As a restaurant cook, I was spoiled. Exotic ingredients were just a phone call away. Fresh noodles and bean sprouts were delivered from Chinatown. If a special cut of meat was required, I called the butcher and added it to my order. My greengrocer supplied me with tofu and fresh lemongrass. On my biweekly trips to a Vietnamese market in Chinatown, I was able to buy fresh Thai basil and Chinese sausages at very reasonable prices.
Now that I have to rely on my none-too-adventurous suburban supermarket, I appreciate how hard it is to obtain Asian ingredients. Depending on where you live and how rigorously authentic you want to be, if you want to explore Asian cuisine you have to be either intrepid—searching high and low for ingredients—or enterprising. Fortunately, as supermarkets around the country have expanded their international food and produce sections in recent years, many essentials such as rice vinegar, chiles, and dried Asian noodles are now easier to find. However, some of the things necessary for these recipes can be purchased only from an Asian grocer or by mail order. Many of them have long shelf lives, so once you’ve schlepped to a Chinatown or ordered through the mail, you won’t have to do it again soon. I now only shop in New York City’s Chinatown bimonthly. A source guide at the end of the book gives several good Asian mail-order websites.
I keep a supply of chicken stock in the refrigerator and use it frequently to add a bit of richness to sauces. Many recipes in this book call for poached chicken; save the poaching liquid, which yields a nice, all-purpose chicken broth. Keep wing tips, backbones, and other bits from cut-up chickens in the freezer so stock makings are on hand.
Liquid chicken stock that is canned (Swanson or College Inn) or comes in cardboard containers (Kitchen Basics or Swanson) is the second-best alternative. The recipes in this book call for a stock with little or no salt, so taste and adjust accordingly. You can also use Knorr cubes. An Asian variety of Knorr chicken stock with some extra fat is pretty good. Avoid Wyler, as it has an intrusive taste.
The best, least expensive stock is your own poaching liquid. By adding ginger slices, peppercorns, and scallions to the broth, it will become complex.
For fresh chiles, use jalapeños and serranos, which are available year-round in supermarkets. The medium-hot jalapeño is plump, green, and two to three inches long. Serranos are green, much thinner, and about the same length. Serranos are usually hotter than jalapeños, but taste a chile before using it, because the strength varies tremendously. Hot Thai “bird” or “bird’s eye” chiles are tiny and usually sold when green. In general, the smaller the chile, the hotter it is.
Dried chiles have a more consistent heat level and obviously keep longer. I generally use them for cooked dishes and the fresh green chiles for cold dishes. All dried chiles are red because they are dried once they ripen. You can get bags of dried two- to three-inch-long chiles in some supermarkets, Latin or Asian markets, spice shops, Indian shops, and some greengrocers.
When cooking with chiles, wash your hands well after cutting or breaking them up. Do not wipe your eyes when preparing them. I am not a fan of removing seeds from chiles to tone them down. If you want less heat, use less chile.
Chili oil is simply soybean or vegetable oil that has been infused with dried red chiles. The color is red or orange, and it is very hot. A few drops are all that is necessary to give heat to a dish. Some bottled brands have additives like anise to keep them from spoiling. Any brand will do.
You can make your own chili oil by adding 1 tablespoon crushed dried red chiles to 1 cup canola oil in a small saucepan. Heat the oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, but do not boil. Remove from the heat and let it rest for an hour. Strain through a sieve and put in a tightly lidded jar.
There are a daunting number of chili sauces and derivative chile products on the Asian grocer’s shelf, but to keep it simple, I suggest just two for these recipes. The first is the smooth sriracha chili sauce. The most readily available brand is called Tuong Ot Sriracha, which is produced in California and has a rooster on the label. Often used as a table condiment in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, it contains chiles, vinegar, garlic, and sugar.
I also use Southeast Asian sambal olek, which is a chunky chili sauce with similar ingredients but no sugar. The brand I use, called Sambal Oelek, is made by the same company as the sriracha, Huy Fong Foods, with the rooster on the label. You may substitute other chili sauces, but read the ingredients to make sure they don’t contain additives.
