General Tao Chicken

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Ingredients

1 ¼ lbs chicken thighs, cut into pieces
¼ cup flour
6 tbs canola oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2-inch piece of grated ginger
½ cup honey
½ cup water
6 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs rice wine vinegar
½ tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbs corn starch diluted with a bit of water
1 tbs sesame oil
4 green  onions cut into small rounds
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 red bell pepper, diced, and 1 small onion, diced (optional)

Preparation

Put the chicken into a Ziplock back with the flour, close tightly, and shake until the chicken is coated. Toss any flour left.

Heat the canola oil in a pan at high. Add the chicken and cook until golden with crusty surface, (not necessary to cook fully as there is additional cook time later). Remove to a paper towel lined plate. 

Add a little oil if needed and if using bell pepper and onion, sauté until softened and add the garlic and ginger for a few seconds before adding the water, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, sesame oil and corn starch. Bring to a boil and let thicken and add the chicken back to the pan. Cook an additional five minutes. Add the green onions just before serving so they are covered with sauce but still crunchy.  Serve over steamed rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

This is one of Serge and Richard’s favorite chicken recipes.

• Servings: 4
• Prep: 15 min
• Cook time: 35 min

Salade Lyonnaise

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Ingredients:

Vinaigrette:

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Salad Components:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup cubed French bread
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 large eggs
1/4 cup white vinegar
6 slices bacon, cut into matchsticks
6 cups spring mix lettuce or frisée

Preparation:

Prepare vinaigrette - Combine salt and red wine vinegar in a bowl.  Whisk until salt dissolves.  Stir in mustard then whisk in the oil gradually until emulsified.  Season with pepper, 

Make croutons – Melt butter in small skillet then add salt.  When it foams, add bread cubes and cook, stirring frequently, until golden (3 to 5 minutes).

Fry the lardons – In a dry skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until browned, about 5 minutes.  Scoop into a bowl lined with paper towels.

Poach the eggs – Break each egg into individual ramekins.  Bring a large pot of water (at least 4 inches deep) to a gentle simmer with the white vinegar.  Stir the water to create a gentle whirlpool in the center.  Immediately and carefully drop an egg into the center of the whirlpool.  Cook 3 minutes, until the white looks set.  Carefully lift the egg with a slotted spoon, run it under a gentle stream of cold water, and transfer it onto a paper towel. Repeat with the other eggs. 

Assemble Salad – Divide the lettuce among salad bowls forming nests.  Top with the poached eggs, sprinkle with bacon strips and croutons.  Drizzle each salad bowl with he vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Short Ribs

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Ingredients:

Canola oil

8 beef short ribs

2 large onions, cut into large dice

Kosher salt

4 carrots, cut into bite-size pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cups Zinfandel or heavy fruity wine

1 garlic head, halved horizontally

1 inch piece of fresh ginger

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon peppercorns, cracked

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound mushrooms, sliced or diced and seared

Preparation:

In a Dutch oven or other heavy ovenproof pot, add enough oil to reach 1/4 inch up the sides and heat over high heat.  Dredge the dry short ribs in the flour, shaking off excess.  When the oil is hot, add the ribs and brown on all sides.  Remove the ribs to a plate lined with paper towels.  (This can be done a day ahead and refrigerated.)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Wipe the pot clean then sauté half of the onions in a film of oil over medium heat until softened.  (Refrigerate remaining onions.)  Add a four-finger pinch of salt and stir.  Add the celery, half of the carrots (refrigerate the remaining carrots until needed) and cook for about 4 minutes longer.  The longer you cook the vegetables, the deeper the flavor of the sauce will be.  For intensely deep flavor, cook until the carrots and onions are browned.  Add the tomato paste and cook to heat it.

Nestle the ribs in the pot.  Add the wine (it should come three-fourths of the way up the ribs), garlic, ginger, and bay leaves.  Season with a three finger pinch of salt and add peppercorns.  Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid set ajar, and slide into the oven.  Cook the ribs for 4 hours.

Remove the pot from the oven and allow the ribs to cool, covered.  When the ribs are cool enough to handle, put them on a plate, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Strain the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup, cover and refrigerate.  When the liquid has chilled, remove the congealed fat and discard.

Melt butter in the pot. Add the reserved onions and carrots and sauté until softened.  Return the ribs to the pot.  Add mushrooms and reserved cooking liquid.  Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until the carrots are tender and the ribs are heated through about 15 minutes.

Serve with buttered noodles or mashed potatoes.

History:

Recipe comes from Michael Ruelman's cookbook "Twenty."

Grilled Black Cod with Cucumbers and Ginger

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Ingredients:
2 English cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
Salt and Freshly ground pepper
3 Tbs. chopped pickled ginger
1 to 2 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 Tbs. canola oil
4 black cod fillets, about 1 1/2 lb.

Preparation:
In a bowl, combine the cucumbers and onion and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Let stand for 15 minutes.. Stir in the ginger, vinegar, and 2 Tbs. of the canola oil. Set aside in the refrigerator. Brush the fillets on both sides with the remaining 1 Tbs. oil. Sprinkle on both sides with 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Prepare barbeque grill or a stovetop grill pan. Oil grill and heat until hot. Place the fish, skin side down, over fire and grill, turning once, until just opaque throughout, about 8 minutes total. Transfer the fillets to a serving platter and top with the cucumber salad. Serve immediately.

Serving Suggestion: 
Black cod is a very rich fish so I enjoy it with Tomate Provençal and a green vegetable such as a warm artichoke.

History: 
I found this recipe in a cookbook called Cooking from the Farmers' Market which cookbook was a gift from my granddaughter, Ellen.