Progressive Dinner for Jan 16

Brook this is the 12th, that's essentially only three days. Do you think you want to extend or modify the "date"?

I'm fine either way.  I'm not really a dessert person either.  If someone else would want to take dessert this week, great!  But if they don't...I'll take it this week instead of Brook

MarkR wrote: K I'll do first and desert. I gotta do one anyway!

I’ve mentioned several times, especially in my hors d’oeuvre primer, that any dish you like can be adapted to small plate presentation.

Implied, but not stated outright, is that the opposite is also true. There’s no reason you can’t reverse the process, and turn a hors d’oeuvre or appetizer into a main course.

That’s what I’ve done with this week’s main. It’s another of Kate Heyhoe’s offerings, in her jewel of a book, Great Bar Food At Home. In this case, little adaptation needs to be done. Just increase the portion size and it’s a great main course.

Pork tenderloins are usually packaged two-up. I double the recipe and use them both.

Char Shu, btw, is intended to be eaten a room temperature. So keep that in mind at service.

Char Shu Slices with Mahogany Marmalade and Hot Mustard

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 ½ lbs
¼ cup soy sauce
3 tbls molasses
2 tbls hoisin sauce
2 tbls triple sec or dry sherry (optional)
2 gloves garlic, minced
2 finely chopped scallions1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 tbls toasted sesame oil
Hot mustard for serving

Cut the tenderloin into two equal pieces for easier handling and quicker cooking. In a shallow baking dish or a resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, molasses, hoisin, triple sec or sherry, garlic, scallion, ginger and sesame oil. Mix well to dissolve the hoisin and molasses. Add the pork and coat completely. Marinate, refrigerated, for two hour to overnight, turning the pork occasionally in the marinade.

Preheat the broiler. While the broiler heats, line a baking sheet with nonstick foil, or spritz regular foil with nonstick spray.

Place the pork on the foil-lined baking sheet. Pour the marinade into a saucepan, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and boil, stirring often, until it reduces to a very thick, syrupy glaze, about five minutes. When it cools slightly, the sauce will resemble a marmalade, dense and sweet with bits of scallion, garlic, and ginger.

Broil the pork for 5-7 minutes, until the top side takes on color and starts look cooked. Turn the pieces over and broil another 5 minutes. Spoon some of the thickened sauce over the pork, coating the top and all sides. Broil for another 3-6 minutes, until the glaze caramelizes and turns a deep mahogany color, and the pork is just cooked through.

Let the pork rest at least ten minutes before slicing. You can let it stand at room temperature for one hour, or cover and refrigerate up to two days before slicing. To serve, slice the pork at an angle and overlap slices on a plate. Accompany with a small dish of the reduced “marmalade,” a small dish of hot mustard, and soy sauce.

To make hot mustard: mix together 2 teaspoons each dry mustard (or Chinese powdered mustard) and water until smooth. Let the mixture rest 10-30 minutes before serving

Please visit the link for tons of information on Pho

PHO GA   JSonline - Pho 
MAKES 8 SERVINGS

2 yellow onions (about 1 pound total), unpeeled

Chubby 4-inch section of fresh ginger, unpeeled

1 chicken (4 pounds), fat and tail removed

3 pounds chicken backs, necks or other bony parts

5 quarts water

1 ½ tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 (1-inch) chunk of rock sugar (about 1 ounce)

2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet about 1 minute until fragrant

4 whole cloves

1 small or ½ large bunch cilantro (bound stems about 1 inch in diameter)

1 ½ to 2 pounds small flat rice noodles (bánh pho), dried or fresh

1 yellow onion, sliced paper-thin, soaked in cold water 30 minutes and drained

3 or 4 green onions (green part only), thinly sliced

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (leafy tops only)

Black pepper

3 cups bean sprouts (about ½ pound)

Garnishes:

10 to 12 sprigs mint (húng) 10 to 12 sprigs Thai basil (húng que)

12 to 15 fresh culantro (ngò gai) leaves

2 or 3 Thai or serrano chiles, thinly sliced

2 or 3 limes, cut into wedges

Place the onions and ginger directly on the cooking grate of a medium-hot charcoal or gas grill, or a gas stove with a medium flame, or on a medium-hot burner of an electric stove. Let the skin burn, using tongs to rotate onion and ginger occasionally and to remove and discard any loose onion skin.

