Red Snapper Seared in Sesame Oil With Cilantro

Last month, my Apricot and Pistachio cake was voted as the top entry in the monthly Royal Foodie Joust, hosted by Jenn the Leftover Queen.

Each month, the victor chooses the three ingredients that must be included in the dish and then anyone who belongs to the forum may then vote for their favourite dish.

As the victor in last month's competition, I was awarded with (other than bragging rights) the coveted "Apron".

As part of my coaxing of votes, I promised (threatened) to wear nothing but the apron, should I win the Joust. I said it - I did it!

The three ingredients I've chosen for this month's Joust are seafood, cilantro (coriander) and sesame.

I found a very interesting recipe in a book called The Food of Korea and this red snapper dish jumped right out at me.

It's very simple...red snapper (or other white-fleshed fish) fillet, toasted sesame oil, salt and cilantro.

As a side, I braised some lentils with a bay, parsley and fresh oregano and and finished it with a French Rouille (more on that another day).

The original recipe called for the fish to be grilled but any hope of using my BBQ went out the window, what with over 30mm of rain yesterday.

I sauteed the fish in a non-stick pan over high heat and I must say...the result was an aromatic fish that was seasoning perfectly, succulent and flaky at the same time.

For those not keen on cilantro, parsley would work just fine here.

Red Snapper Seared in Sesame Oil With Cilantro

1-2 red snapper fillets per person
fine sea salt
toasted sesame oil
chopped fresh cilantro
sesame seeds for garnish
lemon slices for garnish

1. Ask your fish monger to scale and fillet the red snapper. Wash and pat dry your fillets and with your fingers, gently rub the meat of the fish to see if any pin needles need to still be removed. Use needle-nose pliers or tweezers to remove them.
2. A half hour before serving dinner, sprinkle some sea salt on the skin and flesh side of the fish and place back in the fridge for 30 minutes.
3. Remove the fillets from the fish and rinse and pat dry (do not re-season, the salt penetrated the fish).
4. Brush a some toasted sesame oil on both sides of the fish and pre-heat your non-stick fry pan.
5. Over medium-high heat, saute your fillets skin-side down first for approx. 3 minutes and then for another 1 1/2 minute on the flesh side. If sauteing in batches, keep the fillets warm in a pre-heated oven.
6. Serve on a bed of braised lentils with a garnish of sesame seeds, lemon and chopped fresh cilantro.

Grilled Sesame Scallops

It's playtime by the grill again kiddies. We've been having some hot, dry days that are followed by cool, great for sleep evenings and there's no sign of rain for days. At last, summer as I know it is here.

This means that the cooking theater known as the patio is back in action. Everything tastes good on the grill: meat, chicken, vegetables and in this case, seafood.

Up for grilling today are some sea scallops. This appetizer is Asian inspired and it's very simple, the ingredients aren't hard to locate and it's a nice change from your usual bacon-wrapped scallop.

What we have at play here are scallops, ginger, lime zest, black pepper and toasted sesame oil....wanna taste?

Grilled Sesame Scallops

12 sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
12 Cremini mushroom caps
12 wooden skewers
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
zest of 1 lime
juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tbsp. grated ginger
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. coarse sea salt
sesame seeds for garnish

1. Fill a container with some water and place your wooden skewers in and allow to soak for a couple of hours.
2. In a large bowl, add your sesame oil, lime zest, ginger, garlic, chives and black pepper and whisk to mix. Adjust according to your tastes and set aside some of the marinade to pour over your grilled scallops.
3. Add your scallops to the bowl and marinade for 1 hour (room temp.) or a couple of hours in the fridge. When you're ready to grill, Add the juice of 1/2 lime into the marinade and toss the mixture and place your scallops and mushroom cap alternately on the soaked skewers.
4. Season your skewers with coarse sea salt and grill on high heat for 2-3 minutes a side.
5. Pour over the reserved marinade as a finishing sauce and and serve immediately.
   

Korean BBQ (Kalbi)

This past week I was downtown and between meetings and I was left with a few free hours in between.

After scouring Yonge Street for a dinner, I finally settled on having some Korean BBQ. What you have here is beef short ribs that are marinated over night and then quickly grilled over high heat to give you a slightly smoky, sweet and spicy serving of beef that's best eaten with chopsticks or your hands.

I remember reading Ruth's post on Korean BBQ and I knew it was time to try my hand at this fantastic beef dish.

Drawing from deep into the bookmarked abyss of recipes, I tried out the marinade as provided by Jen Lee, as shown on Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill.

Now allow me to go on a brief tangent on trying out a recipe from a foreign cuisine. If you're going to test/try a recipe...may I suggest going to the source or a trusted person in that cuisine?

If I'm looking for THE Italian recipe...I seek a recipe from an Italian. Same goes for Greek food. Does some bloke who's spent six weeks in Greece and has been brought up eating watercress sandwiches really have a perspective on Greek food?

In the case of Korean BBQ, even a Top Chef like Bobby Flay stepped aside and allowed Jen Lee (Korean gal) to show him the basics of Korean food and some great "mothership" recipes.

