to mine!

TIPS:

PAN: The special square or rectangular pan is not necessary. Tamagoyaki can be prepared in a round pan too. The important thing is to adapt the size of the pan to the number of eggs you want to use. I have bought the smallest pan I found because it was adapted to a two-egg omelette, perfect for one serving. My rectangular pan’s measures are: 18 x 13 cm (7 x 5 inches), so if you want to make an omelet with two eggs, take a similarly-sized round pan.

HERBS: I have used here mitsuba because I love it and am lucky to grow it on my balcony, but of course any fresh herb of your choice will be great here. I recommend chives, tarragon or dill.

SERVING: My favourite way to serve tamagoyaki is with good French buttered bread (baguette or similar bread with crunchy crust), but you can have it as a snack or in a more Asian way, as a part of a meal with rice, pickles, vegetables…

Tamagoyaki is often served cold, but personally I like it still slightly warm, with a splash of soy sauce.

Special equipment: long cooking chopsticks. As difficult as it may seem, in my opinion cooking chopsticks are a perfect tool for this omelette. You can try also with normal eating chopsticks, but they might be too small.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves one as a main course, for example breakfast):

2 eggs

2 tablespoons Japanese stock (dashi), but in my opinion chicken stock will be perfect here too (you can dissolve a pinch of instant stock of course)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

(ground black pepper)

pinch of salt

about 10 sprigs mitsuba leaves or any other herbs of your choice (chives, tarragon, dill…)

oil

(soy sauce and grated daikon radish to serve)

Chop the herbs (if you use mitsuba, use also the stalks!).

In a wide bowl mix the eggs, add the stock, the salt, the soy sauce and the pepper, if using. Combine with the chopped herbs.

Heat a pan (keep in on medium heat) and grease is slightly using chopsticks and a piece of folded paper towel soaked in oil and brushing the surface with it.

To check if it’s hot enough Cooking with Dog’s chef advises pouring a small drop of egg mixture: if it sizzles, it means the pan is ready.

Pour a part of the omelette mixture (in case of my pan’s size 100 ml/about 3,5 fl oz was the ideal amount) onto the pan and move the pan so that the egg mixture covers the whole surface.

When it’s half-cooked, lift the pan from the heat and start rolling the omelette. I found that rolling in the direction towards me was easier.

Push the roll towards one side of the pan (the one with the handle is more practical).

Grease the pan once more, holding the soaked paper towel in chopsticks.

Pour once more the same amount of egg mixture. Spread it evenly, moving the pan.

Make sure it arrives under the rolled first part of the omelette (lift the roll slightly while spreading the mixture).

Fry it, destroying with your chopsticks the bubbles forming on the surface.

When this portion is almost cooked, lift the pan from the heat and roll the omelette, starting with the roll you have previously made.

Push it towards one side of the pan (preferably close to the handle), grease slightly the surface and repeat the whole process until you finish the egg mixture.

Make sure you are not left with a tiny amount of egg mixture! It’s better to make the last rolled layer too thick than too thin. If it’s too thin it will break or/and be overcooked.

Squash slightly the roll with a wide spatula, transfer it onto a chopping board.

Let it cool down slightly and cut into 4 equal pieces.

Serve cold or slightly warm (it is usually served cold).

Cooking with Dog show’s chef recommends serving it with grated daikon radish and a splash of soy sauce. I like it served still warm, with good buttered French bread (with crunchy crust), with a splash of soy sauce and, optionally, with some chili or chili paste.

Cucumber Fried with Perilla (Shiso)

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Have you ever fried cucumber? Even though it’s one of the vegetables I eat most often, such a way to serve it had never crossed my mind before I saw this recipe in the Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop. In constant search of new ways to cook shiso (see below), I prepared this dish out of pure curiosity, considering it a rather risky experiment. Luckily, quickly fried, still crunchy and juicy cucumber tasted surprisingly well. Paired with strong, slightly astringent shiso leaves, fresh chili and vinegar, it created a bold-tasting and original side-dish.

Shiso (紫蘇), or perilla, is an Asian aromatic dark red or green plant with an astringent taste and strong fragrance. I have discovered it thanks to the Japanese cuisine, where it’s frequently used raw, cooked and its red variety is gives a reddish hue to pickles. Similar varieties of this herb are also used in Korean (ggaennip, 깻잎) and Vietnamese (tía tô) cuisines. Thanks to Fuchsia Dunlop’s book I learnt that perilla is also appreciated in China. Shiso is not to everyone’s taste, but I instantly fell in love with its herbaceous aroma and the more I cook with it, the more I appreciate it.

Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, which presents the Hunan province, has not only revealed a new way to prepare cucumber. It has most of all made be realise I am very fond of the combination of hot, salty and sour flavours, typical of this place (and often distorted abroad by the addition of sugar). The few dishes I cooked from this book (I hope to share them with you soon) were excellent and proved once more that Fuchsia Dunlop approaches food writing with discipline and passion. I equally – and even more – recommend her “Sichuan Cookery” which is one of the best cookery books I have ever seen.

If you like cucumber and have access to shiso, try this simple but surprising (at least for me) recipe. I haven’t modified the original instructions and have only changed amounts of ingredients. If you don’t find shiso, the author advises Thai sweet basil and I totally agree. The taste will be completely different, but it’s also a strong, aromatic herb, which gives excellent results when cooked. For me, the taste of the dish is interesting enough to try making it without any herb.

If you look for shiso cooking ideas, you might like some of these:

Teriyaki Pork Rolls with Shiso and Gochujang

Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura

Garlic and Shiso Infused Soy Sauce

Shiso and Bacon Fried Rice

Preparation: about 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

1/2 long cucumber

1 red chili (fresh)

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

4 tablespoons chopped perilla leaves (the recipe calls for purple perilla leaves, but I’m sure you can use the green variety too)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon peanut or canola oil

Halve the cucumber lengthwise and then cut diagonally into 0.5 cm/about 1/4 in thick slices.

Chop the chili and the garlic. (Remove the chili seeds if you don’t want your dish to be too hot).

Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan or wok.

Spread the cucumber slices at the bottom and fry them at high heat until they are slightly golden on one side (about 2 minutes). Turn them and fry the other side in the same way.

Add the chili, the garlic and the soy sauce. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the vinegar and the chopped perilla.

Stir well the dish for one minute and put the pan aside.

Add the sesame oil and stir well before serving.

Hitokuchi katsu (Japanese Breaded Tenderloin, or Mini Tonkatsu)

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hitokuchik When asked what are my favourite Japanese dishes, I never forget to mention tonkatsu (豚カツ), or breaded pork cutlet. Thanks to the deep-frying method and the use of crisp panko instead of softer bread crumbs, this dish is my opinion superior to its European breaded, shallow-fried cousins (in fact “katsu” is a Japanised version of the word “côtelette” or “cutlet” and has obvious Western origins). Needless to say, every tonkatsu meal is a real treat. After dozens of batches, I have never considered swapping loin for any other pork cut until I saw the tenderloin version on Hiroyuki’s blog. Intrigued by the cute, mini-tonkatsu, called hitokuchi katsu, I decided to give them a try. As you have probably guessed, the result was thoroughly satisfying. To tell you the truth, it has recently become my favourite version of tonkatsu.

Hitokuchi katsu means “bite-sized cutlet” and is usually made with tenderloin (though I have seen it somewhere on internet made with pork belly). In reality these mini-cutlets require rather two or three bites, but due to their small size, they can still be treated as snacks or “drink” food. I have enjoyed them served with rice, in a “proper” meal, but they were also excellent with some pickles and a glass of shochu (click here to learn more about shochu). As its name suggests it, tenderloin is softer than loin and in spite of being lean, it doesn’t dry as easily as loin. I have tested both thick and thin versions of hitokuchi katsu and both were excellent, the latter being crisper and the former juicier. If you already know – and like – tonkatsu, you will not regret experimenting with tenderloin.

Hiroyuki, thank you so much for this excellent idea and constant inspiration!

If you have never tasted or cooked Tonkatsu, you might want to try its most popular pork loin version first:

or the equally good chicken version, called Chicken Katsu:

TIPS:

Deep-frying scares many home cooks, but in my opinion it becomes very easy and quick with time. Everyone has different preferences of course, but the basic rule to observe is to make sure the food is completely dry before it’s fried (or breaded) to minimise the risk of oil splashes. Personally I prefer deep-frying in a small cooking pan (I have one which is only for deep-frying) using a small amount of oil. I also place the pan as far as possible from myself, just in case the oil splashes.

Deep-fried food should “swim” easily, so do not overcrowd the pan (otherwise the temperature becomes lower, the food fries slowly and absorbs more oil).

In order to make sure all the pork slices are hot when served, I place a baking dish in the oven at 100°C/212°F, line it with paper napkins and put there tonkatsu, one by one, until the whole frying process is finished.

Frying oil can be reused as long as it doesn’t darken and is filtered after each use (I usually throw it away after three times). If you fry a lot of batches, you might want to strain the oil in the middle of frying, after 4-5 batches (there will be lots of burnt panko pieces which will stick to freshly fried cutlets).

From my experience, deep-fried food, if the oil temperature is correct and the pan is not crowded, absorbs less oil than shallow fried, so if you have a choice between the two, try deep-frying.

Sauce suggestions: Traditionally tonkatsu is served with “tonkatsu sauce” available in Japanese grocery shops. Thanks to Hiroyuki’s kind advice (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking), I know it can be substituted with a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. I actually prefer now this home-made sauce because it is not as sweet as the commercial version.

Another “sauce” I love with tonkatsu (and hitokuchikatsu) is mayonnaise and hot chili oil sediments from taberu rayu (and sometimes with hot chili paste, such as Korean gochujang).

I have recently discovered that my Tomato Indian-Style Chutney is simply perfect with tonkatsu (hereby I encourage you to try making it this year and stock your pantry!).

Slicing tip: You can cut the tenderloin into 1/2 – 1 cm (1/4- 1/2 in) slices, depending on your preferences; the thicker the slices, the juicier they will be; the thinner ones will be crispier. I always slice tenderloin diagonally, starting with a very small angle and increasing it at the thinner tip of the tenderloin.

Preparation: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves two-three):

10 – 12 slices of pork tenderloin (1 or 1/2 cm or about 1/2 or 1/4 in thick, depending on your preferences: the thicker the slices are the juicier they will be; the thinner ones will be crispier)

about 10 heaped tablespoons of panko

5 tablespoons wheat flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

salt, pepper

oil for deep-frying

tonkatsu sauce to serve (or a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce) or mayonnaise + thick chili paste or taberu rayu sediment or Indian Tomato Chutney

Season the pork slices with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oil for deep-frying.

(I don’t have the special thermometer and put some panko in the oil to check the temperature. If it starts making bubbles, doesn’t fall down and is golden immediately, it means the oil is hot enough.)

Dust the pork slices with flour, dip them in the beaten egg and coat in panko, pressing so that the whole slice is covered.

Deep-fry them until golden on both sides (it usually takes one minute per side).

Remove excess fat, placing the pork slices on paper towels.

Keep them in a warm oven (see the TIPS) until you finish frying all the slices.

Serve on rice or on shredded cabbage or simply as a snack with drinks, with tonkatsu sauce or with mayonnaise and chili paste (or chili oil sediment).

Strawberry Gratin (Strawberries Under a Creamy Blanket)

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Slightly softened fruits, hidden under a light creamy vanilla-scented blanket… This how I imagined a strawberry gratin and at first it seemed an easy task. I made a quick research on internet, found a reliable-looking recipe and… a disaster. Then, another recipe and another inedible, mushy result. Then I decided to find my own method, turning to foolproof basics. I quartered the fruits, covered them in pastry cream (crème pâtissière), baked for 15 minutes and this obvious, straightforward solution worked perfectly. If you like strawberries and pastry cream in fruit tarts, you will probably enjoy them in this warm, light gratin.

This dessert is an excellent way to use up leftover egg yolks. If you start with whole eggs, click here to browse some egg white using ideas.

If you don’t like the idea of a warm strawberry dessert, you might like this Yogurt Strawberry Mousse I have recently wrote about:

TIPS: I strongly advice to serve this dessert warm (not hot). When it cools down, it somehow loses its charm.

Vanilla is not necessary here, but in my opinion it enhances the strawberry taste.

You can prepare this dessert in two stages (in two days). First make the pastry cream, refrigerate it overnight (well covered) and, if you still have some cream left the following day , prepare the final stage just before serving.

Unless you have health problems which forbid you even its smallest intake, do not skip the butter in the pastry cream! Even if you are on a diet. This is only one tablespoon divided into six portions, but it changes the taste and texture a lot. (The worst thing you could do here though would be substituting butter with margarine…).

Special equipment: 6 x 9 cm/3,5 in shallow round baking dishes (or similarly sized baking dishes)

Ingredients (serves 6):

24 big strawberries

(6 tablespoons almond slivers)

Pastry cream (crème pâtissière, based on Pierre Hermé’s recipe (from “Plaisirs sucrés”), the best I have ever found):

250 ml (about 1 cup) milk

2 tablespoons corn starch

2 heaped tablespoons caster sugar

1/2 – 1 vanilla pod

2 egg yolks

1 heaped tablespoon butter

Prepare the pastry cream.

Bring to boil 3/4 of the milk with the vanilla pod cut in two lengthwise.

Put aside and let it cool down.

Scrape off the two vanilla pieces so that the small vanilla grains stay in the milk.

Combine the yolks, the sugar, the corn starch and the remaining 1/4 cold milk.

Strain the warm vanilla milk, constantly stirring, into the yolks mixture.

Discard the vanilla pod (wash it, dry it thoroughly and put into a confectioner’s sugar jar: you’ll have vanilla scented sugar).

Put back the obtained mixture into the pan and constantly stirring bring to boil.

Put aside when it thickens to the cream consistency.

If the cream is not smooth and you see many lumps, mix it in a blender or rub through a sieve.

When the cream is no longer hot, but still very warm, combine it with butter.

Preheat the oven to 200°C (about 400°F).

Prepare 6 individual baking dishes.

Quarter the big strawberries and distribute equally among the dishes. (If the strawberries are small you can halve them or even leave whole).

Spread the pastry cream equally on the top of each dish, sprinkle with almond slivers and bake for 15 minutes (until the almonds start changing colour).
Serve warm.

(You can sprinkle the gratins with some brown sugar and burn it with a torch just before serving, but make sure you don’t burn the almonds).

Chicken, Carrot and Mizuna Spring Rolls

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In spite of the coldest spring I remember, mizuna has been growing like crazy on my balcony. I have sown this delicious Japanese plant for the first time and am thrilled to see it adapts so easily to a different climate. Actually, it grows with such a speed, I have already harvested several handfuls in recent weeks. The only, very simple way I knew to enjoy mizuna was to make it into a green salad or mix with other leaves, but these spring rolls were well worth the small additional effort.

Mizuna (水菜) is one of the most popular Japanese leaf vegetables, used both raw and briefly cooked. Its long, thin fringed leaves are in a certain way similar to rocket (aka arugula) or dandelion, but they have a much more delicate taste, with a subtle peppery note (the younger the more delicate they are of course). Until now I have been using it only in salads, but given its growth easiness, I will certainly have many occasions to experiment.

These fresh spring rolls (also known as summer rolls) are very similar to those I posted here (with surimi, avocado and lettuce) and are a nice alternative to a salad starter, appetiser or a lighter replacement of a sandwich, for example at a picnic. I have always associated uncooked rice paper rolls with Vietnamese cuisine, but I have recently learnt they are also known in Japan as “harumaki” (春巻き), though I think mizuna is not their usual ingredient. In my opinion the extremely versatile rice paper can be filled with practically everything one likes, as long as it’s not leaking, and mizuna has been an interesting change.

You can serve these rolls with a mixture of soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar, but they were particularly good with this sesame paste dressing treated as a dip.

TIPS: If you add transparent (glass) noodles, these rolls will be more filling (in this case cut down the carrot and mizuna amounts).

Preparation: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients (8 rolls):

8 (22 cm or 8 3/4 in diameter) rice paper sheets

2 big handfuls of mizuna leaves

2 big carrots

1 big baked, grilled, boiled or steamed chicken breast

mayonnaise

(chili paste or sauce)

(mint leaves)

Julienne the carrots.

Cut the mizuna leaves in two.

Cut the chicken breast in two horizontally and then into thin strips.

Fill a big wide bowl with warm (not hot) water.

Divide the mizuna, the chicken breast, the carrot (and the mint if you use it) into ten equal portions.

Dip rice paper sheets one by one in the water, immersing them delicately so that you don’t break them.

As soon as the sheet softens (after about ten – twenty seconds), put it onto a big chopping board.

Place first 2/3 of 1 portion of mizuna leaves in the middle, horizontally (at the edge which is closest to you) julienned carrot, a piece of chicken breast, mayonnaise, (chili paste and mint leaves if you choose to do so), cover with the remaining 1/3 of mizuna’s portion. You should aim at approximately 9cm/3,5 in long roll.

Roll tightly starting from the edge which is closest to you.

Proceed in the same way with the remaining rolls.

Serve them immediately as they are or cut in two horizontally with the sesame paste dressing/dip or with a mixture of soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar.

If you wish to serve them later, wrap them individually in cling film because they dry out very quickly.

Bread Tartlet with Egg and Asparagus

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All the asparagus fans will probably agree that a rare magic operates when an egg gets in contact with delicious green spears. Therefore, the successful outcome of this small experiment was neither a feat nor a surprise, but I was glad to learn another way to serve asparagus and to discover another perfect spring brunch: it is easy, quick, amusing and features the star of the season’s vegetables.

I love individual dishes, desserts and snacks, but bread tartlets are special also because they are one of the reasons why I appreciate soft, sliced toast bread (also called “sandwich bread”, but it is not my idea of a good sandwich…). I remember I saw this bread for the first time maybe only as a teenager. It appeared sliced, packed in plastic, had a suspiciously long life and was sold only in supermarkets, so I have always associated it with convenience – or even fast – food. Then, I slowly started to prefer it in certain snacks or dishes, such as bread tartlets, which for me give this super-soft bread a real raison d’être: no other bread I know is flexible enough to be easily rolled out, flattened and then shaped into an edible container. You can experiment with other types of bread of course, but it must be soft, dense (not with big wholes, like baguette for example) and elastic enough to be folded.

Until last week I had always prepared bread tartlets with ham and egg, the version I found years ago in “Si simple, si bon!” (So good, so simple) by Josée di Stasio. It was so simple and so good (the pun was unintended!), I have never felt the need to modify it. Now that I dared changing it, I somehow feel that this asparagus twist (which I have also tested with ham) announces a long list of experiments with other seasonal vegetables. (I actually already have several in mind…).

Josée di Stasio calls this tartlet a “ramekin”, but I thought the word “tartlet” was more appropriate (I think it could also be called a “bread basket”). She also recommends baking the tartlets in muffin moulds, but I usually prefer individual baking dishes (ramekins) which are wider, higher and make bigger baskets. Retrieving the tartlets from the ramekins may be delicate, but somehow even such a clumsy person like me has always succeeded, helping myself with a knife and then a spoon.

Here are some other suggestions for asparagus lovers:

Tama Konnyaku with Asparagus

Chawan Mushi (Egg Custard) with Asparagus

Asparagus with Chicken and Miso

Asparagus Tempura

Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

Asparagus with Cashew Nuts and Chicken

Asparagus Maki Sushi

TIP: If you don’t like crunchy asparagus, you can blanch it before making these tartlets. (I prefer it crunchy, so I never do this).

Special equipment: muffin moulds or individual round baking ramekins with approx. 8 cm/about 3 in diameter (if the bread slices are 10×10 cm/about 4×4 in, but if they are bigger, take bigger ramekins)

Preparation: 25-30 minutes

Ingredients (for one bread tartlet):

1 slice toast/sandwich bread

2 medium thick green asparagus spears (mine were about 1cm thick in the middle/a bit less than 1/2 in)

1 egg

butter

salt, pepper

(mustard)

(one or more ham slices)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Roll out the bread thinly with a rolling pin.

Cut off the crust (it burns easily).

Spread butter on one side of the slice.

Butter the ramekin or the muffin mould.

Line the ramekin with the flattened slice (buttered side down) so that it forms a basket.

(Put some mustard at the bottom if you like to spice up the dish.)

(If you wish to add ham, line now the bread “basket” with a slice or slices of ham).

Cut off the hard bottom part of the asparagus spears (I usually cut off about 1/3).

Cut the rest into bite-sized pieces and place at the bottom of the bread tartlet, keeping one tip (you will put it on top after the egg for decoration).

Break one egg into the tartlet.

Place delicately the asparagus tip on top.

Put the tartlet into the oven and bake until the egg white is set (this depends to your preference: I prefer the runny yolk but the white must be completely set).

Take out of the baked tartlets (separating from the walls with a knife and then scooping out with a spoon should do the trick), season with salt and pepper, and serve hot with a green salad.

Yogurt Strawberry Mousse with Strawberry Coulis

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If my blogging rules consisted of posting every single dish I have, you would see this mousse at least every other day during the whole strawberry season (regardless the weather). In fact, this is one of the rare sweet treats I never get bored with. First of all, I never get tired of strawberries and if they are a part of a very light, quick and easy dessert, which moreover keeps fresh for several days in the fridge, it obviously becomes my staple.

I have already posted a basic light strawberry mousse recipe (see below), but this one is my recent favourite: it is topped with an irresistible strawberry coulis. Making the coulis (which consists simply in mixing fruits with confectioner’s sugar) takes a minute, but adds an additional texture, a sharper flavour and, in my opinion, a little elegant touch.

If you don’t feel like making the coulis (or don’t have enough strawberries), here is a basic version of my Yogurt Strawberry Mousse:

TIPS: I used to prepare all my quick fruit mousses with fresh cheese (also called “quark” or “farmers cheese”) and discovered that this mousse is perfect with yogurt too. Given the fact that many of my readers cannot easily buy fresh cheese, the yogurt version can be prepared I suppose all around the world. The only tiny difference is that when made with quark or Greek yogurt, this mousse is slightly creamier than the one prepared with yogurt. Both are terrific.

The amounts of gelatin depend sometimes on the brand. Leaves are sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller, powdered gelatin sometimes contains other products and doesn’t set as well as pure gelatin in powder… In short, the aim here is to use here the amount of gelatin which sets 500 ml/2 cups/about 17 oz liquid. (The whole mousse mixture has more than 500 ml, so the mousse will be firm but not hard).

Preparation: 10 minutes+ 2 – 3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4):

250 g (about 1 cup) unsweetened natural yogurt (you can use also Greek yogurt, which will make this mousse creamier, or quark (fresh cheese))

300 g (about 11oz) strawberries (hulled)

4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener (or no sugar if you prefer your mousse to be very tangy)

1 tablespoon gelatin in powder or other amount necessary to set 500 ml liquid, see TIPS above (you can use leaves too, in amounts necessary to set 500 ml/2 cups liquid)

(some strawberries for the decoration)

Coulis:

150 g (about 5- 6 oz) chilled strawberries

4 flat teaspoons confectioner’s sugar (or more if you want)

Mix the strawberries in a food processor or a blender. Add the sugar and the yogurt (remove the liquid floating on the surface). Mix once more.

Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm water (if using leaves, soften them in cold water, squeeze and dissolve also in 4 tablespoons warm water).

In a food processor mix well the dissolved gelatin with the strawberry mixture.

Divide the mousse into serving dishes.

Put the mousse into the fridge for 2 -3 hours until it sets.

Coulis should be prepared just before serving: in a blender mix the remaining strawberries with confectioner’s sugar. Top each serving dish with an equal amount of coulis.

Serve very cold.

Goat Yogurt, Cucumber, Radish and Dill Salad

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Have you ever bought a food product which tasted good but you had no idea what to do with it? It happens to me regularly, but usually involves exotic, foreign food. Strangely, I have recently had similar experience with goat yogurt. I like goat cheese a lot, so I did like goat yogurt too, but somehow couldn’t place it in any food category (and definitely not in the same as cow milk yogurt), not to mention a dish where I could use it.

The other day I felt like making a Cucumber and Radish Salad but unfortunately – or rather luckily – I ran out of standard yogurt and sour cream I usually add. Substituting it with goat yogurt, I actually discovered a much more interesting version of this refreshing salad. I have also added some chopped dill harvested from my balcony and couldn’t believe my taste buds! I have no words to describe how terrific proved the mixture of refreshing cucumber, subtle dill scent, slight radish spiciness and subtle goat yogurt flavour.

UPDATE: I have just discovered that goat yogurt is amazingly good served with Hungarian Chicken with Paprika (Paprikàs Csirke), instead of the usual sour cream.

Here are some other cucumber salad ideas you might like (I have just realised there is the same bowl in all the photos… I guess I liked it a lot last year!):

Cucumber and Seaweed Salad

Cucumber and Chervil Salad

Radish Cucumber and Sour Cream/Yogurt Salad

TIPS: This salad should be made just before serving, otherwise the vegetables will render liquid and the “sauce” will get watery.

Just like my older yogurt/sour cream version, this salad a perfect side-dish or starter in both Western and Asian meals. I can very well see it served with hot and spicy Indian food.

Dill is one of the herbs which freeze very well and taste much better preserved this way rather than dried. You just have to chop it finely before freezing and make sure it is thoroughly dried.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

6-7 big red radishes

1/3 long cucumber

3 heaped tablespoons goat yogurt

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

(salt)

Cut the cucumber in four pieces lengthwise, and then into thin slices.

Cut the radishes in two pieces lengthwise, then into thin slices.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl (taste if you need salt; I didn’t need any) and serve.

Palets bretons (Sweet and Salty Brittany Cookies)

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paletspp

This was one of the first recipes I have posted. I hardly had any visitors at the time, so I have decided to dig it up and write about these French biscuits (or cookies). They may look ordinary, but their delicate crumbly texture, buttery taste and a delicate touch of saltiness make them very special.

“Palet” (pronounced without the final “t”) means a “puck” , and “jeu de palets” is a Brittany regional game with pucks which shape is similar to those used in hockey. Brittany is famous for its rich in butter sweets – usually made with salted butter – and one of those is a crumbly cookie, called “palet” in reference to its puck shape. They have a buttery taste, are slightly salty and sweet at the same time, very crumbly and melt in your mouth too quickly… Palets bretons are quite popular all around the country and can be found in every supermarket, but they are easy to prepare and obviously taste better baked at home.

Together with Crème brûlée palets are a good way to use up egg yolks (if you have made Coconut Cookies for example…or another dish calling for whites uniquely).

There are French internet recipes galore for these cookies. The one I tried for the first time and have always made with success comes the French blog Miamm…Maman Cuisine, where I also found the trick to keep their shape (see below).

TIPS: Click here to see a few ideas of how to use up the leftover egg whites.

You can sprinkle the cookies with coarse salt for an extra crunch and extra saltiness, but I don’t advise it for the first batch you prepare (you can test on one or two biscuits first).

Special equipment: muffins or similar size forms

Preparation: almost two hours (including 1 hour in the fridge)

Calories (the whole batch): about 1700 kcal

Ingredients for 12-15 pucks:

80g (about 3 oz) salted butter (or unsalted butter+1/2 teaspoon salt, but salty butter is better)

80 g (about 3 oz) confectioner’s sugar

140g (about 5 oz) flour

1/3 small package of baking powder (1 1/2 heaped teaspoon)

2 yolks

(coarse good quality sea salt)

Mix the yolks and the sugar well in a food processor. Add the softened butter, mix again.

Add the flour and the baking powder.

Knead it for 5 minutes.

Form a thick sausage (diameter=the bottom of one whole in a muffin form), wrap it in plastic film and put into the fridge for 1 hour (or more, until the dough becomes hard enough to be easily sliced).

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

Take the dough out of the fridge, unwrap it, cut into 1 cm (about 0,4 in) thick slices.

Put them inside the muffin forms (this way they’ll be more or less of equal size and will only rise instead of spreading around).

If you don’t have muffin forms or other cookie forms, simply put the cut cookies on a baking sheet, but at your own responsibility: they’ll probably spread around and become flatter than the ones “imprisoned” in a mould.

(You can sprinkle them with coarse salt for an extra salty crunch.)

Bake for 15-20 minutes till golden.

Korean Sweet Potato Noodles with Dark Soy Sauce

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koreannoodlesp

Since I started to explore Asian cuisine (at least 15 years ago), I have tasted a big array of noodles. Whether made of buckwheat, rice, mung bean or wheat, I am fond of all them, but my absolute number one are the Korean dangmyeon, the main ingredient of the famous japchae. I buy them in huge bags and cook them more often than any other noodle kind, but, in spite of that, I have never prepared them Korean way. I have recently been talking to Sue (from My Korean Kitchen) about the non-traditional – though very simple – way I treat these noodles and decided to share it with you.

Dangmyeon (당면), also spelled dang myun or tang myun, fall into the category of cellophane noodles. They are made of sweet potato starch and are easy to spot in Asian grocery shops: they have a characteristic (not very attractive) brown paper, greyish colour. Why do I like them so much? First of all, they are slightly thicker, chewier than other transparent noodles and have the “bounciness” I am very fond of. Obviously, like all the transparent noodles, these also marvellously absorb the flavours from sauces and seasonings. What makes them really different is that they actually have their own mellow, delicate taste I have never experienced in any type of cellophane noodles.

The first time I bought dangmyeon I didn’t cook Korean at all, so I simply started to treat them like other Asian noodles, i.e. stir-frying them with randomly chosen ingredients and sauces and it has stayed this way. One day my husband convinced me to add some Chinese dark soy sauce in order to obtain a more powerful, deeper flavour. It was a sensational discovery and I strongly encourage you to try it. Whatever meat or vegetables you include in the stir-fry, the deep, mushroomy flavour of dark soy sauce is a terrific pairing for mellow, slightly chewy and bouncy noodles.

TIPS: Apart from the sauce, the meat and vegetables vary according to my mood and, more often, to what I find in the fridge, so feel free to substitute them as you wish.

Chinese dark soy sauce has a very dark brown colour, it is thicker than light soy sauce and it’s sold in every single Asian shop I know. Usually the same Chinese brand carries both light soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Sometimes the bottles look almost identical, so pay attention to the description.

Chinese sweet potato starch noodles also exist, but the ones I have tasted lacked the chewiness and bounciness I appreciate in dangmyeon so much.

Preparation: 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

50 g chicken breast cut into strips or bite-sized pieces

1 teaspoon sake

half a medium bell pepper

a small courgette

(one fresh chili, sliced)

50 g Korean sweet potato starch noodles

1 small clove garlic

1/5 cm fresh ginger

1 small onion

Sauce:

1 tablespoon Chinese dark soy sauce

1 clove garlic (grated or crushed)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon sake (or other rice wine)

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon corn starch

(green onion)

Cut up the chicken breast into bite-sized strips.

Grate the ginger.

Combine with the chicken with 1 teaspoon sake and ginger.

Put aside.

Boil about a liter of water, pour into a big bowl or pan. Let the noodles soak in freshly boiled water, covered, until they are soft (it usually takes about 15 minutes, but some people prefer them much softer, so test them every now and then).

Slice the onion, cut the bell pepper into thin strips.

Cut the courgette into very thin lengthwise julienne strips (a julienne grater is the best here).

Warm some oil on a pan or a wok.

Drain the chicken pieces, dry them with paper towel and fry them.

When the chicken starts browning, add the onion and after 5 minutes add the bell pepper and the chili, if you use it, still stirring.

In a small bowl combine the sauce ingredients.

Drain the noodles and put into the wok together with the julienned courgette.

Stir well all the ingredients. Add the sauce and keep on stirring until the sauce starts thickening.

Serve sprinkled with some chopped green onion (not obligatory).

Rhubarb Kisiel (Warm Gooey Rhubarb Pudding)

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kisielp

This is one of the most extraordinary things that can be made with rhubarb. The tangy fresh flavours, the pink hue and, most of all, the addictive gooey consistency make this pudding one of my favourite spring sweet treats. One of the rare desserts I prefer when still warm.

Probably a majority of my dear readers have never even heard of kisiel, so I will start with the explanation. Kisiel (pronounced “kishyel”) is a very popular Polish pudding, made with fruit soft drinks or whole fruits with water (and nowadays, alas, most people buy its powdered instant versions…). It is thickened with potato starch (hence the gooey consistency), served warm or cold and usually has a fresh, tangy note. Its unique texture – vaguely reminiscent of Lemon Curd - is as important for me as its flavour. It is a very light, fat-free pudding that can easily be made even lighter if you use a sweetener instead of sugar.

I have learnt only recently that similar fruit dishes exist for example in Germany, Estonia, Lithuania or Finland, but sometimes they mean slightly thickened soft drinks and not puddings. When I saw a Finnish Rhubarb Kiisseli recipe in my Moomins Cookbook (for those of you who don’t know it yet, I am particularly fond of Moomin characters; I have already mentioned this book here), this discovery gave me the idea to include the Moomin family into the photo. The beautiful tray you see above was one of the most touching presents I have ever been offered. I was completely blown away when I received it from my dear friend Charles (from Five Euro Food), who bought it during one of his trips to Sweden. This tray, my infallible mood improver, was perfect to serve kisiel, since both bring back my childhood memories. Thank you so much again, Charles, for your thoughtful kind gesture.

Since all this has put me in a happy “Moomin” mood, here is the cartoon’s theme song:

Even though the Finnish kiisseli was my inspiration for this post, I have used my own old recipe which is a bit different. I prefer to have this pudding warm, but it can also be served cold.

If you feel like playing with rhubarb, you might like this quick and easy Rhubarb Soft Drink (which by the way is the first step of this pudding’s instructions):

or this refreshing Wobbly Rhubarb Delight I made with agar agar (kanten), and which, I insist, is not a jelly, but a less dense, incredibly light dessert:

TIPS: Potato starch thickening properties can vary, so you might need to adjust its amount during the cooking process. Start with the below amount and if after 3-4 minutes of cooking, the texture is still too liquid, dissolve one more tablespoon starch in a glass with two tablespoons of cold water and add to the pan, constantly stirring (see the instructions below).

This pudding can be served both warm and cold, but I prefer it warm. Taste both to choose your favourite way.

BEWARE! Do not eat or cook rhubarb leaves! They are toxic. Only stalks are edible.

Preparation: 1about 40-50 if you need to prepare the Rhubarb Soft Drink, 15 – 20 min if you already have it

Ingredients (serves four):

500 g (about 1 lb) fresh rhubarb, leaves removed, stalks cut into 2-3 cm pieces (about 1 inch)

2 litres (4 cups) water

sugar or sweetener

4 slightly heaped tablespoons potato starch

First prepare the rhubarb soft drink (if you already have it, skip this step).

Put the rhubarb into a big pan with water.

Bring to a boil at medium heat and cook until the rhubarb completely softens.

Strain while still hot, put aside and wait until the rhubarb drink cools to the room temperature. (You can also prepare it in advance, refrigerate and follow the dessert instructions the following day or even two days afterwards).

Measure 1 liter (4 cups) rhubarb drink and pour it into a pan. (Do not throw away the remaining soft drink, which is delicious!).

Add sugar or sweetener to your taste.

Dissolve the potato starch in additional 4 tablespoons rhubarb drink (make sure it is no longer hot!).

Bring the rhubarb drink to a boil. Pour slowly the dissolved potato starch, constantly stirring.

Cook it until thickened (about 4 minutes).

If your pudding is still liquid after four minutes, put the pan aside.

Dissolve one more tablespoon in 1 tablespoon cold rhubarb drink or water and add it to the pan, stirring. Heat, constantly stirring until it thickens.

Serve warm or cold.

Asparagus Maki Sushi

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makiaspergepp

After green salads, maki sushi are my second biggest spring cooking frenzy. I am not able to prepare perfectly shaped and equal rolls, but the taste is there, so my lack of dexterity doesn’t stop me from preparing them regularly (I guess I should write about them more often…). Maki sushi are quick (and become quicker and easier to prepare with practice), cheap, healthy and offer endless combinations. Crunchy, slightly blanched green asparagus gives a fresh seasonal spring touch to maki sushi and confirms once more that asparagus, in spite of its distinct taste, creates marvellous dishes even with such bold ingredients as seaweed. Here I have combined it with mayonnaise and katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes, see below). I find the result extraordinary, but if you don’t like or cannot find shaved bonito, asparagus alone is an amazing maki sushi filler.

Even though I play rather freely with different ingredients, the idea of asparagus maki sushi came from Shizuoka Gourmet blog, an excellent source of virtual culinary trips to Japan (or rather to the Shizuoka prefecture!). Without Robert-Gilles’s blog I would never imagine that asparagus and katsuobushi might be a perfect company. Its smoky taste, combined with crunchy fresh asparagus and mayonnaise is stunning. It’s a pity I cannot prepare these maki sushi all year round. Thank you, Robert-Gilles, for this wonderful idea!

If you are fond of asparagus, you might like some of these ideas (click at the images):

Tama Konnyaku with Asparagus

Chawan Mushi (Egg Custard) with Asparagus

Asparagus with Chicken and Miso

Asparagus Tempura

Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

Asparagus with Cashew Nuts and Chicken

You might also like these sushi maki versions:

with Ground Beef

with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber

TIPS: As you see above, I prefer maki with less rice than usually served in restaurants and on most blogs, but if you prefer the “standard” rice amount, count 500g (about 2 2/3 cups) rice and not 300g (1 1/2 cup).

Dried shaved bonito flakes (katsuobushi) are sold in bags in Japanese grocery shops. Together with konbu seaweed it is one of the ingredients of the most popular version of Japanese stock (dashi, see the recipe here). It cannot be substituted by anything, but if you don’t find it, these maki sushi will be excellent anyway.

Sesame seeds are far from obligatory too. I am just addicted…

Special equipment:

rice cooker (unless you know how to cook the rice in a “normal” pan)

maki rolling mat or a special futomaki roller

Preparation: 20 minutes (+ 1 hour for rice cooking and cooling)

Ingredients (serves 2 – 3):

5 nori seaweed sheets

300g (about 1 1/2 cup) sushi rice (or 500g/about 2 2/3 cups if you prefer “standard” rolls)

Rice mixture:

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

15 green thin asparagus spears (about 1 cm diameter), 3 for every nori sheet

10 heaped tablespoons katsuobushi

mayonnaise

(grilled white sesame seeds)

soy sauce+wasabi

a bowl of rice vinegar

(marinated ginger)

Cook the rice in the rice cooker (or in a pan if you know how to do it!). Put the hot rice into a bowl and add the rice mixture ingredients. Stir well and leave to cool down.

In the meantime cut off the toughest lower part of the asparagus spears (usually the lower 20%).

Blanch the asparagus spears (about 2 minutes) and let them cool down.

When the rice has cooled down to the room temperature (it can’t be completely cold!), put a nori sheet vertically on the rolling mat, shiny side down.

With fingers dipped in a bowl of rice vinegar spread 1/5th of the rice evenly, leaving a 1 cm gap on the top, far edge.

Arrange the filling ingredients on the rice, in a horizontal line, close to the bottom edge.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Roll the maki starting from the bottom edge, gently pressing after each turn.

Moist the upper edge with rice vinegar before doing the last turn.

Press gently the roll and put it aside.

In order to obtain more or less similarly sized pieces, cut the roll first in two parts, then put them in a row and cut them in two parts, etc..

(It is easier to cut maki with a moist knife blade.)

Arrange them on a plate and serve with wasabi, soy sauce and marinated ginger.

Miso Vinaigrette

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misovinp

I never get bored with dressed green salads. After years of having it regularly, both as a side-dish and a starter, I am always excited at the discovery of a new dressing, especially when warm spring days arrive and salad leaves are bought with higher frequency. This miso vinaigrette is simple, but original in its creamy consistency and quite complex taste it owes to miso. I have written below a short recipe, but to put it simply, it’s a traditional mustard vinaigrette with miso used instead of mustard. Accidentally this salad was a perfect company for the recently posted Chicken with Soy Sauce, Garlic and Molasses.

Miso has been frequently appearing on my table (see below) for several years now, but I have never thought of putting it into a vinaigrette. I have found this excellent and obvious idea in Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu, an American married to a Japanese farmer and living in rural area for several decades. The book contains both classic recipes and Nancy Singleton’s own inventions based on local ingredients. It is also full of stories about family, neighbours, local producers and, in general, describes life in the Japanese countryside. The book is a particularly compelling read, a beautiful object, a good source of recipes and I strongly advise it to all the Japanese cuisine fans, even novices because the majority of the recipes are easy and clearly explained.

For those who haven’t tasted miso (味噌), it’s a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans and/or barley or rice and one of the most important ingredients of the Japanese cuisine (Korean and Chinese cuisines use very similar pastes too). Miso is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals and some people claim it even helps to fight the radiation sickness. In Japan miso has three main colour types: white (shiromiso), red (akamiso), black (kuromiso), and there is also mixed miso (awasemiso). The only downside of miso is that is can be very high in sodium, so look for special “low sodium” misos (some high quality misos don’t even have this mention, but are less salty). Whatever the salt content, white miso has always a milder taste, so it’s a good idea to start one’s adventure with light-coloured miso. Apart from the three basic colours, there are myriads of different misos, depending on the brand or producer, the ingredients, the region…

If you have bought a tub of miso and wonder what to do with it, you might like:

Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fried with Miso Sauce

Garlic Miso Chicken Breast

Miso Soup with Shrimp and Tofu

Mackerel Simmered in Miso

Chicken and Aubergine in Garlic Miso Sauce

And if you look for other salad dressing ideas, you might be interested in my recent delicious and very unusual discovery:

Sesame Paste (Tahini) Dressing

Apparently I am not the only one who eats more salads at the arrival of spring. This week Nami (Just One Cookbook) has posted a gorgeous seaweed salad and a miso (!) dressing, while Gourmantine (Gourmantine’s Blog) has presented no more no less but eight salad dressings. Visit their blogs for more inspiration!

TIPS: The below amounts should only be treated as approximate and adjusted to your taste, the miso kind or brand. (I have slightly modified the original amounts too). I have added some agave syrup to mellow the flavours (not present in the original recipe), but it’s not necessary.

I don’t like my salads drown in sauce, so double the below amounts if you prefer a very moist, rich salad.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves two – three):

1/3 lettuce head, washed and torn into smaller pieces

(cucumber, tomatoes or any other raw vegetables cut into pieces)

Dressing:

3 heaped teaspoons miso of your choice (I wouldn’t advise the very dark, strong miso)

2 teaspoons oil

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

(1 teaspoon syrup or honey in case you need to adjust the taste; I have used agave syrup)

In a glass combine well the vinaigrette ingredients.

Place the salad leaves and other vegetables in a bowl and pour the miso vinaigrette over them just before serving.

Chicken with Soy Sauce, Garlic and Molasses (Treacle)

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soymolasseschick2p

I am not scared of twenty-ingredient Indian curries or similar laborious meals. I prepare them quite regularly, but most of the time I don’t have time or patience for long cooking sessions which require my constant attention. Apart from totally improvised everyday dishes, I have a mental list of straightforward recipes I keep on going back to even when I’m very tired, in a hurry or simply feel lazy. No matter how exotic they seem, such dishes don’t require much attention or time and I manage to memorise them sometimes even before I prepare them. This is exactly the category into which falls this soy sauce and molasses chicken, a slightly modified version of Honey Soy Sauce Chicken posted by Nami from Just One Cookbook.

Sticky chicken pieces marinated in a simple soy sauce mixture looked both attractive and original and seemed so easy, I couldn’t resist testing Nami’s recipe hardly a few days after seeing it. I had different chicken cuts (Nami has used drumettes) and no honey, so I had to modify it slightly. Apart from using halved skinned chicken legs, I have replaced the honey with molasses (also called treacle) and added some garlic (sometimes I just cannot help it… I am a garlic addict). It was one of the most rewarding chicken dishes I have ever had and, most of all, one of the rare meals where I wouldn’t replace legs with my usually preferred chicken breasts. The taste and stickiness reminded me a bit of teriyaki glaze, but with a deeper flavour (probably thanks to dark molasses) and a garlicky kick. Thank you so much, Nami, for this terrific recipe. I will think of you every time I prepare it and something tells me I will do it very often…

If you prepare drumettes instead of legs, check Nami’s recipe here.

TIPS: The baking time depends on the chicken’s rearing conditions: the more the chicken walked, the more time the legs will stay in the oven, i.e. free-range and organic legs will require more time.

I have used molasses (also known as treacle) because I always have them in stock (you will not believe me but it’s mainly in case I suddenly long for my beloved Guinness Gingerbread), but you can substitute them with honey, originally used by Nami, or anything similar (such as a syrup).

Preparation: 45 – 60 minutes + min. several hours in the fridge (it’s best to leave the chicken to marinate overnight)

Ingredients (serves two):

2 chicken legs (skinned or not) cut in half

Marinade:

3 tablespoons molasses (also known as “treacle”) or honey

3 tablespoons soy sauce (you can use more if you have low-sodium soy sauce)

2 tablespoons sake

(salt)

(2 medium garlic cloves)

ground pepper

If you want to skin the legs, do it before you cut them in half. (It’s very easy if you start separating the skin from the meat at the thicker end, helping yourself at first with a small sharp knife; then the skin can usually be torn away with your hand and occasionally cut off with your knife).

Cut the legs in two pieces and prick them all over with a fork.

Put the marinade ingredients in a ziplock bag or other thick plastic bag and mix them well.

Put the chicken pieces in the bag, close it and rub the meat making sure it’s well coated in the marinade.

Put the legs for several hours in the fridge (I left them overnight).

Heat the oven to 200°C.

Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish and bake them until they are tender (it will take 45 – 60 minutes; check it with a fork), basting them with the marinade twice during the baking process.

After 30 minutes check if the meat is not too dark. If it is well browned but not soft yet, cover it well with aluminium foil.

Baste with the marinade from the bottom of the baking dish and serve with a green salad.

Light Crème Brûlée (Light Burnt Cream)

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cremebruleep

Even though most people consider crème brûlée (or burnt cream) a typically French dessert, British sources often cite Trinity College, Cambridge, as the place where it first appeared at the end of the XIXth century. The famous British food writer, Jane Grigson, says (in her excellent English Food) she has come across burnt cream recipes in several ancient English cookery books, some dating back to the XVIIth century. The French claim to be the inventors and also cite a XVIIth century (1691) book “Le Cuisinier royal et bourgeois” by François Massialot as the first occurrence of crème brûlée. The doubt of the origins will probably always haunt both sides of the Channel, but whatever the origins, crème brûlée or burnt cream is an invention of a genius.

The recipe I share with you is the very first I used and certainly the last one, not because it is lighter (half milk, half cream), but because it produces the best crème brûlée I know. I found it in “Le Grand Livre de Cuisine d’Alain Ducasse: Bistrots, Brasseries et Restaurants de Tradition” written by one of the most renowned French chefs, who is also among the three most Michelin-starred in the world. Alain Ducasse is not any diet guru, the book has got nothing to do with any weight loss plans (see the title of his book!) and the recipe wasn’t labelled as lightened. It is simply excellent, elegantly fresh and as such didn’t need any explanations. The addition of milk also illustrates the way the traditional cuisine has been changing in hands of modern French chefs and confectioners, following the way our lifestyles and nutritious needs change, but wisely, i.e. without any taste compromise.

I have already posted this recipe a long time ago, but I thought it merits to be mentioned again, especially since now I know I’m not the only one blogger who looks for lighter desserts and also because some of my friends have recently been trying to lighten their eating habits

If you feel like playing with this classic dessert, I strongly recommend this refreshing and amazing matcha crème brûlée, my second favourite:

TIPS: Blowtorch is a very good investment since, at least from my experience, it’s impossible to obtain the contrasting textures and temperatures crème brûlée is famous for with an oven broiler (the cream warms up). You can use blowtorch on many other custardy desserts and sweet tarts.

Click here for a few ideas of how to use up the leftover egg whites.

If you don’t have brown cane sugar, you can use caster sugar to burn, but the taste is worse.

If you want to prepare a smaller batch (serving max. 4 people), divide the below amounts by two, but use 5 egg yolks.

If you travel to France and order burnt cream in an unknown restaurant, I would strongly advise asking if it’s burnt just before being served. I had several times an unpleasant surprise of soggy caramel and a uniform temperature in restaurants where the cream is burnt before the opening hours and sits for several hours in the fridge.

Special equipment: a blowtorch

Preparation: around 2 hours+a couple of hours in the fridge

Calories (the whole batch, made with skimmed milk, 25% fat cream and including the burnt sugar): about 3200 kcal

Ingredients (serves six – eight, depending on the size of the baking dishes; if you use the ones I did (8-9 cm diameter) you will obtain eight portions):

9 egg yolks

500 ml/17 oz milk

500 ml/17 oz liquid cream (min. 20% fat, without any thickeners)

4 vanilla pods

9 slightly heaped tablespoons caster sugar

about100 g/about 1/2 cup cane sugar (but not the moist one!)

Cut the vanilla pods lengthwise in two.

Put into a saucepan with milk and cream. Bring to the boil, put aside for 30 minutes.

Strain it. Scrape off the vanilla seeds and blend with milk and cream. The seeds are not necessary, but I think the cream looks nicer with small black spots.

Preheat the oven at 100°C.

Mix the yolks with sugar in a big bowl. Pour the warm (not hot!) milk with cream over it and mix again.

Pour the mixture into burnt cream dishes or other small individual ramekins.

Bake it for approximately 45 minutes. (The custards are ready when only their centres are slightly trembling when moved).

Take out the creams and let them cool down. Put into the fridge for several hours.

Just before serving, take the creams out of the fridge and pat dry with paper towel (there will be some water drops on top and it will make the burning difficult).

Sprinkle with dark cane sugar and caramelise it with a special blowtorch.

Serve immediately while the top is still warm and crunchy and the cream below is very cold.

Chicken with Wild Garlic (Ramsons, Ramps) and Cashew Nuts

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wildgarlicchp

Wild garlic is finally there! Since its season is very short, I am particularly attentive to its appearance at my farmers’ market and try to include it into my meals as often as I can. Possibilities are galore, but this simple stir-fried dish is one of the easiest way to introduce wild garlic to one’s culinary repertoire. I cannot remember how many times I have prepared it, but I am always amazed at the transformation the delicately seasoned chicken undergoes thanks to a handful of green leaves. Sliced and added just before the end of the frying process, wild garlic laces the meat pieces with a subtle garlicky and unique flavour. My beloved cashew nuts create a pleasant difference of textures.

Wild garlic, also called ramsons, ramps, buckrams, bear’s garlic or bear paw garlic, grows all around Europe and in North America (ail des ours, czosnek niedźwiedzi, megyhagyma, aglio orsino…). Unlike its domesticated and well known cousin, wild garlic’s most important part are long wide fragrant leaves (see the photo above) and flowers. Wild garlic has a very distinct garlic scent and apparently a favourite of bears, who would dig out its bulbs (hence the Latin name: Allium Ursinum). While its use in the kitchen is widespread in certain countries, it is almost non-existent in the others and I must admit I discovered its existence thanks to its popularity in Switzerland, but only about two years ago.

Until now I have posted only two other recipes using wild garlic (see below), but it is a very versatile herb. The leaves are equally good raw and cooked, so have a look around your forests and markets and start experimenting with it. You can add it into salads, serve with fish, meat, stir-fries and you should definitely dry it and powder it, so that you profit a bit from wild garlic’s aroma also out of season. You might also like one of the two recipes I have posted:

Wild Garlic Pest with Almonds

Wild Garlic Pillows

TIP: Wild garlic’s long leaves (like the one in the background of the photo above) are very similar to those of the lily of the valley and mixing them up is very dangerous, since the latter are toxic. The strong smell created when the leaves are rubbed is the only way to distinguish them if one is not an experienced ramsons picker. Planting its bulbs the garden (I have learnt it was possible on the Cottage Smallholder website) or buying leaves from a trustworthy market stall are the safest options.

Preparation: about 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

1 small chicken breast, skinned

1 generous handful of sliced wild garlic leaves

2 tablespoons cashew nuts

1 teaspoon sake + 1/8 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sake

1 teaspoon mirin or syrup or sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.

In a small bowl combine them with salt and sake. Put aside.

Warm a pan, grease it slightly and toast the cashew nuts.

Put them aside.

Slice the wild garlic leaves horizontally (you can leave the stalks or remove them, it’s up to you).

Drain the chicken breast pieces.

Add a tablespoon oil to the pan.

When it warms up, fry the chicken pieces and when they are well cooked, add the cashew nuts and the sliced leaves.

Stir-fry about 20 seconds and then add the sauce.
When it thickens, the dish is ready to be served.

ANZAC Biscuits with Dried Cranberry

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Have you ever heard of ANZAC biscuits? Many of you might be put off by the above unequally shaped, unattractive cookies, but in reality these are one of the most delicious and addictive sweet snacks I know. Until now I have been preparing only their standard version and I wish I had thought of cranberries earlier because I liked them this way even more.

ANZAC stands for “Australian and New Zealand Army Corps”, created during the World War I and these biscuits were created at the same time by women desperate to send nutritious home-made food to their husbands, sons and boyfriends. According to this website, faced with at least two months’ transportation time, a group of women worked out a recipe based on rather healthy Scottish rolled oats biscuits and added only those ingredients which ensured long preservation. There are several theories on why eggs are not used, but their absence certainly makes biscuits last longer.

The first time I baked these biscuits (see the recipe here), I was inspired and encouraged by Mr. Three-Cookies, the cookie and biscuit specialist from Three-Cookies blog, where I found the recipe (actually at Easily Good Eats by the same author). Before tasting ANZAC biscuits for the first time I expected ordinary, but good crunchy biscuits, with a healthy twist, i.e. oats. What I obtained was well beyond my hopes: slightly crunchy, slightly chewy, addictive sweet snacks with a very pleasant buttery taste, enhanced by baked nutty oats. In short, the mixture of such simple ingredients has created a complex, surprising result I am still fond of, after dozens of batches.

ANZAC biscuits have always been so satisfactory, I haven’t even bothered to modify the basic recipe. However, a couple of days ago, the beautiful Cranberry Coconut Quinoa Loaves posted by Kelly (from Inspired Edibles) convinced me that dried cranberries are a perfect pairing for coconut and this is how I had the idea to tweak my usual recipe. The experiment was a big success, at least for a big fan of chewy cookies like me (the cranberries’ presence has at least tripled the chewiness!). The flat rounded, more or less equal shape was more difficult to obtain with dried fruit inside, but then I’m not a very meticulous cook… Thank you so much, Kelly for such a wonderful inspiration; cranberries and coconut are an excellent pairing, definitely worth further explorations. Thank you again, Mr. Three-Cookies, for making me discover the world of ANZAC biscuits.

If you don’t like or have cranberries, I strongly advise testing the classic recipe first (or simply follow the below recipe eliminating cranberries):

If you are fond of coconut sweets, you might like these too:

Easiest Chewy Coconut Cookies (aka Macaroons)

Coconut, Chocolate and Rum Truffles

Moist Chocolate and Coconut Cake

or the above Moist Coconut Cake but without chocolate

Coffee and Coconut Cream with Agar

Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream (also with agar)

or Matcha and Coconut Cream with Agar

If you want to play with the basic ANZAC recipe, Mr. Three-Cookies has frequently (and successfully) experimented with these amazing biscuits, so check his Three Cookies blog for inspiration.

TIPS: Unless you have a health problem, do not use margarine or any other vegetable shortening. The butter taste and aroma is so strong, you will lose a big part of the pleasure.

As I have mentioned above, they keep fresh in a tightly closed container for several days (and maybe even more, but I wasn’t able to test more than five days). The biscuits stay crunchy and slightly chewy.

Do not expect vivid red spots on your biscuits: the cranberries will darken during the baking process (the ones you see above are just meant to add a touch of colour to the dark biscuits.)

WARNING: do not taste the raw dough! You will end up eating it straight from the pan while you wait for your previous batch to bake.

Preparation: 1 hour (or 30 minutes if you manage to bake everything in one batch)

Ingredients (I have obtained about 35 biscuits, you will obtain a bit less if you skip cranberries):

70 grams/1 cup rolled oats

90 grams/1 cup desiccated coconut

120 g/1 cup flour

125 g/about 4,5 oz butter

160 g/3/4 cup brown cane sugar

1 tablespoon dark syrup (I used 2 tablespoons molasses)

1 teaspoon baking soda (bi-carbonate of soda, in countries where it is not widely available, for example in France, it can be easily bought in pharmacies)

2 tablespoons boiling water

6 heaped tablespoons dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Melt the butter and syrup or molasses in a big pan.

Combine the flour, the oats, the coconut, the cranberries and the sugar. Add slowly to the melted butter.

At the end combine the boiling water and soda. Pour the mixture into the dough and stir well with a spoon.

Roll small balls (I usually make walnut-sized balls, but this time I wanted smaller biscuits, so I made the balls 1/3 smaller) and put them on a baking sheet (leaving at least 3 cm spaces between each ball since they will spread).

Flatten them slightly (they will flatten even more during the baking process) and bake 10-15 minutes or until golden.

Don’t worry if the dough seems crumbly. It is normal. Just squeeze well the dough when forming balls in your hands and don’t flatten them too much.

Keep them in a tightly closed container. Apparently they keep for ages. All I know is they keep for at least five days, well closed.

