Crab and Pork Shumai
Donabe
6 ounces (180 g) lump crabmeat
5 ounces (150 g) ground pork
1 tablespoon finely minced shallot
1 green onion, thinly sliced crosswise
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon sake
1 teaspoon usukuchi shoyu (light-colored soy sauce)
1½ tablespoons katakuriko (potato starch)
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon raw brown sugar
¼ teaspoon white pepper
15 to 18 small wonton wrappers
(2¾/-inch/7 cm squares)
Soy sauce, for serving
Rice vinegar, for serving
Karashi (Japanese mustard; optional), for serving
Shumai is the Japanese name for a popular Chinese dim sum dish called shao mai that has been adapted to Japanese home cooking. It's an open-face wrapped dumpling and is very easy to make. This recipe is full of rich crab flavors and has a nice~ juicy texture.-_Naoko
To make the filling: Combine the first eleven filling ingredients in a bowl and knead by hand until smooth. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
To make the shumai, mound about 1½ tablespoons of the filling in the center of a wonton wrapper. Gather up the edges of the wrapper, leaving the top of the filling open. Lightly squeeze the neck of the wrapper with your thumb and index finger to form pleats. Rub the bottom flat with your other hand. Set it on the tray and repeat the process with the remaining wrappers until the filling is gone. Cover with a damp paper towel until ready to cook. You can make the shumai about 15 to 30 minutes in advance, but any longer and the bottom of the wonton wrappers will start to become too wet.
Prepare the donabe steamer, lining the surface of the steam grate with one of the suggested linings. Arrange all the shumai on the lined steam grate, cover, and steam over upper medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the filling is cooked through.
To serve, have each person mix a dipping sauce to taste in a saucer. The standard ratio is about 1.5:1, soy sauce to rice vinegar. Put a small amount of the karashi on the side of the saucer. Dip the shumai in the sauce and top with a dab of karashi, if you like.
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In culinary preparation for our upcoming trip to Spain, we decided to make Cod With Chorizo, Tomatoes, Olives & Sherry. I like any dish that has toasted Bread Crumbs, Sausage makes it even better. We liked this baked fish dish. Try it. We started with Asparagus with Browned Butter and Parmesan Cheese.
Cod With Chorizo, Tomatoes, Olives & Sherry
From the Oven to the Table
It's funny to think that chorizo was once considered an exotic ingredient. We have taken the Spanish sausage so much to our hearts that it pops up everywhere (including where it has no business being). I love it, though, especially with fish and shellfish; its fatty smokiness is great with cod and mussels. This is a perfect all-in-one dish. Make sure to use the right kind of sherry (a too-sweet sherry will ruin this), though you could use fino instead of amontillado, if that's what you have.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put all the vegetables, the chorizo, and all the thyme into a roasting pan in which they can lie in a single layer. Season and add 2 tablespoons of the extra virgin olive oil (more oil will come out of the chorizo once it starts cooking). Toss everything around with your hands and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning the vegetables over a couple of times.
Now make the crust. Combine the breadcrumbs, garlic, lemon zest, herbs, and smoked paprika and season well. Pour in the melted butter and sherry and mix with a large fork or your fingers until combined. Brush the cod filets with the last tablespoon of oil, then cover them evenly with the crumbs, pressing down on them so they stick to the fish.
Mix the olives and sherry into the roasted vegetables and chorizo, then put the cod on top. Return to the oven and bake until the fish is cooked through its flakes should be opaque, not translucent. This should take 15 minutes but check for doneness and return the fish to the oven for no more than a couple of minutes if it needs a little longer. Serve with lemon wedges.
We really liked this salad dressing. It was excellent. We have also made it without toasting the Almonds with Bagged Salted Almonds. Works just as well. You can keep leftover dressing in the fridge for a few days.
Little Gem Salad With Garlicky Almond Dressing
New York Times
This tart, garlicky dressing is made with toasted almonds and sherry vinegar for a simple but delicious green salad. Little Gem lettuce, a cross between romaine and butter lettuce, has become justly popular for a crunchy salad. Crisp and bright green with small crinkly leaves, it won’t immediately wilt when dressed. If unavailable, look for similar small sturdy heads of lettuce or choose hearts of romaine.
Ingredients
4 to 6 heads of Little Gem lettuce (more, if very small)
¼ cup crushed toasted almonds (See Tip)
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Preparation
1. Remove wilted exterior leaves from each head of lettuce. Cut stems from the lettuce heads, separate leaves and swish in a large basin of cold water, letting any sand or dirt sink to the bottom. Lift the leaves from the water and transfer to a colander. Shake away excess water. Wrap in kitchen towels to dry or use a salad spinner.