These hard, six-inch sausages, known as lop chong, are made from pork, pork fat, wine, and sugar. They are sold in 1-pound packages or by the piece in Asian markets. Since they’re hard, like salami, they need to be either steamed or sautéed before going into a stir-fry. They have a sweet, porky flavor, and there is really no substitute for them. When you find them, buy a lot; they will keep for weeks in the refrigerator or months in the freezer.
In Southeast Asia, citrus leaves and rind are used in addition to the juice to perfume a dish. Asian limes tend to be smaller and more fragrant. I use only fresh lemon and lime juice or zest. When shopping for lemons and limes, look for slightly soft ones with thin skins; they will be the juiciest.
Coconut milk—not to be confused with the watery stuff inside a fresh coconut—adds a distinctive creaminess to Asian food. To make your own coconut milk from fresh coconuts, as they do all over Southeast Asia, grate fresh coconut meat (or pulse it in a food processor), cover it with hot water for a few minutes, and then strain the liquid through a fine sieve, pressing the remaining mush with the back of a spoon.
Unsweetened coconut milk, a convenient substitute, is available in 14-ounce cans. It doesn’t have to be an Asian brand—there are acceptable West Indian brands available—but make sure it contains only coconut milk, water, and a preservative. Look for Thai brands such as Chaokoh, in the brown and white can, or Chef’s Choice, in the blue can. Always stir well before using. Once opened, the milk will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.
Crispy fried bits are used as garnishes and to add savory crunchiness to salads, stir-fried dishes, and noodles. I make a big batch and keep it in the refrigerator in a tightly lidded jar for a month. Slice one large onion, the equivalent in shallots, or 2 garlic bulbs as thinly as possible. (Onions that are sliced too thick will become soggy and unusable after they’ve been fried.) Heat 1 to 2 cups of canola oil over medium heat in a small skillet. When it’s hot, add the onions. Stir to separate the pieces and let them gently fry until crisp and deep brown, but not burned. Keep a close eye on them because they can go from perfectly fried to black in seconds. Onions take about twenty minutes, but shallots and garlic will take only ten to fifteen minutes. When they’re done, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Once they’re cool, either use them immediately or put them in an airtight jar. Use the flavored cooking oil for salad dressings or sautéing. A refrigerated jar of this oniony oil will keep for months. There’s no need to strain the oil; a few flecks of onion in the oil only adds to the flavor.
Thai curry paste is a spicy flavor base made with chiles, lemongrass, galangal, cilantro root, shrimp paste, spices, garlic, shallots, and salt. The paste is usually fried in a little oil or coconut milk, which provides the base for a sauce. At my restaurant, I made my own but wasn’t always satisfied with my version. Fresh galangal is hard to find, the frozen variety contains too much water, and dried galangal never softens enough when hydrated. Fresh lemongrass, which I can’t always find in my local supermarket, is also essential to the paste, so I now use a canned variety by Maesri. They make green, red, yellow and other curry pastes; each is a variation with different spicing and fresh or dried chiles.
Only canned red curry paste is used in these recipes. Because dried chiles are used in the paste, the taste of the canned version most closely matches the real thing. Check to see that the brand you buy does not contain MSG or other additives. A 4-ounce can costs less than a dollar and only a tablespoon or two is used at a time. Curry paste, once opened, lasts for about a month in the refrigerator if it is tightly covered.
Dashi, the all-purpose Japanese stock used in soups, marinades, sauces, and dressings, is made from kombu (a dried seaweed) and dried bonito fish shavings. Simmer a 4-inch piece of kombu in 4 cups of water for 10 minutes. Add 1 cup of bonito flakes, cover, and remove from the heat. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes, then strain. “Dashi-no-moto” is the instant version, which I use a great deal. They’re packaged like tea bags; just pop one into 4 cups water, let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove the bag. I prefer the Maruhachi Muramatsu product, but any brand without MSG is fine. Bonito flakes, kombu, and dashi-no-moto are available in areas with a large Japanese population in grocery stores or by mail order.
