Pad Thai Gai

Pad Thai Gai with steamed Chinese long beans

The Ingredients (for 4 to 5 servings):

• 300 g (or 12 oz) of extra-firm tofu
• 4 lime leaves
• 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of tamarind paste
•  stevia equivalent of 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of sugar
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of fish sauce
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of ground Cayenne pepper
• 680 g (or 1½ lb) of boneless chicken
• 6 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
•  2 shallots, weighing approximately 120 g (or 4 oz)
• 50 g (or ⅓ cup) of sweet preserved radish. (I used a local, Korean-inspired pickled daikon.)
• 4 eggs
  
• 50 g (or ⅓ cup) of unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
• 1 large or 2 smaller scallions weighing approximately 40 g (or 1½ oz), or the equivalent amount of Chinese chives
• 225 g (or 8 oz) of brown rice noodles
• 4 cups of mung or soybean sprouts weighing approximately 275 g (or 10 oz)
• salt
• white pepper
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Three to four hours before you intend to serve this dish, press the tofu by placing it between two flat plates next to a sink, and putting a weight on top.
   
   (I used a full water pitcher for the weight.)
2. About half an hour before serving time, wash the lime leaves and slice them finely. 
   
3. Mix together the tamarind paste, stevia, fish sauce, Cayenne pepper, and lime leaves in a large bowl.
4. Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and place them in the bowl with the tamarind marinade.
5. Mix the marinade thoroughly into the chicken and place the bowl into the refrigerator.
   
6. Grind or smash the garlic cloves with a small amount of salt until the mixture becomes shiny or foamy.
7. Chop the shallots finely.
8. Chop the preserved radish into small slivers.
9. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk them with a fork until yolks and whites are thoroughly mixed.
10. Chop the peanuts into small pieces and set them aside.
    
11. Chop the chives or scallions finely.
12. Discard the water that has been pressed out of the tofu, wipe the tofu dry, and cut it into 20 or 25 cubes.
    
13. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat and add olive oil to a depth sufficient to fry the tofu cubes.
14. Place the tofu cubes into the oil and stir-fry them until they turn a light tan color, then set them aside in a small bowl.
    
15. Place the dry rice noodles into a bowl that will hold them easily and place a colander on top of the bowl.
16. Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring it to boiling point.
17. Blanch the bean sprouts for 1 minute in the boiling water then drain them in a colander set over the bowl of noodles. Add cold water to the bowl until the noodles are completely submersed.
18. Rinse the bean sprouts with cold water, then set them aside in the colander.
19. Meanwhile, allow the noodles to soak for a few minutes in the hot water while stir-frying the aromatics.
20. Reheat the wok or skillet over high heat, using only enough of the olive oil to coat the bottom and sides generously.
21. Add the shallot, garlic, and preserved radish and stir-fry until some pieces are starting to turn brown.
    
22. Immediately drain the noodles in a colander and add them to the wok, stir-frying to coat them with a thin film of olive oil.
    
23. Add the chicken pieces, setting aside excess marinade.
24. Stir-fry until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides.
    
25. Turn the heat to low, and push the noodle mixture to one side of the wok or skillet.
26. Pour the beaten egg into the cleared part of the skillet and stir-fry it vigorously until it is completely cooked.
    
27. Chop the cooked egg into small pieces with the thin edge of the cooking spatula.
28. Continue stir-frying to mix the egg into the noodle mixture. 
29. Taste the noodle mixture and add some of the reserved marinade, if necessary, to enhance taste or noodle texture. (I used all of it.)
30. Turn the heat to low, add the tofu, bean sprouts, and scallions or chives, and sprinkle with white pepper. 
31. Mix well, and turn the pad thai gai out onto a serving dish.
32. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts on top or serve them separately in a bowl.

The Story:

With whole-grain, brown rice noodles and a sauce slightly sweetened with stevia, this pad thai is an excellent choice for an Asian meal with a low glycemic index. I based it on a recipe found on the Taste of Asian Food web site.

Lemony Chicklet

The Ingredients (for 5 servings):

• 10 to 12 chicken drumsticks, weighing approximately 1.3 kg (or 3 lb)
• 6 to 8 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 30 g (or 1 oz)
• 3 g (or ½ teaspoon) of salt
• 2 lemons
• 110 ml (or ½ cup) of white wine
• 30 g (or 2 tablespoons) of unsalted butter
• 15 g (or 2 tablespoons) of salt-preserved capers
• 3 g (or 2 teaspoons) of tarragon
• 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of Dijon style mustard
• cooking grade olive oil 

The Method:

1. Rinse the drumsticks and pat them dry.
2. Peel, then crush or mash the garlic cloves with the salt until the mixture becomes slightly frothy or creamy.
3. Extract the juice from one of the lemons.
4. Slice the other lemon finely to yield about 12 slices. Discard the ends of the sliced lemon.
5. Heat a large skillet to medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan.
6. Place the chicken drumsticks in the skillet and brown them on both sides.
   