Asparagus and Chicken Stir-Fried with Miso Sauce

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aspchickmisop

As you might have guessed by this second appearance of asparagus in one week, this is one of my favourite vegetables. Its season is quite short, so I try to profit from its presence as much as I can and cannot promise this will be the last time I talk about it this year. Green variety, especially when not too thick, is in my opinion the most versatile asparagus. Most of my experiments prove it is excellent in both Western and Asian dishes and pairs well even with unexpected products, such as miso (Japanese fermented soybean paste; see below). The stir-fry you see above was a part of one of the quick and simple, improvised “donburi”, or Japanese-style rice bowls dish I prepare quite often (thank you, Nami!). The crunchy blanched asparagus, the creamy miso sauce and tender chicken breast created a pleasant spring topping for rice and will probably be my staple until asparagus is in season. /UPDATE: I have just learnt that a stir-fried dish with miso sauce is called “miso itame”. Thank you, Hiroyuki!/

Miso (味噌), a thick paste made by fermenting soybeans and/or barley or rice, is one of the most important ingredients of the Japanese cuisine (Korean and Chinese cuisines use very similar pastes too). Miso is healthy; it is packed with protein, vitamins and minerals and some people claim it even helps to fight the radiation sickness. In Japan miso has three main colour types: white (shiromiso), red (akamiso), black (kuromiso), and there is also mixed miso (awasemiso). In general, the lighter the colour, the more delicate the taste, but it’s not always the case, so it’s worth asking the shop assistant or reading the label before buying it. The only downside of miso is that is can be very high in sodium, so watch out for special “low sodium” misos (some high quality misos don’t even have this mention, but are less salty). Whatever the salt content, white miso has always a milder taste, so it’s a good idea to start one’s adventure with light coloured miso. Apart from the three basic colours, there are myriads of different misos, depending on the brand or producer, the ingredients, the region…

Miso soup is usually the first dish in which foreigners discover this Japanese staple, but it’s also used in simmered dishes, as a seasoning for grilled fish and meat, in sauces, pickles… Its complex flavour is an excellent taste booster in stir-fries and I love the creaminess it adds to sauces. Miso is, at least for me, highly addictive, probably because it is rich in the umami, or fifth taste, made famous by a Japanese professor.

If you are still hesitating if you should invest in a package of miso, here are some other ways to use it:

-Garlic Miso Chicken Breast

-Aubergine with Ponzu, Miso and Sesame Sauce

-Miso Soup with Tofu

-Miso Soup with Shrimp and Tofu

-Mackerel Simmered in Miso

-Chicken and Potatoes in Miso Stew

-Chicken and Aubergine in Garlic Miso Sauce

TIP: The less you boil/cook miso, the more you preserve its precious nutrients, so it’s best just to heat it at the end.

The garlic’s presence is not obligatory in this sauce, but since I discovered garlic and miso combination thanks to Nami’s Garlic Miso Chicken Wings (Just One Cookbook blog), I have fallen in love with it. I adapted Nami’s recipe in Garlic Miso Chicken Breast and used miso and garlic sauce in Chicken and Aubergine in Garlic Miso Sauce).

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

12-14 green, medium thick or thin asparagus stalks

1 chicken breast

1 tablespoon sake

1/8 teaspoon salt

Sauce:

2 tablespoons miso

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon syrup (I used agave syrup) or 2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more if using low-sodium soy sauce)

1 clove garlic, grated or crushed (the garlic is not obligatory)

(toasted white sesame seeds)

Bring to a boil one litre of water in a big pan.

Cut up the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces, combine with sake and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Cut off the toughest part of the the asparagus stalks’ (I usually cut off 1/4 if I use the above-mentioned, medium thick asparagus).

Blanch the asparagus for one minute (or even less if the stalks are very thin) and quickly put into very cold water to stop the cooking process.

Cut into bite-sized pieces.

Combine all the sauce ingredients. Put aside.

Heat two tablespoons oil in a pan or wok.

Drain the chicken, pat it fry.

Stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked.

Than add the asparagus and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Add add the miso sauce and heat for about 30 seconds, stirring, until everything is well heated.

Serve with rice and, if you wish, sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Chawan Mushi with Asparagus (Japanese Savoury Egg Custard with Asparagus)

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chawanaspergesp

Chawan mushi is a perfect representative of these comforting, universally enjoyable dishes, which are hardly known in Europe and which surprise all those who still associate Japanese food with sushi and raw fish. For me it has all the qualities of a perfect dish: it is light and healthy, but filling; it is extremely versatile, both in terms of ingredients, as well as serving occasions, and, most of all, it tastes wonderful. It can be made in advance, then reheated or served cold and since it is prepared in individual containers, it also looks cute on the table. The only obligatory Asian ingredients here are sake and soy sauce, so I hope it’s accessible for home cooks all around the world. Accidentally, it’s perfect after short food indulgence periods, such as Easter.

Chawan Mushi (茶碗蒸し) was the first recipe I made from “The Japanese Cooking. A Simple Art” by Shizuo Tsuji, one of the best cookery books I have ever had and I have only slightly modified the amounts’ ratio. I have already written about this amazing dish almost a year ago, but here is a quick reminder. Chawan mushi, meaning “steamed in a tea cup”, is a light custardy mixture of seasoned stock (Japanese or Western) and eggs, to which different “fillings” are added. The traditional version includes a long list of ingredients (including ginko nuts!), but in my opinion this is a typical versatile dish that can easily be modified depending on one’s preferences, seasons or simply contents of one’s fridge.

My first chawan mushi was made with shrimp and green peas (see the recipe here), but I have already played with different meats, seafood, vegetables, mushrooms and the results were satisfactory every time. The ways to serve this custard are also endless: it’s perfect as a part of the main course, with rice and some Asian pickles, or Western way, with bread and a bowl of green salad dressed with vinaigrette. I find it excellent as a cold or warm starter, as an afternoon snack, as breakfast, as a picnic snack… Possibilities are endless.

Asparagus and egg are a well known successful pairing, so you will not be surprised if I say this is – at least now – my favourite version of chawan mushi. As a notorious carnivore I have added small pieces of chicken breast marinated in sake, but you can forget them and keep it strictly vegetarian. Shizuo Tsuji advises chicken stock if dashi is unavailable and, I will probably shock some Japanese cooks, but here, with bits of chicken I have definitely preferred chicken stock (I have tested both). (Of course vegetarians can use vegetable stock I guess).

If you don’t like asparagus, you might enjoy chawan mushi with shrimp and green peas:

TIPS: Even though chawan mushi is easier to prepare in a steamer, Shizuo Tsuji’s suggestion to use a water bath in the oven gives excellent results. Actually this is the way I prepare it because the steamer plate in my rice cooker is too low for my heatproof cups.

If you don’t have a nearby Japanese grocery shop, individual, but high heatproof cups may be difficult to get. I have found very good ones at IKEA (even though without lids), but as soon as I got hold of the beautiful Japanese chawan mushi cups you see above, I stopped using the old ones.

Mitsuba is the traditional herb served with Chawan Mushi (it is usually steamed on the top of the custard), but as you see I haven’t added it because my mistuba hasn’t even sprouted yet (check the lovely mitsuba decorated version on Nami’s blog (Just One Cookbook)). You can add any herbs on top, as long as they suit the ingredients, but frankly these custards were perfect without any herb.

Special equipment:

individual heatproof cups (at least 6 cm high, mine were 6,5 cm high,with a 7,5 cm diameter)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Ingredients (4 portions):

10 medium thick green asparagus (less than 1,5 cm thick in the thickest place) or double this amount if you want a vegetarian meal

2 small chicken breasts

1 tablespoon sake

salt

(mitsuba leaves)

Custard:

2 eggs

300 ml dashi (Japanese stock) or chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sake or mirin (with mirin the custard will be slightly sweetish)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 220°C (or prepare your steamer).

Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, combine with sake and sprinkle with a bit of salt.

Put aside.

Cut off the toughest part of the the asparagus stalks’ (I usually cut off 1/4 if I use the above-mentioned, medium thick asparagus).

Cut the rest into bite sized pieces.

Boil a lot of water and prepare a big baking dish at least as high as the heatproof cups.

Mix the eggs very delicately in a bowl. In another bowl combine the dashi (or chicken stock), salt (it depends on how salty your stock is), sake/mirin and soy sauce. Pour the stock mixture over the eggs and stir well, without beating.

Strain the chicken pieces. Divide them and asparagus equally into four heatproof cups.

Put mitsuba leaves on top (click here to see how Nami ties them in a cute traditional way).

Strain the custard mixture and pour into the garnished cups.

Cover the cups with aluminium foil or the lids if you have special cups with lids.

If you use the oven, place the cups in a big baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water (not boiling). The water should arrive up till 3/4 of the cups’ height.

Put the dish in the oven and let the custards bake for 30 minutes.

If you use a steamer, steam for about 20 minutes.

If you use herbs which do not support well the heat, sprinkle chawan mushi with them just before serving.

Serve hot or cold with bread/toast for breakfast, with a salad for a lunch, as a snack or as a starter.

You may serve it with soy sauce. Personally I think it is not necessary.

Even though the eggs’ mixture sets during the cooking process, the mushrooms or other vegetables might release juices, so think about putting a spoon on the table!

Easter Party Ideas

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Wonton Cups, or Edible Snack Containers

Zsuzsa, my blogging friend from Zsuzsa is in the Kitchen, has recently invited me to join her and other bloggers (Eva from Takarékos Konyha, Elisabeth from Food and Thrift and Eva from Kitchen Inspirations) and, just like them, post my Easter menu suggestions. I was honoured, but at first I panicked because apart from a Chicken Terrine (see below) I don’t really have traditional Easter dishes on my blog. Both Zsuzsa and Elisabeth have convinced me to present whatever I might serve for such an occasion, even if it is not traditional in any country or region of the world. Thank you, ladies, for your advice! Thus, I have chosen some festive dishes I love, regardless their origins or relation to Easter celebrations. Thank you so much, Zsuzsa, for your kind invitation. I hope my eclectic choice, far from Easter traditions will not disappoint you.

Here is a list of dishes I would take into consideration if I had guests for Easter (of course I wouldn’t serve all of them!). All of them can be served at a buffet-style party, my recent favourite way to entertain. Such a concept usually means more work beforehand because, contrary to traditional meals, one cannot serve just three dishes, but this way I offer a bigger choice to the guests, who are not forced to eat all they are served, but most of all such a party has a more relaxed atmosphere. Apart from one exception, I have chosen easy recipes, which either can be prepared very quickly or made in advance. They have both Western and Asian origins, so I hope you will find here some useful ideas, not necessarily for Easter.

First of all, I would never skip the obligatory Wonton Cups, or Edible Snack Containers (see the photo above). Versatile, cute and easy, these edible containers are nowadays a staple not only when I have guests (thank you, Juliana!).

Last-minute Crackers can be prepared really just before the guests arrive as long as you have some puff pastry in the fridge. These star-shaped crackers were prepared for Christmas, but you can give them any shape you wish, such as bunnies…

These olives are so easy to prepare you will never consider buying them seasoned by someone else again.

This Smoked Mackerel and Egg Spread can be prepared with any smoked fish of your choice, of course.

Recently discovered Taramosalata (Fish Roe Spread) is one more thing I will never ever even think of buying. Home-made version is incomparably better.

Light Chicken Terrine with Nutmeg is actually the only dish I used to have as a child for Easter and other festive occasions.

Savoury Cake with Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes (aka Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes Bread) is a wonderful alternative to canapés.

Cake with Ham and Olives, another canapés substitution, is a real crowd-pleaser.

If you feel like serving Japanese food (why not?), try preparing Maki Sushi with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber. They will not necessarily look as perfect as in your sushi shop, but they are really easy to prepare.

Spring Rolls with Leftover Roast and Carrots, an Asian sandwich alternative, can also be prepared with the remains of your roast, after the Easter holidays.

Sesame-Coated Chicken Nuggets (Tori no goma age) can be made in advance and will please all the sesame fans.

Japanese Chicken and Leek Skewers (Negima) are brushed with teriyaki glaze and usually please every guest.

Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls are incredibly easy to prepare and are one of my favourite ways to serve asparagus.

Unbaked chocolate Cake with Biscuits (Chocolate Terrine with Speculoos) is a rich creamy dessert which doesn’t require baking and is incredibly simple to prepare.

Coconut, Chocolate and Rum Truffles (Bounty Truffles). Who doesn’t like chocolate truffles?

Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles are the only ones which might be tricky to prepare, but they are green, fresh, festive and have this amazing slightly bitter matcha flavour…

Chocolate and prunes are all you need to prepare these luscious Prunes in Chocolate, a quicker and easier alternative to chocolate truffles.

This Kiwi and Rum Cocktail seemed perfect for a spring party.

I strongly encourage you to check the wonderful Easter menu suggestions proposed by my blogging friends and would like to wish you all a very happy Easter and wonderful holidays to those who don’t celebrate it!

Light Unbaked Cheesecake with Passion fruit

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passioncheesep

Bored with lemons, oranges, apples and pears, I decided to experiment with something more exotic and discovered a new passion for the… passion fruit. Passion fruit macarons are one of my beloved Pierre Hermé’s creations, passion fruit chocolates are made by many chocolatiers in my city, passion fruit daiquiri is one of my favourite cocktails… and yet, I have never tried making a passion fruit dessert on my own. This first attempt felt like uncovering a whole new world of exciting culinary adventures. Topping a simple unbaked cheesecake with passion fruit pulp cannot really be called elaborate work in the kitchen, but it proved one of the most astonishing experiments I have ever made. The powerful, irresistible fragrance, the tangy flavour and crunchy seeds paired with the creamy, silky cheesecake created a complex and unusual combination. Since it was also one of the easiest and quickest sweet treats I know, I predict a bright future for this wonderful match, at least until strawberries appear.

I have already shared with you my enthusiasm about the unbaked cheesecake (see below). It becomes a staple in my house, especially when the weather gets warm and light, refreshing desserts are more welcome. I haven’t written about it for quite a long time, so here is a quick explanation of the unbaked cheesecakes I prepare. My unbaked – and also baked – cheesecakes have both Polish origins, i.e. they are not made with North American cream cheese, but with natural fresh cheese (called curd cheese, quark or fromage frais). In the unbaked version this cheese is very smooth and can easily be substituted with Greek yogurt, similar in both taste and texture.

Apart from the taste, the main reason why I prepare unbaked cheesecakes so often is their healthy side: contrary to the North American-style cheesecakes, these are low-fat, low-calorie and, I think, can be proposed to people on a slimming diet. I also love them for their instantly recognisable, slightly tangy taste and a light texture, close to a very dense mousse. In my opinion the basic unbaked cheesecake preparation (cheese, gelatin and sugar) is an excellent basis to play with different fruits, aromatic alcohols, spices and other seasonings (some cover them with a thick layer of fruit jelly, the item I have never liked). Many people prepare also a crust, but since I don’t like it in either baked or unbaked cheesecakes, I always omit it. Thanks to this my cheesecakes are even lighter and quicker to prepare. This slightly acid passion fruit version was excellent, but if you don’t like tangy sweets (or passion fruit), you might want to try other versions instead:

Unbaked Strawberry Cheesecake in a Glass

Unbaked Blueberry Cheesecake in a Glass

Unbaked Vanilla Cheesecake

If you are a fan of passion fruit (or passionfruit), you might like this delicious cocktail:

Passion fruit daiquiri

TIPS: This cheesecake can be made in one big mould lined with plastic film, and then sliced into portions like a baked cheesecake, but I find individual portions easier to handle and much cuter when served.

You can of course prepare any baked or unbaked crust of your choice.

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4-5):

500 g (about 17 oz) very smooth (mixed) fresh cheese/curd cheese/quark/fromage frais or Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon gelatin or 6 – 8 sheets, depending on the size/brand, so take the amount necessary to set 500 ml/17 fl oz of liquid, see TIPS above)

4 tablespoons warm water (I prefer to use hot water with powdered gelatin)

4 flat tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener of your choice

(2 tablespoons rum)

(white chocolate)

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm or hot (not boiling) water. (If using leaves, proceed as indicated on the package).

Mix the cheese, the rum and the sugar in a food processor.

Add the dissolved gelatin and mix once more.

Pour the cheese mixture into individual bowls or glasses and put into the fridge for at least two hours.

Just before serving cut the passion fruits in two and pour the flesh over the cheesecakes (1 small or 1/2 big passion fruit per glass).

You can sprinkle them with grated white chocolate.

Light Chicken Terrine with Nutmeg

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patepp

Home-made terrine always brings my best food-related childhood memories and, therefore, is one of the rare dishes I consider as both festive and comforting. My mum would bake it for most family parties and holidays and it was obligatory for Christmas and Easter. Thus, every year, when Easter approaches, instead of being tempted by the chocolate bunnies that invade all the Swiss shops, I start longing for my beloved humble-looking terrine and its inebriating, festive nutmeg aroma. I have already written about this terrine/pâté some time ago, but when I made it last weekend, I took the opportunity to change my old photos and decided to share this recipe with you again.

France is probably the country which comes to mind when we think about pâtés and terrines. They can be made in France with any kind of meat and/or liver. While pâtés are usually made with pork or duck or game and/or liver and sometimes are baked in a crust (pâté en croûte) or simply made soft and spreadable, terrines can also be made with fish, seafood, vegetables or even fruit and are always baked in a rectangular dish and are eaten only sliced. However, when you observe French butchers’ products, you realise that what some call “terrine”, others label as “pâté” and in some cases (especially in the case of pork products), the difference is not that clear. I am still hesitating what term I should use for this Polish recipe, but I think that for non-French readers, “terrine” might be easier to understand.

The Polish terrines I have been making for years are based on my mum’s recipe and differ a lot from the French ones. Not only are they made with previously cooked meat and liver (French products are baked with raw meat), but they are also very finely ground or mixed, but most of all, there is the amazing nutmeg which is the key ingredient here. My mum would usually prepare her pâté with a mixture of pork and beef, but this lighter, poultry version, would also appear on the table from time to time and this is the one I prepare most often.

The preparation is long, but very simple and difficult to fail. Once it has cooled down, the terrine can be kept in the fridge for about one week or frozen until the day we want to use it. It can be served as a starter, as a snack, on small canapés or crackers and it goes particularly well with all kinds of pickles (pickled pepper, gherkins, onions, beetroots and even kimchi!) and cranberry or bilberry jam/sauce. Personally, I love it with a fiery horseradish sauce and/or my Pickled Sweet Peppers.

TIPS: As the recipe name suggests, nutmeg is the main seasoning, so unless you hate it, do not skip it (at least for the first time). Every time I tried omitting it and putting other seasonings instead, I was very disappointed. Do use freshly grated nutmeg because it loses its aroma very quickly.

As I have mentioned above, this terrine can be frozen in big or small portions and even though the crust will not be crunchy, the taste will stay more or less the same.

You can use either deboned, skinless chicken/turkey cuts or a whole small chicken. The latter version will of course take a bit more time, but it can prove cheaper. If you want, you can skin the chicken before the first, cooking stage. This way the stock you add to the terrine will be less fatty.

Be generous with ground black pepper: this poultry version tends to be a bit bland compared to the pork pâté for example, so freshly ground black pepper gives it more character.

Preparation: 2,5 – 3 hours + cooling time

Ingredients (fills a 20 cm x 10 cm baking tin):

500 g/about 20 oz chicken breast, or a mixture of leg and breast meat or a whole small chicken (you can also use turkey cuts)

green part of 1 leek

1 parsley root or a couple of parsley branches

1/4 celeriac or 2 branches celery

1 big carrot

1 medium onion

100 g/about 4 oz chicken livers

2 slices white, sandwich bread

1/2 nutmeg (freshly grated)

3 heaped tablespoons semolina

pepper, salt

2 eggs

2-3 tablespoons oil or duck fat

(dry breadcrumbs)

If you use the whole chicken, place it in a big pan filled with water. If you want, you can skin it. Add the carrot, the halved onion, the leek, the celeriac and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat until the meat well cooked. The whole chicken will take much more time than cut up meat.

If you use separate meat cuts, cut the meat into equal chunks. Put them in a pan filled with water. Add the carrot, the halved onion, the leek, the celeriac and the parsley. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a medium heat until the carrot is very soft and the meat well cooked.

When the meat or the chicken are cooked, remove them from the stock and wait until they cool down.

Pour 500 ml/about 17 fl oz of the stock into a small pan and cook the livers for 15 minutes.

Put the livers aside.

Place delicately the bread slices in the stock remaining after the livers have been cooked and let them soak for one minute.

Put the livers, the meat (if you use the whole chicken, remove the meat from the carcass, making sure there are no bones or skin), the soaked bread, the carrot and the parsley root (discard the branches) in a food processor and mix into a smooth paste. (Do not throw away the stock in which the meat was cooked!).

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Put the mixed meat into a bowl.

Add the nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and taste if there is enough salt (this is the best moment to taste; afterwards tasting might be a bit unpleasant with raw eggs and semolina). Be generous with ground black pepper: this poultry version tends to be a bit bland compared to the pork pâté for example, so freshly ground black pepper gives it more character.

Stir in the eggs, the semolina and about 125 ml (1/2 cup) of the stock in which the meat was cooked at the beginning.

Mix well with a spoon.

Line a baking tin with baking paper or grease it and sprinkle with breadcrumbs.

Spoon the terrine mixture into the baking tin, smooth the surface with a spoon and sprinkle it with oil or melted duck fat.

Bake about one hour until the top is golden brown and don’t pay attention to the unpleasant smell from the oven (it will be irresistible once the terrine has cooled down).

After it cools down either freeze it or keep it refrigerated (tightly wrapped in cling film) for one week.

Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup (Tom Yum Goong)

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sshrimpsoupp

As promised, here is the shrimp soup I mentioned in my last post where I wrote about Roast Chili Paste, its key ingredient. Tom Yum Goong is apparently very popular, but even though I have heard about it and probably saw it on some restaurants’ menus, I had never tasted it because until recently I was convinced all the Asian dishes labelled as “sour” were also horribly sweet at the same time. I didn’t really know what to expect and was relieved the result was excellent and not sweetish at all. I was enchanted by the sharpness and complexity of the flavours, much more distinct than in the Thai dishes containing curry pastes or/and coconut milk. The elegance, pureness and freshness of this soup reminded me a bit of the recently discovered Burmese-Style Pork Curry with Ginger, which also doesn’t contain coconut milk, but which is richer and slightly sweet. I also found it surprisingly quick and easy to prepare, the only difficulty lying in the correct balance between the sour and hot flavours.

I found this recipe in “Real Thai. The Best of Thailand’s Regional Cooking” by Nancie Mc Dermott and have only slightly modified it, mainly leaving out canned straw mushrooms which I don’t like (I have increased the amount of shrimps instead) and scaling it down to two servings.

TIPS: Lemongrass and lime (kafir) leaves freeze very well, so it’s easy to have them all year round. As for the Roast Chili Paste, it’s done in twenty minutes (see the recipe here) and keeps for ages, but you can also buy it in most Asian shops.

The author advises shrimps with tails on, but they make the eating process difficult and not very elegant, so I have removed all the tails, apart for two or three, for decoration.

Preparation: about 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 – 3):

750 ml (about 3 cups) chicken stock

300 g (about 10 oz) shrimp, peeled, with or without tails

2 lemongrass stalks

8 fresh or frozen lime (kafir) leaves

2 – 4 fresh small chilies

juice of 1/2 lime

2 Asian green onions or 1 Western green onion (here the green part only), cut diagonally into 2 – 2,5 cm pieces

1/2 – 1 tablespoon roasted chili paste (see the recipe here)

fish sauce to taste

Heat the stock and in the meantime cut off the leafy part of lemongrass stalks and remove the dry outer leaves.

Crush the lemongrass stalks with a wide blade of knife or a handle (I always use a knife handle), so that they release the aroma.

Put 4 lime leaves and lemongrass stalks (you might need to cut them in two if your pan is small) to the stock and let it simmer for about five minutes.

Put the shrimps into the stock, add the Roasted Chili Paste, two tablespoons fish sauce and cook on medium heat until the shrimps are all pink.

Remove the fresh chili stems and crush them slightly.

Put the chilies, the remaining lime leaves, juice from 1/2 lime and green onions into a big serving bowl (I have divided them into individual bowls). Cover with the soup, give it a stir and adjust the taste adding more lime juice, more roasted chili paste or more fish sauce.

This soup can be made in advance and reheated.

Thai Roasted Chili Paste (Nham Prik Pao)

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roastedpastep

For those addicted to fiery flavours, experimenting with a new chili variety or a new hot seasoning is always an exciting adventure. This simple chili paste, completely different from anything I have ever tasted, has proven an extraordinary discovery. Obligatory ingredient of the famous Thai hot and sour shrimp soup (Tom Yum Goong), roasted chili paste (Nham Prik Pao/Nam Prik Pao) is widely available in Asian grocery shops, but it’s so easy and quick to prepare, I strongly discourage you from the shopping trip.

All you need are shallots, garlic, dried chilies, oil and, after about twenty minutes, you obtain a surprisingly complex, aromatic, smoky seasoning that can enrich many – not only Thai – dishes. Even a tiny amount of this paste will transform any boring stir-fried meat, seafood or soup into a fragrant, well-seasoned meal.

I have found this recipe in “Real Thai. The Best of Thailand’s Regional Cooking” by Nancie Mc Dermott, the book I mentioned last week when I presented you the fantastic Pork Curry without coconut milk. Apparently, this paste is traditionally roasted over charcoals, but the author’s dry-frying method can be made in every kitchen. I have followed the author’s instructions, but using a food processor instead of a mortar and slightly changing the ingredients’ amounts.

Obviously, the dish I prepared shortly after I made this paste was the above-mentioned Hot and Sour Shrimp soup (I will write about it soon) and it was just perfect. Then, the following day I simply added this paste to stir-fried shrimp and obtained once more a delicious result. According to the author, the paste will keep at room temperature for at least a month, so I hope to experiment with it in many more meals.

If you like the idea of making your own oily chili seasoning, you might be interested in the moderately hot and completely different Japanese thick sesame and chili oil condiment called Taberu Rayu:

TIP: Unless you are a crazy hot food addict, make sure you remove all the chili seeds. As you see above, I didn’t and I think me and my husband are the only people I know who can enjoy food seasoned with this explosive paste.

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (yields about 125 – 150 ml/ 1/2 cup or a bit more):

6 big garlic cloves, unpeeled and halved lengthwise

8 small shallots, unpeeled and halved lengthwise

15 small dried chilies

250 ml / 1/2 cup oil (I have used peanut oil) (+ a small amount for dry-frying, if necessary)

Warm a pan or a wok, pour a tiny amount of oil (or not, if you have a pan which allows the absence of fat). Dry-fry the chilies at low heat, constantly stirring for about 5 minutes until they become darker but make sure they are not burnt.

Remove the chilies.

Dry-fry the garlic and shallots (you can fry them together or separately depending on the size of your pan or wok) until they have charred black spots, but, once more, do not let them burn completely.

Put the garlic and shallots aside and when they are cool enough to be handled, remove the peel.

Remove the seeds from the chilies (or, if you are very bold, leave them) and the stems.

Put the three ingredients in a food processor and mix until a thick, relatively smooth paste is formed (mine was slightly chunky).

Heat the 250 ml oil in a pan and, constantly stirring, fry the paste for about 5 minutes until it darkens.

The oil will be almost totally absorbed by the paste, so you will end up with a rather small batch.

Put the paste into a jar, wait until it cools down, close well the jar and keep at room temperature for at least one month.

Light Coconut Agar Cream with Pear and Lime Zest

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cocopoire

The last couple of days have been so warm and sunny, I don’t even care if they announce snow for next week. Spring is in the air and nothing will change it. The spring evoking exquisite, bright green matcha latte posted by Kelly (from Inspired Edibles) has inspired me to begin the season of refreshing, light desserts. I found some dying pears at the bottom of my fridge and instead of a cake or tart, I decided to incorporate them into the easiest and quickest light dessert I know.

Some of you might remember my discovery of a wobbly, creamy dessert based on two milks (coconut and cow milk) and agar. This discovery has changed into a real addiction and I must have already prepared dozens of batches. The basic mixture is extremely versatile, sets quickly (agar sets at room temperature) and, since I put a tiny amount of sugar or sometimes even only sweetener, it’s one of the lightest desserts I know. I have already experimented many different versions, such as chocolate, coffee or matcha (see below). Even though agar is a jelling agent, I use it in scarce amounts and obtain a slightly wobbly, “falling off the spoon” consistency, rather than a well-set jelly, hence the name “cream”.

My first plan was to cut up the pears and simply pour the cream over them (just like I did with canned peaches here). It seemed however a bit boring (especially visually), so I decided to grate some lime zest on top for decoration and… it was a revelation! As silly as it may sound, it was the first time I have combined pear with lime zest and I found it extraordinary. The mellow, “flat” sweetness of the pear and coconut suddenly becomes exciting with the tangy, refreshing and slightly bitter zest. I am very tempted to explore further this surprising combination, at least until summer fruits appear.

As a reminder, agar (“kanten” in Japanese) is a gelatinous substance obtained from certain seaweed varieties, usually sold powdered or (in Asian countries) in long sticks. Look for it in Asian grocery shops or in organic (health-food) shops or… in normal supermarkets (they sell it in my Swiss supermarkets). Even though some people say agar-agar is a gelatin equivalent, I cannot agree with it. The way it sets food is different from the gelatin I have been using for years and, if you buy it powdered, only a tiny amount is required. When used in scarce amounts, agar yields a creamy, wobbly, delicate result, but when a big amount is used, it sets the food stronger than gelatin, so it’s a bit tricky when used for the first time.

If you feel like experimenting with agar, here are some ideas you might like:

Wobbly Rhubarb Delight

Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream

Matcha and Coconut Cream with Agar

Light Coconut Cream with Canned Peaches

Coffee and Coconut Cream with Agar

TIPS: Look closely at your agar package instructions. On mine 1/2 teaspoon is said to set 500 ml/2 cups liquid to a jelly. I use only 1/3 teaspoon and obtain a wobbly, “falling off the spoon” consistency. If you prefer a well-set jelly, use the amount advised on the package.

Do not wait until the cream becomes cold before pouring it into the bowls because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5):

250 ml coconut milk

250 ml cow milk

4 flat tablespoons sugar (or less, if, like me you prefer moderately sweet desserts; I have put only 2 tablespoons)

1/3 flat teaspoon agar agar in powder

3 medium pears

2 – 3 limes

Dissolve the sugar and agar-agar in the mixture of the two milks. Bring to boil and, constantly stirring, let it simmer for about a minute.

Put aside.

Prepare four individual bowls or low glasses.

Peel the pears and cut them up into cubes.

Distribute them equally into the bowls. (Do not wait until the cream becomes cold because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly).

Pour the milks’ mixture into the bowls and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Serve very cold decorated with grated lime zest (you can also incorporate it into the dessert, before it sets, but it won’t have the same freshness).

Burmese-Style Pork Curry with Ginger (Gaeng Hang Ley/Kaeng Hang Ley)

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Doesn’t Thai cuisine bring spring to your mind? Kafir lime leaves, lemongrass, galanga, tamarind… there is always something tangy, zesty or simply refreshing even in the heartiest meal and this Northern pork curry is no exception. I found it in a very humble-looking book entitled “Real Thai. The Best of Thailand’s Regional Cooking” by Nancie Mc Dermott, bought for a bargain at a charity sale. The book looks modest, contains no photos, but it was worth buying even only for this one sensational recipe.

As someone whose vision of Thai cuisine is limited to several coconut-milk based curries, two soups and spicy meat skewers, I was stunned and at the same time delighted by this discovery. The most astonishing detail in Gaeng Hahng Ley (or Kaeng hang lay) was probably the lack of coconut milk, apparently typical of Northern Thailand. The substantial amount of fresh ginger and the presence of turmeric were intriguing too, but the biggest surprise was of course the taste. The complex, explosive flavours balancing between sour, sweet and hot have instantly won my heart and palate. In spite of several modifications and mistakes I have made, I am wondering if it’s not the best Thai dish I have ever had in my life…

This being said, I would be dishonest if I said this curry is a crowd pleaser. If you don’t like tangy and/or hot food, you might find it impossible to enjoy (not to mention the fact that here the sharp flavours are not tamed down by coconut milk). On the other hand, those who like taste bud-stimulating, explosive combination of tangy, hot and sweet flavours, have a big chance to fall in love, just like I did.

As for the modifications, I have scaled down the amounts to a portion for two and cooked the sauce until it was very thick and clang to the meat. Accidentally, I have put too much soy sauce, which darkened the dish, but I don’t regret it and think it hasn’t destroyed the balance. The only thing I will change next time is the meat cut. Traditionally, this curry is made with fatty pork cuts, but since I had only pork loin, I tested it instead. The meat ended up too dry (it didn’t however spoil my meal!), so next time I will try it with tenderloin, shoulder or other fatter cuts.

TIPS: If you cannot get tamarind juice, I have seen once someone advising prune juice instead. It seems an excellent idea, but I would use at least twice as much.

Unfortunately, I don’t see any substitution for fermented shrimp paste. I used it here for the first time in my life and was amazed at how it changed the taste and aroma. It’s available in many Asian shops, so you should find it quite easily.

As I have mentioned above, pork loin can become too dry, so use shoulder or other fatty cuts instead. I think you might try also tenderloin if you want a leaner cut. I am sure that the same dish can be successfully made with chicken.

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (serves two):

300 g/about 10,5 oz pork with fat attached or a slightly fatty cut, such as shoulder (I think using tenderloin might work too)

30 g/about 1 oz pork belly (can be skipped and you can use a bit more of the above cut)

Paste:

6 dried small chilies, cut in two pieces

1 teaspoon galanga, finely shredded

1 stalk lemongrass, thinly sliced

1/2 tablespoon fermented shrimp paste

2 generously heaped tablespoons brown sugar (I have used demerara)

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon turmeric

3 tablespoons fresh ginger, cut into fine slivers

2 heaped tablespoons shallots, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 x 1 cm bit of tamarind paste

600 ml water

(1 tablespoon oil)

Put the tamarind paste in a small bowl.

Add four tablespoons boiling water and stir well.

Put the ginger in a bowl and cover with cold water.

Cut the meat into two-bite sized chunks and, if you use only lean cuts, add 1 tablespoon oil.

Mix the ingredients of the paste in a mortar or in a small food processor (baby food processor is perfect here).

Combine it with the meat.

Put the pork cuts in a heavy cooking pan and, stirring constantly, fry them for about five minutes.

After 5 minutes add the 600 ml water, the turmeric and the soy sauce.

Simmer the meat on low heat for about 40 minutes or more, depending on the sauce consistency you want to obtain (I prefer it very thick).

Add the garlic, the shallots, two tablespoons tamarind juice and the water after strained from the ginger.

Place the ginger in a mortar and squash it delicately to soften it, but do not pound it.

Add the ginger and cook for a couple of minutes until all is well heated.

Adjust the taste (it shouldn’t be too tangy or too sweet, so add more sugar or more tamarind if required; you can also add some fish sauce if it’s not salty enough).

The author advises putting the pot aside and serving warm after 20 minutes, but I served it straight away.

Kenyan Coriander Chicken (Dhania Chicken)

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corianderchickenpp

This is one of the most unusual dishes I have ever eaten and an extraordinary feast for coriander lovers. I saw the recipe in The Ultimate Curry Bible by Madhur Jaffrey, but I needn’t have bookmarked it: the dish was instantly engraved in my memory. Its Kenyan origins were obviously intriguing, but what made my eyes sparkle was the huge amount of fresh coriander (aka cilantro) the dish called for. Do you realise how much 50g (about 1,8 oz) fresh coriander represents? It’s actually an extremely big bunch, especially since the author says to use only leaves, discarding the stems. As scary as it may sound to coriander haters, it was one of the best curries in my life.

Apart from its unique taste and fragrance, Dhania Chicken/Cilantro Chicken is filling and warming, especially given the high level of hotness, in my case provided by three mixed green bird’s-eye chilies. At the same time, it’s one of the lightest curries I know: the sauce is composed only of coriander and yogurt.

I have followed the original recipe, roughly adapting it to a meal for two. The cooking time depends on the chicken cuts you use and on the chicken quality: organic chicken legs will require more time since they are tougher.

TIPS: Frankly, I would advise this dish only if you are fond of coriander. Otherwise, there is a certain risk (but maybe also a challenge?). Its strong aroma is of course subdued during the cooking process, but the typical scent and taste is still recognisable. It’s also quite fiery and the hotness goes so well with the abundance of coriander here, I cannot guarantee if the magic of this dish can survive the absence of chilies.

The yogurt used here cannot be acid, so if you taste yours and feel tanginess, I advise using Greek yogurt or fresh smooth cheese (quark/fromage frais) instead. Otherwise the dish will be tangy and it doesn’t improve the taste (I know what I’m talking about: I prepared it three times and the first time I used slightly tangy yogurt).

Preparation: 1 – 2 hours

Ingredients (serves 2):

Marinade:

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cm (about 1,5 in) fresh ginger

2 big garlic cloves

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 chicken legs or breasts (cut in two pieces ) or a mixture of both, skinned

1 small tomato or 3 tablespoons canned chopped tomatoes+ 1/2 teaspoon tomato purée

50 g (about 1,8 oz) coriander leaves (without bigger stems)

3 bird’s-eye green chilies or the equivalent in other chilies

125 ml (1/2 cup) not tangy yogurt (the best would be Greek yogurt) or fresh smooth cheese (quark/fromage frais)

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the salt, the garlic and the ginger to a smooth paste with 1 tablespoon water.

Rub the mixture into the chicken pieces and marinate for at least 30 minutes (you can leave it overnight too).

Just before cooking, in a food processor mix well the coriander, the chilies, the tomato, the tomato purée, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 5 tablespoons water.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil.

Fry the chicken pieces until slightly browned.

Add the coriander mixture, cover and simmer until the chicken is soft (check from time to time if it doesn’t burn and add water if necessary).

Add the yogurt, cook at medium heat, uncovered until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken.

Adjust the taste, adding more salt if necessary, and serve.

Korean Mung Bean Sprouts Salad (Nokdu Namul)

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I’m starting to wonder how far will go my obsession with sesame seeds. A jar with roasted sesame seeds is placed just next to the salt container, at the stretch of my hand, so it proves how much I like it and how frequently I use it. Frankly speaking, every time I prepare an Asian (or even vaguely Asian) meal, my first reflex now is to sprinkle it with sesame seeds and I never regret my gesture (although I do manage sometimes to resist the temptation). As for the sesame oil, a small teaspoon stirred just before serving adds a deep, nutty flavour I find more and more addictive too.

This salad, found in Growing Up in a Korean Kitchen: a Cookbook by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall owes everything to sesame oil and seeds. For me it was was also a interesting new way to consider mung bean sprouts I regularly add to stir-fried meats, rice or noodles. Even though the dressing is light, the tiny amount of powerful sesame oil transforms it into an interesting, fragrant side-dish. The addition of sesame seeds, as always, gives a pleasant crunchy note.

I have scaled down the original recipe to two serving and used European chives instead of spring onions I didn’t have. I have also change the name from “seasoned mung bean sprouts” to a “salad” because I have it cold and treat it as a salad.

TIP: If you have never used sesame oil, I advise buying it in a Japanese or Korean shop (or maybe simply Asian). The only time I bought a bottle of good quality, cold-pressed organic sesame oil made in Europe I discovered something I dislike so much I still wonder how to use it (and it wasn’t rancid). I think Asian sesame oil is made from roasted, not raw, sesame seeds.

This salad is apparently served both at room temperature and very cold. I prefer it cold, so I have quickly rinsed the blanched sprouts in very cold water. If you want to serve it at room temperature, skip this step.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

150 g/about 5 oz mung bean sprouts

1 teaspoon soy sauce (or more if you use low-sodium soy sauce)

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 small clove garlic

(salt)

ground pepper

1 green onion (the lighter part only); I have used European chives instead

toasted sesame seeds

Blanch the mung bean sprouts in boiling water for a minute.

Quickly drain and, if you wish to serve the salad very cold, rinse it with very cold water.

Drain once more.

Crush the garlic and chop it finely.

Mix it with the soy sauce, the vinegar, the sesame oil, the ground pepper and the salt (if you need it).

Put the sprouts in a big bowl and combine with the dressing.

Chop the green onion or the chives.

Transfer the sprouts to a serving bowl.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion/chives.

This salad can be served very cold or at room temperature (I have preferred it cold).

Chicken Katsu チキンカツ (Japanese Breaded Chicken)

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chickenkatsup

Japanese cuisine can be divided roughly into washoku 和食, traditional Japanese food, and yoshoku 洋食, which defines dishes inspired by Western cuisines. Unsurprisingly, the former is healthy and light, while the latter contains many deep-fried, rich dishes. I quickly realised my heart goes very often (maybe too often) to the westernised cuisine and such deep-fried delicacies as korokke コロッケ(potato croquettes), ebi fry (breaded shrimp) or tonkatsu 豚カツ (breaded pork loin) are among my favourite Japanese dishes. The fact that these dishes were the only ones I could read on menus in Japan (they are in majority written in one of the two Japanese syllabaries, much easier to decipher than Chinese characters) makes me love them even more.

Breaded chicken cutlets, or chicken katsu, (“katsu” is a Japanised version of the word “cutlet” or “côtelette”), are at least as excellent as tonkatsu, their close cousins, but in my opinion they are easier, quicker and more crowd-pleasing. Some of my friends call them Japanese chicken nuggets. The main difference in the preparation is that, unlike pork loin, chicken breast is often cut into smaller pieces and briefly marinated before being fried. (Although I have seen also bigger chicken katsu versions too).

I know I’m repeating myself, but I have to emphasize that Japanese breaded dishes are not mere copies of their Western counterparts. First of all, Japanese flaky panko creates a lighter, crunchier result than simple dried bread crumbs. Moreover, thanks to deep-frying, the dishes cook quicker, absorb less oil and are juicier. (Of course, if you prefer shallow-frying, you can easily shallow fry chicken katsu).

As a big fan of Nami’s blog (Just One Cookbook), an infinite source of well-explained and beautifully photographed Japanese recipes, I naturally chose her Chicken Katsu recipe and wasn’t disappointed. The result was perfect, as every time I follow Nami’s instructions and advice. Thank you so much, Nami, for one more infallible recipe!

If you prefer pork, you might like my Thin version of Tonkatsu, or Breaded Pork Cutlets (as you see this is one of my favourite bowls…):

thintonkatsupj

TIPS:

Traditionally both tonkatsu and chicken katsu are served with a dark, thick sauce called “Tonkatsu sauce”. It is available in Japanese grocery shops, but is too sweet and too heavy to my taste. Thanks to Hiroyuki’s kind advice (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking), I make my own version mixing ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. I also serve chicken katsu with mayonnaise and hot chili oil sediments you see above or with hot chili paste, such as Korean gochujang.

Deep-frying scares many people, but becomes easy and quick with time. Everyone has different preferences of course, but the basic rule to observe is to make sure the food is completely dry before it’s fried (or breaded) to minimise the risk of oil splashes. Personally I prefer deep-frying in a small cooking pan (I have one which is only for deep-frying) using a small amount of oil. I also place the pan as far as possible from myself, just in case the oil splashes. If you are really not comfortable with deep-frying or don’t have enough oil, you can of course shallow fry this dish.

Deep-fried food should “swim” easily, so do not overcrowd the pan (otherwise the temperature becomes lower, the food fries slowly and absorbs more oil).

You will probable have to fry in several batches (unless you have a big deep-frying dish or make a small batch). In order to make sure all the chicken pieces are hot when served, I place a baking dish in the oven at 100°C/212°F, line it with paper napkins and put there deep-fried bits, one by one, until the whole frying process is finished. This way they keep warm and if you serve them in the same hot baking dish, they will stay warm on the table too.

Frying oil can be used as long as it doesn’t darken and is always filtered after each use (I usually throw it away after three times, but it depends on what you fry… Fish for example can make the oil smell strong, so keep it only for fish or seafood frying).

Preparation: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

2 medium chicken breasts

about 10 heaped tablespoons of panko

5 tablespoons wheat flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

salt, pepper

1 tablespoon sake

oil for deep-frying

tonkatsu sauce to serve (or a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce) or mayonnaise + thick chili paste or taberu rayu sediment

Slice chicken breasts diagonally into 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) thick slices.

(If you keep the chicken tenderloins; i.e the thin strips attached to the breast, but usually sold with the breast, separate them from the main piece of breast and simply cut them in horizontally in two).

Season the chicken slices with sake, salt and pepper.

Put aside.

In the meantime preheat the oil for deep-frying.

(I don’t have the special thermometer and put some panko in the oil to check the temperature. If it starts making bubbles, doesn’t fall down and is fried immediately, it means the oil is hot enough. )

Dust the chicken slices with flour, dip them in the beaten egg and coat in panko, pressing so that the whole slice is covered.

Deep-fry them until golden, in batches, trying not to overcrowd the pan (unless you have a very big frying dish), on both sides (it usually takes 2- 3 minutes per side).

Remove excess fat, placing the meat slices on paper towels.

Keep them in a warm oven (see the TIPS above) until you finish frying all the batches.

Serve with rice, on shredded cabbage or a light salad with the special Japanese tonkatsu sauce or, like I do, with mayonnaise and chili paste (or chili oil sediment).

Chicken tonkatsu is also excellent as a snack (you can cut it in bite-sized pieces too).

Salad with Sesame Paste Dressing

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sesamesaladpp

If, every time you open a jar of sesame paste, you have to close your eyes to fully enjoy the inebriating, nutty fragrance and never resist stealing a teaspoonful, then this recipe is for you. I know it looks like a bowl of ordinary lettuce, but it’s much more than that. The leaves are delicately seasoned with the creamiest, richest salad dressing I have ever made. If used in moderation (this is why it is barely visible on the photo), this dressing is so addictive, I found myself preparing it three days in a row. I discovered it accidentally, a couple of days ago, while leafing through Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop, one of the best written cookery books I know. As someone, who prepares either the classical French vinaigrette with mustard (sometimes garlic) or its vaguely Asian version, with soy sauce and sesame seeds, I was thrilled to discover this completely new way to dress the humble lettuce.

This salad has proved for me an ideal choice for the this time of the year, when a bright green, crisp, raw side-dish cheers me up and announces the imminent spring. Its creamy, intense dressing keeps it still in the rich, comforting food category. The addition of sesame oil might at first seem superfluous, but it has wonderfully increased the nutty fragrance, so I wouldn’t advise skipping it. The only big change I have allowed myself here was the addition of vinegar. The original recipe didn’t contain any acid ingredient and I desperately need some tanginess in my salads. In my defence I would like to emphasize I have used black Chinkiang vinegar, regularly appearing in Sichuanese recipes, such as Bang Bang Chicken, also found in the same book and also containing sesame paste.

TIP: If you don’t have dark Chinese sesame paste, try finding wholegrain sesame paste (I buy it in organic shops). Otherwise, any good light sesame paste will do. Black sesame paste might be too strong, but of course it depends on your preferences.

Soy sauce is not mentioned in the original recipe, only salt. I have used low-sodium soy sauce here because the dressing was too thick and I didn’t want to use more oil.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

crisp salad leaves (tear the bigger ones into several pieces)

1 heaped tablespoon sesame paste

1 flat tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (I think that malt vinegar would be the closest substitute here but do try finding Chinkiang vinegar which is unique)

pinch of sugar or syrup

1/6 teaspoon salt (or/and light soy sauce)

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

(toasted sesame seeds)

Place the dressing ingredients in a big bowl.

Mix them with a spoon until the sauce is homogenous.

Adjust the taste and add more oil/soy sauce/vinegar/sugar if the consistency is too thick.

Spread the dressing inside the bowl, place the salad leaves and delicately “wipe” the bowl’s interior with them.

Transfer the seasoned salad to a serving dish or bowl.

You can sprinkle it with toasted sesame seeds.

Murgh Masala (Chicken in Tomato and Onion Sauce)

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murghmasalap

If I knew someone who is afraid of opulent, complex, hot flavours, this is the dish I would probably serve to introduce her or him to the marvels of the Indian cuisine. This was my first Murgh Masala, so I don’t know if all the Indian cooks prepare it this way, but this one was low-fat, subtly seasoned and mild (the last point can easily be changed of course!). In short: a toned down, but equally delightful side of the Indian cuisine I was happy to discover. Apart from being more delicate, Murgh Masala proved also quite effortless and relatively quick (especially compared to other Indian dishes), so I think I will be preparing it quite often.

This Punjabi speciality is another fabulous recipe I found in the Classic Indian Cookery by Julie Sahni. I have followed the author’s instructions almost to the letter, the only modification being the use of skinned chicken breasts instead of cut up whole bird. I have also scaled down the 8-servings recipe to a dish for two, which meant I have slightly changed the ingredients’ amounts too.

If you like Indian cuisine, you might be interested in these (other gems found in Julie Sahni’s book):

Indian Chickpeas in Tangy Sauce (my absolute chickpeas favourite!)

or Butter Chicken (Makhani Murgh)

TIP: This was the first time I used black cardamom (I used to replace it, as it’s often advised in Indian recipes, by green cardamom). The difference is surprisingly huge. If you cook Indian from time to time, I strongly encourage you to invest in a package of black cardamom.

Preparation: about 1h30

Ingredients (serves two):

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces or half a chicken cut into small skinned pieces

1 medium onion (sliced)

2 medium fresh tomatoes, chopped and skinned, or 100 – 150 ml/ approx. 3,5 – 5 oz canned tomatoes

1 medium clove garlic (chopped)

1/2 cm fresh ginger (chopped)

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 black cardamom pod (or 2 green cardamom pods)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon hot chili powder

200 ml/ 7 oz hot water

1 teaspoon roasted and ground cumin seeds

fresh coriander

oil or ghee

Heat one tablespoon oil in a pan.

Brown the chicken pieces (without cooking them thoroughly!).

Put aside.

Add one more tablespoon oil and fry the onion on medium heat constantly stirring until it becomes light brown (it can take 15 – 30 minutes).

Add the garlic and the ginger and fry for 5 minutes, stirring.

Afterwards add the cinnamon and the cardamom, fry for 2 more minutes.

Finally add the turmeric, the chili pepper, the chicken, the tomatoes and the water.

Season with salt (just a bit, you will be able to adjust the saltiness later) and cook at low heat, covered for about 30 minutes. If you use pieces with bones, including thighs, it might take more time. (Check from time to time if it’s not burning!).

Uncover the pan, increase the heat and finish cooking until the sauce has thickened.

The author recommends putting the dish aside for minimum one hour (perfectly two hours) and then reheating it slowly before serving.

If you are in a hurry, you can serve it straight away, but it tastes better reheated indeed.

Sprinkle with ground cumin and give it a stir. Then sprinkle with fresh coriander just before serving.

Chicken Loaf “Wind in the Pines” (Toriniku Matsukaze-yaki (鶏肉松風焼き)

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windin_pp

I am always drawn to poetic dish names, so rare in European cuisines. Doesn’t Wind in the Pines (Toriniku Matsukaze-yaki, 鶏肉松風焼き) sound incomparably better than Chicken Loaf? One might wonder how a baked chicken loaf can bear such a beautiful name? According to Shizuo Tsuji, the author of the magnificent “The Japanese Cooking. A Simple Art”, where I found this recipe, the grains sprinkled over the top evoke the sand on a pine-bordered beach, while the boiling kettle in tea ceremony is like wind blowing through the seaside pines. To be precise, toriniku means chicken, matsukaze ”wind in the pines” and yaki describes the grilling/pan-frying cooking method (even though this is supposed to be baked in a hot water bath, not grilled, but I suppose this is due to the fact that baking is not really popular in Japan…).

Apart from the magical name, the final original step of this recipe was what has captured my attention. The beautiful yellow colour is obtained by brushing raw egg yolk over the freshly baked loaf; the yolk cooks instantly and forms a sunny layer over the otherwise pale, unappetising dish. Even though my first Chicken Loaf looked and tasted wonderful, I have allowed myself several modifications, hoping they do not destroy the original idea. My way to prepare this dish gives a very similar result: a filling and warming, but surprisingly light meal. It has certainly brought a ray of sunshine to the cloudy, snowy weather we have been having.

My first Chicken Loaf seemed too dry, which is often the case with cooked minced lean meat. Therefore, I have added some silken tofu, the trick which I have been practising with dumplings for quite a long time. Since I always try to simplify the cooking steps, I have switched from hot water bath in the oven to steaming (but both methods are described below). Not only is it easier this way, but much quicker. Moreover, if you serve rice too, both can cook in the rice cooker at the same time. Last but not least, I have decided to serve this loaf in individual baking dishes rather than preparing a traditional big flat loaf. If you want to know the original recipe, I advise consulting Shizuo Tsuji’s book.

This dish would be equally good served with rice and Japanese pickles and, in a more European way, with a green salad and bread. I would advise also serving it with a sauce of your choice.

TIP: If you wonder what to do with the two leftover egg whites, you need exactly this amount to prepare the Easy Chewy Coconut Cookies:

kokos_pj

Special equipment: individual baking dishes (not obligatory)

Preparation: 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 small chicken breasts, minced (you can mix them in a food processor) or 2 medium chicken breasts, if you skip tofu

4 heaped tablespoons drained silken tofu

2 tablespoons sake

1 egg

2 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon sugar (or syrup)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more if you use low-sodium soy sauce)

1 teaspoon fresh ginger juice (squeezed from freshly grated ginger, about 2,5 cm/1 inch)

white poppy seeds or toasted white sesame seeds

If you decide to bake the dishes in the hot water bath, preheat the oven to 230°C.

If you decide to steam them, wash the rice and prepare it to cook in the rice cooker.

Put half of the ground chicken in a pot with saké. Cook over high heat, stirring until the meat changes the colour.

Drain it.

In a big bowl combine the raw meat, 1 egg and 1 yolk, salt, sugar, soy sauce, tofu and mix well with a spoon or your hand.

At the end add the cooked meat and the ginger, mix again.

Spread the meat mixture in the individual dishes and bake them in bain-marie (hot water bath) for 30 minutes or put them on the steaming tray in your rice cooker and leave there until the rice is cooked.

Remove the dishes from the oven and brush quickly with the remaining egg yolk and sprinkle with the seeds (the yolk will cook on the hot surface and give a beautiful colour).

If you have steamed the dishes, the yolk might not set (your loaf might not be as hot), so either brush it with yolk and put back to the steamer for a minute (and sprinkle with sesame afterwards) or brush it with yolk, sprinkle with seeds and put under the broiler for one minute.

Serve with a sauce of your choice, rice, bread, salad, pickles…

Baked Dumplings with Black Pudding

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wonton_bpuddingp

Black Pudding Potato Cakes recently posted by Mr. Three-Cookies (from Three Cookies blog) inspired me to try something new with my beloved black pudding. Looking through the content of my freezer I found a piece of black pudding (I always keep some in case of an urgent craving) and I also realised I still had wonton skins, leftover from my Baked Wonton Chips. Black pudding dumplings seemed an obvious solution.

I wanted to obtain a crunchy result, but since black pudding is already quite rich, instead of frying, I baked them in the oven (they were slightly tougher than deep-fried dumplings, but crunchy and excellent). I love my black pudding hot, so after removing the casing I mixed it with gochujang (Korean chili paste). In case you have never tested this mixture, black pudding and gochujang go perfectly together (I have been enjoying this combination for years). We had these dumplings with green salad for lunch, but they would make a perfect bowl of snacks for a party too. I was very happy with this improvised dish and strongly recommend these dumplings to all my fellow fans of black pudding. Thank you, Mr. Three-Cookies, for the inspiration!

TIPS: Many people are put off black pudding because their first experience involves a supermarket cheap product. It is not easy to make a good, well seasoned black pudding, so if you have never tasted it, I strongly advise getting it from a really good butcher. It’s also wise to ask a black pudding fan for recommendation because in some countries certain good quality brands can also sell good black pudding.

Black pudding or blood sausage exist all around the world, but they are slightly different in every country or even region. British, Polish or Hungarian are quite solid because they contain rice, buckwheat, barley or oatmeal as fillers. In most regions French boudin noir is quite soft and smooth (onions and breadcrumbs and/or cream are fillers, but the texture remains custardy). Personally I prefer the denser black puddings, so when I have only the French one, I mix it with cooked buckwheat or barley to fill the dumplings. If you prefer the delicate, smooth texture, you don’t need to add anything, of course.

You don’t have to add any hot spices if your black pudding is already hot or if you don’t like hot dishes. You can add any herbs or spices of your choice too.

Accidentally these dumplings tasted great with my recently posted Pineapple and Chili Jelly (any sweet & hot jelly or sauce is in my opinion perfect with black pudding).

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

14 – 16 dumpling skins (I used wonton wrappers/skins)

200 g (7 oz) black pudding or, if you have soft, smooth French type of black pudding and wish to make the filling denser: 100 g black pudding + 6 – 7 slightly heaped tablespoons cooked buckwheat, rice or oatmeal…

2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste) or 1 tablespoon powdered chili (neither is obligatory, of course)

oil (I have used chili oil)

Remove the black pudding’s casing. Put the filling in a bowl and combine with gochujang or chili and additional filler if you wish.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Prepare a small bowl or glass with cold water.

Put several dumpling skins on a chopping board (or any other clean surface).

Brush their edges with water (about 1 cm thick).

Place a well-heaped teaspoon of the black pudding filling in the middle.

Close the dumplings, pinching the edges and forming triangles or half-circles if you have round dumpling skins.

Repeat with the remaining wonton skins.

Place the dumplings on a sheet of baking paper.

Brush them with oil at least on the upper side (you can do it on both sides).

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until they are golden. (Every oven i different, so watch your oven frequently after the first 5 minutes because they burn easily and quickly!).

Kimchi Soup (Kimchiguk) with Chicken and Potatoes

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kimchisouppp

Kimchi (Korean fermented spicy vegetables) is known by us, foreigners, almost exclusively in its raw form, served as a cold side dish. Its use in warm dishes is less popular abroad and is not very tempting for some people. The first time I prepared Kimchi Fried Rice I realised that this kimchi has much more to offer than I had thought and its addition to leftover rice has become my regular trick to make this humble dish delicious and complex in just one gesture. With this soup I feel I have discovered a big new chapter of the kimchi possibilities. Just like in the case of fried rice, kimchi has released here complex flavours and aromas, giving a certain illusion of robustness to this evidently light and healthy dish. Unlike in fried rice, here kimchi mellows and loses some of its power, just enough to enchant even those who find raw kimchi too violent. It may sound strange, but there is something evidently comforting and homely about this soup, so exotic in appearance.

