Don't Get Complacent: Ca Ri Ga revisited

One of my favorite things about cooking is finding new, better ways to do things. Whether it's technique or improvements to a favorite recipe, the discovery part is always fun. Case in point is the classic Vietnamese curry dish Ca Ri Ga. I've had a version locked and loaded in my repertoire for a few years now (see original post here). It was always delicious, had been made many times before for friends to much praise, and seemed perfect. The lesson here is one should never get complacent, because when I was in a curry-ish mood with a bit of starch craving on the side yesterday morning I entered three words into the awesome epicurious recipe search app: "sweet potato curry". Up popped this recipe, and a few hours later the results appeared as pictured.

This was almost a whole new curry from my previous ca ri ga. Slightly more pungently flavored and definitely brothier. In fact it was the broth that made the whole dish better. Equal parts chicken stock and coconut milk, it had a silky texture yet was not too thick and not too liquidy. Just right. In her notes below recipe author Mai Pham suggests having it with a baguette which I will definitely do next time (although our rice side was excellent). It could also be made vegetarian style by leaving out the chicken, maybe throw in some cauliflower and broccoli or whatever plant based needs you have. The prep was straightforward and simple, and the dish comes together ridiculously easy (both of which always score huge in my book and make this a perfect after work dinner). My mind was opened to a new possibility, my palate was extremely happy, and as much as I loved my old ca ri ga, I have just found a new, better way to edible satisfaction!
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Ca ri ga

from epicurious: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from "Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table" by Mai Pham and are part of our story on Lunar New Year.

"True to the Vietnamese style of curry-making, this recipe is milder and lighter than Indian or Thai curries. You can make this with chicken stock, but the coconut milk adds body and enhances the overall flavor. Depending on my mood and the time of year, I sometimes serve this with a warmed baguette (a French influence) instead of steamed rice. Other times, I just make the curry with more broth and serve it with rice noodles. Like other curries, it's delicious the next day."

yield: Makes 4 Servings

ingredients:
3 tablespoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 pounds skinless chicken thighs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground chili
paste or dried chili flakes, or to taste
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lemongrass stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, cut into 3 slices and bruised with the flat side of a knife
1 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth
3 carrots, peeled, cut on the diagonal into 2/3-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 yellow onion, cut into wedges
1 medium sweet potato (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Garnish (feel free to use any/all):
1/2 cup Asian basil leaves, cut in half
8 sprigs cilantro, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 scallions, chopped

method:
1. Combine 2 tablespoons of the curry powder and the salt in a bowl. Add the chicken and turn to coat the meat evenly. Set aside for 30 minutes.

2. Heat the oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Add the shallot, garlic, chili paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon curry powder, and stir until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until the edges of the pieces are golden, 3 to 4
minutes. Add the fish sauce, sugar, lemongrass, ginger and chicken stock. Bring
to a boil, then reduce the heat. Add the carrots and cook for 10 minutes. Add
the coconut milk, onion and sweet potato and cook until the vegetables are
tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with Asian basil,
cilantro and scallions, and serve.

Cilantro harvest, pt. 1

Along with basil, there is nothing so pungently satisfying as cilantro. Holding a handful of either up to your schnoz and taking a big whiff is the definition of a heady experience. Having made the decision to plant cilantro (once again) in my garden and being determined to actually use it instead of leaving it to bolt (my usual m.o.), as it seems to do overnight, the Asian/Indian theme is running rampant in the 1309 kitchen. I found the recipe below on epicurious. Seeing it needed some obvious tweaking, as usual with online recipes in the form of a bit more flavoring agents (is every recipe site afraid of alienating our weakened domestic palates? Memo to recipe writers: you should be challenging, not acquiescing to, your readers tastebuds!), I added my own touches. The result? Deliciousness attained with minimal effort. And still lots of cilantro left in the garden...stay tuned!!

You could serve this with some rice, I suppose. But it was really perfect tucked into some tender, snappy lettuce leaves fresh out of the garden. Plus that tumbler of chilly rosé you see in the pic? Most def!
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Shredded Chicken with Ginger and Cilantro
Adapted from: Gourmet Magazine/Baita Daiwei Ting, Kunming

From Gourmet: "Many of the minority peoples of Yunnan traditionally boil a chicken to show respect to their dead. Once the ceremony is finished, they shred the meat and mix it with ginger, garlic, and cilantro to make "ghost chicken." The lime in this recipe, unusual for Chinese cooking, suggests the influence of Southeast Asia, which the province borders."

