ALBERT’S SPECIAL GINGER GARLIC SCALLION PEPPERCORN CRAB
RECIPE CONTRIBUTED BY ALBERT SHEN, owner of Shen Consulting, Inc. a project/construction management company specializing in airport capital projects. He is board president of the NW Coalition of Asian Pacific Americans and Board Chair of the Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation Development Authority.
With such great local Dungeness crab in this area, this dish is very easy to make and is one of my favorites. This dish can easily feed one crab per person. It can get messy but tastes great and can be paired with a great Chardonnay. Or if you are not in the mood for wine, try a bottle of good, dry, crisp, cold sake. —Albert
Ingredients:
1.0 – 1.5lb live Dungeness Crab
2 inch ginger root, slice into thin medallions
5 stalks of Scallion (green onions), cut into 2 inch pieces
3 Garlic cloves minced
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp Shao Xing cooking wine or for extra kick, use whiskey
3 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Chinese white pepper
1 tsp sugar
½ handful of Chinese chili dried peppers
1 tbsp of Chinese peppercorns
Cooking oil (Vegetable)
Instructions:
• Kill the crab by steaming the crab for no more than 10 mintues.
• Remove the underside flap, crab gills, mouth mandibles and stomach sack and discard.
• Twist off legs and claws then crack them with a kitchen mallet or back of knife.
• Break the body in half and cut them into 6 pieces.
• Prep the garlic, scallions and ginger.
• Heat up a wok with about 10 tbsp of cooking oil on high heat until the wok is very hot.
• Throw in ginger, garlic, dried chili peppers and 1/3 of the white part of the scallions in the wok and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
• Add in cooking wine and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
• Add chicken broth and stir for 1 minute.
• Add in crab parts and stir-fry for another 3 minutes.
• Add in the rest of the scallions, remaining ingredients and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
• Remove crab and place aside on a plate. Enjoy!
CHICKEN SALAD IN WONTON CUPS
RECIPE CONTRIBUTED BY HYEOK KIM, Executive Director for the InterIm Community Development Association (INTERIM CDA), a development corporation in the business of promoting, advocating, and revitalizing the Chinatown/International District and other API communities for the benefit of low-and moderate-income residents and community business owners.
This is an easy dish for parties inspired by a great appetizer cookbook from a friend that featured phyllo cups. I thought wonton cups would be easier to assemble than working with phyllo. This appetizer is always a crowd-pleaser, if nothing else because I think people love eating anything out of miniature containers! —Hyeok
Chicken Salad Ingredients:
Two chicken breasts
1 cup of sugar snap peas
¾ can of corn
1 cup of red cabbage
½ small red onion
½ cup of plum sauce
Mayonnaise and sour cream
Scallions
Chicken Salad Directions:
• Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and marinate in olive oil for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Pan fry the breasts until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes total. Let the chicken rest until cooled and then dice into small cubes. Place in a medium bowl.
• Briefly submerge sugar snap peas in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes, and drain. Roughly chop the peas into thirds or fourths. You want the peas to still have some snap. Add the peas to the bowl.
• Dice ½ small red onion and chop red cabbage (about 1 cup) into thin julienne strips and cut into roughly 1-inch lengths.
• Add the chopped red onion, red cabbage, and ¾ can of corn into the bowl.
• Before adding wet mixtures, toss the dry ingredients, chicken and vegetables, together.
• Start adding mayonnaise and sour cream, about ¼ cup each to start. Don’t let it get too wet.
• Gradually add up to ½ cup of plum sauce.
• Keep adding mayonnaise, sour cream, and plum sauce in equal measures until mixture is thoroughly coated. You don’t want to add too much of the wet mixture or else the sauce will be too thin.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Thinly chop scallions at a slanted angle and set aside.
To Make Wonton Cups:
• Take 1 pkg of square wonton wrappers and lightly coat with melted butter on one side.
• Place 1 wonton wrapper dry side down in a mini-muffin pan. Shape into tulip-shaped cups.
• Bake in a 350 degree (F) oven until the wontons are slightly browned.
To Assemble:
• Take 1 wonton cup, gently fill with the chicken salad filling, and top off with a few slivers of the chopped scallions.
• Arrange on a flat platter and enjoy!
