Tag: chicken
Soy Sauce Chicken (See Yao Gai-s Soon)

Soy Sauce Chicken (See Yao Gai-s Soon)

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Growing up in Chinatown I took for granted that everyone had access to fresh vegetables, fish, poultry and meat.  If only I had an iPhone back in the day to capture the pictures of daily life in my Chinatown.  I’d have pictures of crates filled with live chickens sitting on the sidewalk, tanks filled with live fish and crabs, and baskets filled with just picked greens.

Many of the markets had delis, their counters loaded with trays of fried noodles, stir-fried vegetables, and stews. Storefront windows filled with roasted ducks, chickens and different sausages hung to entice passersby.   Whole roasted pig hanging on a hook with its skin roasted to a crispy rich caramel brown. Shoppers clamored in line while the butcher sliced off chunks to dole out. 

Fifteen minutes before my parents closed their office for the day, Dad would hurry down to the shops to buy fixings for that night’s dinner.  What he cooked was always predicated on what was fresh in the markets.

Our dinners consisted of my Dad’s dishes-squash soup, stir fried beef and greens or steamed fish with green onions and ginger and pre-made dishes bought from one of the many delis in Chinatown.  Dad would survey the window at Ping Yuen Market and select a roast duck or chicken, or pick a piece of Crispy Skin Pork or bbq pork .  Luckily many of these deli delights like Whole Poached Chicken and bbq pork, even crispy skin roasted pork can be made at home.  I gave it a try with a small piece of pork belly, and was surprised by the results.  Now I can make it at home.

Soy Sauce Chicken

It never occurred to me to make Soy Sauce Chicken at home, it was too easy to head to my favorite Chinese deli and pick one up.  Staying at home has made me rethink “what can I make at home?” Time to tackle Soy Sauce Chicken.  The good news is it’s easy!  I googled Soy Sauce Chicken and found a recipe on The Woks of Life (an amazing Asian family cooking blog).  A few tweaks to their recipe and boom, no need to head to that Chinese deli anymore.  Delicious homemade Soy Sauce Chicken made by yours truly

Here’s the hard part.  Ingredients

The seasonings include dark and regular soy sauce, star anise, sugar, cinnamon, rice wine.  Dark soy sauce has molasses which makes it sweeter than regular soy sauce.  Pictured in the left, back is rock sugar which I used along with granulated sugar.  You could use just granulated sugar or a combination of white and brown sugar.   Star anise is not my favorite so I cut back to 1-2 pieces and added half of a cinnamon stick instead.  Next time I will throw in 1-2 cloves in the poaching liquid.  Feel free to play around with the spices to make it your own, although stick to the spices in Five Spice Powder as a guide -Cinnamon, Star Anise, Fennel, Clove, Sichuan Peppercorns.  Keep in mind that all of these spices are pretty assertive, a little goes a long way.

The dark soy adds not only sweetness but color.  The skin turns a beautiful mahogany brown.  The regular soy sauce adds saltiness and flavor.  The original recipe calls for green onions, I didn’t have any, so I used shallots instead.  You definitely need a member of the allium family.

The result is tender, juicy, chicken that is sweet, salty, and spicy from the star anise and cinnamon.  It’s delicious.  Serve the chicken with simply prepared greens and either rice or noodles.  Drizzle with the poaching liquid and BOOM dinner is served.  Enjoy!

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Soy Sauce Chicken (See Yau Gai)

Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Soy Sauce Chicken
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken ~4 pounds; fresh
  • 1 T oil
  • 7 slices ginger smash lightly to release flavor
  • 2 scallions cut into 3-inch pieces and smashed flat
  • 3 star anise I use 1-2 only
  • 1 ½ cups Chinese Rice Wine aka shaoxing wine
  • 1 ½ cups soy sauce reg Kikkoman would work
  • 1 1/4 cup dark soy sauce or dark mushroom soy sauce
  • 1 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons Can substitute rock sugar or brown sugar for 1/2 of amount
  • 2 teaspoons salt Kosher salt, if using diamond increase to 1 T
  • 10 cups water
  • 1-2 cloves optional

Optional spices

  • 2 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
  • 1/2 stick cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp fennel seeds reduce star anise to 1 piece if using
  • 1-2 large shallots, sliced in place of green onions and garlic, sheltering in place-mother of invention!

