The Steaming Wok

fish sauce

Quick Nappa Cabbage Kimchi

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I have to confess I am a kimchi fanatic. In fact, lately I have been experimenting quite a bit with making different fermented vegetables and fruit after reading The NOMA Guide to Fermentation by Rene Redzepi and the team at the Nordic Food Lab. I hope to begin posting some of my experiments that have been inspired by NOMA and have ideas about fermenting tropical Asian fruits like lychee, mangosteen, and jack fruit.  I may even attempt to make my own fish sauce if I can figure out how to do so without provoking the ire of my neighbors. I am also working on expanding my repertoire of pao cai (泡菜) or Chinese pickled vegetables. Of particular interest is pickled Kohlrabi from Yunnan which I have been trying to master since first trying it in Dali nearly five years ago. If anyone has experience fermenting kohlrabi, please let me know.

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Vietnamese herb and pomelo salad with roasted salmon belly

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One of the things I love about Northern California is the prevalence of farmer’s markets brimming with local produce and seafood. Last weekend one of the vendors had fresh salmon bellies from fish that had been caught off the coast that morning.  Salmon bellies along with the salmon collar are flavorful and melt in your mouth.  Since there is a higher fat content, they are also easy to grill without them drying out.  They also carmelize and develop a beautiful crunchy crust when prepared this way.  I prefer to use a charcoal grill, but if that is not available, you can grill them under a hot broiler or even on a hot cast iron skillet.

I had a few pomelos left over from the previous weekend and decided that a Vietnamese herb salad would go really well with salmon.  For a dressing, I just made a quick nuoc nam dressing. I prefer a dressing that is a bit sour.  If you want to cut the tartness, feel free to add some additional sugar.  The key to making a balanced dressing is to keep tasting as you prepare it.  This dressing should be hot, salty, sour, and sweet. I think it combines really well with the richness of the salmon, and the sharp flavors of all the fresh herbs and the perfumed sweetness of the pomelo.  

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon bellies, 

1 large bunch each of mint, cilantro, and holy basil

1 large pomelo

1 seedless cucumber, sliced into half moons

4 – 5 shallots thinly sliced

Enough vegetable oil to fry the shallots in a small sauce pan

2 Tablespoons palm sugar (you can also substitute for brown sugar or cane sugar)

4 red or green Thai chilies, finely sliced.  Add more if you like a lot of heat

3 garlic cloves finely minced

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

3 Tablespoons fish sauce 

Directions:

  1. Rinse the salmon bellies and remove any large bones that may be remaining.  I like to salt it in advance of grilling it which helps remove extra moisture and contributes to a crispy crust when you grill it.  Put the salmon aside and let it rest while you prep the herbs.
  2. Rinse the herbs and pull off the tender leaves, discarding tough stems.  I like to use a salad spinner to dry the herbs at the end because I find that the dressing adheres better to the leaves when they are dry.  Toss the herbs together on a serving platter.
  3. Segment the pomelo.  I find it easiest to remove the thick pith and skin using a knife.  I then use my fingers to pull the pulp away from the thick skin on the inside of the pomelo.  The pomelo fruit should pull away in little pearls of fruit.  Sprinkle the bits of pomelo over the herbs.
  4. Heat 1-2 cups of vegetable oil in a small saucepan until it is hot enough to fry the shallots. I like to use a wooden chop stick to test.  If the dry tip of a chopstick bubbles vigorously when dipped in the oil, it is ready for the shallots. Carefully add in your thinly sliced shallots.  Be careful, the oil tends to bubble up when you do so.  Make sure the pan is deep enough so that the oil doesn’t go over the side. Fry the shallots for 4-5 minutes until it turns golden.  Strain from the oil and drain on a plate lined with a paper towel.
  5. Create the dressing by mixing the sugar, Thai chiles, garlic cloves, lime juice, and fish sauce. Taste to check the balance in flavors and adjust accordingly. 
  6. Grill or broil the salmon bellies.  I find that depending on the thickness, the salmon broils fairly quickly.  I like to develop a little char on the outside.  This usually begins to happen in 4-5 minutes depending on the thickness of your salmon.  Cut into smaller pieces and let cool slightly before placing on the bed of herbs. 
  7. Drizzle the platter with the dressing and garnish with the fried shallots.  Enjoy

 

Homemade Sriracha

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I’m smitten.  Ok, yes, normally I would reserve that terminology for a person, maybe even a favorite pet, but this experiment making sriracha sauce in my own kitchen will likely change the way I cook.  I’m already planning on experimenting with making my own XO sauce, worcestershire, even soy.  I’m not sure why it should have been so surprising that freshly made chili sauce would be so good since I would gladly spend an hour pounding ingredients for a fresh curry past, but I figured that since Sriracha had achieved such a cult status among foodies, it would be silly to even try to replicate.  I admit, I took a few liberties while making this and did deviate from the ingredients of the original, but this is a recipe that I can see myself making weekly.  The best part about it is that you can easily customize.  If you are a garlic fiend, add more.  The same with the fish sauce.  Though this does make quite a bit, you can easily cut the recipe in half, however, it lasts at least a week and I think you are going to like it so much that you won’t have a problem using it all up. Trust me.

 

Recipe for Sriracha

Ingredients:

1 lb red finger hot chili peppers (if you like a hotter sauce, experiment with thai red chili peppers, though you may want to use a cup instead)

8 cloves of garlic

3 – 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce

2 Tb fish sauce

6 Tb rice vinegar

6 Tb sugar

Directions:

1. Remove stems from the peppers and rinse them clean.  Chop roughly and place in a blender.

2. Add garlic, tomato sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, and sugar.

3. Pulse in the blender until you get a smooth sauce.  Store in a clean container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

It’s that simple!

It’s that

Yunnan Pineapple Salad

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Although Yunnan, a Southwestern province of China that borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam, does not have a cuisine that is very well known outside of China, it is becoming increasingly popular in Beijing and Shanghai, and it is only a matter of time before the West catches on to the unique flavors that Yunnan has to offer.  Yunnan is largely tropical and subtropical and borrows many of the same ingredients used in neighboring Southeast Asia.  In addition, Yunnan is home to many of China’s ethnic minorities insuring that a diversity of influences has helped shape its cuisine.  This refreshing salad exemplifies this diversity and mixes salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavors tthat will literally set your tongue on fire.  This recipe is my own attempt to replicate one of my favorite dishes at Yunnan restaurant In & Out in Beijing.  There is nothing better than this simple salad that takes less than 15 minutes to prepare on hot summer day.  The acidity of the salad also pairs really well with grilled meat skewers.

 

Recipe for Yunnan Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

3 Tablespoons good quality fish sauce

1 Tablespoon sugart

3-4 red chilies, seeded and minced

1 pineapple – trimmed and cut into bite size wedges

3 Tablespoons fresh mint leaves, finely shredded.

1. In a medium bowl, mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, and chilies, making sure that sugar completely dissolves.

2. Toss in the pineapple and fold in the mint.  If you arre going to make this in advance, mix the dressing and the pineapple and refrigerate.  Just before serving, toss in your mint so that it doesn’t discolor.