Every once in a while I’ll spend a Sunday afternoon making some Thai curry paste. Like I mentioned in my recipe for panang curry paste, a quick trip to the Asian market for a few hard to find ingredients and about an hour in the kitchen with your mortar and pestle will set you up for a good month of authentic Thai cooking at home.

As far as I’m concerned, this stuff is money in the bank.  It keeps for a  up to a month in the fridge and is perfect for pulling together a bona fide Thai meal in minutes.  Stir-fry the paste, some meat and a few handfuls of seasonal vegetables in your favorite wok, add in some stock, palm sugar, fish sauce and Thai basil, throw it all on top of some sticky rice and you’ll be set up for some truly delicious eating.

Unlike a red, green or yellow curry, phrik khing is considered a “dry-style” curry, free of any coconut milk.  Instead, the paste is fried in oil and moistened with a bit of stock to create a sauce that clings to the protein and veggies.  The resulting dish can be characterized as smooth and a bit peppery with fragrant notes of galangal and lemongrass throughout.

So, next time you’re looking for something to cook on a lazy Sunday afternoon, consider making some homemade curry paste and look forward to reaping the rich culinary dividends of delicious Thai meals in the weeks that follow.

PHRIK KHING CURRY PASTE

From True Thai: The Modern Art of Thai Cooking

Do yourself a favor and get your mise en place in order before setting out to make this paste.  Soak your chiles, wrap your shrimp paste in foil, zest your limes and peel your shallots and you’ll be able to pull the paste together in and efficient, organized fashion.  The guajillo chiles used here are mild and fruity, so if you’re looking for a paste with a bit more heat, feel free to add in some fresh or dried Thai chiles to the mix.  This recipe calls for the use of a mortar and pestle as well as food processor, but you can certainly get away with just using one or the other.  Store it in the fridge for about a month and in the freezer for up to three.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 large dried Guajillo chilies
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste, wrapped neatly in a double layer of aluminum foil
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh Kaffir lime peel or domestic lime peel
• 1 large stalk lemongrass, outer leaves discarded, lower stalk trimmed to 3 inches and finely sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped, peeled fresh galangal, or common ginger
• 1/4 cup chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup shallots

METHOD:

1. Stem the chilies and shake out most of the seeds. Cut the chilies in half lengthwise and remove any tough, dried ribs. Cut them crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces and put in a bowl. Cover with water and soak for 30 minutes. Set a small skillet on medium heat. Place the foil-wrapped shrimp paste in the skilled and cook for about 5 minutes, until aromatic, turning the packet over once or twice. Remove the packet from the skillet and set aside to cool.
2. Put the peppercorns in a large, heavy mortar and grind them to a powder. Transfer ground pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Add the salt.
3. Combine the minced lime peel, lemongrass and ginger in the mortar and pound for a minute to break down the fibers. Pound the garlic and shallots in the mortar just until crushed and transfer to the food processor. Unwrap the shrimp paste and add it to the food processor. Drain the chilies, reserving about 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid. Add the chilies to the food processor.
4. Process the ingredients until a rich, moist paste forms, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add a few tablespoons of the chili-soaking liquid now and then, if needed to ease the grinding.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

If you haven’t tried Vietnamese banh mi by now, you’ve been missing out on a truly remarkable sandwich. At once exotic, but at the same time decidedly familiar, these guys are unlike anything in the American lunchtime lineup.  No cheese or mustard here, just the perfect marriage of sour, salty and savory Vietnamese flavors on a sweet, light-as-air, French baguette all harmoniously coming together in one killer snack.

Topped with crunchy pickled carrots and daikon, cool sliced cucumber, aromatic cilantro and spicy chilies, a good banh mi is a melange of flavors and textures. Not unlike a BLT, banh mi are salty, crunchy and juicy with a nice counterpoint of warm meats. Packed with savory roast pork or my version with grilled five-spice chicken shown above, the real beauty of this sandwich is its variety of delicious proteins.  From grilled lemongrass beef or sardine, to the deli combo loaded with roast pork, mortadella and paté there are plenty of options out there to satisfy any hankering. Here in San Francisco, Saigon Sandwich on Larkin Street is home to some of the finest banh mi around.  At $3.50 apiece, I defy you to find a better quality, more filling sandwich for cheaper anywhere in the city.  This is the Asian sandwich.