Instructions

  • Take your chicken out of the refrigerator before you plan to cook, let it come to room temperature. Remove the giblets, and thoroughly rinse the chicken inside and out.
  • In a tall, narrow stock pot, that will just fit the chicken, (the chicken should be totally submerged in the cooking liquid) Heat pot over medium low heat add the oil. Add ginger when the oil is hot.
  • Fry ginger for about 30 seconds until it begins to brown. Then add the scallions and cook another 30 seconds. Add the star anise and rice wine, and bring to a simmer to let some of the alcohol cook off. Add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, salt, and water. Bring to a simmer again and cook on low heat for another 20 minutes.
  • Increase the heat to bring the liquid to a slow boil (i.e. a little stronger than a simmer, but not a rolling boil). Lower the chicken slowly into the pot breast side up. Make sure any air pockets in the cavity fill up completely with liquid. The chicken should be entirely submerged at this point.
  • Bring the cooking liquid back to a boil and cook for about 5 minutes at medium heat, a nice rolling simmer. Next, carefully with tongs or a serving fork, lift the chicken out of the water and empty the liquid inside the cavity, which will be cooler than the liquid surrounding the chicken. Lower the chicken back into the pot, making sure once again to fill the cavity. If the chicken is not completely submerged, periodically baste the exposed area with cooking liquid.
  • Bring the liquid back up to a simmer, which should take about 10 minutes. Keep it at this slow simmer (the liquid will be about 210 degrees F) for 25 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let the chicken sit in the pot for another 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. You can test the chicken, should be about 165 degrees F.
  • Use the sauce from the pot to occasionally baste the chicken and keep the skin moist as it cools. Serve over rice with some sauce from the pot!

Chicken Pieces

  • Don't want to poach an entire chicken?
  • This is enough poaching liquid to poach 4 chicken breast or 4 whole legs or 6 thighs. Follow directions up until putting the chicken into the liquid. Place chicken pieces in liquid. Bring it back to a boil. Lower heat so you have a nice energetic simmer going.. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn heat off and allow the chicken to sit covered for 20-25 minutes depending on size of pieces.
    That's it, enjoy!

Notes

Once you're done cooking the chicken, you can actually freeze the sauce/cooking liquid for use again later (though you may have to re-season the sauce)
Summer Madness #1: Too Hot (Miso Sesame Chicken Salad to Keep the Gang Kool)

Summer Madness #1: Too Hot (Miso Sesame Chicken Salad to Keep the Gang Kool)

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The weather has been pretty darn warm.  Actually, I’d say damn hot lately.  I grew up in San Francisco, a warm day meant temps in the ’70s. Growing up we spent most of July and August in a blanket of fog.  My first car had an all-black interior and NO AIR CONDITIONING.  NBD.

But now I live in Silicon Valley, 50 miles south of San Francisco.  My cars have AC, my house has AC (a non-negotiable requirement of the Hubster who grew up in Sacramento).  I once scoffed at folks who succumbed to installing air conditioning.  No more.

I will say we do try to keep usage to a minimum, preferring to leave windows and doors open so the evening breeze cools down the house.  We keep oven baking and cooking on the stove to a minimum by eating lots of sushi, salads, and bbq.  We fire up the grill in the backyard and enjoy our meals outside. Summer alfresco dining, what could be better?

I subscribe to NYT Cooking and each week Sam Sifton pops up with a What to Cook This Week column.  This week’s newsletter included a Miso Sesame Chicken Salad from David Tanis.  That caught my eye.

MIso Sesame Chicken Salad

Silky poached chicken, crunchy cucumbers, scallions on a bed of Bibb lettuce topped with a creamy Miso-Sesame dressing.  Karma, I had chicken in the fridge, cucumbers from a friend’s garden and Aedan Miso I had just bought at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market.

The only cooking required is poaching the chicken.  I decided to make half the recipe so  I opted to poach chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken which took less time and works perfectly for this dish.

No brainer method for the best damn poached chicken.

Like Whole Poached Chicken, this cooking method results in juicy, tender, delicious poached chicken breasts, perfect for salads, sandwiches, or morsels for your favorite doggy…

Fill a saucepan large enough to hold 1 whole chicken breast (split in half) with water. You don’t need to add much to the water except for a good pinch salt.  I cheat and add a tablespoon of Better Than Bouillion Chicken Base just to intensify the flavor, totally optional.  Bring the water to a boil and add the chicken.  Bring it back to a boil, lower the heat so that it is barely simmering.  Cover the pot and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to sit for 15-20 minutes (do this by size, smaller breasts-15 minutes, larger-20 minutes).  Remove chicken from pot and allow to cool until it is easy to handle.  Ta-da, perfect chicken for salads, sandwiches, or Hainanese Chicken and Rice.

