Hainanese poached chicken with tomato and cucumber garnish

Place a whole chicken (skin on, about 4 lb) in a large Dutch oven, pour in enough water to just cover the chicken, and add a sliced onion, 8 whole garlic cloves, 2 large knobs ginger (bruised with skin on), 15 whole black peppercorns, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp Maggi… Continue reading Hainanese poached chicken with tomato and cucumber garnish

Oven-roasted stone fruit with cherries

Preheat oven to 450.  Cut 6 peaches (here, white nectarines) and 6 plums into quarters (removing pits), then place cut side up in a large baking dish.  Sprinkle ½ cup sugar (here, I used homemade vanilla sugar) over the stone fruit.  Garnish with 2 small containers of pitted cherries (or raspberries), then place in the… Continue reading Oven-roasted stone fruit with cherries

Vietnamese lime and fish sauce marinated chicken (ga nurong)

Marinate 2 ½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed of excess fat) in ¼ tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp black pepper, 1 Tbsp fish sauce, juice from 1 lime (about 1 Tbsp), and 2 Tbsp canola oil.  Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes (or in fridge for 2 hours). Line… Continue reading Vietnamese lime and fish sauce marinated chicken (ga nurong)

Japanese curry rice

Japanese vegetable curry.  I grew up eating Japanese curry rice; my mom would sauté beef chunks, add onion and potato, and then fold in S&B Golden Curry Sauce Mix: http://www.sbfoods-worldwide.com/products/curry/retail/america_page.html#a3. This mix is a curry roux packaged into semi-firm blocks, and it comes in Mild to Very Hot versions; none of them is particularly spicy. As… Continue reading Japanese curry rice