7. Remove the drumsticks and set them aside.
8. Turn the heat to medium-low.
9. Add the wine and lemon juice to the skillet, scraping and stirring to deglaze the pan.
10. Add the butter, capers, tarragon, and mustard and continue stirring until the mixture comes to a boil.
    
11. Add the lemon slices and stir briefly.
    
12. Add the reserved chicken drumsticks and stir to coat them with the sauce.
    
13. Place a lid on the skillet and simmer the drumsticks on low heat for 15 minutes.
    
    

    

    Lemony Chicklet

*PC Vulcan Chicken

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 20.)


The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 7 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion, weighing approximately 350 g (or 12  oz)
• 2 to 5 carrots, weighing approximately 570 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 6 shallots, weighing approximately 170 g (or 6 oz)
• 4 garlic cloves, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• 1 chicken, cut into serving-size pieces (or the equivalent weight of chicken legs or breasts)
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 300 ml (or 1¼ cups) of white wine
• 230 g (or 1 cup) of French green lentils, preferably imported from the origin: Le Puy-en-Velay, Haute-Loire, France
• 240 ml (or 1 cup) of chicken broth, preferably home-made
• 15 g (or ½ oz) of fresh herbs, or the dried equivalent (I used rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves)
• 45 ml (or 3 tablespoons) of Dijon mustard
• Cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Dice the salt pork finely.
2. Cut the onion into 1-cm (or ⅜-inch) cubes.
3. Peel and slice the carrots into rounds.
4. Peel the shallots and slice them in half across the rings.
5. Peel and crush the garlic cloves or force them through a garlic press.
6. Tie the herbs together with a piece of string.
7. Cut the chicken into about 12 pieces: 2 wings, 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, and 4 to 6 serving-size sections of breast. 
8. Wash the chicken pieces, pat them dry, and season them with the black pepper.
   
9. Place the base of the pressure cooker on the stove and add enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of the pan.
10. Heat the pan to medium, and add the salt pork.
    
11. Stir the salt pork frequently and cook until it turns a golden brown.
12. Remove the salt pork and set it aside.
    
13. Pour off all you can of the rendered pork fat and return the pan to the stove.
14. If necessary, add a little more olive oil then place the onion, carrot, and shallot into the pan and stir frequently until the onion is translucent.
15. Add the garlic and stir frequently until it starts to smell toasty.
16. Remove the vegetables and set them aside.
17. Add the chicken pieces, skin-side down, to the pan and allow them to brown for several minutes before turning them and browning them on the other side also.
18. Add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. 
19. Add the lentils, salt pork, vegetables, chicken broth, herbs, and about one-third of the mustard and stir briefly.
    
20. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook the chicken at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 12 minutes.
21. Following manufacturer's instructions, reduce pressure as quickly as possible.
22. Remove the lid, and return the pressure cooker base to medium heat on the stove; simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes to reduce and thicken the liquid.
    
23. Remove the herbs and add the remainder of the mustard, stirring to distribute it evenly.

The Story:

This is an adaptation of a recipe by Katrina Woodman on taste.com.au.

*PC Coq au Vin

*PC Coq au Vin served with Smashing Cauliflower, also on this blog,
and steamed asparagus

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in steps 24 and 37.)

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 600 ml (or 20 oz) of a dry red wine
• 1 small onion
• 2 stalks of celery
• 2 large carrots
• 3 to 5 cloves of garlic
• 6 g (or 2 teaspoons) of whole black peppercorns
• 1 chicken, weighing approximately 2.3 kg (or 5 lb)
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of thick-cut bacon
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of shallots
• 2 or 3 cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 14 g (or ½ oz)
• 4 to 8 sprigs of thyme
• 4 to 8 sprigs of parsley, preferably flat-leaf Italian parsley
• 4 bay leaves
• 120 ml (or ½ cup) of chicken broth
• 25 g (or 3 tablespoons) of garbanzo bean (chick pea) flour
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of mushrooms
• 12 to 15 small boiling onions, weighing approximately 450 g (or 1 lb)
• 28 g (or 2 tablespoons) of butter
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. The day before you intend to cook the coq, make a marinade by first pouring the red wine into a medium size saucepan.
2. Peel the onion, carrots, and the 3 to 5 cloves of garlic.
3. Roughly chop the onion, celery, carrots and garlic, and add them to the wine in the pan.
4. Add the peppercorns to the pan.
5. Bring the marinade mixture to a boil and simmer it for 5 minutes.
6. Allow the marinade to cool, then add 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of olive oil.
7. Meanwhile, cut the chicken into sections: wings, drumsticks, thighs, and breast pieces. The breast pieces can be boneless or with ribs still attached.
8. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces.
9. Add together the chicken pieces and the cooled marinade. (I like to marinate in a ziploc plastic bag, pressing out the air before sealing it.)
   