I've done the same here.

Korean BBQ's best know dish is Kalbi (pronounced Galbi) and it uses the cut known as beef short ribs.

The easiest route to finding this cut to visit your local Asian market. They aren't that expensive and one should find them for, at the most $2/lb. When buying these short ribs, look for a lean cut of beef and buy about 8-10 lbs. if serving a family or as part of a party. There's some bones in there and although they look like alot, you'll be surprised at how quickly they are eaten!

When I ate the Kalbi at the Korean restaurant...I had a food epiphany and I knew at that moment that I was, er HAD to try and emulate them at home.

This recipe is bang on and although I won't go through the trouble of making all the accompanying Korean sides...Kalbi will surely make future appearances at summer grill.

A few notes about the recipe: marinate overnight to get the full effect of the flavours and give the meat sufficient time to marinate. As for the pear, you're using the Asian pear here, looks like a light-brown skinned apple but tastes like a mild pear. Finally, these beef short ribs come thin sliced and have been marinated so, 2-3 minutes per side over a highly heated grill works best.

How do I describe the flavour of these short ribs? How about tender, succulent, sweet, savory from the Soy, spicy from the black and red pepper (paprika). If you like a little more heat, squeeze some Sriracha Sauce into the marinade and always....taste & adjust your marinade before adding the meat into the mix but do include the 7-UP...it's a must.

Korean BBQ, I love you!

The Greek Gwei-Lo Goes Chinese

For those of you not in the know, a Gwei-lo in Chinese refers to us white folks...it means "white ghost"!

One of my new blog friends is Rita from Mochachocolata-Rita and she's a transplanted Indonesian gal living amid the hustle & bustle of Hong Kong.

I really enjoy Rita's posts, her food and her infectious good spirit and wonderful sense of humour. Have a look at this post, where she shows us the effort and length she goes to give her food the perfect shot. I was in stitches after reading this entry, you will too!

Rita is hostessing a food event called Chinese Take-Out Party and I've accepted the challenge to cook Chinese food for the event.

Most of us are accustomed to ordering delivery or take-out Chinese but making it home, I've found, can be really easy!

I have here for you today a Ginger Chicken with fried rice and some quickly stir-fried Bok Choy with garlic and more ginger!

The fried rice is quite easy. You'll need some pre-cooked cold rice, Soy Sauce, Oyster sauce, mixed vegetables and some scallions. To add to the authenticity of the fried rice, I also did a quick fry of an egg in the wok and chopped it up and added it into the rice mix with the vegetables. There are numerous fried rice recipes on the internet...pick the one you like best.

The main attraction here is the Ginger Chicken. To make this dish, one obviously needs access to Asian ingredients. Practically every city in the world has a Chinatown, which means the Chinese will be eating their own food. They shop at a Chinese market. Seek and ye shall find.

The entire dinner was a huge success and I'm pleased to discover that Chinese food at home is quick, affordable and down-right easy.

Rita, chopsticks or cutlery?

Ginger Chicken
(for 4)

wax paper
3/4 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
2-3 cups of canola oil
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. grated ginger
1 large carrot, grated
1 1/4 cup Chinese (or VH brand) garlic sauce
dash of Sambal Oelek

1. Pour oil into wok or a large pot at high heat.
   
2. Slice the chicken across the grain into narrow strips. Coat chicken in egg, then cornstarch, lifting sides of waxed paper to coat. Place in hot oil, in small batches. Separate with a fork, stirring frequently, until crispy. Remove to a cooling rack.
   
3. Heat a small amount of oil in the wok (or fry pan) at medium heat. Finely chop the green onions and add to the pan. Add ginger & grate carrots directly into pot.
   
4. Stir, then gradually add dry garlic sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer.
5. Toss cooked chicken into sauce, stir to coat, then serve with a garnish of sliced green onions.
   

Wanna Lollipop?

Sorry, I'm all out of Tootsie Rolls but I've got some Chicken Lollipops...want some? Today, I'm once again crossing the culture, reaching across to Asia, courtesy of a recipe from another "Gwei-lo".

For those that are wondering, "Gwei-Lo" is literally translated from Cantonese to mean "white ghost".

Toronto has alot of "Kinezi" or Chinese so, I thought I'd teach you all a couple of new words in this language and food exchange.

I have always enjoyed Chinese food and now that Toronto is so much more cosmopolitan, I can say that I embrace Asian food at large.

This recipe is courtesy of Ricardo Larrivee (the other Gwei-Lo), who can be seen on Canada's Food Network. Ricardo is relatively new to the Canadian food scene, at least on TV. He's a French-Canadian who resides in Canada's party city, Montreal.

If Toronto and Montreal were sisters...Toronto would be the responsible, studious sibling and Montreal would be the rebellious, stay up all night reveler.

I've been watching Ricardo of late and I'm starting to "get" his dishes. His Asian-Style Chicken Lollipops made me take notice, bookmarked.

This chicken dish is very easy and most of the ingredients are at hand, for even those that live in the most Wonderbread of towns or cities.

