Avocado Pasta

Another Sunday has passed, another food party has ended.

Menu:

• Mapo Tofu (lunch)
• Pot-Stickers: ground pork, shrimp, Chinese flowering chives (lunch)
• Crab Asparagus Soup (dinner)
• Crispy Herb Fried Chicken (dinner)
• Avocado Pasta (dinner)
• Profiteroles with Vanilla Swiss Almond and Chocolate Sauce (dinner)

I wanted to make a simple and quick pasta for Sunday’s dinner party. There were 4 courses, as usual, and this was the third savory before dessert. My dinner parties always end up really late but last night we finished at 10:30pm. Or maybe I’m getting better with time management.

Serves 4.

[100% organic]

For the Avocado Sauce

• 2 large ripe Hass avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 cup flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch of salt
• A few turns of freshly ground black pepper

Blend avocado, lemon juice, garlic cloves, parsley, salt and pepper together in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set pesto aside in an air-tight container, with cling wrap directly on top to keep air out.

For the Finnish

• Linguine
• Pecorino Romano, for grating
• Candied pecans
• Sunflower sprouts
• Olive oil

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add a few drops of oil to prevent sticking. Cook pasta until al dente.

Drain pasta and sprinkle with olive oil to prevent sticking. Plate pasta and scoop desired amount of sauce onto each plate. Toss to combine. Microplane cheese, add sunflower sprouts, and garnish with candied pecans. Serve immediately.

Spanish Mackerel & Beets Two Ways with Horseradish Crumbs

I don’t know if you’ve heard but I am leaving Degustation for Jewel Bako. The restaurants are owned by the same owner. Jewel Bako is a one-starred Michelin Japanese restaurant that mainly focuses on sushi, sashimi, rolls, etc… but it also has a kitchen that serves cooked and composed plates. I will be the new Kitchen Chef and I have been instructed and encouraged to update/change the menu… Which means that I will not be sharing my recipes that I intend to put on the menu. Restaurant recipes are secrets! However, I will still do things at home on my days off and share those!

This is a dish that I am working on for the new tartare plate.

Seared Spanish Mackerel & Tartare with Celery and Lime, Pickled Beets & Beet Reduction Sauce, White Chocolate Horseradish Crumbs, Micro Sunflower Sprouts, Micro Red Amaranth

Korean Fried Chicken

Before coming to New York, I have never had Korean fried chicken. My coworkers introduced me to Boka and after eating their combo wings and drumsticks 2-3 times every week, we migrated to Monomono and then it just stopped because we got sick of it.

When I came back from Hong Kong last month, the following day at Whole Foods, they had a chicken drumstick sale, 30-something drumsticks for $6!! So I bought two packs and finished one pack two weekends ago during my dinner party. I still have one more pack and although I love my signature fried chicken, I don’t want to make it again so soon. However, I have been craving Korean fried chicken and I’ve always wanted to know HOW they made their chicken so crispy!

… The secret is that they fry it TWICE. DUH! I could have figured that out! You fry French fries twice! Why wouldn’t you do that for chicken?!?!? So I spent yesterday reducing my would-have-been marinating liquid into a glaze-ish-sauce and brining the chicken. I found that the Korean fried chicken in the restaurants were bland under the crispy crust.

I wasn’t sure if this was going to work because it can’t be THAT easy? And you know what, it was THAT easy!!!!

[100% organic]

For the Brine

• 8 cups water
• 1 cup salt

Bring the solution up to a boil and cool to room temperature.

For the Chicken

• 20-30 chicken drumsticks
• 1 cup AP flour
• 1 cup water
• 2 TBS cornstarch
• Fryer oil

Brine the chicken for at least 2 hours, no more than 4 hours in the refrigerator. Drain chicken and place on paper towels.

Whisk flour, water, and cornstarch together and make a slurry. Add a little more water if mixture is paste-like. Coat chicken in slurry and fry in oil 350°F for 8 minutes. Remove from fryer and wait for oil to reach 350°F again. Fry for the second time for another 8 minutes. Drain on a wire rack or on paper towels.

Brush glaze/sauce on chicken or season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Mochi Cake

I was looking through my pantry and I saw that I had some mochi flour… so I made this!!!

[100% organic]

• 2 cups mochi flour
• 1½ cups white sugar
• 1 TBS baking soda
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
• 24 oz. evaporated milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp mint extract
• 2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift mochi flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large bowl.

Melt the butter and chocolate chips together and combine with evaporated milk, vanilla and mint extracts, and beaten eggs. Mix well and stir dry ingredients until it becomes a smooth batter.

Pour into a large buttered pan. Bake in oven for 50-55 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and serve with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

*Adapted from Use Real Butter.

Saffron Shrimp Risotto with Chinese Broccoli & Wild Mushrooms

I have been making risottos like crazy at work. For my Sunday food party, I wanted to make a different risotto. I asked my friends what they would like to have in the risotto and they said “mushrooms”. Then I wanted shrimp and Chinese broccoli stems in the rice as well so that’s how I created this dish. And why not add some saffron, to make this risotto extra luxurious?

I planned on using maitake mushrooms but the store was out so I bought oyster and king oyster mushrooms. I also had some shiitake at home so it was a nice blend.

My friends and I are all big eaters so technically this recipe serves 8 but we were 4 people.

In case if you were wondering, this is what I cooked for our food party:

• Roasted Carrot and Ginger Soup (lunch)
• Saffron Shrimp Risotto with Chinese Broccoli & Wild Mushrooms (lunch)
• Fried Calamari with Celery Sticks (dinner)
• My Signature Fried Chicken (dinner)
• Linguine in a Lemon Garlic Sauce with Asparagus & Spinach (dinner)

Serves 4.

[100% organic, shrimp from Australia]

For the Risotto

• 3 TBS butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cups Arborio rice
• 1 cup white wine
• Pinch of saffron
• 2 qts dashi stock

Heat up dashi in a saucepan and keep hot.

In a pan, melt the butter on a low heat. Add in the diced onion and sweat until soft. Stir in the rice and make sure the butter fully coats each grain of rice and cook until the ends of the rice are transparent, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Then add in the wine and saffron, and cook until completely absorbed.

Add 1 cup of the hot broth and simmer, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has been absorbed, and the bottom of the pan is almost dry. Adding 1 cup broth at a time, stir until almost all the liquid has been absorbed between each addition. Be careful not to let the bottom of the pan dry out. Continue to stir often, and repeat until the rice is short of al dente, about 15-20 minutes.

For the Garnishes

• 2 lbs tiger shrimp
• 2 cups oyster mushrooms
• 1 cup shiitake mushrooms
• 2 king oyster mushrooms
• 1 bunch Chinese broccoli
• Canola oil
• Salt & pepper

Shrimp: Save 8 shrimp whole, peeled to the tail then peel, clean, and devein remaining shrimp. Save shells for later use. Chop up remaining shrimp and set both whole and chopped shrimp aside. Fold in chopped shrimp into risotto and add some more broth to further cooking the shrimp and rice.

Mushrooms: Clean mushrooms and cut into bite-sized pieces. Sauté mushrooms until golden and set aside. Fold into risotto.

Chinese broccoli: cut leaves off and use stems only. Save leaves for later use. Using a mandolin or knife, slice stems into 2 mm rounds. Fold into risotto.

For the Finish

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 reserved shrimp
• Canola oil
• Salt & pepper

Whip cream until stiff and fold into risotto. Season risotto and taste to adjust seasoning.

Sear shrimp in a pan and drain on paper towels.

TO ASSEMBLE

Scoop risotto into bowls and top with 2 interlocking shrimp. Serve immediately.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Spiced Apple Hibiscus Granita & Chicory Soil

Before coming back home to Hong Kong, I was told that I should showcase my professional talents to my grandfather.

This was the third and final course to my three-course meal for my family, grandfather, and cousin.

Serves 6.

[100% organic]

For the Coconut Panna Cotta

• Two cans 13.5 oz. coconut milk
• 2 TBS sugar
• 5 gelatin sheets

Bloom gelatin in ice water. Bring coconut milk and sugar to a boil. Squeeze out excess water from gelatin sheets and melt into coconut milk. Stir to combine and once completely melted, strain into a container.

Pour coconut milk in serving cups/bowls and place in refrigerator to set. At least 4 hours undisturbed.

For the Spiced Apple Hibiscus Granita

• 2 cups apple juice/cider
• 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise

Bring all ingredients up to a low simmer for 10 minutes. Take off heat and let it continue infusing until liquid is at room temperature.

Strain liquid into a long shallow tray/pan/container and place in freezer for an hour. Remove and scrape the crystallized mixture from the sides of the pan and return to the freezer. Repeat this process every 45 minutes, until completely frozen or for about 4 hours.

For the Chicory Soil

• ½ cup chicory root
• ½ TBS AP flour
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp orange zest

Since this is such a small portion, a food processor or spice grinder may not work. I used a mortar and pestle.

Grind all ingredients together except for zest, and then place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, roll into a flat even layer and bake for 5 minutes at 300°F.

Remove from oven and toss in orange zest and combine well.

*Adapted from Chef Jasmine Shimoda.

TO ASSEMBLE

Fluff granita with a fork to serve. Take panna cottas out from the fridge and scoop a good amount of granita flakes onto the pannas. Top with sprinkled chicory soil.

Linguine Misto Mare

I was looking through my posts and I haven’t done a seafood medley pasta dish yet.

I just have to say, my scallops were cooked to the utmost perfection.

Serves 4.

[100% organic, wild scallops, environmentally sustainable shrimp, PEI mussels, Manila clams]

For the Seafood Medley

• 1 lb shrimp, with head and shell on
• 4 sea scallops
• 1 lb mussels
• 1 lb clams
• Olive oil
• Salt and white pepper

Peel the shrimp but keep the tails intact. Reserve heads and shrimp shells for shrimp stock.

Clean, scrub, and soak mussels and clams in salted cold water for 15 minutes. De-beard mussels. Cook mussels and clams, separately or together, using simple aromatics (shallots, parsley stems, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves, and dry white wine). Strain each jus for future use and keep shellfish warm.

Heat a large pan over high heat and when the pan is hot, add in 2 TBS olive oil. Season the shrimp with salt and white pepper and sauté. Cook until shrimp are curled and pink but not quite cooked through. Remove the shrimp with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Sear the scallops in a clean pan and also keep them a little undercooked so when you put the shrimp and the scallops into the sauce, the residual heat from the sauce will continue cooking the seafood.

For the Shrimp Stock

• Reserved shrimp heads and shells
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups water
• Bouquet garni

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and when the pan is hot, add olive oil and the shrimp heads and shells. Sauté until the shells turn red. Add the wine, water, and a loose bouqent garni, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the stock for 30 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the stock sit for 30 minutes for the flavor to deepen. Strain the liquid and discard solids.

For the Sauce

• ½ head garlic, finely minced
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• Reserved shrimp stock
• 1 cup crushed tomatoes, with juice
• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt and white pepper

In a large pan on medium-high heat, add 2 TBS of olive oil and sauté the chopped onions, until the onions start to soften. Add the garlic, thyme, and crushed chili red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the shrimp stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce to about 1 cup, scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve any browned bits that may be there.

Add the crushed tomatoes, season with salt and white pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat so the sauce is simmering and cook for another 10 minutes. Add the parsley and seafood, cover, and turn off the heat.

For the Linguine

• 1 lb linguine
• Few drops of oil
• Salt

Boil the linguine in salted water and add a few drops of oil to prevent sticking. Cook until al dente, drain, and toss with sauce.

TO ASSEMBLE

Spoon pasta and seafood into bowls, either serve scallops whole to each plate or cut into quarters. Drizzle extra sauce and serve with toasted bread!