Lox

Happy Hanukkah, everyone! I actually took the photos a few months ago, but hadn't written up the post until now. It seems like as good a time as any to discuss this breakfast favorite. Lox and bagels are well-known component of the Jewish-American culinary tradition. That being said, the concept of cured salmon is not new to me, though I knew it from the Scandinavian version, called gravlax. Whle the particulars of the seasoning are different, I am a fan all the same.

This particular recipe is adapted from one from a friend of Ariel's family. It's remarkably easy, and quite economical. I find the regular farm-raised salmon from Sam's Club produces excellent lox for a low price. There is one "exotic" ingredient in this recipe: liquid smoke. It's not exotic in the sense of it being hard to find, as most supermarkets carry it. However, it's a fascinating product, made from condensing water vapor produced by burning wood. I like to put a little in homemade barbecue sauce, but otherwise, I'm a novice when it comes to liquid smoke.

Ingredients

• 1 Salmon fillet

Per pound of salmon:

• 2 Tbs salt (non-iodized)
• 2 Tbs sugar
• A few drops liquid smoke

Instructions

Rinse the salmon under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. If your salmon has skin on it, make sure to remove the scales first. This can be done by scraping a table knife against the scales under running water.

Add liquid smoke to salt and mix well. Mix with the sugar. Rub the mixture all over the salmon, making sure to cover both sides of the fillet. 

Wrap the salmon in plastic wrap and place in a gallon-size bag. You may need to fold it in half. Place in refrigerator for six days. Flip the fish over halfway through.

After the curing is done, remove from the plastic wrap and rinse thoroughly under cold running water. Pat dry. If the lox is too salty, you may need to rinse it more.

The whiskey bottle reflection in my caidao
can only mean one thing: char siu!

Slice the salmon at an angle into thin slices. A long, sharp knife is essential. My trusty Chinese caidao did the job here, but any good chef's knife works well.

The lox will keep in the refrigerator for several days, and also freezes well. Serve with bagels and cream cheese. Tomatoes are also a classic accompaniment.

Eggplant Sichuan Style (魚香茄子)

This is a post that's been a long time coming. I think back to five years ago, when I would dig something out of the fridge, make whatever came to mind, and throw together a post. I don't do that anymore, and I've become something of a perfectionist when it comes to my recipes. I've made this dish several times over the last year or so, and I finally feel it's ready to see the light. I based this recipe on Peimei's version, with some adjustments for clarity, accessibility, and my own (garlic-favoring) taste.

The name yuxiang qiezi directly translates to "fish fragrant eggplant." As an aside, the character 香 (xiang) is the "hong" in Hong Kong, which means "fragrant harbor." As I understand it, the sauce in this dish was originally associated with fish, but substituted for more readily available ingredients, such as eggplant. Over the last few years, I've tried many versions at local Sichuanese restaurants in both Bloomington and Lafayette, and I often use it as a benchmark when trying a new place. On English menus, it's often called "eggplant with garlic sauce," but to make sure, 魚香茄子 is a Chinese word worth learning!

The stars of the show here are the eggplants themselves. You want to use Chinese eggplants, which are longer and thinner than regular ones. I got the pictured specimens at the farmers' market, but most Asian stores have them. Try to select firm eggplants of similar width. As with the other Sichuan dishes I've done, doubanjiang (spicy bean paste) -- is featured here. Usually, I recommend toning it down to a desired heat by mixing with Koon Chun bean sauce. I generally go half and half, as stated in the ingredient list, but for true-blue Sichuan style, you'd want to use the full 2 tablespoons of the hot stuff.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb. Chinese eggplant (about 4 eggplants)
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• 4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbs hot bean paste (doubanjiang)
• 1 Tbs Koon Chun bean sauce (adjust ratio of bean sauces to desired spiciness)
• 4 Tbs light soy sauce
• 1 Tbs black vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 cup stock (chicken, pork, or seafood)
• 1 Tbs sesame oil
• 1 Tbs cornstarch
• Handful green onion, chopped
• Vegetable oil

Instructions

With this dish, it helps to get all your ingredients ready ahead of time. Remove the ends of the eggplant and cut into 1 1/2 to 2 inch long segments. Quarter each piece lengthwise. You should end up with roughly "thumb sized" pieces (Peimei's words). 

