Firsh Sauce

When “exploring the Aisles” of Van’s the other day I found myself stopping in front of the Asian section and looking at all the different sauces they have available. One sauce they carry is fish sauce. I have used it in a number of my oriental recipes and find it adds a wonderful flavor. I thought it might make the food too “fishy” tasting but it doesn’t.
Another recent purchase was a two-burner caste-iron grill that I found at Clark Hardware. It is used in the first recipe this week and will be able to be used in a number of others in the coming years. Caste iron is one of the best materials for cookware  as it holds the heat very well and cooks evenly. I have a number of pieces and use them frequently.

Thai-Style Beef with Noodles

1 T soy sauce
1 T honey (mild)
2 T asian fish sauce (divided)
1 lb flank steak
3 T vegetable oil (divided)
2 shallots (thinly sliced 1 cup)
1 T ginger (finely chopped peeled)
1 1/2 t. curry paste (thai)
1 3/4 c. reduced sodium beef broth
1 T fresh lime juice
1 red bell pepper (cut into 1/4 inch strips)
1 bunch scallions (trimmed and cut into 3 inch pieces)
3/4 lb egg noodles (dried asian or Ramen)
equipment: a large (2-burner) ridged grill pan (preferably cast-iron)
fish sauce
Lime wedges
Mix together soy, honey, 1 tablespoon fish sauce, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow baking dish, then add steak and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature 20 minutes.
While steak marinates, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook shallots, stirring occasionally, until browned well, about 8 minutes. Add ginger and curry paste and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 minute, then add broth and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in lime juice, remaining tablespoon fish sauce, and salt to taste and keep warm, covered.
Heat grill pan over medium-high heat until hot, then lightly oil. Grill steak, turning once, about 8 minutes total (for rare). Transfer to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss bell pepper and scallions with remaining tablespoon oil, then grill, turning frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
While steak stands, cook noodles in a pasta pot of boiling unsalted water until al dente, 4 to 7 minutes. Drain well, then add to vegetables and toss well. Divide noodles among 4 deep bowls and top with broth. Cut steak in half lengthwise, then thinly slice across the grain and serve on top of noodles. Serves 4

Chinese Egg Noodles

1 large egg
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups flour; plus some extra flour for kneading and rolling
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup cornstarch; for dusting on the dough
In a small bowl, combine the egg and the oil. Beat lightly and put aside. Put the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir with a fork. Pile the flour into a mound and make a well in the center that looks like the mouth of a volcano. Pour the egg and oil into the well. Now add the water and stir with a fork until a lumpy dough starts to form. Use your hands to press the dough together.
Sprinkle your work surface with flour and place your dough on top of it. With the heel of your hand, push the dough down and away from you. Now fold the dough in half, pat it down and push and fold again. (If the dough feels very stiff, sprinkle it with a teaspoon of water. ) Continue to push, fold and pat for 5 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Roll them into balls, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest for 1/2 hour.
Dust your work surface lightly with flour and place one ball of dough on top of it. With the palm of your hand, press down on the dough, flattening it into a disc 5 inches across. Rub some flour on your rolling pin and lay it across the middle of the disc. Push down and roll away from you. Now place the rolling pin across the middle of the dough and roll toward you. Your piece of dough should be long and narrow, like a surf board. Rotate the dough and place the rolling pin across the middle. Push down, and roll away from you. Then push down and roll toward you. Continue to roll until you have a circle of dough 14 inches across. Carefully place it on a clean dish towel and leave it to dry while you roll the two remaining balls of dough. By the time you’ve finished, you will be ready to cut the first one you rolled.
Sprinkle 1-2 teaspoons of cornstarch on the dough and gently spread it about with your fingers. Lift the bottom edge of the dough and bring it toward the center, creating one fold. Now pick up the top edge of the dough and bring that toward the center too, creating a second fold. (It’s as if you were folding a letter.) With a pizza wheel or sharp knife, cut across the folded dough to make even strips about 1/4 inch wide. Unfold the strips and leave them to dry on a dish towel for 15 minutes. If you don’t plan to cook the noodles right away, you can store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

Grilled Shrimp & Mango Salad

2 large firm mangoes - peeled & shredded
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1/3 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 small clove garlic - minced
1 small hot chile - such as serrano, seeded, minced
1 pound shrimp - 25 to 30 per pound
2 cups greens
lime slices - for garnish
Combine green onions, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chile in a bowl. Mix in shredded mango. Chill while preparing shrimp.
Shell and devein shrimp and rinse well; divide into 4 portions. Thread 1 portion onto a slender metal skewer. Run a second skewer through shrimp 1/2 to 1 inch from the first skewer, to keep them flat. Repeat with remaining shrimp. Grill shrimp on a medium hot grill, covered, for about 3 minutes on each side, or until opaque but still a bit moist in the center of thickest parts.
Place greens on a platter; mound mango mixture onto the greens using a slotted spoon. Place shrimp over the mango salad and garnish with lime slices, if desired. Yield: 4 servings Print this post