The original recipe comes from Growing Up In a Korean Kitchen by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall, a fascinating book full of food-related childhood memories and homely Korean recipes, some of which are all but “tourist pleasers”. Apart from the famous dishes, I was glad to discover some interesting recipes most Korean cooking sources don’t mention. My first choice went to kimchi soup mainly because I had all the ingredients and because I have been tempted by the concept of a kimchi soup for quite a long time.

I have slightly modified the recipe. First of all, I jumped on the author’s suggestion and used chicken instead of pork. Apart from minor changes in ingredients’ amounts and procedures, my boldest step was to transform this soup into a one-pot meal, substituting tofu with potatoes. I can only hope my Korean visitors will forgive me and still allow me to call it “kimchi soup”. For the real kimchi soup recipe, I encourage you to buy the very special Growing Up In a Korean Kitchen.

If you wish to try kimchi in fried rice, here is a very simple adjustable recipe:

kimchifriedricep

Kimchi Fried Rice

If you feel like making kimchi yourself, here are some options, all very easy to prepare:

cucumberkimchip

Easy Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi)

daikonkimchip

Kkakdugi (White Radish Kimchi)

makkimchip

Mak Kimchi (Easy Chinese Cabbage Kimchi)

celerykimchip

Celery Kimchi (this is a short-term kimchi)

TIPS: The best kimchi to use here (or in kimchi fried rice) is well matured, strong kimchi, so it’s also a good way to use up kimchi leftovers.

I strongly advise here home-made chicken stock or at least good quality, natural stock (no taste enhancers, etc.).

If you wish a stronger, hotter soup, add 5-6 tablespoons of kimchi liquid.

Freshly squeezed ginger juice can be obtained by grating ginger and then squeezing the grated pulp (the below 1/2 teaspoon required about 1 cm fresh ginger).

Preparation: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2-3 as a main dish):

1 chicken breast

2 big potatoes peeled and cut into 2 cm/0,8 in cubes

7 heaped tablespoons Napa cabbage kimchi (cut into 1cm/about 1/2 inch pieces)

(5-6 tablespoons kimchi juice, if you want to obtain a stronger soup)

1 litre chicken stock

5 big shiitake mushrooms (fresh), sliced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

white part of 1 green onion, chopped

3 oz/ 85 g soybean sprouts (I have skipped them in the batch you see above, but they were marked as optional in the book)

Chicken marinade:

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon rice wine (I used sake)

1 small clove garlic, crushed

a white part of green onion, very finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger juice (see above)

1/2 teaspoon sugar or syrup

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

salt, freshly ground pepper

Cut the chicken breast into thin, short ribbons.

Combine the marinade ingredients and mix them with chicken pieces.

Put aside.
In the meantime heat one tablespoon oil in a big pan.

Fry the garlic cloves and mushrooms for a couple of minutes.

Add the stock, the chicken, the potatoes, the kimchi (and kimchi juice if you opt for a stronger soup) and cook at medium heat until the potatoes are soft.

Add the chopped white onion, salt, pepper and cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve with fresh green onion or chives, or just the way it is.

Pineapple and Chili Jelly

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pineapplechjp

January is maybe not the most exciting month to fill one’s pantry with jams, pickles and other preserves, but there is certainly still some work to be done. Pineapple, like certain other exotic fruits, is in full season here in winter and, given its low price and ubiquity, this is probably the best moment to put it into jars. This golden yellow jelly is until now the best pineapple preserve I have tested. The method, as well as my beloved hot and sweet flavours’ combination, make this jelly similar to Hot Pepper Jelly, Apricot and Chili Jelly or Green Tomato and Chili Jelly. A unique pineapple aroma is what makes all the difference.

This jelly goes well with both Asian and Western dishes. I often have it with grilled or stir-fried meat, vegetables, on steamed rice or as a sandwich spread and it’s fabulous with fish and seafood in general. You can also serve it as a dip with crackers, nachos or… why not with Baked Wonton Chips from my previous post?

TIPS:

-Some of you might have probably heard that pineapple (as well as kiwi and some other fruits) stop jelly from… jelling. This is absolutely true, but only when it comes to raw fruit. Cooked for some time, pineapple loses this troublesome characteristic.

-Since every pepper variety is different and everyone has different preferences (or chili resistance level), it is difficult to say exactly how many chilies should be used. Adjusting is not easy since the jelly tastes stronger when it’s still hot (and it should be put still hot into the jars). The best idea is to stick to the same chili variety, make a small first batch, put aside a couple of tablespoons and taste the mixture when it has cooled down. It might be too late for this batch, but it will give you an idea of how the following ones should be modified. Needless to say, the below amounts should be treated rather as approximate (this jelly was very hot).

-The sugar and vinegar amounts depend of course on your preferences, but also on the pineapple’s sweetness. Try with the minimal amounts (see below) and increase them if needed.

-It’s a good idea to prepare different hotness levels of this jelly and label jars as “slightly hot”, “medium hot”, “very hot” etc..

-Do not forget to write down the exact amount of chili, sugar, vinegar, etc. you have used, so that you can improve the recipe next season or simply make sure you stick to the good one.

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 kg pineapple (weighed after being peeled), i.e. approximately one big pineapple

160 g – 200 g (5,5 oz – 7 oz) caster sugar

10 bird’s eye chilies or 10 bigger medium hot chilies

160 ml – 200 ml (5,5 – 6,8 fl oz) cider vinegar (4,5%)

25 g powdered pectin

1 flat tablespoon salt

Core the peppers, discard the stems and wash thoroughly removing the seeds (or not, if you want a very hot jelly).

Peel the pineapple, cut into chunks and mix with chilies in a food processor.

Combine the mixed fruit with the remaining ingredients in a big pan.

Bring to the boil on high heat and, stirring, keep boiling for about 20 minutes.

Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.

Taste it and adjust the taste adding the vinegar, the sugar or the chili if needed (bearing in mind the chili and the vinegar taste is stronger when the jelly is hot). The most important is that the mixture doesn’t have a very sour taste.

Add the pectin and, constantly stirring, keep at medium heat for 10 more minutes.

/At this point you can (after the jelly has cooled down) either freeze it, or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year./

Spoon the jelly, still hot, into clean and dry jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the jelly, its level of hotness and don’t forget to mark the date.

In a dry place, with a moderate temperature, the jars should keep for at least a year (I have opened a two year-old one recently and it was in a perfect state).

Baked Wonton Chips/Wonton Crisps

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wontoncrisps_pj

I have never made a single wonton dumpling, yet I have already used three packages of wonton skins in last couple of months. First, I discovered how to transform wonton skins into edible cups (see the photo and link below), which, once filled, proved impressive, but surprisingly effortless snacks. Then, quite recently, I started to play with these wonton chips (or crisps). Quick and easy, they are an ideal low-calorie and low-fat alternative to nachos or other commercial deep-fried snacks, but they certainly do not fall into the “diet food” category; an excellent taste and delicate, crisp texture remain their biggest assets.

Similar recipes can be found everywhere on the web, but instead of following any of them, I decided to copy the edible wonton cups instructions, adapting them to bite-sized chips. If you wish, before baking, you can sprinkle them with spices, coarse salt, grated cheese… whatever comes to your mind. I chose this time to keep them simple, but slightly fiery and brushed them only with chili oil.

If you are tempted by this uncommon way to use wonton skins, you might also like to transform them into these edible cups:

wontoncupspj

Edible Wonton Cups

TIPS: Wonton skins or wrappers can be found in frozen food section in most Asian grocery shops. I find them here also in bigger “normal” supermarkets. They thaw quite quickly (usually two hours at room temperature).

Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients (40 chips):

10 wonton skins

1 tablespoon oil (I have used chili oil)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Brush wonton wrappers with oil, piling them up and slightly pressing so that you brush only one side of each sheet, but both sides end up oily.

Cut the pile into four equal triangles (or into another shape of your choice).

Place the pieces on baking paper.

Bake for about 5 minutes until golden.

Beware! They burn very quickly, so watch the first batch closely (the time depends on your oven).

Harihari Zuke (はりはり漬け), Pickled Dried Daikon

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harihari_pj

Drying fruits, vegetables and mushrooms is not only a way of preserving them. First of all, they have a different use in the kitchen and often become so good and unique, they could never be substituted by their fresh versions (it’s maybe a question of personal preferences, but I would never put fresh mushrooms in Ragù alla bolognese). I have been drying fresh produce for many years (I have recently posted here several methods to dry apples), but doing this with the long Asian white radish called daikon has never crossed my mind. When I saw pickled dried daikon at Hiroyuki’s blog (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking), I was very intrigued and curious but didn’t expect much more than a moderately flavoursome, interesting side-dish and certainly not the excellent taste and extraordinary texture it has changed into! I also like fresh daikon a lot, but once dried and pickled, it undergoes a magical transformation.

Daikon is one of the staple Japanese vegetable and its dried version is quite popular too. It is often used in simmered dishes and sold in two forms: wari boshi daikon (thicker strips) and shredded daikon called kiri boshi daikon (go to see the difference here at Hiroyuki’s blog). Harihari zuke (pickled dried daikon) calls for the thicker version (wari boshi daikon). Just like most Japanese pickles, these have a delicate, slightly sweetish taste, but this is where the similarity ends. The very special chewy, but at the same time crunchy texture is what makes them unique and, in my case, addictive. Thank you so much, Hiroyuki, for this extraordinary discovery!

If you don’t find thickly cut dried daikon, wari boshi daikon is ridiculously easy to prepare, whatever method you use (it’s also an excellent way to use up leftover wilted, dying daikon!). I haven’t even checked if I can get it in my city because I knew it would be cheaper when made at home and moreover I wanted to use organic vegetables. For this first experiment I used only one daikon, but after the surprisingly good outcome I have just started to dry a new, this time much bigger batch. This way I will have dried daikon ready any time I feel like preparing this wonderful snack again.

I have slightly changed Hiroyuki’s proportions in the pickling liquid and have omitted seaweed strips (see the original Hiroyuki’s recipe here).

If you don’t feel like drying daikon, you might like these tsukemono (Japanese pickles):

kyurinop

Cucumber Pickled in Vinegared Soy Sauce (Kyuuri no kyuuchan)

gingerpickledp

Pickled Ginger (Gari)

pickledradishp

Pickled Pink Radish

TIPS: In Japan daikon is usually dried in the sun. Of course, given the season, I couldn’t do this. In the winter I dry fruits and vegetables on radiators: it’s quick, it doesn’t require much attention and doesn’t consume any additional energy. If you don’t have radiators, you can dry them using either the oven set at lowest temperature or hang it over the stove and wait until it dries by the heat produces while you cook (the latter can last a bit more). Of course, if you have a dehydrator, you don’t need me to tell you how to do it. Click here to see detailed description of the drying methods I used for example with apples and which apply to most cut fruits or vegetables.

Fresh chili is not obligatory here, but a it is very pleasant addition if you like hot food.

Preparation (3 hours + drying process, if you don’t have dried daikon, which depends on the method used, see here):

Ingredients:

1 medium daikon (about 300 g – 350 g/about 11-13 oz) or a handful (filling loosely a 125 ml/ 1/2 cup container) of wariboshi (thick strips of dried daikon)

4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or 3 tablespoons normal soy sauce+1 tablespoon water

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 flat tablespoon sugar (I have used agave syrup)

1 fresh medium-hot small chili, seeds removed

Frist dry the daikon (wariboshi, i.e. thicker version).

Peel the daikon, cut horizontally into 7 – 8 cm (about 3 in) chunks (I have cut my daikon in three parts).

Then cut each piece lengthwise in two, then cut each half lengthwise into 1 cm-thick strips.

They should be more or less similarly thick, but not necessarily identical.

Dry it following the instructions I gave here (using a radiator, an oven or hanging it above the stove).

When the daikon has dried completely (it has to be tough when you touch it: the drier it is, the longer it will keep; otherwise it can become mouldy), you can start the pickling process.

If dried daikon strips are too long to be considered “bite-sized”, cut them in two.

Put the daikon strips into a bowl of boiling water and leave there for about 30 minutes.

In the meantime dissolve the sugar in the mixture of vinegar and soy sauce.

Shred the chili pepper and put into the pickling mixture.

Squeeze the soaked daikon and dry it. Put it into the pickling mixture and leave in the fridge for 3 hours, shaking from time to time so that it pickles equally.

Eventually, the dried strips will absorb all the pickling liquid (the photo above was taken only after ten minutes’ pickling, hence the liquid at the bottom).

Such pickles can be left in the fridge for several days (or maybe weeks? I have no idea because I have managed to keep them only for two days).

Easiest Chewy Coconut Cookies

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kokos_pj

If sometimes you don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, but are in urgent need of easy sweet snacks, you might be interested in these cookies. I believe they are similar to what is called “coconut macaroons” in North America, but they are much simpler and quicker to prepare. They require maximum ten minutes of work before being baked, you don’t need any kitchen appliances and, last but not least, they call for only three ingredients, which most of you probably always have in the house (sugar, egg whites and desiccated coconut). This, accidentally, makes them gluten free, if I’m not mistaken. As you will see below, you don’t even need any measuring cups or scales: a tablespoon is all you need. Oh, and I would have forgotten: these cookies are the first thing that comes to my mind when I have leftover egg whites.

I posted them a very very long time ago, but I prepare them so often, I couldn’t resist this quick reminder. I have been making them in the same way for many years and this ridiculously simple recipe is the result of my attempts to copy chewy coconut cookies I used to love as a child. I have however a warning to all those who prefer less sugar in desserts: these cookies are sweeter than most of the desserts I post here! For once I don’t mind it because this sticky, chewy texture I go crazy for couldn’t be achieved with less sugar. I sometimes bake them in mini-muffin moulds, but most of the time I don’t bother and form “pucks” with moist hands and then bake them directly on baking paper.

If you don’t like coconut, you might find these biscuits interesting:

hazelnutcookiespp

Easy Chewy Hazelnut Cookies

TIPS : Click here to see a few ideas of how to use up leftover egg yolks if you are left with some (I strongly recommend crème brûlée, maybe even with matcha…)

Since the coconut and sugar dryness vary (not to mention the egg whites size), the given quantities can be only treated as approximate. Check the consistency: you should be able to form balls from the dough, but it should remain very sticky and moist.

Preparation: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (about 15 cookies):

2 egg whites
7 flat tablespoons caster sugar
12 well-heaped tablespoons desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven at 170°C.

Take a bowl, mix everything with a spoon, adding gradually sugar and coconut. Since the coconut and sugar dryness vary (not to mention the egg whites size), the given quantities can be only treated as approximate. Check the consistency: you should be able to form balls from the dough, but it should remain very sticky and moist.

Form small balls (medium apricot size) with moist hands, put on baking paper or greased baking tray and squash slightly.

You can also use mini-muffin moulds (any moulds you have and like will do).

Bake the biscuits until slightly golden (about 20 minutes in my oven).

They keep for several days if covered with plastic film.

Székely Gulyàs with Gochujang, or Koreanised Hungarian Pork and Sauerkraut Stew

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gulyasgochujangpj

Hungarians and Koreans have at least one thing in common: a huge passion for chili pepper. In spite of such an important link I don’t think I have ever heard of Hungarian-Korean fusions dishes. I don’t know how and why I had a crazy idea to incorporate gochujang (Korean chili paste) into the Hungarian Székely Gulyàs, but I have greatly enjoyed this amusing experiment and thought I would share my impressions with you.

Most of you have probably heard about the famous Hungarian Gulyàs. Székely Gulyàs (pronounced “see-cay goo-yash”) looks and tastes different, mainly because it includes sauerkraut (fermented cabbage). I discovered it last year thanks to Zsuzsa ( from Zsuzsa is in the kitchen). I wrote about it last year (here) and have prepared it many times without feeling any need of alterations. The origins of the name are not clear. Some people say it comes from an ethnic group called “Székely”, who still lives in the present Romania, others – like Kàroly Gundel, a famous Hungarian cook – say it was named after a writer Jozsef Székely, whom Gundel calls the “godfather” of this stew. Whatever the origins, Székely Gulyàs is worth discovering. It is quick, easy, can be made in advance and even though it’s hearty, it has few calories and almost no fat (if you use lean meat). In short, it’s a perfect one-pot meal for cold winter days and the same could be said about its Koreanised version.

Gochujang, one of the staples of the Korean cuisine, is a sticky hot paste based on chili and soy beans. It has different levels of hotness, but gets never as strong as, say Thai curry paste. Here gochujang, used instead of dried Hungarian paprika, mellowed the flavours and brought a different complexity to the final result. Combining gochujang with European saurekraut seemed weird at first, but on the other hand, gochujang is often added to warm dishes containing kimchi (Korean fermented cabbage), so finally the satisfying result of my experiment shouldn’t come as such a big surprise. As a final Korean touch, I have added some toasted sesame seeds and sprinkled the dish with Korean chili pepper. I hope that my Hungarian friends will not be shocked by these bold alterations.

If you don’t feel like “Koreanising” this Hungarian dish, you might want to try the “basic” Székely Gulyàs:

TIPS:

Székely Gulyàs is traditionally served with sour cream, but I find it equally delicious with thick sour milk or Greek yogurt. It was surprisingly good with this Koreanised version.

Like many stews, this one gets at least twice as good when reheated the following day. Actually it improves every time it’s reheated.

Do not throw away the liquid drained from the sauerkraut. You can add it during the cooking process if you feel your dish is not tangy enough. Personally I love my sauerkraut dishes very tangy, so I don’t even drain the liquid most of the time.

Preparation: about 2 hours (but it’s definitely best reheated the following day)

Ingredients (serves 2):

300 g lean pork

1 small onion

1 big garlic clove

300-350 ml sauerkraut (raw, not cooked)

3 tablespoons gochujang (medium hot) or more, depending on your preferences

1-2 tablespoons oil

sour cream or milk

salt, pepper

2 teaspoons toasted white sesame seeds

Korean dried chili pepper (to sprinkle on top)

Drain the sauerkraut, but don’t throw away the liquid (see the TIP above).

Cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.

Chop the onion and the garlic.

Fry the onion until soft.

Add the meat and fry it until golden brown.

Take the pan from the heat, add the spices and the garlic, 125 ml (1/2 cup) water.

Lower the heat and simmer the meat covered for one hour.

Take off the lid, add the sauerkraut and some more hot water to cover the whole dish.

Add the gochujang.

Continue to simmer first uncovered, then, after 30 minutes, covered for about 1 hour in total.

Add sesame seeds about 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with a splash with sour cream and/or sprinkled with Korean chili pepper. You can let it cool down, refrigerate overnight and serve it reheated the following day. (You can also freeze it).

Okonomiyaki (Japanese Savoury Pancake) with Bok Choy and Chicken

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okono_bokchoypj

If you don’t know okonomiyaki yet (I have written about it here and here), I will repeat what I have said in one of my posts: this messy-looking dish is one of the most brilliant inventions of the Japanese cuisine. Easy, quick, versatile and full of flavours, it is a dish one falls in love with at first bite and becomes instantly addicted to. Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き ), often called “Japanese pancake” or “Japanese pizza”, means more or less “grill what you like” (“okonomi” means “what you like/want” and ”yaki” means here “grilled”). In fact, apart from a regular “basis”, different ingredients can be added and okonomiyaki restaurants offer a whole range of versions. I have fallen in love with okonomiyaki at the first bite, it has become the most frequent Japanese dish I prepare and never get tired of it after dozens of meals. I have to say once more that this is one of those Japanese dishes which could become famous and loved all around the world due to its versatile ingredients and the lack of obligatory “exotic” products.

As a reminder, okonomiyaki is composed of three parts: the batter, the filling and the toppings. The batter has two main regional versions: Kansai (Osaka) style, according to which pancake batter is mixed with shredded cabbage, and Hiroshima style, which contains also noodles. I “practice” only the former which is lighter and easier to prepare. Beef, pork, dried shrimp and squid are the most popular ingredients added to the basic mixture, which is formed into a thick circle and fried or grilled. In Japanese restaurants clients grill the mixture of their choice over a smooth teppanyaki grill and I remember my okonomiyaki lunch as lots of fun.

Just before serving, okonomiyaki is topped with different ingredients. My favourite – and now obligatory – are mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce (which I prepare with a mixture of ketchup, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce), katsuobushi (dried shaved bonito, hated by many Westerners) and chives or spring onions. I also like to spice it up, adding hot paste, hot oil, chili bean sauce… Many people serve pickled ginger on top, but I prefer to serve it aside.

Visit Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking, Nami’s Just One Cookbook, Robert-Gilles’s Shizuoka Gourmet, Arudhi’s A Box of Kitchen to learn more about other okonomiyaki versions and Charles’s Five Euro Food to see a very European interpretation.

Since I discovered how to make okonomiyaki (here I must thank once more Hiroyuki, Nami, Robert-Gilles, Arudhi and Charles, who inspired me greatly with their different okonomiyaki versions), I must have prepared at least dozen different permutations (I have posted only two of them: first one with eringi mushrooms, bacon and dried shrimp and another one, with chicken). Nowadays fried pieces of chicken breast are my absolute favourite addition to the batter, although a Japanese friend told me this is unheard of in Japan. Anyway, I can add what I want, can’t I? As for toppings, these never change.

Bok choy, or pak choy (“chingensai” チンゲンサイ in Japanese) is not a traditional okonomiyaki ingredient . I only use it in stir-fries, so my choice of pak choy was purely accidental: it was late and my shop ran out of cabbage, but had beautiful, fresh bok choy. It is softer and much more delicate than white cabbage, therefore I worried it would become mushy and lose its delicate taste. I was wrong of course! Bok choy’s stalks were still slightly crunchy, the taste was subtler and made this okonomiyaki seem lighter and fresher. It was a nice change from the regularly used cabbage and I was glad to discover a new way to use bok choy. Needless to say, if you are familiar with okonomiyaki, I encourage you to try it with bok choy and if you are not, do try preparing any of the versions, such as these:

chickenoko2p

… with Chicken

oko2p

… with Eringi Mushrooms and bacon

TIPS: Okonomiyaki batter mixture in powder can be bought in Japanese grocery shops or prepared from the scratch. Personally I am happy to prepare it from the scratch since it takes two minutes and I’m sure it tastes better. I have seen different batter recipes. Mine is composed of an egg, flour, dashi (Japanese stock), salt, pepper, baking powder and, last but not least, grated mountain yam (or yamaimo in Japanese), a slimy cousin of the potato (I find it in organic shops but it is sold in Asian groceries too) and I sometimes add a splash of milk. Both yam and dashi are not obligatory. When I don’t have yam or dashi, I simply omit them, trying to keep the same pancake-like texture (milk can be used instead of dashi). The result is still delicious, albeit slightly different.

Okonomioyaki mixture (with the cabbage) can be prepared in advance and fried/grilled the following day. As an addict, I often make a bigger batch and have it two days in a row. (Actually I even had it recently for three meals in a row: a lunch, a dinner and a lunch the following day…).

Special equipment: a big pancake spatula is very useful to flip okonomiyaki

Preparation: 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2):

Batter:

5 slightly heaped tablespoons flour

30 ml (about 1/8 cup) dashi (Japanese stock, home-made or instant) or milk or a mixture of both

1 egg

3 cm grated mountain yam (yamaimo) (can be omitted, but then less flour should be added)

salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

(pepper)

Filling:

10 bok choy leaves and stalks (or more if the bok choy is small) chopped or finely cubed

1 chicken breast

1 tablespoon oil

Topping:

dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

okonomiyaki sauce (or a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce)

mayonnaise

chopped chives or spring onions

2 tablespoons oil

(chili paste, oil or sauce, such as Taberu Rayu)

(pickled ginger)

Cut up the chicken breast into small cubes (1 cm x 1 cm). Season with salt and pepper, fry until golden brown and put aside.

In a big bowl combine the batter ingredients. Add the filling ingredients and adjust their amount (the mixture should be very thick, not liquid and the batter should only bind the ingredients together and not dominate them).

Heat one tablespoon oil in a frying pan or on a smooth grill (called teppanyaki grill or la plancha).

Put half of the okonomiyaki mixture in a more or less round-shaped heap (you can adjust it on the pan).

Flatten delicately the pancake, but not too much. Otherwise it might fall into pieces when you turn it over. (My okonomiyaki is max. 1,5 cm/about 1/2 inch high)

Cover the pan and let it fry at medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes until you see the upper part of batter set. If you use an old-fashioned pan (steel or iron), you might have to turn down the heat to the lowest because it might burn.

Flip the pancake over, cover once more and fry for another 5 minutes.

Repeat the same with the remaining batter mixture.

Serve topped with (I always do it in this order): okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, dried bonito flakes, chives (or spring onion) and chili sauce/oil or paste or anything you wish.

Brittany Bean Stew (Fasolka po bretońsku)

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fasolkabrpj

Surprisingly, this stew doesn’t come from Brittany, but from Poland and is actually unheard of in the region its name bears (Cassoulet is the only French bean stew I know but it is quite different and comes from another part of the country). This one-pot simple meal is very far from impressive culinary creations, but the blend of tomato sauce, smoked sausage and marjoram create unique flavours and aroma, making it absolutely irresistible (at least in my case). I have been meaning to write about this comfort dish for quite a long time because I think it would please the palates of most of you. Moreover, I know the ingredients are available in most (at least Western) countries. Luckily I was reminded of it by the famous Greek soup called Fasolada, posted by Katerina (Culinary Flavours), not only because it’s based on beans, but also because “fasola” means “bean” in Polish too. (Talking of beans, MJ (MJ’s Kitchen) has recently posted a typical Southern US Hoppin’ John, which she called Skippin’ Jenny).

Different bean stews exist all around the world, not only in Greece or in the US. At first sight they might be similar – they usually contain beans, meat, onions and often tomato sauce – but what appears as small details is what makes the biggest difference. In case of the Polish stew smoked meat and/or sausages are extremely important, but marjoram is simply compulsory. Marjoram is one of the most ubiquitous herbs in the Polish cuisine and added to smoked meat and such heavy ingredients as beans or cabbage, not only does it improve the digestion but also gives the special Polish “touch”. Without it, this is just a vague, international bean stew.

My – slightly modified – recipe is taken from this Polish website.

TIPS: The use of Maggi (which I had considered for a long time a typically Polish seasoning until I talked to my Asian and Swiss friends who were also convinced their countries/regions had invented it) is not necessary, but to me it brings back childhood memories. Actually the bottle of Maggi I keep is used only in 2-3 Polish dishes.

I don’t think any of you would be tempted to skip tomato juice/concentrate or onions or beans, but I insist once more on the absolute necessity to include smoked meat (sausage is the best here) and marjoram. It cannot be substituted with thyme or origan or any other herb. If you cannot get marjoram in your country, please contact me and I will happily send you some.

Like most one-pot, home dishes, this one tastes better reheated the following day, and even better two days after. It freezes very well too.

This is one of these dishes where using dried, time-consuming beans is really worth the effort and time. Canned beans can be used too, but the taste is not as good.

Preparation: 2 hours (+ one night for soaking beans, if you use dried beans)

Ingredients (serves 3):

400 g (about 14 oz) white dried beans (I prefer the biggest I can find, but any variety will do) or 800 – 900 g drained canned beans (I do not mean the cans’ weight but the drained beans’ weight)

300 g (about 10 oz) smoked meat or sausage (bacon, sausage etc., I usually prefer half sausage half smoked lean pork, but sausage alone is great too)

1 big onion

3 big garlic cloves

3 tablespoons dried marjoram

1 tablespoon dried savory (not obligatory)

2 litres (about 8 cups) chicken or vegetable stock

5-6 tablespoons tomato purée

3 tablespoons Maggi (not obligatory)

salt, pepper, sweet paprika, hot paprika

If using dried beans soak them in water overnight.

Rinse them and cook in the chicken stock for one hour or until they become slightly tender.

If you use canned beans, drain them and wash off the canning liquid.

In the meantime chop the onion and fry it in 1 tablespoon oil until it becomes transparent.

Cut up the smoked meat into bite-sized pieces. Slice the sausage.

Fry them with the onion for a couple of minutes, constantly stirring.

Put aside.

Add the fried meat and onion to the cooked beans (if you use canned beans, add 1 litre vegetable or chicken stock or water with instant stock).

Chop the garlic and add to the pot together with the tomato purée and the remaining spices and herbs.

Simmer for one hour at very low heat, adding water if necessary.

The final consistency should be very thick, not soupy.

Serve with bread.

Indian Chickpeas in Tangy Sauce (Khatte Channe)

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indianchickpj

Happy New Year, my dear readers! I hope you have spent wonderful, palate-pleasing holidays. I bet many of you have made new year’s resolutions, just like I did, and probably some of them concern food too. I wish you all the discipline, the courage and the patience to stick to them! This Indian chickpeas dish illustrates two of my 2013 goals: cooking more legumes and using more often the fascinating cookery books I own and tend to forget, such as the highly reliable Classic Indian Cookery by Julie Sahni, where I found this excellent recipe. As for my sudden longing for Indian flavours, I owe it to Eva (Kitchen Inspirations), who dazzled me with her extraordinary Indian feast throughout half of December (it started here and went on for several impressive posts).

Khatte Channe can have different consistencies, going from a thick soup to a dish with moderated amount of sauce and this version falls into the latter category. I will not bore you with the detailed description of the subtle and complex mixture of flavours (I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway) and will simply say it is the best chickpeas dish I have ever had in my life. One more successful adventure with Julie Sahni’s book, proving that I should open it more often. (Another delightful dish I have prepared following Julie Sahni’s instructions and posted here was Butter Chicken, which, contrary to its name, wasn’t greasy or heavy.)

I have slightly changed the spices’ amounts and adapted the recipe to four servings. Of course, like many Indian dishes in sauce, this one can be made in advance and reheated (the fresh sliced onion and fresh chili should be added however only before the dish is served).

TIPS: If you cannot find tamarind, you might use some lemon or lime juice instead. If you can find it, buy it because it keeps forever in the fridge and apart from the tanginess, brings a very particular taste. Tamarind is sold in Asian shops (not only Indian), usually in blocks (about 200g/ 7 oz) containing both the pulp and seeds and has to be dissolved in hot water.

Julie Sahni emphasizes the importance of the long onion browning stage in many Indian dishes and I must confess I first tried short cuts, i.e. quickly softening onions instead. I quickly realised the final result obtained with browned onions is well worth the effort of constant stirring for 20 minutes.

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (serves four as a side-dish with rice and for example a meat dish):

2 x 400 g (about 2 x 16 oz) cans chickpeas or cooked chickpeas + 125 ml liquid from the cans or cooking liquid

1 big onion

2 medium garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 cm (0,8 in) piece of block of tamarind paste

1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

200g (2/3 or about 7 oz) small can of chopped tomatoes or 200 g (7 oz) fresh tomatoes, skinned and chopped

1 heaped teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon garam masala

oil

1 teaspoon roasted and then ground cumin seeds

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 fresh green chili pepper finely chopped (I have used red chili pepper and only sliced it)

Drain the chickpeas, keeping the liquid aside.

Dissolve the tamarind paste in 190 ml (about 6 oz) boiling water, squashing it with a fork. After a couple of minutes strain the juice thus obtained, getting as much as you can out of the paste.

Slice the big onion.

Chop the garlic cloves.

Heat 2 – 3 tablespoons oil in a pan. Fry the onion, constantly stirring for about 20 minutes until they become “caramel”, as the author calls it. Add the garlic and stir-fry it for 2 minutes.

Add turmeric, cayenne pepper, tomatoes and the ginger.

Cook the sauce at medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the tamarind juice and and the chickpeas liquid.

Let everything simmer covered, at low heat for 15 minutes.

Finally add the drained chickpeas, garam masala, the cumin and cook for 10 more minutes.

Season with salt and serve sprinkled with sliced fresh onion and chopped or sliced fresh chili.

Wonton Cups, or Edible Snack Containers

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wontoncupspj

As you may have noticed I have taken a small break from blogging. After an intense shopping and cooking period, I have been spending recent days eating the remains of Christmas food, drinking wine, going through the tons of books I was offered for Christmas and, in general, enjoying a most lazy end of the year. I hope you are also relaxing and enjoying this festive period. The recipe I am going to present today perfectly illustrates my partly idle and festive mood. In fact, if I were to make a list of recipes with the highest attractiveness vs easiness ratio, these dumpling wrapper cups would win hands up. I will not exaggerate if I say that in my case they have revolutionised the world of snacks and particularly of finger food.

The ridiculously simple “recipe” keeps in one sentence really: brush the wonton wrappers with oil, line muffin moulds with it and bake for ten minutes. Once the edible, crisp cups are ready, you can fill them with practically whatever you wish, as long as it doesn’t leak. As you see, this time I chose my beloved guacamole, but the possibilities are really infinite. I can already imagine myriads of dips, salads and even grilled dishes, which served in these small cups would brighten up any party table.

This unusual way to use wonton skins is one of the most extraordinary cooking discoveries of this year and I owe it to Juliana (Simple Recipes) who, thanks to her beautiful post featuring wonton cups with smoked salmon filling, taught me the most magical snack trick in the world. Thank you so much, Juliana, for this amazing idea!

Before I pass to the recipe I would like to wish all my dear readers a very happy and prosperous New Year. May this upcoming year make all your dreams come true.

TIPS: If you want your cups neat and round, follow Juliana’s advice and cut off the corners before baking the skins. I found the uneven corners quite amusing (especially since it made the recipe even lazier…).

Before filling the cups with salads and other dishes with sauce, make sure they are well drained; the cups are not 100% waterproof!

Cut the filling’s ingredients into small chunks, so that the cups are easy to eat.

The cups can be made in advance (even two days in advance) and kept (empty) covered with paper towels.

Here are some other wonton filling suggestions:

Smoked Mackerel and Egg Spread

Rice Salad with Shrimp and Avocado

Onion Confit with Fig and Port

Mango, Chicken and Cucumber Salad

Fresh Cheese Spread

Avocado and Walnut Salad

Baba Ghanouj

Korean Stir-Fried Squid

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

wonton (Asian dumpling) wrappers (thawed)

oil

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).

Brush wonton wrappers with oil, piling them up and slightly pressing so that you brush only one side of each sheet, but both sides end up oily.

Line muffin moulds (or other small moulds) with the wrappers and bake for about 10 minutes until they become golden brown.

(I use silicone moulds, so no need to grease them, but if you use metal tins you might need to brush them with oil).

As soon as the cups cool down, fill them with whatever comes to your mind and serve.

Empty cups keep crunchy for three days covered with paper towels.

Taramosalata (Greek Fish Roe Dip)

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taramosalatapj

“Free style”, easy-looking recipes are either a blessing or a curse. I have no idea to which category belongs taramasalata, but I am proud to say that even my very first humble attempt to prepare it gave flavoursome, satisfying results. I wonder why I waited so long before making this easy home-made version of the famous fish roe dip.

As many of you probably know, taramosalata is a Greek fish roe dip (“tarama” means fish roe and “salata”… salad) and is usually made with carp or cod roe, oil, lemon juice and bread crumbs or mashed potatoes. According to Wikipedia similar roe spreads apparently exist also in Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania. I am not Greek nor have any links with these nationalities, but taramosalata has kept me company since early childhood. I have always been crazy for what I knew at the time as “caviar paste” and buttered bread with a generous layer of this delicacy was one of my beloved snacks. Since the only brand I knew was Swedish, I had been convinced until recently that it was a traditional Swedish product. Since I have never tasted taramosalata made in Greece, nowadays the only two commercial taramasalatas I like also come from Sweden.

I had no idea what the home-made taramosalata should taste like, so I have no comparison, but what you see above was very different from what I used to buy. In a good sense of course; it’s not as horribly salty, not as “violent” and strangely addictive… I couldn’t stop myself from snacking on it all evening… According to Wikipedia, taramosalata is served in Greece on the first day of Easter Lent, but personally I could have it every single day, all year long. I have no idea what the Greeks serve it with (it’s my first Greek recipe on this blog!) but until now a slice of buttered French baguette is my favourite choice. I have also greatly enjoyed it with crunchy Finnish rye bread and with German pumpernickel. Taste wise taramasalata pairs well with cucumber and dill. I like to serve it as a snack on small toasts when my taramasalata-loving friends come for drinks and cannot wait to make them taste my home-made version.

After reading many different recipes on Greek cooking blogs I realised everyone made taramosalata in a different way. Unfortunately Katerina, my favourite Greek blogger, hasn’t written about it, so I finally decided to improvise and develop my own recipe. The result has got almost nothing in common with what I have known until now (on the other hand I used roe from a different fish), but the paste is delicious. Since I improvised a lot, I encourage you to treat the below recipe only as a guide line and adapt it to your own preferences and products you use.

TIPS: I have used here cheap IKEA herring roe bought for the purpose of what I considered a risky experiment. You can use any other fish roe of course. According to many people the whiter the roe, the better the quality.

I have preferred extra-virgin olive oil, but it has a stronger taste and is slightly bitter compared to canola oil which is more neutral. Up to you to decide.

With the below small amount a small baby food processor works the best.

I found that taramasalata greatly improves after several hours in the fridge, so I advise you to prepare it in advance.

Preparation: 15 minutes+ 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (yields about 200 ml/ 1 1/2 cup taramasalata):

85 g (3 oz) cured fish roe (for this first experiment I have used cheap herring roe bought at IKEA)

2- 3 slices of soft white bread (without crust) soaked in water and squeezed

125 ml (1/2 cup) oil (I have used extra-virgin olive oil, but canola oil has a more neutral taste)

1/2 small onion, chopped

chili powder and salt to taste

juice from 1/2 lemon

(fresh dill)

Put the fish roe, 2 soaked slices of bread, the onion and half of the oil in a food processor and mix until smooth and fluffy.

Add more oil and mix once more.

If the consistency is too thick, add more oil and mix once more.

If it’s too liquid, add the third soaked bread slice.
Season with lemon juice, chili and salt and mix once more. Chill for a couple of hours.
Serve sprinkled with fresh dill.

Unbaked Layered Chocolate Cake (Stefanka)

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stefankapj

My blogging friends’ impressive layered cakes (check Zsuzsa’s Chocolate and Caramel Apple cakes and Mr. Three Cookies’s multi-layered Russian Honey Cake) brought back one of my sweetest childhood memories: a frugal layered cake called Stefanka, one of my favourite chocolate treats in those days. Contrary to Poppy Seed and Chocolate Cake, my eternal number one, but reserved for special occasions, Stefanka was a very simple and quick staple weekend chocolate treat.

The original cake calls for several layers of “real” baked pastry, usually made with honey (a common point with the Russian Honey Cake made by Mr. Three-Cookies) and two different filling versions exist: cocoa butter cream or custardy, white cream thickened with semolina. In the simplified, quick homely interpretation my mum preferred (very popular in households at the time) baked layers are replaced with Petit Beurre biscuits. The white cream option was of course out of question in a house full of chocoholics. My only modification in this cake is using my beloved chocolate ganache instead of the traditional cocoa butter cream, which I find too heavy and fatty (and also not very rich in chocolate flavours). “Stefanka” is in a way a diminutive of “Stefania” and I still remember how surprised I was by its obvious similarity in both name and composition to the Hungarian Stefània Cake I saw at Zsuzsa’s blog. I haven’t made any research yet, but I would love to discover the mysterious travels of this recipe until it became so popular in two different countries.

As I have already mentioned, this is a very easy cake (for me the only tricky part is distributing the cream evenly, as you can see at the photo above…. but this doesn’t influence the taste). In short, if you have square/rectangular biscuits, good chocolate, some cream in the fridge, then you have everything you need to prepare a delicious chocolate dessert. The soaking mixture for biscuits is not obligatory, but it makes the biscuits softer and adds a rummy flavour.

Other layered cakes you might also like:

the above mentioned Poppy Cake with Chocolate Ganache

and the ridiculously easy Apple Cake.

UPDATE! I would have forgotten the most challenging layered cake I have ever made:

the unusual, surprising Hungarian Zserbo (Gerbaud) of which I am particularly proud (I cannot say this alas about the photo…)

TIPS: If you have never seen Petit Beurre, it’s a rectangular butter biscuit; here is the link to some photos:

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petit_beurre

Any similar, neutral-tasting butter biscuit can be used instead of course as long as it’s rectangular or square.

If you don’t have any nuts to sprinkle on top (or if you don’t like nuts), crush one or two leftover biscuits and use them instead.

Addition of instant coffee to chocolate desserts is my regular habit, but it is not obligatory of course.

Preparation: 1 hour+ at least 5 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 8):

1x 200 g/about 7 oz package of Petit Beurre biscuits (or similar, rectangular or square thin sweet biscuits)

Cream (chocolate ganache):

200 g/ about 7 oz good quality chocolate (dark, at least 70% cocoa)

170 ml/about 2/3 cup liquid cream (I have used 25% fat)

(1 teaspoon instant coffee)

Soaking mixture for biscuits (not obligatory):

1 small coffee cup of very strong black tea

3-4 tablespoons ml rum or other aromatic alcohol (or 1 teaspoon artificial rum flavouring)

1 tablespoon sugar

(walnuts to sprinkle on top)

Prepare the ganache.

Bring the cream to a boil. Put the pan aside and quickly stirring, incorporate the broken chocolate until it melts.

(Add the coffee, if using).

Put into the fridge for about one hour (it should thicken a bit, but be still a bit runny).

Place 5 biscuits in a row on a cutting board (or other hard rectangular surface) lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle them with 1 tablespoon of soaking mixture.

Spoon over the biscuits about 1/4 of the ganache (don’t worry if it leaks at the sides a bit).

Place another layer of 5 biscuits, but starting with half a biscuit and finishing with half a biscuit too (this way the spaces between biscuits are not in the same place and the cake will not desintegrate).

Sprinkle with soaking mixture, spoon over the ganache.

Cover with another layer of biscuits (this time starting with a whole biscuit) and repeat until you finish the fourth layer.

Sprinkle with soaking mixture and soon over it the remaining ganache.

Gather the ganache that leaked at the sides, smoothing it at the sides of the cake.

Sprinkle with walnuts or crushed biscuits.

Refrigerate for at least several hours (the best results are after a night in the fridge).

Cabbage and Ramen Noodle Salad

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ramensaladpj

This is, without any doubts, the star of this winter’s salads. I saw it several months ago on Azusa’s blog (Humble Bean) and wouldn’t stop thinking about it. How could I forget a recipe which had dried uncooked noodles among its ingredients? I simply waited for this time of the year when cabbage is one of the rare seasonal salad vegetables. Even though the salad looked beautiful, I must admit that the intriguing use of noodles was what tempted me most of all to prepare it. In fact I didn’t expect even half as good result and certainly not such a wonderful, complex side dish. The crunchy mixture of dry noodles, peanuts and sesame seeds is of course the focal point here. Once browned in butter, it proved an amazing topping and a perfect company for the sweet and sour salad dressing. I can very well see it sprinkled on many other dishes too. (Maybe I’m wrong, but I suppose the Japanese would call it “furikake”.) I made this salad for the first time yesterday, I have had it once more today and am already looking forward to serving it tomorrow. I think it will be my staple this winter just like Azusa’s Tomato and Shiso Salad was for the last two summers. Thank you so much, Azusa, for one more extraordinary discovery!

This recipe comes from a Hawaiian cookery book and accidentally it would go perfectly well with Shoyu Chicken, the only other Hawaiian dish I prepare (also found at Humble Bean). It would be an original alternative to coleslaw or any salad served with roast meat or birds during holidays. The guests’ amazement is guaranteed!

I have slightly modified the recipe mainly using peanuts instead of almonds, adding salt to the crunchy mixture (I still don’t know why I did it but it was a good decision) and scaling it down to a dish for two. Visit Humble Bean to see the original recipe.

TIP: The best way to crush both peanuts and noodles is to put them in a resistant bag (such as ziplock) and crush them with the bottom of a bowl for example.

I have made a bigger amount of the crunchy mixture (it has to be kept open, otherwise it will lose its crunchiness) and the following day the salad took me only 5 minutes to prepare. The mixture cannot be kept for a long period though (it might get rancid).

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

150 g (about 2 cups) shredded white cabbage or a mixture or white and red cabbage

Crunchy mixture:

4 flat tablespoons crushed ramen noodles (Chinese-style “curly” wheat noodles)

2 flat tablespoons sesame seeds

3 flat tablespoons crushed peanuts (the original recipe calls for almonds)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Dressing:

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar (I have used agave syrup)

3 tablespoons chopped green onion (I had chives, so I have used them instead)

Heat the butter in a pan and, at low heat, brown the mixture of noodles, peanuts and sesame seeds, constantly stirring. When the noodles become golden, put the pan aside and combine the mixture with the salt.

Combine the dressing ingredients. Combine it with the shredded cabbage.

Sprinkle the salad with crunchy mixture and green onion or chives.

Give the salad a stir just before serving it.

Coconut, Chocolate and Rum Truffles (Bounty Truffles)

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bountytrufflespj

As soon as I think about the approaching Christmas, I feel like making truffles. I am always planning to offer them as edible presents and… finally end up eating most of them on my own (although I did manage to offer some Prunes in Chocolate last year!). Last week I was looking for something new and browsing through cooking blogs I finally found on this wonderful blog the inspiration I was looking for: Bounty truffles. Unable to stick to almost any sweet recipe, I have modified this one too, mainly replacing butter and sugar with white chocolate, switching to dark chocolate and using real rum.

After all these changes I found the result surprisingly successful (even though my truffles are far from looking as neat and perfect as the original). If you share my passion for coconut and dark chocolate, you will certainly love them. The rum adds a certain lightness, freshness and elegance you shouldn’t refuse these otherwise homely, rich sweet treats. Therefore I want to emphasize that unless you hate rum or cannot consume alcohol (I don’t talk about those who get drunk easily because 2 tablespoons alcohol in 20 truffles wouldn’t affect even the weakest head), do not skip it!

If you are not fond of the above mixture of flavours, you might like some of these:

Matcha, White Chocolate and Oat Truffles

Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles

Prunes in Chocolate

Thrifty Truffles

TIPS: Melting dark chocolate here might prove difficult for those who have never made it. There are several methods: microwaving, melting in a hot water bath and simple melting in a pan over very low heat. My favourite is the latter. I break the chocolate into pieces, in a small pan, on very low heat, constantly stirring. The important thing is not to let the chocolate boil. Take the pan off the heat before the chocolate melts completely (I usually wait until 90% of chocolate melts) and keep on stirring. It will melt in the already warm melted remaining chocolate and this way you will avoid bringing chocolate to a boiling point, which makes it impossible to use. I usually melt butter this way together with chocolate.

The above method doesn’t work for everyone though (it’s easy to boil the chocolate and spoil it), so you might want to try the safer method recently mentioned here by A_Boleyn: put the broken chocolate into a metal bowl. Place it over a pan of boiling water. Turn off the heat and stir the chocolate vigorously until it melts.

Melting in a microwave consists of doing it in several short stages, but the details depend on the chocolate amount and the microwave you use (Eva does it in several 15-second stages).

(White chocolate is melted here together with cream, see below).

If you want to sprinkle the truffles with coconut, moist them slightly with water and the sprinkled coconut will stick.

Preparation: 20 minutes + 2-3 hours

Ingredients (yields about 20 truffles):

100 ml/about 3,5 oz cream (at least 18 % fat)

100 g/about 3,5 oz white chocolate

2 cups/500 ml desiccated coconut

100 g/about 3,5 oz dark or milk chocolate (whichever you use, choose a good quality product; it will make a huge difference)

2 tablespoons rum

Pour the cream to a small pan.

Break the white chocolate into pieces and throw into the cream.

Heat the mixture of cream and chocolate on very low heat, constantly stirring until the chocolate is dissolved. (Do not overcook!)

Put aside.

Add the rum, the coconut and mix well.

Put into the fridge for 30 minutes until the mixture becomes very cold and easier to handle.

Form truffles, rolling them delicately on the inside of your palms.

Put them back into the fridge, placing them on baking paper (so that they don’t stick).

After 1 hour take the truffles out of the fridge.

Melt the dark or milk chocolate (see TIPS above).

Dip each coconut truffle in a bowl with melted chocolate and put back on the baking paper.
Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Drying Apples, Using a Radiator, an Oven or a Stove

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driedapplespj

I have always loved dried apples for their tanginess and chewy texture and even though I eat them regularly, I have never bought them in my whole life. My mum used to dry apples which were too wilted to be eaten or very acid, tart varieties offered by friends or family, who had trees going wild. Some fruits were even too bad to be baked, but drying worked like a magic wand, transforming them into flavoursome, healthy snacks. I have been doing the same for many years, but it is really nothing to boast about: dried apples are the easiest home-made snacks I know. Especially if, like me, you can dry them on… radiators.

My mum dried apples in three different ways: in the oven, over the stove and on radiators, the last method being the most frequent (and my absolute favourite). In fact, even though they are not often considered as such, radiators are excellent drying appliances in heating season: easy to use, absolutely free and not requiring our presence or much attention. Of course this will not work if you have floor heating or if your radiators have a drying-unfriendly shape (although you can always play with threads… see below). I have always been lucky to have drying-friendly radiators in every flat I lived in.

Drying in the oven is not more difficult, but it consumes energy and requires your presence at home (unless you are one of those people who trust electric appliances and leave ovens, dish washers and washing machines on when they go out; I have lost my faith in machines after a serious accident with a relatively new washing machine). Drying over the stove is probably the oldest fruit-drying method. It is also cost-free (unless you rarely cook), but requires preferably a gas stove and a bit more work beforehand because apple pieces have to be thread on strings or threads and placed above the stove.

Dried apples are very handy in a mixture of snacks served with drinks. They might be a nice healthy, slightly tangy accent among the nuts, crisps, chips or whatever you plan to serve with drinks during the approaching end-of-year parties. Obviously, do not mention that these snacks were a way of saving dying fruits from the bin and even less that you have dried them on a radiator!

TIPS: Whatever method you choose, keep tasting apples every several hours. This way you will choose the texture and dryness level you prefer.

If you mix several different varieties, dry them separately and put in labelled different jars. My favourite are acid varieties but many people prefer the sweeter, floury ones.

Preparation: several hours – several days

Ingredients (the final yield depends on the apple variety and on the dryness level):

apples (can be very wilted)

Peel the apples, core them and cut into thin slices (they should be 1/2 cm/ 1/5 inch thick; otherwise you will obtain crisps (or chips)).

You can cut the whole apples (this will produce slices with a hole inside) or if you don’t have the apple corer, cut the apples in quarters, core them and then slice each quarter.

———DRYING ON A RADIATOR:

Cut a piece of baking paper similar in size and shape to the surface of your radiator.

Place the apple pieces, making sure they do not touch each other.

If your radiators are very thin or have another form which doesn’t allow placing a flat piece of baking paper, you can use the STOVE-DRYING method (see below) and dry your apple pieces on threads hung on radiators.

Taste them every 4-5 hours to check the dryness and texture. I prefer my apples slightly soft.

Put the dried, cool apples in a jar with a lid. They will keep at least for a year (no need to refrigerate).

———DRYING IN THE OVEN:

Preheat the oven to 50°C (122°F).

Place the apple pieces on baking paper, making sure they do not touch each other.

Taste them every 4-5 hours to check the dryness and texture. I prefer my apples slightly soft.

The drying process can be divided into several days.

Put the dried, cool apples in a jar with a lid. They will keep at least for a year (no need to refrigerate).

———DRYING OVER THE STOVE (works best with gas stove):

If you have sliced whole apples and obtained doughnut-like slices with holes, put them on a thick thread and hang high above the stove.

If you have quarter slices (like the ones you see above), take a resistant but thin thread with a needle and, piercing every apple slice, put them on the thread. Hang the thread high above the stove.

The apple slices will dry while you cook, so of course this process should be divided into several days.

Taste them every 4-5 hours to check the dryness and texture. I prefer my apples slightly soft.

Put the dried, cool apples in a jar with a lid. They will keep at least for a year (no need to refrigerate).

Chocolate Terrine with Speculoos (Unbaked Chocolate Cake with Biscuits)

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chterrinespeculoospj

Chocoholics: beware! This chocolate terrine is one of the most dangerous home desserts I know. Once you taste it, you will constantly be tempted to prepare it once more and once more and once more… When you realise that the recipe is ridiculously easy and the result guarantees admiring looks from your guests, you will understand why I praise it so highly. Katerina from Culinary Flavours is the person I hold entirely responsible for turning me into an addict to this rich, creamy, decadent chocolate delicacy. Her seducing photos wouldn’t simply get out of my mind and when I took a first bite, I found it hard to believe that such a quick and simple preparation can lead to something so sublime.

Katerina’s recipe was called “marquise”, but it could also be named “terrine” because similar desserts bear both names in French cookery books. She has used American chocolate cookies; I have used Speculoos, the famous Belgian spice biscuits, which go so well with the winter season we are approaching. Whether you call it terrine or marquise, whatever biscuits and aromatic alcohol you add, you will certainly receive sincere compliments from your guests and family. Thank you, Katerina, for making me discover one of the easiest and most impressive chocolate treats. I will certainly serve it for Christmas.

I have slightly modified Katerina’s recipe and cut down the amounts by half. Since it’s very filling and rich, this mini-terrine/marquise will suffice for six people. For a bigger group or for second servings, double the amounts. Click here to see Katerina’s original recipe and to have a stroll through her wonderful blog with recipes from Greece (her home country) and all around the world.

TIPS: If you don’t melt chocolate often, this might be the only tricky part of this otherwise easy cake. There are different ways to do it, but my favourite is to melt it, broken into pieces, in a small pan, on very low heat, constantly stirring. The important thing is not to let the chocolate boil. Take the pan off the heat before the chocolate melts completely (I usually wait until 90% of chocolate melts) and keep on stirring. It will melt in the already warm melted remaining chocolate and this way you will avoid bringing chocolate to a boiling point, which makes it impossible to use. I usually melt butter this way together with chocolate.

Preparation: 20 minutes+ a night in the fridge

Ingredients (serves six, fills a 4 x 20 cm/about 1,5 x 8 in baking dish or 8-10 x 10 cm/about 3-4 x 4 in square dish):

125 g/4,4 oz good quality dark chocolate (do not use the “baking” chocolate, but good quality one, without vegetable grease and with min. 70% cocoa)

75 ml/2,5 fl oz liquid cream (at least 25% fat)

50 g/1,8 oz butter

60 g/2 oz Speculoos or other biscuits of your choice

(1/2 flat teaspoon instant coffee)

4 flat tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon rum (or any aromatic alcohol that would go well with your biscuits and chocolate)

(crumbled biscuits, cocoa or confectioner’s sugar to sprinkle over the marquise before serving)

Melt the chocolate and the butter (in a pan (see TIPS), in a microwave or in a hot water bath).

Add the sugar, the cream, the alcohol and stir well.

Break the biscuits to small pieces (but not to powder!) and incorporate into the chocolate mixture.

Line a baking dish with plastic film (I advise to fold it in two so that it doesn’t break when you take out the cold marquise).

Pour the chocolate mixture into the dish, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Serve very cold, straight from the fridge, sprinkled with crumbled biscuits, cocoa or confectioner’s sugar or the way it is.

Korean Radish Salad (Musaengchae)

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daikonsaladkpj

Winter – or late autumn – vegetables are scarce and can quickly become boring (especially for someone who doesn’t like pumpkin), but luckily there is daikon, the Asian long white radish. It can be served raw or cooked, but it is only the former which, thanks to its spiciness and crunchiness, reminds me of the spring pink radish. I have always liked the way for example Radish Kimchi stops me from feeling heavy and sleepy after hearty meals. This quick and refreshing salad is one of the rare Korean dishes not really requiring exotic food ingredients (apart from the sesame oil which can be easily skipped) and as such it can be served with many, not only Korean dishes. It should be prepared with “mu”, white Korean radish, which is shorter and plumpier than daikon, but I have never seen it sold, so daikon was the only choice I had. I do not complain though because it’s excellent this way too.

I found this recipe in my Korean cookery book (The Food and Cooking of Korea by Young Jin Song) and have only slightly modified it, but its versions vary a lot on internet. I have seen it with ginger, garlic, green onions… so feel free to modify it, as long as the ingredients stay Korean (whatever it may mean!).

Yesterday I saw Hiroyuki (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking) posted his wife’s Daikon and Tuna salad. I thought it was a funny coincidence to discover two new appetising daikon dishes in one week. Hiroyuki’s wife’s salad is completely different, but very tempting so click here to check it or wait until I post it on my blog .

TIP: The salad does contain chili powder, but the amount and the hotness level depend on your personal choice of course (you can use sweet paprika too). The last batch (several big bags) of Korean chili powder I bought proved to be only slightly hot, so I can use more of it without obtaining fiery results.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 if it’s the only side-dish):

200 g/about 7 oz very cold white Korean radish or daikon

Dressing:

1 teaspoon delicate vinegar (I have used rice vinegar but it can be cider vinegar too)

1/2 teaspoon sugar (I have used agave syrup)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Korean chili powder (or any other chili powder)

(1/2 teaspoon sesame oil)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

toasted sesame seeds

Cut up the radish into matchsticks or grate it on a mandolin or with a special shredder.

Combine the dressing ingredients and stir into the radish.

Serve immediately sprinkled with sesame seeds or put into the fridge and serve it later (it tastes better cold).

Thin Tonkatsu 豚カツ (Thin Japanese Breaded Pork)

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thintonkatsupj

When I try to explain, for the hundredth time, that sushi is not the daily fare of the huge majority of the Japanese and that my favourite, regularly eaten Japanese dishes are not based on raw fish, I usually get incredulous looks and am asked to give some examples. Apart from Korokke, Okonomiyaki, Oyakodon and Karaage, I always cite Tonkatsu. Even though this dish has obvious Western origins (“katsu” is a Japanised version of the word “cutlet” or “côtelette”), it is different from its European counterparts. When I am asked, often with a mocking smile, what is so special about it, I say without hesitation: panko and deep-frying.

For those who have never seen panko, these crunchy flakes made of flour and water are used in Japanese cuisine instead of Western bread crumbs. They are flaky, thin, much crunchier and much lighter after the frying process and, strangely, absorb less fat than traditional bread crumbs. As for deep-frying, it is quicker and gives less fatty results than the European shallow frying method (as long as the right oil temperature is maintained). After having shallow-fried breaded pork all my life, I was amazed to see the dramatical change obtained thanks to panko and deep-frying.