Heat oil in wok on high heat. Working in batches, stir fry the eggplant until well browned on all sides. Be careful not to crowd the pan. I recommend 3 batches for 1 1/2 lb. of eggplant. When each batch is done, set aside in a paper-towel lined bowl or plate. You will need plenty of oil, as eggplant is highly absorbent. When done, use paper towels to press excess oil out of the eggplant.

Add more oil to pan and briefly cook the ginger and garlic, just a few seconds. Add both bean sauces and cook a few more seconds while stirring together. 

Add the vinegar, sugar, stock, and sesame oil. Bring to a boil and return the eggplant to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces by about half. Mix cornstarch in a bowl with a little water to form a slurry. Add cornstarch mixture to the sauce and stir to combine. 

Transfer to a serving bowl and mix in green onions. Serve with rice.

Braised Brisket for Rosh Hashanah

Tonight was the start of Rosh Hashanah - the Jewish new year. We usually have brisket twice a year, the other occasion being Passover. Ariel's always used the same family recipe, and it's been no secret that I'm not really a fan. While I do think ketchup has some interesting and tasty applications (see lovers' shrimp and sweet and sour pork), it just doesn't work for me in brisket. This time, though, I was asked to make the brisket. While I certainly respect tradition, I was excited to strike out on my own. 

Although I had an overall flavor profile in mind, I had never cooked this cut before, so I did some research ahead of time (Daniel Gritzer's article and accompanying recipe was a helpful resource). Brisket is unique in that it is both tough with connective tissue, but also is quite lean, a combination that requires care. The consensus seems to be that all of the cooking must be at low heat and covered. 

I wasn't originally going to blog this one, but it turned out so well that I thought it worth a short post. Because of this, the recipe is not as precise as usual. This is one dish where precision isn't particularly important, and I didn't measure at all. I went for a classic slow-cooked beef style and it ended up tender but still moist with a very deep, flavorful sauce. Our holiday meal also included matzo ball soup, challah, and the traditional apples and honey.

Ingredients

• One piece beef brisket (mine was about 2 lb. - on the small side, but you can easily scale this up)
• 4 carrots, sliced into small chunks
• 3 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 1/2 medium yellow onions, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 14.5 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
• Chicken stock, as needed
• Splash of dark soy sauce
• Splash of light soy sauce
• 1 Tbs dijon mustard
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (can substitute dried)
• A few sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• Flour or Wondra for thickening
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

A good choice of cooking vessel is needed. The optimal choice is something we can use to brown on the stovetop, cover, then transfer to the oven. A lid is helpful, but foil can be used. A large dutch oven or saute pan that can fit your brisket works well. 

Ahead of time, prepare the vegetables as listed. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat some oil in the pan, enough to cover the bottom. Pat the brisket dry and salt and pepper both sides. With the pan very hot, sear the brisket on both sides for a few minutes until well browned. Do your best to ensure good pan contact for an even sear. Set the brisket aside. 

Next, saute the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Add a little salt and pepper. If your pan is large enough, this can all be done at once. When the vegetables have softened, deglaze with wine. Let this cook down a little. While that is happening, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl and smash them up with your hands. Add to the pan. Return the brisket to the pan and add enough chicken stock to mostly cover the meat. Add soy sauce, mustard, and herbs. Stir these in.

Cover the pan and transfer to the oven. Let cook for about 3 1/2 hours, though this may vary depending on the size of the brisket. I flipped it over halfway through. 

Once the slow-cooking is complete, take the brisket out and let stand about 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spider to remove the vegetables. Set these aside in a bowl. While the brisket is resting, reduce the sauce on the stove. Add a thickening agent to your taste. Whisking Wondra into the sauce works well, though you can also use a flour slurry. Taste the sauce and add salt and/or pepper to taste. I only needed a bit of pepper at this point. Turn off the burner and leave the pan there.

The brisket at serving

Thinly slice the brisket across the grain. Return the brisket slices and the vegetables to the sauce. Mix together to coat the meat, cover, and let stand for 30 more minutes before serving.