2. Make the dressing: Put almonds, vinegar and garlic in a small bowl. Whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Put leaves in a wide salad bowl. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Dress lightly just before serving, using 2 or 3 tablespoons of dressing and coating leaves well. Taste and add more dressing as necessary. Store any remaining dressing in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tip
To toast almonds, place them in a pie pan in a single layer, and place them in a 400-degree oven. Shake the pan occasionally and bake until almonds are fragrant, crisp and browned, about 10 minutes. To test, cut an almond in half to see that the interior is light brown.
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Leftover Lamb Korma
Easy Peasy
Had a delicious joint of roast lamb and wondering what to do with the leftovers? How about a quick and easy curry? This Leftover Lamb Korma takes just 25 minutes – perfect for a quick and easy midweek meal. (And if you don’t have any leftover roast lamb, read on – I have tips on how to ‘create’ some leftovers!!)
But what if you don’t have any leftover lamb? Don’t worry – it’s very easy to ‘create’ some leftover lamb. Simply pan fry 4 lamb leg steaks in a medium-hot pan for 3 minutes each side. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then chop into small pieces and continue with the rest of the recipe.
The creamy flavours of the korma sauce pair beautifully with the delicious tender lamb. I have used my usual recipe for korma, but added in a teaspoon of cumin, as it pairs so nicely with lamb, and just a touch of chilli. The result is an utterly delicious creamy, nutty, delicately spicy sauce…If you prefer your lamb korma completely mild then you can of course leave the chilli out.
You will notice I don’t use any cream, butter or yogurt in my korma – this is partly to keep things a little lighter and partly because I really don’t think it needs it. This sauce is delicious enough without, so why load up with calories unnecessarily? This also means that this curry is suitable for those avoiding dairy.
To make this Leftover Lamb Korma really quick and easy, simply serve with basmati rice and/or naan breads.
Leftover Lamb Korma
Had a delicious joint of roast lamb and wondering what to do with the leftovers? How about a quick and easy curry? This Leftover Lamb Korma takes just 25 minutes – perfect for a quick and easy midweek meal. (And if you don’t have any leftover roast lamb, read on – I have tips on how to ‘create’ some leftovers!!)
Total Time 25 minutes
Instructions
1. Put the oil in a wide, deep saucepan and add the sliced onions. Cook on a low heat, covered with a lid, for 5 minutes until the onions are soft, but not brown.
2. Take the lid off and add the grated ginger and garlic together with the turmeric, garam masala, cumin and chilli. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add roughly ¾ of the coconut milk and all of the lamb, turn the heat up and bring to the boil, then turn the heat back down and gently simmer for 10 minutes. If you find the curry becomes too dry, you can add in the rest of the coconut milk.
4. After 10 minutes, add the ground almonds and chopped coriander and cook for 1 more minute, then serve with rice and/or naans and garnish with a little more chopped coriander.
Notes
If you don’t have any leftover lamb, simply pan fry 4 lamb leg steaks in a medium-hot pan for 3 minutes each side. Rest for 5-10 minutes, then chop into small pieces and continue with the rest of the recipe. Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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Spring Barley Soup
New York Times
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
This soup is as cozy as mushroom-barleysoup and as vibrant as spring. Chewy barley, crisp asparagus and peas lay in a broth bolstered by umami-rich soy sauce and miso. Hits of fresh ginger and vinegar enliven the mix. Feel free to swap in other vegetables that catch your eye: Add leeks and hearty greens with the barley, and quicker-cooking vegetables like sliced turnips or snap peas with the asparagus. For more protein, add cubed soft or firm tofu to bowls, or stir a beaten egg into the pot as you would for hot and sour soup.
Ingredients
2 tablespoons bamboo shoots
⅛ pound raw lean pork
2 3-inch-by-3-inch-by-1-inch pieces of bean curd (tofu)
2 water chestnuts
2 tablespoons mushrooms
2 tablespoons snow peas or green peas
4 pieces dried wood-ear fungus, soaked 5 minutes in warm water
1 egg
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon sugar
4 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, or to taste
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon hot sesame oil, or to taste
Preparation
The Preparation
Cut bamboo shoots and pork into fine julienne strips. Cut bean curd into 1/2-inch cubes. Slice the water chestnuts and mushrooms. Cut up snow peas diagonally. Beat egg. Mix cornstarch solution with soy sauce, pepper and sugar.
