Everyday Asianrecipes

luz tineo

Rating: ****

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Contents

Title PageCopyright NoticeAcknowledgments

Introduction

SaladsOther Appetizers

Marinades, Rubs, and CondimentsChicken and Poultry

MeatFish and Shellfish

Vegetables and Side DishesDesserts

A Glossary of Asian IngredientsA Spice Glossary

Fish FactsJapanese Cooking Terms

Ingredient SourcesIndex

Also by Patricia Yeo (and Julia Moskin)Copyright

Acknowledgments

Patricia Yeo:

I want to extend my deepest thanks to allmy kitchen staff at Sapa. You have keptme sane when I should really have gonemad, especially Gavin Portsmouth,Damien Brassel, Josh Rubin, and PeterEndriss.

Special thanks also to Ruben, JD, Jesse,

and Brian for their endless support in myevery endeavor.

To Scott Replogle, heartfelt thanks forbeing there and being so special.

Superagent Stacey Glick at Dystel andGoderich Literary Management has theperspicacity and resourcefulness of tenagents.

Elizabeth Beier at St. Martin’s is adream editor, with an eagle eye fordetail and a soaring heart—and appetite!

As always, I’m grateful for the love andsupport of my sister Jackie, my brother-in-law John, my mother, and my FourthAuntie.

Tom Steele:

I want to single out several peoplewhose direct contributions to mycooking and food writing areinestimable.

My mother, a terrific cook, encouragedme from the time I was about four yearsold to explore cooking with her and on

my own. We trade recipes to this veryday. My sisters, Rusty and Marcia, werecertainly along for the ride as I learnedto cook, and they have never stoppedbelieving in me.

Chuck Ortleb was the first to nudge mein the direction of food writing byhaving me review restaurants for two ofhis publications, which I also edited,New York Native and Theater Week. Hehas inspired me in countless other waysas well.

The infinitely talented Rebecca Bent

gave me my first real break in thecookbook world by choosing me to pulltogether her first cookbook, Burgers.Her faith in me and her enduringfriendship are beyond inspiring. Shemakes everything shine.

Over the years, Tom Miller has given memore moral support than he couldpossibly realize, and so have marvelousJim Pellegrinon and Neenyah Ostrom.We’ve all cooked for one another, too,and quite well.

Rodger Parsons, Glenn Wein, and Adam

Kowit have all been right by my sidewhen I needed encouragement or advice—and when I’ve needed very hungry andknowledgeable restaurant reviewingpartners.

Brendan Lemon has always been justprincely, and has given me suchwonderful opportunities and such joy.

Raymond Luczak, the deeply gifted manI’ve cooked for every night I’ve beenhome for fifteen years, has shaped mycooking much more than he knows.

Our agent Stacey Glick at Dystel andGoderich Literary Management isabsolutely mercurial, possessing truevision and compassion.

Our marvelous editor, Elizabeth Beier,is among the sharpest and most delightfulpeople I’ve ever met in publishing. Andbest of all, we quickly became goodfriends.

Patricia Yeo has been my favoritecollaborator of all time: endlesslyresourceful, faster than a roadrunner,generous to the marrow—and one of the

greatest chefs in America.

IntroductionCooking with Five Senses

Just as it has been my duty in myManhattan restaurants to entice anddelight you with scrumptious dishes youprobably won’t find anywhere else, Ifeel that it is my obligation with thisbook to make your own cooking sing indifferent keys.

My cooking is idiosyncratic; yoursshould be, too. My goal is to free you

from the shackles of recipes even as Iprovide them as blueprints. Customizeyour cooking! You can—and should—make any recipe your own by impartingyour own personal sense of flavors andtextures. Recipes are not meant to bestraitjackets. Rather, they are an outlinefor each cook to fill in with variableingredients and even cooking methods.Recipes are evolving, living things thatshould grow with you as yourconfidence and cooking skills increase.

I remember attending a round-tablediscussion about culinary trends in

America in general and in New YorkCity in particular. The generalconclusion we came to was that thenotion of comfort food in this countryhas expanded from mashed potatoes,macaroni and cheese, pork chops, andapplesauce to include dishes like padthai, pasta alla carbonara, sushi, andcouscous. That’s the way I feel about therecipes and ingredients in this book.Ingredients like fish sauce, fermentedblack beans, and lemongrass are nolonger exotic; they have become staplesin lots of pantries throughout the country.

I am always amazed by the similaritiesbetween ingredients from region toregion. Fish sauce, after all, is theanchovy of Southeast Asia, fermentedblack beans taste remarkably likeMoroccan oil-cured olives, andlemongrass can be substituted for lemonbalm or lemon verbena.

