Asian recipes

Yunnan-Style Breakfast Noodle Soup (Mi Xian)

This popular breakfast in China's Yunnan Province starts with fresh rice noodles and ground meat in a bare-bones pork broth, then gets customized with as many as a dozen condiments. Yunnan mi xian noodles (round and spaghettilike) or mi gan (flat and wide) are traditional, but any size rice noodle works, and dried varieties are fine in a pinch. Find fresh rice noodles in the refrigerated section at most Asian markets.

For the broth

5 lb. pork bones
1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
Black vinegar, for serving
Chile oil, for serving
Chile paste, such as samba oelek, for serving
Fresh mint leaves, for serving
Garlic chives (Chinese chives), chopped, for serving
Pickled mustard greens, chopped, for serving
Pickled red chiles, thinly sliced, for serving
Scallions, thinly sliced, for serving
Sesame seeds, for serving
Kosher salt, for serving
MSG, for serving
For the meat and noodles
Kosher salt
3 1⁄2 oz. pork shoulder, thinly sliced
Fermented chile bean paste (doubanjiang), to taste
1⁄2 lb. ground pork
16 oz. fresh rice noodles

Instructions

Make the broth: Fill a large stockpot halfway with water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Carefully add the pork bones and cook, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Remove the bones using a slotted spoon and reserve. Discard the liquid. Clean out the pot and place back on the stove. Add the bones and fill with enough water to cover (about 18 cups). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook, undisturbed, until the broth is flavorful and reduced, 3 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the solids (you should have 8 cups broth). Use broth immediately, or let cool, then chill up to 2 days.
When ready to serve, reheat the broth over medium-high heat until any fat has been melted. Add 1⁄2 tsp. kosher salt and up to 1 cup water to dilute and stretch the broth slightly.
Make the pork: Meanwhile, fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches water and bring to a boil. Season with 2 pinches of salt and add the pork shoulder. Cook until tender and no longer pink, 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pork to a bowl (reserve the cooking water). Stir in the fermented chile bean paste, and cover the bowl with foil.
Bring the cooking water back to a boil and add the ground pork. Cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove the ground pork to a separate small bowl and cover with foil.
Make the noodles: Add enough additional warm water to the pot to cook the noodles in. Bring to a simmer over high heat, then add the rice noodles and cook until tender, about 30 seconds.
Using tongs, divide the noodles between 4 soup bowls. Divide the broth between the bowls to cover the noodles. Garnish with mint.
Serve with the chopped and ground pork, black vinegar, chile oil, chile paste, mint, garlic chives, pickled mustard greens, pickled chiles, scallions, sesame seeds, salt, and MSG for topping.

Japanese sashimi and rice

Making sushi at home can be a challenge fraught with angst. That's where chirashi comes in. It's a rice bowl covered in colorful slices of fish, glistening balls of orange roe, and a rainbow of other garnishes from sesame seeds to seaweed promising all the architectural potential we lust for in a well-made sushi platter—but with far less effort.

For the vinegar mixture

1⁄4 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp. (1 1⁄2 oz.) granulated sugar
1 tbsp. mirin
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. 1⁄2 oz. Kosher salt

For the sushi rice and toppings

10 oz. short-grain sushi rice
1 1⁄4 cups water
1⁄2 cup cup mixed, chilled, sliced seafood such as raw tuna, raw salmon, raw yellowtail, and chilled poached squid, left out at room temperature for 10 minutes
3 tbsp. salmon roe (ikura)
1⁄2 oz. each thinly sliced chilled vegetables such as cucumber, avocado, and poached asparagus
1⁄2 oz. chopped tamago (sushi omelet)

