Wasabi-Marinated Mahi Tuna with Asian Chile Sauce

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Wasabi is an extremely powerful Japanese horseradish that can be found as a powder or as a paste in easy-to-use tubes. If using it as a powder, reconstitute it in rice wine vinegar. This tuna should be served medium-rare.

Ingredients

Wasabi Marinade

  • 5 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 ½ tablespoons wasabi paste

  • 1 ½ tablespoons grated fresh ginger

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon minced shallots

  • 1 tablespoon hot mustard

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 serrano or jalapeño chile, seeds and stems removed, minced

The Tuna

  • 4 ahi tuna steaks or substitute swordfish
  • Asian Chile Slaw
  • Dressing
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil, peanut preferred
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla), available in Asian markets
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 4 small fresh Thai chiles (prik kee nu), stems removed, minced, or substitute 2 serrano chiles

The Salad:

  • 2 cups finely shredded Napa or regular cabbage

  • 1/4 cup shredded carrots

  • 1/4 cup finely sliced green onions, including the greens

  • 1/4 cup sliced edible pea pods, sliced lengthwise

  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts

  • Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

 

  • 2 teaspoon finely sliced green onions

    Salt and white pepper

     

Instructions

In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.

Place the fish in a single layer in a non-reactive bowl, pour the marinade over the fish and turn to coat. Cover and marinate for an hour at room temperature.

For the slaw, whisk together all the dressing ingredients and allow to sit, covered, at room temperature for 30 minutes to blend the flavors.

Grill the fish over a medium fire for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until just done, medium rare. Cut one of the steaks open to check for doneness.

To make the salad, toss together the cabbage, carrots, onions, and pea pods. Toss with just enough of the dressing to coat. Garnish with the peanuts and cilantro.

To serve, place the fish on a plate and serve with the slaw on the side.

 

Grilled Split Thai Chicken with Fiery Red Chile Sauce

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Chickens grilled in this manner are very popular throughout Thailand, where they’re sold in bus depots in villages, portable food stations, at the beach—everywhere. The Thais would use bamboo skewers, but metal ones work fine. The skewers keep the chicken flat as it cooks on the grill. You will notice that the chicken is doubly spiced, like American barbecue, but much hotter. Those Thais like their food very pungent! The chiles traditionally used are prik chee fa, with medium-hot, cayenne-like, bright red pods. Serve with sticky rice with mangoes and Thai iced tea.

Ingredients

Thai Seasoning Paste

  • 12 large cloves garlic, chopped

  • ½ cup chopped shallots

  • 1/4 cup chopped ginger

  • 1/4 cup fish sauce or substitute soy sauce

  • 4 stalks lemon grass, peeled to reveal soft inner root and lower stem, chopped

  • 6 large red Thai chiles (prik chee fa), stems and seeds removed, chopped, or substitute 4 red jalapeños

The Chicken

  • 1 3 to 3 ½-pound chicken

  • Fiery Red Chile Sauce

  • 3 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed

  • 4 red Thai chiles (prik chee fa), stems and seeds removed, chopped, or substitute red jalapeños

  • 1 tablespoons chopped ginger

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • ½ cup distilled vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons sugar

  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, Thai preferred

  • Salt to taste

Instructions

To make the paste, place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and process to a thick paste.

Using poultry shears, or a heavy knife, cut down both sides of the backbone to cut the chicken in half. Remove the backbone and place the chicken on a cutting board skin side up. Press hard on the breastbone to break it and flatten the bird.

Loosen the skin and rub the paste all over the chicken, over and under the skin.

Take the skewers and force one through the thigh perpendicular to bone and just above drumstick, into the breast, and out through the middle joint of the wing. Repeat for the other side of the chicken.

Place the skewers on the grill over a medium-hot fire. Grill slowly, turning as needed to brown evenly, for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees F. for medium.

To prepare the sauce, soak the dried chiles in hot water to soften for about 20 minutes. Remove, drain, and chop. In a blender or food processor place the chiles, ginger, garlic and 3/4 cup water process until almost puree, but still coarse. Place in a saucepan with the vinegar and sugar. Cook until reduced to about half, remove to a bowl, and add basil and salt to taste. Stir it well.

Serve the chicken with the sauce on the side.

