Tag: appetizer
Leek Fritters
Leek Fritters
Leek fritters are very popular in Syrian and Israeli cuisine. They are traditionally served with lemon wedges and are garnished with parsley. The fritters are typically prepared vegetarian, but you may see these with ground beef in recipes as well. The leeks can be interchangeable with other vegetables such as spinach or potatoes; the other ingredients being the base of the recipe.There are 2 possible ways to prepare these leek fritters. The leeks can be boiled as detaied below, or they can be sautéed in vegetable oil over medium heat for 15 minutes. This preparation will give the fritters a different texture and add more calories. But that’s not a bad thing. If boiling them, it is important to squeeze out as much water as possible after the leeks cool. They hold a lot of water. If you don’t squeeze it out, you will have a hard time forming your leek dough.
Ingredients
- 3 large leeks sliced 1/4” thick, washed and rinsed in cold water
- 2 cups breadcrumbs
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
- 1/2 tsp allspice
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add in the leeks and boil for 30 minutes.
- Strain and let cool. Squeeze out as much water as you can.
- Mix all of the ingredients together. The fritters dough should be firm.
- Form into 8 patties.
- Coat the patties in breadcrumbs.
- Heat up 1/4” deep cooking oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the fritters to the pan, making sure to not overcrowd.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes a side. Drain grease on paper towels.
Dakbal (Korean-Style Chicken Feet)
Dakbal (Korean-Style Chicken Feet)
Chicken feet are meant for people who like to strip meat to the bone. That’s the only reason I can think of why anyone would eat these. I’m definitely one of those people. You can find chicken feet at pretty much every Asian market for around $2lb. They still have the nails attached, so they need to be clipped. Take a chef’s knife and simply cut off the first digit. Not only are they great to eat as a spicy appetizer, they are great for making chicken stock. It is really important to wash and massage the chicken feet in either vodka, soju, or milk and coarse Korean salt. This will help rid the feet of any excess blood and other impurities. This step should not be skipped. After this process, the chicken feet need to be steamed for 1 hour. While they are steaming, prepare the sauce in a food processor. As soon as the feet are done, transfer to a bowl. Pour the sauce over the hot feet. Make sure that they are evenly coated. Cover and let cool completely. Let marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. There are 3 options to finish cooking the chicken feet. They can either be grilled, broiled, or even pan fried. They will take about 4-5 minutes a side on a grill or in a broiler and about 10 minutes in a large oiled sauté pan over medium high heat. I think they are best grilled or broiled. I like to have a char on the feet. Drizzle with sesame oil and garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Equipment
- steamer basket
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken feet nails clipped
- 2 tbsp coarse Korean salt
- 1/2 cup vodka, soju, or milk
Sauce
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2” ginger minced
- 1-10 Thai chilies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp gochugaru
- 1 tbsp gochujang
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Garnish
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds
- green onion chopped
Instructions
- Clip the nails and wash the chicken feet.
- Cover with vodka and coarse salt. Massage the feet with the vodka/salt mix for a minute. Let sit for 20 minutes. Rinse the feet.
- Line a steamer basket with parchment paper. Add the chicken feet.
- Steam for 1 hour.
- While the feet are steaming, add all of the sauce ingredients to a food processor. Purée.
- In a large bowl, add the sauce to the hot chicken feet. Mix thoroughly. Cover and let completely cool. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Turn on your oven’s broiler. Place a rack on a baking sheet lined in foil. Line up the chicken feet. Broil for 4-5 minutes a side.
- Drizzle sesame oil over the chicken feet. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onion.
Crispy Marinated Tofu
Crispy Marinated Tofu
I think this recipe in particular is my favorite way to prepare tofu. The pressed tofu is marinated in a simple soy/chili sauce marinade, then coated in cumin seasoned cornstarch and lightly fried. The tofu needs at least 4 hours of marinating, preferably overnight. By pressing as much liquid as you can out of the tofu allows it to soak up more of the marinade. Once it’s coated in the cornstarch, fry for 4 minutes a side over medium high heat. I saved some of the marinade and microwaved it for about 45 seconds. After the tofu has drained on paper towel, I spoon over the cooked marinade. Garnish the tofu chopped cilantro and green onions.
Ingredients
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu pressed
- vegetable oil for frying
Marinade
- 1/3 cup light soy sauce
- 1/4 cup shaoxing cooking wine
- 3 tbsp chili paste
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp housin sauce
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp ginger grated
Coating
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp cumin
Garnish
- cilantro chopped
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Mix together marinade ingredients.
- Cut your block of pressed tofu into 16 pieces, like so.
- Marinate the tofu for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Mix together the coating ingredients.
- Toss the tofu in the coating mix, making sure everything is evenly coated.
- Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the tofu.
- Fry for 4 minutes a side.
- Drain on paper towel.
- Garnish with green onion and cilantro.