   
   
   
10. Place the marinating chicken into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours.
11. About 2 hours before you plan to eat, take the chicken out of the refrigerator and, using a colander or large sieve, strain off the liquid part of the marinade into a bowl. 
    
12. Pick out the chicken pieces and place them on a rack or paper towels to drain and dry and reserve the marinade vegetables.
13. Cut the bacon into thin slices across the grain.
14. Finely slice the shallots and the 2 to 3 cloves of garlic.
15. Pour enough oil into the bottom part of the pressure cooker to lightly coat it, and turn the heat to medium-high.
16. Add the bacon bits and stir them almost constantly until they render most of their fat and turn golden brown.
17. Remove the bacon bits from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
18. Pour off most of the rendered fat.
19. Replace the pressure cooker on the burner over medium-high heat, and place the chicken pieces, skin-side down in the pan.
20. Brown the chicken pieces on both sides.
21. Add the marinade vegetables into the pan and stir to brown them slightly. 
22. Add the marinade liquid into the pan and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pressure cooker.
23. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and chicken broth and give a quick stir to distribute them evenly throughout.
    
24. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook the chicken at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 5 minutes.
25. Allow the pressure to recede gradually.
26. Meanwhile, place the garbanzo bean flour into a small bowl and add enough water to make a thin slurry. Allow it to sit while continuing with the following steps.
27. Plunge the boiling onions into a pot of boiling water for about 30 seconds, then drain them.
    
28. When they are cool enough to handle, cut off the tops and bottoms, and remove their outer skins.
29. Wash the mushrooms and, if they are large, cut them into bite-size pieces.
30. In a large skillet, melt the butter in an equal amount of olive oil over medium-high heat.
31. Add the mushrooms and turn them constantly until they absorb the oil. 
32. When the mushrooms begin to render back the oil, add the onions and brown them with the mushrooms, then turn off the heat.
    
33. Open the pressure cooker and remove the chicken pieces into a serving dish.
34. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard all of the vegetables and herbs from the cooking liquid.
35. Add the reserved garbanzo bean paste to the cooking liquid, place the mixture back on the burner on high heat, and stir until it thickens slightly.
36. Add the reserved bacon bits, mushrooms, and boiling onions to the cooking mixture.
37. Following manufacturer's instructions, cover the pressure cooker and cook them at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) for 5 minutes.
38. Following the manufacturer's instructions, bring the pressure back to normal rapidly.
39. Pour the contents of the pressure cooker over the chicken pieces.

The Story:

The basis for this method is a recipe for "Classic Coq Au Vin" on the epicurious.com web site. The pressure cooker saves braising time (but not, alas, prep time), while maintaining the deep, rich, goodness of this classic dish.

*PC Chick-Chick

*Pressure Cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 18.)

Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 250 g (or 1¼ cup) of lentils (I used channa dal, or dried baby chick peas)
  
• 170 g (or 6 oz) of salt pork
• 1 medium onion weighing approximately 225 g (or 8 oz)
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of carrots
• 1 chicken weighing approximately 1.8 kg (or 4 lb)
• 55 g (or 2 oz) of parsley (preferably the flat-leaf Italian parsley)
• 1 g (or 1 tablespoon) of dried tarragon
• 5 bay leaves
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 8 g (or 1 tablespoon) of freshly ground black pepper
• 60 ml (or ¼ cup) of sherry
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. Six hours before you plan to serve the Chick-Chick, place the lentils in a medium size saucepan, cover with two or more inches of water, and bring the pot to a boil.
2. When the lentils have boiled for one minute, remove the pot from the heat, place a cover on the pan, and allow the lentils to soak until you are ready for step 11, below.
3. About 2 hours before you plan to serve, prepare the other ingredients by first cutting the salt pork into thin slices and then into approximately 1-cm (or ¾-inch) pieces.
4. Dice the onion.
5. Finely dice or grind the garlic cloves.
6. Peel and chop the carrots into bite-size pieces.
7. Wash the chicken thoroughly, pat it dry, and chop it into about 12 bone-in pieces—wings, thighs, drumsticks, 4 to 6 breast pieces, and the lower spine piece.
   