The Cooking
1. Bring the stock to a boil, add pork and boil for 1 minute.
2. Add all vegetables, and boil for 1 minute. Add sufficient cornstarch solution to thicken soup as desired.
3. Turn heat to low, and add beaten egg in a thin stream, stirring gently but constantly.
4. Turn off heat, add vinegar, salt and hot sesame oil. Adjust seasonings and serve.
Shitake Mushrooms via Tsubaki
We ate at Tsubaki and had a wonderful comp of Sautéed Shitake Mushrooms. We asked for the recipe and they gave us the ingredients, but not the proportion. Cathy guessed at them and I thought the recipe was a keeper. Season to your taste.
Sautéed in soy butter mirin
Green onions sesame seeds
Splash of sesame oil
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We really liked Wine-Braised Chicken With Mushrooms and Leeks. It was a bit of work however to make. It was worth it! We purchased the Chicken from McCall's Meat and Fish. The Chicken was excellent. We had some left over Grilled Octopus and adapted a recipe for: Spicy Grilled Calamari Salad Recipe to make a delicious Calamari Salad. We added sautéed potatoes to make a wonderful dinner.
Wine-Braised Chicken With Mushrooms and Leeks
New York Times
Adding crème fraîche and fancy mushrooms to a pan full of wine-braised chicken makes it ultrarich and extra special. This recipe is perfect for a festive dinner when you’re looking for a chicken dish that’s a little more dressed up than your average weeknight meal, but it isn’t overly difficult. Make it a day or two in advance, and, like all braises, it gets even better with time.
Ingredients
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts)
2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
4 garlic cloves
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (preferably specialty mushrooms, such as king, hen-of-the-woods, chanterelles or black trumpet, or a combination)
2 large leeks (4 cups), halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (use white and light green parts)
2 to 3 rosemary sprigs
¾ cup dry white wine (or use a dry red or rosé)
¼ cup crème fraîche, plus more for serving if desired
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
Preparation
1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Finely grate, pass through a press or mince 2 garlic cloves. Set aside half the grated garlic for finishing the dish. Rub the rest all over the chicken pieces. Set aside the chicken while preparing the other ingredients.
2. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts, add chicken in batches and cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If the pan dries out, add a little more oil as needed. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
3. Add remaining tablespoon each oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, add mushrooms and cook undisturbed until well browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer.
4. Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in sliced garlic, leeks and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and golden brown, 7 minutes. Add rosemary and wine to the pot and let simmer, scraping up the browned bits, until liquid reduces by half, about 1 minute.
5. Nestle chicken, skin side up, into the pan and pour in any accumulated juices from the plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.
6. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Pluck the rosemary sprigs from the pot. If the sauce looks thin, turn the heat to medium-high and let simmer until it thickens slightly, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining grated garlic, the crème fraîche, chives and lemon zest. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Spoon sauce over the chicken and top with parsley, more lemon zest and a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like, and serve.
Spicy Grilled Calamari Salad Recipe
Eat This Not That
Squid is one of the most abundant forms of seafood in the global market, yet few Americans have ever enjoyed it in any other way than breaded and deep-fried with a marinara chaser. With that type of treatment, it could be a Blooming Onion and you wouldn't know the difference, would you?
This salad has all the trappings of the much-adored appetizer—crunch from the peanuts, tomatoes, a bit of spice—but so much more. We don't want to promise that you'll never go back to the fried stuff after this, but it's a distinct possibility. Instead of a heaping mess of fried dough, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the amount of flavor you can actually taste with our calamari version.
Ingredients
1 lb squid, cleaned, tentacles reserved for another use
1⁄2 Tbsp peanut or canola oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1⁄2 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (preferably sambal oelek)
4 cups watercress (Watercress isn't always easy to find. Baby arugula, or even a few handfuls of basil leaves, can easily take its place here.)
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchsticks
1 medium tomato, chopped
1⁄2 red onion, very thinly sliced
1⁄4 cup roasted peanuts
Steps
1. Preheat a grill.
2. Toss the squid bodies with the oil, and generously season with salt and lots of black pepper.
3. When the grill is very hot, add the squid and grill for about 5 minutes, until lightly charred all over.
4. Combine the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chili sauce in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
5. Slice the grilled squid into 1⁄2" rings.
6. In a salad bowl, toss the squid, watercress, cucumber, tomato, onion, and peanuts with the dressing.
7. Divide the salad among 4 plates.