I started to prepare Tonkatsu before meeting Hiroyuki, Nami or Robert-Gilles, bloggers who are my main internet source and inspiration in Japanese cooking adventures. I do not even remember the exact recipe I used for the first time, but it was probably taken from one of the books I own. Every cook has of course his or her tips, but the basic tonkatsu preparation can be resumed in very short instructions. The thick cutlets are pounded, seasoned, dipped in flour, egg, panko and then deep-fried. Tonkatsu is served either on a “bed” of shredded cabbage, on top of a rice bowl or in a sandwich, usually with the equally famous commercial tonkatsu sauce. When I was in Tokyo I had a tonkatsu burger, the most delicious fast food treat I have ever tasted.

Even though I have always wanted to share with you my enthusiasm for this simple dish, it was left in the waiting list because my favourite, very thin tonkatsu is far from the traditional thick version. In my opinion very thin pork cutlets are lighter, crispier, quicker and easier to prepare (no need to pound them), but I had been convinced no one prepared them this way and I didn’t want to be accused of sacrilege.

Imagine my surprise when, last week, while browsing through my friend Nami’s older recipes (Just One Coobook), I saw a thin Tonkatsu version! I was pleasantly surprised to have had the same idea as such a renowned expert and this discovery has emboldened me to write about my version, in spite of the messy presentation and an unorthodox way to serve it. In fact, instead of the traditional tonkatsu sauce (see the TIPS) I most enjoy my tonkatsu with mayonnaise and thick crunchy chili oil sediments ( taken from my Taberu Rayu).

TIPS:

Deep-frying scares many people, but in my opinion it becomes very easy and quick with time. Everyone has different preferences of course, but the basic rule to observe is to make sure the food is completely dry before it’s fried (or breaded) to minimise the risk of oil splashes. Personally I prefer deep-frying in a small cooking pan (I have one which is only for deep-frying) using a small amount of oil. I also place the pan as far as possible from myself, just in case the oil splashes.

Deep-fried food should “swim” easily, so do not overcrowd the pan (otherwise the temperature becomes lower, the food fries slowly and absorbs more oil). I often have to cut mu pork slices in two, but they still taste great.

I am able to fry only one cutlet at a time. In order to make sure all the pork slices are hot when served, I place a baking dish in the oven at 100°C/212°F, line it with paper napkins and put there tonkatsu, one by one, until the whole frying process is finished.

Frying oil can be used as long as it doesn’t darken and is always filtered after each use (I usually throw it away after three times).

As I have mentioned above I serve my tonkatsu with mayonnaise combined with hot chili oil sediments (and sometimes with hot chili paste, such as Korean gochujang). The traditional tonkatsu sauce is available in Japanese grocery shops. Thanks to Hiroyuki’s kind advice (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking), I know it can be substituted with a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. I actually prefer now this home-made sauce because it is not as sweet as the commercial version.

If you want to see the very well explained and beautifully presented traditional thick Tonkatsu, hop to Nami’s blog.

A similar dish can be prepared with chicken breasts. Click here to see Nami’s Chicken Katsu recipe.

Preparation: about 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves two-three):

6 thin slices of pork loin (about 1/2 cm or about 1/4 in thick)

about 10 heaped tablespoons of panko

5 tablespoons wheat flour

1 egg, slightly beaten

salt, pepper

oil for deep-frying

tonkatsu sauce to serve (or a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce) or mayonnaise + thick chili paste or taberu rayu sediment

Season the pork slices with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oil for deep-frying.

Dust the pork slices with flour, dip them in the beaten egg and coat in panko, pressing so that the whole slice is covered.

Deep-fry them until golden, one by one (unless you have a very big frying dish), on both sides (it usually takes one minute per side).

Remove excess fat, placing the pork slices on paper towels.

Keep them in a warm oven (see the TIPS) until you finish frying all the slices.

Serve on rice or on shredded cabbage with tonkatsu sauce or with mayonnaise and chili paste (or chili oil sediment).

Celery Kimchi

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celerykimchip

“Charles would love it!” was one of my first thoughts when I tasted this new version of kimchi. First of all, I know that Charles (my blogging friend from 5 Euro Food) loves kimchi and Korean food. Moreover, we have recently had a most interesting conversation about celery (don’t laugh!), which Charles adores and I only start discovering. I am sure that someone has already tried making celery kimchi, but I swear it was my own idea (although maybe Hyosun’s kind suggestion of a Korean celery side dish has put me on the right tracks…). Whatever was the trigger, when I saw celery stalks in my fridge and two containers of kimchi above them (yes, I have become a notorious kimchi maker quite a long time ago), I thought “why don’t I “kimchi” the celery too?”.

The result is stunningly good. The celery has stayed crunchy, refreshing, but tougher than radish in kimchi. Its anise aroma, instead of disappearing, has curiously doubled, so even after a couple of days, the not fully mature kimchi is already particularly strong. (UPDATE: After 5 days the celery aroma started to weaken and sadly the kimchi started to lose its appeal…). I suppose this is only for the celery fans and I wouldn’t advise it to those who hate anise aroma either. For me, who only starts to discover the magic world of celery, this kimchi is a revelation and I am already making place for an additional, constant container in my fridge.

As a reminder, kimchi (김치), is a Korean method to ferment vegetables with garlic, chili and some other ingredients. Chinese (Napa) cabbage and daikon (white radish) kimchi are the most popular, but I think my all-time favourite is cucumber kimchi, I have discovered thanks to Charles’s suggestion. Kimchi has a very powerful smell, but once you taste it and love it, the smell will never be associated with anything unpleasant. It is spicy, hot, sour and, like most fermented vegetables, very healthy. High in fiber, low in calories and fat, it is packed with vitamin C (thanks to the fermentation) and carotene. It also contains several other vitamins, helps digestion, is said to prevent certain cancers… Its importance in the Korean cuisine cannot be compared to anything in any European food culture I know. Apart from being served as a side dish, kimchi is used in fried rice, stew and soups.

I fill my kimchi stock regularly, so that I have at least one kind in the fridge. It’s a perfect side dish and a quick way to add vegetables to any meal, especially when one doesn’t feel like cooking anything more or even making a salad. I also use it often (the cabbage version) in fried rice (see the recipe here) which thanks to kimchi’s strong flavours and its “sauce”, doesn’t require any additional seasoning. I haven’t tried it yet in soups, but am planning to do it soon.

The traditional, whole cabbage kimchi requires some dexterity (or maybe I am too clumsy?) and my three experiments were not fully successful. Its lazy version I prepare, the radish kimchi and the (also lazy) cucumber kimchi are ridiculously easy and can only get better in time, while we adapt the seasonings, the hotness level and the fermentation time to our palate. In short, if you like hot flavours and garlic, do try kimchi one day. Hyosun from Korean Bapsang is my main inspiration in Korean cookery and my radish and cucumber kimchi are based on her easy-to-follow recipes. The easy cabbage kimchi recipe comes from Shu Han’s Mummy I can cook!. I have based my celery version on radish kimchi. Thank you, Hyosun and Shu Han, for introducing me to the world of kimchi.

If celery is not your cup of tea, I propose more crowd-pleasing versions of kimchi (nowadays my chili powder is darker, hence the difference in hues):

daikonkimchip

Radish kimchi

makkimchip

Easy Chinese/Napa cabbage kimchi

cucumberkimchip

And my favourite: Cucumber kimchi

TIPS:

UPDATE: Contrary to the above kimchi, the celery version was excellent only for the first several days. After about 5 days it started to get too pungent and strong. I advise eating it quickly! This is an ephemeral kimchi

Use younger celery stalks which do not require peeling (i.e. which don’t have “threads”). The process will be quicker. I find younger celery bunches in organic shops, but of course it depends on the country you live in.

Hyosun Ro’s and traditional Korean recipes call for raw shrimp or sometimes raw oyster as the fermentation enhancer, but since I can only get frozen shrimp, I thought it would be safer to replace it with additional fish sauce.

Wear gloves if you manipulate kimchi with your hands (apart from the smelly side there is lots of chili in it).

If you taste your kimchi and it seems very bitter, leave it to ferment for additional 24 hours. I did it with my radish kimchi and miraculously the bitterness disappeared!

Preparation: 1 hour + min. 2 days, but 2 weeks are optimal; the kimchi you see above was one week old and improved every day

Ingredients (I adapted the ingredients to my very small “test” batch):

500 g/about 1 lb rather young celery stalks (daikon) cut into 3 cm (a bit more than 1 inch) pieces

3 heaped tablespoons Korean dried chili (my kimchi wasn’t very hot, just hot, but it depends on the chili’s hotness)

1 flat teaspoon grated or crushed garlic

1/2 flat teaspoon grated fresh ginger

chopped green onions (or European chives)

salt (I used about 2 flat tablespoons)

1/2 teaspoon glutinous rice flour

4 tablespoons fish sauce or (as advised by Hyosun Ro):

2 tablespoons finely minced saeujeot (salted shrimp)

1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 raw shrimp (ground)

Prepare the rice paste combining the rice flour with about 20 ml water. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens.

Sprinkle the celery with salt and leave them for 30-40 minutes. (They will release some water but won’t soften like radish does).

Put the celery into a big container (with a lid) and combine well with the remaining ingredients.

Taste and if you think it’s not salty enough, add some fish sauce (Hyosun Ro says it should be just a bit too salty).

Cover with the lid, press with your hands (wear gloves!) to remove the air from between the celery pieces and leave for two days to ferment in room temperature. (Mine has fermented for three days because I prefer it stronger).

Put into the fridge after two days or more. In general it gets stronger every day.

You can refrigerate it only to make it cold and eat it straight away after the fermentation process or you can wait several days or weeks to see how the flavours change and at which stage you prefer it (Hyosun Ro says it requires two weeks to develop the best flavours and I totally agree).

You can keep kimchi in the fridge for several weeks.

Moist Carrot Cake

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carrotcakepj

We are in the middle of the carrot cake season. Many bloggers have already written about this cold-weather dessert and, as it often happens with such popular sweets, there are myriads of versions. I have been faithful to exactly the same recipe for the last fifteen years, so you will be surprised if I say this is the best one I know. Obviously, this is a matter of personal preferences, but if I tell you that the moisture is what I appreciate the most in a carrot cake and that mine is, undeniably the moistest of all the carrot cakes I have ever tasted, you will understand why I dare calling it superior.

Nowadays, with internet and the world seeming smaller and smaller, the carrot cake is no longer a novelty. When I baked it for the first time it was a big adventure because using a vegetable in a dessert seemed highly exotic, if not extravagant. I quickly learnt I should never reveal the carrot’s presence before people tasted it because some were so disgusted by this unusual ingredient, they refused to taste it, inventing different false reasons, such as diets or a copious main meal. Since then I tell the truth (especially to picky eaters) only after they have finished their first slice. I have read somewhere that in Europe carrots have been used in sweets since Middle Ages, so it’s surprising this use has been abandoned in so many countries.

With the dozens of times I served it, I can affirm that this is a totally foolproof, particularly easy cake and, apart from the batter ingredients which guarantee the moisture and stickiness I am fond of, such items as nuts, raisins or spices can easily be exchanged with other ingredients. Unfortunately, at the time I wrote this recipe down I didn’t care much for the sources, so unfortunately I cannot thank the person who has invented it. I also don’t remember if I had modified the original amounts.

TIPS: Exceptionally, I have always measured most of the ingredients of this cake in cups. My cup = 250 ml

This cake is moderately sweet, but if you prefer “standard” sweetness in desserts, double the sugar amount.

I prefer this cake served very cold, straight from the fridge (this is the way I prefer most moist or/and sticky cakes).

Preparation: 1 hour 20 min

Ingredients (fills a 10 cm x 30 cm baking tin):

1 cup (250 ml) flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar (unrefined cane sugar tastes better here, but is not obligatory)

1 1/2 cup (375 ml) finely grated carrots (5-6 medium carrots)

60 g (about 2 oz) melted butter

3 eggs

a handful of raisins (I prefer sultanas)

a handful of chopped nuts

50 ml (1,7 oz) milk

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (if not freshly grated, put the double amount)

1 teaspoon (flat) dried ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Combine everything in a big bowl stirring with a spoon.

Grease the baking tin or (like I do) line it with baking paper.
Pour the batter into the baking tin and bake for 45 minutes to one hour depending on the oven (a skewer put into the cake should come out moist and sticky but without traces of raw batter).

Since this cake is very moist, I prefer it served cold, straight from the fridge.

Rendang with Beef Cheeks

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rendangpj

Rendang is one of the dishes I wrote about a long time ago when I hardly had any visitors. I have been meaning to repost it for quite a long time because it has a special place in my heart (and my palate!). If I mention it twice on my blog it’s obviously because it’s one of the most extraordinary Asian dishes I know, but, most of all, because, apart from steak tartare, this is actually the only beef dish I am fond of and the only one where I wouldn’t substitute beef with any other meat.

For those of you who have never heard about it, rendang is a very famous Indonesian meat stew from Padang, a city on the Sumatra Island, and is sometimes called Padang Style Spicy Beef. It consists of the meat slowly simmered in a mixture of coconut milk and spices and herbs. The most frequent version found in Indonesian restaurants is prepared with beef. I still remember the first time I tasted rendang in a restaurant and was amazed how excellent a beef dish can taste.

My first home experiments with rendang were good but I the crucial moment was when a butcher advised me beef cheeks instead of the usual “simmering” beef cuts. The difference in taste and texture was so huge that since then I have been preparing rendang exclusively with beef cheeks and am still convinced this is the best cut for this dish.

Beef cheeks, one of the most delicious and unjustly ignored part are quite lean (if the butcher removes the fat, but it’s possible to do at home), they are obviously very dense and literally all muscles (everyone knows what the cows are doing with their jaws all day long…), they contain a lot of gelatin and are cheap. When raw, they are very tough, ugly and if you can’t ask the butcher to cut them up into pieces, they require a very good big knife and a certain dexterity. In my kitchen the only utensils able to deal with them is a Chinese cleaver and a ceramic knife… However, these unattractive bits, when simmered for three – four hours, miraculously get transformed into a mouth-melting delight… Needless to say, since I discovered this marvellous beef cut, I have abandoned all the remaining “good for simmering” parts.

Even though the preparation takes several hours and includes quite a long list of ingredients, it is really worth trying. Even the pickiest and least adventurous eaters enjoy it (unless you tell them these are beef cheeks BEFORE they ask for a second serving ). Moreover, rendang’s preparation can easily be divided in two or even three stages. I usually start simmering the beef at night, then leave it overnight and start again the night I intend to serve it. Obviously this is the kind of dish, which gains on flavour when reheated.

I found my recipe in the Singaporean, Indonesian and Malaysian Cuisine by Christina Sjahir Hwang. I have slightly adapted the spicy mixture’s amount to be used only in this dish and reduced the coconut milk amount (see TIPS).

TIPS: As I have already mentioned beef cheeks are very difficult to cut, so either ask your butcher to cut them into 5 cm/about 2 in cubes or make sure you have a cleaver or a very sharp big knife (and make sure you cut them carefully).

This recipe (like many Indonesian recipes) calls for candlenuts. I found these here twice and twice, according to my Chinese friend, they were rancid. She advised using macadamia nuts instead, which I used to use until last week when I discovered that almonds are a great (though tasteless) substitute here. I always have ground almonds, so it’s very convenient, especially since the recipe calls for so many ingredients.

Coconut milk evaporates at the end of the simmering process and the sauce becomes really greasy and very rich. I prefer it lighter, but still creamy, hence the radical reduction of coconut milk (200 ml instead of 500ml). I dilute it with water which will evaporate anyway and the thickened sauce at the end is much lighter.

Rendang tastes great sprinkled with coriander, but I have accidentally discovered another plant, perfect for this dish: Vietnamese mint (on the photo above). It’s a pungent plant, somewhere between mint and coriander and I have only discovered it a couple of weeks ago.

Before I pass to the recipe I wanted to say that telepathy does exist in the blogging world and this post is the best example. I haven’t prepared rendang for long months and as soon as I did, I took some photos, prepared today’s post and… only last night I saw beef rendang as Shu Han’s most recent post! And guess which beef cut did she use in her dish? Beef cheeks! I hope you might hop to Mummy, I can cook! and find interesting to compare her original version which also includes venison…

Special equipment:

a very good big, sharp knife or a cleaver

a food processor or a mortar

Preparation: 4 – 6 hours (depends on the animal)

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

3 teaspoons salt

600g-700g/about 1,5 lb beef cheeks, without fat and cut into chunks

500 ml/about 2 cups coconut milk (I use 200 ml coconut milk diluted with water; this makes the dish lighter, but of course depends on your preferences)

Spicy mixture:

3 tablespoons chili

2 big garlic cloves

1 small shallot

1 tablespoon candlenuts or macadamia nuts or almonds

1 tablespoon mixed or chopped fresh galangal

1 stalk lemon grass, crushed with the knife handle

1 teaspoon fresh chopped ginger

6 kafir leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon tamarind juice (or 1 tablespoon tamarind seeds and flesh mixture diluted in water and strained)

Cut up the kafir leaves, the lemon grass, the galangal and the shallot very finely (this is important; otherwise you might end up with big threads or unpleasant chunks if you mix bigger pieces in some types of food processors…).

Mix the spicy mixture ingredients in a food processor or in a mortar into a homogenous paste.

Put the mixture into a big pan with coconut milk and bring to boil.

Lower the heat, add the beef cheeks and salt. Cover and simmer for 4-6 hours, adding water if necessary.

Take off the lid and let it simmer until the sauce thickens and the meat falls into pieces when “cut” with a teaspoon.

Serve with rice.

Mapo Dofu (Ma pou do fu) for One

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Mapo Dofu is certainly the most famous Sichuan dish, so obviously it was the first one I have bookmarked in my Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop. Before discovering Ms Dunlop’s book I had prepared Mapo Dofu from another source. It was good, but this one really feels genuine and tastes much better than I had imagined. According to Fuchsia Dunlop this is “the real thing” she was taught in the Sichuan provincial cooking school and exactly what she was regularly served in local restaurants. Given my previous experience with her Sichuan recipes, I believe her. After cooking several of her dishes I am convinced that the mixture of right seasonings and spices is what makes the biggest difference between real Sichuan meals and their imitations. I only hope that in spite of my small modifications this dish still merits its famous name.

As Fuchsia Dunlop’s explains, Mapo Dofu (or Ma po dou fu) means “Pock-marked Mother Chen’s Beancurd”. It was named after a restaurant owner’s wife who had smallpox scars and who apparently invented this dish as a lunch for manual workers. As you can guess, it is a hearty, filling comfort dish, but unless you use lots of oil (the way it is served in Sichuan), it is surprisingly healthy and low-calorie. You can also see below that the meat amounts are scarce and tofu is the main protein supply here.

For me this dish is unique. First of all, maybe thanks to the colours and the Sichuan pepper’s numbing effect, it is one of these rare cold days meals which bring the sun and lift the spirits, instead of making one feel heavy. Moreover, I strongly believe this is THE dish that could convert tofu haters. As long as they are not psychologically blocked (oh, yes… I know many of these) and agree to taste it, they might start liking the previously despised ingredient. If they don’t appreciate the tofu chunks soaked with thick, red spicy sauce, covered with bits of ground meat, then I think the hope is lost. As an avowed carnivore, I really cannot think of any other food product that could taste equally good here. I recommend having this dish with good crunchy bread which, once dipped into the sauce brings even more joy for the palate (it’s not an elegant dish and you will probably not serve it at a party anyway). The only modification I have allowed myself is cutting down the oil amount and adapting this recipe to a meal for one.

If you are interested in the Sichuanese cuisine, I strongly recommend the above-mentioned book or/and the following recipes I have found there and greatly enjoyed:

Bang Bang Chicken, or Strange-Flavour Chicken

Gong Bao/Kung Pao Chicken

Steamed Aubergine with Chili Sauce

TIPS: Sichuan pepper is one of the key elements of the Sichuanese cuisine. It is not hot, but it has a numbing effect which is very surprising for the first time. Some people love it (like me), some hate it, so if you use it for the first time, crush one corn in your mouth to taste it before you add it to your dish. In general it should be used sparingly because it can quickly overwhelm the whole dish.

The Sichuanese chili bean paste is very important here (thank you, Shu Han, for convincing me to invest in it; the difference is huge), but it can quite easily be bought in Asian shops. The most popular brand is Lee Kum Kee (this is the one I have used).

Sichuan peppers scattered at the and of the cooking process have to be roasted and ground before. Heat a pan or a wok and place a small amount of Sichuan peppercorns. Roast them for about 5 minutes (or less) without burning them. Grind them in a mortar or a small food processor (a baby food processor is good here). They can be kept in a closed jar for several weeks at least.

Preparation: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

100 – 150 g firm tofu cut into 2 cm pieces

salt

40 – 50 g ground meat (the traditional meat used here is beef, but I prefer half beef half pork)

1 spring onion (or 1 Chinese leek, suan miao, the traditional ingredient)

100 ml chicken stock

1 tablespoon Sichuanese chili bean paste

1 teaspoon black fermented beans

1 teaspoon ground dried chilies (not obligatory)

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon potato flour

2 tablespoons oil (groundnut or other type of oil which supports well very high temperatures) or 40 – 50 ml if you want the dish as oily as it is originally served

1/4 teaspoon (or less) roasted and ground Sichuan pepper (see the TIPS above)

Pour boiling water into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and place there tofu cubes for about 5 minutes. Drain it.

In the meantime slice the spring onion or leek diagonally.

Combine the potato flour with 1 tablespoon cold water and put aside.

Heat the oil on high heat in a wok until it smokes. Stir fry the ground meat until it’s crispy and browned.

Here you can either leave it in the wok or put it aside and add only at the end. I prefer the latter method which leaves the meat slightly crunchy.

Take out the meat from the wok.

Pour another tablespoon of oil and when it’s hot, add the chili bean paste, the fermented black beans, ground dried chilies and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.

Pour the stock and add the drained tofu.

Stir the tofu delicately until it is coated in the sauce.

Add the sugar, the soy sauce, salt to taste and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the leek or spring onion, the fried meat and half of the potato flour mixture.

Stir the dish gently until it thickens. Add more potato flour mixture if needed.

Serve in a bowl scattered with Sichuan pepper.

Squid and Celery in Gochujang Sauce

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This may sound strange for some of you, but I was brought up knowing only celeriac, the humble and ugly cousin of the beautiful celery, which I must have discovered around the age of twenty. Contrary to what some people think, celery is unpopular in several European countries and its strong anise aroma is disturbing or even unbearable for those who discover it as adults. Celery is widely available and consumed in my city and I am used to it simmered in soups, stews and other slowly cooked dishes (such as Ragù alla bolognese) where it ends up acting rather as seasoning than a distinct vegetable. I am however completely lost when it comes to keeping the celery crunchy or raw. On the other hand, I appreciate its fresh aroma, its pleasant crunchiness and its beautiful bright colour, hence my recent decision to start cooking it more often.

A couple of days ago, ready to prepare my beloved Korean Squid with Cabbage and Carrot, I changed my mind at last moment and decided to use celery as the sole vegetable. Surprised by the excellent result of what I consider an extremely unusual combination, I have decided to share my discovery with you, even though I realise that my enthusiasm for celery will seem ridiculous to those for who this vegetable has been a boring staple for years.

My impressions of the squid and celery combination are difficult to describe. The first thing I have noticed was the unusual mixture of textures. The crunchy celery and the slightly chewy, soft squid were slightly surprising, but very pleasant. The celery’s anise aroma hasn’t shadowed the delicate squid taste and gave the whole dish a fresh, awakening touch. The hot and sweet sauce (based on gochujang, the famous Korean hot paste) not only supplied a red hue the whole meal cried for, but most of all bound the two completely different ingredients into a coherent whole. This improvised, quick meal was a very welcome touch of spring in the middle of rainy autumn days and has emboldened me to further experiments with celery. I will be grateful for any ideas or recipes you would like to share with a beginning fan of celery.

If you don’t like celery, but the mention of squid makes you instantly hungry, I strongly recommend the above mentioned Korean Squid with Cabbage and Carrot, my staple and beloved way to serve squid. I must have prepared this stir-fried delight dozens of times since I discovered it on Hyosun’s blog and still am not tired of it. The sauce I have used with celery was inspired by this Korean recipe.

TIPS: If you keep the celery crunchy, make sure you use the younger stalks without “threads” (the thicker ones were not very palatable and I promised myself to use them next time in longer cooked dishes).

If you don’t have gochujang, add more chili powder mixed with one teaspoon syrup or substitute it with Chinese chili paste (the taste and texture will however not be the same because gochujang is unique).

Before I pass to the recipe I would like to express my compassion with all those affected by the hurricane Sandy. I wish you lots of strength and courage and hope that your lives will soon get back to normal.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

2 fresh or thawed, cleaned medium squids (mine were about 15 cm long, excluding the tentacles)

3 – 4 young celery stalks (or higher, thin parts of thick celery stalks)

2 flat tablespoons Korean chili powder

2 tablespoons oil

Sauce:

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)

1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

(soy sauce or salt to taste)

1 teaspoon (or more) sesame seeds

Cut off the squid fins and put them aside.

Cut the squid tube lengthwise in order to obtain one flat sheet.

Score it diagonally into a criss-cross pattern (the interior side) and then cut it into 2 cm strips.

Do the same with the fins.

Cut the tentacles into bite-sized pieces.

Cut the celery into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the celery for one minute.

Add the squid and the chili powder and fry them, stirring, for another 2 minutes.

Finally add the sauce ingredients. Season with soy sauce or salt to taste.

Stir-fry until the squid is cooked (about 3-5 minutes). Each strip should be white (whiter than the raw squid), curled and soft, but still slightly chewy.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Chinese Spare Ribs Braised in Soy Sauce with Star Anise

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Like many Europeans, I used to be convinced that quick stir-frying was the only Chinese cooking method. I still remember how surprised I was when several years ago I saw a three-hour recipe in a Chinese cookery book. Intrigued by the long cooking time and the unusual mixture of seasonings, I decided to give it a go as quickly as possible. Thus I discovered the slow side of the Chinese cuisine, tasted my first braised spare ribs and was totally seduced. Since then, every time I buy spare ribs, they end up simmered in soy sauce with garlic, star anise and cinnamon.

This is one of these dishes where fatty meat cuts taste incomparably better than lean ones and the more bones they contain, the better. In short, spare ribs are perfect here. No wonder in China fatty and bone-in cuts cost often more than the lean ones. The Chinese probably know better pork than any other nation since traces of pigs bred for meat there go back as far as 10 000 years backwards! The fork-tender meat (thank you, Karen, for this imaginative expression), covered in sticky, aromatic sauce is irresistible to any pork fan and softened, but still crunchy cartilage bits are a pure delight. The garlic cloves not only season the meat and the sauce, but they become so palatable, I keep on increasing their number each time I prepare the ribs.

I know this photo is far from being convincing, but making simmered spare ribs look appetising is apparently far beyond my photographic skills. Moreover, I only prepare it for dinner and artificial light photography is still a mystery to me, so I only hope you will believe me if I say the succulent result is worth waiting for not only three but ten hours.

I have found this recipe in the humble-looking “Le Tour du monde de la cuisine. Chine” (China (World Food)) by Annabel Jackson (I’m afraid no longer sold anywhere online), a book bought for a penny in a unsold titles’ department and which proved to be a source of many Chinese meals I have prepared.

UPDATE: Sylvia, from Peaches and Doughnuts, has just reminded me of the braised spare ribs she has posted ten days ago. Click here to see her wonderful, slightly different but also highly aromatic version.

TIP: Ask the butcher to cut the spare ribs in two (horizontally). They will be easier to handle while cooking and easier to eat. (If you have a cleaver and are used to handle it, you can do it at home too).

I wouldn’t advise replacing spare ribs with lean pork meat. Whenever I used leaner meat, the result couldn’t even compare to the original version, so I have stopped such experiments.

Even though this dish is time-consuming, it is very easy and practically effortless because once the meat starts to simmer, it can be left without stirring for two hours.

I usually serve these ribs with white rice or bread and with strong pickles. I have recently discovered that it tastes great with kimchi (click here to see the Radish Kimchi recipe or here to see the Easy Cabbage Kimchi or here to check the Easy Cucumber Kimchi recipe).

Preparation: min. 3 hours

Ingredients (serves 2):

600 g spare ribs (preferably cut in two, since shorter once are easier to simmer)

3 tablespoons dark thick soy sauce

1 whole head of garlic (or more if you are a big garlic fan)

2 tablespoons oil or pork fat

1/2 stick cinnamon

2 star anise fruits

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

175 ml water

2 tablespoons cane sugar (or 3 sugar cubes)

Marinate the pork ribs in dark soy sauce for at least 20 minutes.

Peel the garlic head, separate the cloves, but don’t peel them.

Fry the garlic cloves until they become golden.

Add the cinnamon, the star anise, stir fry for one minute.

Add the pork and let it brown a little.

Pour the light soy sauce, the water, add the sugar and let the dish simmer first uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring regularly, then covered for 1 1/2 – 2 hours (or more). The meat, gently pushed with a fork, should go off the bones easily. When the meat is already soft, take off the lid, increase the heat, cook until the liquid evaporates and forms a thick sticky sauce.

Serve.

Moist Chocolate and Coconut Cake

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cocochococakepj

Ping (Ping’s Pickings) has recently had some difficult moments and since chocolate is a well known infallible mood improver, I thought I would try to cheer her up a bit showing how I have transformed her extraordinary coconut cake recipe into an irresistible coco-choco delight. First of all, those of you who have never seen (or forgotten) Ping’s Coconut Cake, must absolutely try it. This effortless cake is one of the most unusual sweet treats I have ever tasted. The first time I baked it, I did it two days in a row, so you can imagine how good it was… Since then I have prepared it (my version is slightly modified) at least dozen times and never got tired of it. Here is a quick reminder of what my modified version looks like:

I must emphasize here that this chocolate recipe is not an improvement because the original cake is perfect unchanged. It is simply a slightly different version, specially designed for chocolate addicts. As one of them, I have a habit of adding chocolate to various desserts, guided by the thought that one cannot have too many chocolate recipes. This cake could be considered as an alternative to the cooling Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream but maybe more suited for cold seasons that we are approaching, when richer desserts are welcome.

Here once more the mixture of chocolate and coconut hasn’t let me down. Just like its pure coconut version, this cake was moist and closer to a custard or pudding than to a floury cake. Thanks to the dark chocolate it was obviously richer and slightly heavier. I think that this richer version of Ping’s cake will keep me company throughout the hated cold autumn and winter evenings. Thank you so much, Ping, for one more inspiration. I will have a big slice of this cake as a toast to your health, wishing you a prompt recovery and a quick solution of the recent problem!

Click here to see Ping’s original Coconut Cake or here to see her banana version.

TIPS: Like Ping, I like moderately sweet desserts, but if you have a very sweet tooth, add 50% more sugar.

This cake improves after a night spent in the fridge and tastes definitely better when served very cold.

Preparation: 1 hour (+ not obligatory, but strongly advised one night in the fridge)

Ingredients (10 x 20 cm baking tin):

3 heaped tablespoons (about 1/4 cup) flour

100 g (1/2 cup) sugar

70 g (1 cup) desiccated coconut (+ some more to sprinkle over the cake)

2 eggs

60 g melted butter

100 g (about 3,4 oz) bitter, dark chocolate (min. 70% cocoa)

pinch of salt

125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut milk

125 ml (1/2 cup) cow cream (liquid, not crème fraîche)

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave (in several short stages to control the melting process and avoid overcooking) or in a hot water bath (putting a metal bowl over a pan with hot water and stirring the chocolate constantly) or simply in a pan at very low heat (this is my favourite method, but quite risky: if the chocolate is overheated it can no longer be used.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Grease a baking tin or line it with baking paper.

Pour the batter into the tin and bake for about 40-50 minutes.

The cake can be sprinkled with desiccated coconut before serving.

It can be served as soon as it cools down, but is definitely best refrigerated overnight.

Fried Buckwheat Groats

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friedbuckwheatpj

Fried rice is the most extraordinary leftover meal I can imagine. It’s easy, quick, versatile and it often tastes better than the meal for which the rice was previously cooked. I had been convinced that nothing could replace good white rice here until I tried buckwheat groats. This experimental, fusion version of this popular Asian dish was a revelation.

Buckwheat grains/groats (sometimes called “kasha”, the word which in reality refers to “groats” in general and not necessarily buckwheat groats) are dried, slightly triangular seeds of a plant (Fagopyrum genus) which is not a grass, nor a cereal, even though it looks like one and is not related to wheat. They are very rich in protein, contain minerals, antioxydants, iron and are gluten free, so they can be consumed by people who don’t tolerate it or try to reduce it. Apart from all these healthy sides, buckwheat grows very quickly and easily. That is why it can be cultivated in cold climate and crops can be easily multiplied in hot regions. Buckwheat grains, in their roasted form, are widely consumed in certain Eastern and Central European cuisines (such as Russian, Polish or Ukrainian). In Japan, India or France, often only buckwheat flour is known (although the grain form called “soba gome” is sometimes also eaten in Japan). If you have ever had soba noodles or French “galettes” (savoury crêpes), then you are familiar with buckwheat flour. Japan produces also soba shochu (alcohol distilled from buckwheat seeds).

I grew up eating buckwheat much more often than rice. It was usually served with meat in sauce (it absorbs sauces in a marvellous way) and even though I have never disliked it, I felt I could happily live without it (I have certainly never seen it as wonder food, the way in which it is made popular now by nutritionists in many countries). Taste buds change with age and the older I get, the more often I crave buckwheat’s nutty, strong fragrance and its curious, partly crunchy, partly soft texture. I eat only roasted, light brown buckwheat groats and would strongly advise everyone to try this version first, because the roasting process gives them a unique nutty aroma and a slightly bitter – but pleasant – taste (see the TIPS).

Unlike white rice I always use, buckwheat groats are not overwhelmed by bold-tasting products, such as garlic, chili or smoked meat, and are absolutely irresistible with miso. The choice of ingredients in this dish was mainly dictated by the content of my fridge (just like it happens when I prepare fried rice), so feel free to put any meat, vegetables or spices you prefer. I have opted for a miso and garlic sauce, but a simple addition of soy sauce would work great here too. The below recipe should be treated only as an example of what can be added to fried buckwheat which is certainly a pleasant change for those who eat rice on a daily basis.

TIPS: In many countries, where buckwheat is not traditionally consumed (such as France or Switzerland) buckwheat grains are sold in health/organic shops often only in a “raw” dried form in which they have a pale greenish colour and bland taste. For me (and several buckwheat fans I know) such buckwheat is simply inedible (especially when you know how marvellous it becomes once roasted). To tell you the truth, the only time I bought such pale buckwheat groats, they ended up in the bin because I couldn’t force myself to eat them. You can apparently roast them on your own in a pan (I have never tried it though), but the best idea is to look for the brown, roasted groats sometimes also sold in organic shops and practically always available in Russian and Polish grocery shops.

If you don’t have miso, you can simply omit it. It is far from being obligatory.

Preparation: 20 minutes + about 40 minutes (buckwheat cooking time)

Ingredients (serves one):

80 g (about 1/2 cup) roasted buckwheat groats + 250 ml water + 1/2 teaspoon salt or 250 ml/1 cup leftover cooked buckwheat groats

1 small courgette

2 thick slices of smoked bacon or other smoked meat (I have used smoked pork loin)

1/2 small onion

1 chili pepper

1 egg

Garlic miso sauce:

1 flat tablespoon miso

1 garlic clove (grated or crushed)

1 teaspoon sake

1 tablespoon soy sauce

chili oil

sesame seeds

Cook the buckwheat:

Pour the water into a pan. Bring it to the boil, add the salt.

Throw the buckwheat grains into the pan, give them a stir and let them cook partially covered at medium heat for about ten minutes.

Lower the heat and let it simmer, this time completely covered, for about 5 more minutes.

Put the pan aside, leaving the cover on and leave the buckwheat for 15 minutes in a warm place.

Cooked buckwheat can be kept in a closed container in the fridge for several days and reheated in a microwave.

Combine the sauce ingredients.

Slice the onion and the chili pepper.

Cut the bacon and the courgette into bite-sized pieces.

Fry the onion in a heated pan with oil.

After 3-4 minutes add the chili pepper.

Fry it on medium heat for one minute.

Add the bacon and the courgette to the pan.

After 5 minutes, add the buckwheat and the miso sauce.

Stir-fry until the buckwheat is well heated.

In the meantime fry an egg in another pan.

Serve the fried buckwheat with a fried egg on top. I loved it with coriander leaves, toasted sesame seeds and a splash of chili oil.

Chicken and Myoga Skewers with Wasabi

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chickenmyogapj

Myoga will always have a special place in my heart because I fell under its spell during the first meal I had in Japan. Actually I ordered it accidentally in Morimoto, a fabulous Tokyo izakaya (a pub where food is served) specialising in skewers. I absolutely wanted to taste there the famous Japanese rare chicken breasts and these were skewered with myoga, then brushed with wasabi. I was obviously concentrated on the half-raw breasts, which proved extraordinarily tender and juicy, but myoga was a flavoursome bonus I didn’t expect at all. It was a perfect company for delicate chicken breasts and its combination with wasabi was a successful mixture of bold flavours and scents. I didn’t even dream that day being able to reproduce anything similar at home.

If you have never heard about myoga (茗荷), it’s a plant belonging to the ginger family (Zingiber mioga) and what you see above are its edible flower buds, which at first sight might be similar to French shallots (at least when skewered and grilled, served in a dark izakaya!). Myoga is popular in both Japan and Korea and, according to Wikipedia, its shoots are also eaten but I haven’t had the chance to taste them yet. Myoga buds can be eaten raw (shredded on rice or on tofu, as advised me Nami from Just One Cookbook, served in vegetarian sushi, according to Shizuoka Gourmet), but they are also excellent grilled and absolutely amazing when pickled. Myoga has a rather strong and complex aroma, but the flavour is surprisingly delicate. When pickled, it becomes bolder in taste and so irresistible, I could have pickled myoga every day with every single meal.

I have learnt at Shizuoka Gourmet blog that myoga contains vitamins B1, B2 and B6, helps stamina, digestion and is known in Japan since the IIIrd century as a medical plant. Combined with different food products it is said to prevent cancer, kidney diseases or combat ageing… In short, it’s a wonder food.

I regretted a lot I hadn’t brought any fresh myoga with me, so imagine my joy when I saw fresh myoga sold in my Japanese grocery shop! I didn’t even look at the price (luckily!) and snatched the last remaining bag. The humble-looking skewers you see above are my attempt to copy the excellent chicken skewers I had in Morimoto (of course I didn’t try to serve my chicken rare!; unless you live in Japan and have access to specially bred chickens, do not attempt it). Even though the skewers didn’t taste half as good as in Morimoto, I brushed them with freshly grated wasabi brought from Japan and it was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. If you ever stumble upon myoga, I advise these skewers with a glass of good shochu on the rocks.

Talking about, wasabi, I have good news for those lucky people who live in UK! I have recently discovered the existence of Wasabi Company which grows… wasabi and which is located in Dorchester. They sell even single wasabi roots. Click here to see their website.

TIPS: If you have a garden you can try growing myoga which is apparently very resistant to low temperatures and easy to grow. I plan buying it next year and growing it on my balcony.

I don’t have a real grill, so I grilled these skewers (like most of my skewers) on a grill pan.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (for ten skewers):

2 chicken breasts skinned

10 myoga buds

salt

wasabi

(oil for the grill pan)

Cut the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.

Cut the myoga buds in two vertically.

Skewer both ingredients, putting two myoga halves per skewer.

Season with salt.

(Brush the grill pan, if you use it, with oil and heat it.)

Grill on both sides until the meat is done. (If you use a grill pan, cover it when you grill the first side of skewers. When you turn them, grill without covering).

Served brushed with wasabi.

Hungarian Chicken with Paprika (Paprikás csirke)

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Sweet peppers are still on the market, it’s getting cold, we crave warming, hearty dishes… It seems the best moment to enjoy paprikás csirke. The first time I tasted paprikás csirke (pronounced paprikash cheer-ke) was at my friend A.’s parents’ house in Hungary. It smelt deliciously, its deep beautiful red colour made it look like a Hungarian cookery magazine photo, and the taste was heavenly. It was served with small home-made dumplings called “galuska” (see the TIPS) and cream. Ever since then I have been repeating myself I had to try preparing it one day. I suspected Chicken with Paprika to be much more difficult and time-consuming. In reality it is ridiculously easy, requires few ingredients (I could practically make it every day given my fridge and cupboards’ content) and, last but not least, if you don’t put too much fat at the onion frying stage and if you remove the skin, the whole dish is not heavy neither greasy. In short, one more dish confirming that Hungarian cuisine is simple, delicious and not necessarily heavy or greasy.

Once more during my exploration of the Hungarian cuisine, I decided to try the recipe from Zsuzsa is in the kitchen blog. And once more I wasn’t disappointed. I have simplified the cooking process (my free-range chicken didn’t need any “improving” tricks), modified the quantities a bit and added 1 tablespoon hot paprika, since I wanted the dish to be a bit hot. Oh, and I would have forgotten – this dish is at least twice as good when warmed up the following day! Thank you so much, Zsuzsa, for teaching me one more excellent Hungarian dish that has become a regular – and very welcome – guest on our table.

TIPS: If like me this time you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned tomatoes or tomato purée (unseasoned).

The perfect sweet peppers to use here are long green or yellow sweet peppers.

The taste of caraway seeds is hardly perceptible, but it adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the dish. Do no skip it if you have it (if not, buy caraway seeds).

Galuska (or nokedli) are small, irregularly shaped dumplings grated through a special grater and served often with this chicken dish. Luckily, small Swiss dumplings called spätzli are made in the same way, so finding here the right utensil for next time shouldn’t be complicated. In the meantime I served the chicken with good white bread. Visit Zsuzsa’s blog to see her nökedli/galuska recipe.

Last but not least, try the first, onion frying stage, with lard or (like I did) with duck fat. The taste will really be much better.

Preparation: 1 hour 30 min

Ingredients (serves 4):

2 skinned chicken legs and 2 breasts cut in two parts each or 4 breasts / 4 legs but the best results are obtained if you keep some chicken bones

6 medium tomatoes + 200 ml water (about 4/5 cup) or the same volume of natural tomato purée (passata)

5 – 6 green or yellow or any variety of sweet long peppers

2 tablespoons lard/duck fat or oil

3 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika

1 tablespoon hot Hungarian paprika

1 big onion

1/4 teaspoon caraway seeds

2 garlic cloves

water

sour cream or Greek yogurt (I use “sour milk”, which is roughly skimmed sour cream)

(parsley)

Put the tomatoes for a minute in boiling water and transfer them afterwards to a cold water bowl. Peel them and chop them.

Remove the peppers’ seeds and stalks. Cut them into bite sized pieces.

Chop the onion. Sauté it on a low heat until transparent.

Add the chicken and fry it, stirring, for a couple of minutes.

Remove from the heat. Add the paprika, the salt, the pepper, the caraway, the tomatoes, the peppers and 200 ml water (or 200 ml tomato purée and no water).

Cook it covered over low heat until the chicken is soft inside (it’ll take around one hour to make the chicken very soft, as I prefer it, the flesh falling from the bones).

Check in the meantime if some more water should be added.

Serve with sour cream and galuska (nokedli, see above).

My chicken was still excellent served only with good white bread.

Shochu on the Rocks (Shochu Rokku) with Yuzu

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If it wasn’t for the presence of the extraordinary yuzu, I would have never mentioned this simple – though excellent – drink I usually have with lime. Yuzu is an Asian citrus (shaped like a small grapefruit and either green or yellow depending on its ripeness) very popular in Japan, but quite difficult to get in Europe, apart from the bottled juice. It was one of the few food items I brought from my recent trip to Japan and also the one I was going to taste for the first time in my life. Since I had only two fruits, I promised myself to use them wisely. I knew that yuzu’s acid juice is often used as a seasoning in salads, but spicing up my weekend glasses of shochu (see below) with slices of this marvellous fruit seemed the wisest – and, frankly, more amusing – option.

I will not exaggerate if I tell you I was spellbound by the compelling aroma of yuzu’s zest. Instead of finishing my drink, I kept on inhaling its magnificent scent which has transformed my good old glass of shochu into a mysterious, sophisticated drink. I thought that this simple but elegant drink was a good excuse to share with you my discovery of fresh yuzu, but most of all to write once again about shochu, my favourite and most frequently drunk Japanese alcohol. (I have talked about it here, here and here)

I still consider shochu the most surprising alcohol discovery of my life because, honestly, I didn’t expect anything special. I have simply fallen in love with the first sip. I don’t know why it took me so many months to finally notice it in my favourite Japanese grocery, but the day I asked about shochu (I had read about it somewhere) I realised that its different brand and varieties filled at least a third of the alcohol shelves in my grocery shop. This is how my adventure began.

Shochu (焼酎) means “burning sake” (sake meaning generally alcohol) and has been produced in Japan since the XIVth century. It is distilled from different ingredients, such as barley, sweet potato, buckwheat, rice… Some shochu are also flavoured (my favourite are flavoured with shiso and… yuzu of course!). Its alcoholic content is usually between 20 – 25 %, but it can be stronger too. Apparently, the consumption of shochu has tripled since the 80s and is rising every year. It is no longer considered cheap alcohol for manual workers, it is produced with more care and some bottles reach very high prices. More and more Japanese women choose it because shochu has very few calories (35 kcal in 50 ml, which is almost 3 x less than vodka for example). Oh, and I would have forgotten to add it doesn’t end up with a hangover the following day, even drunk in big quantities! (This information was checked more than once…).

I think I love all the shochu types I have tasted: the often amber-coloured barley shochu, the nutty soba one (distilled from buckwheat), the subtle rice one or sweet potato shochu which is not sweet and which seems to be the most popular in Japan. Some shochu types (like barley for example) are reminiscent of good quality, single malt whisky, but in a subtler version. Luckily my two Japanese grocers vary the brands all the time, so I keep on discovering new bottles.

Shochu can be drunk alone, warm or cold. When it’s cold, it’s served on the rocks (“shochu rokku”) or in a “sour” (pronounced “sawa”): a weak cocktail with sparkling water and fruit juice or with sweet soda. My favourite way to drink it is on the rocks, especially in Japan where ice cubes are huuuuge and shochu stays cold for eternity without being diluted. At home I often add one or two slices of lime and sometimes just a bit of sparkling water. Of course, the better the bottle, the less you want to dilute it…

During my recent trip to Tokyo, among the glasses of shochu I had practically every night, one has left particularly vivid memories. It was an exceptionally strong barley schochu (40%) called Hundred Years of Solitude 百年の孤独 (Hyakunen no kodoku) and aged in wooden barrels. I will never forget the izakaya (pub) where with my Japanese friend we both enjoyed a glass of this fiery piece of art which seemed a subtler, mellower version of single malt whisky.

TIPS: There are two main types of shochu: produced with continuous distillation (kourui 甲類) and single distillation (otsurui 乙類) (thank you, Hiroyuki!). The latter is considered superior and above a certain price all the shochus are produced this way. The useful word to remember (and ask in a shop) is “honkaku” 本格. Apparently it means “genuine, classical method” and marks a good quality product (but not all the shochu bottles are marked this way, alas).

If you prefer a lighter cocktail with yuzu and shochu, check Nami’s (Just One Cookbook) Yuzu Sour cocktail recipe .

If you don’t have yuzu, you can of course prepare the same drink with lime.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

a generous splash of a more delicate, not aged shochu variety (I have had rice shochu here, but sweet potato shochu is a good option too)

two slices of yuzu

lots of ice

Put everything in a glass and enjoy.

(You can slightly squash the yuzu slices if you want).

Ajvar (Balkan Pepper Spread)

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Ajvar (pronounced “aye-var”) is a roasted red pepper spread (or “relish”), extremely popular in Balkan countries, but apparently with Serbian origins. The simplest version of ajvar contains only peppers and garlic, but many people add aubergines and this is what I did. The Turkish biber salçası and Romanian zacuscă are similar spreads, although the latter contains a smaller proportion of peppers.

A couple of years ago I bought a jar of ajvar in a nearby shop. It was inedible. When Ping (from Ping’s Pickings) proudly presented her home-made ajvar, I realised I had probably been unlucky with the low-quality commercial brand. From what I know Ping doesn’t have Balkan origins and doesn’t even live in Europe, so her enthusiastic comments were even more convincing. Then Mr. Three-Cookies (Three Cookies and Easily Good Eats blogs) prepared it too and his successful results were more than enough to make me dream of home-made ajvar. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to prepare it last year, but I have never forgotten about it (I keep on seeing the hated commercial jars quite often!).

A couple of days ago I stumbled upon very cheap Hungarian (read: the best) long red peppers, the perfect variety to prepare ajvar. I have bought three kilos and embarked on the ajvar adventure too. I will not lie. Even though ajvar is not difficult, the whole process is long, requires a lot of work and the yield is low. Apart from these “details”, this spread (or relish) is totally worth all the hassle. It tastes like nothing I have ever eaten, is versatile, addictive and amazingly good. It’s a fantastic bread spread for toasts, sandwiches, wraps, tortillas and it can also be served as a dip with snacks or sauce with grilled meat. Look out for cheap peppers and prepare it. I promise you will not regret the efforts.

My recipe is a mixture of what I found on Ping’s blog, Mr. Three-Cookies’s blog and a Serbian blog called Palachinka. Thank you so much, Ping and Mr. Three-Cookies, for the inspiration and for emboldening me to prepare this unique, wonderful dish. Thank you, Marija, for the extremely helpful photos and useful tips!)

TIPS: I wanted my ajvar a bit spicy, hence the chili peppers, but mild version is probably more popular.

Apparently the best texture is obtained with a meat grinder, but since I don’t have one, I quickly mixed everything in a food processor.

This is a short-term, fridge preserve. The author of Palachinka advises covering with hot oil and adding sodium benzoate (which I even happen to have), but since my yield was only about one litre and since it quickly “melts” every day, I thought I will not bother with it. If you want to keep the jars in the pantry, check how to do it on her blog.

Preparation: 2 days

Ingredients (yields about 1 litre):

3 kg (about 6,6 lbs) red long sweet peppers (at worst you can use bell peppers; they have a

thicker skin, so the yield will be higher, but they are less aromatic)

fresh chilies (I have added 3 medium hot chilies)

500 g (about 1,1 lb) aubergines

5 big garlic cloves, peeled

4 tablespoons oil

about 1 flat tablespoon salt (or more/less to taste)

Wash the peppers, grill them whole either on a grill or (like me) under the broiler until the skin is charred and starts showing “blisters”. Turn them to roast the other side and wait until the skin is charred too.

Put the still hot peppers in a well closed plastic bag or in a big pan, tightly covered with a lid, and leave overnight.

Proceed the same way with aubergines and chilies.

The following day, put on the gloves (otherwise your fingers and nails will be red for many days), peel the peppers and chilies, discarding the stems and removing all the seeds (the seeds you see on the photo come from the aubergine).

Peel the aubergines and remove the stalks.

Grind the aubergines, the peppers, the chilies and the garlic in a meat grinder or mix in a food processor. (Do not insist too much, the mixture should be slightly coarse).

Put everything into a pan, add half of the salt, all the oil and simmer on a very low heat for about two hours, constantly stirring (it burns easily) until there is no liquid separated from the ground vegetables. Taste after two hours and add more salt if needed. Simmer for 15 more minutes until the salt is completely dissolved.

Keep in a closed container or jars, in a colder part of the fridge for at least a month.

I Love Japan

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Many of you have certainly noticed my passion for the Japanese cuisine and read more than once about my desire to visit Japan. I have been learning Japanese, dreaming of this magic, distant trip… Finally my dream has come true and a couple of weeks ago me and my husband had the chance to taste the marvels of the Japanese cuisine, most of the time guided by my gourmet Tokyo friend (who, like me, loves shochu, shopping and long city walks). As ridiculous as it may seem, I can affirm I love Japan after only one week spent in Tokyo. Apart from the amazing food, I was impressed by the Japanese politeness, the mutual respect, the dynamics, the flawless organisation, the cleanliness, the high standard of services, the feeling of safety at any time of day or night…. How could I not love the country where finally no one makes disgusted faces when I ask for chicken cartilage, where my favourite geso (squid legs) are often on the menu and where I am not the only adult who gets excited at a visit in the Moomin Café (see the photo above)! Paradoxically, my enchantment is the main reason why I have taken very few photos. In fact, I am one of these people who, faced with strong emotions and/or excitement simply forget to take out their camera and immortalise the moment… unless a kind soul reminds them they have such a thing in their bag. I hope you will forgive me the small number of photos and most of all their poor quality.

I thought I should start with you the most extraordinary gourmet moment since my discovery of foie gras. Imagine eating thick, hard snow infused with green matcha tea… This is the only way I could describe the experience I had while tasting shaved matcha ice cream for the first time in my life. The colour was so stunning, it seemed unreal, while the bitterness and grassy aroma of my beloved matcha were perfectly soothing on a humid and hot summer day. The balls you see around the ice were made of rice and were really delightful as well as the light green, “standard” matcha ice-cream portion (although they were largely shadowed by the huge mountain of shaved ice).

We had this matcha dessert in a small and very friendly tea shop in a quiet part of Chuo-ku. As a big matcha fan I couldn’t go away without drinking this gorgeous matcha ice tea. After the sweet dessert this bitter drink was a perfect thirst quencher and a real feast for the eyes. Having such a double matcha treat was an experience I hadn’t even dreamt of.

Talking about cafés and tea rooms, I couldn’t stop myself from showing you this box because it illustrates so well the Japanese ingenuity, practicality and care for the client’s comfort. As you see you can put there your handbag, shopping bags etc. instead of squashing them on your chair or leaving dirty on the floor (although floor in Japan never seems dirty!) and I have seen it in several cafés or tea rooms. Another thing I loved was the plastic film they put on shopping bags during rainy days so that the items you have bought as well as the paper bag stay dry. I have never seen either in any European country. Am I the only one under the charm?

Another marvellous taste experience I wanted to share with you is unaju (a dish of caramelised seasoned eel served on a “bed” of rice). As a child I have always loved eel, but all I had in Swiss restaurants were fishy-smelling, tiny portions of tasteless slabs of a fish vaguely recalling eel. My Japanese friend, who lives in Tokyo and who knew my fondness for eel, took me to an old an old, eel-serving restaurant. I have had there the best eel dish in my whole life (excuse me the unappetising photo). The eel was served in a lacquered box (jubako) with two things I tasted for the first time in my life: black miso soup and small slimey nameko mushrooms. Sprinkled with the Japanese sansho pepper, it was the most exquisite lunch during my whole trip (and also one of the best ones in my life).

Unfortunately I have no photos to prove it but Morimoto, the izakaya you see above, serves the best skewers in the world (at least among the several izakayas I have tested during my trip) and is the first place where I had a dinner in Tokyo. This is also the place where I have had a most unusual experience with rare chicken breasts. I still remember how surprised I was when I first read at Shizuoka Gourmet’s blog about rare chicken breasts served in good Japanese restaurants. Robert-Gilles (the blog’s author) also posted a fascinating article about the way certain chickens are bred in special hygienic conditions in order to be served half raw in total safety. Since then I promised myself I would taste rare chicken breasts during my first visit to Japan and I did. Slightly grilled, rare chicken breast smothered with freshly grated wasabi made me feel in heaven… It was so extraordinary I ordered them five times! (I knew I would never be able to taste them outside of Japan if it’s a good explanation of my gluttony). Thank you so much, Robert-Gilles! Without your enthusiasm and knowledgeable posts I would never know such a miracle existed. Apart from the sensational rare sasami (chicken breast), Morimoto serves succulent, state-of-the art tsukune (ground chicken skewers) and other delicacies I could have every single day for the rest of my life… I found the address of this and other great Tokyo izakayas in Izakaya: the Japanese Pub Cookbook by Mark Robinson, the book I have already mentioned (I have prepared several successful recipes from it, such as Ume Shiso Chicken Skewers or Chicken and Leek Skewers (Negima 葱鮪)) and strongly advise to all the Japanese cuisine fans.

Another experience I will never forget is the Japanese beef. I often mentioned that I am not a beef fan. When I say “meat” I think “chicken” or “pork” and apart from well made steak tartare I go crazy for, I never take beef in restaurants. After reading and hearing lots of enthusiastic stories, I started however to dream of tasting the famous wagyu. Our Japanese friend took as to an exquisite yakiniku (Korean-style grill) dinner. The restaurant, owned by a butcher guaranteed the highest quality and freshness of the meat and also offered a huge array of cuts. You will understand why I say I love Japan if I confess that during this evening, for the first time in my life, I preferred beef to pork!

Unfortunately the grilled beef disappeared too quickly and the above raw meat photo and the one I took outside are the only ones I have taken.

Oh, and this magnificent picture with beef cuts comes from the restaurant too! All I need to do is learn them by heart before my next trip to Japan and I will be ready to order in any yakiniku place

Takoyaki, the simple, unfussy dish par excellence, were also an obligatory item to taste. Takoyaki are fried balls, similar to doughnuts and filled with octopus. They are served in casual cheap shops and are as good as an octopus fan can imagine. The ones we had in a takoyaki-dedicated chain restaurant were simply perfect and I still regret that the takoyaki pan was too heavy to transport to Europe because I would love to experiment with this cute snack.

I could go on forever with the desriptions of other gourmet moments I had such as korokke (breaded pork) hamburger (my favourite hamburger in the world!), mentaiko onigiri (rice balls with spicy fish roe) or monjayaki (a close cousin of my beloved okonomiyaki), Japanese potato salad, stir-fried burdock, tiny fish (shirasu) I had every day for breakfast, fantastic sushi or different kinds of my beloved shochu ”rokku” I drank every night… The thing I have absolutely fallen in love with is myoga (see the Wikipedia link here), an aromatic flower bud from the ginger family which at first made me think of the European shallot, but which has an unequaled, complex flavour and which I am desperate to cultivate on my balcony if I ever find bulbs. The funniest thing is that I haven’t tasted even a tiny part of what I wished to, so there is plenty food to explore during my future trips to Japan.