This may sound strange coming fromsomeone writing a cookbook, but I trulybelieve that we are too dogmatic andrigid when it comes to recipes. I havetried hard to give the reader as manyoptions and alternatives as possible in

the hope that they will see that recipesare not meant to be followed to a T.Food is not meant to be taken soseriously: It’s about comfort, family, andwarmth, not dogma. If you prefer theflavor of anchovies to the flavor of fishsauce, then by all means use it in yourpad thai. If you prefer lemongrass tolemon balm or lemon verbena, then useit in your panna cotta. Play withingredients, substitute liberally, and ifyou particularly like something, then useit. The same applies to recipes: Theyshould be used as road maps, with thecertain knowledge that there are many

alternate routes to reach the finaldestination.

I want to show the home cook how touse all five senses when cooking. Lookat the quality of a piece of cod, forinstance; listen to it sizzle as it hits thehot buttered skillet, smell it as itcaramelizes in the pan, touch it with thetips of your fingers to gauge itsdoneness, and finally, taste it. That’show we should all cook. Cooking is nota science; you cannot follow everyrecipe to the letter. For instance, duringthe summer, a piece of cod is a lot less

dense than it is in the middle of winter,and, therefore, the cooking time is goingto be different. I want to help the homecook to start thinking about cooking inthese terms.

The recipes that I give my restaurantcooks consist simply of a list ofingredients, with no quantities orcooking techniques. I realize that this isnot realistic in a cookbook, but I wantthe home cook to know that the quantityof ingredients and the amount of time ittakes to cook a piece of fish, forinstance, are somewhat arbitrary factors.

I cannot know how hot your burners get,or calculate the thickness of the bottomsof your pots and pans—still more factorsthat affect cooking times and the outcomeof the finished dish. Keeping this inmind, I would like to repeat: Use myrecipes as guidelines. Have fun and becreative.

Chefs try to make each dish unique. Weweave flavors together: a little maplesyrup and honey to tame the spice of ablistering curry; bits of crispy, saltybacon to add interest to roastedcauliflower—that’s what makes my

dishes different from yours. The abilityand confidence to pair flavors comesnaturally to some of us, while in others itis something learned by rememberingsomething we ate or read about. I willtry to give you a quick road map topairing flavors by including lists ofserving ideas to vary each recipe, aswell as helpful hints about variousingredients.

In short, I want the home cook to startthinking more like a chef, and to beginadapting and renovating classic recipesto reflect personal tastes and

preferences.

We all lead busy lives, and cooking ourdaily meals should be a simple,straightforward, and enjoyable activity.Most of the recipes in this book willrequire as little equipment as possible.One pot, one mixing bowl, and a cuttingboard are all you will need for many ofthese dishes. If a recipe calls for chickenor beef stock, I don’t expect you to makeyour own. There are a great manywonderful ready-made food products outthere, so use store-bought if you don’thave the time. But I will also include

some more involved dishes for weekendmeals and special occasions.

Above all, I want to encourage homecooks to include Asian dishes as part oftheir everyday menus. With this book,I’ve tried to make doing that as easy aspossible without “dumbing down” thetechniques (many of which are simple tobegin with) or sacrificing the marveloustextures and flavors of these cuisines.

So remember: Bring all five senses—and a sense of playfulness—to thekitchen with you, and you will always

emerge with quite special food foryourself, your family, and your friends.

Salads

Salads are a large part of my diet. I lovebig composed salads that can be servedas an entrée for lunch or as a lightsupper when it’s too hot to think aboutcooking. In Cooking from A to Z, I triedto bring new flavors to classic American

favorites. In this book, I wanted tointroduce some more unusual salads,like fattoush and laabs, using flavorsand ingredients that are familiar toeveryone.

Grilled Shrimp andIndian Bread Salad

This bread salad is an Indian spin onTuscan bread salad; instead of usingpieces of stale peasant bread, I usepieces of naan or roti. Actually, it’smore like a fattoush, which is theMiddle Eastern version made withtoasted stale pita bread. Note that if you

use curry oil, it needs to steep for anhour.