Banh Mi Sandwich

When making a sandwich of this caliber, it’s important that all of the ingredients be of the highest quality and freshness that you can find.  Start out by looking for a nice, light and airy french baguette.  The last thing you want here is a chewy, razor sharp crust getting in the way of all those delicious, delicate flavors within.  I’ve gone with 5-spice chicken for this particular build, but feel free to use grilled lemongrass beef, Vietnamese roast pork, Chinese-style char siu, påté, or even your favorite deli meat.  One of my favorite components of a good banh mi is the sharp, bright heat of a few jalapeño rings.  If that kinda heat isn’t your thing, consider drizzling in sriracha to give your sandwich a bit of bite.  No matter what you do, definitely take the time to make the pickled daikon and carrots from the recipe listed below.  A banh mi really isn’t a banh mi without them.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 8-inch long pieces of a light, airy french baguette
• Mayonnaise or softened butter
• Soy Sauce or Maggi Seasoning for drizzling
• 2-3 cups grilled, sliced, boneless-skinless, five spice chicken thighs
• 4-6 thin slices English cucumber, seeded
• Pickled Daikon and Carrots (Recipe Below)
• 6 cilantro sprigs
• Jalapeño, thinly sliced
• Sriracha Chili Sauce (Optional)

METHOD:

1. Slice each piece of baguette in half horizontally, stopping before you cut all the way through to leave a hinge.  Lightly toast the baguette pieces in the oven until just barely crusty and set aside to cool for a moment.
2. Generously slather the inside of each baguette with mayonnaise or softened butter and sprinkle with a few dashes of soy sauce or Maggi seasoning.
3. Layer in warm slices of grilled five-spice chicken and top with 1/3 cup pickled daikon/carrots, cucumber, cilantro and a few slices of jalapeño.
4. Serve warm or at room temperature.
   

Makes enough for 2 sandwiches

Pickled Daikon

from Andrea Nguyen’s, Into the Vietnamese Kitchen: Treasured Foodways, Modern Flavors

Be warned, these guys can positively reek.  Don’t let the smell put you off as they have a wonderful sweet, sour quality and add the perfect, necessary crunch to the sandwich. For a full primer on how to pick out daikon and craft the flavor to suit your own taste, check out Andrea’s thorough primer on do chua here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
• 1 pound daikons, each no larger than 2 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into thick matchsticks
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons plus 1/2 cup sugar
• 1  1/4 cups distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup lukewarm water

METHOD:

1. Place the carrot and daikons in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Use your hands to knead the vegetables for about 3 minutes, expelling the water from them. They will soften and liquid will pool at the bottom of the bowl. Stop kneading when you can bend a piece of daikon so that the ends touch but the daikon does not break. The vegetables should have lost about one-fourth of their volume. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water, then press gently to expel extra water. Return the vegetables to the bowl if you plan to eat them soon, or transfer them to a 1-quart jar for longer storage.
2. To make the brine, in a bowl, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, the vinegar, and the water and stir to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the vegetables. The brine should cover the vegetables. Let the vegetables marinate in the brine for at least 1 hour before eating. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. Beyond that point, they get tired.

I saved this unabashedley Chinese-American dish for the final post in my week of Chinese take-out meals at home because, well . . . it’s pretty damn sweet, like sweet enough to be a dessert. But don’t fear, the savory addition of prawns, mayonnaise and a nice sprinkling of salt make it worthy of your dinner plate.

It only dawned on me when I was making it that this particular dish may not be everyone’s favorite — certainly not in the same way chow mein tends to be. The inclusion of sweetened condensed milk and mayo might sound a bit off-putting, but if you’ve ever enjoyed fried calamari or shrimp dipped in a pleasantly sweet, thick sauce, then you’ll understand the appeal. When the crispy prawns and crunchy walnuts are tossed in the sweet, creamy sauce it creates a succulent combination of textures and flavors – a perfect compliment to salty pot stickers and broccoli beef.

HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP

Adapted from Bee Yinn Low’s, Rasa Malaysia

Sure, there is a bit of frying involved in this recipe and making the walnut glaze can be a bit scary if you’ve never made caramel before, but in the end, this is a fairly simple dish to prepare and one that comes together quite quickly once all your prep work is out of the way.  Make sure the shrimp are well-coated in corn starch before frying.  If your oil is between 350°-375° when you throw the shrimp in they should end up cooking quickly, forming a crispy golden crust while remaining juicy throughout.  I recommend making this dish with Kewpie mayonnaise if you have it for its savory flavor and rich texture. If you don’t have any on hand, don’t worry, Best Food’s or Hellman’s will produce just as delicious results.  Toss the hot shrimp in the room temperature sauce and serve immediately — they are best within a few minutes of cooking.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• Pinch of Kosher salt
• 1 pound 31/40 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 egg white, very lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (preferably Kewpie brand)
• 1/2 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 tablespoon condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup corn starch
• Canola, grapeseed, peanut or vegetable oil for frying
• Leaf lettuce for garnish

METHOD:

1. Make the candied walnuts: Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small sauce pan set over medium-high heat.  Stir frequently, until sugar is dissolved and mixture turns to a golden brown and thickens.  Add the walnuts and a pinch of kosher salt and stir until coated in a thin caramel glaze, about 1 to 2 minutes.  With a slotted spoon, transfer the walnut halves to a parchment lined baking sheet until cool enough to handle.
2. Prepare the Shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and place them in a medium bowl along with the egg white.  Mix gently until the shrimp are well coated.
3. Make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk to combine the mayonnaise, honey and condensed milk, lemon juice and another pinch of kosher salt until thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
4. Fry the Shrimp: Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches and heat over medium-high heat until a candy thermometer reaches a temperature of 350°.  Place the corn starch in a shallow bowl (a pie plate works well for this) and add in the shrimp, gently tossing until each one is thoroughly coated. Shake off any excess corn starch and fry the shrimp (in batches if necessary) until crispy and just golden, about 2-3 minutes.  Using a wire skimmer, transfer the shrimp to a paper towel lined plate and allow excess oil to be absorbed.
5. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp with the mayo/condensed milk mixture and toss gently until they are well-coated.  Transfer the shrimp to a lettuce lined serving bowl or plate and garnish with the candied walnuts. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 when served along with other dishes

My girlfriend (and her entire family) is nuts for broccoli beef.  In fact, she’s down with almost all of the classic Chinese-American dishes — chow mein, wonton soup, cashew chicken, etc.  When I told her I was planning on pulling together a few recipes for Chinese New Year to post on the blog, she insisted that this dish had to be on the menu.  As she put it, “this is the type of Chinese food that everybody loves.”  As hard as it is to admit, I too am fairly partial to a good take-out box of broccoli beef every once in a while.  Sure, I have a few Chinese friends that scoff at the very notion of this dish as a truly “authentic” Chinese dish, but the fact of the matter is, this is good, simple comfort food at its best.

Making good broccoli beef at home is way easier than most people think.  In fact, with a few Asian ingredients that all home chefs should have in their pantry and about a pound of good flank steak, the average home cook can have an outstanding dish on their table in less than a half hour.  Simply follow the principles of good stir-frying technique and you are pretty much guaranteed solid results.  Make this dish. After you see how easy it is to put together you might just reconsider paying $9-$10 for it at a restaurant the next time you get that craving.

BROCCOLI BEEF

Adapted from Jaden Hair’s Recipe at Simply Recipes

Blanching the broccoli before adding it to the pan ensures that each floret will be perfectly cooked in your final dish as it would never have the chance to fully cook given the brief frying period in this recipe.  As with all blanching of vegetables, do so in a very large pot of well-salted water and have your ice bath ready and waiting.  When it comes time to stir-fry the beef, make sure your pan is ripping hot.  Once the beef has been added, don’t touch it.  I like there to be a good amount of caramelization taking place on the meat during this initial sear and you will not be able to induce much browning if you are constantly stirring the contents of the pan.  Considering how drastic the difference in salt levels can be among certain brands of soy sauce and oyster sauce, taste the sauce before adding it to the pan and adjust accordingly.  If you find the sauce a bit too salty, try adding a few pinches of sugar to balance out the flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 pound flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain
• 3/4 pound broccoli florets
• 2 tablespoons peanut, grapeseed or vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

For the Marinade:

• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Sugar to taste

METHOD:

1. Marinate the Beef: Stir together the beef marinade ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add in the slices of beef and stir until well coated.  Set aside at room temperature for at least 10 minutes.
   
2. Make the Sauce: Stir together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside.
   
3. Blanch the Broccoli: Cook the broccoli florets in a large pot of well-salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the broccoli from the boiling water and ‘shock’ the florets immediately in ice water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well, dry and set aside.
   
4. Make the Broccoli Beef: Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or wok over set over high heat until shimmering and just starting to smoke.  Add the marinated beef to the pan in a single layer, making sure that each pieces lays flat against the bottom for maximum surface contact.  Let the beef fry for 1 minutes without turning or flipping.  Turn the beef over, add the garlic to the pan and allow to fry for another 30 seconds or until no longer pink.
   
5. Stir the contents of the pan and pour in the sauce, add the blanched broccoli and bring to a boil.  Add the dissolved cornstarch liquid and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 more seconds.  Take the pan off the heat, swirl in the sesame oil and serve immediately.

Serves 4

I absolutely loved eating pot stickers growing up.  In fact, no night of Chinese take-out was complete without them in my house.  And what’s not to like about them?  Crispy on one side, tender on the other and bursting with a flavorful, juicy pork and shrimp filling.  Yup, give me a bowl of soy or some sweet and sour dipping sauce and I was good.  Then…I went away to college and simply lost all interest in these delicious dumplings.