Fish sauce is made from salted, fermented anchovies or shrimp. Use fish sauce for seasoning as you would soy sauce or salt. There are many styles in Asian markets, ranging from thin, light caramel-colored sauces to opaque ones with pieces of anchovy floating in them. Generally, the darker the color, the more intense the flavor. Fish sauce is manufactured mainly in Thailand (where it is called nam pla), Vietnam (nuoc mam), and the Philippines (patis). The Thai brands, commonly available in this country, are less intense than the Vietnamese and fine for all-purpose cooking. In my restaurant I used the Thai brands Squid, Tiparos, and Healthy Boy, and was satisfied with all of them. Asian chefs often use finer quality fish sauces for dipping sauces and lesser ones for cooking. A home cook, however, is unlikely to have more than one bottle in the kitchen, and it takes forever to use it up. Fortunately, it lasts indefinitely on the shelf, although I refrigerate it.
This intense Chinese spice mixture is easy to make at home. The number five is more symbolic of healthfulness than accurate, since different variations call for anywhere from five to seven spices. The predominant aroma is licorice because of the fennel and star anise. It is best to grind your own spices and to do so in small amounts so the spices retain their strength. Combine 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon whole cloves, 2 whole star anise, a 2-inch cinnamon stick, and 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns in a clean coffee grinder. Grind thoroughly until you have a powder. If you want to buy it ready-made, five-spice powder can be found in the international section of most supermarkets. As with all spices, keep it tightly covered and away from the light.
This dark Indian spice mixture lends food a dusky sharpness either as a condiment or when added at the end of the cooking process. Its flavor is quite different from that of curry powder, so do not use it as a substitute. There are many recipes for garam masala, and this one calls for black cardamom seeds as the dominant flavor, a spice that “warms” the body. Combine the following ingredients in a clean coffee grinder: 1 tablespoon black cardamom seeds, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, a 2-inch cinnamon stick, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (black cumin if you have it), 1 teaspoon whole cloves, a quarter of a nutmeg. Grind to a powder. It is best if used within a week but can be stored in a tightly lidded jar for a month or two. You can buy garam masala pre-ground at Indian and spice shops.
The tang of fresh ginger is absolutely essential to Asian cooking. It is even considered to be health-giving and is used as a tonic for almost any ailment. Fortunately, ginger root is widely available in most markets. Look for a chunk that is not dried out and shriveled looking. When you break off a piece, the inside should have a greenish tint and be extremely fragrant. It should not have a woody texture. Unless otherwise stated in the recipe, ginger is always peeled. Never use powdered ginger as a substitute.
Galangal is a rhizome of a different color, both literally and figuratively. Also sometimes referred to by its Indonesian name, laos, it looks somewhat like ginger but is yellowish with dark rings around it and has a medicinal taste and a woody texture. Fresh galangal is extremely hard to come by. You can find it dried in Asian stores, but in this form it’s useful only in soups and braised dishes. I have had no luck soaking it and then grinding it for spice pastes. I have tried it frozen, but it disintegrates when thawed. Consequently, I don’t use galangal much in this book, but I do suggest when to use it if you can obtain it.
Southeast Asians love to use fresh herbs in their food. Herbs are thrown in during the last few minutes of cooking, used to garnish a bowl of soup, tossed in a salad, or rolled up with a bit of meat or seafood in a lettuce leaf or rice paper. However you use them, they add another dimension to any dish.
Many Asian herbs are not grown here or are only marginally available, but don’t let that stop you from using the herbs that we do have. The big three that go well with these recipes are cilantro, mint, and basil.
Cilantro, also known as coriander or Chinese parsley, is the most popular Asian herb, and every bit of it is used in cooking: leaves, stems, roots, and seeds. (Parsley should not be used as a substitute.) Thai cooks use the roots, which have a peppery, green flavor, in marinades and spice pastes. Cilantro attracts dirt, so soak it in a bowl of water before spinning it dry. The soft green stems can be used along with the leaves, but remove the lower stems or any dark, hard stems.