Back to the salad.  I love the textures in this salad.  Tender, silky chicken and crisp cold cucumbers.  You can use romaine or iceberg but I like using Bibb.  Instead of slicing the cucumbers I rolled-cut them and lightly smashed them. The Miso and Sesame Sauce has a touch of lemon zest which adds a hint of citrus.  I used Gochugaro, a Korean chili powder instead of cayenne to add some spice.

This is a tasty addition to the summer salad rotation.  Enjoy!

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Miso Sesame Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons Asian sesame paste or tahini
  • 4 tablespoons white shiro miso I used Aedan Mild White Miso
  • 3 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • ½ teaspoon roasted sesame oil
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Small pinch of cayenne optional, I used Gochugaro Powder instead
  • 1 3-poundchicken, cooked poach chicken breasts instead of a whole chicken as directed in post
  • 2 heads small Bibb or Boston lettuce can use Little Gems or romaine hearts
  • 2 medium cucumbers, peeled and sliced 1/8-inch thick, lightly salted I prefer Persian or English cucumbers
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallions or chives
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon toasted black sesame seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Put sesame paste, miso, vinegar, mirin, ginger, sugar and lemon zest in a small mixing bowl. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in sesame and vegetable oils. Check seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and cayenne, if using. You should have about 2/3 cup dressing. If it seems too thick, thin with a tablespoon or 2 of water.
  • Remove skin from chicken and pull all the meat from the carcass. Shred chicken meat into 1-inch strips and put in a medium mixing bowl. (Refrigerate or freeze any remaining skin, fat, bones and cartilage for making broth.) You should have about 4 cups shredded chicken.
  • Separate the lettuce leaves and arrange on a large platter, leaving space for the chicken at the center, then scatter with cucumber slices.
  • Gently toss the shredded chicken with salt and pepper. Pour all but a few tablespoons of dressing over the chicken and gently toss to coat. Transfer dressed chicken to center of platter and nap with remaining dressing. Sprinkle scallions and sesame seeds on top and serve.

Notes

I made a half recipe which was plenty for the two of us.  
A Photastic Chicken Noodle Salad (Pho Ga Tron)

A Photastic Chicken Noodle Salad (Pho Ga Tron)

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I found a recipe in the Los Angeles Times for a quick delicious Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Pho Ga.  The author, Andrea Ngyuen also tacked on a second recipe, Pho Ga Tron, or Chicken Pho Noodle Salad.  The broth from the Pho Ga is a building block for the sweet and spicy dressing for the salad. The salad contains rice noodles, herbs, and greens, and is topped with crispy fried onions and roasted peanuts.  It’s lip-smacking good! Andrea actually makes the quick broth just for this dish and serves bowls of the broth alongside the salad.   Make the soup for Pho Ga one day, and reserve the extra broth to make the dressing for the salad another day.  I julienned romaine lettuce for added crunch. I bet napa cabbage or iceberg would also work.

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Chicken Pho Noodle Salad

Course Salad
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Pho Ga Tron, Vietnamese Chicken Pho Salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

Quick Chicken Pho broth, divided. See Quick Pho Ga recipe

  • 1/2 cup chicken pho broth
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce plus more for serving
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
  • 1 1⁄2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
  • 10 ounces dried medium flat rice noodles
  • About 8 ounces cooked chicken from Quick Chicken Pho
  • 2 cups butter lettuce or soft leaf lettuce cut into narrow ribbons, with spines intact
  • 1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leafy tops only
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or Thai basil leaves
  • 1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1/3 cup fried shallots or onion homemade or purchased
  • Thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • Combine 1⁄2 cup of the broth with the salt, sugar, chile sauce, vinegar and soy sauce. Set this sauce mixture near the stove.
  • Put the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the garlic sizzles and is light blond, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat for about 15 seconds to cool slightly, then add the sauce mixture. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry, then swirl into the bubbly sauce. Once thickened, about 15 seconds, remove from heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes before using. This makes about 1/2 cup sauce.
  • Meanwhile, boil the noodles in a pot of water until tender chewy following the package instructions, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, cool quickly under running water, then set aside to fully drain and cool.
  • Reheat the remaining broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and, if needed, warm in a microwave oven to remove the chill and refresh; ideally the chicken has some succulence. Set aside.
  • To assemble, have 4 rice bowls for broth and 4 noodle-soup-size bowls for the salad. Put a little green onion into each rice bowl (use the rest for the noodle salad). Set near the broth.
  • Divide the lettuce among the noodle soup bowls. Add a portion of noodles and chicken, then drizzle over the sauce to taste. Top with the remaining green onion, cilantro, mint (or basil), peanut, and fried shallots (or onion).
  • Ladle the hot broth into the rice bowls. Serve immediately with the noodle salad bowls. Invite guests to wield spoons and chopsticks to toss their salads and enjoy the broth as soothing interludes. If the noodles seem too heavy with sauce, mix in a spoonful of broth. 