You see, there is a brand of frozen pot stickers on the market that seems to be stocked in every grocery store on the planet. It’s highly likey that you might have eaten them yourself at one point in time.  And why wouldn’t you have?  They aren’t half bad when you prepare them correctly.  But it was the constant consumption of these store-bought wonders by my roommates that really put me off them for a while.  Do you know what it’s like to come home from a long day of classes to a house steamed up with the funky stench of industrialized cabbage wontons?  Not good! Sure they were good the first couple of times, but after a while it’s just not the same as the genuine, handmade article.

So, smack-dab in the heart of Chinese New Year, I present to you a killer recipe from this month’s Fine Cooking Magazine for authentic, pork and shrimp jiao zi.  Simple enough to assemble and sheer gold sitting in your freezer, this recipe has single-handedly renewed my interest in these classic Chinese dumplings.  Loaded with a myriad of traditional Chinese ingredients like ginger, rice wine, napa cabbage, scallions and sesame oil, these pot stickers are leagues above your average supermarket variety and far better than the restaurant versions I’ve had in recent years. Serve them with the accompanying recipe for scallion-soy dipping sauce and you have a knockout appetizer.

POT STICKERS

Adapted from Thy Tran’s recipe in Fine Cooking Magazine

Outside of filling and shaping the dumplings, this recipe is pretty damn easy and well worth the effort considering how perfectly the finished dumplings freeze for future cooking.  If you have an Asian market in your town, go there and try to purchase coarsely ground, fatty pork for dumplings with superior juiciness and texture.  Thy’s original recipe calls for you to make your own wrappers and I am certain that such an endevor would be well worth the effort.  However, this recipe already takes a bit of time to put together, so do what I did and go grab yourself some pre-made, gyoza or pot sticker wrappers at the market.  Look for wrapper thin — you want your pot stickers to be delicate, not chewy.  If you decide you want to freeze some of the finished dumplings, place them on a cookie sheet in an even layer and freeze them overnight.  When you want to cook them again, simply take them out and proceed with the same cooking method, adding 3-4 minutes onto the total cooking time.  I didn’t believe it myself, but the come out perfectly. Trust me.

INGREDIENTS:

METHOD:

1. Make the Filling: In a medium bowl, toss the cabbage with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 30 minutes to shed moisture. Wring out in a clean kitchen towel to extract as much liquid as possible.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cabbage with the pork, shrimp, scallions, garlic, Shaoxing, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir until well mixed. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
3. Fill the Dumplings: Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of the filling onto a dough wrapper, fold it in half, and make your first pinch at the center of the curved edge and then pleat toward the center on both sides to create a rounded belly. This wider shape allows the dumplings to sit upright in the pan and form a flat surface for browning.
4. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. As you work, arrange the filled dumplings in a single layer without touching on large plates, so they don’t stick together.
5. Pan-Fry the Dumplings: Heat 2 Tbs. vegetable oil in a heavy-duty 10- or 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working quickly and in batches if necessary (adding more oil for the second batch if needed), arrange the dumplings belly side down in concentric circles starting from the outer edge. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Pour in about 1/2 cup water or enough to come about a third of the way up the sides of the dumplings, bring to a boil, cover, and cook until all of the water has been absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking just until the dumplings are dry and crisp on the bottom, 1 to 2 minutes. Loosen the dumplings from the pan with a spatula.
7. Invert the pan over a plate to flip the dumplings, browned side up, onto the plate (or transfer with a spatula). Serve immediately with your choice of dipping sauce.

Makes 36 Dumplings

SCALLION-SOY DIPPING SAUCE

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon hot chile oil or toasted Asian sesame oil
• 1 small scallion, thinly sliced

METHOD:

1. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and then stir in the oil and scallion.

You know that smell you catch a whiff of during those warm summertime evenings when everybody and their uncle is out in the backyard barbecuing?  I’m not talking about that run-of-the-mill grilled hamburger smell that wafts over your neighbors fence every weekend, I’m talking about that intoxicating, exotic aroma of soy and garlic marinated beef mixing with the sweet smell of wood smoke.  Haven’t smelled it?  Well, odds are you don’t have a large Korean population in your neighborhood, so let me frame this scenario a little differently.  You know the Korean spot in your local mall’s food court?  You know that ridiculously enticing aroma you smell each time you walk by?  That’s probably kalbi, or marinated and grilled beef short ribs.