After 15 minutes, the onions and ginger will have softened slightly and become sweetly fragrant. When well-charred, remove from the heat and let cool.

Rinse the cooled onions under warm running water, rubbing off the charred skin. Trim off and discard the blackened root and stem ends. Use a vegetable peeler, paring knife or the edge of a teaspoon to remove the ginger skin. Hold it under warm water to wash off any blackened bits. Halve the ginger lengthwise and bruise lightly with the broad side of a cleaver or chef's knife. Set the onions and ginger aside.

Rinse the chicken under cool water. Detach each wing by bending it back and cutting it off at the shoulder joint. Add the wings and neck, if included, to the chicken parts. If the heart, gizzard and liver have been included, discard them or save for another use. (Some cooks like to simmer the heart and gizzard in water and slice them for adding to the noodle bowls.) Set the wingless chicken aside.

Remove and discard any loose pieces of fat from the chicken parts. Wielding a heavy cleaver designed for chopping bones, whack the bones to break them partway or all the way through, making the cuts at 1- to 2-inch intervals, depending on the size of the part. This exposes the marrow, which enriches the broth.

To achieve a clear broth, you must first parboil and rinse the chicken parts. Put them in a stockpot (about 12-quart capacity) and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil vigorously 2 to 3 minutes to release the impurities. Dump the chicken parts and water into the sink (make sure it is clean), and then rinse the parts with water to wash off any clinging residue. Quickly scrub the stockpot clean and return the chicken parts to the pot. Put the chicken into the pot, breast side up.

Pour in the 5 quarts of water and snuggle the chicken in between the parts so that it is covered with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Use a ladle or large, shallow spoon to skim off any scum that rises to the top. Add the onions, ginger, salt, fish sauce, rock sugar, coriander seeds, cloves and cilantro and cook, uncovered, 25 minutes, adjusting heat if needed to maintain a gentle simmer.

At this point, the chicken is cooked; its flesh should feel firm yet still yield a bit to the touch. Use a pair of tongs to grab the chicken and transfer it to a large bowl. Flush the chicken with cold water and drain well, then set aside for 15 to 20 minutes until it's cool enough to handle. Meanwhile, keep the broth at a steady simmer.

When chicken can be handled, use a knife to remove each breast half and the whole legs (thigh and drumstick). Don't cut these pieces further, or they'll lose their succulence. Set aside on a plate to cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate; bring to room temperature before assembling the bowls.

Return the leftover carcass to the stockpot and adjust the heat to simmer the broth gently for another 1 ½ hours. Avoid a hard boil, or the broth will turn cloudy.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve (or a coarse-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth) positioned over a pot. Discard the solids. Use a ladle to skim as much fat from the top of the broth as you like. (To make this task easier, you can cool the broth, refrigerate overnight, lift off the solidified fat, and then reheat before continuing.) Taste and adjust the flavor with additional salt, fish sauce and rock sugar. There should be about 4 quarts (16 cups) broth.

If using dried noodles, cover them with hot tap water and let soak 15 to 20 minutes, or until they are pliable and opaque. Drain in a colander. If using fresh rice noodles, untangle them, place in a colander, and rinse briefly under cold running water.

Cut the cooked chicken into slices about ¼ inch thick, cutting the meat off the bone as necessary. If you don't want to eat the skin, discard it first. Set the chicken meat aside.

Prepare the yellow onion, green onions, cilantro and pepper for adding to the bowls. Arrange the garnishes on a plate and put on the table.

To ensure good timing, bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. (For an extra treat, drop in any unused white green onion sections and let them poach in the broth. Add the poached white green onion sections - called hành chan - to a few lucky bowls when ladling out the broth.) At the same time, fill a large pot with water and bring to a rolling boil.

For each bowl, place a portion of the noodles on a vertical-handle strainer (or mesh sieve) and dunk the noodles in the boiling water. As soon as they have collapsed and lost their stiffness (10 to 20 seconds), pull the strainer from the water, letting the water drain back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl. If you like, once you have finished blanching the noodles, you can blanch the bean sprouts for 30 seconds. They should wilt slightly but retain some crunch. Drain and add to the garnishes.