Each serving:

  • Calories 613; Protein 33 grams; Carbohydrates 82 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Fat 18 grams; Saturated fat 3 grams; Cholesterol 72 mg; Sugar 10 grams; Sodium 1,795 mg
Instant Pot White Chicken Chili? Yes We CAN!

Instant Pot White Chicken Chili? Yes We CAN!

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Ramping up for the holidays?  Here is a recipe that is easy, delicious and thanks to your handy dandy Instant Pot, ready in minutes.  You will need, first and foremost, a can opener.  Yep, a can opener, indispensable. You’ll also need, chicken, white beans (can), chicken stock or broth (can), roasted peppers (can), corn (yes, a can) and spices. Everything except the chicken, you’ll need a can opener.  Stupid easy.

I couldn’t let sleeping dogs lie, the original recipe from the blog Eat.Drink.Love. calls for onion powder and garlic powder.  I decided to use chopped onions and garlic cloves instead.  It adds a couple of minutes, but I like the texture and flavor of the onions and garlic.  Feel free to stick with the original if you like.

This really is quick and easy, perfect for a busy weekday night.  Ready in minutes, good the next day, and very kid friendly.

The recipe calls for chicken breast, you can use thighs instead if you prefer dark meat.  Any white bean will work, Kidney, Great Northern, Navy or Cannellini.  The recipe calls for a can of corn, which I misread and thought it was a can of creamed corn. I went with it and I actually liked it.  It adds a bit of sweetness and creaminess to the chili.  Consider decreasing the broth if you use creamed corn.  I also added a finely diced jalapeño pepper to give the chili an extra kick.  If the sauce seems a bit thin at the end, remove chicken and continue to cook sauce on saute’ function to reduce to desired thickness then add the shredded chicken back to the pot.

Between you and me, I love eating chili over macaroni or rice.   From Epicurious, favorite ways to eat chili.

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INSTANT POT WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword White Chicken Chili
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts halved lengthwise
  • 2 15-ounce cans white navy beans rinsed and drained
  • 1 15-ounce canned corn, drained or 1 15 ounce canned creamed corn + 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 4-ounce can roasted diced green chiles
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken broth 1-1/2 cups if using creamed corn
  • 3 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder*
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder*
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt

*Substitute 1 chopped yellow onion and 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

  • 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and veined, finely diced (optional)

Toppings

  • shredded cheddar or jack cheese
  • diced avocado
  • sour cream
  • cilantro or sliced green onions

Instructions

  • *If using onions and garlic, on saute', add 1 tablespoon oil to Instant Pot. Add onions and garlic and saute' until soft. Proceed with recipe, omit garlic powder and onion powder
  • Place the chicken into the pressure cooker.
  • Pour in the beans, corn, chiles, and the broth. Then stir in the seasonings*
  • Cover with the lid and set valve to sealing position.
  • Cook on poultry setting for 15 minutes followed by a quick pressure release.
  • Shred the chicken with a fork and serve with desired toppings.
  • Can add additional seasonings if desired.
  • Garnish with toppings, serve immediately
Instant Pot Easy Jook (Rice Soup) Soul Food Breakfast

Instant Pot Easy Jook (Rice Soup) Soul Food Breakfast

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Last weekend Jamie played her version of NYT’s 36 Hours. We picked her up at the airport (SFO NOT SJC, grrrr) at 1:00 am Friday night (ok Saturday morning, delays) and dropped her off Sunday at 11:00 AM.  Her first words upon seeing her bleary-eyed parents? DID YOU BRING MY SUSHI WITH YOU?  I AM STARVING!  Lucky we like her.