While beef short ribs have grown in popularity over the past few years, I’m surprised to learn that many people have never had them prepared in this style.  They are a notoriously tough cut of meat that benefits from long periods of slow, low-heat cooking, but when cut in the flanken style (perpendicular to the bone), marinated in a sweet and salty aromatic mixture for a couple of days and cooked quickly on a hot grill, you have a whole different experience at hand.  This is the type of eating that is perfectly suited for the backyard.  In fact, this is the type of dish that allows one to get in touch with their primordial ancestry.  This isn’t filet mignon were talking about, in fact, it’s quite the opposite.  Kalbi requires a good set of chompers and a willingness to get your hands (and face) dirty pulling the sweet, succulent meat from the three tiny bones that run the length of the rib.  In my mind, a little messiness is well worth the experience of eating these sweet and savory morsels.  Not only do they pack an incredibly beefy flavor, but the perfect amount of charring on the grill will bring out the soy, garlic, sesame oil and sugars in the marinade, perfuming the air with a mix of aromas that are certain to get your salivary glands flowing.

Next time you’re looking to grill something a little bit out of the ordinary or spot some beautiful flanken-style beef ribs at the grocery store, do yourself a favor and try out this recipe.  Your neighbors are guaranteed to be jealous.

KALBI (GRILLED KOREAN SHORT RIBS)

Adapted from David Chang’s, Momofuku

When shopping for the flanken-style short ribs in this recipe, look for those with a thickness between 1/3 and 1/2-inch in thickness.  Short ribs that are cut too thinly will cook far too quickly over the heat of a hot grill, leaving you with dry, overcooked jerky-like ribs.  David Chang’s mother used Mott’s apple juice in her family recipe for kalbi –  a brilliant addition to this marinade considering its unique sweet and slightly sour flavor.  After you’ve made the marinade and before you’ve added it to the ribs, give it a try and adjust the flavor to fit your own taste.  It shouldn’t need more salt, but adjust for sweetness by adding a few pinches of brown sugar if you’d like it on the sweeter side, and increase the acidity by adding a splash of rice vinegar. The short ribs will taste best if you allow them to sit in the marinade overnight, and will further intensify in flavor if left for a couple of days, turning the bag every so often to distribute the liquid.  For maximum flavor and authenticity, I recommend grilling these guys over charcoal.  Gas grilling will still yield outstanding results, but the ribs won’t have the same smoky character that comes from grilling over live embers.  I like to grill the ribs over fairly high heat to promote quick caramelization and retention of as much juice as possible. The goal is grill/color them quickly to prevent them from overcooking by drying out the flesh. Keep in mind that the marinade is high in sugar and will have the tendency to burn quickly if you are not careful.  Keep and eye on these — they go fast.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups apple juice, preferably Motts
• 1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably usukuchi (light soy sauce)
• 1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 5 to 6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Brown sugar and rice vinegar to taste
  
• 2 1/2 – 3 pounds flanken-style cut beef short ribs
• Leaf lettuces for garnish
  
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

METHOD:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the apple juice, soy sauce, onion, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring until well incorporated.
   
2. Place the short ribs in a large, heavy-duty zip top bag and pour in the marinade over the top.  Remove as much air as possible from the bag and massage the meat to distribute the marinade evenly.  Allow the ribs to marinate overnight in the refrigerator, or as long as two days, turning the bag over and redistributing the marinade every so often.
   
3. Remove the ribs from the refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature.  Prepare a charcoal grill for direct grilling over high heat or preheat a gas grill on high until hot.  Drain off as much marinade as possible from the short ribs before laying them across the grill grate.  Grill over high heat until well-caramelized and just beginning to char in spots, about 2-3 minutes.  Flip the ribs and repeat on the second side, moving the ribs occasionally to avoid any flareups, until just cooked to medium.
4. Remove the ribs from the grill and allow them to rest.  When you are ready to serve, line a platter with leaf lettuce, pile on the short ribs and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds.  Serve at once.
   

Serves 4

I can remember eating Chex Mix by the handful as a kid.  Seems like wherever there was a birthday party there was bound to be a bowl of the stuff lying around, just waiting to get picked over by the ravenous scores of children in attendance.  I mean, the mix was usually devoured within moments of being put out on the table, which meant that by the time I had a chance to do my own digging, the only things left were those dehydrated, brown croutons and a few broken pretzel pieces lying at the bottom of the bowl — certainly not anyone’s favorite components, but damn good, salty snacking nonetheless.

These days, I’m not being invited to as many five-year-old’s birthday parties as I once was, and by default, haven’t been eating as much party mix.  However, after coming across a recipe for an updated, Asian riff on the classic snack mix in a recent Food & Wine Magazine, I decided it was time to get back in touch with my inner child and get down 0n s0me party mix.