8. Wash the parsley, tie the stems together with twine, and cut the stems off the bunch.
9. Pour enough olive oil into the pressure cooker to coat the bottom, and heat it over medium-high heat.
10. When the oil is hot, sauté the salt pork until it is browned and slightly crisp.
11. Meanwhile, drain the soaked lentils in a colander and rinse them in cold water to remove all of the soaking water.
12. When the salt pork is browned, add the chicken pieces to the pressure cooker and brown them on all sides.
    
    
    
    
13. Add the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onions are translucent.
14. Add the carrots and drained lentils, and stir to coat them with the olive oil.
15. Add 300 ml (or 1¼ cup) of water.
16. Add to the pressure cooker the parsley stems, tarragon, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and stir to distribute them in the mixture.
17. Lock the lid onto the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions, and turn the heat to high.
18. Cook the chicken and lentil mixture in the pressure cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions for 15 minutes at high pressure (100 kPa, or 15 psi) .
19. Meanwhile, chop the parsley leaves finely and set them aside.
20. When the pressure has subsided, remove the chicken pieces from the pressure cooker and set them aside.
21. Remove the parsley stems from the mixture and discard them.
22. Add the sherry to the lentil mixture, stirring to distribute it throughout.
23. With the lid off the pressure cooker, return the lentil mixture to the stove and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes more, or until it becomes thickened and creamy in texture.
24. Return the chicken pieces to the pot, add the parsley leaves, and stir gently to distribute them evenly throughout.
    

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry

*PC Muchi Chicken Curry with Smashing Cauliflower, mango chutney, and curd

* Pressure cooker. (You can prepare this dish without pressure by simmering at boiling point for about three times as long as the pressure cooker in step 14.)

The Ingredients (for 6 servings):

• 200 g (or 1 cup) of chana dal
• 4 large cloves of garlic, weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of ginger root weighing approximately 20 g (or ¾ oz)
• a piece of turmeric root weighing approximately 15 g (or ½ oz)
• 8 g (or 1 teaspoon) of salt
• 1.5 g (or ½ teaspoon) of Cayenne pepper
• 2 g (or 1 teaspoon) of paprika
• 1 lb of curly kale
• 450 g (or 1 lb) of medium size carrots
• 2 onions, weighing approximately 550 g (or 1¼ lb)
• 5 g (or ½ tablespoon) of whole cumin seed
• 12 g (or 2 tablespoons) of curry powder (my current favorite is muchi style)
• 6 g (or 2 tablespoons) of ground coriander seed
• 1.3 kg (or 3 lb) of chicken drumsticks
• a 400-g (or 14-oz) can of diced tomatoes, or the equivalent prepared from fresh tomatoes
• cooking grade olive oil

The Method:

1. At least 5 hours before serving the curry, place the chana dal in a medium mixing bowl and pour in water to cover the dal by 3 inches.
2. When you are ready to start cooking, first grind together (or grate and mix together) the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and salt to make a pungent paste.
   
3. Next, in a small bowl or saucer, mix together the Cayenne, the paprika, and 30 ml (or 2 tablespoons) of water to make a spicy paste. (Ground chili may be substituted for Cayenne pepper if you prefer it.)
4. Wash the kale and cut the stem out of each leaf. Discard the stems and put the kale aside.
   
5. Peel the carrots, wash them, and chop them into bite-size pieces
6. Peel the onions and cut them into thin slices or small cubes.
7. Heat a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the pressure cooker.
8. Add the onions and cumin seeds, and sauté them over medium-high heat until the onions start to brown.
9. Add the pungent paste from Step 2, spicy paste from Step 3, curry powder, and coriander powder and stir vigorously for 1 minute.
   
10. Add the chicken drumsticks and continue to stir until they are coated with the spices and the skin is beginning to look seared.
11. Add the tomatoes, kale, and carrot to the cooker, and 250 ml (or 1 cup) of water.
12. Drain the dal, rinse it in the sieve, then add it to the mixture in the pan.
    
13. Stir everything together, scraping up any spices that may be sticking on the bottom of the pan.
14. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and, following the manufacturer's instructions, cook the curry at high pressure for 15 minutes (100 kPa, or 15 psi).