Happy Hour Any Hour

With Jamie coming home, the call went out for a happy hour, which, due to schedules, morphed into a Saturday morning breakfast happy hour.  Any time of day is Happy Hour when it involves friends, food, and fun.  It just means tweaking the menu that’s all. We decided on a bowl of fresh strawberries and summer peaches, Belgium Waffles, candied bacon, Jule’s Granola and yogurt.  Jamie chimed in with “I want Jook (rice soup) too”  Rice Soup is soul food, comfort food, each bite reminds one of being home.  With its addition and the various toppings like shredded chicken, assorted sweet and salty pickles, and slivers of green onions to go along, our breakfast menu was complete.

A small stumbling block to this plan, who was going to make Jook (Rice Soup) in the morning? Ugh, the last thing I wanted to do was get up early after a late-night airport pickup.  Then it hit me, hello…you have an INSTANT POT, Deb.  A quick Google search yielded plenty of recipes so I decided on a mash-up of my Dad’s Jook and a couple of Instant Pot recipes I found online.  Yay, I’ll get forty winks and have rice soup ready for breakfast.

Jook in an Instant Pot is so stupid easy it’s a crime.  Saute a couple of slices of ginger in the Instant Pot add the washed rice, give it a few good stirs, add skinned chicken drumsticks, fill the pot with water and seasonings, seal it and set the timer for 20 minutes. That’s it.  Jook Time.  If you have chicken stock, use it for an extra rich and flavorful soup.

I have a confession, if I don’t have homemade stock or even low-sodium commercial chicken broth, I’ll add a tablespoon of a chicken stock base such as Better Than Boullion, or Chicken Powder by LKK or Knorr (a Chinese kitchen staple) just to kick it up a notch.  It’s not necessary but it will add some depth of flavor.  The soup will look thin when you first take off the lid.  Stir it a couple of times to combine the rice and stock, hit the saute’ function, and bring it to a boil. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the Jook is the consistency you want.

*Notes from a Thanksgiving Table

My favorite post-Thanksgiving meals aka “What to do with your leftovers”.

Turkey Rice Soup (Congee or Jook)

DON’T THROW AWAY THE BONES AND CARCASS. 

Get out your stockpot (or any really, really big pot).  Throw the carcass, wings, drumsticks (sans stuffing) in and fill with water. Add a smashed chunk of ginger (2-inch piece) 1/2 cup of rice wine, a bunch of scallions, a large pinch of salt and bring it to a boil.  Once it boils, reduce heat to a nice energetic simmer.  Cover and fuggetaboutit for a couple of hours.  You will end up with liquid gold to make any delicious soup you want.  For a non-Asian bent, omit ginger and scallions and throw in carrots, celery, yellow onions instead.  But honestly, it doesn’t matter, you could make jook with either stock.

I do make the stock separately so that I can strain the stock and remove all those little nasty bone fragments and seasoning vegetables.  They have all done their job and can now exit stage left.

The stock will keep in the fridge for about a week or longer in the freezer.

Now go back to the top or to the bottom for the recipe on how to make jook….you’ll thank me, so so good.

Hello….Turkey Sammies a la Dagwood style which means all your Thanksgiving leftovers in between two slices of bread.  Yep, turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, gravy, and a couple of slices of cheese from the appetizer plate.  Don’t forget the leftover greens from the salad no one ate because WHO eats salad on Thanksgiving-puulease.  Oh man-so good.

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Instant Pot Chicken Congee Recipe (Jook)

Jook or congee, the ultimate comfort food, when its cold outside, when you have a cold, anytime.
Course Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Calories 140kcal

Ingredients

For the Soup:

  • 1 cup long grain Jasmine rice honestly you can use any kind of rice, long, medium or short grain
  • 1.5 Tsp vegetable oil
  • 3 Slices thinly sliced fresh ginger size of quarters
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3-4 skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs or 2 whole chicken legs, can also add pork such as pork butt 2-3 2 inch pieces
  • 8 to 10 cups water, fill to the 10-cup mark on your IP or use stock and water 1:1
  • 1/8 cup rice wine
  • 1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon (optional) Skip if you are starting with stock

At the Finish Line

  • 2 tsp sesame oil toasted, Asian sesame oil
  • 1/3-1/2 cup scallions-sliced on the bias garnish
  • 1/8 Cup finely shredded fresh ginger garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste preferably white pepper