Yield: Makes 2 to 4 to 6 (main course) servings

ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves with skin and bone (1 1/2 to 2 pounds total)
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons Asian chili paste with garlic (preferably Lan Chi)
1-1/2 teaspoons red-chile oil, or to taste*
1-1/2 teaspoons Sichuan-pepper oil, or to taste**
2 teaspoons finely grated (with a rasp) peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated (with a rasp) garlic
1 teaspoon minced fresh mild long red chile such as Holland
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh cilantro leaves

*To make the red chili oil: add 1 tablespoon dried crushed chilies to 1/4 cup peanut oil. Let sit for 1 hour or more before use.

**To make Sichuan-pepper oil: add teaspoons ground Sichuan peppercorns to 1/4 peanut oil. Let sit for 1 hour or more before use.

method:
Set a steamer rack inside a wide 6- to 8-quart pot and fill bottom with water (not above rack), then bring to a boil. Arrange chicken in 1 layer in a shallow heatproof bowl small enough to fit just inside pot. Steam chicken in bowl on rack, covered with lid, until just cooked through, about 25-35 minutes. Remove bowl from pot using tongs. When chicken is cool enough to handle, coarsely shred, discarding skin and bones. Reserve liquid in bowl. Meanwhile, stir together lime juice, bean paste, red-chile oil, Sichuan-pepper oil, ginger, garlic, chile, salt, and 4 tablespoons reserved chicken liquid in a large bowl. Stir in chicken, cilantro, and salt to taste.

Cooks' note: Dish, without cilantro, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and stir in cilantro before serving.

A little warmth for a new family

The reason for the lack of posts the last few days has nothing to do with burnout and everything to do with babies. Before you get the wrong idea: NOT MINE! w and I went on a long weekend trip to Oakland to see her sister Jane and bro-in-law Peter's male heir Benjamin (that's our beautiful new nephew at left sleeping in the car when they took us to the airport this afternoon). He was doing everything a 7-day old should be doing: fussing, crying, sleeping, eating, all the while with that "how in the hell did I end up here?" look of bewilderment on his cute little mug. We were there for moral support and advice giving, which from two people who have never had kids I'm sure was appreciated. But I made up for it...almost....by cooking dinner for the tired, also semi-bewildered, parents to give then strength and comfort, and who also were in deserved need of pampering.

Before we left we were told via email by w's mom to make a fish soup with ginger for J "to make you more nutrition and energy". w's parents, who I adore, came from China almost 30 years ago, and her dad is a phenomenal cook. The fact that I was tasked to make an Asian soup for the new mother was somewhat daunting, and flattering, and something I took with the utmost sense of responsibility. I looked through many sources, and finally found the recipe below on epicurious. It read deliciously, with a few simple, but healthy ingredients, and the all important fish-ginger energizing combo. Still, a gwai lo in the kitchen cooking for very particular eaters can never be too confident. The soup itself came together SO easily, seemed really good to me, and still it was with more than a little trepidation that I had w taste it and.................success! She declared it more than acceptable (in fact her ultimate complimnent was to ask to have it in our regular repertoire at home!), and it was with great relief I brought it to the table, where hopefully it provided added warmth to a house full of new beginnings. Here's to J,P, and B....or as B's papa said when he took us to the airport "we're the PBandJ family!"...and wishing them all the best and a house of good appetites!
The next couple of days I'll post on a couple of great Oakland/SF eating spots we checked out in our spare time!
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Gingered Fish and Watercress Soup
from Bon Appétit/April 1991
This soup was, as I said above, incredibly easy. I made some adjustments...more ginger, more stock...and don't be shy with the watercress, which was sweet and not at all bitter.- bb

yield: Serves 4

ingredients:
1 ounce dried Chinese black mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms
1 cup hot water
1 1/2 teaspoons peanut oil
1 teaspoon oriental sesame oil
3 green onions, minced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 tablespoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
3 to 4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup bottled clam juice
1 tablespoon dry Sherry (optional, as I didn't have any and the soup was just fine without- bb)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 pound catfish, cod, or other white-flesh fish fillets, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (we used cod from trader Joe's...perfect- bb)
2 large bunches watercress, trimmed

method:
Soak mushrooms in 1/2 cup hot water until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain mushrooms, reserving soaking liquid. Squeeze out excess moisture. Thinly slice caps, discarding stems.

Heat peanut oil and sesame oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add green onions, garlic and ginger and sauté until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, mushroom soaking liquid, clam juice, Sherry and soy sauce. Bring to boil. Stir in fish and watercress and boil until fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: need leftover inspiration? Here it is: Tomatillo Verde Enchiladas!