White-Poached Chicken with Chinese Cabbage and Peanut Rayu (adapted from Ottolenghi Comfort.)

Ingredients

Chicken and Cabbage

• 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb 5 oz/600g)

• 4 tsp Shaoxing wine

• 10g ginger (peeled and finely grated, about ⅓ oz)

• 2 tsp peanut oil

• 1 large Chinese cabbage (napa or wombok), thinly sliced (about 4½ cups/400g)

• 1 cup (20g) basil leaves, torn

• 6 green onions, finely sliced on the diagonal (about ¾ cup/60g)

• 1–2 limes, cut into wedges, to serve

• Salt

Peanut Rayu

• 1 cup (240ml) peanut oil or other flavorless oil

• 3 tbsp chile flakes (ideally Korean gochugaru, or an equal mix of regular chile flakes and Aleppo pepper flakes)

• Note- I used Italian pepper flakes and this may have been a bit too hot, so maybe 2 tbsp?)

• Scant 1 cup (120g) unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped in a food processor

• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped

• ⅓ cup (35g) sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 1 tsp flaked sea salt

Instructions

1. Make the Peanut Rayu:

   • Put the oil and chile flakes into a small pan and place over medium-low heat.

   • When the oil starts simmering, add the peanuts, garlic, and sesame seeds. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

   • Add soy sauce, sugar, and flaked sea salt, then set aside to cool and decant into a sealed jar. (Ideally make a day ahead; it keeps up to 2 weeks in the fridge.)

2. Prepare the Chicken:

   • Half an hour before cooking, remove chicken breasts from the fridge to bring to room temperature.

   • When ready to cook, fill a large pot (with tight-fitting lid) with 6⅓ cups (1½ liters) of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

   • Once boiling, add chicken breasts, stir quickly, cover with lid, and turn off heat. Let sit, undisturbed, for 1 hour.

   • Strain chicken and discard poaching liquid.

3. Finish the Dish:

   • When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and tear chicken into long shreds. Place in a large mixing bowl.

   • Add Shaoxing wine, ginger, peanut oil, and ½ teaspoon salt. Set aside for at least 5 minutes.

   • Just before serving, add sliced cabbage and most of the basil. Toss well to combine.

   • Transfer to a serving plate and spoon peanut rayu on top.

   • Finish with green onions and remaining basil leaves.

   • Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

• The key technique is poaching chicken in just-boiled water at room temperature for 1 hour; ensure the chicken is not cold or it will not cook through properly.

• Peanut rayu adds rich, aromatic flavor and can be used over other dishes like eggs, noodles, or celery.

• Serves 4.

Mayonnaise-Based Caesar Dressing (with Anchovies, Metric/Grams)

 This is via Perplexity, so not sure where they stole it from!

Ingredients:

Mayonnaise: 173 grams 

Extra-virgin olive oil: 45 grams 

Fresh lemon juice: 23 grams 

Dijon mustard: 15 grams 

Garlic clove: about 4 grams (use ¾ of a large clove, or a small clove) 

Worcestershire sauce: 7.5 grams 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: 34 grams 

Anchovy fillets: 3 fillets, finely minced (about 6 grams) 

  - *or* Anchovy paste: 2–3 grams (about ¾ teaspoon) 

Sea salt: pinch 

Freshly ground black pepper: to taste 

Instructions

1. In a bowl (or a Nutri bullet or a blender), whisk together the mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, Worcestershire sauce, minced anchovies (or anchovy paste), salt, and pepper until smooth.

2. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

3. If the dressing is too thick, thin it with a teaspoon (about 4 grams) of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.

4. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

5. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Makes about 12 ounces.

Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe) - My edits via Cafe Delites

 Original recipe source: Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child Recipe) - Cafe Delites

Total Time: 3 - 4 hrs

Servings:  6 - 8 people

Ingredients  

• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 ounces bacon roughly chopped. (tried to find a slab, but had to use presliced, but it was fine.)
• 3 pounds beef brisket trimmed of fat, cut into 2-inch chunks (I used chuck roast)
• 1 (or 2) carrot large, sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 white onion large, diced (I had some shallots, so used half and half)
• 6 cloves garlic minced (divided)
• 1 pinch coarse salt
• 1 pinch ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 12 pearl onions small (I used a bag of Birdseye frozen, 10 oz., and it was not too much)
• 3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti – for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine
• 2-3 cups beef stock (consider using low sodium broth, depending on how you salt the meat!) (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 beef bouillon cube crushed
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped (I used 1/2 tsp dried)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped, divided (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 pound white mushrooms fresh, small or brown mushrooms ,quartered (I used two bags of frozen mushrooms from Trader Joe's- Shiitake and another, both about 10 oz. bags and it was not too much!)
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions 

TRADITIONAL OVEN METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
• Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy based pot. Sauté the bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. (I threw in some water to get the cooking started, as other versions call for boiling the bacon first.) Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
• Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.
• (I had seasoned the beef pieces, all four sides with salt and pepper. The final dish was too salty, so could argue to skip, as this recipe does, or just be judicious.)
• Depending upon how much fat has rendered from your beef, consider removing some here to avoid an oily final product.
• In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat (leave about 1 tablespoon in the pan) and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.
• Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
• Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
• AT 2 hours, add the pearl onions. I think if they cook the entire time, they would be mush. This way they still had the mouth feel of a once live vegetable!
• In the last 5 20 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms: Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Once they are browned, set aside.(Browning took longer than 5 minutes!)
• Place a colander over a large pot (I do this in my clean kitchen sink). Remove the casserole from the oven and carefully empty its contents into the colander (you want to collect the sauce only). Discard the herbs
• Return the beef mixture back into the dutch oven or pot. Add the mushrooms over the meat.
• Remove any fat off the sauce( if any) and simmer for a minute or two, skimming off any additional fat which rises to the surface.
• You should be left with about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly. If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
• Add the mushrooms when beef fully cooked, and allow it to warm up if needed.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. 
• If you are serving immediately, You could simmer the beef bourguignon for 2 to 3 minutes to heat through. (But I just left it in the oven.)
  Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes, rice or noodles. (Pro tip: We threw baking potatoes into the onen with one hour to go and that worked perfect!)
• To serve the following day, allow the casserole to cool completely, cover and refrigerate.The day of serving, remove from refrigerator for at least an hour before reheating. Place over medium-low heat and let simmer gently for about 10 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce.