Instructions

  • Wash rice. Add the rice to a bowl, and add enough water to cover the rice. Swirl the rice around. Drain and repeat a few times until the water is clear. Let drain and dry.
  • Turn on Instant Pot with Saute function.  When hot, add 1 -1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil and ginger.  Saute for 30 seconds, add rice and 1 teaspoon salt.  Stir to coat rice with oil approximately 1 minute.
  • Add chicken pieces, bouillon, and rice wine to the pot . **If you are in a rush or feeling lazy, skip sauteing the rice and ginger.  Just throw them into the pot, fill with enough water until it reaches the 10 cup mark in the Instant Pot.
  • Turn off saute, close the lid and make sure the knob is on "Sealing". Choose the "Porridge" button and set the time to 20 minutes.
  • While congee is cooking, shred ginger and slice scallions and place in small bowls for serving.
  • When the time is up on the timer, turn the Instant Pot off. Wait 15 minutes natural release before turning the knob from 'Sealing' to 'Venting'. Rice soup tends to splatter a lot, do not do a quick release.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot, when it is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the bones. If the jook seems thin, turn saute' function on (without the lid on) and cook until desired consistency.  If it is too thick, add water or broth.
  • Add the chicken back into the congee or put it in a bowl and let folks add at the table. Taste, add salt if necessary.
  • Ladle into bowls and top with desired amount of ginger, white pepper, sesame oil and scallions. Let folks add their own.

Toppings and Fixins'

  • My Dad's Jook calls for potatoes, I love them in my soup. Any kind of potato will work, peeled and quartered for large potatoes. Add at the same time as the chicken when making the soup.
  • For meatballs, follow instructions under Dad's Jook. This can be added at the end after pressure cooking.  Remove lid and press saute function.  When the rice soup comes to a boil, add meatballs and cook until done 2-3 minutes.
  • Additional toppings include cilantro leaves, fried garlic slivers, shredded fresh ginger, salted peanuts, shredded lettuce (iceberg works well)...the list goes on. Anything you eat with rice can be added.  NO Rules!
Happy Dance in my Mouth-Middle Eastern Herb & Garlic Chicken

Happy Dance in my Mouth-Middle Eastern Herb & Garlic Chicken

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It has been a little while since I posted Ottolenghi’s recipe for Turkey Zucchini Burgers.  A flavor packed dish that uses both fresh and dried herbs not usually found in my kitchen.  Tangy sumac, refreshing mint, thyme and parsley,  a welcome addition to my familiar repertoire of flavors.  Now my only problem is…

I need more recipes that use these lovely herbs and spices.

NYT cooking recently posted a recipe for Middle Eastern Herb and Garlic Chicken.  Woohoo, and wouldn’t you know it, the recipe uses many of the same seasonings as the turkey burgers.  It’s totally delicious.  We were in the mood for sandwiches so I marinaded boneless chicken thighs while Wes fired up the grill. I found some nice crusty rolls and threw together a tomato, cucumber and onion salad to go along with our sandwiches.  I couldn’t wait for the chicken to come off the grill.

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The lemon and garlic provide the one two punch and the fresh herbs kick it up another couple of notches, it’s like a party in your mouth.

There is quite bit of lemon juice in the marinade and because of this I opted to marinade the chicken for just a couple of hours.  I don’t think it is necessary to marinade it for much longer than that.

We topped the chicken with a yogurt sauce flavored with lemon zest and garlic.  I threw in a dash of sumac for good measure.  It’s great as a dip or as a spread for our sandwiches. To highlight the sesame seeds I would add a touch of sesame oil (dark) to both the marinade and yogurt sauce.

Before summer ends and we cover the grill for winter,  I plan to make this chicken again.  Lucky for us here in California that won’t be for quite awhile!

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Middle Eastern Herb and Garlic Chicken

Course Main Course, Meat
Cuisine Middle Eastern
Keyword MIddle Eastern Herb and Garlic Chicken

Ingredients

This recipe comes from Melissa Clark via the New York Times

     
    Another chicken recipe..(Chicken Shawarma!)

    Another chicken recipe..(Chicken Shawarma!)