Top each bowl of noodles with chicken, arranging the slices flat. Place a mound of yellow onion in the center and then scatter some green onion and cilantro on top. Finish with a sprinkle of pepper.

Increase the heat and bring broth to a rolling boil. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl, distributing the hot liquid evenly to warm all the ingredients. Serve immediately with garnishes.

A fresh salad is a good start to this meal.

Keeping with the Asian theme, I'll take us to Indonesia and serve an appetiser of Sate Ajam with Katjang Saos. I made this a year or so ago, entirely from scratch, and loved every single part of it.

Here's the recipe for the Sate Ajam:

Sate Ajam
Broiled Skewered Marinated Chicken

To make about 16 sate:

1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp ketjap manis  (below)
2 tsp strained fresh lime juice
2 twelve-ounce chicken breasts, skinned, boned and cut into 1-inch squares
2 tbsp vegetable oil
Katjang saos (below)

Combine the garlic, salt and pepper in a deep bowl and with the back of a spoon mash them to a paste. Mix in the ketjap manis and lime juice. Add the chicken and toss the pieces about with a spoon until they are evenly coated. Marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes* or in the refrigerator for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Light a layer of coals in a charcoal broiler or hibachi and let them burn until a white ash appears on the surface, or preheat the broiler of the stove to its highest point.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and thread it tightly, 4 or 5 pieces at a time, on small skewers - preferably the Oriental wooden skewers - about 6 inches long. Protect the exposed ends of the wooden skewers by wrapping them with foil. With a pastry brush, spread the oil evenly over the chicken. Broil about 3 inches from the heat, turning the skewers occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the chicken is crisp and brown. Serve at once directly from the skewer accompanied by the katjang saos presented separately in a bowl.
 
Here's the recipe for Katjang Saos:

Katjang Saos
Spiced Peanut Sauce

To make about 2 cups

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or substitute 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, white part only
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1/4 tsp shrimp paste
2 cups chicken stock, fresh or canned
1/2 cup shelled peanuts, preferably Spanish peanuts, pulverized in an electric blender or with a nut grinder or mortar and pestle
1 tbsp ketjap manis (below)
1 tsp scraped, finely grated fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh hot chilies

In a heavy 8-inch skillet or sauté pan, heat the oil over moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Drop in the shallots, or scallions, and garlic and, stirring frequently, cook for 3 or 4 minutes, or until they are soft and transparent but not brown. Watch carefully for any signs of burning and regulate the heat accordingly. Add the shrimp paste and mash it thoroughly with the back of a spoon.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Stirring constantly, add the peanuts, ketjap manis, lime juice, ginger and chilies. Reduce the heat to low and, stirring occasionally, simmer uncovered for 10 minutes, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the spoon heavily. Serve at once.

If necessary, the sauce may be prepared ahead and reheated. In this event it may thicken as it stands. Thin it is necessary with a tablespoon or more of water.

A necessary component of both Sate Ajam and  is Katjang Saos. Here's the recipe:

Ketjap Manis
Indonesian sweet soy sauce

To make about 1 quart

2 cups dark brown sugar
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups Japanese soy sauce
3/4 cup molasses
1/2 tsp ground galangal
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine the sugar and water in a 2- to 3- quart enameled or stainless steel saucepan and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and cook briskly, uncovered, for 5 minutes, or until the syrup reaches a temperature of 200F on a candy thermometer. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Tightly covered, ketjap manis may be kept at room temperature for 2 or 3 months.

All recipes are from Time/Life's Foods of the World - Pacific and Southeast Asian Cooking, 1970. Marissa did a series of excellent pictorials that you can find here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/sate-ajam-broiled-skewered-marinated-chicken_topic1831.html

here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/katjang-saos-spicy-peanut-sauce_topic2194.html

and here:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeboards.net/ketjap-manis-indonesian-sweet-soy-sauce_topic1817.html

Nikmati makanan Anda!

Mark, those spring rolls look incredible! And your tart is lookin' good too! Great job ~