From Denny: Chinese New Year celebrations began on February 14th, the same as Valentine's Day, and last for two weeks or more. This year is known as the Year of the Tiger.
Chef Ming Tsai, from his restaurant Blue Ginger and Food Network fame, offers up a few tasty dishes to help us celebrate a feast fit for a tiger. These are some seriously sophisticated recipes. Makes me long for when I spent a few years of high school in Taiwan. The Taiwanese loved to teach others about their food and culture. The Taiwanese are also quite an enthusiastic culture, easy for Americans to relate to their exuberance. The Chinese celebrate New Year like we celebrate Mardi Gras in Louisiana - lots of incredible feasting!
Ming's Recipes Featured:
Tempura Shrimp Cocktail with Lime Leaf-Avocado Puree
Cranberry-Hoisin Sauce Glazed Duck
Lychee Champagne Granita
Ming's books:
Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West Meals
Ming's Master Recipes (based on the Public Television series SIMPLY MING)Tempura shrimp cocktail with lime leaf-avocado puree and chipotle puree
From: Chef Ming Tsai, Blue Ginger restaurant
Serves: 4
Shrimp in Chinese also means to laugh or smile, which we all need in the new year and is, of course, essential in a relationship!
INGREDIENTSTomato puree• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, rough chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 medium tomatoes, rough chopped, or 1 cup drained canned plum tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce, depending on heat preference
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Avocado puree• 2 ripe avocados, rough chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and seeded
• Juice of 1 lime
• 6 lime leaves, chiffonade
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
Tempura shrimp cocktail• 2 flour tortillas or best quality tortilla chips
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups rice flour
• 2-3 cups club soda
• 12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail-on (Contessa brand preferred)
• Canola oil, for deep frying
• 2 cups romaine lettuce, cut into 1/8-inch ribbons
DIRECTIONSFor the tomato pureeHeat a small skillet over medium heat; add oil and swirl to coat. When the oil shimmers, add onion and garlic and saute until brown, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and chipotles and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are soft and their liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and puree. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
For the avocado pureeIn a food processor, combine avocados with jalapeno, lime juice and lime leaves and puree. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fold in the cilantro and shallots. Set aside.
For the tortilla chipsFill a fryer or medium stockpot one-third full with oil and heat to 375 degrees. Cut tortillas in 1-inch-wide long-sided triangles that run the length of each tortilla. Fry tortilla triangles until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain well on paper towel-lined plate, season with chile powder and salt and set aside.
For the tempura shrimpPlace flour in medium bowl and stir in sufficient club soda to produce a pancake batter-like mixture. Dip the shrimp in the batter, drain any excess, and fry in 2 batches until golden brown, 3-5 minutes. Remove with a large mesh spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt to taste.
To serve, have 4 martini glasses filled with romaine. Dollop purees side by side into martini glasses. Insert 3 chips upright in each glass. Hang 3 shrimp off edge of martini glass, pushing them gently into edge. You may need to make a 1/4-inch incision on top of shrimp so they will stay firmly attached.
Cranberry-hoisin glazed duck with bok choy fondue and a red roast sweet potato puree
From: Ming Tsai
Serves: 4
In Chinese culture, duck symbolizes fidelity and the color red symbolizes happiness.
INGREDIENTS• 1 bottle dry red wine
• 2 cups Shaoxing wine, or 1 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup dark soy sauce
• 3 cups Wanjashan organic soy sauce
• 2 cups Ocean Spray cranberry juice
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 boxes (about 3 pounds) rock sugar, or 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 cup Craisins, rough chopped, plus whole for garnish
• 1 5-inch piece fresh ginger, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1 whole head garlic, unpeeled and halved horizontally
• 2 bunches scallions, white parts sliced into 2-inch lengths, green parts sliced 1/8 inch thick
• 2 star anise
• 4 Thai bird chiles
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 large duck, about 6 pounds
• 2 cups water, plus more if necessary
• 8 baby bok choy, halved and cored
• 4 sweet potatoes, forked, wrapped in foil and baked through
DIRECTIONS1. In a large, deep pot combine the wines, soy sauces, cranberry juice, hoisin sauce, rock sugar, Craisins, ginger, garlic, scallion whites, star anise, chiles and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat and stir to dissolve rock sugar, about 5-10 minutes. Reduce to a simmer and add the duck and water. If the liquid doesn't cover the duck, add more water.
2. Place a second pot or stainless-steel bowl half-filled with water into the first to keep the duck submerged (see Tips) and simmer until the duck is very tender and almost falling from the bones, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Do not overcook or the meat will come apart. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the bok choy.
3. Meanwhile, prepare sweet potato mash: Unwrap hot sweet potatoes and scoop flesh into a large heat-proof bowl. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the hot braising liquid to potatoes. Stir together until well combined. Check for flavor and season with salt and pepper (and extra braising liquid, if you like). Place potatoes in center of a large platter. Using a large, mesh spoon, carefully remove the duck and bok choy from the pot and arrange on platter, using potatoes to anchor duck.
4. Glaze the duck with the sauce, garnish it with the scallion greens and reserved Craisins, and serve.
TIPS
Ming's Tips: The duck must be kept submerged in its braising liquid while it cooks. To accomplish this, find a pot or stainless-steel bowl that will fit into the braising pot. Fill it halfway with water and place it on the duck to weigh it down as it cooks.
Don't be put off by the amount of sugar I call for here; it's needed to give the dish its mellow flavor.
Lychee champagne granita
From: Ming Tsai, "Simply Ming"
Serves: 4
In Chinese culture, the lychee is considered a symbol of romance and love. It is also thought to be beneficial to place dried lychees under the marriage bed as a wish for many children.
INGREDIENTS• 1 cup drained lychees
• 1/2 cup syrup from can of lychees
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups Champagne, plus more for garnish
• Whole fresh lychees, for garnish (optional)
DIRECTIONSIn a blender, combine lychees, syrup and lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture into a bowl. Add Champagne and stir to combine. Pour mixture into baking dish, stir once and freeze overnight. To serve, scrape using the back of a fork, pile into chilled martini glasses and top with more Champagne and a whole lychee, for garnish, if desired.
Ming's books:Simply Ming: Easy Techniques for East-Meets-West MealsMing's Master Recipes (based on the Public Television series SIMPLY MING)*** THANKS for visiting, come back often, feel welcome to drop a comment or opinion, a big shout out to awesome current subscribers - and if you are new to this blog, please subscribe in a reader or by email updates!