Apart from the clothes and beauty products which probably do not interest the majority of my dear readers, I have brought home some cooking gadgets, such as a fish scaler:

or the tiniest mandolin I have ever seen:

or the tiniest, cutest ginger grater in the world:

Several bags of konnyaku jellies (my favourite grape flavour) were heavy and made me abandon many other planned buys, but I don’t regret at all. They are one of the most addictive sweet treats I have ever tasted and are now impossible to get in Switzerland. I don’t regret the excess luggage we had to pay!

Last but not least, I have also brought a wasabi root!

I you have any ideas how I could wisely use this extraordinary vegetable as well as the two yuzu fruits I have also brought, I would be extremely grateful. I already plan yuzu shochu cocktails for next weekend drinks and chicken skewers (of course well cooked!) seasoned with freshly grated wasabi.

To sum up, one week was not enough even for one city! I came back with a huge motivation to learn Japanese more intensely then ever and to go back to this amazing country as soon as possible. For me Japan is definitely not a country one visits only once (or even twice). Even though I plan to visit other regions (Shizuoka is on the top of my list and I regret not having been able to see it this time), as a big city fan, I find Tokyo highly addictive. I am already hungry for next trips and not only in the culinary sense of the word.

Hereby, I would like to thank my dear friend Nami from Just One Cookbook for her precious and kind advice concerning this last-minute trip.

Plum, Prune and Chocolate Jam

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First of all, I would like to apologize for my long silence and the absence of new posts during the past week. I went on an unexpected, last-minute trip to Japan and hardly had the time to pack my luggage correctly. Those of you who know for how long I had been dreaming about visiting this country will probably understand why I have completely lost my mind there and wasn’t able to follow my beloved blogs, not to mention posting. I hope you will all forgive me. Even though I did take some photos during this wonderful stay, I don’t have as many as I wanted (on the other hand isn’t our brain the best photo album in the world?) and certainly not enough to make a whole post about Japan. As soon as I find my camera battery charger, I will see if I can share with you at least a couple of the food-related ones. In the meantime I will be trying to catch up with all your posts I have missed and would like to share with you an unusual, wonderful preserve I discovered just before I left for Tokyo.

Even though it’s hard to believe, this unappetising jar contains a highly palatable jam. Plum and chocolate jam has been quite popular on internet several years ago and as a huge fan of both plum jam and chocolate I bookmarked this idea and then forgot about it. A couple of weeks ago I noticed this original version of Plum and Chocolate Jam by my inspiring friend Bea, who also lives in Switzerland and who I greatly admire for both culinary skills and extraordinary photographs. I made a small batch almost instantly and even though my jam looked much less appetising than hers, the result was stunningly good. Bea calls the jam “prunes in chocolate” and if you have ever had this sweet snack I personally go crazy for (see here my 10 minute recipe), you must test this recipe too.

The unusual mixture of sweet, sour and bitter flavours will not please every palate (my husband said he preferred the real Nutella ), but for tangy and dark chocolate dessert fans like me it is a real feast. I think this jam would be excellent on buttered toast, but also as a versatile cake, biscuit or cookie filling. Plums are invading market stalls now and I already now that apart from the Plum Butter I prepare every year, I will fill my pantry with another batch of this delicacy. I have slightly modified Bea’s recipe, adding more rum and skipping the spices (ginger, cinnamon and cloves), so feel free to add them for a more complex flavour. Thank you so much, Bea, for this extraordinary recipe.

If this Plum and Chocolate Jam doesn’t sound inspiring, you might like the Damson Plum Butter, the extraordinary, rich taste of which has got nothing to do with standard plum jam:

And if you look for a quick and delicious (and rather healthy) sweet snack, try the ridiculously simple Prunes in Chocolate:

TIP: The best plums to use here are long, dark violet (purple) or dark blue plums, of damson variety or similar. They should have aromatic, dark skin and dark yellow flesh.

Preparation: 2 days

Ingredients (yield: about 4 x 200 ml/7 oz jars):

20 prunes (without stones)

50 ml (about 1,7 oz) rum + 50 ml hot water

2 kg (about 4,4 pounds) long, violet/purple/dark blue plums

50 g (about 1,8 oz) good bitter chocolate

5 heaped tablespoons cocoa

sugar (at least 600 grams; the amount depends on your preferences and the plums’ sweetness)

(50 ml/about 1,7 oz rum)

Cut up the prunes into pieces and soak in rum and hot water overnight.

The following day wash the plums, stone them and put in a big pan. Add the prunes and their soaking water.

Add some water (about 10% of the fruits’ initial weight), so that they don’t stick to the bottom until they start releasing their juice.

Put the pan on a low heat and let it simmer, stirring occasionally. First you can stir every 30 minutes, but when the mixture thickens, you should lower the heat to the absolute minimum and stir it every ten minutes. The thicker the mixture, the more often you should stir it.

If the pan burns, quickly transfer the unfinished butter to another pan (otherwise it will “take” the burnt flavour).

After about two or three hours add the minimal amount of sugar.

Simmer the jam for about 30 minutes and add more sugar if needed (and simmer for 30 more minutes, constantly stirring).

30 minutes before the end add the cocoa and the chocolate and let the mixture simmer, constantly stirring. Add more rum if you want (I thought rum was a perfect flavour enhancer here).

If you want, you can quickly mix the jam in a food processor, so that it has a smooth, spread-like consistency. (I did it).

/At this point you can either freeze it (after the jam has cooled down) or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year./

Pour the jam, still hot, into sterilised jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars in a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling – water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the jam and don’t forget to mark the date.

Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad

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This salad has become my obsession and addiction of recent weeks. Maybe it is due to the green papaya which I have tasted here for the first time or maybe it’s the unusual, perfectly balanced hot, sour and sweet dressing… The truth is that after five or six meals in recent two weeks, instead of getting bored, I crave it more and more.

I suspect that a big part of my enchantment is due to the green papaya. Did you know that green papaya is simply unripe papaya? I suppose all my Asian friends will laugh here at my ignorance, but I’m still in awe at how huge is the difference between unripe and ripe fruit stage. While I am not fond of the ripe papaya’s overwhelming aroma, I adore the green one’s subtle, delicate scent and crunchy texture. I intend to explore more recipes from South-Eastern Asian countries and India, where apparently green papaya is very popular. Apparently papaya is not only flavoursome, but also healthy, so I hope it’s better than being addicted to bacon.

This salad is also my first step into the discovery of real Vietnamese cuisine. Frankly, since my only memories of “Vietnamese” food were greasy, heavy dishes in thick, sticky floury sauces, this salad was a revelation. The recipe comes from “Vietnamese Street Food” by Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl, a book I have recently bought when I realised I didn’t know much about this country’s cuisine and didn’t have a single Vietnamese cookery book. The book is not an introduction to the Vietnamese cuisine, but only to its street food which for me is a fascinating world, so absent in European culinary culture. It is beautifully designed, contains luscious photos and tempting recipes. While reading it I realised that many ingredients used in Thai cuisine are also used in Vietnam and, as I have already mentioned in a previous post, Vietnamese use my beloved shiso quite a lot (called tia to or ti to, but don’t ask me how to pronounce it).

I have slightly modified the recipe, skipping dried beef and fried shallots I didn’t have. I don’t know how much I missed without these ingredients (every time I made it I skipped them), but the result was awesome and far beyond my expectations.

Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 as a side dish):

1/4 medium green papaya

a handful of soybean/mung bean sprouts

3 Asian spring onions (white and whiteish parts only) or 1 Asian shallot (advised in the original recipe)

1 heaped tablespoon toasted and roughly crushed peanuts

1 heaped tablespoon fried onion/shallot (I have skipped it)

leaves from 4 branches of coriander

Sauce:

1 small bird’s-eye-chili, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

2 flat tablespoons sugar or Agave syrup

1 tablespoon fish sauce

juice from 1/2 lime

(shredded dried beef)

Peel the papaya and cut it into long matchstick threads (a mandolin is a good tool here).

Combine it with the sprouts, chopped spring onions and coriander leaves.

Mix the sauce ingredients and pour them over the vegetables.

Stir well, sprinkle with peanuts and serve.

Spring Rolls with Soba Noodles and Cucumber

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Still in a joyful mood as a recent Charles’s guest blogger, here I am, travelling far across the ocean, straight to MJ’s Kitchen. Fascinated by MJ’s Southern cuisine, so exotic and different from mine, and impressed by her meticulous approach to every single recipe and ingredient, I am very proud to guest post for her today and sincerely hope you will visit her beautiful blog.

Given my passion for the Asian cuisine, I was glad that MJ suggested it for today. The last hot sunny days are still there, so I have chosen to present you a recent snack discovery. It is a cross between Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine, driven by an inspiring recipe on a… Korean blog. It sounds a bit complicated, but in reality this four-ingredient recipe is quite quick and simple.

Vietnamese rice paper used to prepare the famous spring rolls is a versatile staple I enjoy every summer. It is easy to stock, it has a very long shelf life and filled with vegetable or meat leftovers, it can be transformed into delicious, light sandwich alternatives. Even though I experiment a lot with rice paper, I would have never thought of combining them with Japanese soba noodles (see below), if I hadn’t spotted Soba and Kimchi Rolls at Heart Mind and Seoul blog. The rolls looked delicious and the presence of soba noodles was particularly surprising and tempting. The day I decided to recreate this recipe I ran out of kimchi, so I decided to replace it with cucumber for a crunchy, fresh note.

These simple rolls proved one of these rare vegetarian (and even vegan) snacks in which, even as an avowed carni- and piscivore, I didn’t mind the absence of fish or meat. This was probably due to the fact that soba noodles have a high protein content and are quite filling. They are satiating, but not heavy thanks to the substantial amount of the cucumber and the light, hot dipping sauce. They are an excellent alternative to sandwiches and I have particularly appreciated them as an afternoon snack. Halved horizontally, they make original party finger food. For a more complete meal, I can imagine them as a side dish with grilled meat or fish. Thank you, Sook, for the inspiration!

Soba (蕎麦) means in Japanese both buckwheat and buckwheat noodles. Soba noodles have a nutty taste and a characteristic strong aroma and can be served in both hot and cold dishes, the latter being particularly popular in cooling summer dishes. They are popular in whole Japan, but are apparently particularly in Tokio. According to wikipedia, in the Edo period (from 1603 to 1868) the rich population of Edo (the ancient name of Tokio) who consumed only white rice, poor in thiamine (vitamin B1) the deficiency of which lead to beriberi. When it was discovered that soba was rich in thiamine, the Edo population started to consume it in big amounts.

Buckwheat is not only transformed into flour and consumed not only in Japan. In fact hulled and roasted buckwheat grains are very popular in several Central and Eastern European countries (Russia, Poland, Ukraine…). In France “gallettes” or savoury crêpes originating from Brettany region are also made with buckwheat flour. Belonging to the Fagopyrum genus, buckwheat is not a grass, nor a cereal, even though it looks like one. Its qualities are so numerous, it is surprising most of the Western countries never consume it. It is very rich in protein, minerals, antioxydants, iron and doesn’t contain any gluten, so can be consumed by people who don’t tolerate it. Moreover, buckwheat grows very quickly and easily. That is why it can be cultivated in cold climate and crops can be easily multiplied in hot regions. If you ever have the chance, taste buckwheat honey. It has an unforgettable aroma and taste.

TIP: Dried noodles called “soba” can be bought in Japanese grocery shops, but most of them contain a mixture of buckwheat and wheat flours, so check well the ingredients before buying. My favourite are 100% buckwheat soba (juwari 十割 or towari) because of their intense flavour and aroma, but some people find it too strong. Soba noodles are usually light brown, but they can also be green when mixed with green tea (cha soba) or seaweed (hegi soba) and light pink when flavoured with cherry (sakura soba).

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (for 5 – 6 rolls):

6 rice paper sheets (22 cm/about 8,6 in. diameter)

50 – 60 g (about 2 oz.) soba noodles

1/2 big cucumber

2 – 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Dipping sauce:

5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or less if using standard soy sauce)
1 tablespoon chili oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Cook the soba noodles for 3-4 minutes in boiling unsalted water (the time depends on the brand and the kind of noodles, so check the exact time on the package).

Drain the noodles with very cold water to stop them from further softening.

Cut the noodles in two (shorter noodles will be easier to use here) and put aside.

Prepare the cucumber cutting it in 6 cm sticks.

Fill a big wide bowl with warm (not hot) water.

Dip rice paper sheets one by one in the water, immersing them delicately so that you don’t break them.

As soon as the sheet softens (about ten – twenty seconds), put it onto a chopping board.

Place horizontally, about 5 cm/2 in. from the rice paper edge which is closest to you, a stack composed of noodles and cucumber pieces.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and roll tightly but delicately, starting from the edge which is closest to you.

Proceed in the same way with the remaining rolls.

Serve them immediately as they are or cut in two horizontally.

If you wish to serve them later, wrap them individually in cling film because they dry out very quickly.

Pickled Yellow Mango

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Today I have a big honour and pleasure to guest post for my friend Charles from Five Euro Food. I strongly encourage you to pay him a visit and browse through his inspiring recipes from such different parts of the world as Sweden, Britain or Tunisia, watch his impressive cooking videos, admire his breathtaking photos from trips in France or simply say hello. I know Charles shares my passion for home preserves and September being the preserving month par excellence, I have decided to share with you and him my latest pickling experiment.

Even though I prepare some jams, most of my pantry jars contain savoury sauces, jellies and pickles. Mango is the main ingredient of several types of hot sauces and chutneys I prepare every year, but I haven’t tried pickling it until now. If, like me, you are a fan of Indian pickled mango, you will understand that this was the first recipe I started to look for. Unfortunately, Indian pickles are prepared with expensive green mangoes, and, most of all, I found only short-term preserving recipes. I desperately wanted to use the easily available yellow mangoes and to keep the pickles in my pantry for at least a year, so I ventured into something completely new. I kept Indian flavours and combined them with the foolproof European long-term pickling method I use with cucumbers and peppers (click here to see my beloved Pickled Peppers or Hot Chili Peppers).

The experiment was risky, but proved worthwhile. Tasted after a couple of days (I had to make sure I present you an edible recipe!), the pickled mango has exceeded my expectations. I feared the excessive sweetness and softness of the fruit, but they were perfectly balanced by chili peppers, vinegar and powerful spices. The scarce amount of oil I poured on top of every jar tamed down the harshness of the vinegar and mellowed the flavours. I can already see these aromatic mangoes bringing sunshine to my winter meals.

TIP: If you don’t care for long-term pickles, you can skip the processing stage and keep these pickles in the fridge for at least several weeks.

If you don’t like hot flavours, skip the chili.

The riper the mangoes, the softer the pickles will be. Even those made with quite firm fruits were rather soft (nothing to do with crunchy vinegared cucumbers).

Preparation: 1 h + processing

Ingredients (makes about 8 x 300ml/about 10 fl oz jars):

3 mangoes (not too ripe, still firm)

Marinade:

600 ml/about 2,5 cups vinegar (4,5%)

500 ml/about 2 cups water

150 g/2/3 cup caster sugar

3 flat tablespoons salt

3 teaspoons nigella seeds

2 teaspoons fenugreek seeds

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

2 teaspoons white mustard

8 garlic cloves

about 8 thin slivers fresh ginger

2 bird’s-eye-chilis (or any hot chili variety; the amount depends on how hot you want your pickles)

8 tablespoons good quality oil (I prefer olive oil)

Roast nigella, fenugreek, cumin and mustard seeds in a dry frying pan until they start to pop.

Put them aside.

Put on gloves. Cut the chilis into slices, discarding the seeds.

Peel the mangoes and cut them into more or less equal square pieces.

Fill empty, thoroughly washed and dried jars with mango pieces (no more than 2/3 jars’ height and not tightly packed), add garlic cloves (one per jar), toasted spices (a teaspoon per jar), two chili slices and one ginger sliver per jar.

Bring the marinade to the boil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, stirring well until all the sugar is dissolved.

Fill the jars with hot – not boiling – marinade, leaving 1,5 cm from the rim.

Pour a tablespoon of oil in each jar. Close the jars and let them cool down.

/At this point you can either keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks or process the jars, as described below, and store them in your pantry for at least a year!/

Place the cool jars in a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to the boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 15 minutes (if you use bigger jars, increase the processing time; I usually process 500 ml jars for 20 minutes).
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the pickle and don’t forget to mark the date.

Wait at least a couple of weeks before opening the jars. As most pickles, these should improve with time.

NOTE: For the readers who live in the USA, the USDA-approved canning method is different. You can find it described here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html.

Momotaro (Peach and Gin Cocktail)

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If I started by telling you what this drink consists of, it would probably sound quite ordinary, so I’ll talk first about its mysterious name, which I bet is not so mysterious for my Japanese friends. Momotaro, or Peach Boy, is a Japanese folklore tale character, who was found by and old couple in a peach and brought up as if it was their child. I don’t know if the person who named this drink was a fan of Momotaro tale or simply of Japanese origins. The most important is that the cocktail is deliciously summery and makes one feel as if autumn was still far, far away. It is also quick to prepare and requires very few ingredients. I see it as a mood-improving, adult fruit smoothie.

I knew that peach and gin are an incredibly good pairing (see my Peach and Gin Mousse and Peach and Gin Jam recipes), so I wonder why I waited such a long time before trying them in a drink. Luckily I found the perfect recipe at Mix Shake and Pour. My only modification was omitting the syrup, since my peach was very ripe and I hate very sweet drinks.

TIPS: Do not be tempted to use lime juice here instead of the simple lemon one. In my opinion it ruins the cocktail (I have tried once).

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients for 1 Momotaro drink:

1 big very ripe peach

50 ml gin

juice from 1/2 lemon (do not be tempted to use lime juice!)

ice

(sugar syrup, just in case the peach is not ripe)

Cover the peach with boiling water for two minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon and put into very cold water. After a couple of minutes the peel will come off easily with your fingers. (If it doesn’t, it means that the peach is unripe).

Remove the stone and mix the peach in a blender, adding a couple of ice cubes, lemon juice and gin. Mix again. Taste if more lemon juice or sugar syrup is needed.

Pour into a glass, add two or three ice cubes and smile!

Ketchup

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Last weeks of summer are the best moment to make your own ketchup, but if you consider it an easily copied and uncomplicated sauce, think again. For long years all the home-made specimens I tasted or tried to make were only distant and ridiculous wannabes, not even meriting to be labelled as “ketchup”. Accepting the superiority of commercial brands was not easy to accept by a passionate preserver like me, so when two years ago I was offered a huge batch of untreated, ripe tomatoes, the old dream of making my own ketchup returned. I started searching on internet, leafing through my cookery books… Finally, thanks to Jeffrey Steingarten and his fascinating “The Man Who Ate Everything” (one of the best food-related books I have ever read), I discovered a marvellous sauce which beats every single commercial brand and which is no longer a home-made copy, but the best ketchup in the world.

I have slightly modified the ingredients’ amounts because the original recipe was intended for ten pounds of tomatoes. The process is not complicated itself, but a bit fussy and long. The initial volume of tomato pulp and juice will reduce up to 80%, so this sauce is quite costly, unless you cultivate tomatoes or have access to very cheap ones. The tomatoes must be very ripe and ideally untreated or almost untreated. If the tomatoes’ quality is good, the result is so excellent, you will find it difficult to believe you have made it on your own. The flavour balances between the concentration of a fresh ripe tomato taste and a subtler version of good commercial ketchup. Once you have tasted your first batch, you will realise this sauce is too good to be served with just any ordinary sausage or meat and definitely not to every guest…

TIP: If your tomatoes are far from being perfectly ripe or are rather watery, I strongly advise the Indian style Tomato Chutney. The recipe gives amazing results even with ordinary tomatoes.

Preparation: around 2 hours

Special equipment: a food mill (a sieve and a spoon may be used instead, but it takes much longer)

Ingredients: (for 1 kg tomatoes, but the volume will reduce up to 80%)

1 kg tomatoes (about 2 lbs)

1 garlic clove chopped

1/2 medium onion chopped

70 ml (about 2,4 oz) cider vinegar (4,5%)

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon allspice berries

6 cm (about 2,4 in) cinnamon stick

2 cloves

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried ginger

1/2 tablespoon salt

1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar

Chop roughly the tomatoes.

Put them in a pan, cover, cook over high heat 5-10 minutes, stirring until the chunks give off their juice.

Strain the juice, pressing gently to the sieve, so that the liquid goes through, but not the tomato pulp.

Add garlic, onion, spices and vinegar (not sugar!) to the liquid obtained by straining.

Cook over moderate heat until it becomes slightly syrupy (it will take 40 – 60 minutes).

In the meantime sieve the pulp or put it through a food mill (make sure the seeds and skins do not get into the pulp). Put aside.

Strain the syrupy liquid discarding all the spices, onion, garlic etc.

Pour it over the pulp, add the sugar and stir well.

Cook until you obtain the desired ketchup consistency (keeping in mind that hot ketchup is a bit more liquid than when it cools down).

Adjust the taste if necessary (some tomatoes need more sugar or more salt) and heat until the sugar is dissolved.

You can mix the sauce in a food processor if you judge the texture not smooth enough.

/At this point you can (after the ketchup has cooled down) either freeze it, or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year!/

Pour the ketchup, still hot, into sterilised jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Shiso and Bacon Fried Rice

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This is not ordinary fried rice, but a delightful example of the Japanese excellence in simplicity. Few humble ingredients, quick and easy preparation, subtle seasoning and a sensational result. Even though I have prepared it at least a dozen times this summer, each time I take a first bite I am astounded by the flavours’ complexity and perfect choice of ingredients. I have found this wonderful recipe on Humble Bean blog, a source of refined, but unpretentious Japanese dishes, where I have also discovered the unequaled Tomato and Shiso Salad, my staple during the whole tomato season. Thank you, Azusa, for another extraordinary shiso dish idea.

Shiso (紫蘇) or perilla is a herb widely used in both Korean and Japanese cuisines. I am addicted to its herbaceous, slightly bitter flavour and its strong aroma and apart from the above mentioned salad, you might have seen here some other delicious ways to use it. I know some of you either don’t know shiso or have difficulties in finding it, or both. For those who don’t have nearby Japanese or Korean grocers, I have good news: shiso can also be found in Vietnamese shops (the one I buy is imported from Thailand). Those who cannot find a Vietnamese grocer either, can prepare this simple, but surprisingly flavourful meal using any other herb which supports well warm dishes and which is strong enough to face the powerful scent and flavour of smoked bacon. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have some replacement ideas if anyone is interested.

I have modified the original recipe, stripping this dish of the scrambled egg (after numerous meals, I realised I preferred it either “pure” or with a fried egg on top with a runny yolk) and slightly modifying the proportions. Click here to see Azusa’s exact recipe.

Talking about bacon… I wanted to share with you something I never get tired of (and believe me, I have watched it more than once), with a special dedication to all the bacon fans:

Now you know one of my biggest secrets: Ron Swanson is my idol and role model.

TIPS: One day old rice gives here the best results (or even two days’ old according to Azusa), but definitely not freshly cooked rice. If you don’t have one day old rice, cook eat several hours beforehand, leave it to cool down and refrigerate for at least one-two hours.

Very cold rice might be difficult to break into grains, so I always microwave it just before adding to the wok. Warm rice is easier to incorporate.

Azusa says this dish is particularly good with brown rice. Since I’m not a big fan of it, I haven’t tried this version yet, but if you like brown rice, it’s worth remembering.

Preparation: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

150 g (about 4 oz) cooked rice (the best one is leftover from the day before, but it has to be at least cooked several hours beforehand and refrigerated)

1/2 small onion

2 thin strips of smoked bacon

5 big shiso leaves

1/3 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 teaspoon sake

1 teaspoon soy sauce (or more if using low-salt soy sauce)

freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sesame oil (to add at the end)

(salt)

(1 egg)

Cut up the bacon into bite-sized pieces.

Fry it until crispy.

Put aside on paper towels.

Slice the onion and fry it with ginger until the onion softens.

Warm the rice in a microwave (it will help to separate the grains).

Add the rice to the onion and stir-fry, separating the grains for about 30 seconds.

Add the bacon, the sake, the soy sauce and stir-fry until everything is hot.

(If the bacon is not very salty, you might need to add salt. Do not exaggerate with soy sauce, which might destroy the balance of flavours).

Finally add the shiso cut into thin strips, sprinkle with ground pepper, pour some sesame oil, stir well everything until shiso warms up and serve.

You can fry an egg and serve it on top or incorporate it in the middle of frying process (see Azusa’s instructions).

Hot Peach Sauce

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Every year, especially when the busiest pantry-filling season arrives, I try to limit jars-related posts in case some of you, my dear readers, become totally bored with the preserving subject. This Peach Sauce is one of these which didn’t fit into my last year’s “quota” and I promised myself I wouldn’t skip it this summer. My recent discoveries of Jed’s (Sportsglutton) fabulous Peachy Western Bacon Cheeseburger and Eva’s (Kitchen Inspirations) marvellous Peach Salsa reminded me to present you this simple, but highly palatable hot and sweet sauce.

As some of you know, I am addicted to the mixture of sweet and hot flavours. This is one of the reasons why, instead of standard jams, “fruit” shelves in my pantry are mainly filled with hot sauces, jellies, chutneys and similar products. Most of them go exceptionally well with both Western and Asian dishes, so I will not exaggerate if I say I do not imagine my life without them. Some taste better with seafood, some with poultry, grilled meat, skewers, toasts or simple sandwiches and other, like this peach sauce, enhance practically every savoury meal or snack.

Visually and technically this sauce is very close to Mango and Chili Sauce I wrote about in June. It is equally beautiful, easy and quick to prepare. In spite of a slight tanginess, this sauce is more versatile, probably due to a subtler fruit aroma. If you feel tempted by this simple preserve, now is probably the best moment to profit from ripe, end-of-season peaches.

Whatever you do with peaches, do not throw out the peel. It can be used to prepare amazingly good Peach Peel Butter.

In case you want to experiment with fruits and chili, you might also like these:

Hot Strawberry Sauce

Mango and Chili Sauce

Apricot and Chili Jelly

TIPS: Vinegar and sugar amounts depend on the fruits’ sweetness and the ones below are only an example. Some peaches require more sugar and some more vinegar. Always put down the exact amounts so that you know what you should modify next time you preserve.

The hotness of this sauce should be adapted to your own preferences and your resistance. The below chili amounts are only an example and depend also on the chili variety. Several tips for those who are not used to handle hot peppers:

1-Wear gloves while washing or cutting them !

2- Add your peppers gradually. They vary a lot in size, in hotness, and even the same variety can be completely different depending on the season and country of origin. I always first mix peppers in a food processor and then add them gradually until the sauce acquires the desired taste.

3-Do not throw away the seeds if you want the sauce to be even hotter! (they are the hottest part of the peppers).

4- Keep in mind that the warm sauce is always hotter in taste than the cold one… (Wait for the sauce to cool down, taste it and you can reheat it once more adding more chilies if you want).

Preparation: around 30 minutes + a couple of hours for cooling + 20 minutes for processing

Ingredients: (about 3 x 200ml jars, but it depends on the fruits’ juiciness and ripeness)

1 kg (about 2 lbs) peaches

1 T salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

200 ml (6 3/4 oz) white wine or cider vinegar (mine was 4,5% acid)

preferably fresh, red or green hot peppers (I put 3 flat tablespoons of mixed tiny “bird’s eye” chili peppers and my sauce was really hot)

Cut off the peppers’ stems. Cut in half lengthwise and throw away the seeds (or not! if you want your sauce extra hot).

Mix the peppers in a food processor. Put aside.

Peel the peaches putting them in a big bowl or pan filled with boiling water.

After five minutes empty the bowl/pan and cover them with very cold water.

After 5 more minutes they can be peeled with fingers.

Do not throw away the peel! Make Peach Peel Butter (I promise it’s delicious).

Cut up the flesh. Mix the peaches in a food processor.

Place the mixed peaches, the sugar, the salt and the vinegar in a heavy bottom pan (shouldn’t be aluminium or copper, otherwise the vinegar will react with the metal).
Add the chilies gradually (for example starting with half of the amount). Cook for about 30 minutes. Taste and, optionally, add sugar /vinegar/peppers to adjust the taste.

/At this point you can (after the sauce has cooled down) either freeze it, or keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or process it in the jars, as described below, and store it in your pantry for at least a year./

Pour the sauce, still hot, into sterilised jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 15 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the sauce and don’t forget to mark the date (do not forget to put down the exact amounts of every ingredient).

In a dry place, with a moderate temperature, the jars should keep for at least a year.

Financiers with Raspberries

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Financiers count among the biggest wonders in the world of pastry. Few ingredients, simple preparation and marvellous, sophisticated result. I have already written about them quite a long time ago (here), but this new summer fruit version turned out so good, I absolutely wanted to share it with you. As I have written in my old post, Financiers are one of the most famous French pastry items and a pure delight for almond fans. They contain almost no flour, but mainly butter, powdered almonds, egg whites and sugar, so you can imagine how intense the almond taste is.

Baked since the Middle Ages by French nuns of the Visitation of Mary, at first they were not called financiers and had an oval form. Then, for a certain time they were forgotten and around 1890, Lasne, a Parisian confectioner, revived the recipe. Since his shop was close to the stock market and financiers were his regular clients, he named the cakes “financiers” and transformed their form into the one recalling a gold lingot, probably thinking they appealed more to his clients. I usually make my financiers in muffin forms, but this time somehow the rectangular shape seemed more appropriate.

Financiers have different versions and raspberry addition seems quite popular, especially in the summer. When I decided to add the fruits I was worried that their acidity might spoil the perfect harmony of the Financiers. Luckily I was wrong. Raspberries bring a subtle tangy note, but they disturb neither the Financiers’ extremely soft, mouth-melting consitency nor their sophisticated taste. I encourage everyone to try this version before raspberries disappear from market stalls.

My recipe comes from Leçons de cuisine de l’école Ritz-Escoffier . The only thing I have modified is the sugar amount (70 g instead of the original 85g).

TIPS: Financiers are very easy to prepare and are an excellent occasion to use up egg whites. Finding powdered (not only ground) almonds might be difficult. I always buy ground almonds and sift them through a sieve. The leftover, big bits of ground almonds are excellent to prepare the even easier Thumbprint Almond Cookies (see the recipe here) or Kings’ Pie (Galette des Rois), which is also a good way to use up two yolks, leftover from this small batch of Financiers…

Click here for some ideas of using the remaining egg yolks.

The only tricky part is taking the financiers out of the forms. They should be cold and handled delicately.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients (for 6 muffin forms or rectangular, similarly sized forms or 12 mini-muffin shaped forms):

50 g (about 1,8 oz) powdered almonds

70 g (about 2,5 oz) sugar

50 g (about 1,8 oz) butter

2 egg whites

1 heaped tablespoon flour

a pinch of salt

12 raspberries

Preheat the oven to 190°C.

Prepare the “beurre noisette” (lit. hazelnut butter): heat the butter in a pan on a low heat and observe the milk solids, which will separate at the bottom. When they become light brown (hazelnut colour), put the pan aside.

Combine the egg whites, the sugar, the almond powder, the pinch of salt and the flour in a big bowl. Add gradually the butter, mixing with a spoon.

Pour the mixture into greased – with butter – muffin or rectangular forms (or other small cakes forms) 2/3 of their height.

Place two raspberries in each financier.

Bake for about 15 – 20 minutes until golden.

Let them cool down before taking out of the forms.

Rice Salad with Shrimp and Avocado

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Have you ever made a rice salad with mayonnaise? Until about a month ago I thought every single visitor of my blog would answer this question positively. For long years I was convinced such a leftover salad was popular everywhere around the world, especially among the nations for which rice is a staple. Then, astonished, I realised rice salad was a total novelty for my Japanese teacher, who took my recipe and prepared her very first rice salad. Her enthusiastic feedback emboldened me to post this casual dish. One’s staple is often another person’s discovery, so I hope that regular rice salad makers will forgive me such a basic recipe and will not consider this post pretentious.

I cook a lot of Asian dishes, so leftover rice is my everyday fare. To be honest, I always steam more rice than needed because we are particularly fond of fried rice and of course rice salads. Rice salads have always been for me a safe bet in the simple & quick meals category, especially in summertime when they become a chilling alternative to fried rice. I prepare many different versions, depending on what I have in the fridge, but the mixture of shrimp, avocado and cucumber is probably the most frequent. First of all I am very fond of this combination (see below other dishes including it) and keeping the three ingredients in stock is quite easy (I buy frozen raw shrimp). Almost all my rice salads include canned corn, a necessary sweet accent and a delicate softer but still crunchy note. In my opinion shrimp, avocado and rice literally scream for mayonnaise, so I have never tested this version with other sauces, although I serve other rice salads with mustard vinaigrette. I know this bowl might not look very appetising, but if you like the main ingredients and have never tried making a leftover rice salad, you should give it a go. I am almost certain you will not regret it.

Here are two other dishes with my beloved shrimp, avocado and cucumber combination (accidentally they also include rice and mayonnaise):

Maki Sushi with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber

Hot & Cold Rice Bowl with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber

TIPS: This is a laid back, casual meal. I change the ingredients’ proportions according to my mood and to what I find in the kitchen. Therefore the below amounts are approximate.

I find that leftover, one day old rice is the best option in rice salads. It should at least stay several hours in a closed container before the salad is served.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 hungry people as a main course):

15 medium shrimp (shelled, deveined and blanched)

1 avocado

1/2 long cucumber

1 1,2 – 2 cups (about 375 – 500 ml) cooked rice

1 red onion or 1 big spring onion

1 can corn (300 g/about 10 oz)

a couple of tablespoons mayonnaise

salt, pepper

(Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce)

Chop finely the onion or spring onion.

Cut up the remaining ingredients.

Drain the corn.

Heat the rice in a microwave until is tepid (it will help to break the grains and to avoid lumps).

In a big bowl combine all the ingredients, add the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, Tabasco and Worcestershire.

Serve cold.

Kyuuri no Kyuuchan (Pickled Cucumber with Soy Sauce and Ginger)

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Kyuri no kyu chan (きゅうりのキューちゃん) is brand name of extremely popular Japanese cucumber pickles. I’m always thrilled at the idea of reproducing a famous factory made product at home (I still keep on preparing my own Taberu Rayu, a Japanese thick chili oil), so when I saw the recipe on Hiroyuki’s blog on Japanese cooking, I knew I would try it soon. This first test was particularly exciting since I have never actually tasted the original pickles. I have no comparison, but Hiroyuki’s home version, slightly modified and prepared with big, long Western cucumbers turned out delicious.

Unlike Western strong pickles, Japanese style pickles (tsukemono) have a low acidity level, are more or less sweet (sometimes too sweet for my taste) and, unless store-bought, they belong to short-term preserves; as such they have to be kept in the fridge. The low acidity is sometimes a nice change from stronger European pickles which cannot be served at every meal. The sweetness level of many Japanese dishes is however often too high for me, so I have slightly reduced here the sugar amount. I have also used low-salt soy sauce (Hiroyuki said they were very salty). I was very happy with the result and found these pickles addictive. They were so delicate and versatile, I had them with every single meal (breakfast too). Moreover, I was astounded by the incredible taste of the pickled ginger strips. They were supposed to be only a part of cucumbers’ seasoning, but I enjoyed fishing them out and eating separately. My next batch will be bigger and I will certainly add more ginger. Thank you, Hiroyuki, for this excellent recipe!

If you find yourself with a big batch of cucumbers, I strongly recommend trying the incredibly easy and particularly flavoursome Cucumber Kimchi:

cucumberkimchip

or the Moomins’ Cucumber Salad I posted last year and have been putting into jars this weekend:

Preparation: 15 minutes + 12 hours

Ingredients:

2 Japanese cucumbers or 1 big long Western cucumber

1 tablespoon fresh ginger slivers

1 tablespoon sugar

100 ml (about 3,4 oz) low-salt soy sauce

50 ml (about 1,7 oz) rice vinegar

toasted sesame seeds

Cut the cucumbers into 1 cm (about 1/2 in) slices and if they are big, cut the slices in two.

Put the sugar, the soy sauce and the vinegar in a pan. Bring to the boil.

Add the cucumbers and the ginger strips. Let them simmer for 2 minutes.

Put aside and once cooled, refrigerate them overnight.

Serve sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Egg, Pepper and Anchovy Salad

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I promised myself to use my kitchen library more often. I did it when I started to mark with red stickers all the spines of the books I have never cooked from. I was appalled by the result and decided to act immediately, especially since another two recently ordered items were on their way… I love reading cookery books, leafing through them (even those which don’t have illustrations), dreaming with them (those without photos are excellent here), but somehow rarely open them in my kitchen.

The other day, desperate to use up a couple of dying, wilted red peppers I forced myself to keep away from the computer and turn to my book shelves instead. I remembered vaguely something interesting in a Spanish cookery book I haven’t opened for ages and I was right. A cute little book called simply Cocina Española (a Spanish edition of “Spanish” by Parragon books, no author), brought by my friend as a gift from Spain, proved to contain a salad I was able to prepare without even going out shopping. I couldn’t ask more for lunch on a hot sunny day: the salad was quick, easy, comforting and incredibly Mediterranean. In short the epitome of a casual Spanish dish.

This salad (not the first recipe from this concise but surprisingly practical book) not only convinced me that I should cook Spanish more often, but most of all, proved once more that my cooking library if full of treasures I should profit from. It has also reminded me how much I adore anchovies and how delightful they are paired with eggs. Accidentally, it’s the first Spanish recipe I have posted on my blog and I was very glad to add a new “country” category.

I have slightly adapted the original recipe to make it a dish for one. I have also changed the proportions and replaced black olives with vinegared capers to add a fresh, acid accent. (I’m sorry for the messy presentation, but I was really hungry!).

Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves one as the main course or two as a starter):

2 hard boiled eggs

2 big sweet red peppers (long or bell peppers)

6 -8 canned anchovy fillets (drained)

3 tablespoons drained capers (I used vinegared capers) or 6- 8 black olives

Sauce:

1 tablespoon jerez (sherry) vinegar

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

salt, pepper

Combine the olive oil, the vinegar, season with salt and pepper.

Cut the peppers in two and place, skin side up, under the oven grill or keep them over the flame until the skin becomes black.

Put them into a plastic bag, close it and wait until they cool down.

Peel them with your fingers, remove the seeds and white parts.

Wash the peppers and slice them.

Cut the eggs into quarters.

Put all the salad ingredients in a bowl.

Pour the sauce over them and serve with bread.

Coffee and Coconut Cream with Agar

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coffeecoconutcreamp

A cooling, light coconut dessert and a cup of strong coffee in one. This is probably the best description of the cream I have been enjoying during this summer’s hot weekends. I have almost forgotten to post this recipe, but first I saw MJ’s spicy Mayan Iced Coffee, then Zsuzsa’s extravagant chocolatey Iced Coffee, which both reminded me of this refreshing sweet treat. I thought that sunny August days might be the last chance to share it with you this year.

It has been a long time since I last reported on my experiments with coconut cream set with agar (see below). This doesn’t mean however that I have stopped them. The simplicity and quickness of the basic recipe makes it ideal for infinite modifications. Such different versions as Coconut Cream with Peaches, Chocolate and Coconut Cream or Matcha and Coconut Cream all turned out amazingly good. Emboldened by coconut milk’s capacity to blend with diverse ingredients, I dared mixing it with coffee and never regretted this test. Coconut milk proved once more that, if correctly dosed, it creates an astonishing, but harmonious combination. This cream was as light as the ones I have mentioned above, but the generous amount of coffee I have included gave it an additional, energising property and made me think of a strong, cold iced coffee. Sprinkled with bitter cocoa and some dessicated coconut, it was a pure delight for the big fan of coffee I am. If I had coffee liqueur I would probably add a splash of it.

As a reminder, agar (agar agar or kanten) is a gelling agent made with seaweed. It’s available in Asian grocery shops, in organic food shops and in Switzerland also in standard supermarkets. It is not a gelatin replacement and creates a slightly different texture. Here are some other desserts where I have used agar and appreciated it:

Matcha and Coconut Cream with Agar

Wobbly Rhubarb Delight

Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream

Light Coconut Cream with Canned Peaches

Even if prepared with sugar, this dessert is light, but if you want to make it lighter, you can use a sweetener suitable for cooking.

Instant coffee can be substituted with very strong small espresso. If you decide to use the latter, make it as small as possible and reduce accordingly the amount of cow milk.

Try adding a splash of coffee liqueur if you have some. I’m sure it makes the cream more elegant and festive.

Do not wait until the cream becomes cold before pouring it into glasses because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5):

250 ml/about 1 cup coconut milk

250 ml/about 1 cup cow milk

4 flat tablespoons sugar (I used two flat tablespoons sweetener suitable for cooking)

1/3 flat teaspoon agar agar in powder

5 flat tablespoons instant coffee (I have used Nescafé Espresso)

(a splash of coffee liqueur)

(dessicated coconut and bitter cocoa to sprinkle before serving)

Combine alle the ingredients in a pan (apart from the dessicated coconut and cocoa).

Bring to boil on low heat and, constantly stirring, let it simmer for about a minute.

Put aside.

Prepare four individual bowls or low glasses.

Pour the hot mixture into the individual bowls (agar sets at room temperature, so the cream’s temperature should be higher before it is poured; make sure it is not too hot and doesn’t break the bowls or glasses). Let it cool down to room temperature and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Serve very cold sprinkled with coconut and bitter cocoa.

Bang Bang Chicken, Strange-Flavour Chicken, or Cold Chicken with Sauce

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bangbangp

It’s hard to make one’s choice when more than half of a cookery book has been marked to be tested…. (If you have been following my latest culinary discoveries, you will not be surprised if I say I talk about “Sichuan Cookery” by Fuchsia Dunlop). I always hesitate between the famous recipes I want to test, the easy and quick no-fuss dishes and of course the intriguing ones. Bang Bang Chicken (Bang bang ji si) falls into the latter category and not only by its amusing name (which makes me hum a certain film soundtrack for two last days…) but, as I later learnt, also by its unusual flavours.

I suppose that to many of you Bang Bang Chicken is as familiar as Gong Bao/Kung Pao Chicken. To me, however, it has only recalled a vaguely Asian dish, but nothing else. For those, who, like me, have never seen this famous dish, it’s composed of boiled cold chicken, torn into pieces and dressed with a very particular sauce. If one takes into consideration the onion or/and the cucumber the chicken is served with, the dish might be called a chicken salad.

The words “bang bang” come from the wooden cudgel (“bang” in Mandarin) used to “beat” the cooked chicken so that its fibers loosen and it becomes easier to be torn into pieces. A very similar dish is called “Strange-Flavour Chicken (Guai wei ji si) due to the unusual combination of the sauce flavours (salty, sweet, sour, nutty, hot, numbing). The difference between these two Sichuan dishes is minimal. According to the chefs cited by Fuchsia Dunlop, Bang Bang Chicken should be more “hot and numbing” than its close cousin. Otherwise, the basic ingredients and the method remain identical.

I took out the chicken breasts and thought I would prepare a quick lunch. Alas, the preparation is not as quick as it seems or looks. First the chicken needs to be boiled and slowly cooled. The Sichuan pepper, sesame seeds or peanuts need to be toasted (although the former two ingredients are very handy in other Sichuanese dishes and can be prepared in bigger amounts). Onions need to be soaked in water and cucumbers salted for at least 20 minutes… The time and effort were certainly worth it because the dish is a pure delight and the strange-flavour sauce makes the first bite an unforgettable experience.

Even though I kept the sauce as genuine as I could, I must confess a slight modification concerning the chicken preparation. First of all, instead of cooking the whole bird, I used two skinless breasts found in the freezer (thus the meat didn’t need any beating). I have also slightly modified the boiling liquid, using a cube of chicken stock with fresh ginger. If you want to see the original recipe, I strongly advise buying Fuchsia Dunlop’s book. It’s a rare jewel.

I have also prepared several other recipes from the Sichuan Cookery; all turned out excellent. Until now I have posted:

Steamed Aubergine with Chili Sauce

Gong Bao (Kung Pao) Chicken

TIPS:

The author says Bang Bang Chicken is served either on a layer of spring onions or on cucumbers. I have dressed mine on spring onions, putting cucumbers on a separate plate. At the table I combined everything in a bowl creating a very refreshing light summer salad.

Apparently dark sesame paste is the best choice for this dish. The author suggests however tahini or any other standard sesame paste as a substitute. I was glad to use light, organic sesame paste that has been sitting in my fridge for ages.

The chicken can be cooked one day before and dressed just before the meal.

If you have some leftover chicken, boiled in stock, steamed or prepared in any other, rather neutrally tasting way, this dish is an original way to use it.

Preparation: 2 hours (or 30 minutes if you have already boiled and cooled the chicken)

Ingredients (serves two as a main dish, with rice or bread and some vegetables; serves 3-4 as a starter):

2 chicken breasts (or half of a small chicken weighing about 400 g/0,9 lb) + 1 litre (about 4 cups) chicken stock + 2,5 cm (1 in) ginger

Sauce:

1 flat tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

(salt)

1 tablespoon Chinkiang vinegar (black Chinese vinegar)

3 tablespoons sesame paste (the best one is dark Chinese sesame paste, but tahini or any other sesame paste is a good substitute)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons chili oil with chili flakes (I used my home-made Taberu Rayu)

1 teaspoon toasted and ground Sichuan pepper (see below)

a couple of teaspoons toasted sesame seeds or unsalted toasted peanuts, roughly crushed (I have chosen the peanuts) (also see below)

6 spring onions (only white parts) or/and 1 long cucumber

First prepare the chicken. Bring the stock to the boil.

Cut the ginger into thick slices and crush them with the handle of your knife.

Add the ginger and the chicken (or chicken breasts) to the boiling stock.

Cook for 15 minutes (breasts) or 30 minutes (half-chicken). Cover with a lid and let it stand for another 15 minutes.

Let the chicken cool down, skin it and then shred the meat into slivers with your fingers. Make sure there are no bones in your shredded slivers.

Toast the sesame seeds or peanuts in a dry frying pan, on medium heat, until they are golden.

Put the sesame seeds aside. Crush the peanuts roughly with the bottom of a bowl or the handle of a big knife.

Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry frying pan, on medium heat, until they start giving off a very strong smell but don’t let them burn. Put them into a coffee grinder or a small food processor (the one for baby food is perfect) and grind them.

Put aside.

If using the cucumber, cut it into thin strips (similar in size and form to chicken slivers), sprinkle it with salt and put aside for about 20 minutes.

Wash off the salt and drain the cucumber.

Cut the spring onion into thin strips lengthwise (similar in form and size to the chicken slivers) and put them into a bowl of cold water for at least 15 minutes. Drain them.

Prepare the sauce combining all the ingredients.

Pile either the onions or the cucumber in the middle of a plate.

Place the chicken slivers on top of the onions or cucumber.

Pour the sauce over the chicken.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds or peanuts.

Serve.

Pickled Peppers

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pickledpepperp

These are by far the most extraordinary pickles I know. I have been preparing them for long years and always in several big batches because they are also my family’s and friends’ favourite preserves. I already wrote about these pickles about two years ago, but at the time I didn’t have many visitors, so they remained unnoticed. When recently Jeno from Weeknite Meals commented on this old forgotten post I felt I had to dig it out and share with all my visiting and blogging friends (while making this weekend’s batch I also changed the previous awful photo). Thank you, Jeno, for drawing my attention to this post.

I can shamelessly affirm that these are the best pickled peppers I have ever tasted because I am not the author of the recipe. I got it from a friend, who, in her turn, got it from her boss, an excellent cook. I have never had a chance to taste her boss’s peppers, but I believed my friend when she said they were simply the best. She was right because I have never even tried to modify the original recipe. I have always put the same spices, the same proportion of vinegar and sugar and the same significant amount of garlic too. I also never skip the tablespoon of oil which smooths and “polishes” the flavours.

Every variety of pepper can be pickled this way and as you can see below the process is quite easy. The most important is that the peppers be fresh and ripe. The stronger their aroma the better the pickle will be. Of course red peppers are most beautiful. The jars keep for at least a year, but a three year old jar I recently found at the back of my pantry was still perfect. You should wait at least a couple of weeks before tasting, but it largely improves with time.

I pickle also Hot Chili Peppers, but in a slightly different way. Click here to see the recipe.

Preparation: 1 hour+processing

Ingredients:

1.5 kg (3,3 pounds) sweet peppers

about 20 peeled garlic cloves

up to 10 bay leaves

a couple of teaspoons mustard grains

a couple of teaspoons black pepper grains

2-3 teaspoons allspice grains

1 litre (about 4 cups) cider/white wine/other alcohol vinegar (mine was 4,5%, if you use a stronger one, add proportionally more water)

1.1 litre (about 4 cups and 3 oz) water

400 g (1 3/4 cups) caster sugar

3 tablespoons salt

olive oil (or other good quality oil)

Cut the peppers’ stems, discard all the seeds and white parts. Cut them into 2-3 cm pieces.

Fill in empty jars with pepper pieces (no more than 2/3 jars’ height), add 2 garlic cloves, 3 allspice berries, 3 pepper grains, 6 mustard grains and 1 bay leaf per every 500 ml jar.

Put the vinegar, the water, the sugar and the salt in a pan and let it boil a couple of minutes, stirring well until all the sugar is dissolved. Put aside.

Fill the jars with hot (no longer boiling!) vinegar mixture, leaving 1,5 cm from the rim. Pour a generous tablespoon of oil in each jar. Close the jars and let them cool down.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to the boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the pickle and don’t forget to mark the date.

Wait at least a couple of weeks before opening the jars. As do most pickles, this one improves with time. Pickled peppers are perfect with cold meats, in sandwiches, on toast, as a side dish…

Gong Bao Chicken with Cashew Nuts

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kungpaop

Have you ever tasted the famous Gong Bao/Kung Pao Chicken? I also thought I did before I prepared it on my own, following the instructions from the excellent Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop (I have already mentioned this fantastic book when I posted Steamed Aubergine with Chili Sauce). While reading the ingredient list I already felt something was wrong with all the dishes bearing the same name, previously tasted in Chinese restaurants, but as soon as I took the first mouthful, inhaling an extraordinary aroma, I realised it was my very first Gong Bao Chicken (or at least something extremely close to the genuine Sichuanese specialty).

Gong Bao or Kung Pao takes its name from a XIXth century governor of Sichuan, whose official title was “gong bao”. The name was banned and modified in the communist China until the 80s, when it started to be accepted once more. Apart from the chicken cubes, this famous dish contains chili peppers, spring onions, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppers and most often toasted peanuts, but according to the author cashew nuts are also encountered. It may seem very simple, but the flavours are very unusual and surprising for someone who knows Chinese cuisine from European restaurants. Two things make Gong Bao unique: Sichuanese peppercorns and the very light sour, sweet and hot sauce prepared with black Chinkiang vinegar.

If you have never tasted it, Sichuan pepper is one of the most magical spices in the world. As its name suggests, it is widely used in Sichuan province, but is not similar to any pepper I know. The peppercorns are very dark red-brown and have a characteristic numbing effect on the tongue (I like to call it “paralysing”). Nothing can substitute them here, so unless you know well and dislike Sichuan peppercorns, don’t skip them while preparing this delicacy for the first time.

I haven’t modified the recipe and only slightly changed the amounts of some ingredients. Just like other recipes from Fuchsia Dunlop’s book, this one proved clearly explained and the proportions perfect. Even reading the introduction and the recipes explanations is a real pleasure.

TIPS: As a big cashew nuts fan I was happy to learn that they are also sometimes used by Sichuanese chefs, but the most frequent version includes peanuts.

Unfortunately I had to substitute Sichuanese chili peppers with Hungarian chili. Both are moderately hot, so I hope it was a good choice.

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 chicken breasts cut into 1,5 cm cubes

5 spring onions (white parts) cut into 1,5 cm pieces (I have used the white and the very light green parts too)

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

3 teaspoons thinly sliced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons oil

minimum 10 dried Sichuanese chilies (I have substituted them with medium hot Hungarian chilies) halved (horizontally)

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

Marinade:

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

1 1/2 teaspoon potato flour

1 tablespoon water

Sauce:

3 teaspoons sugar

3/4 teaspoon potato flour

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

3 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar (black Chinese vinegar)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons chicken stock or water

20 -30 toasted peanuts or cashew nuts

Combine the sauce ingredients in a small glass.

Pour the marinade ingredients into a small bowl and combine with the chicken.

Heat the oil in a wok.

Stir fry the chili peppers and whole Sichuan peppercorns until they become crispy, but not burnt (you can reduce the heat or take the wok off the stove for a while).

Add the chicken and when it starts becoming white, add the ginger, the garlic slices and the spring onions.

Stir fry until the chicken pieces are thoroughly cooked.

Pour the sauce, continuously stirring and when it becomes thick, add the peanuts or cashew nuts.

Chicken Wings with Curry and Thyme

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thymecurrywingsp

This is not an elegant, sophisticated, pampered and carefully seasoned, whole bird recipe. This is an everyday, easiest pre-cut roast chicken meal I know, best taken simply with some bread, maybe a green salad and definitely a glass of well chilled white wine. This is the way I have been baking wings (and also other chicken cuts) for long, long years. Infused with strong flavours, the skin is always crispy and if I am happy to find three-section wings (believe me, it’s not always obvious…), I make sure the tips are charred and crunchy, so that I can eat the tiny bone. Have I mentioned I also love the cartilaginous wing parts?

I still don’t remember how I had this simple idea (before I used to rub chicken either with curry or with the Mediterranean seasoning including thyme and garlic), but I loved thyme and Indian curry powder from the first time I put them together. I haven’t checked if this combination is popular, but if you have never tasted thyme and curry, I strongly encourage you to try it at least once (although I do not guarantee the result with other meats; the only way I use it is to season chicken).

TIP: If you like hot dishes, I encourage you to use the hot version of curry mixture and to add some hot chili (I add both). Otherwise mild curry and sweet paprika or no paprika are excellent here too.

For me such wings are best served with good quality bread, but if you want to make a richer, fuller meal, I can imagine them very well with baked potatoes. (By the way, what you see beside the wings are two slices of bread from my favourite French baker. Can you see the huge holes and soft, but airy interior with crunchy golden crust? The best version of my favourite kind of bread.)

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 2):

8 chicken wings

1 heaped tablespoon Indian curry powder (hot or mild depending on your preferences)

1 heaped tablespoon thyme

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon dried garlic powder

(1 teaspoon chili powder)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).

Place the wings in a big bowl.

Rub them first with oil and then (using your hands) with salt and the rest of the spices.

Put into a baking dish and bake for about 50 minutes (or until golden brown).

Serve with a green salad and some bread or baked potatoes.

Lecsó (Hungarian Pepper Stew)

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lecsop

This week something unusual has happened. I prepared a dish posted by a blogger a long time ago only to see the same person post one of my recipes two days afterwards. I talk of course about Zsuzsa (Zsuzsa is in the kitchen) who has made a real piece of art (see it here) out of my Poppy Seed and Chocolate Cake recipe and moreover called her post “Birthday Cake for Sissi”. (I felt as if it was my second birthday this year…). Zsuzsa had no idea that two days before I had prepared the famous Hungarian pepper stew (lecsó), following her recipe. I haven’t told her of course because I wanted to make a small surprise, so here it is: Zsuzsa’s extraordinary, genuine Hungarian lecsó.

Of course this is another dish I prepared using the peppers brought by my friend from Hungary (I have used some of them in Hungarian Stuffed Peppers) and I hope this “detail” made my lecsó even more Hungarian. In case you have never heard about it, lecsó (pronounced letcho) is a big Hungarian classic. Just like stuffed pepper it calls for long light yellow sweet peppers with thin skin. Lecsó is usually served either with sausage (according to my Hungarian friend the best ones are the smoked, but not dried sausages, such as Hungarian, Polish or German) or with beaten eggs which are incorporated into the lecsó at the end. It is also often cooked together with rice, but I wanted to have it with some crunchy baguette and fried sausage, so I have skipped the rice. Lecsó can also be an excellent side dish served with meat or fish.

I haven’t really modified Zsuzsa’s recipe, but slightly changed the amounts. I found it simply perfect, especially the addition of garlic which doesn’t always figure in other Hungarian recipes. This lecsó is light and low-fat (just like Stuffed Peppers) and proves that Hungarian cuisine doesn’t have to be heavy and greasy (I know some people think this). Make sure you cook more than you think you’ll eat because the smell and the taste are so irresistible, second helpings have absolutely to be included in your estimates. Thank you, Zsuzsa, for this amazing recipe.

TIPS: Zsuzsa doesn’t peel the tomatoes and I couldn’t decide whether I should peel them or not (I usually do when cooking tomatoes). Finally I peeled half of the tomatoes, but next time I will not peel them at all. The skin adds more flavour. I know that some people have problems with tomatoes skin, so if you are one of these, peel all the tomatoes.

If you want your lecsó hot, add some hot chili powder (see below). Otherwise you can use only sweet paprika.

Preparation: around 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 2, with second or third helpings):

6 medium tomatoes

6 long yellow peppers

2 long red peppers

4 tablespoons oil (I used duck fat instead)

1 onion

4 garlic cloves

3 tablespoon sweet paprika (I have put 1 tablespoon hot paprika and 2 tablespoons sweet paprika)

salt, pepper

(300-400g smoked sausages (sliced) or 4 beaten eggs)

Peel the garlic and chop it finely.

(If you want to peel the tomatoes, put them in boiling water for a minute. Take them out with a slotted spoon and put into cold water. Peel them.) Chop the tomatoes roughly.

Core the peppers, remove the stalks and cut them into slices.

Chop the onion and fry it in fat until soft and translucent.