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    From the New York Times

    If you haven’t discovered it yet, the New York Times Cooking site is an absolute gem.  It is filled with amazing recipes from the food writers of the NYT including Melissa Clark, Sam Sifton, Mark Bittman, and Florence Fabricant.  If you subscribe to the site, each week a newsletter arrives in your inbox filled with the latest seasonal recipes and which ones are trending.  All recipes are well written, easy to follow and accompanied by photos.  I’ve tried quite a few with good results such as this chicken shawarma from Sam Sifton.  And don’t forget to read the comments from other users, a critical bunch those NYT readers who do not hesitate to give their take on the recipes!

    Chicken Shawarma NYT

    DSC01974

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    Oven Roasted Chicken Shawarma

    Ingredients

    • 2 lemons juiced
    • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 6 cloves garlic peeled, smashed and minced
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
    • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
    • 2 teaspoons paprika
    • ½ teaspoon turmeric
    • A pinch ground cinnamon
    • Red-pepper flakes to taste
    • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or 6 bone in chicken thighs
    • 1 large red onion peeled and quartered
    • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

    Instructions

    • Prepare marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover, and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
    • When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
    • Put the chicken in the oven, and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.
    • Or grill chicken. Drain chicken from marinade, toss vegetables into marinade. Grill or oven roast onions and peppers. Grill chicken over indirect heat, turn halfway through, total grill time of 24 minutes for bone in chicken, 12-15 minutes for boneless.
    Simple Poached Chicken

    Simple Poached Chicken

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    An easy meal is “white poached chicken”, a classic Chinese dish.  The chicken is poached in water or broth and served with a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and scallions.  This is similar to Singapore’s famous Hainanese Chicken Rice dish that made its way there with Chinese immigrants from Hainan Island.  It’s my kind of recipe simple and delicious!  Leftover chicken can be used in salads, sammies, any recipe that calls for cooked chicken.

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    Poached Chicken with Soy Ginger Scallion Sauce

    Classic Asian Homestyle Dish, Simple poached chicken with soy ginger scallion sauce. A favorite in our house!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian
    Keyword poached chicken
    Prep Time 5 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour

    Ingredients

    Poaching Liquid for Chicken

    • 1 4-5 lb. chicken or you can use chicken pieces*
    • 3 scallions (green onions) smashed
    • 1 inch knob of ginger, smashed
    • 1/4 cup rice wine can substitute dry sherry or sake (not Mirin)
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 T Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base optional

    Ginger Scallion Sauce

    • 6 T vegetable oil
    • ¼ cup finely shredded fresh ginger
    • 3 scallions trimmed and cut into fine strips or diced
    • 3 T soy sauce
    • 3 T chicken stock use poaching liquid
    • 1.5 T Rice wine or sake'
    • 1 tsp sugar
    • 11/2 tsp sesame oil

    Instructions

    • Fill an 8 qt pot approximately 2/3 full with water. Bring water to a boil and add 1 1-inch knob of ginger crushed, ¼ cup rice wine, 1 t salt, & 3 scallions that have been crushed. Add chicken to boiling water (poaching liquid). Bring poaching liquid back to a boil, turn the heat down to simmer, cover the pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. At 15 minutes, turn off the heat and let the chicken sit covered for 45 minutes. Save the stock for soup or sauces.
    • Pieces of chicken can also be poached this way. Reduce time of simmer to 5 minutes and let chicken pieces sit covered in pot for 20-25 minutes.
    • Meanwhile, prep sauce. Shred ginger, dice the green onions, if you like it spicy, add ½ -1 jalapeno pepper, sliced. In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, stock, sugar, dry sherry and sesame oil. Set aside.
    • When chicken is done, remove from liquid and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cut chicken into serving pieces and place on platter.
    • Heat oil in a small saucepan until you can see wisps of smoke. Add ginger, scallions and peppers to the oil. Be careful, as mixture will sizzle. Remove from heat immediately and add soy sauce mixture. If the sauce clouds, return to heat for a minute. Add a dash of white pepper.
    • Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately with plenty of rice!
    • The sauce can also be used for steamed fish or as a dipping sauce for seafood.
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    Garlic-Ginger Rice Pilaf

    Garlic Ginger Rice Pilaf perfect with poached chicken
    Course Rice
    Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
    Keyword Garlic Ginger Rice
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 39 minutes

