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

Seared Furikake Ahi Tuna

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Ingredients:

1 lb. tuna steaks (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 tsp. honey
1 tsp. grated ginger
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
3/4 cup Furikake seasoning
2 T vegetable oil
Green onions, sliced

Sauce:
1/4 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tsp. Hoisin sauce 

Preparation:
Combine sauce ingredients and set aside.

Mix together soy sauce, vinegar, honey, ginger, garlic and sesame oil.  Pour mixture over tuna and marinate 20 minutes.  

Spread furikake seasoning on plate.  Remove tuna from the marinade and press each steak into the furikake, coating all sides with a thin layer. 

Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Once hot, sear tuna for 60-90 seconds per side leaving center rare. Let rest 2-3 minutes then slice tuna steaks into thin slices and top with green onions.  Serve with cooked white rice.

History:
Recipe was posted on Facebook and attributed to Guy Fieri although I couldn’t find the recipe on-line.

Teriyaki Sauce

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Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 tsp. packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. honey

1/2 tsp. ground garlic
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

 Preparation:
Combine water, soy sauce, sugar, honey, ginger, and garlic powder in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook until nearly heated through, about 1 minute. 

Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir until dissolved.  Whisk into saucepan ingredients.  Cook and stir sauce until thickened.  Cool.

Honey Mustard Sauce

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Ingredients:
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons dill
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup light olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon fine sugar

Preparation:
Whisk mustard, honey, salt and dill.  Gradually add olive oil.  When thick, whisk in vinegar and sugar. 

Florentines

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Ingredients:

100 grams unsalted butter

100 grams demerara sugar

100 grams Golden syrup
   (or 20 gr. maple syrup and 80 gr. honey)

100 grams flour

100 grams candied orange and lemon peel, chopped

50 grams shredded, toasted coconut

100 grams sliced almonds, toasted

350 grams dark chocolate (72% cocoa),

   half broken into pieces, half grated

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 320 degrees on convection.  Line two baking sheets with silicone sheets or parchment paper.

Place dried fruits and nuts in a bowl.  Add flour and mix.

Place butter, sugar, honey and syrup in a small saucepan and heat until butter and sugar are melted.  Remove from the heat.

Stir butter/sugar mixture into dried fruit and mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls onto silicone baking sheets no more than 12 per sheet.  You should have a total of 24 cookies.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes rotating pan half way through baking.  Florentine should be golden color all over.  Remove from heat and let cool on baking sheet for 5 to 10 minutes then remove cookies and place on baking rack to cool.

Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water without letting bowl tough water (or use chocolate tempering appliance).  Temper the chocolate by breaking up half the chocolate into the bowl.  Stir until the chocolate reaches a melting temperature of 122 degrees.  Remove from heat and add the grated chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and cooled to 86 degrees.

Spoon chocolate to fill each circle of silicone baking sheet and place one cookie on top.  Let cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Fig and Gorgonzola Terrine

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Ingredients:

1 cup dried Mission figs, quartered

1 cup dry red wine

3 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 pound room temp cream cheese

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temp

8 ounces crumbled gorgonzola

2 tablespoons brandy

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup toasted pecan pieces*

2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Put the quartered figs in a small saucepan along with the red wine and thyme.  Simmer mixture over low heat for 15 minutes.  Drain the figs, reserving thyme and wine and set the figs aside to cool.  Return thyme and wine to saucepan with the balsamic vinegar and honey and reduce over medium heat to a syrupy consistency.  Remove from fire, discard thyme and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer with the paddle, beat together cream cheese and butter on low speed until well blended, about 1 minute.  Add the Gorgonzola, brandy and salt and beat 1 more minute.  Take care not to overbeat or it won't set properly.

Spray a standard 4 cup loaf pan with cooking spray and line the inside with plastic wrap.  Spoon half of the cheese mixture into the pan and spread it evenly, making sure to get into the corners.  Scatter half the figs, half the pecans and chopped parsley on top evenly and cover with the remaining cheese.  Give the pan a few sharp raps on a flat surface to settle the terrine, cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.

To remove the terrine from the pan, turn upside down on a flat surface and pull one end of the plastic wrap down.  The terrine will slip out of the pan onto a cutting board.  Slice and fan out on a platter.  Garnish with the remaining half cup of figs and half cup pecans.  Drizzle with wine reduction and serve with crackers.

*To toast pecan pieces, mix pecans with 2 tablespoons butter and spread on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes stopping to stir pecans every 5 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.

History:

This recipe comes from Chef Tech Cooking School in Long Beach, California.