Mint is so refreshing and accessible that my daughter eats it straight from our garden. Several Vietnamese varieties are not available here, but spearmint or garden mint are appropriate for our purposes and easily found in grocery stores. The stems are hard and tough, so just use the leaves.
Thai basil, or Asian basil, is available in many markets now, and if you can find it, use it. It has a purplish stem, small green leaves, and often flowers. It has a stronger anise flavor than Italian basil and arrives at the market very clean, so you need only to lightly rinse it. If Thai basil is not available, by all means use Italian basil rather than omit it altogether. The Italian basil will brighten the dish. Basil is now available year-round and is another easy herb to grow. I haven’t had much success growing Asian basil, but Italian basil does very well in the garden and keeps coming back all summer. Use only the leaves and flowers, and since the leaves of Italian basil can be quite large, tear them into smaller pieces in these recipes.
A sweet, smooth soybean sauce often served as a table condiment in Asian restaurants. I find the flavor overpowering when used in this way but very nice when used sparingly in a marinade or stew for meat or tofu. I prefer Koon Chun brand in the 15-ounce jar, but there are many other brands in the international food section of grocery stores.
Used whole in soups or julienned in curries or salads, the flat, shiny, double leaves of the Kaffir lime tree add distinctive citrusy notes. Kaffir lime is a defining ingredient in Thai cooking but, sadly, it is difficult to find fresh here. To prepare it, remove the leaves from the stem and if julienning it, remove the central vein. If you can’t find it fresh, kaffir lime leaves are available in dried and frozen forms, which are best just used in soups or curries. All three varieties are available from mail-order sources in this book, though the fresh leaves are quite expensive. It is possible to grow your own kaffir lime in a pot, which will provide a small supply of leaves. To give a dish a similar lift, use lemon or lime zest. The effect is not the same, but it’s better than omitting it altogether.
These dried shrimp crackers, made of egg white and shrimp, come uncooked and look like hard little disks. When dropped in hot oil, they puff up to three times their size. They have a pleasant shrimpy taste and are nice and crunchy. You can serve them as an appetizer or put a few on the plate of most any Southeast Asian meal. They cook in a matter of seconds, so don’t be put off cooking them. Just turn on your deep-fryer or heat a few cups of canola oil in a small skillet over medium heat and drop one in for a test. If the oil is hot enough, it should puff up immediately. Turn briefly, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. They are sometimes available already puffed, but the bags are easily crushed and they taste much better if freshly fried. Both varieties are available from Asian grocers or by mail order under many brand names.
Lemongrass is a tall, rough, light gray-green grass native to Southeast Asia. Its citrus aroma and flavor make it a key ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisines. Fresh lemongrass is always preferable. Depending on where you live, your grocery store may carry it. Cut off the bottom where the root starts and peel off the outside layer. Use only the white part and either slice it into very thin rounds or shred it in a coffee grinder, or cut it into two-inch pieces and bruise it with the side of a knife (for soups). You can also freeze it for up to three months. If its not available fresh, there is a dried variety, available in 1-ounce packages in Asian stores or by mail order. It has a pleasant aroma, and I have used it in soups, but it doesn’t taste much like the real thing. Roland brand sells it preserved in 7-ounce jars, which I have used successfully in marinades, stir-fries, and soups. I have grown lemongrass in a pot, but after a full season, I had enough only for soup.
Miso is a paste made from fermented soybeans, another grain such as rice or barley, and salt. It has a distinctive savory, salty taste. It is an aged product and lasts for six months in the refrigerator. It is used in soups, as a marinade, and in dressings, and is spread on all manner of fish, vegetables, and tofu to be grilled. There are many varieties ranging in color from creamy white to various shades of yellow to red to deep brown. For my purposes, I use yellow (shinshu miso) and red (aka miso). The shinshu is inexpensive, salty, and all-purpose, and the aka is more complex and good for spreading on items to be grilled. In general, the lighter in color the miso, the sweeter the taste. The darker the paste, the saltier and the more intense the flavor, as it has been aged longer. Miso, so rich in protein, is available from Japanese grocers, health food stores, and sometimes supermarkets.