Ketchup - check! Soy Sauce - check! Brown sugar - check! Garlic - check! Hoisin Sauce - maybe. Sambal Oelek - shit, what's that?

Here in Toronto, Hoisin and Sambal Oelek are now commonly found in the ethnic/international aisle of most grocery stores. They will surely be found at an Asian market too.

Hoisin Sauce can be described as a sweet, garlicky sauce & dark in colour. Sambal Oelek is a condiment that's used much like a hot sauce. It's base is chili peppers and garlic and it's thick.

If you can't find Hoisin, a Teriyaki sauce is close in flavour and if Sambal Oelek is out of reach, try a popular chili sauce.

I heard Nigella Lawson use a term I'm about to steal because it best describes this chicken dish...lot's of flavour & no labour!

Your biggest task is scraping the meat of the chicken leg up to the large end of the drumstick. If you don't care for the lollipop presentation then, the task of making this chicken dish just got super easy.

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the Sambal Oelek at the end to taste-test how spicy you'd like these lollipops to be.

After you've settled on the taste, preheat your even, toss the chicken in the sauce and lay out on a lined baking tray for cookin'.

Don't they look delicious? Isn't food that requires eating with your hands and licking your fingers that much better? I know you agree.

Please note: you might want to reserve some of the sauce before you toss the chicken in it. It could be used to brush on some more sauce when the chicken is done. Also, I baked my chicken for over an hour, just to get my skin a little crispy.

After I washed my hands with a few wet-naps, I thought to myself, "this sauce would also be great for ribs". My BBQ awaits this Asian sauce.

Thai Clubhouse Sandwich

One of the advantages of surfing others' food blogs is seeing visually enticing foods but the recipes do not always use traditional ingredients one keeps in their pantry.

Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Cooking made a lovely Curried Mango Chicken Salad and I had all the ingredients except for the curry powder (it's almost taboo in my home).

I went to my local Asian market and I found a mild curry powder and my thought process was I could always kick-up the heat with something else.

Not to make a carbon-copy of Katerina's sandwich, I thought of what flavours come from Asia? Asian food is about yin-yang, hot-cold, contrasts, soft and crisp and I came up with the Thai Clubhouse Sandwich!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbsp yogurt
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 green mango, diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/4 sweet red bell pepper, diced
a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce
a squeeze of lime juice
salt & pepper to taste

1. Combine all of the above ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a spoon. Adjust for seasoning.
2. Take a sesame seed baguette, cut in into the sandwich size you like, spread the Thai chicken salad on the bottom bun and then stack your cooked bacon slices, slices of red pepper and a leaf of lettuce and drizzle some sweet & sour sauce and munch on this heaping sandwich.
   

Spicy Bowl of Udon Soup

For a couple of years now I've been enjoying a spicy Asian soup at a downtown Toronto cafeteria-style eatery. They have a hot table of noodles, rice, various Asian eats, dim-sum and soups.

I always go right for their Bowl of Udon. Spicy, comforting and rather filling! However there's a problem. I live in the 'burbs, this eatery is downtown. If I have a craving I have to travel 30 minutes (at least) to get into the city to satiate my Udon craving.

Last week, my left-coast buddy Katerina of Daily Unadventures in Cooking had posted her Tom Yum Gung Soup and it finally gave me the confidence to try my hand at my own Spicy Bowl of Udon! I've given you photos of the eatery's version and mine and Hells Bells...I did it!

The ingredient list is long but the prep & assembly is easy and the end result tastes so complex!

Feeds 4

Step 1

1. Set up your "mise en place" or have your soup ingredients prepared so that you can divide & distribute the ingredients among the serving bowls.
2. Prepare the following is separate dishes:

• 1/2 red bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 green bell pepper sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
  
• 4 green onions chopped
• 1 lb of sliced white mushrooms
  
• left over chicken breast or cooked white chicken meat, thin sliced
• 16 medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
• 4 little packettes of seaweed (the kind for rolling sushi), hand torn
• 4 Tbsp of coarsely chopped basil
• 4 Tbsp of fresh chopped coriander
• 4 lime quarters for garnish
• Sriracha sauce for drizzle at end

Step 2 - Your Broth

1. In a large pot on high heat, add 8 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2. Add 3 lime leaves, 6 Tbsp of Thai fish sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 3 stalks of lemongrass (bruised & chopped), 2 Tbsp Chinese 5-spice, 4 cloves of minced garlic, juice of 1/2 lime, 1 dried red chile, 2 tsp cracked black pepper, 1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, oyster sauce to taste.
   
3. As soon as the broth comes to a boil, cover and lower to simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Throw your Udon noodles in the broth to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the noodles and divide among your serving bowls. Keep broth on simmer to keep hot.
   
5. Divide and place all ingredients listed in Step 1 (#2) and place in bowl on top of the noodles.
6. Use a ladle to spoon the hot broth over the soup ingredients and allow the broth to steep and cook the shrimp for 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with lime quarters and offer Sriracha Sauce for those wanting an extra zing!