Remove from the heat, add the remaining ingredients.

Simmer covered until the peppers are soft, checking if you need to add more water.

If you want to serve it with sausages, I strongly advise frying or grilling them before. Then slicing them. It gives much more taste to the lecsó. Add the sausage slices, cook for 10 more minutes and serve.

If you want to serve it with eggs, beat the eggs in a bowl and simply pour them into the pan with lecsó, stir a bit and serve when the eggs are set.

Steamed Aubergine with Chili Sauce

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steamedauberp

I have started to cook Sichuanese. I mean the real Sichuanese cuisine, because as soon as I opened Fuchsia Dunlop’s “Sichuan Cookery” I realised that many dishes labelled as Sichuanese are not Sichuanese at all. The contents of this book sounded so fascinating that I must have bookmarked a third of the recipes. The two first ones I chose to test turned out marvellous (no photos yet, but I will repair my mistake soon) and a plate of steamed aubergines sounded too unusual to miss it.

I might have already mentioned that I used to be completely indifferent to the aubergine and rather avoided it because it always seemed difficult to prepare in a way that wouldn’t include tons of oil. Nowadays I realise that I like the aubergine more and more every year, so I look out for every new recipe, preferably not calling for deep or shallow frying. Fuchsia Dunlop says this is a simple home recipe, but for me it was a revelation. It was easy, it took me about 20 minutes and the first impression is unforgettable. The texture of the steamed aubergine is incredibly silky, soft, moist, “buttery” as says the author, and the vinegared chili sauce gives it a huge awakening kick. In the meantime I have noticed some more steamed aubergine recipes at Shizuoka Gourmet, so you will probably see some more of these on my blog.

Before I pass to the recipe I would like to tell you about an extraordinary surprise Zsuzsa (Zsuzsa is in the Kitchen) prepared for me. Yesterday I felt as if it had been my birthday when I saw this gorgeous Poppy Seed and Chocolate Cake on her blog. This cake was prepared by my mum for every single one of my birthdays and is still the best cake I have ever had in my life. I have posted it some time ago (see here my clumsy version) and have completely forgotten that Zsuzsa promised to prepare it one day. Thank you, Zsuzsa, for this virtual present and such a huge surprise! I was deeply touched.

Now back to the recipe! (I have slightly modified it, adapting to a side dish for 2 and also adjusted it so that it can be steamed in a basic rice-cooker which like mine doesn’t have “high heat” or “low heat” options).

TIP: The author advises salting the aubergine in order to remove the bitterness. I have realised many years ago that, at least in the part of Europe I live in, aubergines are no longer bitter and do not require this stage. If your aubergines are of the bitter variety, cut them in half, salt them and leave for 30 minutes. Then wash them and pat them dry before starting to steam them.

Preparation: about 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

1 medium aubergine

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar (Chinkiang, easily found in Asian shops)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chili oil preferably containing flakes; I used my home made Taberu Rayu, but I think any chili oil with the addition of chili flakes will do

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Cut the aubergine in two (removing the leaves and the stem of course).

If using a rice cooker pour 300 ml (about 1 cup and 1/5) water, place the aubergine on the steaming plate.

Steam until the rice-cooker switches off.

(If you have a separate steamer, the author advises to steam the aubergine for 5-10 minutes over a high flame.)

Cut the aubergine into bite-sized pieces and serve either hot or cold with the chili sauce aside (as a dip) or pour the sauce directly over it (this is the way I preferred it).

Mango, Chicken and Cucumber Salad

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mangosaladp

I have always considered the addition of fruits into savoury dishes a delicate matter and approached the new combinations very cautiously. The results can be extraordinary, but I have already had awful experience with certain fruits, such as the pineapple (pineapple on a pizza or in a mayonnaise salad is simply not my thing). As much as I love mango in hot sauces (I preserve dozens of jars of hot mango sauce every year), I had serious reservations to include them raw into savoury dishes. Finally, the numerous tempting mango salads I kept on seeing on my favourite blogs convinced me (thank you my dear friends!) and last Saturday I prepared my very first savoury salad with mango. I shouldn’t boast, but this salad was sensational and, needless to say, has totally convinced me to keep on experimenting mango’s savoury potential.

I haven’t followed any recipe but simply my cravings. I wanted a refreshing, light salad with chicken (which frankly I crave quite often). I ended up with the ubiquitous cucumber of course, added some mango, stir-fried chicken breast, red onion to counterbalance the mango’s sweetness, some chili to give the salad a hot kick and coriander… because somehow it seemed right. I was surprised that the sweetness of mango wasn’t as overwhelming as I feared and its relative softness added an interesting combination of texture with the crunchy cucumber. I loved this salad so much, I prepared it twice in two days and I already feel it will be my summer staple. If you have never included mango in savoury salads, the summer heat is the best moment to experiment.

TIPS: I suppose this salad would be extraordinary if prepared with green tangy mango, but since I had only yellow sweet mangoes, I used these.

I stir-fried the chicken breasts, but leftover roast chicken would be perfect here too.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

2 small chicken breasts

2/3 of a long cucumber

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 big firm mango (it shouldn’t be too ripe or soft)

1 medium red onion

juice from 1 lime

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt, chili in powder or fresh (I used medium hot Korean chili powder)

fresh coriander

Cut up the chicken breasts into small, bite-sized pieces.

Season them with salt and stir fry with garlic on medium heat.

Pour the lime juice and the olive oil into a big bowl.

Add the chili and the salt.

Cut up the mango and the cucumber and put into the bowl.

Add the chicken, the chopped coriander.

Mix everything, check the taste and rectify the seasoning if needed.

Serve with crunchy bread and butter.

Hungarian Stuffed Pepper, or Töltött paprika

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stuffedpepperp I have an extremely kind friend, who regularly visits her family in Hungary and who brings me local delicacies, such as sausages, hot sauces and… peppers. Yes, genuine raw Hungarian peppers! (If you have never had the pleasure to taste or at least to smell them, they have a unique, unequalled, enticing aroma you will never experience if the same variety is grown elsewhere). A couple of days ago my friend has made me a huge surprise bringing a huge bag of hot and sweet Hungarian peppers, given by her mum, who is not only an excellent cook, but also a particularly generous and kind person. Thank you again A. and thank you so much Mrs. J.!

When I opened the bag, the typical, extraordinary aroma filled the whole kitchen. The hot peppers were pickled (see here my Pickled Hot Peppers recipe) and placed in a “VIP” sector of my pantry. As for the sweet ones, I have planned several dishes, the first of which was töltött paprika (stuffed pepper). I thought that the generous present I was offered was not only an occasion to cook Hungarian, but also to post once more the recipe I wrote about a long time ago, so do not be surprised to find it in my old posts.

Töltött paprika (stuffed pepper) is a very common dish prepared with long sweet peppers, usually very light yellow (usually the “cecei” variety) and often called ”TV paprika” (short for “tölteni való paprika”, meaning “peppers for stuffing”), the variety I was offered. (Their name shouldn’t be mixed up with a Hungarian food channel called tvpaprika where of course “tv” means… tv.) Stuffed peppers are usually served with potatoes, but I find it somehow too rich for hot summer days, so I simply like to have it with good baguette. If prepared with lean pork and if the sauce thickening stage is skipped, töltött paprika is a healthy, light dish, contrary to the stereotypical image of the Hungarian cuisine. Since I have never tasted stuffed peppers made by a Hungarian cook, I’ll not even try to pretend mine are similar to THE original. All I can say is the smell is amazing, the taste crowd pleasing, the recipe simple and easy; in short the quintessence of good home food.

My main modifications of one of the basic recipes, taken from Szakàcskönyv by Ilona Horvàth (the classic “every housewife” cookbook I bought during my trip to Hungary), are numerous. First of all I always have it with sour cream or milk and my Hungarian friend loved it this way too, but I have been told the majority of Hungarians don’t add it (thank you, K.). Browsing through Hungarian food websites I found celery or celeriac addition excellent idea, I also added dried sweet paprika to the stuffing and omitted the egg in it, as well as the roux (mixture of flour and butter or other fat, fried a bit and then added at the end of cooking to thicken the sauce), since I skip it in my sauces whenever I can. The sauce is light, healthy (cooked tomatoes or tomato sauce are supposed to have more lycopene than raw tomatoes) and the whole dish irresistible.

TIP: Of course if you don’t find the Hungarian pepper variety, this recipe can be prepared with any sweet, long peppers.

Preparation: 1h30min

Ingredients (serves 4):

8-10 long yellow sweet peppers (or other long peppers)

300 g ground lean pork

80g rice

1 litre tomato sauce or canned tomatoes

(tomato paste)

2 onions

5 branches celery or celeriac leaves/ 1 celery stalk/half of a small celeriac cut into pieces

(1 tablespoon dried sweet Hungarian or Spanish pepper)

salt, pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

(sour cream or sour milk)

Put the tomato sauce or tomatoes, the celery stalk or branches, 1 halved onion and the sugar into a big pan (big enough to contain all the peppers). Bring it to boil, lower the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. (You may add the tomato paste if you think the sauce is bland).

In the meantime chop the remaining onion finely, mix with the meat, the rice and the dried pepper. Add some salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off the pepper stems (do not throw away the pepper flesh you had to cut off with the stalks! I usually cut them up and put into the tomato sauce), discard the seeds. Stuff them (leaving 1/2 cm empty from the top) with meat mixture. Since the rice will swell, you have to make some space in the peppers.

Take a wooden spoon handle (or your finger) and make a tunnel in the centre of every stuffed pepper.

If you have any leftover stuffing, form small meatballs and cook them together with stuffed peppers. Put the peppers and the balls delicately into the tomato sauce (it should cover them) and add some water if needed.

Cover it and let it simmer on a moderately low heat for at least one hour.

Check from time to time if they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

If you stir the sauce, do it carefully, as the peppers become very fragile.

Traditionally, in Hungary this dish is apparently served with boiled potatoes. I serve it simply with good crunchy bread.

Even though apparently it’s not a traditional way, I love this stuffed pepper served with a big dollop of sour cream/milk.

Unbaked Blueberry Cheesecake in a Glass

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I hope you are not bored with my desserts in glasses. I simply cannot help it: it’s hot and instead of cakes or biscuits, I crave fruity, light, refreshing – and most of all easy – desserts just like this one and am tempted to experiment with different seasonal fruits, hence this blueberry version of my Strawberry Cheesecake. When writing about the Strawberry Cheesecake in a Glass I said it was supposed to be prepared with fresh cheese (also called quark). I know now that some of you have difficulties in finding it, so I would like to emphasize here once more that such a dessert can very well be made with cream cheese used in North America in regular cheesecakes. Such a version will not be as light in terms of fat and calories (unless you use low-fat cheese), but I’m sure it will satisfy all the fans of cream cheese. (By the way, I would love to hear from you what the cream cheese version tastes like). UPDATE: Having recently discovered the Greek yogurt (apparently easily available in Northern America), I must add that it would be the best substitution for the quark/fresh cheese.

Even though this is only a slight modification of the Strawberry Cheesecake, thanks to the presence of blueberries, which lack the strawberry’s acidity, this dessert is not tangy and gives an impression of a much bigger creaminess both in taste and texture. I did add some lemon juice because I like to feel some tanginess, but it’s absolutely not necessary.

UPDATE & TIPS: Instead of quark/fromage blanc you an use Greek yogurt here (it’s a better option than cream cheese).

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2 – 3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

300 g (about 10 oz) fresh cheese (quark, fromage blanc) or Greek yogurt (or cream cheese)

1 tablespoon gelatin (if you use leaves, take the amount necessary to set 500 ml/2 cups liquid)

200 g (about 7 oz) blueberries

4 flat tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener of your choice

(2 tablespoons lemon juice if you like to feel some tanginess in your desserts)

(mint leaves for decoration)

Put aside 50-60 blueberries for the decoration.

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm water. (If using leaves, proceed as indicated on the package).

Mix the cheese, the sugar, the lemon juice if using and the blueberries (apart from those left for the decoration) in a food processor.

Add the dissolved gelatin and mix once more.

Pour the cheese mixture into individual glasses/bowls and put into the fridge for at least two hours.

Decorate just before serving.

Pickled Fish with Allspice

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I used to think for long years that my mum was the only person in the world who pickled fish and I still haven’t met anyone who does it this way. Pickling was a way to preserve small, recently caught freshwater fish we weren’t able to eat quickly enough. She always pickled whole fish, with bones, and removed only the head. Then, after a couple of weeks, the bones softened and often even the spinal bones were edible, just like in canned sardines. I have always considered this process somehow magical and loved the crunchy, transformed bones, not to mention the marinated, sour flesh. My mum prepared these pickles usually in the summer and hot, sunny days still seem the best moments to enjoy this refreshing snack or starter.

I don’t have access to freshly caught fish, so for long years I haven’t even tried to make this pickle on my own. To be frank I didn’t eat much fish and usually bought the easy to prepare big fish fillets. Then I found an excellent source of many relatively fresh fish varieties (which for a city far from the ocean and sea means very fresh) and began to buy them regularly. When I started to explore the Japanese cuisine, such delightful dishes as fish in tempura, salted dried fish or fish in nanban zuke marinade made me rediscover the joys of eating small fish. Incidentally it’s the Japanese hot nanban zuke marinade (inspired by the famous Mediterranean escabeche) that reminded me of my mum’s pickled fish and made me prepare it about a year ago for the first time in my life. It was an indescribable pleasure, a couple of weeks afterwards, to open a jar of my own home pickled sardines.

After this first test, I have slightly modified my mum’s recipe, adding more vinegar (I prefer my pickles very strong) and deep-frying fish instead of shallow-frying. Since I am usually impatient to taste the food I prepare, I started to preserve fillets which are ready to be eaten in a couple of days. The only thing I have never modified are the spices. The mixture of bay leaves, mustard grains, peppercorns and allspice is simply perfect, the latter being particularly important here (hence its mention in the title). Garlic is not necessary, but advised especially for garlic fans. I think allspice is available in most parts of the world, but for those who have never used it, here is an old photo of allspice grains:

TIPS: This is a short-term pickle recipe and the jars should be kept in the fridge (they will keep for at least a month). I sometimes process jars in hot water and keep them afterwards in my pantry for a couple of months, but I have no idea for how long it’s safe, so I don’t recommend it.

The fillets can be pickled without skin, but they taste much better with skin on.

If you use whole fish (without heads), you should wait a couple of weeks before tasting it.

Preparation: 30 – 40 minutes + a couple of days

Ingredients (fills one 1/2 litre jar):

8 small fish fillets (skin on) or six very small fishes, gutted and without heads

salt, pepper

1 heaped tablespoon flour

oil for deep-frying

Marinade:

375 ml (1 1/2 cup) vinegar (I used 4,5% cider vinegar)

125 ml (1/2 cup) water

1 heaped tablespoon sugar

1 flat teaspoon salt

6 pepper corns

4 grains allspice

1/2 teaspoon mustard grains

1 big bay leaf (or 2 – 3 small)

(2 cloves garlic)

Heat some deep-frying oil in a pan.

Wash the fish fillets (or the whole fish).

Pat them dry.

When the oil is hot enough, quickly season the fillets with salt and pepper.

Dust them lightly with flour and deep fry until slightly golden.

Remove excess oil by placing the fillets on paper towels.

Place the fish in a jar.

Bring all the marinade ingredients to boil.

Let it cool down and when the marinade is still hot (but not boiling) pour it over the fish.

Close the jar. Let it cool down and put into the fridge for a couple of days or weeks, if you prepare whole fish.

Shiso and Garlic Infused Soy Sauce

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Nami (Just One Cookbook) posted this recipe a long long time ago and I made it shortly afterwards. I loved this aromatic sauce at once and must have prepared it at least a dozen times since then. I intended to write about it much earlier, but somehow kept on forgetting to take a photo. I cannot say I’m happy about this one, but I didn’t want to wait any longer to share my impressions with you and to thank Nami for this surprising discovery, which has become a staple in my house.

As the title says, the recipe calls only for the garlic, the shiso and the soy sauce. They are simply assembled, put into a jar or a container and wait in the fridge for 24 hours. After a couple of days the leaves can be exchanged for fresh ones, the soy sauce added and thus this short-term preserve can be refilled and used for about three weeks. These few ingredients create a surprisingly good and complex sauce, which is a real delicacy for fans of garlic an shiso.

Shiso (紫蘇) or perilla, is widely used in both Korean and Japanese cuisines and you have probably seen it on my blog. I am mad for its herbaceous, slightly bitter flavour and its strong aroma and can no longer imagine many of my meals without it. Here it has largely contributed to the complexity of flavours and gave this sauce a very original, fresh touch. This sauce is quite versatile. It can be used as a light dip for deep-fried dishes, added to fried rice, as a stir-fry seasoning and I even pour it on steamed rice instead of the standard soy sauce (I’m one of those Europeans who almost always add soy sauce to rice…). Thank you, Nami, for this wonderful and easy recipe. (Click here to see Nami’s original post).

Shiso is in full season now, so in case you look for some other ideas, here are some of my previous recipes using this fabulous herb:

Tomato and Shiso Salad

Chicken and Shiso Balls

Chicken and Shiso Dumplings

Ume Shiso Chicken Skewers

Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura

Teriyaki Pork Rolls with Sweet Pepper, Shiso and Gochujang

TIP: Shiso is available in Japanese and Korean grocery shops, but I was surprised to find it in a Vietnamese shop and quickly noticed they have it almost every day in stock, so do check all the Asian grocers in your city.

Preparation: 5 minutes+at least 24 hours in the fridge

Ingredients:

10 big shiso leaves

3 cloves garlic, chopped

soy sauce (enough to cover the ingredients; I usually add 125 ml or 1/2 cup)

Put the garlic and the shiso leaves in a jar or a plastic container.

Cover with soy sauce. Close tightly and leave for at least 24 hours before tasting.

When the leaves become very dark, you can exchange them for new ones.

You can also keep on filling the container with more soy sauce.

Such a “renewal” can last for about three weeks.

Matcha and Coconut Cream with Agar

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I am thrilled whenever I discover a simple recipe which is versatile enough to be modified eternally. Savoury recipes are of course much easier to fiddle with, but sometimes I find real versatile gems among the sweet ones too and the Coconut Cream I first prepared with Canned Peaches slowly proves to be one of them. Some of you might remember it was my first successful dessert prepared with agar (also called agar-agar or kanten), a gelling agent made with seaweed. The satisfying result encouraged me to carry on with agar experiments, but I must admit I didn’t suspect that the coconut cream would be versatile. Luckily I was wrong and the Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream, based on the same recipe, turned out a pure delight. Ping’s (Ping’s Pickings) gorgeous Mango Coconut Cream is another wonderful twist on this basic combination and even though I haven’t tasted it, I can well imagine how fabulous are the flavours.

The matcha version you see above has been on my mind for many weeks, but I hesitated. Matcha (抹茶), the Japanese powdered green tea, is one of the most fascinating products, but apart from successful outcomes (see below), I have experienced at least the same number of total failures, realising this is a particularly unpredictable ingredient. I haven’t made any web research about coconut and matcha pairing, so I had no idea if my experiment was risky or not, but I gave it a go and, as you have probably guessed, it was a big success.

First of all this cream is perfect for hot summer days. It is light and extremely cooling, thanks to the matcha’s subtle bitterness. Even though matcha’s flavours dominated, coconut cream was still discernible and I found the combination harmonious. Just like the above creams, the texture of this one was closer to a thick yogurt rather than a thick jelly and the preparation was quite easy (although this time, due to matcha’s dissolving issue, the cream had to be passed through a sieve). I highly recommend this dessert, but only to the fans of matcha’s unique, slightly bitter, “grassy” flavour or of course to those who are willing to discover it.

In case you are interested in matcha experiments, here are some other matcha desserts I have posted and enjoyed:

Matcha Crème Brûlée

Light Matcha Cream

Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles

Matcha, White Chocolate and Oat Truffles

Do not wait until the cream becomes cold before pouring it into individual serving dishes because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5):

250 ml/about 1 cup coconut milk

250 ml/about 1 cup cow milk

4 flat tablespoons sugar (as a fan of moderately sweet desserts I used two flat tablespoons)

1/3 flat teaspoon agar agar in powder

2 tablespoons matcha (heaped, if you are addicted to its grassy, bitter flavour)

(more matcha or dessicated coconut for decoration)

Mix the coconut milk, the cow milk and the matcha in a food processor.

Dissolve the sugar and agar-agar in the above mixture. Bring to boil on low heat and, constantly stirring, let it simmer for about a minute.

If matcha isn’t completely dissolved, pass it through a fine sieve and then bring back to boil. Boil for another minute.

Put aside.

Prepare four individual bowls or low glasses.

Pour the hot mixture into the individual bowls (agar sets at room temperature, so the cream’s temperature should be higher before it is poured; make sure it is not too hot and doesn’t break the bowls or glasses though). Let it cool down to room temperature and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Serve very cold sprinkled with coconut or more matcha.

Korean Pancake with Shrimp and Scallop (Haemul pajeon 해물파전)

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What you see above is my first, partly successful, attempt to prepare the famous Korean seafood pancake. I say “partly successful” because in spite of a burnt part and some other mistakes, I was literally spellbound by this extraordinary snack. First, I thought I would wait a second, better prepared and better looking batch before posting it, but finally I couldn’t wait to share with you my first experience with for what I consider as one of the most memorable dishes I have discovered in recent months or maybe even years.

Seafood pancake (haemul pajeon 해물파전) is a very popular Korean snack or starter. Apparently it is served cut into small pieces and eaten with hands (I say “apparently” because I have never seen it in any restaurant here). It is composed of a batter made with two types of flour, several seafood species, chili peppers and spring onions. The original recipe (found in The Food and Cooking of Korea by Young Jin Song ) calls for five marine creatures and enoki mushrooms, but since I had leftover shrimp and scallops, I used only these and adapted the amounts to a smaller batch. As I have mentioned above, I had made some mistakes, but the preparation was really easy and quick (I was just a bit distracted) and the result impressive. Frankly, when I had prepared the pancake I didn’t imagine it even half as good as it proved, so the first bite was a huge surprise. I felt as if I were eating a very distant, more sophisticated cousin of a pizza, but it has also slightly reminded me of the Japanese okonomiyaki (see my last chicken version here). Both me and my husband were blown away by the result and the whole batch disappeared in no time at all. I will not exaggerate if I say I know I will prepare it dozens or rather hundreds of times in the near future and serve it for brunch, lunch, picnic or party snacks.

You will be surprised to notice that apart from the dipping sauce the recipe doesn’t require a single Korean (or in general Asian) ingredient. In fact, it can be prepared with very international ingredients, available worldwide. On the other hand the sauce, which brings an important Korean touch was a pure delight and I will never skip it.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 as snacks):

10 medium shrimps shelled and deveined (cooked or raw)

4 scallops

3 spring onion stalks

1/2 medium hot green chili

1/2 medium hot red chili

1 clove garlic

Batter:

1/2 cup plain flour

2 tablespoons cornstarch

200 ml ice cold water

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1 egg, beaten

Dipping sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 stalk of spring onion finely cut

1 clove garlic, crushed or grated

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Prepare the dipping sauce and put aside.

Prepare the pancake ingredients. Cut the scallops in two horizontally in order to obtain eight flat, round slices.

Slice the garlic finely.

Slice the chilies into very thin strips.

Slice the spring onion stalks into thin strips.

Prepare the batter combining all the ingredients.

Heat some oil in a big pan. (Keep the pan on medium heat, otherwise the pancake will be burnt like mine).

Pour 1/3 of the batter and make sure it spreads on the whole surface.

Scatter the shrimps, scallops, spring onions, chilies and the garlic over the batter and quickly pour on top the remaining batter.

Cover and fry on medium heat until the seafood is cooked.

Turn it over and fry for about two or three minutes just to brown this side a bit too.

Slice the pancake into small pieces (one or two bite-sized) and serve with the dipping sauce.

Bacon and Shiso Fried Rice

Strawberry and Yogurt Mousse

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Light, refreshing, full of seasonal fruit, ridiculously easy and totally guiltless. In short, Strawberry and Yogurt Mousse is my kind of summer dessert. The funny thing is that I would have never discovered how extraordinary a yogurt mousse can be if I hadn’t run out of fresh cheese (also called quark), my old basis for strawberry mousse. For years I was convinced it was the lightest and the best strawberry mousse I could achieve and when the cooling desserts season arrived I would make sure the fresh cheese was in the fridge. I am glad I forgot to buy it last weekend and made this substitution. The yogurt version had a slightly lighter texture, the taste of strawberries was stronger, but otherwise the taste was similarly tangy and equally good. For the hundredth time since I started to cook I can confirm that necessity is the mother of invention! Moreover, thanks to this accidental modification I hope that this time I can recommend this mousse also to all my friends who don’t have access to fresh cheese, since yogurt seems to much more international.

TIP: The amounts of gelatin depend sometimes on the brand. Leaves are sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller, powdered gelatin sometimes contains other products and doesn’t set as well as pure gelatin in powder… In short, the aim here is to use here the amount of gelatin which sets 500 ml/2 cups/about 17 oz liquid. (The whole mousse mixture has more than 500 ml, so the mousse will be firm but not hard).

Preparation: 10 minutes+ 2 – 3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4):

250 g (about 1 cup) unsweetened natural yogurt

300 g (about 11oz) strawberries (hulled)

4 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener (or no sugar if you prefer your mousse to be really tangy)

1 tablespoon gelatin in powder or you can use leaves, but the amount necessary to set 500 ml liquid/about 2 cups (see the TIP above)

(some strawberries for the decoration)

Mix the strawberries in a food processor or a blender. Add the sugar and the yogurt (remove the liquid floating on the surface). Mix once more.

Taste and add more sugar if needed.

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm water.

Mix with the strawberry mixture.

Pour the mousse into serving dishes.

Put the mousse into the fridge for 2 -3 hours.

Serve very cold.

Chicken and Aubergine in Garlic Miso Sauce

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Miso has made me fall in love with the aubergine. For long years I used to associate the aubergine with, certainly good, but fat dripping and soaked in oil dishes. Then I started to explore the Japanese cuisine, discovering miso /see below/ and pairing it with the aubergine. The first time I tasted this combination, it blew me away. Since then I kept on playing with it in different stir-fried, grilled or simmered dishes and it has always confirmed my first impression of miso as the perfect aubergine flavours’ enhancer.

This simple stir-fry is only an example of my frequent use of aubergine these days. The slightly sweetish miso and garlic sauce proved a successful experiment (inspired by the excellent Garlic Miso Chicken Breasts, a modified version of Nami’s Garlic Miso Chicken Wings). I usually add garlic earlier, but I have recently learnt from Korean cuisine, how different and refreshing it tastes is when added crushed at the end of the cooking process. It worked perfectly well here too, slightly spicing up the mellow aubergine, creamy miso and the delicate chicken breast.

For those who don’t know miso (味噌), it is a thick fermented soybean paste and it has three main colour types: white (shiromiso), red (akamiso), black (kuromiso), and also mixed miso (awasemiso). In general, the lighter the colour, the more delicate the taste. There are myriads of different misos, depending on the brand, the ingredients, the region… Miso is very healthy, packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. It is however important to choose it with a lesser amount of salt, otherwise it is no longer very healthy and may be difficult to cook (the miso’s coulour doesn’t have anything to to with its saltiness, my black miso being the least salty of all). Miso soup is usually the first dish in which foreigners discover this Japanese staple, but it can be used in different simmered and stir-fried dishes. Korean doenjang is similar to miso and Chinese cuisine also has its fermented soybean paste versions. I find miso’s flavour highly addictive, probably because it is rich in the umami, or fifth taste, made famous by a Japanese professor.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

1 big chicken breast (or two small)

2 medium aubergines (they shrink while fried)

salt, pepper

Sauce:

2 tablespoons miso

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon syrup (I used agave syrup)

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or more if using low-sodium soy sauce)

2 cloves garlic, grated or crushed

Cut up the chicken breast into bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

Slice the aubergines and then cut the slices into quarters.

Combine all the sauce ingredients. Put aside.

Heat two tablespoons oil in a pan.

Fry the chicken until it is half cooked.
Than add the aubergine and stir-fry until the aubergine is cooked.

At the end add the miso sauce and heat for about 30 seconds.

Serve with rice.

Clafoutis with Apricots and Almonds

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Clafoutis (a cooked custard with fruit, pronounced “kla-foo-tee”) is one of the French cuisine classics from the Limousin region, but widely known in the whole country. Since it’s very easy to prepare, it’s a typical home cake. If not specified in the name, clafoutis contains cherries, but in more than ten years of baking it I have tried it with many different other fruits too. Last weekend was apricot’s turn. Of course, as a big apricot fan, who particularly appreciates its tanginess, I didn’t take much risk, but I must warn all those who hate tangy desserts: this version of clafoutis might not be for you. In this cake the fruit plays the main role, so no matter how much sugar is added, the apricot tartness will stay distinct.

Another novelty in this clafoutis was the use of almond milk. I have recently talked with Charles (Five Euro Food) about almond butter and promised myself to experiment with it. In the meantime I stumbled upon almond milk and was very impatient to use it. This first experiment was highly successful, so thank you, Charles, for this excellent idea. The custard consistency was as good as ever, while the taste was subtler than when cow’s milk is used. I highly recommend this milk to all the lactose intolerant or simply curious cooks. Almond milk is surprisingly low-calorie, lactose-free of course and smells divinely, so I will keep on experimenting with it in the near future.

TIPS: Some clafoutis recipes contain cream and/or butter. This one doesn’t and I’m glad this is the first recipe I accidentally found many years ago, because since then a clafoutis means for me a light and guiltless dessert.

Clafoutis can be served tepid or cold, but I prefer it very cold straight from the fridge.

Preparation: 1 hour 15 min

Ingredients (6 portions, I used a 20 cm/almost 8 inches diameter tart dish):

3 eggs

5 tablespoons sugar (or a smaller amount of sweetener)

5 tablespoons flour

100 ml/3,5 fl oz milk (I used almond milk, but cow’s milk is the traditional ingredient)

about 20 medium apricots

3 tablespoons cane sugar

sliced almonds

Preheat the oven at 180°C.

Mix the eggs and sugar with a spoon. Add the flour gradually. Pour the milk and mix well.

Grease a baking dish or line it with baking paper.

Cover the bottom with stoned halved apricots (skin side down) and pour the custard over them.

Sprinkle with sliced almonds and cane sugar.

Bake around 45 minutes – 1 hour until the custard is light golden.

Serve it tepid or put into the fridge and serve it very cold.

Homemade Pickled Ginger (Gari ガリ)

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A very funny thing happened to me about a week ago (my Asian friends will laugh their socks off now!). I went to my Asian grocery shop, took some shiso, some lemongrass, sweet thai basil and – at least that is what I thought I took – a package of galangal. When I came back home I looked closely at my galangal and it seemed a bit different… Then I read on the label it was actually young ginger. You might think I was angry, disappointed or both, but not at all! Not only was I happy to have young ginger, but actually instantly knew what to do with it.

As a notorious preserver and pickler I repeat my favourite recipes year by year, but also constantly look for new ideas, so when I saw Pickled Ginger in Street Café. Japan by Emi Kazuko, I made it straight away. The recipe called for fresh ginger and I didn’t understand at first that “fresh” meant young, cream-coloured bulbs without the hard brown skin. Needless to say, my experiment with “standard” ginger was a bit disappointing and when I finally realised after some web research what the problem was, I assumed I will never be able to make this delicious pickle at home because I had never seen young ginger anywhere in my city. Imagine my joy when only after a couple of weeks I realised I was actually able to buy it in my favourite Asian grocery shop!

I have slightly modified the original recipe . Moreover, apart from the short-term, “fridge” pickled ginger (will keep up to three months apparently), I have also prepared a second batch of long-term, Western-style processed pickles (the only difference is that I processed the jars in boiling water). I will be updating this post to report about the changes (if there are any) throughout the year. The pickling liquid in both jars has taken on a slightly pink hue (alas the ginger colour hasn’t almost changed at all, maybe because I used cider vinegar) and the fridge version turned up exactly as I wanted it to be: refreshing, slightly crunchy, but still soft, not too sweet and without the “soapy” aftertaste I sometimes find in store-bought pickled ginger. It wasn’t as soft as the store bought pickled ginger, but it didn’t really bother me. Apparently young ginger is in season until the end of summer, so I hope I can prepare more of these pickles.

UPDATE: After several months the long-term pickled ginger (processed in boiling water and stored in my pantry) tastes even better!

TIP: If you plan long-term pickles, change slightly the amounts and do not add water (see the ingredients’ list below)

Special equipment: a mandolin to slice the ginger

Preparation: 40 – 50 minutes + at least 24 hours before tasting

Ingredients (yields at least 1 x 300 ml/ 10 oz jar; if you prepare long-term pickles, prepare 1 more small jar just in case):

150 g fresh, young ginger, peeled

2 tablespoons sea salt

125 ml (1/2 cup) rice vinegar (I have used 4,5 % cider vinegar, simply because I have several bottles in stock; use 250 ml/1 cup vinegar if you prepare long-term pickles)

60 ml (about 1/4 cup) water (for long-term pickles I have skipped water)

60 ml (about 1/4 cup) white sugar (for long-term pickles I used 90 ml/ about 0,4 cup sugar)

1 teaspoon salt

Cut up the ginger into knobs and then, using a mandolin, cut each knob lengthwise into paper-thin slices (lengthwise direction is very important!).

Rub the ginger with salt and put aside for 3 hours (the ginger will soften).

Rinse the ginger, pat dry and put into a jar.

Bring to boil the vinegar, the sugar, the salt and the water, if you prepare short-term pickles.

Pour the hot (not boiling) mixture over the ginger, close the jar.

Leave it to cool down and then refrigerate for at least 24 hours.

It can stay in the fridge for three months.

If you prepare long-term pickles, place the cooled jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 15 minutes.

Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the pickle and don’t forget to mark the date.

These will keep for at least a year in your pantry. I will update this post saying if the ginger taste changes.

NOTE (concerns only the long-term pickles): For the readers who live in the USA, the USDA-approved canning method is different. You can find it described here: http://www.uga.edu/nchfp/publications/uga/using_bw_canners.html

Spring Rolls with Surimi Crab Sticks, Avocado and Lettuce

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Despised by many people, surimi crab sticks (or imitation crab sticks) are one of the rare processed products I regularly buy. They are the lightest snack I can imagine, have a long shelf – or rather fridge – life, they are easy and quick to use in salads, maki sushi and are quite enjoyable if paired with certain ingredients. There is also a question of brand because imitation crab can easily become awful. Among all the French brands I have tested, only one (Coraya) is edible. In short, I stick to one brand, I don’t expect too much from surimi sticks and they never disappoint me.

I often use surimi crab sticks in maki sushi and this was the first time I tested them in spring rolls. When a couple of days ago I saw A_Boleyn’s appetising Shrimp Summer Rolls, I thought I should write about my rolls which, apart from rice sheets, are completely different from hers. I left out glass noodles and even though I haven’t followed any recipe, I must have been influenced by the Japanese Nama Harumaki, raw spring rolls containing lettuce. The rolls were really good and refreshing, not as filling as the traditional ones (with glass noodles), but perfect as a light meal or snack or why not a breakfast on a hot summer day. Since they contain already mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco, they do not necessarily need any additional dipping sauce, but a simple mixture of low-sodium soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar is the best option for me.

TIP: Do not use bitter lettuce here (I used here my favourite “rougette” with slightly violet leaves, but the international iceberg would be perfect too)

Preparation: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients (10 rolls):

10 (22 cm or 8 3/4 in) rice paper sheets

10 small lettuce leaves (or 5 big leaves, halved);

1 avocado

10 surimi/imitation crab sticks

1/2 big cucumber

mayonnaise

Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco

Cut both the avocado and the cucumber into thick strips.

Remove the thick and tough parts of lettuce leaves (they might tear the delicate rice sheets).

Fill a big wide bowl with warm (not hot) water.

Dip rice paper sheets one by one in the water, immersing them delicately so that you don’t break them.

As soon as the sheet softens ( after about ten – twenty seconds), put it onto a big chopping board.

Place first a lettuce leaf, horizontally (at the edge which is closest to you), then cucumber strips, avocado strips, some mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and a crab stick. You should aim at approximately 9cm/3,5 in long roll.

Roll tightly starting from the edge which is closest to you.

Proceed in the same way with the remaining rolls.

Serve them immediately as they are or cut in two horizontally.

If you wish to serve them later, wrap them individually in cling film because they dry out very quickly.

Gochujang and Sour Cream Sauce

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gochsourcreamp

I have been meaning to share this sauce with you for several months or even years. It includes only two ingredients, so I shouldn’t probably even call it a recipe. Observing blogs and reactions of my family and friends, I realised that even though simple, sour cream and gochujang are not only an uncommon, but also a surprising combination, hence the decision to write about it. I have been preparing this sauce for years, sometimes as often as several times a week. I serve it with dishes and snacks of as different origins as Hungarian and Japanese and make sure both ingredients are constantly available in my fridge.

Gochujang has been a staple for many years now. Actually I was addicted as soon as I tasted it. Its hot and sweet flavours and the sticky consistency have won me over instantly. For those who still don’t know it, gochujang is a Korean condiment, based on hot pepper and fermented soybeans, usually sold in red plastic tubs. It is dark red, a bit sticky, quite hot and slightly sweet (it has different degrees of hotness and I usually buy medium hot). In Korean cuisine gochujang is put into soups, sauces and marinades.

I don’t remember when I had the idea to combine gochujang and sour cream, but somehow it felt very natural. Sour cream (or I should rather say “milk”, because what I use is called “sour milk” due to its low fat content) is extremely cooling and I often use it to tame down very hot sauces and dishes. Combined with gochujang it still is cooling, but gives a fiery “kick” and its taste is much more complex than a simple mixture of chili pepper and cream. Of course the “kick” depends on how much gochujang you have put and what kind of gochujang you buy.

I serve this sauce with grilled sandwiches, Japanese or Korean meat rolls, spring rolls, Indian curries, Mexican dishes such as chili con carne, Hungarian dishes (such as Szekély Gulyàs or Stuffed Pepper), skewers, grilled meat, fish and shellfish, roasts… It’s also a perfect dip for raw vegetables served as snacks at a party (celery, carrot, cauliflower…).

TIP & UPDATE: The Sour cream or milk can be substituted here with Greek yogurt, which is slightly sour.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

125 ml (about 1/2 cup) sour cream (I use thick sour milk) or Greek yogurt

1 tablespoon gochujang (or less/more depending on your preferences)

Mix the ingredients with a fork or, if you want to obtain a homogenous smooth result, with a food processor.

Quick Eggless Chocolate Mousse

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Even though this is certainly a delightful dessert, I will be honest and admit this is not my beloved chocolate mousse. My favourite one calls for twice as much ingredients, including raw eggs, requires lots of attention and at least 12 hours in the fridge. The above mousse was prepared on the spur of the moment and at first was supposed to be a simple, improvised chocolate cream. It requires only three hours, no eggs and is incredibly easy to prepare.

My idea was to melt dark chocolate, combine it with cream, maybe add a bit of sugar and let the whole dessert set in the fridge. When I took the cream out of the fridge I had a crazy idea: whip it! I say “crazy idea” because probably, just like me, most of you have heard and read hundreds of times that only cream with minimum 30% fat content can be whipped. I swear I have whipped 25% fat cream! The consistency was not as thick, the taste was lighter, the colour less yellowish, but it was whipped! Actually, as someone who is not a fan of whipped cream, I discovered this one was much more to my taste. It didn’t have this nauseous effect the fatter cream has on my palate and didn’t feel fatty. Since whipped cream I’m used to has 36% fat content, it is not surprising that the 11% have made quite a difference. Anyway, after whipping the cream I added some confectioner’s sugar, then cooled melted chocolate, put individual portions into the fridge and discovered after only three hours that my desserts were ready and tasted better than I hoped. Of course they were particularly enjoyable served with raspberries.

TIP: Depending on the chocolate brand and your sweetness preference, either add the sugar or skip it.

Preparation: 3h30 (including refrigeration time)

Ingredients (serves four):

250 ml (about 1 cup) liquid cream (at least 25% fat) or any whipping cream of your choice

150 g (about 5 1/2 oz) good quality dark chocolate

pinch of salt

4 flat tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

(raspberries)

Break the chocolate into pieces and melt it in a pan on a very low heat or in a water bath (stirring and watching it constantly so that it doesn’t burn) or in a microwave (if you microwave it, do it in two-three stages because once it’s “cooked”, it cannot be used).

Put aside and let it cool down.

Pour the cream into a high bowl, add the pinch of salt and whip it at medium speed.

When it’s almost ready, add the sugar and finish the whipping.

Combine delicately the chocolate with the whipped cream, adding the chocolate in two – three batches.

Make sure the mixture is homogeneous, divide into serving bowls or glasses and refrigerate for 3 hours.

Serve cold.

Teriyaki Pork Rolls with Sweet Pepper, Shiso and Gochujang

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First I saw Hiroyuki’s Pork and Radish Rolls, then Kelly posted her Sticky Pork Ribs… Not only have I started to crave pork, but most of all, I realised it has been ages since I wrote about a pork dish. As you might have noticed I am a big pork fan. Most of the meat dishes posted on my blog call for pork and even though I eat much more chicken, it illustrates my affection for this animal, which until recently had been receiving a lot of bad press. You might have also noticed how enthusiastic I have become with Japanese- and Korean-style meat rolls stuffed with vegetables. The meat I choose most often is of course pork (I have wrote about Okra Teriyaki Pork Rolls, Potato Teriyaki Rolls, Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls, Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura). I cannot think of a more amusing way to prepare and to have meat and vegetables in one dish. I have such rolls for lunch, as a snack, dinner and it’s great finger food at a party. This is a new combination idea I had last week.

Since I had a huge bunch of shiso (see below), I thought it might be a good idea to pair it with bell pepper (hot pepper was excellent in the Korean Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura). I usually coat pork rolls with teriyaki glaze, but this time I longed for a fiery meal and added gochujang (slightly sweet Korean chili pepper paste) to my teriyaki glaze. Gochujang, shiso, pork and pepper combination turned out perfect. While the previously posted Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls had a spring character, these seemed suitable for hot summer days.

For those who don’t know shiso, or perilla (lat. Perilla frutescens), it’s a herb used in Japan (紫蘇) and Korea (ggaennip, 깻잎), although the Korean variety is apparently slightly different. It is usually sold as a bunch of rather big leaves, similar to nettle leaves in shape (see the leaf on the photo). I buy my shiso in a Vietnamese grocery shop and I suppose it is used in other Asian countries. They are either green either slightly violet. The taste is astringent and the smell quite strong, but not as overwhelming as for example coriander. Shiso can be used raw or cooked.

If you don’t like this pepper filling idea, here are other pork rolls I have written about:

-Okra Teriyaki Pork Rolls

-Potato Teriyaki Rolls

-Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

-Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura

TIPS: Of course in this recipe any herb of your choice can be used, as long as it supports well the frying/grilling process (I would recommend green onions, coriander or Thai sweet basil).

Pork rolls (raw) can be prepared the day before, stored in the fridge and fried just before serving.

Preparation : 40 – 45 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2 – 3):

12 -15 thin pork slices (max. 3 mm thick)

1 big bell pepper (or another variety of sweet pepper)

12-15 big shiso leaves (or more if they are small)

flour

salt, pepper

oil

Teriyaki glaze with gochujang:

3 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce (or 4 if you have low sodium soy sauce)

3 tablespoons sake

1 heaped tablespoon gochujang (or less if you gochujang is particularly hot – mine is medium hot – or if you don’t like very hot dishes)

Cut the bell pepper into thin strips (cut them in two horizontally if they are very long; their length should be adapted to the size of pork slices, so that they do not stick out too much).

Season slightly the pork slices with salt and pepper.

Prepare the shiso leaves.

Place the pork slice on a cutting board, seasoned side up. Put one or more shiso leaves to cover most of the surface.

Put 3 pepper strips at one end of the pork roll.

Roll it tightly and put aside.

Do the same with all the pork strips.

Heat some oil in a pan.

Dust the pork rolls with flour and fry (sealed side down), covered on a medium heat until they are well browned (it will take about 15 minutes).

Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients and heat them in a small pan or in a microwave.

Pour the teriyaki sauce over the rolls and make sure they are well coated.

Let the sauce thicken for about one minute.

Transfer the rolls to a plate and garnish with the remaining sauce.

Mango and Chili Sauce

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I am impatiently waiting for the peak preserving season which starts some time next month. In the meantime, since mangoes seem to be already in season in many parts of the world, last weekend I was very glad to be able to fill this year’s first jars with my beloved hot mango sauce. I have posted this recipe a long time ago, when I didn’t know most of my present web friends and I thought it would be such a pity if one of my most often prepared and served sauces remained forgotten or unnoticed. For me it’s such an extraordinary preserve, I think it may even merit to be posted regularly once a year.

Why do I find this sauce so exceptional? First of all, because I love mango and chili combination. Secondly, because of its simplicity. In fact, I haven’t followed any precise instructions and the recipe is the result of my experiments with chili, mango and obligatory preserving agents (vinegar and sugar). Thanks to the short ingredients list, this sauce is an extremely versatile seasoning or dip. You can serve it with roasts, stir fries, sandwiches, noodles, rice bowls,snacks…. Apart from those who hate hot and sweet combination, everyone seems to enjoy this sauce (this is one of my biggest “jar as a present” hits). Last but not least, mango season is quite long and since they are imported from different parts of the world they are available (at least in Europe) all year round, so this sauce can be prepared at practically any time of the year.

If you still hesitate wondering how you will use this sauce, here are some suggestions:

-Stir-fried asparagus, chicken and cashew nuts

-Sesame Coated Tuna Nuggets

-Japanese Chicken and Leek Skewers (Negima)

-Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

-Okra Teriyaki Pork Rolls

-Sesame Coated Chicken Nuggets

-Chicken Karaage

TIPS: The vinegar and sugar amounts depend on the mango sweetness and the ones below are only an example. Some mangoes require more sugar and some more vinegar. Always put down the exact amounts so that you know what you should modify next time you preserve it.

1-Wear gloves while washing or cutting them !

3-Do not throw away the seeds if you want the sauce to be even hotter! (they are the hottest part of the peppers).

4- Keep in mind that the warm sauce is always hotter in taste than the cold one… (Wait for the sauce to cool down, taste it and you can reheat it once more adding more chilies if you want).

Preparation: around 30 minutes + a couple of hours for cooling + 20 minutes for processing

Ingredients: (2 mangoes will yield around 3-4 200ml jars, but it depends on the fruits’ juiciness and ripeness)

2 mangoes

1 T salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

200 ml (6 3/4 oz) white wine or cider vinegar (mine was 4,5% acid)

preferably fresh, red or green hot peppers (I put 3 flat tablespoons of mixed tiny “bird’s eye” chili peppers and my sauce was really hot)

Cut off the peppers’ stems. Cut in half lengthwise and throw away the seeds (or not! if you want your sauce extra hot).

Mix the peppers in a food processor. Put aside.

Peel the mangoes, cut up the flesh. Mix the mangoes in a food processor.

Place the mixed mangoes, the sugar, the salt and the vinegar in a heavy bottom pan (shouldn’t be aluminium or copper, otherwise the vinegar will react with the metal).
Add the chilies gradually (for example starting with half of the amount). Cook for around 30 minutes. Taste and, optionally, add sugar /vinegar/peppers to adjust the taste.

Pour the sauce, still hot, into sterilised jars. Cover with lids. Leave the jars to cool.

Place the cool jars into a big pan, bottom lined with an old kitchen towel folded in two (this will prevent the jars from breaking), cover up with hot – but not boiling- water to the level just below the lid. Bring to boil and keep on a very low heat, in simmering water, for around 20 minutes.
Stick on self-adhesive labels, write the name of the sauce and don’t forget to mark the date (do not forget to put down the exact amounts of every ingredient you used).

In a dry place, with a moderate temperature, the jars should keep for at least a year.

Hot & Cold Rice Bowl with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber

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This dish is one of the main reasons why I always prepare a bigger batch of rice, making sure I will have leftovers the following day. It has started as an accidental, “what-I-find-in-the-fridge” meal, but has quickly become one of the most frequent and most comforting meals. I have it for breakfast, for lunch, as a snack and for dinner; at any time of the day and in any season, since I practically always have avocado, cucumber and shrimp in stock. I still remember the first time I made this bowl. I just needed something quick and light, but filling and I didn’t suspect it would become a staple.

For me shrimp, avocado and cucumber have always been a winning trio, but I suppose I took this bowl idea from the maki sushi I have been making for quite a long time (click here to see Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber Maki), so this bowl is almost a kind of deconstructed version of these. If I bothered to use freshly steamed and then seasoned rice, this bowl would be called “chirashi sushi” (scattered sushi). Since it’s basic, one day old, unseasoned rice, I simply call it a rice bowl.

Even though I post this dish only now, I think I must have made it at least 50 times with exactly the same ingredients. Over the months (or rather years) I gradually added some important details and modifications. The thing I absolutely adore is microwaving the rice until it’s hot and topping it with very cold ingredients, taken straight from the fridge. Somehow the contrast is very pleasant. The seasonings play also an important role here: mayonnaise, Tabasco or chili oil, Worcestershire sauce and toasted sesame seeds have become obligatory items. I find the combination of all these ingredients simply perfect (or rather perfectly adapted to my tastebuds).

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 1):

one portion leftover rice

1/2 avocado

1/4 big cucumber or 1/2 small one

7-8 medium shrimps

mayonnaise

Worcestershire sauce

toasted sesame seeds

Tabasco or chili oil

Boil some water in a pan and cook the shrimps for a couple of minutes until they change their colour.

Put them quickly in cold water. Shell them and devein them.

Cut the cucumber and the avocado into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the rice in a microwave. Place it in a bowl.

Cover the rice with avocado, cucumber and shrimps.

Add some mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco or chili oil.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and enjoy.

Savoury Cake with Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes/Goat Cheese and Dried Tomatoes Bread

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Savoury cakes (called “breads” by many people) are one of my favourite party snacks. They are easy to prepare, do not require any complicated stages (such as kneading, easily adaptable to available ingredients and, most of all, very rewarding because they seem to impress most of the guests and guarantee lots of compliments. Apart from parties, they are a great everyday sandwich substitute and I strongly recommend it for picnics. Some of you might remember the two savoury cakes I have posted on my blog (Cake with Ham and Olives and Cake with Shrimp and Edamame). This goat cheese cake was prepared with the same basic batter (of which I am particularly proud, see below). Then, as usually, I simply added what I found in the fridge and what suited my mood.

As I have already mentioned in my previous posts, savoury cakes are quite popular in France (they are called by English name “cake”, pronounced “kek”) and I have always loved the concept, but the cakes always seemed too fatty (greasy fingers were inevitable). In fact, in order to be moist and soft, most cakes contain quite a lot of oil or butter. After many attempts to lower the fat content I finally found out that the smooth fresh cheese (called fromage blanc or quark) was an excellent partial oil substitute and guaranteed the softness and the moisture I wanted to achieve. I have recently also discovered that the fresh cheese can easily be replaced with silken tofu (see the recipe below). Both are impossible to detect, do not alter the batter’s taste and make the cakes incredibly soft. In short, I encourage you to try this delicious and light batter recipe and then add whatever comes to your mind. I have always considered it as foolproof and hope it will never let you down either.

TIPS: The cake should be served cold (it’s difficult to cut when warm). It can be made well in advance, wrapped in cling film and kept in the fridge for two-three days.

Quark cheese/fromage blanc/fresh cheese is smooth and has a very thick yogurt-like consistency (a bit softer than cream cheese). It may contain up to 40% fat, but I always use the lightest one. If it’s not available, replace it with silken tofu, but skip the milk (see below).

If you manage to find a narrow and long baking dish, it makes cute, two-bite sized, elegant snack slices. I have bought a 4 cm x 30 cm (about 1,6 x 12 inches) and use it very often. It is perfect for half a batch when I don’t have guests and don’t want to make a big cake.

Before I pass to the recipe I would like to thank A_Boleyn for testing my Chawan Mushi with Shrimp and Peas (the egg custard I have presented in my previous post). In spite of a silly mistake in my recipe, she has achieved wonderful results. Click here to see her beautiful egg custard.

Preparation: 1h15

Ingredients (for a 30 cm x 10 cm baking dish or two 4 cm x 30 cm dishes):

200 g quark cheese/fromage blanc (or 200 g silken tofu, but in this case skip the milk)

125 ml milk (approx. 1/2 cup)

50 ml oil (approx. 1/5 cup)

250 ml flour (approx. 1 cup)

1 flat tablespoon salt

pepper

4 eggs

1 package baking powder (16 g/about 0.5 oz)

1 tablespoon thyme

100-150 g/ 3,5 oz- 5.3 oz fresh goat cheese

10 dried tomatoes (drained if preserved in oil or soaked in hot water to soften if they were just dried)

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Mix the eggs, the cheese, the flour, the milk, the baking powder and the oil with a spoon. Season with salt and pepper.

ATTENTION! If you use silken tofu, you need to mix the batter in a food processor or a blender.

Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir well.

Grease a rectangular 30 x 10 cm baking dish or line it with baking paper. (You can use two smaller dishes of course).

Pour the cake preparation.

Delicately drop small amounts of goat cheese (heaped teaspoons) in equal distances, pushing them inside the cake.

Bake 1 hour or until the cake is golden brown. Let it cool down (the best would be to refrigerate for one or two hours). Serve it cut into slices and then into 2 or 4 bite-sized pieces or, if using as a sandwich alternative, simply cut into slices.

Chawan Mushi (茶碗蒸し), or Egg Custard with Shrimp and Peas

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Beautiful, uncomplicated, healthy, nourishing and luscious. Most of you will not be surprised if I add it is a Japanese dish I’m talking about. On the other hand, those who associate Japanese cuisine with sushi, seaweed and miso soup, would certainly be in awe if they tasted Chawan Mushi, one of the most universally enjoyable Japanese dishes.

Chawan Mushi (茶碗蒸し) was the first recipe I made from “The Japanese Cooking. A Simple Art” by Shizuo Tsuji. I was offered it a year and half ago, but I still consider this as the most extraordinary cookery book in my life (actually, apart from testing more than a dozen recipes I have read this book at least three times!). As soon as I prepared my first Chawan Mushi, I posted it, but when, later, I saw the gorgeous Chawan Mushi on Nami’s blog (Just One Cookbook), I felt really ashamed and quickly deleted my hideous photo together with the text. I have completely forgotten to repost it, even though I prepared this dish regularly. Yesterday, I finally felt brave enough to take new shots and even though it might not be the best-looking Chawan Mushi, I decided to present you once more this extraordinary dish.

Chawan Mushi belongs to the mushimono (蒸し物), or steamed Japanese dishes family, and could be described as a seasoned stock and egg mixture combined with different ingredients. It is served hot or cold depending on the weather and preferences. The most popular version seems to include, among others, shrimp and mushrooms, but Shizuo Tsuji affirms that the savoury egg custard basis is the only obligatory part of this dish and modifications are more than welcome. I have already made Chawan Mushi with different ingredients and it was excellent every single time because the basic mixture is quite versatile. It can also be served practically at any time of the day: for breakfast, with a green salad for a light lunch, as a starter or as a light, but nourishing snack. Since sweet peas start to appear on the markets, I thought they would look nice in the yellow custard, combined with shrimp. In fact, not only did they look nice, but, most of all, they this Chawan Mushi tasted great served both hot and cold.

TIPS: Even though Chawan Mushi is easier to prepare in a steamer, Shizuo Tsuji’s suggestion to use a water bath in the oven gives excellent results. Actually this is the way I prepare it because my steamer is too low for my heatproof cups.

If you don’t have a nearby Japanese grocery shop, individual, but high heatproof cups may be difficult to get. I have found very good ones at IKEA (even though without lids).

Mitsuba is the traditional herb served with Chawan Mushi (it is usually steamed on the top of the custard), but you can add any herb of your choice, but if you’re not sure how it will taste baked, sprinkle the dish with it just before serving. (Chives are a very good option).

Special equipment:

individual heatproof cups (at least 6 cm high, mine were 6,5 cm high,with a 7,5 cm diameter)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Ingredients (4 portions):

15 medium shrimp (deveined, shelled and boiled)

200 g green peas (fresh or frozen), blanched

mitsuba leaves or another herb of your choice, such as chives

Custard:

2 eggs

300 ml dashi (Japanese stock) or chicken stock

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon mirin

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Preheat the oven to 220°C (or prepare your steamer).

Divide the shrimp and the green peas equally into five heatproof cups.

Put mitsuba leaves on top (click here to see how Nami ties them in a cute traditional way).

Boil a lot of water and prepare a big baking dish at least as high as the heatproof cups.

Mix the eggs very delicately in a bowl. In another bowl combine the dashi (or chicken stock), salt, mirin and soy sauce. Pour the stock mixture over the eggs and stir well, without beating. Strain it and pour into the garnished cups. Cover the cups with aluminium foil or the lids if you have special cups with lids.

Place the cups in a big baking dish. Fill the dish with hot water (not boiling). The water should arrive up till 3/4 of the cups’ height.

Put the dish in the oven and let the custards bake for 30 minutes.

If you use a steamer, steam for about 20 minutes.

If you use chives, sprinkle chawan mushi with them just before serving.

Serve hot or cold with bread/toast for breakfast, with a salad for a lunch, as a snack or as a starter.

You may serve it with soy sauce to pour over the custard. Personally I think it is not necessary.

Even though the eggs’ mixture sets during the cooking process, the mushrooms or other vegetables might release juices, so think about putting a spoon on the table!

Cucumber and Chervil Salad

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This year I have started to grow chervil for the first time in my life. It proved one of the easiest and quickest herbs to grow on my balcony and I haven’t even noticed when it started to look like a small bush. Even though chervil is widely used in French cuisine (it’s a part of “fines herbes” mixture) and easily available here, I have never bought it or cooked with it, so this huge harvest looked quite challenging.