SHIITAKE MUSHROOM, TOFU, AND GREEN MANGO SPRING ROLLS WITH SPICY PEANUT DIPPING SAUCE
Recipe Contributed BY VU LE, Executive Director of the Vietnamese Friendship Association, an organization that empowers the Vietnamese community to succeed while bridging, preserving, and promoting cultural heritage.
There is nothing that tastes of home like fresh spring rolls with a thick, spicy peanut sauce. Whenever I came home from college many years ago, I would stand at the door, anticipating the aroma of home-made delicacies that would waft from Mom’s kitchen. None of those aromas would be spring rolls, because obviously they have no scent, as anyone who has eaten a good spring roll knows. Mom actually never made spring rolls, so I had to invent some. One of the great things about these rolls is that you can customize them. This combo below has never failed to please. I’m terrible at math, so use the numbers only as a guide. —Vu
Ingredients:
Rice paper
1 package small rice noodle (There’s a billion types and brands; go with “Bun Giang Tay So Nho”)
1 tray fried tofu (get the ones that are in little rectangles)
1 firm green mango
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch basil (the purple-stemmed variety)
1/2 head greenleaf lettuce
3 cups sliced dried shitake mushrooms (or fresh, if you’re all fancy and stuff)
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp hot chili sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
Sauce:
1 cup creamy peanut butter, ½ cup hoisin sauce, 1.5 cup water, 1 tbsp sriracha sauce (optional), 2 tbsp ground peanuts (optional)
Cook the noodles, then drain and flush with cold water. Put your dried shitake mushrooms in water so they rehydrate while you do the other stuff. Meanwhile, peel and cut the mango into strips about ¼ inch thick and set aside. Cut the tofu pieces lengthwise and set aside. Wash your herbs and lettuce. By this time, the shitake mushrooms should be fully rehydrated. Squeeze most of the water out of them. Heat up the oil, toss in the garlic, mushrooms, hot chili oil, and soy sauce, and cook stirring frequently for about a minute or two. Add more soy sauce and chili oil according to your preference. To make the sauce, stir the peanut butter, hoisin sauce, water, and sriracha sauce together over medium heat until it starts to slightly boil; add roasted ground peanuts for texture. Add more water if it gets too thick.
Assemble the rolls by laying out a piece of rice paper dipped quickly in hot water. In what order you assemble the roll is up to you, but I usually put the lettuce on first, followed by the herbs, then the noodle, then a strip or two of mango, tofu, and some shitake mushroom. Experiment until you get the right balance of textures and flavors. This should make about 18 rolls or so. Sweet, spicy, tangy, salty, and mostly healthful, it’s the perfect appetizer to pair with beer for an elegant evening get-together.
RECIPE FOR FUL WITH DRIED BLACK BEANS
RECIPE CONTRIBUTED BY ALARIC BIEN, Executive Director for the Chinese Information Services Center (CISC), an agency that helps Chinese and other Asian immigrants to achieve success in their new community by providing information, referral, advocacy, social, and support services.
I like trying lots of different things. One of my favorite pastimes is searching out unusual and foods and experiences wherever I go. In Brussels last year, I was in the African immigrant neighborhood of Matongé and had a chance to sample dried grubs (well, one anyway) and chikwangue, which is sort of like a tamale make from manioc paste.
When I can’t travel (which is most of the time) I like to try out new dishes in the kitchen. I never know what it’s really supposed to taste like, but sometimes I find a recipe for something really good. This recipe for Ful is one of them. It’s actually supposed to be made with fresh fava beans, but I don’t even know what fava beans are, much less where to get them! So I just use dried black beans and it comes out good anyway. The people who invented it in Egypt are probably rolling over in their sarcophagi! Great on a hot summer day with Jajoukh (cucumbers with yogurt) and some pita. —Alaric
• Soak 2 cups black beans overnight, pour out water, then cook with about 8 cups of water for about 2 hours until tender.
• Drain beans and toss with 1/3 cup olive oil, 5 cloves pressed garlic and ½ cup lemon juice (more to taste).
• Add plenty of salt and black pepper to taste.
• Stir in 1 cup chopped tomatoes and ¾ cup chopped parsley.
• Put in a large serving bowl, top with ½ cup chopped tomatoes and ¼ cup chopped parsley.
• Garnish with lemon wedges and quartered hard boiled eggs.