Notes

If you want to adjust this dish for Passover, a few substitutions or omissions need to be made. Specifically, the more processed ingredients won't work, as soy sauce contains wheat and mustard contains corn syrup. I like soy sauce in a braised or marinated dish (my usual mix of dark and light) for the color and savory flavor, but I don't think omitting them would break the dish. One could also use dry mustard in place of dijon mustard. Of course, flour as a thickening agent needs to be replaced by something like potato starch. 

Grilled Leg of Lamb Kebabs

Bonne fête, folks, we've made it to another Bastille Day. I struggled a little with what to make for this dearest of No Free Lunch traditions, and ended up settling on a recipe that's been overdue on the blog - a Julia Child-inspired leg of lamb. I've been making this with some regularity for the last two years, and it even made a pictorial appearance in the 2016 birthday special. I believe Child's original recipe is for a whole butterflied leg of lamb (for which this marinade would do nicely), but I generally make it into kebabs. Although kebabs might be stretching the theme a touch, let me remind you that less than 12 years after the storming of the Bastille, Egyptian Mamluks were recruited into the French army, and would eventually become part of Napoleon's Imperial Guard cavalry. I'm calling it close enough.

I must make an admission here in the ingredients section. The lemon juice completely slipped my mind when making the marinade today. If you do happen to be lacking lemon juice, I can report the lamb is still excellent. However, I normally include it, and it does add a nice element. This was also a great opportunity to use some fresh rosemary we've been growing on the deck, and while dried will do the job, it doesn't quite compare with the fragrance of fresh. Finally, let's talk about soy sauce. If there's anything food-related I could possibly claim to know more about than Julia Child, it might just be Chinese fermented bean products. For the uninitiated, Chinese soy sauce comes in two varieties: dark and light. Dark soy sauce is, as the name suggests, very dark, a little viscous, and will dye anything it comes in contact with a lovely dark brown, including your shirt. It's great for marinades and stews, but a little goes a long way. Light soy sauce is the "default" Chinese soy sauce and is typically used for saucing stir fried dishes, where a more delicate touch is required. I often mix the two, as I've done here.

Ingredients

• 2 lb. boneless leg of lamb
• 4 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbs. dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. light soy sauce
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary (about 1 tsp.), chopped
• 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 1 large onion

Instructions

For kebabs, cut the lamb into small chunks, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch square. Trim fat as needed, as the large chunks of fat can be tough. Transfer the pieces to a gallon bag.

Combine the olive oil, garlic, mustard, soy sauce, rosemary, oregano, and lemon juice. Mix well into a loose paste and pour over the lamb. Mix thoroughly to coat the meat. Transfer to refrigerator and marinate for a few hours.

Cut the onion into small pieces, about an inch square. Toss with a little olive oil. Thread the lamb on skewers, alternating with onion pieces. This will make about 4 skewers.

Grill on high flame until well browned on all sides and cooked to preferred temperature. Turn frequently for even browning. I generally keep the hood open on a gas grill to avoid overcooking.

Minced "Pigeon" in Lettuce Cups (生菜鴿鬆)

This is one post I'm very excited about. I have flipped past this recipe many times while looking through Pei Mei's books, and had not given much thought until recently. It's called "Minced Pigeon," after all. After trying some excellent versions of it in the Bay Area recently, I decided to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. I'd venture to say this is almost a perfect dish. It really has it all: three meats, four vegetables, mushrooms, and noodles, all wrapped up in crunchy lettuce leaves. It comes together terrifically, and this is one I'll certainly be making again.

Pei Mei's recipes are almost universally simple. They all fit on one page, with a maximum of about four steps. That being said, this one has a lot going on. As usual, I made some adjustments to the recipe. The main change is replacing the pigeon with chicken thighs (this substitution is in the original recipe). Another big one was reducing the amount of noodles by about half. She recommends using water chestnuts, with bamboo shoots as a substitute, but I went for a mix of both. The Chinese name, shengcai ge song, translates to "lettuce pigeon mince." For the last character, I had to consult dad and grandpa, but overall this was another straightforward translation.

The new exotic ingredients in this recipe are the thin rice noodles. These are often called "rice sticks." There seems to be some variance in the width of the noodles, and I went with the thinnest ones I could get. I haven't tried them in anything else, but my guess is they would work pretty well in soup or pan fried. It's worth mentioning the chicken liver as well, since I've only used them once before. I bought a tub of them, and only used 4. The rest become a fantastic pâté using Jacques Pepin's recipe.