 

Chicken Satay with Spicy Peanut Sauce

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This recipe is courtesy of the Equatorial Penang hotel in Penang, Malaysia. It is a classic Indonesian dish that combines the heat of chiles with the exotic fragrances of the Spice Islands. Note that this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 4 large pieces ginger, peeled

  • 4 fresh piquin chiles, chopped or substitute serranos

  • 5 cloves garlic, peeled

  • 3 shallots, peeled

  • 1 teaspoon cumin seed

  • 1 teaspoon anise seed

  • 1 tablespoon ground turmeric

  • 3 stalks lemon grass

  • 2 teaspoons sugar

  • 1 pound boneless chicken, cut into strips

  • Indonesian Peanut-Chile Sauce (available in Asian markets)

  • Diced cucumbers and onions for garnish

Instructions

Combine the ginger, chiles, garlic, shallots, cumin, anise, turmeric, lemon grass, and sugar in a food processor and puree, adding water if necessary. Marinate the chicken strips in this mixture for 12 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.

Thread the chicken strips onto separate satay sticks which have been soaked in water. Grill the satay sticks over coals until the meat is done, about 12 minutes, turning often. Serve the satays with the Peanut-Chile Sauce on the side and garnished with the diced cucumbers and onions.

Sichuan-Marinated Grilled Tilapia

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Tilapia, a farm-raised fish originally from Asia, is mild and sweet-tasting with a delicate flesh. You can substitute catfish or flounder fillets if you can’t find tilapia. These are the fish fillets most enjoyed by people who don’t like “fishy” fish. They work particularly well for our chile-infused recipes because they are soft and absorb the marinade quickly, Use a fish basket for ease in turning the fillets without destroying them. Sichuan peppercorns and Asian garlic chile paste are available at Asian markets. Serve with a Chinese peanut and noodle salad and garlic broccoli.

Ingredients

Sichuan Marinade

  • 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger

  • 1 green onion, finely chopped including the green tops

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

  • ½ teaspoon crushed santaka chile or other small, hot red chile

The Tilapia

  • 4 tilapia fillets

  • Minced green onion for garnish.

  • Three-Chile Sweet and Sour Sauce

  • 3/4 cup chicken broth

  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons Asian plum sauce (available in Asian markets)

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, peanut preferred

  • 1 green onion, chopped

  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger

  • 4 whole santaka chiles, chile piquins, or other small hot, red chiles

  • 2 tablespoons Asian garlic chile paste

  • 1 tablespoon New Mexican red chile powder

Instructions

To make the marinade, toast the Sichuan peppercorns on a hot, unoiled frying pan until fragrant. Remove, cool and crush. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and allow to sit for ½ hour to blend the flavors.

 

Place the fish in a non-reactive dish, pour the marinade over the fish and marinate, covered, for an hour at room temperature.

To make the sauce, whisk together the broth, vinegar, plum sauce, sugar, cornstarch, and sesame oil in a bowl.

Heat a wok until hot and add the vegetable oil. Add the onion, ginger, and santaka chiles and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add the chile paste and stir-fry for a minute. Add the broth mixture and the red chile powder, and stir well. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the until thickened. Remove the whole chiles.

Place the fillets in a grill basket with handles and grill them over a medium fire until they flake with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Take care that the fillets don’t burn..

To serve, pour a little of the sauce on the plate, place the fish on top, and garnish with the onion.

 

Ginger and Grilled Shrimp Salad

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The marinade in this recipe also doubles as the dressing for the salad. We like to serve this salad with the shrimp hot off the grill, but it can be prepared ahead and served chilled. This is a meal in itself, but why not treat yourself to a chilled gazpacho and a dry white wine?

Ingredients

For the Gingered Shrimp Marinade and Dressing:

  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil

  • 1/4 cup peanut oil

  • 6 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

  • 6 small Thai chiles, stems removed, minced (or substitute serrano chiles)

  • 2 tablespoons minced ginger

  • 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, including the green tops

  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry

  • 1 teaspoon five-spice powder

  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce

  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil

For the Grilled Shrimp Salad:

  • 24 medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails off

  • Vegetable oil for frying

  • 4 eggroll wrappers, cut in 1/4-inch strips

  • Ground New Mexico red chile

  • Mixed baby greens

  • 3 slices red onion

Instructions

For the Marinade:

Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place in a bowl and allow to sit at room temperature for an hour or two.

Remove the marinade from the refrigerator and strain the mixture, saving both the solids and the liquid. Combine the solids with additional peanut oil and brush on the shrimp. Place in a bowl and marinate in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

For the Shrimp:

Pour the oil in a deep-fat fryer or in a wok to a depth of a couple of inches and heat until hot, 375 degrees. Add the eggroll strips in batches and fry for 30 seconds to crisp. Remove, drain and sprinkle with the ground red chile.

Place the shrimp in a vegetable basket and grill over a medium-hot fire for about 6 minutes, shaking the shrimp often so that they are cooked evenly.

Toss the greens with the reserved marinade liquid and divide between chilled salad plates. Arrange the sliced onion over the salads and top with the shrimp. Garnish the salads with the crispy strips and serve.