We watched this video comparing three methods of doing this recipe, and found it useful to make up our minds on how to do it: Beef Bourguignon CAGE MATCH: Julia Child vs. Anthony Bourdain vs. Thomas Keller.

Julia was the clear winner, so we used this adaptation of the original recipe and here we are!

Chicken Paprikash – Chris’s Version

 I’ve been using this recipe from the Youngstown, Ohio, Angels and Friends Cookbook for decades. Milk Street  offered up their version this year.

I blended them here, and I think improved on both!

Ingredients:

¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter (or mix butter with some oil to prevent burning)

1 ½ cups chopped onion

Shallot, chopped (optional)

2-4 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)

Some combination of 2 peppers – bell, Anaheim, cubanelle, chopped. (Some hot, some sweet, your choice!)

2 large roasted red peppers (from a jar with some juice)

Juice of ½ lemon

1.5 pounds chicken, in large chunks (I used the tenderloins for Costo, whole)

¼ cup paprika (some combination of sweet, hot, smoked, or all sweet)

½ teaspoon salt.

2 cups chicken broth (Better Than Bullion always works)

2 more tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1.5 cups sour cream

Dumpling/biscuit mix of your choice. See below for what I used.

Preparation:

1.      Melt the butter. Add the onions (shallots and garlic, if using). Cook until translucent.

2.      Add the chopped peppers, roasted peppers, lemon juice and chicken. Cook until vegetables soft. Chicken won’t be cooked yet.

3.      Add the paprika and salt, stir until combined.

4.      Add the broth and simmer over low heat – bottom will burn otherwise.

5.      Cover with lid and cook until chicken is tender.

6.      While chicken is cooking, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small pan and add the flour. Cook until this roux is light brown.

7.      Remove the roux from heat and let cool down a bit.

8.      Add the sour cream and stir until combined with the roux.

9.      When the chicken is done, scoop a few tablespoons of the broth into the roux mixture. Do this 2 or 3 times and combine until smooth each time.

10. Stir the roux mixture into the chicken pot and heat back up to a low simmer.

11. Drop the biscuit mix in large dollops on top of the pot and cook 10 – 15 minutes until biscuits are cooked through. I had to pull one apart to know for sure, though a temperature probe is another option! (Internet says 190 degrees.)

12. When biscuits are done, you are ready to serve.

Biscuits:

Ingredients:

I had Kodiak Pancake and Waffle Mix handy, so I used

2 cups of the mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon black (or white) pepper

2 Tablespoons melted butter

1 cup buttermilk

Mix all dry ingredients, then the wet and combine. Dollop over Paprikash and cook until done.

 

Ma Po Tofu – Pock Marked Old Woman’s Tofu

Adapted from Every Grain of Rice by Fuschia Dunlop

500—600 g plain white tofu

4 baby leeks or spring onions, green parts only (I used whites, too, just added them earlier after adding beans)

4 tbsp cooking oil

2 1/2 tbsp Sichuan chilli bean paste

1 tbsp fermented black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tsp ground red chilies (I ground up the whole chilies from the Asian grocer, and they were pretty hot. Might back off a bit!)

1 tbsp finely chopped ginger

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

100 ml stock or water

1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Salt (optional)

2 tsp potato flour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (I used corn starch)

¼ - 1/2 tsp ground roasted Sichuan pepper

---

Cut the tofu into 2cm cubes and leave to steep in very hot, lightly salted water while you prepare the other ingredients (do not allow the water to boil or the tofu will become porous and less tender). Slice the baby leeks or spring onion greens at a steep angle into thin ‘horse ears‘.

Heat a wok over a high flame. Pour in the cooking oil and swirl it around. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chilli bean paste and stir—fry until the oil is a rich red colour and smells delicious. Next add the black beans and ground chillies {if using) and stir-fry for a few seconds more until you can smell them too. Then do the same with the ginger and garlic. Take care not to overheat the seasonings; you want a thick, fragrant sauce and the secret of this is to let them sizzle gently, allowing the oil to coax out their flavours and aromas.

Remove the tofu from the hot water with a perforated spoon, shaking off excess water, and lay it gently in the wok. Push the tofu tenderly with the back of your ladle or wok scoop to mix it into the sauce without breaking up the cubes. Add the stock or water, the white pepper and salt to taste and mix gently, again using the back of of your scoop so you don't damage the tofu.

Bring to a boil, then simmer for a few minutes to allow the tofu to absorb the flavours of the seasonings. Add the leek slices (if using) and nudge them into the sauce. When they are just tender, add a little of the flour—and—water mixture and stir gently as the liquid thickens. Repeat once or twice more, until the sauce clings to the seasonings and tofu (don't add more than you need). If you are using spring onions rather than leeks, add them now and nudge them gently into the sauce. Pour the tofu into a deep bowl. Sprinkle with the ground roasted Sichuan pepper and serve.

Pour the tofu into a deep bowl. Sprinkle with the ground roasted Sichuan pepper and serve.