If you have never tasted and/or seen chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium), it’s similar to carrot greens, but its leaves are more fragile and smaller. Even though chervil is related to parsley, its subtle aniseed taste is completely different. The first leaves I pinched out of my balcony plant made me realise it was the most elegant herb I am growing and therefore it required a special treatment, at least for the first time. Alas, all the recipes I found used chervil together with other herbs, so I realised I had to make up something on my own. Finally, I decided to combine it with cucumber in a light, refreshing salad. Instead of vinegar I used lemon juice in my vinaigrette to make a more delicate seasoning, which wouldn’t mask the chervil taste. The simple salad I have prepared reminded me a of some Japanese simple but surprising dishes: the few ingredients created distinct, but subtle and elegant flavours. After such a rewarding first experiment I am looking forward to harvest more off my beautiful balcony bush.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

1 chilled small or half a big cucumber (I used 12 cm/ about 5 inches)

a small handful of chopped chervil

Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

salt, pepper

Cut the cucumber in two lengthwise and then slice it thinly.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Add the cucumber and the chervil.

Mix everything and serve immediately.

Maki Sushi with Shrimp, Avocado and Cucumber

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makishrimpp

Maki sushi is one of the staples in my house. I make sure I always have nori seaweed sheets, Japanese rice is my recent addiction, so I never run out of it, so I season it and then simply fill the rolls with whatever I find in the fridge. They make a perfect lunch, dinner, afternoon tea snack, they are great served at a party or at a picnic. Even though it is worldwide known the rolls should be freshly prepared, I love having the leftover maki for breakfast, taken straight out of the fridge and dipped in soy sauce (I know my Japanese friends will be outraged reading it, but I don’t even mind the chewy seaweed and hard rice). Apart from miso soup this is also the most soothing hangover morning meal I know. Contrary to the popular belief, if raw fish is not used, maki sushi make one of the cheapest meals I can think of (at least in Switzerland, where all the basic ingredients are available and not expensive).

The reason why I rarely post about these rolls is that dexterity is not my good side and they never look as perfect and neat as those seen on some friendly blogs. From time to time I decide to post about different maki versions even if they looks clumsy and messy, because the taste is still there (I have written about Asparagus Maki Rolls and Ground Beef Maki Rolls). Shrimp, avocado and cucumber is the filling I make very often, especially in spring and summer because it is particularly light and refreshing. I also practically always have all the necessary ingredients (the shrimp is frozen in small batches) and this is not accidental because I love them separately as well as combined together.

Since many people think maki sushi is extremely difficult and/or long to prepare, I would like to insist once more that it is absolutely false. Maybe the first rolling experience is a bit tricky because it’s a new technique to learn, but if I remember well, the second, third and fourth rolls are already easier and quicker to prepare. Of course, depending on your patience, skills and attention to details, the result will be more or less beautiful, but it is always rewarding and, for me, experimenting with new ingredients also means lots of fun. I start treating maki sushi a bit like sandwiches which can be made with practically anything.

If you don’t like this combination, I have also posted these maki recipes:

Ground Beef Maki Sushi

Asparagus Maki Sushi

TIPS: Since I am able to devour lots of maki rolls, I reduce the rice amount in order to make them lighter and low-calorie. As you see on the photo above, contrary to the traditional maki rolls, the filling takes here more space than the rice. If you prefer a standard, not lightened maki version, increase the rice amount (500 g or about 2 2/3 cups instead of 300 g or 1 1/2 cup).

I add sake to the rice mixture (I think it adds a pleasant aroma), but this is not the usual mixture recipe, so skip it if you want.

Special equipment:

rice cooker (unless you know how to cook the rice in a “normal” pan)

maki rolling mat

a brush

Preparation: 20 minutes (+ 1 hour for rice rinsing, cooking, seasoning and cooling)

Ingredients (serves 2 – 3):

5 nori seaweed sheets

300g (about 1 1/2 cup) sushi rice (or 500g/about 2 2/3 cups if you prefer “standard” rolls)

Rice mixture:

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

(1 tablespoon sake)

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

20 medium sized cooked shrimps (deveined and peeled); I need about 4 shrimps per sheet

1 big cucumber

1 avocado

mayonnaise

grilled white sesame seeds

soy sauce+wasabi, marinated ginger

a small bowl of rice vinegar (for brushing and finger dipping)

Cook the rice in the rice cooker (or in a pan if you know how to do it). Put the hot rice into a bowl and add the rice mixture ingredients. Stir well and leave to cool down.

In the meantime cut the avocado flesh and cucumber into long pieces.

When the rice has cooled down to the room temperature (it can’t be completely cold, otherwise it won’t be sticky enough), put a nori sheet vertically on the rolling mat, shiny side down.

With fingers dipped in a bowl of rice vinegar spread 1/5th of the rice evenly, leaving a 1 cm gap on the top, far edge.

Arrange the filling ingredients on the rice, in a horizontal line, close to the bottom edge.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Roll the maki starting from the bottom edge, gently pressing after each turn.

Brush with rice vinegar the upper edge before doing the last turn (it will help to seal the roll).

Press gently the roll and put it aside.

In order to obtain more or less similarly sized pieces, cut the roll first in two parts, then put them in a row and cut them in two parts, etc.

(It is easier to cut the rolls with a moist knife blade.)

Arrange them on a plate and serve with wasabi, soy sauce and marinated ginger.

Egg Croquettes (Tamago no Korokke)

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I love eggs and have always considered myself an exceptionally big egg consumer until I read that the Japanese eat more than 300 eggs per person a year. Nowadays everyone agrees that an egg a day is perfectly safe (for healthy people of course), but when eggs were on a nutritional black list in Western countries, this Japanese preference, paired with national low cholesterol levels must have seemed mysterious for our health specialists. I have recently realised that many of my blogging friends share my love for eggs (a special mention here for Hiroyuki’s neverending list of delightful egg recipes which could fill a whole cookery book!). I have bookmarked many recipes and intend to prepare them in the near future, but in the meantime they made me long for a dish I loved as a child, namely Egg Croquettes.

Egg Croquettes are an easy, comforting, home dish everyone seems to enjoy. They call for only three ingredients and are one of these dishes you can make when you think there is practically nothing left in the fridge. I have always used to serve them with a refreshing well-vinegared salad and some bread. This time, maybe keeping in mind the Japanese love for eggs I had them with a bowl of rice and it turned out to be an excellent option too. They make a perfect lunch, dinner, brunch or big breakfast and I am sure they would be an excellent picnic snack and why not a bento box item?

Actually I have “Japanised” these croquettes even more. They are usually shallow-fried, but since deep-frying is not only much quicker, but also less fat-absorbing, I decided to deep-fry them just like I proceed with the famous Japanese korokke (Potato and Meat Croquettes). They turned out better than all my previous egg croquettes and I will never go back to the traditional method. I have also found that Japanese panko crumbs created a crunchier, less soggy crust. Of course, if you prefer however shallow frying and standard breadcrumbs, I guarantee that such traditional croquettes will be excellent too.

Egg croquettes don’t require any sauce, but I have accidentally discovered that they are simply irresistible served with mayonnaise and Thick and Crunchy Japanese Sauce (Taberu Rayu). With all these Japanese touches I decided even to give it a Japanese name. I hope my Japanese friends will not scold me for this.

In case you are also a big egg fan, here are some recipes with eggs playing an important or main role:

-Spring Salad with a Fried Egg

-Smoked Mackerel and Egg Spread

-Tanindon (Rice Bowl with Eggs and Pork)

-Mixed Salad with a Fried Egg

-Bread Baskets with Eggs

-Oyakodon (Rice Bowl with Eggs and Chicken)

TIP: Even though it takes one more hour, I found out that refrigeration makes the forming process much easier: cold ingredients are simply stickier.

Preparation: 1 hour (or two, if you choose to refrigerate the egg mixture)

Ingredients (serves 2-3):

6 hard-boiled eggs

1 raw egg

4-5 tablespoons breadcrumbs (or more)

salt, pepper

5-6 tablespoons chopped chives or spring onions

breadcrumbs for coating (several tablespoons)

oil for shallow- or deep-frying

Chop the eggs as finely as you can (you can mix two of the eggs in a food processor to make the texture creamier, but not all of them!).

Combine them with the raw egg, the chopped chives or spring onion and season with salt and pepper.

Add gradually breadcrumbs until the mixture can be formed into balls (it depends on the egg size, the breadcrumbs, the chopping etc.).

(Putting the mixture into the fridge for one hour will make the forming process easier but you can start doing it straight away).

Preheat the oil in a pan.

Squeezing tightly the egg mixture, form balls and flatten them to round or oval patties (5 cm/2 in. diameter).

Coat them in breadcrumbs and shallow- or deep-fry.

If you deep-fry, my test for the right temperature is throwing some breadcrumbs into the pan. If they don’t fall down, but bubble and fry immediately, then the temperature is high enough.

Deep-frying will take only about one or two minutes. Shallow frying will take much longer (at least 15 minutes).

Put the croquettes on paper towels to remove excess oil and serve them either with bread or with rice.

Stir Fried Asparagus, Chicken and Cashew Nuts

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This easy, but excellent dish was inspired by the cashew and asparagus side-dish I have recently seen at Shu Han’s Mummy, I can cook!. She has chosen my beloved vegetable and my favourite nuts, preparing them in one of the most frequent cooking methods I use, so when I saw her post I realised once more how enriching are my regular peeks at my blogging friends’ adventures… Needless to say, I instantly bookmarked the recipe and waited only for my following visit to farmers market.

Since I needed a quick one-bowl lunch, I have transformed Shu Han’s side-dish into a main course, adding chicken breast pieces I often fry with cashew nuts and serving it in a bowl, on top of steamed rice. I have also slightly changed the sauce ingredients, still binding it with corn starch. Crisp asparagus, roast crunchy cashew nuts and delicate chicken pieces seasoned with a light, slightly sweet sauce created a very interesting, complex combination of flavours. I am really glad to have a new, excellent recipe on my list of asparagus dishes. Thank you, Shu Han, for this brilliant idea! (If you want to see Shu Han’s original version, click here.)

If you look for some asparagus cooking ideas, here are some suggestions:

-Tama Konnyaku and Asparagus Skewers

-Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

-Asparagus Tempura

-Asparagus Maki Sushi

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

1/2 chicken breast

7 thin green asparagus spears

10 cashew nuts

oil

salt, pepper

Sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce (or more if using low-sodium sauce)

1 teaspoon water

1 teaspoon sake

1 teaspoon syrup or sugar (I used agave syrup)

1 teaspoon corn starch

Cut up the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and season it slightly with salt.

Cut up the asparagus spears into bite-sized pieces too.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a glass or small bowl.

Heat a small amount of oil in a pan or wok. Roast the cashew nuts until slightly golden. Put them aside.

Add more oil and stir fry the chicken pieces for about five minutes, add the asparagus spurs and stir fry for about 5-7 minutes (or more, until the chicken is well cooked).

Add the cashew nuts, the sauce and heat, constantly stirring, for about one minute until the sauce thickens.

Sprinkle with ground pepper.
Serve with rice.

Unbaked Strawberry Cheesecake in a Glass

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Light, quick, easy and refreshing. I don’t know what are your preferences, but this is the description of my ideal spring or summer dessert and unbaked cheesecake meets all these conditions. Some of you might remember that my unbaked cheesecakes are made with fresh cheese (also called “quark”) and not the most popular cream cheese (see the Unbaked Vanilla Cheesecake here). They are low in fat, have a slight, refreshing tanginess I like and have a light consistency, comparable to a dense mousse. Since I don’t like the crust in cheesecakes, I always omit it, which makes such a dessert even lighter and quicker to prepare.

Unbaked cheesecakes are in my opinion an excellent basis to experiment with different fruits without losing their precious vitamins, nutrients and delicate aroma. If you decide to try fresh cheese, its slight tartness goes particularly well with red fruits such as strawberries. I realised it a couple of days ago when I decided to make my first strawberry dessert this year. Not only was it, quick, easy and practical (it requires only four ingredients), but most of all it enhanced and preserved all of the the strawberry flavours and its enticing aroma.

TIPS & UPDATE: If you don’t find fresh cheese (quark) the best option would be to use the Greek yogurt. If you are a cream cheese fan, this dessert can of course be prepared with cream cheese too, but the consistency will probably be less mousse-like and the taste different (I admit I haven’t made or tasted such a version).

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 3-4):

300 g (about 10 oz) fresh cheese/quark or Greek yogurt (or cream cheese if you don’t find quark or Greek yogurt)

1 tablespoon gelatin (or gelatin leaves, the amount necessary to set 500 ml liquid, see TIPS above)

200 g (about 7 oz) strawberries

4 flat tablespoons confectioner’s sugar or sweetener of your choice

Put aside 4-5 strawberries for the decoration.

Dissolve the gelatin in 4 tablespoons warm water. (If using leaves, proceed as indicated on the package).

Mix the cheese, the sugar and half of the strawberries in a food processor.

Add the dissolved gelatin and mix once more.

Cut up the remaining strawberries in quarters (do not use those for the decoration!) and place them in individual glasses.

Pour the cheese mixture over the strawberries and put into the fridge for at least two hours.

Decorate just before serving.

Spring Rolls with Leftover Roast, Carrot and Mint

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What do you do with leftover roast? For many years I used to put it into salads, sandwiches or stir-fries and then one day I simply wrapped them in rice paper with some vegetables and glass noodles, making very unorthodox version of spring rolls. Since then this is the first thing I think about when I take out the leftover roast from the fridge. Spring rolls with leftover meat proved not only easy, quick and healthy, but most of all extremely versatile and convenient. They can be made with any vegetable found in the fridge, while rice paper and glass noodles can be stocked for long months or even years. If you have ever made spring rolls you probably know that they can be served for any meal of the day, as a starter, a snack or a main dish. They are also an excellent choice for a picnic, for packed lunch at work and I often prepare them for long car journeys instead of traditional sandwiches. (If you are not the one who drives, you can even dip them in a bowl of sauce!). Last but not least, they can be made well in advance and kept in the fridge for several days (as long as they are tightly wrapped in cling film).

The rolls can be served with any sauce of your choice, but my absolute favourite now is a mixture of soy sauce, chili oil and vinegar. It’s hot and slightly acid thank to the vinegar.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

2 big slices of roast chicken, turkey, pork, beef, lamb…

6-8 (22 cm or 8 3/4 in) rice paper sheets

1 small individual package of glass noodles (40 g)

2 big carrots

mint leaves

(roast sesame seeds)

Dipping sauce:

5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce (or less if using standard soy sauce)
1 tablespoon chili oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar

Cover the noodles with boiling water. Put aside for 15 minutes.

In the meantime cut up the carrots into matchsticks and cut the roast slices into rectangular pieces.

Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Fill a big wide bowl with warm (not hot) water.

Dip rice paper sheets one by one in the water, immersing them delicately so that you don’t break them.

As soon as the sheet softens ( after about ten seconds), put it onto a chopping board.

Rinse the noodles.

Place horizontally a stack of the carrot and roast pieces, a bit of the noodles and the mint leaves close the the rice paper edge (the
one which is closest to you).

Sprinkle with sesame seeds if you like them and roll tightly starting from the edge which is closest to you.

Proceed in the same way with the remaining rolls.

Serve them immediately as they are or cut in two horizontally.

If you wish to serve them later, wrap them individually in cling film because they dry out very quickly.

Tama Konnyaku and Asparagus Skewers

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In spite of what some of you might think the white balls you see above are not gnocchi or any other floury dumplings, but tama konnyaku, a wonderful, healthy, almost zero calorie Japanese product made with a plant called konnyaku (Amorphophallus konjac). Often called devil’s tongue, yam or konjac this plant is transformed into flour and then mixed with water to produce a sort of gelatinous, transparent substance, sold as noodles (shirataki or ito konnyaku), rectangular blocks (ita konnyaku) and the “balls” you see above (tama konnyaku). All these products are very rich in fiber, contain no carbs, have almost zero calorie per 100 g and an amazing capacity to absorb the flavours from the sauce or the soup they are served with. The high fiber they contain regulates the digestion, gives a very quick sensation of satiety, while the low-calorie and low-carb intake allows even the biggest diet freak to enjoy a fabulous dish. Konnyaku is called in Japan “the broom for the stomach” due to its high fiber content.

Until now I have posted only two konnyaku-based recipes (Stir-Fried Shirataki or Ita Konnyaku Noodles and Tama Konnyaku with Bacon and Shiitake), but I stir-fry them quite often, which is not the way they are usually served in Japan (very often served in broths or soups). Whenever I know I will have a rich, high-calorie dinner, I prepare my lunch with konnyaku noodles or balls and can guiltlessly indulge in a pizza, foie gras, duck confit or another rich dish I adore.

This is how a package of konnyaku balls looks like:

Last week, when I decided to prepare a tama konnyaku lunch, I had a quick flash of skewered tama konnyaku probably seen on a website, a blog or a tv program. I combined them with asparagus, my favourite spring vegetable and served as a side-dish with stir-fried chicken breasts. Since konnyaku balls don’t have much taste, a sauce was obligatory and teriyaki glaze seemed the easiest choice. I must say I was very happy with this first skewered side-dish in my life. It looked cute and was a perfect lunch the day I planned to dine in my favourite pizzeria (I needn’t add I do not go there to have a light salad…).

TIPS: Tama konnyaku is sold in bags filled with water. They have a very long shelf life if kept in the fridge. If you don’t use the entire bag content, rinse the balls, put them in a bowl, cover with fresh water and keep tightly closed for a couple of days in the fridge.

I don’t have a grill, so this recipe explains how to prepare the skewers on a simple grill pan.

If you prefer a sweeter teriyaki glaze, add some sugar. (For me the sweetness of mirin is enough).

Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients (serves 3-4 as a side dish):

1 bag of tama konnyaku (400g)

10 green asparagus stalks

Teriyaki glaze:

2 tablespoons mirin (can be substituted with 1 – 2 tablespoons syrup)

3 tablespoons soy sauce (or 4-5 if you have low sodium soy sauce)

3 tablespoons sake

Soak the skewers in water for at least 15 minutes to avoid burning.

Cut up the asparagus stalks into bite-sized pieces, preferably similar in length to the tama konnyaku thickness.

Drain and rinse tama konnyaku. Cook them in boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Rinse them once more.

Thread the konnyaku balls and the asparagus pieces on skewers.

Heat an oiled grill pan (or a grill).

Place the skewers on the pan (oil brushed side down) and grill about 7 minutes on each side (or more depending on the asparagus thickness).

In the meantime bring the teriyaki glaze to boil in a small pan and boil it until it thickens. Put aside.

Place the skewers on serving plates and brush them with teriyaki glaze on both sides.

Pickled Pink Radishes

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Pickles take a big space in my pantry and apart from the regular ones (like Pickled Sweet Pepper), I like experimenting with new vegetables or new recipes (my recent discovery, Moomins’ Cucumber Salad was a big hit). When I saw pickled radishes recipe in “Street Café. Japan” by Emi Kazuko I realised I had a big bunch of radishes in the fridge and it was an excellent occasion to prepare these first short-term pickles in my life.

This recipe is based on pickled Japanese turnip (kabu), but the author proposes to substitute it with pink radishes, Western turnips being too tough for this method. Before the pickling process Japanese turnips are often vertically cut in the upper part, which makes them resemble chrysanthemum leaves. According to Emi Kazuko similarly cut pink radishes will resemble cherry blossoms. I have only found oval radishes and I don’t think they produce the desired visual effect, but they do take on a beautiful hue, which slightly reminds me of pink cherry blossoms. The funny looking vertical cuts are very useful: they enable the vinegared mixture to penetrate the interior of the radish.

I loved everything about these pickles: their easiness, the quick pickling time, the beautiful hue, the unusual, surprising look and most of all the amazing taste. They will certainly become my regular spring side dish. I still have to check how they react to long-term pickling.

TIPS: The author advises of course rice vinegar, but since I had several bottles of cider vinegar I usually keep for pickling purposes, I used this one instead. The result was delicious even with basic, cheap cider vinegar.

These pickles can be made with any variety of small pink or red radishes.

Preparation: 40 minutes + one night in the fridge

Ingredients:

15 radishes

150 ml rice vinegar (I used 4,5% cider vinegar)

50 ml water

2 flat tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt

Cut off the radish stalks in the way that a flat base is formed.

Put the radishes flat base down and keeping it with your left hand make 4-5 vertical cuts in the upper 3/4 of each radish.

Turn the radish 90 degrees and make similar cuts.

Put the radishes in a bowl, rub them with the salt and put a heavy object on the top (for example a small plate).

After 30 minutes drain the liquid rendered by the radishes.

Dissolve the sugar in the mixture of water and vinegar, combine with the radishes and put into the fridge for 24 hours.

Pickled radishes keep for at least one week in the fridge.

Spring Salad with a Fried Egg, or Salade Composée Printanière

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I meant to post a completely different recipe today, but when I prepared this salad for yesterday’s lunch, I liked so much its spring look, colours and character, I decided to write about it instead. “Salade composée”, or mixed salad, is a dish I discovered in cheap small French restaurants, where it’s usually served for lunch. It is served in big bowls filled with green salad leaves, other raw vegetables and some proteins (usually a fried egg and for example a slice of ham). As soon as the weather starts warming, this kind of salad is one of my favourite quick lunch ideas. Last September I wrote about the salad I prepare most often (with tomatoes and smoked pork loin, click here to see the recipe), but the ingredients change quite depending on the season and on what I have in the fridge. Only the “bed” of green leaves and the fried egg are the obligatory items. (When you break the yolk and taste a salad leaf coated in the stupendous mixture of vinaigrette and egg yolk, you will understand why I never skip the egg).

Even though I made it with what I found in the fridge, this salad was mainly composed of seasonal produce: cucumber, radishes, avocado, a fabulous, spring, crisp, reddish lettuce called “rougette” and, last but not least, several rocket leaves straight from my balcony. Moreover, the egg, as well as the cooked ham come from happy, free-range animals (well, the pig was happy only until a certain point…). In short, it might look like an ordinary salad, but for me it represents the perfect high-quality, healthy spring meal. Served with several slices of good baguette, it’s a light, but complete and definitely nourishing dish. If only I could control my food cravings and have such a wise dish daily…

Preparation: 15 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

green salad leaves (5 big or ten smaller)

5 cm (2 inch) cucumber piece

7 big radishes

1/2 avocado

1 slice of cooked ham

1 egg (or two if you feel very hungry!)

Vinaigrette with mustard:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 heaped teaspoon mustard

3 tablespoons vinegar of your choice

salt and pepper

Take a big bowl (for example with 20 cm (8 inch) diameter).

Tear the bigger salad leaves, cut the cucumber into matchstick or other small pieces, slice the radishes.

Cut the avocado into pieces.

Cut the ham or tear it (this is what I prefer to do if the slices are thin).

Arrange the salad, the cucumber, the avocado and the ham in the bowl.

Prepare the salad dressing and pour it over the salad.

Heat a pan and fry an egg.

Put the egg on the top of the salad, sprinkle some salt and pepper over it and serve.

Japanese Chicken Pancake, or Tori no Okonomiyaki (鶏のお好み焼き)

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Okonomiyaki is one of the most brilliant inventions of the Japanese cuisine. Easy, quick, versatile and full of flavours, it is a dish one falls in love with at first bite and becomes instantly addicted to. I wrote here about my first impressions a couple of months ago and have never got tired of it since then. I must have prepared okonomiyaki for at least thirty different meals. As I said then, I still think that if well advertised this dish has a potential to become as popular and loved as pizza. If only the Japanese cuisine wasn’t associated with sushi, seaweed and miso soup, but with such universally enjoyable dishes as this one… To those who see it for the first time, okonomiyaki might look messy and/or unappetising, but in reality few people are able to resist it (I still have to meet someone who does).

As a reminder, “okonomiyaki” means “grill what you like/want” and apart from the several obligatory ingredients and toppings (which also depend on the region), this thick pancake can be made with practically anything. There are two main types of okonomiyaki: Hiroshima-style, containing noodles, and a lighter Osaka (Kansai) style. My okonomiyaki are rather Osaka-style (thank you, Hiroyuki). After numerous experiments, I have now two favourite versions: the mushroom okonomiyaki (click here to see the recipe) and chicken okonomiyaki I am presenting today. The latter has also become the most frequent version, because, as a big chicken fan, I always have chicken breasts either in the fridge or in the freezer. A Japanese friend told me she has never seen chicken okonomiyaki in her country, but since I can add whatever I like…

Okonomiyaki’s ingredients can be divided into three groups: the batter, the filling and the topping. The batter’s amount is small and it’s there only to bind the filling, which is often composed mainly of shredded/chopped cabbage. The toppings can be adapted to everyone’s taste, but in my opinion chives (or spring onion), mayonnaise and okonomiyaki sauce are obligatory. My favourite topping is composed of mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, chopped chives and I put lots of my beloved dried bonito flakes. I know some Europeans who love okonomiyaki but hate dried bonito, so it can be omitted of course. Pickled ginger is one of the traditional toppings too, but somehow I prefer it as a side dish. One the other hand I always add chili sauce or paste (most often Taberu Rayu I wrote about here). Thanks to Hiroyuki‘s advice I no longer buy okonomiyaki sauce (which was too sweet for me anyway) and prepare my own sauce mixing ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Thank you, Hiroyuki, for this precious recipe!

TIPS: Okonomiyaki batter mixture can be bought in Japanese grocery shops or prepared from the scratch. Personally I am happy to prepare it from the scratch since it takes two minutes and I’m sure it tastes better. I have seen different batter recipes and mine is composed of an egg, some flour, some dashi (Japanese stock), salt, pepper, baking powder and, last but not least, grated mountain yam (or yamaimo in Japanese), a slimy cousin of the potato (I fin it in organic shops). When I don’t have yam or dashi, I simply omit them, trying to keep the same pancake-like texture. The result is still delicious, albeit slightly different. Dried shrimp is not obligatory either.

Okonomioyaki mixture can be prepared in advance and fried/grilled the following day. As an addict, I often make a double batch and have it two days in a row. (Actually I even had it recently for three meals in a row: a lunch, a dinner and a lunch the following day…).

Special equipment: a big pancake spatula is very useful to flip okonomiyaki

Preparation: 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2):

Batter:

5 tablespoons flour

30 ml (about 1/8 cup) dashi (Japanese stock, home-made or instant) or milk or a mixture of both

1 egg

3 cm grated mountain yam (yamaimo) (can be omitted, but then less flour should be added)

salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

(pepper)

Filling:

4 – 5 big white cabbage leaves chopped or finely cubed (the hard central “vein” removed)

1 chicken breast

1 tablespoon oil

8 thin slices of smoked streaky bacon, cut into bite-sized squares

(3 tablespoons dried tiny Japanese shrimp (sakura ebi); I don’t advise other types of shrimp or dried shrimp from other countries: they might be chewy and tough)

Topping:

dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

okonomiyaki sauce (or a mixture of ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce)

mayonnaise

chopped chives or spring onions

2 tablespoons oil

(chili paste, oil or sauce, such as Taberu Rayu)

Cut up the chicken breast into small cubes (1 cm x 1 cm). Season with salt and pepper, fry until golden brown and put aside.

In a big bowl combine the batter ingredients. Add the filling ingredients (except for the bacon!) and adjust their amount (the mixture should be very thick, not liquid and the batter should only bind the ingredients together and not dominate them).

Heat one tablespoon oil in a frying pan or on a smooth grill (called teppanyaki grill or la plancha).

Put half of the okonomiyaki mixture in a more or less round-shaped heap (you can adjust it on the pan).

Put the bacon slices on top, flatten delicately the pancake, but not too much. Otherwise it might fall into pieces when you turn it over. (My okonomiyaki is max. 1,5 cm/about 1/2 inch high)

Cover the pan and let it fry at medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes.

Turn the pancake over, cover once more and fry for another 5 minutes.

Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

Serve the bacon side up, topped with mayonnaise, okonomiyaki sauce, chives, dried bonito flakes and chili sauce/oil or paste.

Rhubarb Soft Drink

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rhubarbdrinkpp

After more than two weeks of freezing cold, rain, hailstorms and other “attractions”, we finally have a warm, sunny spring weather. I thought it was an excellent occasion to write about my favourite rhubarb treat, namely the rhubarb soft drink. I must confess I have already posted this recipe a year ago, but I find it so exceptional and Iprepare it so often, I will probably be tempted to write about it every year.

I have always been a big fan of sour and acid food. As a child I would chew on the raw rhubarb sticks freshly picked in my grandmother’s garden and I have always loved this tangy drink my mum prepared in huge batches on hot spring and summer days and stored in a huge pitcher in the fridge. I cannot imagine a more refreshing and thirst quenching drink than a glass of cold rhubarb drink. Its unusual, characteristic smell, its tanginess and its fabulous colour will always remind me of hot summer days of my childhood.

The preparation is ridiculously easy and quick. The sugar/sweetener amount depends on everyone’s taste. I usually put a heaped teaspoon in one big glass (250ml), but strangely some rhubarb varieties do not need any sugar (at least for an acid flavours fan). The drink keeps – unsweetened – at least for up to a week in the fridge. Do not overdose the sugar, otherwise the drink will lose its tanginess and become bland. The colour depends on the stalks’ hue of course, so whenever I go to buy rhubarb on the market I choose the dark red ones.

WARNING: If you use rhubarb for the first time and the stalks have still some leaves, cut them off and throw away because rhubarb leaves are toxic.

Preparation: 1 hour

Ingredients (makes 1,7-1,8 liter):

500g rhubarb stalks, cleaned and cut in two/three pieces

2 litres cold water

sugar or sweetener

ice

Put the rhubarb into a big pan with water.

Bring to boil at medium heat and cook until the rhubarb completely softens.

Put aside and wait until the rhubarb drink cools down.

Strain it and refrigerate for up to a week.

Add sugar or sweetener just before drinking and serve with very cold or with ice.

Radish, Cucumber and Yogurt /Sour Cream Salad

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I woke up yesterday and, just after my obligatory coffee fix, all I could think of were pink radishes. As if hypnotised, I went to the market, bought two huge bunches of beautiful radishes, came back home, opened the fridge, took a cucumber, sliced it, then sliced some radishes, added soured milk (I had been craving this one too, see the explanation below), salted everything and literally threw myself on it (luckily, after a while, I controlled myself enough to save some of it for the photo).

I think I should listen more often to my cravings because the salad was exactly what I wanted for a sunny spring day. It was crunchy, refreshing, tangy and slightly peppery thanks to the radishes. It was inspired by a cucumber salad (vaguely Polish) I sometimes prepare, but the radishes made all the difference. The second batch I made also yesterday for dinner was a perfect side dish with fiery fried rice. Given the sour milk/cream cooling properties, I’m sure it will go well with any hot dish.

TIPS: I usually prepare this salad with sour milk which is almost as thick as sour cream (at least the one I buy), but is low-fat. You can use sour cream or natural yogurt or, even better, Greek yogurt instead (I would add a dash of lemon juice to the yogurt to obtain the slightly sour result).

This salad should be made just before you serve it, otherwise the vegetables will render liquid and the “sauce” will get watery.

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

6-7 big red radishes

1/3 long cucumber

3 heaped tablespoons sour milk/cream or yogurt

salt

Cut the cucumber in four lengthwise and then into thin slices.

Cut the radishes into thin slices.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and serve.

Sesame Coated Tuna Nuggets (Maguro no goma age)

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As you can see I’m getting really obsessed with rolls, skewers, finger food and all types of snacks. In fact, I start serving them more and more often as a part of main courses and find them much more fun to prepare and to eat. Some of you might remember the Sesame Coated Chicken Nuggets I wrote about a couple of months ago. Even though I named them “nuggets”, the recipe is Japanese and was found in my favourite cookery book (Japanese cooking. A simple art by Shizuo Tsuji). The chicken nuggets were coated in egg white, than in sesame seeds and then deep-fried, i.e. prepared according to the “kawari age” or “variation frying” methods described by Tsuji and consisting in coating deep-fried food in different, sometimes very surprising products. Until now I have tested and adored chopped nori seaweed (Scallops Fried in Nori) and my beloved sesame seeds, which proved wonderful with chicken, but too bitter and strong with scallops.

Last week, when I saw red tuna sold on special price (otherwise it’s horribly expensive), I decided to treat it exactly like chicken breast. I have cut it into cubes, coated with egg whites, sesame seeds, quickly deep-fried and loved it! The fish was soft, juicy and the sesame seeds formed a crunchy, slightly nutty crust. Moreover, just like chicken nuggets, these were not soaked in fat because sesame seeds do not absorb as much oil as certain coatings.

I had these nuggets twice: first with a bottle of white wine along with other snacks, and then, the following day, I prepared them once more and served with rice and pickles for lunch. They can be dipped in any sauce of your choice, but I found my Hot Mango Sauce a perfect pairing. (It can be substituted by a quick mixture of mango, chilies and vinegar.)

TIP: This is an excellent way to use up egg whites!

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

300 g tuna steak

1 flat tablespoon flour

1 egg white

4 heaped tablespoons (or more) white sesame seeds (it depends how thick you want the crust to be)

salt

oil for deep-frying

Preheat the deep-frying oil (it’s hot enough when a tiny piece of bread thrown into the fat doesn’t “sink” and stays on the surface, instantly browning).

Cut up the tuna steak into bite-sized cubes.

Season the cubes lightly with salt.

Beat the egg white slightly with a fork.

Dry the tuna pieces well with paper towels.

Dredge them slightly in flour, shake off the excess, then in the egg white and at the end roll them in sesame seeds.

Deep fry them for about 30 seconds in small batches (the time depends on the temperature of your oil and the size of your pieces).

Cucumber and Wakame Sunomono (Cucumber and Seaweed Salad)

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Nami’s blog (Just One Cookbook) is one of my biggest Japanese cuisine inspiration sources. If I hadn’t written about any of her recipes recently, it’s only because several of those I had tested and posted have become my staples (Korokke or Potato Teriyaki Pork Rolls are the best examples). This refreshing salad has been bookmarked for a long time and after testing it I already feel that it will regularly appear on my table too.

If you go to a Japanese grocery shop (or to an organic food shop), you will find several types of seaweed, most of them sold in dried form. They have different colours, textures, they are cut in different shapes, they are used in slightly different ways and of course their taste is different. This salad calls for wakame seaweed which is usually sold pre-cut, in small bags. When soaked, wakame’s size increases in a very impressive way. Since it happens very quickly, I am still amazed every time I watch it “grow” in a bowl of water. Since the only dish I have been making with it was miso soup, I was glad to find a second and completely different way to use this seaweed.

This salad is a part of Japanese “sunomono” or vinegared dishes category. Even though I have already had this type of salad in Japanese restaurants, it was my first home-made and I must say I loved everything about it. The colours, the lightness and tanginess of the dressing, the slightly crunchy wakame texture, the dynamic “kick” julienned ginger provided and, most of all, the aroma. In fact, once mixed with the dressing and chilled, the salad’s smell reminded me of freshly caught, fried small fish… This unusual impression is probably due to the combination of wakame, dashi (Japanese stock) and sesame oil. Thank you, Nami, for one more amazing recipe.

TIP: My only modification was reducing the sugar content because I prefer acid dressings. If you want it milder, double the sugar amount (1 tablespoon instead of 1 teaspoon).

Dashi, the Japanese stock, can be bought instant or prepared at home. I make it once a week and refrigerate it (it is used in many Japanese dishes I prepare). Click here to see the recipe.

Toasted sesame seeds were not included in Nami’s recipe, but I just couldn’t stop myself from adding them…

Preparation: 15 minutes + chilling time

Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 long cucumber or 1 shorter (about 15 cm)

1 teaspoon salt

Dressing:

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons dashi (Japanese stock; click here to see how to make it at home)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 flat teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 thin slices of julienned fresh ginger

Soak the wakame in a bowl of cold water and drain it after 10 minutes.

Peel the cucumber, leaving the skin with every second stroke of the peeler, so that you obtain a nice pattern.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and then into thin slices.

In a bowl combine the cucumber with salt, mixing well with your hands, and leave for 3 minutes.

Squeeze the cucumber to eliminate the water it has produced and put it into the fridge.

In the meantime combine the dressing ingredients (vinegar, dashi, soy sauce, oil, sugar) and bring them to boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

Put aside.

When the dressing has cooled down, combine it with wakame and cucumbers.

Chill the salad.

Sprinkle with ginger. Serve.

Japanese Chicken and Leek Skewers (Negima 葱鮪)

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Looking for some new Japanese dish ideas in Izakaya: the Japanese Pub Cookbook by Mark Robinson, I stumbled upon some luscious skewers photographs, and among them grilled chicken skewers (yakitori) with negi 葱 (one of the Japanese cousins of the leek and spring onion). I must have seen a similar combination hundreds of times in books and on the web, so it was time to give it a go, but substituting naganegi with simple leek. I have decided to call it negima 葱鮪, in spite of a different plant variety. Thank you, Hiroyuki, for this advice!

Even though I don’t have a grill (not to mention a charcoal one featured in the book) and even though I didn’t use the teriyaki glaze in the traditional Japanese way (the skewers should apparently be basted while they grill), the result was most satisfactory: the chicken breasts were juicy, while the leek was soft (but not mushy) and not as burnt as I have initially feared. The final teriyaki brushing step was more than welcome. For once I have stopped myself from sprinkling this dish with sesame seeds and used slightly tangy ground sansho pepper, which seemed (and proved) more adequate.

The happy grill owners will certainly know how to grill these skewers in the best way, so my instructions are only for grill pan users.

TIP: I have sprinkled my skewers with the Japanese sansho pepper, but if you cannot find it, you can omit it or sprinkle them with anything you want.

Special equipment: skewers, preferably short

Preparation: 40 minutes

Ingredients (serves 3):

2 chicken breasts (skinned)

2-3 leeks (maximum 1,5 cm thick)

2 tablespoons oil

Teriyaki glaze:

2 tablespoons mirin (can be substituted with 1 – 2 tablespoons syrup)

3 tablespoons soy sauce (or 4-5 if you have low sodium soy sauce)

(1 teaspoon sugar; I usually omit sugar)

3 tablespoons sake

(ground sansho pepper)

Soak the skewers in water for at least 15 minutes to avoid burning.

Cut up the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and salt them slightly.

Discard the leek leaves, leaving the white and also the light green part.

Cut up the leek into bite sized pieces too (similar in width to the chicken pieces).

Thread the meat and the leek pieces on skewers alternating a white leek piece, a chicken piece and a light green leek piece.

Brush the skewered meat and leeks on one side only.

Heat an oiled grill pan.

Place the skewers on the pan (oil brushed side down) and cover it (this way the meat will cook quicker without excessive drying).

After about 5 minutes check if the meat is not burnt and grill, still covered, for about 5 more minutes.

Brush the top of the skewers with oil and turn them.

In the meantime bring the teriyaki glaze to boil in a small pan and boil it until it thickens. Put aside.

Grill the skewers for 5 more minutes.

Place the skewers on serving plates and brush them with teriyaki glaze on both sides.

Sprinkle with sansho and serve.

Light Chocolate and Coconut Cream

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This chocolate cream is my second successful experiment with agar. I have followed the Light Coconut Cream with Canned Peaches recipe, simply substituting fruit with dark chocolate. Just like the Cream with Peaches, this one had a light, thick yogurt texture. Dark chocolate and coconut combination proved excellent and, thanks to the cow milk content, the coconut taste was tamed down, allowing the chocolate flavours prevail. Because of the chocolate’s presence I cannot say this cream was as low-calorie as the previous one, but it certainly was the lightest chocolate dessert I have ever had and, accidentally one of the most flavoursome too.

As a reminder, agar (agar-agar, “kanten” in Japanese) is a gelling agent very popular in Asia. Contrary to what one might think, this is not a gelatin substitute. It is prepared in a slightly different way and, most of all, gives different textures and consistencies. In Europe it is widely used in food industry and is quite popular among vegetarians, since agar is produced from seaweed (not bones, like gelatin). Apart from gelling properties, agar has considerable health benefits. It helps digestion and is often consumed as a slimming diet booster. A Japanese friend has confirmed what I had already read about: in her country some women dissolve it in tea to help digestion and to suppress appetite (I haven’t checked if it works on my appetite though).

In short, this cream is not only the lightest chocolate dessert I know; it is also probably the healthiest one. With dessicated coconut and shaved chocolate it has made me think of a light Bounty bar in a glass.

Do not wait until the cream becomes cold before pouring it into serving bowls or glasses because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5):

250 ml/about 1 cup coconut milk

250 ml/about 1 cup cow milk

4 flat tablespoons sugar (I used two flat tablespoons because I don’t like very sweet desserts)

1/3 flat teaspoon agar agar in powder

60 g/about 2,5 oz good quality dark chocolate, min 70% cocoa

(shaved chocolate, dessicated coconut)

Dissolve the sugar and agar-agar in the mixture of the two milks, add the chocolate broken into pieces. Bring to boil on low heat and, constantly stirring, let it simmer for about a minute. (If the chocolate isn’t completely dissolved, mix everything in a food processor and then bring back to boil).

Put aside.

Prepare four individual bowls or low glasses.

(Do not wait until the cream becomes cold because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!).

Pour the mixture into the bowls or glasses and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Serve very cold sprinkled with coconut and shaved chocolate.

Fresh Cheese Spread with Radish and Chives

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Simple combinations and cheap, basic products sometimes give amazing results and fresh cheese with chives is one of the best examples I know. Fresh cheese can be mixed with any herb you want, but in my opinion only chives make the combination perfect. Fresh Cheese and Chives Spread (I have written about it here) is one of my most distinct childhood food memories. I had it for breakfast, as a snack, as a light supper and my appetite for it has never decreased. In fact, even now this spread is my staple all year round. When spring vegetables appear, I do just like my mum and enrich it with chopped pink radishes. The crisp radish adds a strong peppery taste, makes the texture more interesting and embellishes the colour palette.

The fresh cheese I have in mind is called “curd cheese” and sometimes “farm” or “farmers cheese”, available in Polish/Russian/ Hungarian grocery shops all around the world. Curd cheese is widely used in Central and Eastern Europe (Russian творог, Polish twaróg or biały ser, Hungarian túró or Austrian Topfen are only some examples in both savoury and sweet dishes and is my absolute favourite in Baked Cheesecake (while its smooth, mixed version is ideal in Unbaked Cheesecake). Its texture might be described as something halfway between ricotta and feta, but its slightly tangy taste differs from both. Since it is produced by straining soured milk, curd cheese is a natural product and if low or medium-fat variety is used, it makes relatively healthy meals and desserts. (It shouldn’t be mixed up with the Canadian and US “cheese curds”!). This is how curd cheese, crushed with fork, looks like:

This spread is not only fresh, low-fat, quick and an excellent appetite suppressant, but it is one of the rare things which taste much better on wholemeal, black, crunchy bread or pumpernickel rather than white bread. The spread keeps for a couple of days in the fridge, in a closed container and tastes even better the following day, when the chives’ and radishes’ flavours are stronger. I always make a big batch to have it ready for breakfast or as a healthy snack.

TIP: If you cannot get curd/farmers cheese, you can use drained cottage cheese, but add some sour milk or sour cream or kefir (not yogurt) in order to make it tangy.

Other recipes calling for curd cheese:

-Potato and Curd Cheese Dumplings

-Pear and Curd/Cottage Cheese Pie

-Light and Moist Baked Cheesecake

-Fresh Cheese Spread with Chives

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

150 g curd/farmers cheese (or drained cottage cheese)

4-6 tablespoons yogurt, kefir, sour milk or sour cream (or more if the cheese is dry)

salt

about 10 flat tablespoons chopped chives

7 -8 pink radishes, roughly chopped

Crush the curd cheese with a fork, add the yogurt, kefir or cream gradually, stirring until you obtain the desired consistency (this depends not only on the cheese brand, but also on your preferences).

If you use cottage cheese, crush the big grains with a fork before adding the yogurt.

Add the chives, the salt, the radishes, give it a good stir and taste if it’s salty enough.

Asparagus Teriyaki Pork Rolls

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Observing some of my friends’ blogs (Hiroyuki’s Blog on Japanese Cooking, Just One Cookbook and Shizuoka Gourmet) I quickly deduced rolling vegetables into thin meat slices is one of the favourite pastimes of the Japanese home cooks. Then, thanks to Hyosun’s recipes (Eating and Living), I discovered Koreans are also fans of rolls. After all it is not surprising: meat and vegetable rolls are healthy (a roll usually contains more vegetables than meat), easy and quick to prepare (thin meat slices stick together very easily), convenient (the rolls can be made even 24 hours prior to frying and they work as a part of main course or cute party snacks), but, most of all, I find them cute and fun to eat.

Since I made Potato Teriyaki Pork Rolls found on Nami’s Just One Cookbook, I haven’t stopped looking for new meat rolls ideas. The delicious Okra Teriyaki Pork Rolls inspired by Shizuoka Gourmet blog were followed by the Korean-style fantastic and hot Pork Rolls and Shiso in Tempura (from Eating and Living blog)… Last week I decided to experiment with asparagus. Combined with soft pork and sticky teriyaki glaze they created fantastic, light, crunchy rolls. A real dream dish for pork and asparagus fans. I already feel these rolls will be my staple meal as long as the asparagus is on the market.

TIPS: Choose the thinner asparagus stems: maximum 1 cm (a bit less than 1/2 inch) diameter at the bottom, so that you don’t need to peel or precook them. This way the asparagus will be only slightly cooked, but still crunchy.

These asparagus can be cut and rolled into pork slices in advance and kept even 24 hours in the fridge. Only flour coating and frying stages should be carried out shortly before serving.

Ready-to-use teriyaki mixture can be bought in every Japanese shop, but it takes one minute to prepare it and one can adjust for example the sweetness to one’s preferences.

Preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients (makes 10 mini pork rolls):

10 thin slices of pork (max 1 mm thick); I have used pork loin

10 green asparagus stalks (only the non-stringy, soft part, usually the upper 3/4 – 2/3 length)

salt, pepper

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons oil

Teriyaki glaze:

2 tablespoons mirin (can be substituted with 1 – 2 tablespoons syrup)

3 tablespoons soy sauce (or 4-5 if you have low sodium soy sauce)

(1 teaspoon sugar; I usually omit sugar)

3 tablespoons sake

(grilled sesame seeds)

Cut the asparagus soft parts in two or three equal pieces (they shouldn’t stick too much when wrapped in meat slices).

Combine the teriyaki glaze ingredients in a glass or bowl.

Season slightly the pork slices with salt and pepper.

Put two asparagus pieces at one end of the pork roll (salted part up). (To make the rolls look cuter, put one tip and one medium piece).

Roll it tightly and put aside.

Do the same with all the pork strips.

Heat some oil in a pan.

Dust the pork rolls lightly with flour, shake off the excess flour.

Put the rolls on the heated pan, sealed side down and fry on a medium heat, covered, until they are well browned.

Flip the rolls over at least once, after ten minutes.

The whole frying process will take more or less 15 minutes.

Pour the teriyaki sauce over the rolls and make sure they are well coated.

Let the sauce thicken for about one minute, turning the rolls frequently.

Transfer the rolls to a plate and garnish with the remaining sauce.

(Sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds if you like them).

Serve with rice as the main dish or on their own, as a snack.

Cannelés de Bordeaux

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Today I have a big honour to guest post at the wonderful Ping’s Pickings blog. Ping is one of my dearest blogging friends and one of the rare people who always make me laugh with her hilarious style and unique sense of humour. Thanks to Ping’s wide-ranging culinary interests, her posts are always surprising and often result in an amazing discovery, such as the excellent Coconut Pie, which under the name of Coconut Cake has become a staple in my house or the incredible Rum and Carrot Cocktail I have written about in my previous post. Since Ping is particularly fond of unusual patterns and originally shaped pastry (I still get hypnotised looking at these spirals), I have decided to write about cannelés de Bordeaux, hoping their cute shape brings a smile to Ping’s face.

Cannelés (or canelés) de Bordeaux are one of my favourite sweet treats and it would be difficult to say which aspect I appreciate the most. Their taste, aroma, texture and even the beautiful shape are all irresistible. I still remember the first time I tasted them. I loved their rich flavours and was totally blown away by their extraordinary, springy softness. As their name suggests, cannelés come from Bordeaux in France, but they are very popular all around the country and also become famous abroad (I have recently seen a Japanised version on Shizuoka Gourmet blog). Different sources quote different origins, but all agree that the characteristic shape, as well as the obligatory vanilla and rum presence are quite recent and date back to the beginning of the XXth century.

Cannelés are not really difficult, but they require patience, close attention during the long baking process, they do not accept shortcuts and every modification is a big risk. French websites, forums and blogs are full of cannelé recipes and related tips, but I must admit that I had to go through several failed experiments before I found a method that works with my oven and my silicone moulds. From my experience a big amount of rum as well as 24 hours refrigeration are necessary to obtain the optimum taste and texture. Apparently old-fashioned copper moulds guarantee the best results, but they are not easy to use and I am perfectly happy with the cannelés I obtain with very convenient silicone moulds. I have adapted my recipe from the one featured on Marmiton.

Please do not forget to check my post on Ping’s Pickings!

TIPS: Here are some ideas to use up 2 leftover egg whites you will be left with:

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Easy Chewy Hazelnut Cookies

Financiers

Scallops Fried in Nori

Sesame Crusted Chicken Nuggets

Preparation: 15 min + 24 hours in the fridge + about 1h30

Ingredients (makes 18-20 cannelés):

500 ml (2 cups) milk

25 g (a bit less than 1 oz) butter

pinch of salt

200 g (1 cup) sugar

100 g (about 3/4 cup) flour

100 ml (about 0,4 cup) white rum

1 vanilla pod (sliced in two, lengthwise)

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

In a big bowl combine the flour, the eggs, the yolks, the sugar and the salt.

Pour the milk into a pot, add the butter and the vanilla pod.

Bring to boil.

Pour the boiling milk mixture into the bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients, constantly stirring.

When the batter has cooled down, take out the vanilla pods and scrape off the grains into the bowl, discarding the empty pods.

Add the rum, give the batter a stir and put into the fridge (covered) for 24 hours.

The following day preheat the oven to 250°C.

Fill the baking moulds up with the cold batter to the 2/3 of the height.

(If you make several batches put the remaining batter back to the fridge).

Put the moulds to the oven immediately and bake at 250°C (480°F) for 10 minutes.

Lower the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 50-60 minutes (in the case of my oven it’s only 50 minutes).

Take the cannelés out of the oven and let them cool completely before removing from the mould.

They should be browned outside, but still soft inside.

Cannelés keep fresh for three days (or maybe more but I have never had a chance to check…).

Light Lemon Curd

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When Charles (Five Euro Food) and then A_Boleyn posted Lemon Curd recipes I thought it was high time I presented a lighter version, which might please all those, who, like me, prefer sharper and more intense lemon desserts. I must have heard of lemon curd for the first time a long time ago, but given the amazing rapidity with which I was able to empty a butter- and sugar-loaded jar, this delightful spread was one of the rarely enjoyed sweet treats. When I finally tested its low-fat version I quickly forgot this was a lightened lemon curd and have never come back to the traditional version. In fact, the drastic reduction of fat has resulted in a more intense, sharper and, I would even say, more elegant flavour. (It was a bit like discovering Alain Ducasse’s half-cream, half-milk Crème Brûlée, which has put me off the 100% fatty cream, traditional version forever).

After several batches I slightly modified the original recipe (adapted from this fantastic Polish baker’s blog). I added a small amount of butter instead of the advised oil (I missed a touch of buttery flavour) and found a foolproof and easy method of getting rid of lumps (see below). I have also made this lemon ultralight, partially substituting the sugar with a special cooking sweetener (I wouldn’t advise however substituting all the sugar with a sweetener: the texture is not the same and it simply tastes worse).

Lemon curd is fantastic on any type of sweet biscuit, on toasted bread, on a slice of yeast cake, challah, but it’s also an excellent tart, pie, cake or cookie/biscuit filling (see for example Thumbprint Almond Cookies). It is of course irresistible on its own, eaten directly from the jar.

TIP: Start with 12 tablespoons sugar and add more, if needed, after the curd has thickened.

Preparation: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients (yield: one 300-350 ml jar):

juice from 3 lemons

zest from 1 lemon

12 – 15 tablespoons castor sugar (or 10 tablespoons sugar + 5 tablespoons cooking sweetener which is usually sweeter than sugar)

2 eggs

1 flat tablespoon cornstarch (or potato starch, but cornstarch gives a lighter result)

1 heaped tablespoon butter

Mix everything in a blender, apart from the butter.

Pour into a small pan, add the butter and warm at low heat, constantly stirring, until it thickens.

Taste and add more sugar if needed. Stir well until the sugar/the sweetener dissolves.

Put into a jar, close the lid and let it cool down.

Keep in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Serve on toast, bread, use it as a pie or a cake filling (it is delicious in the Thumbprint Almond Cookies).

Matcha, White Chocolate and Oat Truffles

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Yeast hates me. This is all I can say after another failure with this capricious baking ingredient. I love good home-made yeast cakes, but whenever I try making them at least one in three ends up in the bin, just like my yesterday’s attempt. I do not give up, of course, but such an incident is always a bit depressing, so, instead of starting another battle with yeast, I felt I needed to cheer myself up with something completely different.

Since I made Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles and have fallen in love with matcha and white chocolate combination, I have been planning to make their rustic version with oats. I have based my recipe on the popular black chocolate and oats truffles I sometimes make and the truffles have turned out perfectly in terms of both consistency and taste. Contrary to Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles, these are crunchy, slightly chewy, rather filling and definitely healthier thanks to the presence of rolled oats. Last but not least, I was thrilled by their beautiful, bright, green grass hue obtained with a more expensive matcha I have recently bought. In short, these cute snacks have obviously improved my mood and almost made me forget yesterday’s disappointment.

If you look for an easy, quick sweet treat with a healthy twist and a sophisticated matcha touch, I strongly recommend these truffles. I wish you all a joyful and sunny Easter, happy Passover and wonderful holidays!

In case some of you are interested in experiments with matcha, here are some delicious suggestions:

Matcha crème brûlée

Light Matcha Cream

and the above-mentioned Matcha and White Chocolate Truffles.

TIP: The most advised method to melt chocolate is in a water bath (in a small pan put into a bigger pan filled with very hot water), but I am used to a very slow melting process directly on the stove or in the microwave. The important thing is not to overheat the chocolate. Otherwise it will become hard and grainy and impossible to use.

Preparation: 15 minutes + 1 – 2 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (about 15 truffles):

100 g rolled oats (not oatmeal!)

100 g white chocolate

1 full teaspoon matcha

7 teaspoons liquid cream (any fat content works here, as long as the cream is not thickened or soured; I have used 25% fat cream)

Chop roughly the chocolate, put it in a small pan with the cream and the matcha powder.

Let the chocolate melt on a very low heat, constantly stirring. Make sure it doesn’t “bubble” and take off the stove, stirring, if you are afraid the temperature increases too quickly. If the chocolate becomes grainy and very thick, it’s ruined.

Put aside.

(If you use a microwave, put the broken chocolate, the cream and the matcha in a bowl and heat for 15 seconds. Give it a stir and put back for another 15 seconds and so on until the chocolate melts.)

Throw the oats into the pan and combine them with the chocolate mixture.

Prepare a bowl with cold water.

Dip your hands in the water and form walnut-sized truffles.

Moist your hands at least every second truffle.

Put the balls on a plate or in a flat container and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Smoked Mackerel and Egg Spread

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When about two weeks ago Charles (Five Euro Food) posted the famous Kedgeree recipe, using smoked mackerel, I was very glad to discover a new way to prepare this delicious fish. In fact, even though I love smoked mackerel, I have been preparing it for many years in only one way. I promised Charles I would write about it, so here it is!

The addictive mackerel and egg spread you see above comes from Poland, where smoked Atlantic mackerel is very popular and often ends up prepared this way. The spread is very quick to prepare and makes a wonderful everyday sandwich filler (it keeps for several days in the fridge), but I also find it perfect as a canapé topping. Maybe it is due to the big egg content, but somehow I thought it could be a nice idea of an Easter snack.

This spread goes well with all types of bread (even the “diet” crunchy one), but the canapés you see above were a real hit. I made them with a recent find: tiny round slices of my beloved German pumpernickel bread. If you can find this bread, I strongly recommend it not only with this spread, but with any pickled or smoked fish.

TIP: If you cannot find smoked Atlantic mackerel, you can substitute it with another smoked fish, but choose the one which has very delicate, flaky flesh (smoked salmon is not a good substitute here).

Preparation: 10 minutes

Ingredients (makes about 300 ml):

150 g smoked Atlantic mackerel without skin or bones (I also discard the darkest flesh parts, because they tend to taste bitter)

2 hard-boiled eggs

1 big pickled cucumber (fermented in salted brine or pickled in vinegar, both are ok)

1/2 medium white or yellow onion (the red one I used looked better but was somewhat not strong enough here)

salt, pepper

2 – 3 heaped tablespoons mayonnaise

(chives to decorate)

Shred the fish with your fingers, discarding all the small bones and put it in a big bowl.

Chop the cucumber as finely as you can.

Chop finely the onion and the hard boiled eggs.

Combine all the ingredients with the shredded mackerel, add the mayonnaise, season with salt and pepper.

Mix everything with a fork. Taste, add some more salt and pepper if necessary (you may also want to add more onion or cucumbers depending on your preferences).

Serve cold.

Light Coconut Cream with Canned Peaches

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A couple of weeks ago a Japanese friend invited me for a lunch which ended with a most sensational light dessert. Actually her coconut cream was one of the lightest desserts I have ever had in my life, in terms of both calories and texture and certainly one of the most delicious things I have ever tasted. Luckily the recipe wasn’t secret! I did hesitate however before making it because it called for agar-agar, a product which brings back awful memories. Since I had been assured the preparation was simple, I gave agar-agar another chance. The cream was very easy indeed and the result was perfect at the first attempt.

