Ants Climbing a Tree

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe and others can be found in the following article:

 Oodles and Oodles of Asian Noodles

by Nancy Gerlach, Fiery-Foods.com Food Editor Emeritus 

Ingredients

For the Noodles:

  • 1 4-ounce package cellophane noodles

  • 1/4 cup shitake or other dried mushrooms

  • 6 ounces ground pork

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, peanut preferred

  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

  • 2 green onions, sliced including the green

  • 4 teaspoons hot bean paste

  • 2 teaspoons crushed red chile or substitute Asian chile paste

For the Marinade:

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

  • 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

Place the noodles in a bowl, cover them with hot water and allow them to soak for 15 to 20 minutes to soften. Drain and cut them into pieces about 4-inches in length.

In another bowl, soak the mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and mince the mushrooms.

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade, add the pork and marinate at room temperature for 5 minutes.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.

Heat a wok over high heat and when hot, add the oil. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the pork and stir-fry until the pork begins to brown. Add the ginger, green onion, and the mushrooms, and stir-fry until the pork is well browned. Add the bean paste and stir-fry for about 15 seconds or until it is well-combined with other ingredients.

Add the noodles, the sauce ingredients, and chile. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the bean threads just begin to stick to the wok.

Mound the noodles on a large platter and serve.

 

Plank-Roasted Potatoes

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Lightly coated with minced garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, these roasted potatoes complement any grilled or smoked seafood.

Ingredients

  • 4 medium Russet potatoes, cut lengthwise into quarters

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • Kosher salt to taste

  • Cracked black peppercorns to taste

  • 2 Northern White Cedar planks, soaked in water at least two hours

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine potatoes, oil, salt, pepper and minced garlic; toss to coat.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking. Brush planks with olive oil and place on heated side of the grill. Heat planks until smoking and reduce the heat to medium. Flip planks over and move them to the indirect heat side of the grill. Place potatoes, cut side down, on the planks. Close cover and cook 20 minutes. Flip potatoes onto other cut side and continue cooking 25 to 30 minutes or until well browned and fork-tender.

Planked Asparagus & Peppers with Snappy Glaze

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

This recipe combines fresh asparagus, bell peppers and a Scotch bonnet-based hot pepper jelly to make a unique side dish for grilled foods.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups water

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 pounds asparagus, cleaned and trimmed

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 1/2 cup Tennessee Gourmet™ Snappy Pepper Jelly

  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into rings

  • 2 Northern White Cedar planks, soaked in water at least two hours

  • Olive oil

  • Cracked black pepper to taste

  • Kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Bring 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a large sauté pan, and add lemon juice and salt. Add asparagus in a single layer, adding more water if necessary to keep asparagus covered. Return the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for three minutes. Using tongs, remove the asparagus and shock the asparagus in an ice bath to set the color and stop the cooking process. (Depending on the size of the sauté pan, it may be necessary to cook the asparagus in batches.)

Melt two tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add Tennessee Gour-met™ Snappy Pepper Jelly. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the jelly melts. Keep warm.

Prepare the grill for indirect cooking. Brush planks with olive oil and place on preheated grill. Heat planks until smoking then reduce the heat to medium. Flip planks over and move to the indirect side of grill. Place a single layer of asparagus on planks and cover with a layer of sliced peppers. Close the cover and cook six to eight minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from grill, drizzle with pepper jelly sauce and season with salt and pepper.

 

Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Pineapple-Jalapeño Salsa

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Tuna steaks, swordfish, shark or any firm fish could be substituted if desired. The pineapple salsa is an excellent contrast in flavor, texture and temperature.

Ingredients

For the Fish:

  • 4 (6- to 7-ounce) mahi-mahi steaks, about one-inch thick

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic

  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger

  • Kosher salt

  • Cracked black pepper

For the Salsa:

  • 1 red onion, chopped

  • 2 jalapeño peppers, minced

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice

  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 6 slices fresh pineapple, about 1/2-inch thick

 

Instructions

For the Fish:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine olive oil, two tablespoons of the lemon juice, garlic and ginger. Using a resealable food bag, marinate the fish, refrigerated, for one to two hours. Remove the steaks from the marinade and pat dry. Drizzle remaining lemon juice on fish and season fish with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill for medium high direct cooking. Grill the fish for about 10 minutes per side.

For the Salsa:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, pineapple juice, lime juice and vinegar. Allow the salsa to marinate at room temperature. Preheat the grill for medium high direct cooking. Lightly coat the pineapple slices with the oil. Grill the pineapple slices for four minutes, flip and continue cooking other four minutes. Remove from grill, coarsely dice and add to the salsa. Refrigerate salsa at least two hours before serving.

Serve with grilled fish or alone as an appetizer.

 

 

Smoked Bluefish with Chipotle Aioli

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Bluefish, readily available along the East coast during the spring, summer and fall, lend themselves well to smoking, as larger bluefish have a strong, oily flavor. The Chipotle Aioli diminishes the strong taste.

Ingredients

  • 4 (10- to 12-ounce) bluefish fillets

  • Fish brine (recipe above)

  • Two cups hickory chips, soaked in water for two hours

For the Aioli:

  • 1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise

  • 1/2 cup sour cream

  • 1 clove garlic, pressed

  • 1 teaspoon lime juice

  • 1 teaspoon dried Chipotle powder

  • Kosher salt

  • Cracked black pepper

 

Instructions

For the Fish:

Rinse the fillets under cold water and brine, refrigerated, for six to eight hours. Remove fish from brine, lightly rinse under cold water and air dry, skin side down, until a sticky surface forms on the flesh, about one to two hours.

Prepare a smoker for low temperature smoking or a grill for indirect cooking and smoke fillets at 90 degrees F for two hours. Gradually increase the smoker or grill temperature to 175 degrees F and continue cooking for another three to four hours or until the fish begins to flake and has an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.

Serve fillet on field greens and nappe with Chipotle Aioli (see below) or serve aioli on the side.

For the Aioli:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.