PinoyEats

Salmon Nanbanzuke

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:31 +0000

I try to vary my cooking from diverse European and Asian influences, but a good portion of these posts is either Spanish or Japanese. It is only fitting then, that I have finally posted a nanbanzuke, which is basically a Japanese escabeche. Salmon fillet pieces are dusted in flour and fried crispy, then are immediately placed in a bath of rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce and dashi. Julienned fresh veggies are added (daikon, carrots, onions, cucumber) and the dish is left to sit for half an hour to soak up the sauce flavors. Very satisfying, and quite healthy too...

Pork Belly Ssam

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:25 +0000

In a traditional Korean Ssam joint, there will be many options of grilled or roasted meat that you can "Ssam-ify". It makes you feel like you're being healthier with your meat, since it is balanced by fresh veggies and no carbs. One of my favorite meat ingredients to use is pork belly, especially if it is Kurobuta (literally, "black pork", taken from the appearance of the black hoof of the premium Japanese Berkshire pig).

Roasted Rack of Lamb

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:18 +0000

This take on a classic roasted rack of lamb, integrates the mint sauce by using a rosemary, garlic and mint leaf paste applied during the last forty minutes of roasting. Not hard at all, and makes for a great presentation.

Paella Valenciana

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:14 +0000

This is a rabbit and chicken short of a classic Paella Valenciana, but since it was eaten during lent, the calamari and scallops did just fine. :) The Valenciana version is characterized by a deep, smoky flavor, as well as a more "blossomed" sofrito. The latter technique causes the paella to have a deeper orange hue as opposed to the the bright yellow saffron-infused color of a Madrileno Paella.

Mabo Don

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:08 +0000

Mapo tofu is a classic Chinese spicy tofu dish. I am not fully certain at what point in history the dish came into Japan, but the mabo don (mapo tofu donburi) has been a household Japanese staple for many years. The basic recipe uses tofu, ground pork, leeks along with the sauce and spice elements. It is a healthy dish anyway, but since I make it quite often, I have made it one step healthier by using ground turkey. It does not have the same depth as the pork of course, but since the tofu is the star, the turkey works fine.

Katsudon

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 09:00 +0000

This is katsudon, prior to being placed on rice. Katsudon is the classic Japanese donburi lunch dish that usually uses a pork tonkatsu chop, mixed with eggs, leeks and sauce over rice. In this case, I used pork tenderloin fillets instead, and therefore did not cut up the piece(s). A small pan is useful for this dish, as it is about the same size as the rice bowl it will be slid on.

Salmon Poke

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:54 +0000

Anybody who lived has lived in Hawaii will be familiar with poke. A basic poke uses ahi sashimi, onions, sesame oil, chili oil and soy sauce. However, as any Hawaiian local will tell you, there are hundreds of variations of poke, as long as the basic formula of sashimi/oil/onion/soy is used. In this picture here, I used salmon (sake), green onions, hijiki seaweed, sesame and chili oils, and light soy sauce.

Asparagus Shiraae

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:49 +0000

The last asparagus post was European, and now this is back to asian. In this case, a 'shiraae' is a Japanese side dish that uses a fresh vegetable and tofu-based dressing. This version comes from the famous Harumi Kurihara, and uses blanched asparagus with silken tofu and a sesame paste

Grilled Asparagus with Romesco Sauce

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:43 +0000

Springtime in the Catalonia region of Spain marks the annual Calcotada festival. A calcot (accent mark missing) is a Spanish spring onion/leek that is grilled in newspapers and served with romesco during the festival. While this picture is not a calcot, grilled asparagus works very well also, when the romesco is made from scratch.

Dutch Baby

Mon, 26 Apr 2010 08:33 +0000

The classic dutch baby, using a cast iron pan. Fast brunch or dessert, depending on your mood.