Ingredients

• 3 oz. (approx.) thin rice noodles
• 1 lb. boneless chicken meat
• 3/4 lb. boneless pork shoulder
• 4 chicken livers
• 1 onion (about 1 1/2 cup diced)
• 8 dried black mushrooms
• 1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 1 8 oz. can bamboo shoots, drained and chopped
• 1 cup green peas
• Vegetable oil
• Iceberg lettuce leaves

Marinade

• 1 Tbs. light soy sauce
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 egg yolks
• 4 tsp. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sugar

Seasoning Sauce

• 2 Tbs. light soy sauce
• 2 Tbs. chicken stock
• 2 tsp. cornstarch
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

Soak the mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes. The mushrooms will float, so use something to weigh them down and keep them in the water. When done, discard the stems and dice the rest.

While the mushrooms soak, prepare the meat. Trim off excess fat from the chicken and pork, and mince into small pieces, about 1 cm. square. Mince the chicken livers and combine all three meats in a bowl. Add all marinade ingredients and set aside for about 10 minutes.

Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a wok on high heat. Break up the noodles into chunks that will easily fit in the wok. Once the oil is very hot, carefully place the noodles in the oil. The noodles will immediately and dramatically puff up. Flip over to puff the other side, and set aside to cool. Do this for all the noodles. Allow the oil to cool a bit and transfer to a container. We will use the oil to stir fry the other ingredients later.

In batches, stir fry the marinated meat mixture on high heat until cooked through and browned. I did this in three batches. Set aside when done. Stir fry the diced onion for a few minutes, then add the mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots. Mix all seasoning sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir fry another minute or two, then add the meat, peas, and sauce. Stir together.

Crush the fried noodles into small pieces. Pour the meat and vegetable mixture over the crushed noodles to serve. Serve with the lettuce leaves, which can be used to wrap the mixture.

Steamed Spareribs with Fermented Black Beans (豉汁排骨)

Greetings, dear readers! It's good to be back. To my shame, it turns out this is only my third post this year. Unfortunately, with a very busy spring semester at IU, the blog suffered. I hope to make up for the deficiency this summer. Pei Mei's Chinese Cook Book is still full of fun, weird stuff I can't wait to try, modernize, and share with you. I've got some exciting stuff planned for the next few weeks, so stay tuned. 

We're starting off with something simple, but a true classic -- dim sum-style spare ribs. I'm a huge fan of dim sum (it's in my blood!) and my attempts to recreate traditional dim sum dishes will always be a big part of No Free Lunch. As far as dim sum goes, it doesn't get any easier than this. This recipe is my own, based on three others: Pei Mei, Chan's Classic Deem Sum, and The Woks of Life. The Chinese name, chizhi paigu (see jup pai gwut in Cantonese) translates to "fermented bean juice spareribs," pretty straightforward, for a change.

There are two notable ingredients to discuss. The first are the ribs themselves. American supermarkets typically don't have spareribs cut up in the way we need. In this case, I found them at an Asian grocery, but if you can find a butcher to cut them up for you, that works too. I have previously made these from a whole rack of spareribs. Cutting up the thick bones is not practical at home, so I used the big end of the rack for braising and cut up the small end (with its softer bones) for steaming. The other ingredient is douchi -- fermented black beans. These are pretty easy to find at Chinese stores. This ingredient has shown up once before, in my stir fried fish recipe. One final note: most recipes include minced hot peppers. I omitted them, but if you like your ribs spicy, put them in.

This recipe is per pound of ribs. I had about 2 1/2 pounds, and adjusted the marinade accordingly. 

Ingredients

• 1 lb. spare ribs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 Tbs. light soy sauce
• 1 Tbs. fermented black beans, rinsed
• 1 Tbs. Shaoxing wine or sherry
• 1 green onion, chopped (white part only)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 Tbs. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbs minced hot pepper (optional)

Instructions

To rinse the beans, mix with a little water in a bowl, then pour off the water through fingers or a strainer. Do this twice. Mix all ingredients in a large plastic bag or bowl. Add the ribs, and mix well. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours, one if you're in a hurry. Mix about halfway through.

Ready to steam

Prepare the wok for steaming. I use a steamer rack inside the wok, and fill the water to just below the rack. Get the water boiling. Place the rib mixture in a dish or bowl, and place on the rack. Cover and let steam until the ribs are cooked through.