This stuff is as addictive as the mix sold in bags at the grocery store, only with a whole lot more of the items you’ve always wished you’d find inside of them.  Cashews, almonds, pistachios, pretzels, sesame sticks, Asian rice crackers and Chex cereal all get coated in a mix of pure maple syrup, soy sauce and fragrant Thai curry paste for spicy, salty-sweet flavor combination that will leave you craving a refreshing beverage to wash it all down with. The perfect compliment to a nice, tall glass of homemade lemonade and an even better match to a frosty-cold beer, you’ll find few snacks as enjoyable to munch on while watching the big game as this uniquely delicious party mix.

ASIAN-STYLE CHEX MIX

Adapted from Grace Parisi, Food & Wine Magazine

There’s really not much to this recipe, but a few good techniques will keep you from producing overly soggy or burnt crackers in the end.  Here, you’re looking to slowly toast/dry the mix using low heat — if you smell anything burning, lower the oven temperature and stir the mix immediately to distribute the heat.  Keep a watchful eye on the mix without opening the oven door too often or you’ll experience heat loss that can lengthen the cooking time significantly.  When it comes time to season the mix, remind yourself that this is a salty party mix and should be highly seasoned to avoid bland, cardboard-like flavor.  Even though the nuts, soy sauce, pretzels and sesame sticks all have salt, a few healthy pinches of Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper with take the mix to the next level — trust me.  Finally, a couple of large rimmed baking sheets and a big spatula will make this recipe so much easier to deal with, as you won’t have to worry about picking cereal, crackers and nuts off of your kitchen floor when it comes time to stir the stuff.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups Rice Chex cereal (6 ounces)
  
• 1 cup roasted, salted cashews
• 1 cup roasted, salted pistachio nuts
  
• 1 cup roasted, salted almond
• 1 1/2 cups Asian rice cracker mix (I used Hapi Snacks Tokyo Mix)
• 1 1/2 cups sesame sticks (4 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups mini pretzels
• 3/4 cup Arare Iso Maki (optional)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup grade B pure maple syrup
• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Thai red curry paste or sambal olek
• Sriracha hot sauce to taste (optional)
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 275° F.
2. In a large bowl combine the cereal with the nuts, rice cracker mix, sesame sticks and pretzels,
3. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, maple syrup, soy sauce, curry paste/sambal olek and optional sriracha  and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking until everything is dissolved.
4. Pour the mixture over the snack mix and toss/fold gently to coat completely.
5. Season generously with salt and freshly ground pepper and spread the mix out on 2 to 3 large baking sheets.
6. Bake for 35 minutes, stirring 2 to 3 times and rotating/shifting the sheets, until nearly dry and toasted.
7. Let cool completely, stirring occasionally.  Serve in a large bowl along with plenty of cold beverages.

Makes 13 cups, enough for 10 people

This recipe represents yet another entry into the Game Day Food Hall of Fame.  I guess I have football on the brain, or I just can’t get enough of the typical game day offerings – savory, salty homemade junk food. I made these a few years ago for a Super Bowl party and they were gone within minutes.  I too loved the wings, but felt like something was missing.  I had followed the instructions of the original recipe and baked the wings in a hot oven.  They had great flavor due to an overnight soak in cilantro, soy, ginger, garlic and red chili, but I quickly realized that the texture of a baked wing (i.e. flabby chicken skin) was not my favorite.  I needed the crispy-crunch of well-rendered chicken skin — something I was never going to get unless I fried them.  So, using a few tricks I picked up from another wing recipe, I tossed the chicken in a bit of rice flour before frying them to a delicious golden brown.  After a quick toss in the oh-so sticky, sweet chili-glaze I was left with what I consider to be one of the best finger foods around.

If you’re planning on doing any Super Bowl entertaining of your own or you just love a good wing, think about giving this recipe a try.  The asian flavor profile is a welcome alternative to the usual hot sauce/butter laden buffalo wing.  If you’re looking for a special main course, serve these guys atop a bowl of sticky rice to sop up all of that sweet-chili glaze.

SWEET CHILI-GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

Adapted from Bon Appétit Magazine, July 1997

If you’re adverse to the idea of frying, these wings can be baked on a sheet pan in a 400° for about 20 minutes until they are golden brown.  If you decide to fry them, dredging the wings in rice flour before doing so will ensure the formation of an extra crispy crust.  If you’re having a hard time finding rice flour, you can omit this step and proceed to frying the wings after you’ve thoroughly dried them with paper towels.  Making the glaze is a simple affair, just be careful not to over-reduce the sauce to the point of a caramel. You will know the glaze is ready when it coats the back of a spoon. The resulting glaze is especially sweet, so if you want a bit more of a sour bite to your wings, don’t be afraid to scale back the amount of sugar that is called for here.  Looking for a bit more heat? Add more chili-garlic sauce.  Less heat? Just reduce the crushed red pepper called for in the dish.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds chicken wings
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablesp00ns minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup rice flour
• Oil for deep frying (such as peanut oil, canola, grapeseed or vegetable)
• 1 cup rice vinegar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions

METHOD:

1. Cut each chicken wing in half at the joint and remove/discard wingtips.  Place the chicken in a large resealable plastic bag.
2. Mix oil, cilantro, soy sauce, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of the red pepper flakes in a bowl until well combined.  Pour the marinade into the plastic bag and turn to coat the chicken evenly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.  Toss the contents of the bag from time to time to ensure even distribution of the marinade.
3. Remove the chicken wings from the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before frying to allow them to come to room temperature.  Drain the chicken wings from the marinade and dry them thoroughly using paper towels.  Place the rice flour in a shallow plate and set aside.
4. Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed pot to a depth of 2” and heat until a candy thermometer registers 350° F.  Preheat the oven to 200° F.
5. Meanwhile, while the oil is coming up to temperature, make the glaze.  Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, water, chili-garlic sauce along with the remaining 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes and 1/2 tablespoon of minced garlic in a medium saucepan.  Bring the mixture to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer until reduced to a thick, syrupy glaze, about 20 minutes.
6. When the oil has reached 350°, toss the chicken wings in the rice flour, patting off any excess.  Working in 2 batches, fry the wings, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking to one another, until each is golden brown, about 10-12 minutes total.  Transfer when done to a wire rack set over a sheet tray and keep warm in the oven until all of the wings are fried.  Repeat with remaining chicken wings.
7. Once all of the wings are fried, combine them with the glaze in a large bowl and toss to cover and coat them evenly.  Transfer the glazed wings to a serving platter and garnish with the sliced green onions.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 appetizer servings

When I told everybody I was making a barbecue chicken pizza for my website, people asked me why I wasn’t making Thai chicken pizza instead.  Truthfully, I didn’t realize it was such a beloved item on the California Pizza Kitchen menu.  I’ve always loved them — in fact, I almost ate my weight in the frozen version while I was in college — but I never realized that other people shared my same propensity.  For me (and apparently pretty much everyone else), there is something undeniable about the combination of aromatic peanut sauce, green onions and carrots, all  piled high on a chewy crust and topped with cheese. Not at all Italian, totally un-Thai, just “American” grub at its most adaptive.

The best part of making this particular pizza at home is you can get as creative as you want. I left off the usual bean sprouts, but you could certainly add them for extra crunch. And no need to break out the crushed red pepper flakes.  Here I use sriracha chili sauce to add a little bite, but of course, if spicy’s not your thing, feel free to leave it off. A sprinkling of freshly chopped Thai basil in addition to or in lieu of the cilantro (for those cilantro-haters out there) would be a perfect compliment to the sweet, salty flavor of the peanut sauce. No matter how you top it, if you like peanut sauce, you’ll love this pizza. Plus, no tipping necessary when you’re cooking out of your own kitchen.

THAI CHICKEN PIZZA

When assembling this pizza, feel free to add as little or as much of the toppings as you want, but keep in mind that a pizza that is too heavily loaded with ingredients can end up cooking unevenly and may result in a messy final pie.  The balance of flavors is key, not the amount you can fit on the dough.  If you want even more crunch in your finished pizza, consider adding the carrots after baking as opposed to before.  I use Thai marinated grilled chicken breasts in this recipe for added authenticity, but you should feel free to use store-bought rotisserie chicken if you’re short on time — the flavorful peanut sauce should provide more than enough flavor.  I’ve said it before, but if you’re serious about making pizza at home and still don’t have a pizza stone, it should be at the top of your priority list.

INGREDIENTS:

• 24 ounces homemade or store-bought pizza dough, divided
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, for dusting
• About 1 1/4 cups homemade Thai peanut sauce (or store-bought)
• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup cooked grilled Thai chicken, diced (recipe below)
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 large carrot, julienne or coarsely grated
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• Sriracha chili sauce for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

1. Place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 500°.  Allow the stone to heat for at least half and hour before baking pizzas.
2. Allow the pizza dough to come to room temperature.  On a lightly-floured work surface, form the dough into two large balls, collecting the sides and tucking them under to create a smooth outer surface.  Cover the dough with a damp towel and allow to rest for at least 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, warm the peanut sauce in a saucepan set over low heat until heated through and pourable.
4. Generously dust a wooden peel or the back of a sheet pan with flour or cornmeal. With lightly-floured hands, press the dough with your fingertips to form a flattened disk.  Lift the dough up and use the back of your knuckles to stretch and thin-out the dough into a circle with a diameter of 12-inches. Be careful to preserve the edge of the dough if you want a light, chewy crust. Carefully position the stretched dough onto the prepared peel or baking sheet.
5. Using a ladle, spoon an even layer of the peanut sauce onto the dough and carefully spread it close to the border being careful to leave a 1/2-inch edge.  Top with an even layer of mozzarella cheese followed by pieces of the diced Thai chicken, green onions and carrots.  Top with a light sprinkling of a bit more mozzarella.  Lightly brush the exposed crust with a bit of the vegetable oil to promote browning.
6. Slide the pizza onto the preheated stone and bake until the crust is crisped and golden and the cheese is bubbling, about 6-7 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the roasted peanuts,  freshly chopped cilantro leaves and sriracha. Serve immediately.

