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.

Shrimp Stir-Fry

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Ingredients:
3/4 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined
Kosher salt
4 oz. sugar snap peas, stringed
4 oz. broccoli spears
1 red bell pepper, peeled and cut into strips
1 green onion, chopped, white and green parts separated

  or 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2/3 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons sugar
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil 

Preparation:
Put shrimp in medium bowl with 2 cups cold water and 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Stir to combine and let sit for 5 minutes.  Drain and rinse the shrimp and place on paper towel-lined plate.  Pat dry.

Combine chicken stock, wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and crushed red pepper in medium bowl.  Stir until the cornstarch is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Heat wok over high heat for 2 minutes.  Add oil to wok and swirl to coat.  Carefully add the shrimp in a single layer.  Allow to cook for 2 minutes, using a spatula to stir-fry them.  Add garlic, ginger and whites of onion and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add sugar snap peas, broccoli and red bell pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Add the cornstarch mixture and greens of onion and cook until the sauce has thickened.  Transfer stir-fry to a dish and serve with white rice.

Variation:

Eliminate the shrimp and just make stir fried vegetables.

Stir Fried Chicken and Vegetables

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Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 small red bell pepper, cut into strips
3/4 cup broccoli spears
3/4 cup snow peas
1 small carrot, pealed and grated
8 mushrooms, sliced
6 Tablespoons chicken broth
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon Mongolian Chili Oil

Preparation:
Whisk together 2 Tablespoons broth, 2 Tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 Tablespoon cornstarch and sesame oil in medium bowl.  Set sauce aside.  Toss chicken pieces in remaining soy sauce, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to coat in a large bowl.

Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in wok over medium-high heat until just smoking.  Brown chicken about 5 minutes.  Transfer to plate and tent with foil.

Add broccoli, snow peas and carrots and remaining chicken broth to wok and cook, covered, until broccoli begins to soften, about 2 minutes.  Uncover and cook until liquid evaporates.  Stir in remaining vegetable oil, bell pepper, and mushrooms and cook until spotty brown, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add ginger, garlic and chili oil and cook until fragrant, about 30 minutes.  Whisk sauce to recombine and add sauce, chicken marinade and chicken to wok.  Cook until thickened.

Serve with cooked white rice.

Crispy Pork belly

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Ingredients:
3 lbs. pork belly
about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
Vegetable oil 

Preparation:
This recipe requires seasoning and refrigerating the pork belly for at least 12 hours before cooking. 

Using sharp chef’s knife, slice pork belly lengthwise into 3 strips about 2 inches wide, then make 1/4 inch-deep crosswise cut through skin and into fat spaced 1/2 inch apart.  Combine 2 tablespoons salt and brown sugar in small bowl.  Rub salt mixture into bottom and sides of pork belly (do not rub into skin).  Season skin of each strip evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Place pork belly, skin side up, in 13 by 9-inch baking dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 250 degrees.  Transfer pork belly, skin side up, to lightly greased wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.  Roast pork belly until meat registers 195 degrees and paring knife inserted in meat meets little resistance, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, rotating sheet halfway through roasting.

Transfer pork belly, skin side up, to large plate.  (Pork Belly can be held at room temperature up to 1 hour.)  Pour fat from sheet into 1-cup measuring cup and add vegetable oil as needed to equal 1 cup.  Put oil in 12-inch skillet. Arrange belly strips, skin side down, in skillet and place over medium heat until bubbles form around belly strips.  Continue to fry, tilting skillet occasionally to even out hot spots, until skin puffs, crisps, and turns golden, 6 to 10 minutes.  Transfer belly, skin side up, to carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.  Flip pork belly on its side and slice ½ inch thick (being sure to slice through original score marks).  Reinvert slices,  I prefer to serve this with baked beans and sliced tomatoes.  It's also good served with white rice and steamed green veggies.  Belly is good topped with a Spicy Mustard Sauce, Sweet Chili Sauce or Tangy Hoisin sauce.

Spicy Mustard Sauce:
Whisk together 2/3 cup Dijon Mustard, 1/3 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.

History:
This recipe comes from America’s Test Kitchen.

Classic Vichyssoise

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Ingredients:

4 large leeks, white and light green parts only
8 oz. Unsalted butter
2 quarts chicken broth
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stems reserved
1 Bay leaf
4 or 5 russet potatoes, peeled,
(immersed in water to prevent browning)
1 cup heavy cream
1 – 2 cups vegetable oil
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Quarter and finely chop 3 of the leeks then wash and set aside.  Slice the last leek into 2 inch julienne then wash and dry.

In a Dutch oven or large soup pot melt butter over medium heat and add chopped leeks, stirring occasionally until bright green.  Remove pot from heat and pour in cold chicken stock, thyme stems and bay leaf.  Then slice potatoes as thinly as possible and add to chicken stock. Return pot to stovetop and bring to a boil over high heat.  As soon as stock boils, potato slices should be tender enough to puree.

Drain leeks and remove bay leaf and thyme stems.  Add 1 cup broth to the blender jar and fill half full with the potato/leek mixture.  Puree all the soup in batches then place puree back in soup pot.  Add cream, salt and pepper.

In a heavy bottomed sauce pot, stir together vegetable oil and julienned leeks.  Place over medium heat, and stir, watching closely until leeks are crispy (about 10 minutes).  Drain.

Serve soup hot with crispy leeks sprinkled on top.

History:

Recipe comes from Chef Tech Cooking School in Long Beach, Calif..