Once the ribs start steaming, get some water boiling on the side. Check the ribs after every 10 minutes for temperature and water level. Add hot water as needed. If you are making a lot of ribs, such that there are multiple layers in the dish, mix them around for even cooking. Larger batches will take longer. Mine took about 30-40 minutes. Serve the ribs on their own or with rice.

Kosher for Passover Scotch Eggs

Passover always presents a culinary challenge. Eliminating flour is one thing, but cutting the traditionally avoided kitniyot (beans, corn, rice, and other grains) is quite another. My reliance on bean-related ingredients (fermented and otherwise) usually means I do little cooking during the week of Passover. My only contribution this year was chicken kebabs and brussels sprouts. Ariel suggested I make a kosher for Passover version of Scotch eggs. Scotch eggs were one of my earliest posts, and remain a family favorite, so this sounded like a fun experiment.

I will always maintain Scotch eggs are deceptively easy to make. The only trouble is the moderate hassle of deep frying. The basic recipe involved the time-honored breading technique of flour, egg wash, then breadcrumbs that I've used in several other recipes. The flour and breadcrumbs are replaced by two Passover-friendly ingredients: matzo cake meal and matzo meal. The cake meal is made of ground matzo, and is roughly the consistency of flour, while the matzo meal generally resembles breadcrumbs. This is my first time using these ingredients, so they are still somewhat "exotic" to me, the results were great. I used a basic bulk breakfast sausage here, but as I noted on the original recipe, any will do. 

Ingredients

• 4 hard boiled eggs
• 3/4 lb. sausage
• 1 raw egg
• Matzo cake meal
• Matzo meal
• Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

Preheat oil in a deep fryer, wok, or saucepan to about 375 degrees F. Use enough oil to mostly submerge the eggs. 

Divide the sausage into four equal balls. Flatten and wrap around each egg. Carefully work the sausage until eggs are completely encased. Roll the balls around in palms to make sure covering is even and sealed. 

Spread a little cake meal on a plate and dredge the sausage-covered eggs all over. Beat the raw egg in a bowl. Spread out the matzo meal on a plate. Dip each Scotch egg in the beaten egg, roll around to coat, then dredge in the matzo meal until thoroughly coated.

Carefully drop the eggs into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. I cooked them in pairs in my small deep fryer. Cut in half for serving. I use a serrated bread knife to cut, as this allows cutting through the crunchy exterior cleanly. I served with a mix of mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce.

Birthday Special 2017

Well, dear readers, it's that time of year again -- Ariel's birthday. I managed to pull off another cake for the third year running. I researched a great many cake recipes, but ended up falling back on the same one as last year, and I think it turned out even better this time. However, I went with a vanilla buttercream frosting on this one. I'm getting a bit more comfortable with the whole process, and it has become apparent that the most difficult step is applying frosting to the sides and edges of the cake. The wine pairing for the cake was a 2001 North Point ice wine that I've been saving for a while. 

Since I was already confident in my ability to produce vehicle-based cake designs, it was time to branch out into animals. Cats were clearly the place to start, since I do have an excellent model. It occurs to me now that the face got a bit rounder than it should have, but there are plenty of cakes to come for that. Ariel also hinted at being open to a return of my (in)famous vehicular cakes, so stay tuned for next year.

Freyja the cake model

Interestingly enough, our dinner tonight (Ariel's request) perfectly mirrored the one from last year -- lamb and mushroom kebabs. That probably means a recipe for that one will be forthcoming.

In other news, No Free Lunch turned five years old this month. Unfortunately, this was my leanest year yet in terms of posts, but there were some great recipes in that select club. 2016 saw my return to Indian cuisine, a Chinese dim sum recipe with a weird new ingredient, as well as a true original of my own devising. I also made my take on a French classic and updated an old favorite. I ended the year on a truly special note with party salad, a real family tradition. One of my students also found the blog and made my taco recipe. Students, if you're reading this, make this one, and I'll really be impressed. 

Thank you to all of you for the continued support for this project over the last five years. I'm looking forward to at least that many more. And, of course, happy birthday, Ariel. You inspire me to make at least one delicious cake a year, but more importantly, better food every single day.