Cooking – Page 27

Fish Sauce Glazed Grilled Chicken Wings

October 30, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Cooking, Recipes

This recipe was born when FOY (Friend of Yoso) and regular commenter "Billy" mentioned that he makes his Nuoc Mam Cham on the stovetop, using heat to help dissolve the sugar. I thought about using that method to create a glaze for chicken wings, and this recipe was born.

What you see is the second try at the making these wings. The first time I tried making these, I was on call, and just as I placed the wings on the grill, I was paged and had to leave my wings. I turned everything over to the Missus, who is unfamiliar with two tiered grilling…. setting up the grill for direct and indirect heat. She left the wings on direct heat, basting with a sugar based sauce! By the time I resolved the problem, the Missus had the black as coal wings on a plate on the dining table. I gotta leave it to the Missus, She really accomplished something special here…… creating something on the grill that was charred black on the outside, and still totally raw on the inside! I was so grossed out that I decided to not try to make this again. Until………

A couple of weeks ago, the Missus told me that She wanted some grilled Tamarind Shrimp. While buying shrimp, I saw some chicken wings, and bought a couple of pounds. I returned home with nothing particular in mind. After a bit I decided to give Fish Sauce Wings another shot. A couple of things; I use the two tiered grilling method; half of the grill is set-up for direct heat, the other half for indirect heat. The sugar and fat will mean that the wings will burn really quickly (as in the previous try), so I crisp up the chicken over direct heat, and baste with the sauce when I move the wings to indirect heat.

I grilled using a combination of half Kiawe Charcoal, half hardwood charcoal. If you were to taste the glaze, you'd think I was crazy, it seems too salty(no water in this one), and sweet. But because it's a glaze, it works out quite well. And yes, it is yet another super simple recipe…….. and of course, please make adjustments to taste….

Fish Sauce Glazed Grilled Chicken Wings:

2 1/2 – 3 lbs of chicken wings
2 Tb Sea Salt
2 Tb Fish Sauce
1/4 cup canola oil
Fish Sauce Glaze (see below)

– Set up grill for two tiered grilling – half the grill set-up for direct heat, the other for indirect heat.
– Combine chicken wings, salt, fish sauce, and canola oil in a large bowl. Mix wings to coat well.
– Grill wings over direct heat for one turn to brown and crisp up the skin.
– Move wings to indirect heat portion of the grill and baste several times.
– Baste one last time before removing from the grill.

Fish Sauce Glaze:

1/2 Cup Fish Sauce
1/2 Cup white sugar
2-3 Thai Chilies sliced
4-5 cloves garlic finely minced
Lime juice to taste

– Combine fish sauce and sugar in a small pot.
– Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved
– Add garlic and chilies
– Bring to a light simmer and remove from heat

Spicy Chinese Steamed Eggplant with Sizzling Soy Sauce

September 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Do you remember the Steamed Eggplant dish from Hunan Chilli King ? Well apparently it's been on the Missus's mind. Because of work, and our just plain busy schedules, it doesn't seem like we'll be able to get to the SGV for a while. So the Missus ~~ordered~~ requested that I try my hand at making the dish. It's really not that difficult, this is just your basic Chinese steamed fish dish, using eggplant instead of the fish. There are some nuances, but you'll spend most of your time waiting for the eggplant to finish steaming.

I made this twice over the past week, and what follows are mostly notes, and guidelines.

First off, I used four Japanese Eggplants, the main reason being I don't have a very large steamer, and I could arrange the eggplants in the shape of the plate. Making the first recipe, I added five whole cloves of garlic, one thumb size piece of ginger sliced into a thin julienne, and 2 tablespoons of fermented black bean that had been rinsed. I found that the ginger pretty much got lost in the whole steaming process. So making the second recipe, I placed the eggplant into the steamer with just the black bean and garlic. The garlic becomes soft and tender, and really tastes very sweet eaten whole.

So what of the ginger? I end up adding the ginger during the last ten minutes of steaming, along with 4 sliced serrano chilies. I tried adding the serranos at the end, but they tasted a bit too "green". The ten minutes of steam time softens them, and makes them sweeter. Those red chilies are added after steaming. I bought them frozen at Lucky Seafood….. they are pretty spicy.

The eggplant was first sliced in half lengthwise, than half again. They steam for about forty minutes.

While the eggplants are steaming, you can make the sauce. I start with a basic recipe of 1/4 cup superior or premium soy sauce to 1-1/2 tablespoon of white sugar. In this case, I did a double recipe. After mixing well to dissolve the sugar, I tasted and adjusted the sweetness. To finish, I drizzled in about 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil. Add the sauce to the eggplant during the end of the steaming process.

Meanwhile heat peanut oil until smoking. Bring the steamed eggplants to the table a pour the hot oil over the eggplant. You'll have some nice "sizzle-vision" going on…..

I noticed that the skin on the Japanese Eggplants are very soft and tender, the eggplant is creamy….. you'll need to good amount of rice as well.

Quick Midweek Crab Cakes

September 11, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

I had bought a pound of lump crab meat to make something relatively quick on Wednesday. A frittata, or even some quesadillas. When the Missus found out about the Crab meat, She put in Her two cents. She wanted Crab Cakes. Crab Cakes? I didn't even think She liked Crab Cakes, and She hadn't requested that before. I still pushed the fritatta issue, but in the end, you know what happened, right? She got Her Crab Cakes. And it took me less than 20 minutes to put together and get to the table. Not the prettiest Crab Cakes, but the Missus really enjoyed them:

I also knew that I needed a sauce, so looking through the fridge, I came up with a Wasabi Mayonnaise, it's so simple, I don't dare call it an aioli. It really turned out to be easy, and I used only items I had on hand. I placed the Crab Cakes on Purple Perilla leaves I had leftover from the Missus's Bun we had two days earlier. I first made the Wasabi Mayo, mixed the ingredients, and placed it in the refrigerator to allow the flavors bind. Not wanting to wrack my brains with too many measurements I kept things simple as you'll see. I think you can stretch the recipe by adding more panko, and even put other filler/flavoring items, smoked corn, minced jalapeno, and celery come to mind.

Quick MidWeek Crab Cakes:

1 lb lump crab meat
1 cup Panko
1/2 cup Mayonnaise (Hellman's or Best Foods)
1 Egg slightly beaten
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Malt Vinegar
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
Canola Oil

– Gently combine ingredients.
– Gently form the mixture into about 6 patties
– Heat 1/2 cup Canola oil over medium heat.
– Fry the crab cakes about 2-3 minutes each side.

Wasabi Mayonnaise:
1 cup Mayonnaise
2 Tb Wasabi Paste
1 clove garlic finely minced with some salt into a fine paste
a squeeze of lemon juice

– Combine ingredients and place in the refrigerator to set.

Funny thing, the Missus and I eat a pretty good variety of foods. But since we usually stick to the Asian end of things, we found the Crab Cakes to be delicious, but very rich. I could only eat 1, so perhaps I'll need to cut the mayo and increase the panko next time.

Grilled Shrimp two ways – Tamarind Glazed Shrimp & Lemongrass Shrimp

September 8, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Well, summer has just left out the door, and we decided to make the best of Labor Day by doing a bit of grilling. The Missus wanted some Bun (rice vermicelli) for dinner with grilled shrimp. She wasn't quite sure how She wanted the shrimp prepared, and just told me "try not to make it suck", which is better translated into "I'm craving this, so whatever you make better not suck……" So when I offered two possibilities, either Tamarind Shrimp or Lemongrass Shrimp, the Missus said to make them both.

I was kinda glad She chose the Tamarind Shrimp, as I had this bottle of Tamarind concentrate lying dormant in the cupboard waiting to be tried out. It had been an impulse buy God knows how many months ago. I usually will do the tamarind pulp thing, reconstitute in hot water into a paste, and strain out the pulp, and I really wondered how this would measure up. It actually did pretty well. It is perhaps a bit weaker than the stuff I make from scratch, but it worked perfectly fine on the shrimp.

The Tamarind Glazed Shrimp is a riff of Alan Wong's Tamarind Glazed Shrimp Tacos recipe in his book, Alan Wong's New Wave Luau. I added fish sauce and sriracha to give it a more savory and spicy kick. BTW, for those who think that Kalbi Tacos is something new, Alan Wong's been serving that stuff up since the late 90's, and there's a recipe in his book.

The Lemongrass Shrimp was based on a recipe from Mai Pham's Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table but has been modified to our taste, more garlic, fish sauce, and chili paste.

I realized when the shrimp were done that although they taste very different, it's hard to tell them apart:

The Tamarind Shrimp (on the left) have a nice shiny sheen from the basting, while the Lemongrass Shrimp (on the right) looks a bit drier. In the end, the Missus preferred the flavors of the Tamarind Shrimp. If you're using wooden skewers, don't forget to soak in water for about a half hour before using.

Tamarind Glazed Grilled Shrimp

1/2 Cup Tamarind Concentrate or Tamarind Paste
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
2 Tb Honey
2-3 Tb Sriracha
3 Tb Fish Sauce
Sea Salt
1 lb 16-20 Shrimp, shelled, deveined, tail left on – skewered

– Combine all ingredients except salt and shrimp until sugar has dissolved.
– Lightly salt shrimp with sea salt.
– Place shrimp on the grill over direct heat (I use combo hardwood and Kiawe charcoal), and brush with Tamarind Glaze.I was surpised at the amount of basting liquid, but did use it all up with constant basting.
– Grill for about two minutes on each side. Baste one final time with glaze just before removing from grill.

Lemongrass Shrimp

4 Stalks of Lemongrass outer layers removed, pounded with the knife to release oils, and minced (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup).
3 Cloves of Garlic minced finely
1 Tb Soy Sauce
2 Tb Fish Sauce
1 Tb Chili Paste
2 Tb Sugar
2 Tb Canola Oil
1 lb 16-20 Shrimp, shelled, deveined, tail left on

– Combine all ingredients except shrimp in a bowl until sugar has dissolved.
– Add shrimp and gently mix until all the shrimp are coated with marinade.
– Place in refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to let shrimp lightly marinate.
– Thread shrimp onto skewers.
– Grill over direct heat for about two minutes each side.

You really don't have to do the "Bun thing", but the Missus really enjoyed it…….

Roasted Garlic and Red Pepper Puree

August 2, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

We've been grilling like crazy the last couple of weekends. The Missus' has been craving grilled mushrooms and roasted red peppers. She'd usually make sandwiches during the week of roasted red peppers, a roasted medium-mild, yellow chili, sometimes called a Santa Fe Chili Pepper. She's drizzle on some Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some feta cheese and be good to go. On one of our grilling sessions I roasted a few extra red peppers, which I put aside to puree, which is quite versatile. You can use the puree as a sauce, or in a vinaigrette, or even as the Missus used it….as a spread for bread. Check out Judy's wonderful Food Blog Tinker with Food, for another great idea.

There are a couple of ways you can roast bell peppers, you can read a bit about it here. I usually rub some olive oil on the peppers and roast them on the grill until charred, softened, and looking a bit "deflated". I place in a large bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. I also will often wrap a couple of bulbs of garlic, excess "skin" removed, tops chopped to reveal the cloves, covered with a bit of olive oil, in aluminum foil, and place in the "indirect heat" portion of my grill to roast. Conversely, you can roast garlic in the oven. Anyway, I've already typed in too many words for something so easy to make.

Roasted Garlic and Red Bell Pepper Puree:

3-4 large roasted bell peppers, charred skin removed, cut into sections.
1 bulb of roasted garlic
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (more as necessary)
Salt to Taste.

– Remove the roasted garlic cloves from the bulb by holding the bottom of the bulb, and squeezing.
– Place roasted bell peppers, roasted garlic, and olive oil in a blender and puree to desired thickness. Drizzle in more olive oil if necessary.
– Remove puree, taste, add salt, and stir briefly by hand to mix.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. I also let the puree sit about 1 hour to "set".

On this night, I threw together a quick meal. Inexpensive sashimi grade scallops from Nijiya were seared, and plated on a good amount of the puree.

I topped off the scallops with wasabi tobiko, and sprinkled crushed oregano and ground red chili powder to garnish…….

To make a vinaigrette, simply replace the usual amount of mustard, or whatever emulsifier) with the red pepper puree.

Grilled Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn Lamb Loin Chops

July 25, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

Today was another grill day, it is still kinda hot here, so the prospect of grilling was quite attractive. I try to do something a bit different during every grill session. Today, I had some Lamb Loin Chops. I really didn't have anything in mind when I purchased the chops. Returning home, I still had no idea of what to make. I was replying to some comments on my Shao Kao 818 postwhen it came to me. We were very disappointed with the Yang Rou Chuan, and I wondered, how hard is it to get the wonderful salty-cumin flavor of good Yang Rou Chuan…… Rummaging through my pantry, I managed to put together the ingredients for this dish.

The Sichuan Peppercorn heightened the saltiness of the dish, and really didn't hit you right away. You felt a numbing "buzz" a few seconds after eating the chops, it was quite interesting. Much like my Cumin Lamb recipe, I do a short marinade before grilling. Make sure to toast those cumin seeds until the wonderful smell of "BO" floats around your kitchen.

Grilled Cumin and Sichuan Peppercorn Lamb Loin Chops:

Spice Mix:
4 Tb toasted Cumin Seeds
2 Tb roasted and ground Sichuan Peppercorn
2 Tb sea salt
1 Tb ground coriander
Ground red chili to taste

Marinade:
1/4 cup Premium Light Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Canola Oil
2-3 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2 Tb Dark Soy sauce
4 cloves Garlic finely minced

– Mix marinade and pour or brush marinade over lamb chops. Make sure to coat lamb chops well.
– Let lamb chops marinate for 20-30 minutes
– Sprinkle on a generous amount of the spice mix, making sure to getting some on the sides of the chop.
– Let chops sit for at least 10 minutes before grilling.

– Grill to desired doneness. As a whole, most Chinese are used to eating their lamb well done. Make sure to turn the chops and grill on the edges and sides as well.

I've been grilling a lot of Shishamo (sm elt) for the Missus. Recently, the Missus found that She really enjoys grilled Urume Maruboshi (dried round herring):

For some reason, the grilled fish always catches my attention. I wasn't quite sure why….until today. Doesn't this look really familiar?

What do you think?

(BTW, The Scream by Edvard Munch is in the public domain in the United States because it was first published more than 95 years ago.)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

More Grilling – Revised Kalbi Recipe & Ono Kiawe Charcoal

July 12, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Local Kine Stuffs in San Diego, Recipes

Was it hot enough for you today? Sheesh…… Of course, the Missus decided that She wanted some grilling done this weekend, so why not?

I originally posted a Kalbi recipe over four years ago, and the recipe has changed a bit since then, so I thought I'd post an update. Since we often use our posts as references, I hope that you don't mind if I do this post. We'll be back with another restaurant tomorrow.

You'll notice that these aren't the usual crosscut short ribs that you see in most places. Nowadays, if I'm going to put out the effort ot make Kalbi, I'll always go for the thick cut ribs, and slice them myself. I can go anywhere and get cheapo "LA Kalbi" which is what they call the perpendicular cross-cut ribs. So I'll always go with good quality thick cut ribs.

You can see how I cut these in this post, though I've gotten a bit better at it.

I've also noticed that higher grade ribs are saved for the thick cut ribs at Zion Market. These were really good, perhaps even good enough for Saeng Kalbi (unmarinated ribs).

Another standard when it comes to making the sauce I use is "Mulyeot" – Malt Syrup. Along with adding a nice sheen to the ribs, it adds a more interesting flavor, and is not as sweet. If you have time search out a Barley Malt Syrup, it has better flavor. I was dodging shopping carts and crowds at Zion Market and was in a rush when I bought this. I also tend to add some fruit, usually Asian Pear to my marinade, but in this case settled for some Kiwi. I've stopped using papaya, not because it's not effective, but because it works a bit too well, and can turn your meat to mush. Be aware that my Kalbi is not on the sweet side, so you may want to adjust the sugar level. You may also want to cut the amount in half for smaller quantities. Remember to taste your marinade. Also, the sesame oil is optional, sometimes I use it, sometimes not. I've pared down my recipe over the last couple of years, of course I kinda like things simple…….

Kalbi Marinade

Marinade – enough for 4-5 pounds of ribs
1 Cup Soy Sauce
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Malt Syrup
1/4 Cup Rice Wine – I used Sake
4 Cloves of Garlic
4 Stalks Green Onion
1 Kiwi or 1/3 Asian Pear
1-2 Tb Sesame Oil

– Roughly chop garlic, fruit, and green onion and place in a blender.
– Add soy sauce, sugar, and malt syrup and blend.
– Add rice wine and sesame oil, and briefly blend.
– Taste and adjust flavor.
– Marinade ribs at least 6 hours, but no more than 16.

The Missus' grilled mushroom of the day was Eryngii (King Mushrooms). Simply seasoned with sea salt and olive oil, thse were really good. I chose mushrooms that weren't too large, large one's might be attractive, but for grilling I've found them tough and dry.

Ono Kiawe Charcoal.

While just taking a quick look at Barbeques Galore…..where I just like to kinda look around, but had never bought anything, I saw this bag:

Wow, Kiawe Charcoal! Man, I haven't even heard the word Kiawe for who knows how long. As I inspected the bag, a salesman swooped in to make a sale. I quickly noticed the "Product of Mexico" on the bag, which is not a big deal since Kiawe is a species of Mesquite . I was more concerned about this being sold as "A Hawaiian tradition". Of course, it was quickly pointed out that it also said "Created in Hawaii", and was told that the wood comes from Hawaii, but is made into Charcoal in Mexico. I wasn't fully sold on that, but what the heck…...

Now, I'm not a charcoal expert, nor an expert on anything really, but this tasted pretty close to what I remembered. It also popped and crackled like crazy, and ashed(makes a good bit of ash) up just like Kiawe. Good flavor though. Also, some of the chunks were more like stumps….they were huge and unwieldy, and needed to be broken down. It lights quickly and burns fast, I'd recommend mixing with another hardwood charcoal.

As you can see, Sammy's still not quite sold…though he did think the rib bones were mighty tasty.

I hope you managed to keep cool over this hot weekend!

A Grillin’ Fourth – An updated Lebanese Garlic Paste Recipe, and a simple Greek Marinade

July 4, 2009 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Cooking, Recipes

Happy Fourth Everyone!

This year, just like millions of households across the US we decided to do some grillin' for the Fourth of July. We just kept things simple. I do have one bad habit….I'm notorious for trying to squeeze every single last spark from my charcoal, so a morning of grilling usually encompasses at least several different preparations.

This year, along with roasting peppers for future use in sandwiches and salads, I found that the Missus loves simple grilled oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms are simply coated with Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and seasoned with sea salt and oregano. The char was removed from the peppers, and it was topped with Greek Feta from North Park Produce and roasted in a pan.

The Missus also wanted some grilled sardines, and I found some fresh local sardines(Iwashi) at Nijiya.

I also bought some Lamb Shoulder from NPP, cut it into cubes, and used my general purpose Greek Marinade for the meat. It is so easy that I'm kinda embarrassed to share:

Greek style Marinade for Lamb or Chicken:

1/2 Cup Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/3 Cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
6-8 cloves of garlic minced
1-2 Tb dried oregano
1 Tb Kosher Salt

– Mix ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
– Marinade 1-2 lbs of meat overnight.

I used the meat for kabobs:

The marinade did a great job tenderizing the meat. I ate these wrapped in a pita with a nice smear of Garlic Sauce.

Speaking of Garlic Sauce, here's an update of the recipe I posted back in 2006. Going for the "Zankou" effect, I added mashed potato to give the sauce body.

Lebanese Garlic Sauce:
2 Bulbs of Garlic peeled and separated
1/2 Cup Lemon Juice
3/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Russet Potato, boiled and mashed
2 Tsp Kosher Salt

– Combine garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a blender.
– Blend until a smooth "paste" is achieved
– While blender is running, slowly add olive oil into the blender in a thin stream until the mixture thickens.
– After mixture thickens, stop the blender and add 2-3 Tb mashed potato, and blend. Keep adding mashed potato until desired thickness is reached.
– Refrigerate overnight.

Be aware that your breath will probably be politically incorrect for a while after consuming this.

The last item for the grill were some chicken wings. I had eight wings total, so I seasoned four of the wings with sea salt and canola oil. In need of some variety, I took a few tablespoons of the garlic sauce, and a few tablespoons of canola oil, added a touch of salt and rubbed the other four wings down with the mixture. I let the wings sit for about 20 minutes or so.

The garlic wings are on the left, the salt only wings are on the right:

I think I'll use my "old" garlic sauce recipe and marinate some wings overnight next time. I do enjoy hardwood charcoal grilled wings seasoned with just salt.

I hope everyone has a fun and safe Fourth of July!

Everything Tastes Better in a Banh Mi, Right? Sunday Edition – Uni (Sea Urchin) and Egg Banh Mi

June 21, 2009 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Cooking, Sandwiches, yoso-silly

If you've read my previous post, you'll recall my testing the limits of that phrase. I can't recall who told me that, but it has stuck in my head. This'll be a short post….'cause you know that you should be spending time with Dad on this Father's Day, not checking out some silly "Everything Tastes Better in a Banh Mi" post!

The Banh Mi itself looks fairly innocuous.

I became a big fan of Banh Mi Trung (Egg Banh Mi) during our visit to Vietnam….and I still crave it from time to time. While looking through the recipes in Izakaya: The Japanese Pub Cookbook, I came across a recipe for "Scrambled Eggs with Sea Urchin in Lobster Sauce". It really wasn't the recipe that hit me, but the photo. Along the side of the dish, was a baguette! In the sometimes strange way that my mind works, I thought this to be a great idea. I've had a wonderful "Oeufs Brouillés aux Oursins" (scrambled eggs with sea urchin), and even "Oeufs Brouilles Au Caviar D'Oursin" (scrambled eggs with caviar and sea urchin) a couple of times. Uni, egg, and Banh Mi sounded just wonderful. So why not?

My objective was to not "kill" the wonderful, unique, and delicate flavor of the Uni. I wanted everything to be in harmony, yet not boring. I guess you'd call it "fusion" without "con-fusion".

The bread I picked up from Paris Bakery.

In homage to the Vietnamese Banh Mi Trung, I added some Maggi to the eggs, because as we all know, "Maggi makes everything taste better"! And some sea salt.

For texture, and to balance out the richness, I used the ubiquitous Vietnamese pickled radish and carrots. In addition, instead of cilantro, I added some Kaiware (daikon sprouts). I think a touch of mayo might have been nice, but pate would have killed the sandwich.

There's not much more except for some photos:

Wow, this was "killer", I was amazed at how good this was. The pickles cut the richness, the sprouts added a bit of "spice" and bite, the Maggi added a nice "umami", and you could still taste the wonderful "soul of the ocean"! Not a cheap Banh Mi, but man was it good!

So no Kimchi and Peanut Butter Banh Mi this time around. But the saying still runs true; everything tastes better in a Banh Mi!

Cumin Lamb – Zi Ran Yang Rou

June 20, 2009 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

*** I've got a bit of an update here. This is still one of my favorite things to make!

If you're familiar with my posts, you know that I'm unable to resist the temptation of ordering Cumin Lamb once I see it on the menu. Years ago, if you mentioned cumin and Chinese Food in the same sentence, I would have given you a puzzled look. That was of course, before spending those years living and eating in the San Gabriel Valley, and being exposed to the variety of regional Chinese food found in the area. Still, if one has a conversation about Chinese seasonings, I don't think cumin would come up in the conversation.

I find humor in the fact that the Missus loves this dish as well; She is not a big fan of the distinct "B. O." -ish smell of cumin. The dish itself is based on the dishes of the Uyghur people (Turkic) , most of whom live in Xinjiang, one of the Autonomous regions of China. The dish reflects the "big three seasonings" used in Xinjiang cuisine, salt, red chilies, and of course cumin (孜然). The recipe reflects the combination of three attempts at making this dish. All of which, with the help of the Big Kahuna, came out real well. Funny thing is, I didn't take photos of the last try, which came out the best. What I found is using garlic that's been minced along with slices, sliced onions, and cilantro do it for me. Also, in the last recipe, I used some dark soy which helped to add color, something my original version lacked. I used "shabu shabu" slices of lamb, which can be found at 99 Ranch Market and Zion Market. The best lamb I got was from 99 Ranch Market in San Gabriel, it was very gamey, which just made everything come together well. Make sure to toast the cumin seeds in a dry pan. Using high heat prevents the dish from coming too "watery".

This was so easy that it caused the Missus to exclaim; "you know, there's no reason for any restaurant to screw up this dish". As always, my recipe is just a basic outline, and I'm sure stuff like fresh chilies, and other ingredients will make this dish shine.

Cumin Lamb

2/3 – 3/4 lb lamb sliced into strips

Marinade:
1 Tb Shaoxing Wine
2 Tb Premium Light Soy Sauce
1 Tb Dark Soy Sauce
3 Tb Cumin toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
1/2 tsp Sea or Kosher Salt
1 clove garlic minced fine
red pepper flakes to taste

3-4 Tb Canola Oil
3-4 dried red chilies minus seeds
1/2 medium onion sliced
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Cilantro

– Combine lamb and marinade ingredients. Mix and set aside for 15 – 30 minutes
– Before heating wok, add onion slices to marinade and meat.
– Heat a wok over very high heat.
– Add oil and swirl. Add red chilies and briefly scald.
– Add garlic, stir quickly, than add meat. Stir fry over high heat.
– When lamb is cooked, remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Taste and adjust salt.