    Equipment

    • Rice Cooker

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups long-grain rice washed and drained well (use the measuring cup that comes with the rice cooker)
    • 1 cup actual cup small pasta such as letters, stars, orzo, or broken vermicelli (found in Indian stores)
    • 2 T vegetable oil or peanut oil
    • 1 T salted butter
    • 1/2-3/4 inch piece of ginger minced
    • 3-4 cloves of garlic minced
    • salt and pepper

    Instructions

    • Heat oil and butter in a saucepan, add ginger and garlic and saute until garlic just starts to brown. 
    • Add rice and cook until the grains are evenly coated with the oil/butter.   
    • Add stock to saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat and cook until stock is fully absorbed and rice is cooked through approximately 15 - 20 minutes.  
    • Or do what I do and transfer the sauteed rice to a rice cooker, add stock to the 3 cup line and let the rice cooker do its thing!

     

     
    Is this Heaven? (Rice soup, Jook)

    Is this Heaven? (Rice soup, Jook)

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    No, It’s AT&T Park. Huh, coulda swore it was heaven.

    I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to write about my other obsession.

    Sports

    I love watching sports, playing sports, sports movies, talking sports…you get it.  My first love is baseball, I live and die by the San Francisco Giants.  When I think about my childhood a couple of things come to mind, going to games at the Stick with my Dad, watching Willie Mays patrol centerfield, and watching the fog roll in off the bay right onto the field.  Field of Fog, not Dreams.

    My Dad and I would take Muni and get to the park and watch bp.  Back in the day, the outfield at the Stick was bordered by a chain-linked fence, not the stands that came when they enclosed it for football. As the sun set and night settled in, you could hear the wind whistle as it came into the park and swirled around the stadium.

    In the fall we watched the Niners on TV while eating big bowls of steaming hot jook (rice soup) dotted with tiny pork meatballs and green onions. The perfect combo for those brisk autumn days.  My passion for sports & watching the hometown boys is inextricably linked to memories of hanging with my Dad.  Favorite movie?  Field of Dreams of course, well gotta wrap it up, going to have a catch with Jamie.

    Getting to the Game

    IMG_1404

    If you have not been to a game at At&T Park, even if you aren’t a baseball fan, go, it’s always a good time, and the view is amazing!

    DSC01389

    Jook, also known as congee or rice soup.  Perfect football season food, jook is comfort food. I make it when it’s cold outside, when anyone is sick and when they had had their wisdom teeth pulled!

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    Rice soup (Jook)

    Ultimate comfort food, also known as jook or congee, rice soup is soul food. This is my Dad's Cantonese version. Made with rice, chicken stock, potatoes and garnished with lettuce, shredded chicken and, scallions.
    Course Breakfast, dinner, lunch, Soup
    Cuisine Asian
    Keyword chicken stock, congee, Jook, rice
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup uncooked long grain rice medium or short grain will work too
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 T vegetable oil
    • 2-3 slices fresh ginger
    • 1 quart chicken stock 1 quart water
    • 1 quart wqter
    • 1/8 cup rice wine
    • 2 chicken legs (whole leg) skinned if desired
    • 1 russet potato cut in large chunks

    Meatballs

    • 1/3 pound ground pork or mixture of pork and chicken 1:1 or ground chicken
    • 1 tsp soy sauce
    • 1 tsp oyster sauce
    • 1 tsp rice wine
    • 1 tbsp salted preserved turnip finely chopped (chung choy)
    • 1 tbsp minced cilanto and green onions
    • dash of salt and pepper

    Garnishes:

    • green onions, sliced
    • cilantro
    • lettuce, shredded preferably iceberg

    Instructions

    Da Soup

    • Heat oil in a stockpot, saute ginger slices for about 30 seconds, add rice and salt and saute for a couple of minutes. Add stock, water, wine, and chicken legs. Bring to a boil then lower to a strong simmer. Do not stir. Let cook for approximately an hour and a half until the rice breaks down and the soup looks a little thick.
    • At the 60 minute mark, remove chicken and set aside to cool. Add potatoes to jook. Give it a good stir, bring it back to a simmer to finish.

    Da Meatballs: My favorite addition to jook is little meatballs made with pork that my father added just before serving.

    • Add seasonings to the ground pork add 1 T chopped salted preserved turnip (chung choy).
    • Drop rounded teaspoons of the pork mixture into the rice soup, and continue to cook until meatballs are cooked through, approximately 5-10 minutes.
    • Shred chicken and serve alongside other garnishes.
    • Garnish with chopped cilantro, green onions and shredded lettuce. Serve immediately.