‘They serve Spanish food, tapas style with unusual and hard-to-find ingredients, and their award-winning menu changes weekly.’
Ingredients
Serrano ham, Pimientos, Sea salt,
Tangy Chicken and Peanuts (Gong Bao Chicken)
This recipe and others can be found in the following article:
The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province
by Kimberly Dukes
The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province
by Kimberly Dukes
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!
Pritong Talong (Grilled Eggplants in Vinegar and Spices
As in the dish above, split the Western eggplant in half lengthwise if that’s what you’re using, or leave whole if you are using the slim eggplants.
Ingredients
• 2 slim eggplants or one Western eggplant
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 2 chopped green chillies, such as serrano, seeds and stem removed, minced
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• Juice of one half lemon
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 medium sized tomato, deseeded and chopped
Instructions
Over a medium fire on a grill, cook the eggplant, turning it around regularly so each part of it is exposed evenly to the fire, until the skin is charred and the eggplant is soft. Let cool slightly, then peel off the skin. Roughly chop the eggplant, then mix it with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl, and serve.
Tongue-Numbing Spicy Beef
This recipe and others can be found in the following article:
The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province
The Tongue-Numbing “Flower Pepper” of Sichuan Province
by Kimberly Dukes
Ingredients
Sesame Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan pepper oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- Salt to taste
The Stir-Fry:
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons peanut oil, divided
- 1/2 pound sirloin, cut into thin strips or small cubes
- Chunk of ginger about the same size as the garlic, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1 small green or red sweet pepper (or a mixture), chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3/4 teaspoon of extra-hot chile powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn
- Cilantro or parsley, chopped, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the sauce, in a medium bowl, combine the salt, pepper, beef, egg white, and cornstarch.
In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, Sichuan pepper oil, sugar, and salt to taste.
In a wok, heat a little oil to season the surface. Once it’s hot, discard the oil. Add 3 teaspoons of peanut oil and heat. Add the meat, and stir-fry for about 4 minutes, until the meat is just cooked. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat to a plate and drain.
In the wok, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry until it is fragrant, 15- 30 seconds. Add the sweet peppers and onion, and stir-fry for 1 minute. (They should remain a little crisp.) Add the chile powde and ground peppercorn, stir for a few seconds, then add the beef and stir. Stir the Sesame sauce again, add to the wok, and stir for about 15 seconds.
Serve on an oval plate in a single layer, so that the hot-and-numbsauce is spread out evenly. Garnish with cilantro or parsley if desired.
Grilled Garlic Fish
This is a simple but classic method of preparing any firm, white-fleshed fish in the Philippines. To make the coconut vinegar, soak 2 tablespoons of grated coconut in 1/4 cup white vinegar for 30 minutes. You can use a fish basket on the grill so the fillets don’t stick. Serve with an Asian hot sauce as described above. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup coconut vinegar
- 1 small chilli, such as serrano, seeds and stems removed, minced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 pound fish fillets
- Vegetable oil
Instructions
In a bowl, combine the garlic, coconut vinegar, chilli, and salt and pepper and mix well. Reserve some of the marinade for basting. Place the fish fillets in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over them. Marinate for 30 minutes.
Brush the grill with vegetable oil and grill the fillets over medium-hot flames for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill, top with the reserved marinade, and serve immediately.