Monday, July 16, 2007

Chinoiserie

A quick one tonight, but with some good flavors. First, shiitake caramelized in a spoon of the smoked chicken fat, then I threw in green beans and let them green and soften a bit, followed by a glug of Shao Xing rice wine and a drop of sesame oil. Then, in the same wok, I crisped up some tofu, added some red onion to soften, and deglazed with rice vinegar. To finish, a dollop of tamarind paste and a splash of yuzu juice, and very last some peas, tossed just until they turned bright green. Pretty standard, but attentive use of various condiments gave the dishes rich and distinctive flavors, plus the peas and beans from the garden added their own magic.

2 comments:

Michael Natkin said...

Where do you find fresh yuzu? I can't find it in Seattle even at Uwajimaya. The only thing I've found is some bottled stuff that is as good as RealLemon is to, um, real lemon.

Michael Natkin
vegfoodie@gmail.com
The Vegetarian Foodie

peter said...

Hi Michael-
I buy bottled kabosu, sudachi, and yuzu from my favorite place in Chinatown (NYC.)I get your ReaLemon point, but the ones I have found are somewhat better, if not as good as fresh. Fresh are very hard to find, but your best bet might be to befriend the chef at a high-end Japanese restaurant and ask him to order a few extra for you. I'm working on the same plan out here. Good luck!