Tag: East Asian
Hunan Chicken
Hunan Chicken
There are 2 versions of Hunan chicken: The traditional Chinese way and the Chinese American way. When you get Hunan chicken for takeout, you will get breaded chunks of chicken breast heavily coated in a sugary sweet and spicy sauce. The traditional Chinese way uses a whole bone in cut up chicken sautéed with a variety of chilies, very lightly coated in sauce. This version of Hunan chicken uses a combination of the traditional Chinese recipe and the Americanized one. All of the ingredients are traditional Chinese. What Americanizes this dish is using boneless skinless chicken.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 3 anaheim chilies sliced
- 1 serrano pepper sliced
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Mix together the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Mix together the cooking wine, salt, and cornstarch. Add in the chicken, making sure that it is evenly coated.
- Heat up cooking oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add in the chicken. Sauté for 5 minutes until almost cooked through.
- Add in the garlic and ginger. Cook for 30 seconds. Add in the anaheim chilies and serrano pepper. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce. Give it a few stirs. It will thicken fairly quickly. Turn off the heat.
Shrimp Tempura
Shrimp Tempura
Tempura is one of the most famous Japanese food items outside of Japan. The batter is light and crispy without absorbing excess oil. Shrimp is one of the most popular ingredients to fry in tempura batter. Like all tempura frying ingredients, the shrimp need to be pat dry before dipping in the batter. They will only take a total of 6 minutes. Drain oil on a rack instead of paper towels to maintain the crispiness.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb 26/30 count shrimp tail on; peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup ice water
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
- Mix together all of the dry ingredients.
- Mix in the water.
- Heat up 3” of cooking oil in a pot over medium high heat(350 degrees). Pat dry the shrimp. Dip in the tempura batter. Drop in the oil. Make sure to not over crowd.
- Fry for 3 minutes a side. Drain grease on a rack.
Doria
Doria
Doria doesn’t sound or taste like any traditional Japanese cuisine, but it is very much a beloved dish of their culture. You’ve probably never heard of it because it is mainly found only in Japan. Doria was created by a Swiss hotel chef in Japan in the 1930s. He made a fried rice casserole with shrimp, topped it off with a bechamel sauce and cheese, and baked it off in the oven; much like a gratin. Doria was named after a famous Italian navy general, hence the association of shrimp and the sea. Let me tell you something: this right here is ultimate comfort food at it’s finest. It is extremely easy to make and there’s really no right or wrong in the rice. You can use any type of protein. Shrimp is what was traditionally used, but you can use bacon, pork, ground beef, or chicken like I did. Day old rice will work best. The odd ingredient in this recipe is ketchup. It is left to caramelize in the middle of the fried rice before mixing in. It adds another dimension to the rice without getting a ketchup flavor that you think it will have. Top the rice off in a baking dish with the cream sauce and cheese. Bake for just 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly on top.
Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs finely chopped
- 1/4 medium white onion diced
- 6 shiitake mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2 cups steamed rice day old
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup mozzarella shredded
- 1/4 cup parmesan grated
Bechamel Sauce
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken, onion, and mushrooms for 8 minutes.
- Add in the cooked rice. Break up any clumps. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Make a hole in the center of the rice. Squirt a 1/4 cup of ketchup in the center. Allow to cook for a minute before mixing in.
- Mix in the ketchup. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 more minutes. Set aside.
- Melt 3 tbsp of butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add in the flour. Whisk until all lumps are broken up. Cook for 3 minutes, continuously stirring.
- Pour in the heavy cream.
- Cook for 5 minutes, continuously whisking until the cream sauce has thickened. Season with salt and white pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a round baking dish. Add in the rice.
- Pour the cream sauce over the rice.
- Top the cream sauce with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