Makes 2 Pizzas

BANGKOK-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST

This is a fantastic coconut milk marinade for chicken.  It works just as well with whole, butterflied chickens as well as bone-in, skin-on pieces.  Here I use the marinade on boneless, skinless breasts.  If you don’t have an outdoor grill or grill pan, feel free to roast the breasts in a 425° oven.  You won’t be able to develop as much caramelization, but the chicken will still be quite flavorful.  The marinade contains a bit of sugar, so monitor your heat closely and watch for burning.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 7 ounces (1/2 can) coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, including stems
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon white pepper

METHOD:

1. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and lightly score each side in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife to allow the marinade to penetrate.
2. Combine the coconut milk, curry powder, fish sauce, garlic, cilantro, sugar and pepper in a bowl.  Stir well and until sugar has dissolved and marinade is smooth.  Place the chicken breasts in a resealable plastic bag and pour the marinade in on top.  Seal the bag and massage the marinade into the meat to ensure an even coating.  Refrigerate the chicken and leave it to marinate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.
3. Prepare a charcoal grill for direct heat grilling over medium-low heat or preheat a grill pan over medium-low heat.  Place the chicken on the grill and cook, moving the chicken if any flare-ups occur, until slightly charred in spots and cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°, about 7-8 minutes per side.
4. Remove the chicken from the grill and transfer to a platter. Allow the meat to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

For me, peanut sauce served as a definitive gateway flavor into what would be come a lifelong addiction to Thai cuisine. Having grown up on a steady diet of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, it wasn’t until I first tasted the peanut sauce that accompanied my Mom’s chicken satay from the Thai spot in our mall food court that I came to realize that peanut butter could be used in savory dishes as well. To my young developing palate, peanut sauce was at once exotic and familiar.  Salty, sweet and rich with warm Thai spices, the run-of-the-mill skewered chicken soon became a vehicle for what I really wanted: the sauce.

I’ve made many versions of peanut sauce over the years and have come to recognize this rendition as my go-to, all-purpose recipe.  Used as a dip, tossed with rice noodles or as a condiment for jasmine rice, I’m sure you’ll find this sauce has many amazing applications.  While some recipes include everything from soy sauce and grated ginger to garlic and chili sauce, this particular version gets it’s nuance and depth from aromatic Thai curry paste.  Along with a few other simple yet flavorful ingredients, it’s the paste that takes this sauce to the next level and lend it that authentic taste.  It goes without saying that a fresh, homemade curry paste will render an exceptionally fragrant final sauce, but if you’re strapped for time, store-bought red curry paste from a jar makes a perfectly suitable alternative.

THAI PEANUT SAUCE

Adapted from Victor Sodsook’s, True Thai: The Modern Art of Thai Cooking

This is a simple and forgiving recipe with very few ingredients that comes together quite quickly.   It’s easy to adjust the final sauce to suit your own taste.  Some brands of peanut butter can already be a bit sweet, so feel free to scale back the amount of brown sugar called for in the recipe.  This recipe makes a rich, thick sauce that can easily be thinned out with warm water or more coconut milk if a lighter consistency is preferred.  I will also sometimes add a bit of lime juice along with the fish sauce to cut through the richness for certain applications.  Expect a lot of sauce, but don’t worry; it keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 weeks. Finally, too high of heat during the cooking process can break the sauce, separating the oil from the rest of the ingredients.  If this happens, don’t panic.  Simply lower the heat and whisk the sauce vigorously to reincorporate the oil.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can (14-ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
• 6 tablespoons homemade panang, masaman or store-bought red curry paste
• 2/3 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
• 7 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce

METHOD:

1. Heat the coconut milk in a medium saucepan set over medium heat, stirring occasionally until it has reaches a gentle boil.
2. Add the curry paste and stir until well incorporated and fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3. Add in the peanut butter and cook, stirring constantly for about 1 minute.
4. Reduce the heat to low and add in the brown sugar, stirring until dissolved.
5. Remove the peanut sauce from the heat and stir in the fish sauce.  Thin with warm water if a lighter consistency is desired.
6. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups