This is a wonderfully tasty dish that can be made a day ahead, if necessary. If you don’t have shrimp on hand, good quality lump crab meat could work, as well. It comes from a beautiful book on Indian cooking by Ruta Kahate, 5 Spices, 50 Dishes. They go great with a number of different dipping sauces. You will need:
2-3 cups canola oil, divided
1/2 yellow onion, minced
3 small green serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 t cayenne
1/2 t ground turmeric
1 small sweet potato, peeled, cut into pieces, and boiled until tender (leftover mashed potatoes can be used in a pinch)
1. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and lightly saute the onions, chiles, and ginger until the onion is golden. Be careful not to add too much oil - the small amount helps the cakes hold together. Add the cilantro, cayenne, and turmeric and saute another minute and then set aside to cool.
2. Mash the sweet potato.
3. Coarsely chop the shrimp and combine with the potato, onion mixture, egg, and a little salt. Make a very tiny patty and saute it in a small skillet to test the seasonings. Adjust salt or other seasonings to taste if necessary.
4. Wet your palms before forming the patties to prevent sticking. Divide the mixture into 12 balls, then flatten them into discs. They will be roughly 1 1/2 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Pat the cakes in bread crumbs, coating them well on all sides. The cakes will be loose in texture - this is a good thing. It ensures they will be moist and tender.
5. Heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the cakes in a medium skillet. When the oil begins to shimmer, gently place in one layer of cakes. Do not crowd. Cook 3-4 minutes or until golden brown, then flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the cakes to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat for the remaining cakes. Serve immediately.
Note: These may be formed and refrigerated a day in advance, layered on wax paper and covered with plastic wrap. Fry directly before serving.
2009 is the year of the Ox, according to the traditional Chinese zodiac, a calendar made up of 12-year cycles. People born in the year of the Ox are considered stubborn, loyal, patient, and capable of inspiring great confidence in others. They are also known for having considerable mental and physical stamina, and often make great leaders. President Barack Obama was born in the year of the Ox, as were Richard Nixon, Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, George Clooney, and Napoleon Bonaparte. If you were born in any of the following years, you are an Ox, too!
New Year’s celebrations, or Spring Festivals, as they’re known in Chinese, vary from region to region throughout China and the Chinese diaspora. Common elements include fireworks, feasting, and the color red. Some traditional foods include jiaozi (dumplings) and melon seeds, along with a number of fish dishes, often consumed on New Year’s Eve. The word for “fish” in Chinese is yú (鱼), and is a homonym for “surplus” - these kinds of similar-sounding words are considered auspicious in Chinese culture, and so fish is symbolic of plenitude and a successful harvest for the coming year.
This is a tasty version of a traditional Chinese fish dish.
1. Soak the fillets in salt water for half an hour. While they are marinating, move on to step 2.
2. Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water and set aside. Prep the vegetables, and combine them in a small bowl; set aside. Combine the garlic and ginger in a small bowl; set aside. Mix together the rice wine, broth, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, soy sauce, and vinegar; whisk until well blended, and set aside.
3. Drain and rinse the fish, and pat the fillets dry with paper towels. Dip each in beaten egg and then dredge in cornstarch until they are evenly coated. Fry in hot peanut oil until they are golden brown; remove with a slotted spoon, drain briefly, then transfer to a serving dish. Keep warm.
4. Remove the dried mushrooms from the bowl and squeeze out any excess liquid. Trim and discard the stems, and then slice into think strips and add to the bowl of vegetables.
5. Heat a few tablespoons of peanut oil in a wok, swirling it around to coat the sides of the pan. Fry the ginger/garlic mixture until it starts to turn golden, and add the rest of the vegetables, stirring quickly. Saute for a few minutes, then add the liquid mixture. Allow it to come to a simmer, then whisk in the water/cornstarch combination. Bring the whole lot to a boil, and test the vegetables for doneness.
6. Season liberally with sesame oil and white pepper, then pour the vegetable sauce over the fish. Serve immediately.
The original recipe I found for this called for fresh ahi tuna - always a favorite; for something a little different, go the route I did: try wild albacore instead. I was able to buy a whole loin - solid meat, no waste - and have leftovers. This preparation is simple and quick, and looks beautiful on the plate. I have found a few similar versions online - this one comes from my own kitchen, and has the fewest steps and ingredients, although the sauce might take a little longer…got 5 minutes?
You will need:
1 fresh albacore tuna loin
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup black sesame seeds
sesame oil
salt
And for the sauce:
sesame oil
soy sauce
rice wine vinegar
1 inch fresh ginger, minced
4 or 5 garlic cloves, smashed, peeled, and finely chopped
crushed, dried red chilies
1. Rinse the tuna loin under cold running water, and then set it out on a plate to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, whisk together equal parts soy, vinegar, and sesame oil to make the sauce. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilies and taste. Adjust seasonings or proportions accordingly. Pour the sauce into some lovely serving bowl you’re dying to show off, and set it on the table - it’s ready to go.
2. Slice the tuna into inch-thick medallions, cutting perpendicular to the length of the loin. Shake a liberal dusting of salt over the fish; turn each piece over and repeat.
3. Combine the sesame seeds in a bowl and mix them together with your hands. Then, dredge each tuna medallion in the seeds so that it is entirely coated on every side.
4. Heat a heavy splash of sesame oil in a skillet to medium high, and sear the tuna medallions, turning them once and taking care not to knock off the sesame crust. Cook only a couple of minutes - tuna should be warmed through but not cooked all the way; test one piece by cutting it in half - the color change should stop toward the center. Blot each piece dry on paper towels.
5. Serve immediately with the sauce either drizzled over the top or on the side.
We had ours with buttery wasabi mashed potatoes and blanched bok choy sauteed with black vinegar, soy sauce and salt.
Not every food from the sea has tentacles, shells, or fins. Even vegetarians can benefit from sustainable ocean harvest. Seaweed, or marine alga, is found all over the world, and has fed humankind for millennia. Of the thousands of species of seaweed that are known to exist, at least 110 of them are edible, and none is known to be poisonous. Marine algae are one of the richest plant-based sources of calcium, and excellent sources of iodine; different varieties also contain mineral nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, selenium, and others, as well as high levels of protein in some, e.g. spirulina.
Here’s a quick picture quiz - identify these common species! (Answers at the bottom).
The American diet has received most of its culinary seaweed culture from Japan, Korea, and China, where seaweed cultivation operations are major industries. While most Americans are familiar with wrapping sushi rolls in brittle sheets of nori, not everyone is aware that many desserts and gels use agar agar as a vegetarian gelatin substitute. Agars have the advantage of being able to solidify while warm, and don’t require refrigeration in order to set.
If you’re curious about seaweed foods but not quite ready to take the leap to eating a salad of something that looks like it washed up on the beach, try kelp pickles first. They’re just as zingy and tasty as those made from cucumbers or other more familiar garden vegetables grown in dirt. They’re also just as simple to make.
1. You can harvest your own kelp on the beach; my source says that the best picking time is in May and June, but you can find it year-round in many places along the coast. Don’t pick kelp that have white splotches, as they’re over the hill. Rinse them well, but you don’t need to peel or soak them. Cut the “hair” off the heads; the best pickles come from the bulb and stem. Chop them into the size pickles you’d like.
2. Combine everything but the kelp and onions in a large soup pot, then add the vegetables and bring to a boil.
3. Pack them into sterilized jars and then process for 10 minutes in boiling water. Alternatively, you can pack your jars and then use a canner - follow the canner’s instructions for processing.
4. Let stand for about a month for the best flavor before eating. Makes about 8 pints.
Answers to the seaweed quiz - clockwise, from the top left:
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