Tag: southeast asian
Chicken Liver Pâté
Chicken Liver Pâté
Pâté can be traced back to the 12th century; where a protein is cooked with some type of fat, vegetables, herbs, spices, and an alcohol; being either brandy, cognac, bourbon, or wine. This particular Pâté is made from chicken livers and ground pork, butter, onions and garlic, and brandy. While the French introduced the baguette to Vietnam in the 1860’s, the banh mi was created in the 1950’s; using the French Pâté and mayonnaise as staple ingredients to the sandwich. This chicken liver Pâté is great served as a spread on crackers or toasted baguettes, as well as spread across the inside of a banh mi sandwich.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3/4 cup yellow onion diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb chicken livers
- 8 oz ground pork
- 1 tbsp cognac, bourbon, or brandy
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Place the ground pork in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat up the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 3 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Melt the butter in the pan.
- Add in the ground pork and chicken livers.
- Cook for 15 minutes. Let cool at room temp.
- Place the liver mixture into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.
- Purée until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Hmong-Style Roasted Fish in Banana Leaves
Hmong-Style Roasted Fish in Banana Leaves
Usually when you see a recipe for a stuffed fish, you’ll see 3 slits cut into the flesh of the fish on both sides, then stuffed. This is completely different and quite a genius way to stuff a fish. Pockets are cut across entire spine of both sides of the fish so the herb stuffing flavors the entire fish’s flesh. After the fish is stuffed, it is wrapped in a banana leaf and foil, kind of like a papillote, then baked. You can also through this on a grill and cook for the same amount of time. You can use pretty much any type of whole fish. I used a whole tilapia, but snapper, porgy, or pompano are all suitable for this dish.
Equipment
- banana leaves
- foil
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1 whole tilapia (or any other whole fish) scaled, cleaned, and gutted
Herb Stuffing
- 2 tbsp lime leaves chopped
- 2 stalks lemongrass chopped
- 2 Thai chilies chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 3/4 cup fresh dill chopped
- 3/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 3/4 cup green onions chopped
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/2 tsp mushroom seasoning
Instructions
- Place all of the stuffing ingredients in a food processor.
- Pulse a few times until everything is evenly chopped.
- Cut deep pockets across both sides of the fish’s spine.
- Stuff each of the pockets with the herb stuffing, saving a 1/4 cup of the stuffing.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with foil. Lay the banana leave across the top.
- Place the fish in the center of the banana leaf. Cover the fish with the rest of the herb stuffing.
- Fold the banana leaf over the fish, tucking in the sides to seal.
- Cover with more foil, making sure all of the seams are sealed.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Take off the foil and the banana leaf.
- Bake for another 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Pork Neck Bone Soup
Pork Neck Bone Soup
What I love about Hmong food as a learn about their culture is the simplicity of many dishes. Pork neck bone soup is definitely that, but still boasts a ton flavor and is the perfect comfort food on a budget on a cold MN winter day. The pepper dip that goes along with the soup adds a whole new dimension of flavor. The goal of this soup is to produce a rich, clear pork stock. The neck bones and riblets need to be soaked in salt water over night. This seasons the bones as well as draws out blood and other impurities. The next day, the bones get simmered in new water for 30 minutes. Skim the scum off the top of the stock. Then the stock gets poured through cheesecloth to remove anything else that keeps the stock from being clear. Then to bones and stock are briefly simmered with ginger, then the cabbage; just enough to wilt the leaves. This soup is served with steamed rice and the pepper dip to dunk the riblets in to.
Equipment
- food processor or mortar and pestle
- cheese cloth
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs pork riblets
- 1 1/2 lbs pork neck bones
- 3 tsp salt divided
- 1 small green cabbage cored; chopped
- 3” ginger peeled and minced
- 1 tsp mushroom seasoning
Pepper Dip
- 10 Thai chilies
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp mushroom seasoning
- 1/2 lime juiced
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 green onions chopped
- 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
Pepper Dip
- Place all of the ingredients in a food processor.
- Process until smooth.
- Set aside in the refrigerator.
Pork Neck Bone Soup
- Soak the riblets and bones in a pot of water with 2 tsp of salt overnight.
- Drain the water from the bones and wash. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil with the bones and riblets. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Skim off the scum that floats to the top.
- Scoop out the bones and riblets and place in another pot. Line the pot with cheesecloth. Pour the stock through the cheesecloth, removing any more bone debris and impurities.
- Bring the pot back to boil.
- Add the ginger, salt, and mushroom seasoning to the pot and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add in the cabbage. Allow to wilt for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.