Dried black mushrooms, labeled variously as Chinese, black, or shiitake mushrooms, add robust flavor and meatiness to many Asian dishes. Look for mushrooms with thick caps with deep white grooves. You may find only one kind in your supermarket, but when you get to an Asian store, try one of the more expensive varieties and note the difference. The mushrooms need to be soaked in warm water until soft, for about thirty minutes. Remove the stems before using. The Japanese soak these mushrooms in cool water for up to twenty-four hours, which they claim better preserves the flavor and allows the entire mushroom to be eaten, stem and all. I always save the mushroom soaking liquid to add to the dish later. Just make sure you strain off the gritty bits that have settled at the bottom of the bowl.
I use dried black mushrooms, canned straw mushrooms, and fresh shiitake and portobello mushrooms. If you can’t get dried mushrooms, use fresh shiitakes instead, readily available in grocery stores. If you can’t get either, use portobellos before resorting to white button mushrooms. Canned straw mushrooms are always stocked in the international food sections of most large grocery stores.
Cellophane Noodles These noodles are made from mung bean starch and are sold in little white bundles. Lungkow Vermicelli seems to be the most ubiquitous brand. Once they are soaked and cooked, they become transparent and gelatinous. They have little flavor of their own but are excellent for soaking up sauces. The bundles are sometimes tied with string, so be sure to remove the string before using. They should be soaked in water for fifteen minutes or until soft before being added to soups or stir-fries or boiled for a few minutes to be used cold. I find it best to cut them into six-inch lengths with scissors after soaking or boiling. They come in different-sized packages, but I buy the 3.5-ounce.
Chinese Egg Noodles At the restaurant I used only fresh egg noodles, but now that I can’t get them so easily, I have found that I actually prefer the dried ones because they stand up better to cooking. While there are many brands, I suggest buying the thin rather than the flat ones; the thin ones are perfect for cold noodle dishes and soups. Cook the noodles in boiling, unsalted water for five to eight minutes. They are usually packaged in little bundles, so loosen the bundles with tongs as they cook. When you taste a strand to see if it is done, it should remain a little chewy. To keep the noodles from clumping in cold dishes, I toss them with a half cup of warm chicken broth after they drain. In many cases, you can substitute #9 spaghetti or angel hair pasta.
Rice Paper Wrappers Used to make spring rolls or wrap up bits of grilled food, rice papers are made from cooked rice and water and therefore don’t need to be cooked, just moistened. Circular rice papers come in transparent boxes in six-, eight-, and twelve-inch sizes. I use the smaller size of any Vietnamese brand I find. Each package contains a whole lot, so you can get three or four dishes out of a single package, even if several sheets are torn. There are many ways to treat them, but what works best for me is to have a bowl of medium hot water on the prep table and dip the paper in for a second. I lay the paper on the work surface and commence filling it. By the time I start rolling, they are the perfect consistency. They can be eaten raw or deep-fried once filled.
Rice Noodles Also called rice sticks or rice vermicelli, these come in various widths and shapes. They are made of rice flour and water. I use the medium width, dried, flat rice noodles called banh pho for the rice noodle dishes in this book. I like the Erawan brand, an easily found Thai variety with a green label that comes in 1-pound bags. Rice noodles must be soaked in water for thirty minutes and drained before cooking. In stir-fried dishes, the texture is best if you do not cook the noodles before adding them to the dish. For soups, cook the noodles in boiling water for a minute or two, drain them, and then pour hot broth over them. I also use them in cold salads, after boiling them in advance.
Soba This is my favorite Japanese noodle. Supposedly, the more buckwheat (which is not a member of the wheat family) and less wheat flour the noodle contains, the higher the quality. Those noodles, however, are very expensive and not as pleasantly chewy as those with some wheat flour.