Instructions

To make the vinegar mixture, in a medium bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, mirin and salt; set aside.
To make the sushi rice, in a large bowl, add the rice and cover with lots of water. Gently stir with your hands, then drain and repeat several times until the water is clear. Let dry for 15 minutes.
Transfer rice to rice cooker and add the water. Cook rice according to manufacturer’s directions. (Alternatively, add the rice and water to a medium nonstick pot; cook over high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to low and cook just until the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Turn off the heat and let rest for 10 minutes.)
Transfer the rice to a shallow mixing bowl (not metal). Spread out the rice across the bottom of the bowl and, using a wooden spatula or wooden paddle to disperse it, quickly but evenly pour the vinegar mixture into the rice. Mix the rice to distribute. Let the rice cool.
Layer 1 ½ cups rice into the bottom of a serving bowl (reserve any remaining rice for another use). Distribute the toppings over the rice as desired, and serve immediately.

Korean Scallion Pancakes (Pajeon)

These crispy fried scallion pancakes from chef Hooni Kim, traditionally paired with a refreshing makgeolli, or Korean rice beer, can be a vehicle for any number of ingredients. Instead of, or in addition to, the scallions, you can fill pajeon with garlic chives, ramps, chrysanthemum leaves, small squid, shrimp, thin slices of Korean chile, or julienned carrots. To get the pancakes as crispy as possible, make sure the batter is very cold and the pan smoking hot and slicked with plenty of oil.

For the pancakes
2 cups all-purpose flour
1⁄2 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. minced fresh garlic (from about 3 cloves)
1 tbsp. doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste)
2 large egg yolks, beaten
2 cups ice-cold club soda
3 bunches thin scallions, green and white parts cut into 2-inch batons (7 cups)
1 cup grapeseed or canola oil, for frying

For the dipping sauce
4 1⁄2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. mirin
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. rice vinegar
1⁄2 tsp. sesame oil

Instructions

Make the pancakes: In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, sugar, salt, and pepper; stir to blend.
In a separate small bowl, add the soy sauce, garlic, doenjang, and egg yolks; whisk to combine. Add this mixture and the club soda into the dry ingredients. Whisk about 10 times, then transfer to the freezer and let rest 10 minutes (this will help any remaining clumps incorporate).
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
Retrieve the batter and fold in the scallion pieces. If the batter is too thick, add more club soda, 1⁄4 cup at a time, and mix well.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels, and set it next to the stove.
In a 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1⁄2 cup of the oil over high heat. Once shimmering, carefully add 1 cup of the batter to the center of the pan. Using a spatula, spread to form a 7-inch pancake; avoid letting the batter touch the sides if possible (to prevent the edges from burning before the center is cooked through). Lower the heat to medium and cook until the bottom of the pancake has set, 2–3 minutes. Gently slide a spatula under the edge of the pancake and lift it, tilting the pan so some of the hot oil runs underneath the pancake. Cook until the bottom is crispy and deep golden brown, 2–3 minutes more. Carefully flip the pancake, being careful not to let the oil splash, and cook on the remaining side until golden brown and cooked through, 3–4 minutes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet, letting the paper towels absorb any excess oil.
Place the pan back over high heat, and add 2–3 tablespoons more oil if needed. Repeat the process until all the batter is used. To keep the finished pancakes warm and crispy, set them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in a low (200°) oven. Cut each pancake into pieces and serve with the dipping sauce on the side.

Vietnamese coffee ice cream

Sweetened condensed milk and a touch of spice set this caffeinated treat apart from other coffee ice creams.

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1⁄2 cup coarsely ground dark roast coffee beans
1⁄2 tsp. salt
6 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 pinch cinnamon
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks

Instructions

Combine cream, coffee, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon in a 1-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and remove from heat; let steep 20 minutes. Strain cream mixture into saucepan and return to medium-high heat until heated through. Beat sweetened condensed milk and yolks in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly whisk in hot cream mixture until smooth; cover with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface of the custard. Chill custard completely.
Pour custard into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer's instructions until churned and thick. Transfer to an airtight storage container; freeze until set, at least 4 hours.


Source: www.saveur.com