Agar-agar (“kanten” in Japanese), apparently meaning “jelly” in Malay, is a gelatinous substance obtained from certain seaweed varieties, usually sold in a form of powder or (in Asian countries) in long sticks. Even though it has been used by food industry all around the world, it is rarely used in European households, gelatin being the most popular gelling agent. It has been gaining popularity probably thanks to its vegetable origins and to its health benefits. In fact agar-agar contains water soluble agents, which help digestion and are considered excellent in slimming diets. Even though some people say agar-agar is a gelatin equivalent, I cannot agree with it.

As I have recently told Charles (Five Euro Food) in my opinion food set with agar-agar is different and someone who is used only to gelatin has to experiment a bit with it on order to obtain satisfying results. This is my first successful dish with agar agar, but certainly not the last because somehow I feel I couldn’t obtain the same results with gelatin. The cream has a very delicate consistency, close to natural yogurt . Since both coconut and cow milk are used, the coconut taste is not overwhelming. In short, an addictive, elegant and refreshing dessert.

Prepared with canned peaches and canned coconut milk, this quick cream is a perfect solution for a last-minute, pantry-based dessert served practically all year round. I find it particularly good now, since we are having very warm sunny Spring. My friend served it with fresh mango and I think any fruit (apart from raw kiwi and raw pineapple) can be used. I am impatient to test it with strawberries!

Do not wait until the cream becomes cold before pouring it into the bowls because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 2-3 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4 – 5):

250 ml/about 1 cup coconut milk

250 ml/about 1 cup cow milk

4 tablespoons sugar (I have put only 2 but I like moderately sweet desserts)

1/3 flat teaspoon agar agar in powder

4 – 5 halves of canned peaches

Dissolve the sugar and agar-agar in the mixture of the two milks. Bring to boil and, constantly stirring, let it simmer for about a minute.

Put aside.

Prepare four individual bowls or low glasses.

(Do not wait until the cream becomes cold because agar sets at room temperature and once disturbed, it will not reset properly!).

Cut up the peaches into cubes and distribute into the bowls (one half per bowl).

Pour the creamy mixture over the fruit pieces and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Serve very cold.

Carrot and Canned Tuna Salad

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This salad is another very simple, but surprisingly good dish I have found on the Humble Bean blog. Azusa adapted it from a Japanese cook’s recipe (Harumi Kurihara’s) and even though at first sight the salad seems European, its simplicity, its perfect choice of ingredients and the method have a typical Japanese touch. The recipe was published in January, but during this particularly cold Winter light salads were the last thing I craved. Somehow it stayed engraved in my memory and proved excellent at this warm beginning of the Spring.

Even though I have prepared it only twice, I already feel this salad will become a staple in my house. Carrots are available all year round, they have quite a long storage life, not to mention the canned tuna I always have, so this will be convenient in any season. It is light, but surprisingly filling and if served with crunchy, buttered baguette (in my opinion the best choice), it works not only as a healthy snack, but even as a light main course. I think what I love the most about this salad is the difference of textures. The partly cooked crisp carrot, combined with soft tuna and mustard – or sesame – seeds, create an exceptional effect. Even though I have slightly modified it (click here to see Azusa’s original recipe), the result was stunning. Thank you, Azusa, for one more extraordinary and simple recipe!

Preparation: 15 minutes + 1 hour in the fridge

Ingredients (serves two for main course or four as a starter):

1 can tuna, drained (white tuna works better here)

4 medium carrots, julienned

1 onion or shallot thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon oil

Sauce:

5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 heaped tablespoon whole grain mustard (or smooth mustard + 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I used rice vinegar)

ground pepper

In a big bowl combine the sauce ingredients with the crumbled tuna.

Heat oil in a pan and fry the onion until it softens.

Add the garlic and the carrots.

Stir-fry until the carrots are a bit softened (about 5 minutes).

Let the carrots cool down.

Put the carrots into the bowl and stir well.

Refrigerate for one hour.

Serve with crunchy bread and butter.

Pork Bulgogi Rice Bowl (Dwaeji Bulgogi Deopbap)

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Bulgogi was the first dish I tasted during my very first visit to a Korean restaurant and I still remember how much I enjoyed its unique taste. This famous dish is composed of thinly sliced, marinated and grilled meat. Described like this, bulgogi doesn’t sound particularly original, but I assure you both the marinade and the grilling process with a sauce poured regularly on the meat made my first experience with Korean food unforgettable.

I don’t know about other countries, but here bulgogi is prepared by the client on a very unusual tabletop grill I have never seen elsewhere. Since I don’t have even a standard grill, I assumed I could never reproduce this dish at home. I was wrong! When I saw Bulgogi Deopbap recipe (rice bowl topped with bulgogi) on Hyosun Ro’s blog (Eating and Living) and realised all I needed was a simple pan, I was so happy, I made it practically the day I saw it.

Hyosun Ro’s bulgogi was made with beef, but since I had thinly sliced pork in my freezer (I am a big pork fan), I changed the meat without changing the cooking process. I have prepared at least five bulgogi deopbap dinners in recent weeks and I feel I could have much more often. I never get bored with the delicate, slightly sweet taste of the meat, coated in a delicious sauce, which is partly absorbed by the rice. The marinating time is not long, the cooking time even shorter and I always have the basic ingredients, I find it an excellent easy and relatively quick dinner option. Thank you, Hyosun, for one more easy and delicious Korean recipe!

TIPS: The only modification I allowed myself here was cutting the meat slices into thinner strips. I found it easier to eat when cut this way. I have also used agave syrup instead of honey and sugar.

Asian pear is luckily optional here (I have never managed to buy it).

Preparation: 50 minutes – 1h 30 (including the marinating time)

Ingredients (serves two):

250 g thinly sliced pork (I used pork loin, but fatty cuts will be more tender)

2 spring onions cut into 5 cm (2 inch) pieces

1 medium carrot, julienned or other vegetables of your choice

Marinade:

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon each sugar and honey (I used agave syrup)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon rice wine (I used sake)
1 teaspoon grated/crushed garlic

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

ground pepper
(2 tablespoons grated Asian pear)

Sauce:

100-150 ml anchovy/beef stock or water

1 teaspoon soy sauce (more if using water)

1 teaspoon sugar

In a bowl combine the meat and the spring onions. Add the marinade and let to stand for 30-60 minutes in the fridge.

Heat some oil in a pan. Fry the meat together with the marinade and spring onions.

After about a minute, add the vegetables of your choice and a bit of the sauce.

Stir-fry until the meat is cooked, adding more sauce if necessary and more soy sauce if you find it is not salty enough.

Serve over a bowl of rice.

Light Banana Mousse with Kiwi Sauce

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Waiting for this year’s first strawberries I still keep on buying fruits that kept me company throughout the Winter. A couple of days ago I had only bananas and kiwis, the weather was warm and sunny and I desperately wanted something refreshing. I thought I would try to make a banana mousse based on the strawberry yogurt mousse, my staple throughout the summer.

As soon as I found a way to hide the ugly colour of oxidised bananas, I was satisfied with the result. The mousse was light, low-fat, required no sugar (ripe bananas were sweet enough for me) and the kiwi sauce gave it a refreshing, slightly tangy kick with the additional pleasant crunch thanks to the seeds. In short, a perfect guiltless healthy sweet treat and definitely my favourite banana dessert. If you add some rum this dessert might be treated as a solidified version of my banana rum cocktail.

TIPS: Most of you probably know this, but just in case, do not try to include kiwi into the mousse. Raw kiwi and raw pineapple stop every gelatin-based dessert from setting.

Every gelatin powder is different. I didn’t want this mousse to be completely set like a jelly, so I have checked the package and used a bit more than 1/2 of the amount advised to set 500 ml liquid. You might have to make two experiments with your gelatin to obtain the desired texture. It is always better to put too much gelatin than not enough.

Preparation: 10 minutes + several hours in the fridge

Ingredients (serves 4):

4 ripe bananas

1 natural yogurt (125 ml)

1 flat tablespoon powdered gelatin (if you use leaves, take the amount necessary to set 500 ml/about 2 cups liquid, see TIPS above)

3 – 4 kiwis

(2 tablespoons rum)

Prepare 3 or 4 individual serving dishes.

Dissolve the gelatin powder in a couple of tablespoons warm water.

(If you have leaves you have to soften them first in cold water and then dissolve in warm water).

In a blender mix the bananas, the yogurt, the rum (if using) and the dissolved gelatin for a couple of minutes.

Quickly, while the mixture is still frothy, pour it into the dishes and put them instantly into the fridge.

Refrigerate until it is set.

Serve cold.

Just before serving mix the kiwis and pour them over every portion of mousse.

Easy Shrimp Dumplings

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Ready-to-use, frozen dumpling skins were a huge revelation to me. As soon as I realised how quickly they thawed and how easy they were to handle, I started to treat dumplings as one of those quick staples I make when I am in a hurry and lack ideas. I used to stuff dumplings with ground meat or ground meat and tofu, but one day I decided to have shrimps instead. After a complete failure with ground raw thawed shrimp filling I opted for roughly chopped, cooked shrimps. The result was perfect and reminded me of the Chinese transparent shrimp dumplings I sometimes have in restaurants. These dumplings are light, slightly crunchy and really simple. Ginger, garlic and chives make them less plain or boring (the only thing I regretted about the restaurant ones). In my opinion they do not need to be fried and taste even better when simply cooked in stock or in salted water (the stock, even instant, gives however much better results). I suppose they can also be steamed. I love them sprinkled with chili oil (or Taberu rayu).

TIPS: I have no access to fresh raw shrimp, but if you do, you might experiment with raw shrimps instead of cooked ones. My experience with thawed raw shrimp wasn’t successful.

If I want to accelerate the thawing process, I put the dumpling skins (still in their package) in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot!) water.

Special equipment : brush (to moist the dumplings’ edges)

Preparation: 45 minutes

Ingredients (serves 3 as a main dish or 5 as a starter):

about 25 cooked shrimp, shelled and deveined (26/30 per pound size, mine are usually about 4 cm long without heads)

a package of 24 thawed dumpling skins (I use gyoza skins, but any round Asian thin dumpling skins will be perfect)

2 litres vegetable or chicken stock

1 egg

chives or green onion

1 cm grated fresh ginger

1 big grated garlic clove

salt, pepper

(chili oil)

Heat the stock in a big pan.

In the meantime chop the shrimp with a knife into 4-5 pieces each. (Do not mix them in a food processor).

In a bowl combine a slightly beaten egg, the shrimps, the chopped chives, the ginger, the garlic, the salt and the pepper.

Prepare a small bowl or glass with cold water.

Put several dumpling skins on a chopping board (or any other clean surface).

Brush their edges with water (about 1 cm from the border).

Place a heaped teaspoon of the shrimp filling, discarding the excess egg. Close dumplings, pinching the edges.

Repeat with the remaining dumpling skins.

Cook them in the boiling stock no more than 6 at a time (they shouldn’t be too crowded) for about 5 minutes.

(I usually make the first batch of 5-6 and then, while they cook, I make a second one, and so on.)

Take them out with a slotted spoon, drain them and serve immediately sprinkled with chili oil.

Dumplings can be refrigerated for two days in a container separated with plastic film (otherwise they will stick).

I reheat them in a microwave.

Butter Chicken (Makhani Murgh)

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Butter Chicken is one of the most famous Indian dishes, it is featured in most cookery books, served in most Indian restaurants and probably everyone knows how it tastes. I have decided however to post this recipe because it was by far the best Butter Chicken I have ever had both at home and in restaurants. I owe this successful result to Julie Sahni and her Classic Indian Cookery. I have recently bought it after a long quest for a good, serious introduction to the Indian cuisine with non-Westernised, basic recipes. This excellent, educative book lives up to all my expectations, the Butter Chicken recipe alone was worth the buy and I am looking forward to learning what seems like the real Indian cuisine.

As you probably know Butter Chicken is not a five-minute dish. I would call it “two in one” because the first step consists in preparing Tandoori Chicken marinade. Even though it takes minimum 5 hours (including the marinating time), the preparation is very easy and requires only planning the meal ahead (personally I prefer to marinate the meat overnight). According to Julie Sahni Butter Chicken can be refrigerated for up to two days and then reheated, so you can have two different meals in a couple of days. As usually, I have slightly modified the recipe and also reduced the ingredients amounts to serve for three to four people. My biggest change was to use bite-sized chicken breast pieces instead of the bigger pieces simply because I had only skinless breasts that night.

TIPS: The recipe calls for natural meat tenderiser. I didn’t have it and substituted it by the leftover pineapple juice I had used in Pork Tocino. This tip, learnt from Ray (Wok with Ray), proved even more impressive with chicken. The meat was incredibly tender. Thank you once more, Ray!

The sugar addition is not necessary, but I have the habit to add a bit of sugar to every dish with tomato sauce to enhance the tomato sweetness.

Preparation: 5 hours – 2 days (overnight or 4 hours marinating + 1 hour the following day)

Ingredients (serves 3 – 4 ):

500 g chicken breasts (skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces) or one small chicken, skinned and and cut into pieces (neck and wings should be discarded and used elsewhere)

1/2 teaspoon natural meat tenderiser or 6-7 tablespoons pineapple juice

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Tandoori marinade:

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon roasted and ground cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon chili powder (I have used Korean chili)

1 teaspoon paprika or 1/2 teaspoon tandoori colouring (I used another teaspoon of very bright Korean chili)

30 g natural yogurt

Butter Chicken:

350 ml canned tomatoes (I used tomato purée)

2 fresh chili peppers (I have used Thai bird’s-eye)

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon paprika (I have used Korean chili)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon sugar

100 ml liquid cream (I have used 25% fat)

50 g butter

2-3 tablespoons oil

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves (chopped)

(1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds)

salt

Rub the chicken pieces with lemon juice, salt and pineapple juice.

(If you are using bigger chicken pieces, prick them with a fork and make diagonal cuts with a knife so that the marinade enters the flesh).

Leave them to marinade for 30 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the tandoori marinade putting all the ingredients in a food processor and mixing them thoroughly.

Combine the tandoori marinade with the chicken meat and leave to marinate either for 4 hours at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.

(Julie Sahni says the meat shouldn’t marinate for more than 2 days when using the meat tenderiser. Otherwise it will become too soft. I have no idea how it will react to the pineapple juice after two days, but it’s safer to keep it for 48 hours maximum.)

/If you want to prepare Tandoori Chicken, take it out of the fridge one hour before grilling or roasting in the oven. Baste it with some ghee or oil and roast it or grill it (the time depends on the size of the pieces; it will take maximum 30 minutes in the oven preheated to 260°C and maximum 40 minutes on a grill; if you use small, bite-sized pieces it will take no more than 10-15 minutes)./

If you prepare Butter Chicken, cut up the bigger marinated pieces in half.

Put the tomatoes, the chili and the ginger in a food processor and mix until smooth.

Put a tablespoon butter and two tablespoons oil in a pan and fry the chicken pieces over medium heat until they are browned (you might have to do it in several batches).

Put the fried chicken aside.

Add one more tablespoon butter to the pan and fry cumin and paprika for about 10 seconds, stirring.

Pour the tomato sauce over the spices, add the sugar and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat and add the cream and the chicken pieces.

Cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring and checking if the sauce doesn’t burn.

Add the remaining butter, garam masala and roasted cumin seeds (not obligatory).

Stir well and leave the dish covered for 30 minutes before serving.

Sprinkle generously with coriander.

Damson Plum Jam and Chocolate Tart

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I crave chocolate all year long, so even though it’s springtime and I start dreaming about light fruit desserts, I still make sure I have some dark chocolate in case I feel an urgent need bake something with it. I also adore tart desserts, so when I saw Stevie Parle’s damson and chocolate tart on the Telegraph website, I thought it was a perfect combination of both. Moreover, this tart reminded me of one of Prunes in Chocolate, my favourite quick chocolate snack.

I decided to make this tart several days ago when I realised that even though I offer jars regularly to my friends and family, I have almost no free space for this year’s preserves. My favourite jam is thick damson plum jam (damsons are oval violet plums with a tangy skin and yellow flesh) called “butter” and slowly cooked without sugar addition. (I have posted the Damson Plum Butter recipe here). Thanks to its tanginess and deep, slightly smoky flavour, damson plum jam is excellent with both savoury and sweet dishes and, as I have recently realised, also with dark chocolate.

Instead of following S. Parle’s complicated recipe, I have made my foolproof shortcrust pastry and filled the tart with a modified version of Joël Robuchon’s chocolate tart filling (found in Le Meilleur et le plus simple de Robuchon). For me this easy, rich, tangy and intensely chocolatey tart was an amazing discovery, but I would advise it only for those who are big fans of bitter chocolate and who prefer moderately sweet desserts.

TIPS: This tart is an excellent way to use up an opened jam jar (or last year’s preserves). Any thick jam will be good in this recipe, but in my opinion sour cherry, strawberry, raspberry or apricot jam would be the best.

I strongly advise home-made shortcrust. Its thin, buttery, crunchy layer cannot be substituted with any ready-to-use crust. However if you use a bought one (about 230-240 g), make sure it’s rolled out very thinly and that it’s made only with butter.

Special equipment:

beans for blind baking (I have been using the same real dried cheap beans for several years now)

Preparation: 2 hours

Ingredients (makes a 28 cm diameter tart):

Shortcrust (or 230-240 g of ready-to-use thin, 100% butter shortcrust pastry sheet):

125g flour

90 g softened butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons caster sugar

Filling:

300 ml tart thick jam

200 g dark good quality chocolate (more than 72% cocoa)

250 ml liquid cream

1 big egg

Prepare the shortcrust.

Mix the butter, the salt and the caster sugar in a food processor. When these ingredients are mixed thoroughly, add the flour and mix again.

Stop when you see a big ball is being formed.

(You may also knead the pastry without the food processor, but then you have to do this very quickly, maximum 5 minutes, pushing with the heel of your hand and minimising the use of your fingers, otherwise the tart will be too crumbly.)

Wrap the dough in a cling film and put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes (you can leave it there up to 48 hours).

Take it out of the fridge and let it soften a bit before using it.

Roll it thinly with a rolling pin (I would advise 3 mm) and line a greased tart dish or spread it with your fingers without rolling if you find the rolling process difficult.

Put back into the fridge for about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Take out the tart dish from the fridge.

Cover the flat surface with a baking sheet and put some dried beans on it. This way the pastry will not rise.

Precook the tart shell until it’s no longer raw, but still white (it will take 10-15 minutes).

In the meantime prepare the chocolate filling.

Break the chocolate into small pieces.

Bring the cream to boil and pour over the chocolate, stirring quickly until the chocolate melts and forms a homogenous ganache.

When it cools down and is no longer hot, add the egg.

Take the blind-baked shortcrust out of the oven, put the beans back into their jar and let the tart shell cool a bit.

Cover the tart shell with a generous layer of thick jam and then pour the chocolate filling on top.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the chocolate filling is set.

Daikon Remoulade

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I have bought some daikon (white radish) with a plan to make a Japanese daikon salad or pickles. Once julienned, the daikon reminded me of celeriac… Since the only way I have celeriac is celeriac remoulade, I have decided to give a Japanese twist to this famous French classic. I have substituted the French mustard with wasabi paste and skipped pickled cucumbers which would make it too harsh. Otherwise I think the sauce still can pretend to the name “remoulade”. (See here the traditional Celeriac Remoulade recipe)

This version of remoulade is light, refreshing, with a hot wasabi kick and a slight crunch. Made with a Winter vegetable, but in a springtime spirit. Ideal for a sunny March day.

TIP: This salad can be made in advance (even the day before). Actually it tastes even better the following day.

Preparation: 25 minutes

Ingredients (serves 2):

200 – 250 g daikon (white radish), peeled and finely julienned or grated

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons capers (drained and washed if they were preserved in salt)

1 tablespoon green onion, chopped (or (an)other fresh herb(s) of your choice)

1 teaspoon wasabi paste (or fresh grated wasabi if you are one of those lucky people who can get it)

salt

Put the daikon in a bowl.

Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt toss well and let it stand for about 15 minutes.

Wash the daikon with very cold water and drain it well.

Put in a big bowl.

Combine all the remaining ingredients and then stir them into the grated daikon.

Adjust the seasoning and serve.

Pork Tocino, or Filipino Marinated Pork

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I hardly know anything about the Filipino cuisine, not to mention tasting or cooking it. I don’t even have a Filipino cookery book, so my vague idea of what the Filipino cuisine looks like is based on what I see on food blogs. Ray’s (Wok with Ray) tempting recipes and beautiful photos made me decide to prepare the very first Filipino dish in my life. Tocino, the dish I have chosen for this memorable event, was not only simple and made with easily available ingredients, but most of all was a new way to prepare my beloved pork.

Tocino is a Spanish word for “bacon” and in the Philippines it means cured and marinated meat, served grilled or fried. This preparation is apparently also popular in Puerto Rico and Cuba. I think I took decision to prepare it when I read in Ray’s post that this pork dish is traditionally served for breakfast. As someone who simply is not able to have a sweet breakfast, I started to dream about hotels where instead of the horrible and boring thing called “continental breakfast”, marinated pork is served. I suppose I have to visit Philippines in order to see such a delight served in the morning, but in the meantime I had tocino for lunch, dinner, late weekend breakfast and am very happy I have started to explore this fascinating cuisine by such a delicious and versatile dish. I don’t have a grill, so I have simply fried it, but I am sure it tastes even better prepared on a grill. The meat has a very delicate taste, it is slightly sweet and even the very lean pork loin I used was tenderised by the pineapple juice. I sprinkled it with Korean chili flakes because I love sweet and hot flavours together. Unfortunately I didn’t have necessary ingredients to make the mango salad Ray advises to serve with tocino, but the pork was also perfect with good crispy bread and my pickled sweet peppers. Thank you, Ray, for this wonderful recipe, which is my first, but not last stage in the exploration of the Filipino cuisine.

I haven’t changed anything in Ray’s recipe, but I have slightly modified the amounts of the ingredients (Ray’s recipe was adapted to 5 pounds of meat and I had only about 1 pound). Ray says cured pork freezes very well, so if you want to make a bigger batch, check his recipe and extraordinary photos.

Before I pass to the recipe I would like to invite you to visit Elin’s blog (Elinluv’s Sweet Delights) and see the beautiful savoury cake with shrimp and broccoli, modifying my Savoury Cake with Shrimp and Edamame. Thank you, Elin, for having used my recipe and for all the kind words you said about my blog.

Now let’s go back to this simple and delicious recipe.

TIPS: The meat should be marinated for at least 24 hours, but the taste improves after two-three days.

Of course slightly fatty cuts (like shoulder) will be more tender. I used pork loin because I happened to have it in my fridge and even though it was not as juicy and soft as shoulder would be, I loved it.

Preparation: 24 hours – 3 days marinating + 10 minutes grilling/frying time

Ingredients:

500 g pork butt (a cut from pork’s shoulder; I used pork loin) cut into 1-1,5 cm slices

Marinade:

25 ml pineapple juice

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry sherry

Tocino mix:

60 g sugar

10 g salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Combine the ingredients of the tocino mix.

Take two tablespoons of the tocino mix and combine it with the marinade ingredients.

(Put aside the remaining tocino mix for further marinades).

Stir well until the sugar and salt are dissolved.

Put the pork slices into the marinade and keep on the fridge for at least 24 hours.

Fry or grill the meat.

Korean Stir-Fried Squid with Cabbage and Carrot

48 Comments

koreansquidp The successful experiment in simmering daikon with squid (click here to see the recipe) reminded me how much I love squid and made me look for new squid dishes. If I hadn’t seen this recipe in The Food and Cooking of Korea by Young Jin Song, I would have never even dreamt of stir-frying white cabbage and even less combining it with squid. Therefore, I treated it as a high-risk experiment, but the result was stunningly good. Actually it was so good that I prepared this dish three times last week! The cabbage was refreshing, slightly crunchy, while the squid was soft and soaked with my beloved and typically Korean sweet and hot flavours. Since the cabbage, a Winter vegetable par excellence, is treated here in a definitely springtime or summertime way, I found this dish a perfect choice for a between-the-seasons meal.

I have slightly modified the recipe skipping the chilies because the gochujang (Korean chili paste) and chili powder make it already quite hot. If you prefer very hot dishes, add 2 fresh chopped chilies to the first frying step.

TIP: You can prepare this dish in advance and serve it… cold. It is delicious served as a cold salad.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

2 fresh or thawed, cleaned medium squids (mine were about 15 cm long, excluding the tentacles)

1 medium white onion, chopped or sliced

2 cabbage leaves, cubed (without the central thick vein)

1 big carrot, julienned

2 flat tablespoons Korean chili powder

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

2 tablespoons sake

1 tablespoon gochujang (Korean chili paste)

1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

(soy sauce or salt to taste)

1 teaspoon (or more) sesame seeds

2 tablespoons oil

Cut off the squid fins and put them aside.

Cut the squid tube lengthwise in order to obtain one flat sheet.

Score it diagonally into a criss-cross pattern (the interior side) and then cut it into 2 cm strips.

Do the same with the fins.

Cut the tentacles into bite-sized pieces.

Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the cabbage, the carrot and the onion for about 2 minutes.

Add the squid and the chili powder and fry them, stirring for another 2 minutes.

Finally add the gochujang, the garlic, the sake, the syrup and the sesame oil. Season with soy sauce or salt to taste. Stir-fry until the squid is cooked (about 3-5 minutes). Each strip should be white (whiter than the raw squid) and curled.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Thick and Crunchy Japanese Chili Oil and Sauce (Taberu rayu)

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I don’t have the habit of praising factory-made sauces or condiments, but when I discovered taberu rayu, I have instantly fallen in love. This Japanese condiment is sold in tiny jars filled half with chili oil, half with a crunchy mixture of fried garlic, sesame seeds and chili and it goes well with almost every dish I tested (not only Japanese). Since me and my husband are both addicted to this rather expensive sauce, I thought I should try reproducing it at home. I had no idea what to start with, so I turned for help to Robert-Gilles, my blogging friend from Shizuoka (Shizuoka Gourmet). Robert-Gilles has already saved me from many culinary troubles (daikon leaves rice topping is one of the best examples) and here he was once more extremely kind, generous and helpful. In short, as if by magic, the taberu rayu recipe appeared the following day on his blog!

As Robert-Gilles has written here, taberu rayu (食べるラー油) appeared in 2009 in Okinawa as a modified version of chili oil, originating from China. The name means literally “chili oil for eating” probably because, as I have mentioned above, a part of the condiment is solid. My Japanese grocers sell two types of taberu rayu: one contains dried garlic and the other both dried garlic and dried shrimp. Since I find the former version more versatile, I have left out the shrimp in this first experiment. The recipe proved quite easy (although I did burn the first batch of fried garlic…), rather quick and the result was surprisingly close to the “original” condiment. Home-made taberu rayu is hot and slightly sweet. It has a pleasant crunch due to the sesame seeds and garlic, combined with the stickiness of gochujang (Korean chili paste) and a wonderful bright red colour. Maybe because it lacks artificial after-taste, I find it even more addictive than the factory-made version. Thank you so much, Robert-Gilles, for this extraordinary recipe and for your kind help!

TIP: If you don’t find gochujang (Korean chili paste), you will find a recipe also on Shizuoka Gourmet blog. You can substitute it here with a bigger amount of chili flakes and a bit more sugar, but the texture will be different.

Preparation: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients (fills a 200 ml jar):

100 ml canola oil (or another oil with a neutral taste)

50 ml sesame oil

1 dried chili

3 thick slices of fresh ginger

10 cm piece of leek

2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)

2 heaped tablespoons Korean chili powder (or half of it if you don’t like very hot seasonings)

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar (I used agave syrup)

2 tablespoons white sesame seeds

(about 2 tablespoons dried shrimps, chopped)

Fried garlic:

deep-frying oil

5 big garlic cloves, finely chopped (or roughly mixed in a food processor)

Fried onion:

deep-frying oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped (or roughly mixed in a food processor)

First prepare fried onion and fried garlic.

Heat some oil in a small pan and when it’s hot enough to fry the garlic (a bit of garlic thrown into the oil will stay at the surface, the oil will start bubbling around and instantly frying it), throw delicately the chopped garlic and take out as soon as it is slightly golden. It will take about one minute or less. Drain the excess oil on paper towel and put aside.

Filter the oil and fry the onion in the same way. It will take more time (a couple of minutes). Drain the excess oil on paper towel and put aside.

In a metal bowl combine the sesame seeds, (the shrimp), the chili powder and 1 tablespoon sesame oil.

Pour the remaining sesame oil and canola oil into a pan. Add the ginger, the leek and one dried chili.

Fry at low heat for a couple of minutes.

Take out the vegetables and heat the oils until they start smoking.

At this point pour slowly, stirring, the hot oils into the sesame and chili paste.

Add the remaining ingredients, stir well, put into a jar and keep for one month at room temperature.

Thick and Crunchy Japanese Chili Sauce on Punk Domestics

Okonomiyaki お好み焼き, or Japanese Pancake with Eringi Mushrooms and Bacon

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Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き ) can be translated roughly as “grill what you like” (“okonomi” means “what you like/want” and ”yaki” means here “grilled”). This thick savoury pancake with an impressive variety ingredients might look weird, messy, not very appetising and definitely not photogenic, but I can assure you it is one of the most palatable dishes I have ever had in my life. In my opinion, if well advertised and popularised, okonomiyaki could conquer the whole world, just like Italian pizza did. It has certainly won over the whole Japan, even though it has origins in Osaka and Hiroshima. For me this is another example of a typically Japanese, but universally enjoyable dish. Depending on the ingredients and toppings, okonomiyaki could satisfy even the pickiest eaters and those who are afraid of the Japanese cuisine (yes, they do exist).

As its name suggests, okonomiyaki can be prepared with practically everything. At first it looks and tastes as if the ingredients were chosen randomly. In reality, in spite of many different okonomiyaki versions, there are certain recurring items such as a thick pancake batter, shredded or cubed cabbage or grated mountain yam (yamaimo). There are also two main okonomiyaki styles: Kansai (Osaka) and Hiroshima style. Both are very well described and accompanied by detailed recipes on Shizuoka Gourmet blog. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki contains noodles, while Osaka (Kansai) style is lighter and doesn’t include them. My okonomiyaki is rather Osaka-style (thank you, Hiroyuki).

I heard – or rather read – about okonomiyaki for the first time on Hiroyuki’s blog on Japanese Cooking. Then I realised Robert-Gilles (Shizuoka Gourmet), Charles (Five Euro Food), Nami (Just One Cookbook) and Arudhi (A Box of Kitchen) have also posted okonomiyaki recipes. Hiroyuki’s award winning okonomiyaki included several types of mushrooms and was vegetarian, Nami’s recipe included squid, Arudhi’s shredded beef, Charles’s recipe was surprisingly Europeanised and free-style, while Robert-Gilles has posted a whole encyclopedia of different okonomiyaki styles, including the recipes… All these fascinating posts proved extremely useful, informative and helped me to choose the ingredients for my first experiment.

Here is my very first version of okonomiyaki. I must say it will be one of the most beautiful food memories of my life. The first bite of okonomiyaki is a magical experience. It is like an explosion of different flavours, colours and textures, which surprisingly stay in a perfect harmony. I love okonomiyaki also because it can be made with leftovers, because it is quick, healthy and because it encourages me to be creative. Thank you so much, my blogging friends, for your for help, inspiration, detailed information and, most of all, for making me discover this extraordinary dish.

My version doesn’t reproduce any of the mentioned okonomiyaki recipes because I have picked ideas from each of them and adapted to my taste. I wanted to keep my okonomiyaki as Japanese as possible, so I used dashi, dried shrimp, mountain yam, eringi and Japanese toppings too. I am very happy I have opted for the smoked and not raw bacon because it proved excellent here. If you want to start experimenting with okonomiyaki, I advise reading attentively all the above-mentioned posts and choosing what you feel will please you most.

TIPS: I find mountain yam (yamaimo) in organic shops in France, so maybe it is also easy to find in this type of shops in other countries.

Special equipment: a very big pancake turner is very useful here

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves two):

Batter:

50 g flour

30 ml dashi (Japanese stock, home-made or instant)

1 egg

3 cm grated mountain yam (yamaimo)

salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

(pepper)

Filling:

2 big white cabbage leaves chopped or finely cubed (the hard central “vein” removed)

2 handfuls chopped eringi mushrooms

5 tablespoons cubed smoked pork loin

4 tablespoons dried tiny Japanese shrimp (sakura ebi); I don’t advise other types of shrimp or dried shrimp from other countries: they might be chewy and tough

1 handful fresh mungo bean sprouts

4 thin slices of smoked streaky bacon

4 thin slices of eringi mushrooms

Topping:

dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

okonomiyaki sauce (I used tonkatsu sauce instead and it was great too)

ao nori (powdered light green seaweed)

mayonnaise

2 tablespoons oil

In a big bowl combine the batter ingredients except for the sliced bacon and sliced eringi. Add the filling ingredients and adjust their amount (the mixture should be very thick, not liquid and the batter should only bind the ingredients together and not dominate it).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a frying pan or on a smooth grill (called teppanyaki grill or la plancha).

Put half of the okonomiyaki mixture in a more or less round-shaped heap (you can adjust it on the pan).

Put the bacon and eringi slices on top, flatten delicately the pancake, but not too much. Otherwise it might fall into pieces when you turn it over.

Cover the pan and let it fry at medium heat for 5 – 10 minutes.

Turn the pancake over, cover once more and fry for another 5 minutes.

Repeat the same with the remaining batter.

Serve the bacon side up, topped with mayonnaise, sauce, ao nori and dried bonito flakes.

Caramel Tart with Walnuts (Tarte au caramel et noix)

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I know I have been repeating how much I hate excessively sweet desserts and this is true with everything apart from caramel. Hereby I admit I have a weakness for the soft, sticky, chewy, horribly sweet caramel and its close cousin called “dulce de leche”. Maybe it works as an exception proving the rule or maybe the sweetness goes so far, it no longer counts as a very sweet dessert… Whatever the reason, I cannot resist a chocolate filled with caramel and desserts such as millionaire’s shortbread can disappear in no time at all (by the way, Charles from Five Euro Food has a very seductive recipe here). This Caramel Tart with Walnuts is one of the best examples of highly addictive, sickeningly sweet treats I adore.

Caramel Tart is one of these French desserts I have never seen in a bakery or pastry shop, in a restaurant and I have never found it in any cookery book. Before posting the recipe I even had to check if it wasn’t only my family’s recipe, but I admit some French blog feature similar tarts. This extremely simple, basic, two-ingredient tart, sometimes enriched by walnuts can be prepared with the ingredients I suppose most French families (and not only) have constantly at home. It is a crunchy, buttery, very sweet, sticky and irresistible dessert.

“Simple” doesn’t always mean “easy” and I have experienced several huge failures before I asked advice from a kind family member, was instructed on how to avoid them (and will always be extremely grateful for this!), the main difficulty consisting in stopping the pastry case from raising and not letting the caramel mixture flow under the case (see below). Luckily, even if anything of the above happens, the tart might not look presentable, but still is a pure delight.

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (for one 28 cm diameter tart):

1 butter-based shortcrust or puff pastry sheet (thinly rolled out)

180 g (about 1 3/4 cup) caster sugar

300 ml (about 10 oz) liquid cream (at least 25 % fat content)

(10 – 20 chopped walnut kernels)

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

In a bowl combine the sugar with the cream.

Grease a tart baking dish or line it with baking paper.

Lay the pastry sheet on a flat surface and prick it thoroughly but delicately with a fork trying not to pierce it (otherwise the cream and sugar mixture will go under the crust).

Line the tart dish with the pastry sheet, the pricked side downwards.

Pour the mixture of cream and sugar.

Sprinkle with walnuts.

Bake for about 1 hour until the filling becomes light brown. (Cover the tart’s sides with aluminium foil if it is too dark and the filling too light).

Let it cool down and serve.

Daikon Simmered with Squid (Ika Daikon)

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Yesterday I realised I had a dying daikon in the fridge. One or two more days and I would have to throw it away, but I simply had no idea what to do with it. First, advised by Robert-Gilles (from Shizuoka Gourmet) I wanted to pickle it, but then I realised I have never had cooked daikon (long white radish) and decided to look rather for warm dish recipes. Daikon simmered with squid I saw in Street Café Japan by Emi Kazuko seemed too unusual too ignore it.

If, like me, you are sceptical about the simmered daikon and even more about its pairing with squid, do not even try to guess the final taste. I have loved this dish, but it didn’t resemble anything I had ever had before. The simmering mixture of dashi, soy sauce, sake and mirin creates a delicately flavoured, warming and light meal. I am very happy I have discovered this simple recipe because it is one of these Japanese comforting dishes which I will never have a chance to discover in any of the restaurants I know.

I have slightly modified the recipe.

TIP: This dish can be prepared in advance and reheated (on low heat or in a microwave).

Preparation: about 1 hour

Ingredients (serves 1 – 2):

10-15 cm thin daikon (or less if it’s very thick)

1 15 cm squid (cleaned)

400 ml dashi (Japanese stock, see here the standard and the simplified recipe)

4 tablespoons soy sauce (or more if using home-made, saltless dashi)

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sake

English mustard, ground sansho (Japanese pepper)

(sesame seeds)

Peel the daikon and cut into 1 cm slices.

Wash the squid and cut it into thick rounds. Cut the tentacles in two or more pieces (depending how long they are).

Put both ingredients in a big saucepan, cover with dashi and let it simmer for 30 minutes.

Afterwards add mirin, soy sauce and sake.

Let the dish simmer until 1/2 of the liquid evaporates.

Serve with English mustard or/and sansho pepper.

Thai Curry Soup with Tofu

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I don’t cook many strictly Thai dishes, but red and green curry pastes are among the ingredients I constantly keep in my fridge and use quite often, in very unorthodox ways. Most of the time one of them ends up in a quick, flavoursome, vaguely Thai soups or sauces, usually prepared with my beloved, versatile chicken breasts. This quick fiery soup is my first experiment in pairing tofu with Thai seasonings. It was inspired by Kelly’s Spicy Thai Coconut Soup (on Inspired Edibles blog) which, even though made without red curry, instantly reminded me of this wonderful paste. Her soup looked gorgeous, appetising and the idea of serving tofu Thai way simply wouldn’t get out of my mind.

Too lazy to check Kelly’s exact recipe, I simply proceeded like in my usual vaguely Thai soups. I have substituted meat with tofu and added the vegetables I found in my fridge. The result was light, but filling and smelled divine. Tofu was so flavoursome, I bet it tasted better than the cardboard-like battery chicken breasts so many people buy. It was certainly much healthier too. In short, a recipe I can sincerely recommend even to those who are not very fond of tofu. Thank you so much, Kelly, for this excellent idea!

TIPS : Both lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves freeze very well. Kaffir lime leaves can also be dried. They lose of bit of their aroma, so their amounts should be doubled in this case.

Preparation: 15 – 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

200 ml chicken or vegetable stock

100 g firm tofu cut into cubes

1 tablespoon red curry paste (or less if you don’t like very hot dishes)

1 crushed lemon grass stem or 1 big kaffir lime leaf

50 ml coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce

vegetables of your choice (I took sliced red pepper and snow peas)

Combine all the ingredients in a pan (except for coconut milk and the vegetables you would like to keep crunchy) and let them simmer for about 15 minutes.

Add the soft, quick to cook vegetables (such as peas, snow peas or courgette), the coconut milk and let the soup simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve.

Featherlight French Fritters (Bugnes or Merveilles)

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Tomorrow is Mardi Gras (literally Fat Tuesday, in English called Shrove Tuesday), the last day of Carnival (or Shrovetide) in the Christian calendar. Shrove Tuesday was the last moment to indulge in rich sweets just before the approaching fasting period (Lent) starting on Ash Wednesday. Since fats were traditionally forbidden during Lent, Carnival sweets were usually deep-fried, thus allowing to use up the forbidden ingredient. Even though now most people do not fast during the Lent, these seasonal sweets are still very popular in many countries.

Bugnes (pronounced “byuñ”), French carnival fritters, are the speciality of the Lyon region. The most popular bugnes version is made of doughnut-like soft leavened dough, but the bugnes I prefer – actually the only ones I like – are crunchy, featherlight strips, sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar and very similar to Italian chiacchiere (also called cenci, bugie and a dozen of other regional names) and Polish “faworki” (“chrust“). In French-speaking Switzerland and in other parts of France very similar light Carnival fritters are called “merveilles” (miracles).

This recipe comes from “Le Grand Livre de Cuisine d’Alain Ducasse: Bistrots, Brasseries et Restaurants de Tradition” and just like all the Alain Ducasse’s recipes I have tried (for example Lemon Tart or Crème Brûlée), this one is perfectly explained and leads to amazing results. His bugnes have a very moderate sweetness level, are not fatty at all (one quickly forgets they had any contact with oil) and the grated zest gives them a wonderful flavour. I think these fritters are the lightest thing I have ever obtained with deep-frying method.

TIPS: Bugnes have to be planned ahead (the dough needs to be refrigerated overnight), but they are quite easy to prepare. The only arduous part is the rolling-out process. The dough really needs to be almost paper-thin (about 1 mm), otherwise the air bubbles will not form and the bugnes will not be featherlight.

Special equipment:

a rolling pin

a pizza cutter or pastry cutter (a good sharp knife can also be used, but cutters are more practical)

Preparation: 15 minutes + 1 night in the fridge + 1 hour

Ingredients (yields about forty 4 cm x 12 cm strips):

250 g flour

1 teaspoon salt

15 g sugar

2 eggs

grated zest from one lemon and one orange or from two lemons

75 g softened butter

oil or pork fat for deep-frying

Combine the flour, the eggs, the salt, the sugar and the zest and knead with your hands or in a food processor until the dough is smooth.

Add the butter and knead for a couple of minutes until the dough stops sticking to your hands.

Wrap the dough in plastic film and leave overnight in the fridge.

The following day roll out the dough as thinly as possible (about 1 mm) and cut into strips.

Heat the oil (160°C if you have a possibility to check the temperature, if not make some experiments with small pastry cuts: if the oil starts bubbling around them and they don’t fall to the bottom, it means the oil is hot enough).

Deep-fry the bugnes until golden brown. They are very thin, so it will take only about 10 seconds on each side.

Drain them on paper towels.

Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve.

French Lemon Tart or Tartlets

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As much as I dislike pairing sweet and sour flavours in savoury dishes, I have always found it irresistible in desserts and the French Lemon Tart represents for me the apotheosis of this combination. I have written about it a long time ago, but the photo was far from appetising and the recipe passed almost unnoticed. I am very grateful to Arudhi from The Box of Kitchen, who has recently dug out my old post, baked the tart and, most of all, enjoyed the results. Her experience and kind compliments made me decide to change the photo, to add some important explanations and to re-post this extraordinary recipe, sharing it with all those who have a passion for tangy desserts.

Even though lemon tart (or pie) is popular in many countries, the thin crust and the absence of cream, flour or condensed milk in the filling make the French version the most subtle and particularly light (by “light” I mean taste, since the tart is far from being low-fat or low-calorie). I don’t know if it’s the thin, crumbly, buttery, almond crust, the delicate, falsely light filling, the perfect balance between the sweet and the tangy or simply the combination of all the flavours, but this is the only tart I can easily finish on my own in two sessions. Served after a nourishing and heavy meal it is a refreshing relief for the palate. For me it is the ideal ending of a spicy meal, such as Beef Rendang, Indian or Thai curry.

The recipe comes from “Le Grand Livre de Cuisine d’Alain Ducasse: Bistrots, Brasseries et Restaurants de Tradition”, a highly reliable source of French recipes I recommend to everyone. This one is as foolproof as other Ducasse’s recipes I have made (madeleines, crème brûlée or my transformation into Matcha Crème Brûlée), but has to be followed attentively without skipping or simplifying any stages.

TIPS: If you wish – and have a blowtorch – you can sprinkle the tart with brown sugar and burn it before serving, like crème brûlée. (Personally I prefer it simple or with some grated lemon zest.)

You can make either one big tart or, as you see on the above photo, individual tartlets (with the amounts below you will obtain about 12 standard tartlets). The tartlets are in my opinion easier to make. If you decide to make individual tartlets, cut down the baking time as advised below.

Special equipment:

beans for blind baking (I have been using the same real dried cheap beans for several years now)

Preparation: 1 hour + 2 hours in the fridge

Ingredients (one 28 cm diameter tart or about 12 standard tartlets):

Crust:

100 g flour

30 g ground or powdered almonds

90g softened butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons caster sugar

Filling:

200 ml lemon juice

100 g butter

4 eggs

120 g confectioner’s sugar

(grated lemon zest)

(brown sugar)

Prepare the pastry case.

Mix the butter, the almonds, the salt and the sugar in a food processor. When these ingredients are mixed thoroughly, add the flour and mix again.

Stop when you see a big ball is being formed.

Wrap the dough in a cling film and put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes (you can leave it there up to 48 hours).

Take it out of the fridge and let it soften a bit before using it.

Roll it thinly with a rolling pin (I would advise 1/2 cm) and line the tart pan or individual tartlets forms. (If you don’t manage to roll it out, you can wait until it softens more and spread it with your fingers).

Pick the surface with a fork and place it into the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Take out the tart dish from the fridge.

Cover the flat surface with a baking sheet and put some dried beans on it. This way the pastry will not rise.

Precook the tart shell (or tartlets shells) until it’s no longer raw, but still white. Take it out, put the beans back into their jar and let the tart shell cool.

Lower the oven temperature to 130°C.

Melt the butter in a pan. Put aside.

Break the eggs in a bowl, add the sugar, the lemon juice and the warm butter. Stir well.

Pour the lemon filling on the warm (not hot) tart shell (or individual shells) and bake it at 130°C for about 30 minutes (or 15-20 minutes if making individual tartlets), depending on the oven (when the tart is moved the surface should be only slightly trembling in the centre).

Let it cool down and put into the fridge for at least two hours.

Take it out of the fridge no more than 30 minutes before serving (it must be cold, but the pastry should soften a bit). At the last moment either sprinkle it with fresh lemon zest or gently pat it dry with paper towels, sprinkle with brown sugar and burn it, or simply serve it as it is.

Warm Lentil Salad (Salade Tiède aux Lentilles)

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Last week, while preparing the Friday Far Breton post, my old recipe book reminded me I used to cook French much more often at the time I discovered this pudding. Leafing through the stained pages I stumbled upon the Warm Lentil Salad, my beloved lentil dish I haven’t had for ages. I still remember the first time I tasted this salad, in a traditional French restaurant and was very surprised by the enthusiasm of the friend I lunched with. When her salad finally arrived and I tasted it, I instantly regretted having taken a different starter. It was a simple, typically bistrot style preparation of warm lentils and vinaigrette, but the taste was astonishing.

The Warm Lentil Salad is usually served as a starter (at home I prefer it as a side dish), sometimes alone, sometimes sprinkled with fried bacon and sometimes with foie gras terrine. You might be surprised by the latter version, but actually the humble lentil is an ideal company for foie gras and if you ever go to France, this pairing is quite frequent in Lyon restaurants. Even served alone the salad is certainly hearty and filling, but probably thanks to the vinaigratte it feels much lighter than any lentil dish I know.

TIPS: This salad can be made with freshly cooked lentils, but it’s also a very good way to use leftovers, warm them in the microwave and then combine with the vinaigrette sauce. The lentils can also be cooked the day before and warmed just before being served with the vinaigrette.

Preparation: 40- 50 minutes depending on the lentils

Ingredients (serves two – three):

250 g firm, dark green or brown lentils (the best here are the French lentilles de Puy) or 500 g cooked lentils (in this case skip the stock, bay leaf and thyme)

1 liter chicken or vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 heaped teaspoon thyme

Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons vinegar (or more)

1 tablespoon French mustard

salt, pepper

Cook the lentils in the stock with bay leaf and thyme. When they are soft, but not mushy, drain them.

Put the warm lentils in a big bowl and combine with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the taste.

Serve immediately as a starter or a side dish.

Chicken and Potatoes in Miso Stew

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As I have recently mentioned, I start getting bored with Winter vegetables. On the other hand, as much as I enjoy cucumber kimchi or refreshing citrus drinks, they will never feed me or keep me warm as much as a hearty, thick, potato and carrot soup. A couple of days ago I had some leftover chicken stock and decided to make a quick soup with what I had in the fridge at the moment. I tasted it and felt something was missing. I opened the fridge, took a big tablespoon of miso and was thrilled to discover that this simple gesture gave my basic soup a sophisticated, fusion twist. As a big fan of miso, I have always found its complexity amazing, but I would have never suspected a tablespoon of this condiment can transform such a simple dish into something worth writing about.

For those who still haven’t used miso (味噌), this thick paste made by fermenting soybeans and/or barley or rice, is one of the most important ingredients of the Japanese cuisine. Miso has three main colour types: white (shiromiso), red (akamiso), black (kuromiso), and also mixed miso (awasemiso). In general, the lighter the colour, the more delicate the taste. There are myriads of different misos, depending on the brand, the ingredients, the region… Miso is very healthy, packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. Miso soup is usually the first dish in which foreigners discover this Japanese staple, but it’s also used in simmered dishes, as a seasoning for grilled fish and meat, in sauces, pickles…

Here are some other miso use ideas:

-Garlic Miso Chicken Breast

-Aubergine with Ponzu, Miso and Sesame Sauce

-Miso Soup with Tofu

-Miso Soup with Shrimp and Tofu

-Mackerel Simmered in Miso

TIP: Adding the miso just before serving (not boiling it) preserves its precious nutrients.

Preparation: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves one):

200 ml chicken stock

1/2 chicken breast, sliced

1 small carrot, chopped

1 small potato, peeled and cubed

1 tablespoon miso (or more)

(soy sauce if the soup is not salty enough)

Put the stock, the carrot, the potato and the chicken into a small pan. Cook it for about 20 minutes until the potato cubes are cooked.

Put the pan aside and stir one tablespoon miso, making sure it is well dissolved.

Serve.

Far breton, or Brittany Prune Pudding

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Far breton is one of my favourite and most frequently baked sweet dishes. It is light and low-fat, but filling, slightly sweet, but tangy, it is best served cold, but perfect even in cold seasons too. I wouldn’t only call it irresistible, but also undownputable, just like a fascinating book. Far breton is as easy to prepare as it is impossible to translate. It’s not exactly a cake, nor a custard, nor a flan… Since nothing I have ever tasted has a similar consistency, maybe “a baked, dense, slightly elastic pudding” (in the German sense of the word) would be a good definition.

As its name suggests, far breton is a Brittany region specialty and a small Breton village bakery shop is the first place where I discovered it . Apparently, many centuries ago the dish called far was a kind of gruel with dried fruit, and far is a Latin word meaning “wheat” or “spelt” . Afterwards the dish evolved into the today’s dense pudding-like cake. The oldest written trace of the present form of far breton dates back to the XVIIIth century, when both savoury (made from buckwheat and served with meat) and sweet fars (usually without any fruit) were popular. Nowadays only the sweet one is very popular not only in Brittany, but all around France.

Most people prepare it, like me, with prunes, some add only raisins, some both, and some purists refuse any kind of fruit. I find the most popular, slightly tangy version the absolute winner. I think it is best served cold, preferably left overnight in the fridge. Having prepared far breton for many years, I no longer remember where I found this recipe, but I appreciate it for the absence of butter or any fats and for its low sugar content. Its colour varies and depends on eggs. My organic Winter egg yolks were particularly small, hence the light colour.

TIP: Many people worry about the fact that prunes fall to the bottom. I don’t mind, but I have heard that coating prunes in flour prevent them from falling. (I have never tested it though).

Preparation: 1 h (+ at least 2 hours in the fridge)

Ingredients (fills a 10 x 30 cm or 20 x 20 cm baking dishes):

250 g flour

70 g sugar

4 eggs

750 ml milk

1 pinch salt

a bit of salted butter to grease the dish

25 big prunes (stoned)

a bowl of hot strong black tea

50-100 ml rum

Soak the prunes in tea until they become soft. Drain them.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease the pan with butter (or line with baking paper).

Warm the milk until it is hot (don’t boil it!).

Combine the eggs, the flour, the salt and the sugar.

Slowly add the warm milk and the rum, stirring.

Pour the batter (it will be very liquid) into the baking dish. (If it is not smooth, mix it in a blender or pass it through a sieve).

Place the prunes inside, more or less regularly.

Bake for about 1 hour until golden brown.

Let the far cool down before putting it into the fridge for several hours.

Serve very cold, sliced.

Easy Cucumber Kimchi (Oi Kimchi)

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cucumberkimchip It’s kimchi time again! After white radish (daikon) kimchi and the simplified version of Chinese/Napa cabbage kimchi, I would like to present you the most extraordinary experiment in this field, namely cucumber kimchi. Even though not in its best season now, cucumber is available all year round and brings a pleasant freshness to my meals when I’m fed up with carrots, potatoes, cabbage and other sad Winter vegetables. Combined with hot seasoning and fermented, it gains in precious nutrients, flavour complexity, colours and becomes even more welcome on cold, dark days.

First of all I must thank Charles from Five Euro Food because without his enthusiastic comments I even wouldn’t know cucumber kimchi existed and certainly wouldn’t prepare it so quickly. Charles has never made it himself, but my recipe quest wasn’t long. I found what I was looking for at Eating and Living blog, my main source of Korean recipes. I was even lucky to stumble upon a simplified cucumber kimchi recipe (Oi Kimchi), which was perfect to start with. Traditionally, in Oi Sobagi Kimchi, cucumbers are cut into big chunks, then, with half-length slits, “pockets” are formed and stuffed with kimchi seasoning. Here cucumber is simply cut up into bite-sized pieces and combined with the seasoning. (For those who want to know more about kimchi, I have written about it here and here.)

I have no idea what the traditional stuffed cucumber kimchi tastes like, but this version proved so excellent I can say without any doubts this is by far my favourite kimchi. I adore it for its freshness, crunchiness, lightness and for the fact that it is perfect at every stage of fermentation. First the cucumber’s freshness is dominating, then it reminds me of the delicate Japanese pickles and then, when it matures, the taste is is very close to the Central and Eastern European cucumbers fermented in brine. I cannot even imagine how terrific this kimchi will be when made with seasonal Summer cucumbers. Thank you, Hyosun, for one more wonderful recipe and thank you, Charles, for this discovery!

Even though I haven’t changed the original recipe, you may want to click here to see very helpful step-by-step photos.

Preparation: 45 minutes + min. 20-30 minutes fermentation

Ingredients:

1 long dark green cucumber
1 tablespoon coarse salt

1 teaspoon garlic (grated or crushed)

1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

2 tablespoons Korean chili flakes

1 teaspoon white sesame seeds

1 tablespoon fish sauce

3 green onion stalks, cut into 2 cm pieces

Cut the cucumber into 3 cm chunks and then cut them into 8 strips lengthwise.

Sprinkle the cucumber pieces with salt and leave them for 30 minutes.

Drain the cucumber, but do not rinse it.

Add all the seasoning ingredients and place the cucumbers in an airtight container.

Wait for 20-30 minutes and serve or leave for two days to ferment in room temperature and then put into the fridge for several days.

Exceptionally this kimchi is as good freshly made as well as after a couple of days.

I even liked it after one week.

Paloma with Fresh Juice

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We have been having the coldest Winter for thirty years. I suppose my Canadian blogging friends would laugh out loud if I told them the exact temperatures, but after years of mild Winters even the need to wear warm gloves or hats is annoying. I expected I would be craving hot tea, mulled wine, grog or other warm drinks, but I am surprisingly attracted to energising cocktails made with fresh Winter fruits. First I spent at least one weekend enjoying gin with Seville orange juice, then I couldn’t get enough of the beautiful Kiwi Rum. Last weekend, the coldest of this year, seemed a bit merrier thanks to the deliciously tangy Paloma.

I have already written about Paloma a long time ago, but I thought the unnoticed post should be given a second chance and this delicious cocktail merited more popularity. Paloma means “dove” in Spanish and the cocktail is not very well known outside of Mexico, where it’s usually made with grapefruit soda. The first time I made it I used a mixture of fresh juice and sparkling water instead and this healthy modification was so flavoursome, I have never bothered to look for grapefruit soda. Even though it has a light pink colour, it is not a sweet, delicate, girlie cocktail. Even if one adds a bit of syrup, the grapefruit tanginess remains and tequila’s strong taste is well perceptible.

This cocktail always reminds me of one of my acquaintances, whom I invited for the first time and who assured me she had no food allergies, dislikes and was happy to eat and drink everything. Then, when I proposed a grapefruit cocktail she started to laugh and said she hadn’t thought about it, but it was the only food item in the world she wasn’t allowed to touch. In fact, she had had an organ transplant and grapefruit juice inhibits the action of many drugs, for example the ones she takes daily. I would have never guessed the innocent looking grapefruit is not that innocent…

I have found the recipe on this Mexican website containing many Tequila-based drinks. I have also skipped the first step since I don’t always like to have a salty glass rim.

Preparation: 5 minutes

Ingredients (serves 1):

10 ml lime juice
pinch of salt
50 ml tequila
juice from 1/2 grapefruit +30 ml sparkling water (or 80 ml grapefruit soda)

(a couple of teaspoons syrup or confectioner’s sugar, if the grapferuit is very sour)

ice

(lemon juice+salt for the glass rim)

If you wish, moisten a big cocktail glass rim with a bit of lime juice and dip into a plate full of salt.

Combine the remaining ingredients, adding as much ice as you wish. Stir and serve.

Chicken in Lemon Sauce

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Citrus fruits are for me the only cheerful side of Winter seasonal food and lemon has always been my favourite, especially in desserts. When I saw Chicken in Lemon Sauce on Jeno’s Weeknite Meals I thought it was time to start exploring the tangy side of the savoury dishes too. The dish looked very appetising, but since I am not a big fan of sweet and sour combination in meat dishes (the ubiquitous sweet and sour pork is the last thing I would order in a Chinese restaurant), I was afraid it would end up similar. I needn’t have worried because there is no sweetness (only a bit of sugar is added for the general taste balance), whil