Makes 4 light main course servings

1 tomato, diced1 small red onion, finely diced½ cup diced celery½ cup diced cucumberSalt and freshly ground black pepper

to tasteJuice of 1 lemon½ cup diced grilled zucchini½ cup diced roasted peppers (see

Options below)½ cup pieces blanched green beans

(cut into 1-inch pieces)4 pieces naan or roti, torn into bite-

sized pieces (see Options below)½ cup cilantro leaves½ cup flat parsley leaves5 large Boston lettuce leaves, torn

into bite-sized pieces½ cup curry oil (see Options below)20 grilled shrimp (see Options below)

In a large bowl, combine the tomato,onion, celery, and cucumber. Toss lightlywith a little salt, pepper, and lemonjuice; allow to sit for up to a half hour.The salt will draw out the juices fromthe vegetables. Add the other vegetablesand naan. Toss well, allowing the

vegetable juices to soak into the bread.Just before serving, toss with herbs,lettuce, and curry oil. Garnish withgrilled shrimp, five per serving.

Options

• I like using a mixture ofroasted red peppers andpoblano peppers because Ilike the sharpness ofpoblanos.

• To make the curry oil, mix twotablespoons of curry powderwith enough water to make a

paste. Slowly stir in ½ cupcanola or other mild oil. Letthe mixture stand for an hour,strain it, and it’s ready to use.Store the oil, covered tightly,in the refrigerator if you’re notusing it immediately.

• If you don’t have roti or naan,use pita or whatever breadyou have lying around. Stalebread is preferable. No stalebread? Make some: Simplytear up pieces of bread,spread them on a cookie sheet,

and dry them out in a lowoven (150 degrees or just withthe pilot) for half an hour.

• Substitute slices of cool roastlamb or roast chicken for thegrilled shrimp.

Green Mango Salad

Green mango has a flavor more like avegetable than a fruit. It is crisp, slightlytart, and tastes like a cross between agreen apple and a cucumber. In fact, ifyou are unable to find green mangoes inyour market, just substitute a mixture ofgreen apples and cucumber. In Thailandtoasted ground rice is added to greenmango salads, giving it additional flavor

and a textural element. Ground rice israw rice that is toasted until it is goldenthen ground in a spice grinder—easyenough to do yourself.

Makes 4 servings

1 cup julienned green mango¼ cup julienned carrot¼ cup julienned jicama¼ cup julienned red pepper2 tablespoons Lemongrass Caramel

Vinaigrette (recipe follows)Juice of 1 lime¼ cup mint leaves¼ cup cilantro leaves

¼ cup toasted chopped peanuts(optional)

Toasted ground rice (optional; seeOption below)

Toss all the julienned vegetables withthe vinaigrette and lime juice. Allow tomacerate for up to a half hour. Justbefore serving, toss in the mint andcilantro. If you like, add the toastedpeanuts at this point and toss well.

Option

• If you want to add toastedground rice, add it with the

peanuts and herbs at the lastmoment.

Lemongrass CaramelVinaigretteMakes about 1 cup

1 stalk lemongrass, tough top andbottom removed and discarded,thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled2 nickel-sized slices ginger, unpeeled1 shallot, coarsely chopped1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed and

coarsely chopped1 teaspoon red pepper flakes½ cup sugar¼ cup Thai fish sauce

Juice of 2 limes1½ teaspoons toasted sesame oilAbout ½ cup canola oil

Place the lemongrass, garlic, and gingerin the workbowl of a food processor.Add the shallot, jalapeño, and pepperflakes, and process until the mixture isfinely ground. Set aside.

Pour the sugar into a medium-sizedheavy saucepan and set it over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a woodenspoon to break up any lumps, until thesugar melts and turns amber, about 5minutes. Add the lemongrass mixture andcook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

(The mixture will seize up at first, butthen smooth out.) Carefully add the fishsauce and simmer, stirring, for 30seconds. Remove from the heat and letcool to room temperature. When cooled,whisk in the lime juice, sesame oil, andcanola oil to taste. Use at once orrefrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.

Chicken WaldorfSalad

This salad is great for lunch or to bringalong for a potluck dinner. It’s asubstantial change from the ubiquitousCaesar salad with grilled chicken. I likeusing different varieties of apples in thesalad, some Granny Smith for tartness,Fuji for the texture and sweetness, and

perhaps an apple with a softer texture,like Golden Delicious. If you don’t wantto make your own mayonnaise just useyour favorite store-bought.

Makes 4 servings

2 cups diced roasted chicken (seeOptions below)

2 cups peeled and diced apples (seeOptions below)

1 cup large-diced celery½ cup toasted walnutsJuice of 1 lemon1 cup mayonnaiseSalt and freshly ground black pepper

to taste4 large Boston lettuce leaves

Mix everything together except the salt,pepper, and lettuce. Taste and seasonwell with salt and pepper. Serve thesalad in the lettuce leaves.

Options

• Use other roasted meats, or ifyou are vegetarian, tempehworks well, too.

• Add some halved grapes tothe salad; just reduce the

amount of apples.

Chinese ChickenSalad with Pickled

Vegetables

This is one of my mother’s recipes. It’ssimple and straightforward, and can bemade in advance, which makes it a greatdish to take to family gatherings. Pickledvegetables are available at most Asian

markets, or see Ingredient Sources.

Makes 4 servings

4 poached boneless skinless chickenbreasts

½ cup each pickled carrots, daikonradish, and red onion (available inmost Asian markets)

½ cup each finely julienned napacabbage

½ cup peeled and julienned cucumber1 cup mayonnaise½ cup pickled ginger½ cup toasted sesame seeds

Shred the chicken, and toss with the

remaining ingredients.

Malaysian SpicyFruit Salad

There is a wonderful Malaysian saladcalled rojak, often sold as street food. Itis spicy, sweet, and tart, all at the sametime. My Fourth Auntie (who is myfavorite aunt) loves it and I always thinkof her when I make this side dish,especially since she now lives in New

Zealand where it is nearly impossible toget green mango, shrimp paste, and manyof the other ingredients needed for thissalad. Luckily, in almost any large city inAmerica, you can find these ingredientspretty easily. Ketchup or kecap manis isa sweet, thick soy sauce common inSoutheast Asia, rather like hoisin sauce.It’s available in many Asian specialtystores or grocery stores.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

2 tablespoons shrimp paste (optional;see Options below)

1 tablespoon kecap manis1 teaspoon sugar

Juice of 2 limes1 green mango, cut into bite-sized

pieces (see Options below)1 cup bite-sized chunks pineapple1 cup bite-sized pieces jicama1 cup blanched water spinach (see

Options below)1 cup bite-sized chunks firm tofu (see

Note below)¼ cup toasted peanuts

Toss all the ingredients except thepeanuts together in a large bowl.Sprinkle the top of the salad with thepeanuts and serve at room temperature.

Note: I usually toss all the ingredientstogether, then fold in the tofu as itsometimes falls apart and I like my tofuin large pieces. If you don’t mind yourtofu a little beaten up, then mix it all uptogether.

Options

• If you cannot find shrimp pastein your nearest Chinesemarket, try using dried shrimp(which can more easily befound in Asian as well asMexican markets). Pan-fry thedried shrimp in a little oil

until crisp, then roughly chopit up and toss it into the salad.The flavor of the dried shrimpcan be a little strong, so use itjudiciously.

• You can substitute a tart greenapple like Granny Smith.

• You can substitute blanchedasparagus, cut into 1-inchlengths.

Grilled AsparagusSalad with Poached

Egg and ShavedParmesan

After a long winter of cold, snow, androot vegetables, I always look forwardto the first asparagus in the spring. I like

to cook tender pencil asparagus on thegrill. There is no need to blanch it first.

Makes 4 servings

4 large eggs¼ cup white vinegar1½ quarts water40 stalks pencil asparagus (see

Options below)½ cup extra-virgin olive oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper

to taste2 lemons, preferably Meyer lemons,

juiced1 shallot, finely diced

4 pieces grilled sourdough bread, ½-inch thick

1 cup (or more) freshly shavedParmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Add vinegar and water to a largesaucepan and bring to a simmer.

Break the eggs into the simmeringvinegared water and poach for 4minutes. Remove the eggs from the waterwith a slotted spoon, and keep themwarm.

Toss the asparagus in ¼ cup of the oil,mixed with the salt and pepper, and grillfor 3 minutes (I like the asparagus to

char a little). Transfer to a bowl, add thelemon juice, shallot, and the remainingolive oil. Toss well. Serve the asparaguson grilled bread with the poached eggsand lots of shaved Parmesan.

Options

• Serve the asparagus withreally soft scrambled eggs ongrilled bread for breakfast. Ifyou feel like treating yourself,add a slice or two of curedsalmon.

• When you trim the woody

ends off the asparagus, don’tdiscard them. I usually savemine to toss into stock.Asparagus-flavored stock isespecially great for avegetarian risotto orasparagus soup. Store theasparagus stems tightlywrapped in the freezer untilyou’re ready to make stock.They’ll keep there for up to 8months.

• Try roasting your asparagus toconcentrate the flavors, or

stir-fry it. Blanching is myleast favorite way to cookasparagus because too muchof the flavor leaches out intothe blanching liquid.

