Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category


Turnip Cake Dim Sum

 

 

Who would have thought that one of my favorite dim sum, turnip cakes, was not made of turnips as we know them at all, but out of daikon radish? I received some beautiful fresh picked turnips in my CSA box last April, and was searching for recipes using turnips that my husband would enjoy. While a somewhat adventuresome eater, he is not a fan of the likes of parsnips, turnips, celery root and other “underground” vegetables. Remembering that we both enjoy turnip cakes, I turned to Google, and discovered this startling fact. That week, the turnips ended up in a mixed vegetable soup, and the recipe was filed away for use in my vegetable cooking class the following month.
 
The other day, while reading other food blogs, I began to crave dim sum. We live on the north coast of California, in a very small town, and our Chinese food is generally not prepared by Chinese cooks. It is approximately two hours one way to the closest dim sum restaurant, so prospects looked dim on a Thursday night. Then I remembered the recipe for turnip cakes. The ingredients were fairly simple to assemble, and the daikon was readily available at the local market. I substituted bacon for Chinese ham, and fish sauce for dried shrimp, as my husband is deathly allergic to shellfish in general and shrimp in particular. I also had no Shaoshing rice wine, but blended a little brandy with mirin and a touch of Chinese black vinegar for an acceptable replacement.
 
The recipe looks long and involved, but in reality, most of the time required is for cooking and cooling the cake itself. I started out around four, and we were eating a little after six. As with all stir fry dishes, it is important to prepare and assemble all of the ingredients in advance of the cooking, and place them conveniently close to the stove. Otherwise, you will be flying around the kitchen with one eye on the sizzling wok so as to grab the crucial missing item while not burning the contents of the pan.
 
For a dipping sauce, I combined equal parts sweet chili sauce and soy sauce. You can either choose to dip the individual bites, or drizzle the sauce around the cakes, as I did. The finished cakes were a little darker than ones I have enjoyed in dim sum restaurants, but I chalk that up to the fact that there was sugar in the mirin that built up on the wok while frying the mushrooms that was absorbed by the turnip as it cooked, darkening the strips to a medium brown instead of a creamy beige. However, the flavor was fabulous, and far more authentic than anything I could get locally. The also reheat beautifully in the microwave, and the texture remains good, even the next day.
 
Turnip Cakes (Law Bok Gow)
 
1 ½ cups white rice flour
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 thick slice bacon or pancetta
1 oz dried shrimp (or substitute 1 tsp fish sauce)
1 Chinese white turnip (what we know as daikon)
Peanut or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Shaoshing wine
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
 
In a large bowl, combine the rice flour and 1 ½ cups water and mix well until combined and smooth, set aside. Soak mushrooms in hot water until softened. In a separate bowl, repeat with the dried shrimp (if using). Blanch bacon in boiling water until softened. Remove and pat dry. Chop finely and set aside. Drain and chop mushrooms and shrimp, set aside. Peel turnip and slice into ½” slices. Fan slices and slice into ½” strips. Combine wine, soy sauce and fish sauce (if using) in a small bowl.
 
Heat oil in wok over high heat. Stir fry mushrooms (and shrimp, if using) until fragrant. Add wine mixture and stir fry until mushrooms are well coated. Add the bacon, cook for another 1-2 minutes, remove from heat and set aside. In the same wok, add more oil, and stir fry the turnip strips for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 2 cups water, place a lid on the wok, and steam until turnip is just cooked through and not mushy. Pour the hot turnip mixture into the bowl with the rice flour mixture and stir to combine thoroughly. Add the bacon, shrimp, mushrooms and salt, stirring until everything is evenly distributed. 
 
Coat a round cake pan with pan spray or oil, and pour mixture in, tapping on the counter to remove bubbles and even up top surface. Steam in your wok, adding boiling water as necessary, for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in the center and is firm throughout. Cool on a rack for about an hour.
 
Loosen the cake from the pan and invert onto a cutting board. Slice into 1” by 3” rectangles. Heat a film of oil in a non-stick skillet, and fry cakes, in batches, until golden brown on each side. Serve hot with your choice of oyster sauce, soy sauce or chili sauce.

 

Post by Julia Conway on October 30th, 2009

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

 

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

 

One of the best quick dishes this time of year is to make a soup from a roasted winter squash. The first of the new crop of squash are coming in to my local grocery store from Comanche Creek Farm, and they are also starting to appear at the last farmers markets of the season. To me, this is the ultimate fall vegetable, and is such an efficient package of nutrients to boot. I like my soup to have a savory and balanced flavor, not tasting sweet, like pumpkin pie, as so many commercial versions do.
 
On a chilly afternoon, I will fire up the oven to roast a squash for soup. Using the large santoku knife, I split the squash vertically, and scoop out the seeds. I roast the squash cut side down on a sheet pan lined with parchment until it is soft and deeply caramelized on the bottom. While the squash cools, I sauté half of a sweet onion in olive oil until softened and lightly browned, then add two teaspoons of curry powder. My favorite is from Juliet Mae Spices in San Francisco (www.julietmae.com), but any full flavored variety will do. Continue to sauté the mixture until the curry powder is toasted and fragrant, then deglaze with a splash of brandy and scoop the cooled squash out of the skin and into the pot with the onions and curry.
 
Add two to three cups of water, or just enough to cover the squash, and simmer until the onion is very soft. Puree the mixture with a stick blender until smooth, and then add one to two cups whole milk, stirring well to combine. Simmer until thickened and reduced, and taste for seasoning. I tend to like to add salt and a squirt of Sriracha hot sauce to give the soup a little zip. If the soup is still too sweet, add a dash of soy sauce to offset. The sweetness will vary with the individual squash used.
 
Before serving, I like to roast a generous handful of pumpkin seeds in olive oil over low heat, using a heavy bottom sauté pan. Stir to prevent burning and roast until seeds and oil are a rich golden brown. You can also do this using pumpkin seed oil if you have it handy, but olive oil works just fine. This garnish is fragrant, and provides a satisfying crunch in contrast to the velvety soup.
 
Serve the soup in wide rimmed bowls, and drizzle the oil and pumpkin seed mixture over the top. Season again with a little freshly ground pepper and enjoy!
 
Ingredients
 
1 medium to large winter squash
½ medium sweet onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
¼ cup brandy or wine
2-3 cups water
1-2 cups whole milk
Sriracha hot sauce (or Tabasco)
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
½ cup olive oil
Post by Julia Conway on October 23rd, 2009