Tangy Chicken and Peanuts (Gong Bao Chicken)

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

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

 

The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province

by Kimberly Dukes

 
Gong Pao Chicken

Ingredients

Marinade Ingredients:
  • 3 teaspoons sherry
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon water
 
Sauce Ingredients:
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 4 teaspoons vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons water
 
Stir-Fry Ingredients:
  • 1 to 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed (about 1/2 pound)
  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 24 small Japanese chiles, halved, most seeds discarded
  • 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
  • Chunk of ginger about the same size as the garlic, minced
  • 4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chopped celery (cut on a slant)1 bunch green onions or scallions, chopped in 1-inch sections (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 cup peanuts
  • Cilantro or parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the marinade ingredients and stir well. Add the chicken and let it sit while you chop, measure, and combine the other ingredients.
In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients.
 
In a wok, heat the oil over high heat. When it is quite hot, add the chiles and the Sichuan peppercorns and stir continually for about half a minute, until the oil smells spicy. Be careful not to let the spices burn–you might want to take the wok off the heat for a moment or two.
 
Add the chicken and whatever is left of the marinade, stirring continually for a few minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the ginger and garlic, stir-frying until it smells fragrant, 15-30 seconds. Be careful not to burn them.
 
Stir the sauce again and add it to the wok, stirring for about 30 seconds. Add the celery and stir for about 15 seconds. Add the spring onions and stir for about 15 seconds. Add the peanuts and stir for about 15 seconds.
 
Serve on a flat oval plate in a single layer so that the sauce is distributed evenly. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired. Eat with chopsticks if you can!

Red Chile Pilaf

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Here is one of our favorite ways to cook rice. The style is from the Middle East, but the chile transforms the dish into a favorite New Mexican accompaniment. Believe it or not, some people serve salsa over this rice!

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces butter

  • 2 cups long-grain white rice

  • 1 onion, chopped fine

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 red New Mexican chile pods, seeds and stems removed, soaked in hot water to hydrate them

  • 4 1/2 cups chicken stock

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat and saute the rice until golden brown, stirring often. Add the onion and saute until soft, about 3 minutes, taking care that the rice does not burn. In a blender, puree the garlic, chile, and 1/2 cup of stock. Add this to the rice and stir. Add the remaining stock to the rice, bring to a boil, and transfer to a deep glass baking dish. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, removing the lid during the final 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

 

 

pinwheels

Green Chile Tortilla Pinwheels

Mark Masker Cooking with Chiles at the Holidays, Recipes Leave a Comment

These are very popular appetizers New Mexico and are served at just about every holiday party. A number of fillings can be used, but green chile cream cheese is by far the most favored. This is an all-purpose filling that goes well on crackers, as a dip with chips or vegetable crudities, as well as on tortillas. For those watching their fat intake, substitute light cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese. It is important to tightly roll and refrigerate the rolls or they won’t stay together after they are sliced.

jicama

Chile de Arbol Salad

Mark Masker Cooking with Chiles at the Holidays, Recipes Leave a Comment

Jicamas are a bulbous root vegetable with thin brown skin and a crisp, crunchy, sweet flesh rather like a water chestnut. In Mexico, jicamas are a popular snack food sold by street vendors who cut them into sticks, douse them with lime juice, and sprinkle them with chile. Sometimes called a Mexican potato, it’s good both raw and cooked, although it is usually served raw as an appetizer or in salads such as this one. This spicy salad dressing goes well with a number of fruits and vegetables so experiment with your own combinations.

Khaz Bay Salmon with Soba Noodles and Ginger Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Developed by Tara Zuluaga, the Home Shore’s kayak charter chef, this recipe graces Alaska salmon, soba noodles, and sautéed vegetables with a creamy ginger-garlic sauce. Although this version of the recipe calls for grilled salmon, baking the fish also produces excellent results.

Ingredients

The Marinade:

  • 1/2 cup honey

  • 1/2 cup lime juice

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce

  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar

  • Salmon:

  • 2 pounds skin-on Alaska salmon fillets (chinook, coho, or king), about 1 inch thick

  • Vegetable oil

The Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup dry white wine

  • 1 tablespoon fresh garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

  • 1/2 cup cream

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  • 1/2 cup butter, cut into small pieces

  • 2 tablespoons lime juice

  • Vegetables and Noodles:

  • 1 8-ounce package of chucka soba or yaki soba noodles

  • 2 tablespoons hot sesame oil

  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced

  • 1 1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

  • 1 1/2 cup sugar snap peas

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

The Garnish:

  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell peppers

Instructions

Whisk the marinade ingredients in small (1 quart) mixing bowl until well combined. Place the salmon in a casserole dish, coat it with the marinade, and refrigerate it for one hour.

Meanwhile, begin working on the sauce. In a medium (2- to 3-quart) saucepan, bring the wine to a boil over high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and boil for 1 minute. Reduce the heat medium-low and simmer the mixture until it is reduced by half. Add the cream and continue to simmer the mixture over medium-low heat (do not allow it to boil) until it is again reduced by half. Stir in the salt and pepper. Add the butter gradually, stirring in one piece at a time with a wooden spoon, until it is fully incorporated. Reduce the heat to low until the salmon is ready. Whisk in the lime juice just before serving the sauce.

After the salmon has marinated for one hour, pour off the marinade and set aside. Brush the meat side of the fillet with vegetable oil using a pastry brush, and grill it over hot coals, meat side down, until it is slightly browned about 3 to 4 minutes). Turn the fillet, skin side down, and brush it with the reserved marinade. Grill the fillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Check for doneness by gently breaking open the fillet its thickest part with a fork. If the meat is barely opaque, remove the fillet from the grill. If the fillet is still translucent in the center, grill it for 1 minute and re-check for doneness. Continue this process until the fillet is just opaque at its thickest part.

Meanwhile, soak the chucka soba or yaki soba noodles in a large (3- to 4- quart) saucepan filled with warm (not hot) water for 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and set aside. Preheat a wok or a medium (2- to 3-quart) skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil to the preheated wok or skillet and wait for 1 minute. Stir in the onion, mushrooms, and snap peas.

Sauté the vegetables over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are tender but still crisp. Set the vegetables aside. Add the drained soba noodles to the wok or skillet and coat them with the soy sauce and the remaining sesame oil. Add the vegetables to the wok or skillet and mix them into the noodles until they are well combined. Serve the salmon over the vegetable- noodle mixture and top the combination with warm ginger sauce.

Sprinkle the dish with the garnishes as desired.