Smoked Musselsand Potato Salad

with Mustard Seeds

I am very fond of smoked fish andshellfish, probably because growing upin England, kippers and smoked oysterswere considered a treat. I remembertoasting bread over an open fire, then

buttering and eating it with smokedoysters my first winter at school. I havebeen trying to recapture that taste eversince. This smoked mussel salad is agrown-up and more subtle version ofthat flavor. The mussels are steamed andsmoked at the same time. They are sweetand delicate, a perfect foil for thenuttiness of the mustard seeds and theacidity of the lemons.

Makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons gold mustard seeds2 tablespoons black mustard seeds¼ cup mayonnaise4 tablespoons capers, rinsed and

chopped2 tablespoons Dijon mustardJuice and grated zest of 1 lemon10 small Yukon gold potatoes, boiled

until just tender and sliced¾ cup Lapsang Souchong tea¼ cup dark brown sugar2 tablespoons smashed star anise40 mussels, scrubbed, “beards”

removed, and dried (see Optionsbelow)

1 bunch watercress sprigs for garnish

Toast the mustard seeds in a dry panover medium heat until they start to pop,about 5 minutes. Transfer the seeds into

a mixing bowl with the mayonnaise,capers, mustard, and juice and zest oflemon. Mix.

Add the sliced Yukon gold potatoeswhile they’re still warm, to absorb theflavors of the mayonnaise mixture.

Line the bottom of a heavy pot with atight-fitting lid with two layers ofaluminum foil. Spread the tea, brownsugar, and star anise over the foil. Placethe mussels directly on the mixture andturn the heat to high. Once the mixturestarts to smoke, after about 3 minutes,put the lid on, and reduce the heat tomedium. Cook for another 5 to 8

minutes, until all the mussels haveopened. Remove the mussels (discardingany that haven’t opened), shuck them,and reserve.

Just before serving, toss the mussels andany juices that have collected with thepotato mixture. Serve with sprigs ofwatercress as a garnish.

Options

• Try using smoked fish. An oilyfish like bluefish is reallydelicious. You can use store-bought smoked fish, but it’s

easy to smoke your own. Justsubstitute fish for the musselsin the recipe.

• Smoked mussels or fish isdelicious tossed with pastaand lots of lemon juice,mustard, and herbs for a quicksalad.

• Or make a smoky fish mousseby pureeing smoked fish witha little cream cheese, lemonjuice, and scallions as aspread for toasted bagels.

Salmon SashimiSalad

This dish is a cross between sashimi anda salad. It makes a perfect summer lunchbecause the only cooking involved issteaming the sushi rice—everything elseis chilled. Sushi rice is best eaten theday it is cooked. Refrigerated, itbecomes hard, although I’ve been told

that if you warm it in a microwave oven,it will soften again.

Makes 4 servings

1 cup diced avocado½ cup diced cucumber¼ cup Pickled Carrots (available in

most Asian markets)1 cup cooked sushi rice4 ounces sushi-grade salmon, cut into

¼-inch slices (see Options below)¼ cup grated daikon radish2 tablespoons sambal (Indonesian

spice blend, available in most Asianmarkets)

2 scallions, trimmed and slicedlengthwise into ribbons

Soy sauce and wasabi for dipping

Toss the avocado, cucumber, and carrotstogether in a medium bowl. Divide therice among four serving bowls. Dividethe salmon slices evenly among thebowls, draping them over the rice. Mixthe grated daikon and sambal together,scatter a small spoonful of the mixtureover each portion, and garnish with thescallion ribbons. Serve with the soysauce and wasabi.

Options

• Instead of salmon, use tuna,fluke, or your favorite sushifish.

• Instead of raw fish, usepoached shrimp, grilled tuna,or braised lobster tail meat.

Roasted Goldenand Red Beet Saladwith Goat CheeseVinaigrette and

Toasted Hazelnuts

I cannot understand why people claim

they dislike beets. Beets are wonderful;they are sweet, earthy, and incrediblygood for you. Roasting beets improvestheir flavor because it concentrates andcaramelizes the sugars, but if you have toboil them, use the smallest quantity ofwater you can. Goat cheese and roastedbeets complement each other very well,and hazelnuts beautifully accentuate thenuttiness of the beets. This salad is alsoreally colorful and looks terrific on theplate.

If you live near a good farmers’ market,you may be able to find Chioggia (or“candy cane”) beets, which will makeyour salad even more festive.

Makes 4 servings

4 medium gold beets4 medium red beets¼ cup canola oilSalt and freshly ground black pepper

to taste4 tablespoons sherry vinegar2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil½ cup mayonnaise1 cup soft goat cheese, such as chèvreJuice of 2 lemons2 cups mixed baby greens¼ cup toasted hazelnuts for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.