A great deal of lore surrounds the cult of soba. To learn how to make and hand cut great soba requires years of training, much like the schooling of a sushi chef. The dried soba available in supermarkets and Asian groceries are just fine. Cook the soba in boiling water for eight to ten minutes. Taste a noodle to see if its done; it should be slightly chewy. Soba noodles are earthy in flavor and can be used in many ways, such as in a simple traditional broth, served cold with a dipping sauce, or in a salad with a simple soy vinaigrette.
Wheat Noodles I like to use the linguine-shaped Chinese Canton noodle, the square Chinese Shanghai noodle, or the flat Japanese udon for any recipe with a sauce that needs to be soaked up. They are expecially good with coconut milk sauces. I draw the line when it comes to substituting an Italian pasta like linguine when coconut milk is used, as it won’t soak up the sauce properly. Cook the noodles in boiling, unsalted water for eight to ten minutes until just done, then add to the sauce, where they’ll cook a bit more. I now see fresh, thin wheat noodles available in the organic produce section of grocery stores (where you also find tofu). Use these if you cannot get one of the other wheat noodles I mention.
Peanut oil is used most often in Asia for cooking because it is available, has a high smoking point so it doesn’t burn quickly, and imparts a good flavor. If you have it, use it. Although peanut was the oil of choice at my restaurant, I find at home that I don’t cook at very high temperatures, so I have taken to using canola oil. It is a healthy oil, inexpensive, and doesn’t interfere with the flavor of the dish. Do not use olive oil.
In Southeast Asia, shallots are the onion of choice. In these recipes I generally use yellow onions for cooking because shallots can be expensive here, especially in the quantities needed. Use shallots if you have them, using your judgment to figure out an equivalent amount. I use red onions in place of shallots when they are to be eaten raw, but use shallots if you have them.
Garlic cloves vary tremendously in size. In my recipes, I always use a clove as a unit of measure. By a clove I mean a medium-sized clove, unless I specify otherwise. Buy garlic that is in tight, white bulbs.
Scallions (also called spring onions or green onions) are essential to Chinese, Korean, and Japanese cooking. They don’t last as long as these other onions, so buy them a bunch at a time. To clean them, cut off the end with the root and peel the first layer of skin off. My Chinese chef always slit the white part lengthwise and then chopped them.
For all the recipes in this book, start with raw hulled peanuts. Roast them in a 350°F-degree oven or toaster oven for fifteen minutes until golden brown, cool them, and then chop them up. You can get them from an Asian grocer or from a health food store. Don’t use dry roasted peanuts as a substitute.
I use jasmine rice and Japanese short-grain rice for most all Asian meals. Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice with a unique fragrance. I buy a 10- or 20-pound bag when shopping at an Asian grocer’s, since I use so much of it. There are many grades of rice, and the more expensive, the better. I buy the “extra fancy” variety of whatever brand I can find. Use Thai rice, if possible, but as an alternative, I find the American-grown Jasmati a good choice. I also serve Indian basmati rice with Asian meals. The grains are even more separate than those of jasmine rice and it has a nutty aroma. The American grown basmati rice called Texmati is also acceptable.
Short-grain rice is a little sticky and somewhat shiny when cooked. It’s really the appropriate choice for a Japanese or Korean meal. It is available in many stores now, sometimes even in supermarkets. I see Kokuho Rose or Nishiki brand most often and both are good. Jasmine and short-grain rice are very different and yet I crave both. Sometimes I cook Japanese short-grain rice with a Thai meal and it works out beautifully, so don’t be afraid to experiment with what you like best.
To cook rice, put rice in a saucepan or rice cooker (I usually make 2 cups dry rice for four people) and then add water to one knuckle width above the rice. If using a saucepan, bring the rice to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to very low. The rice will be done in twenty minutes. Do not lift the lid. In a rice cooker, just close it up and turn it on. I do not soak or rinse rice; I don’t find it necessary with the rice we buy.
Chinese or Shaoxing rice wine is a staple in Chinese cooking. It is amber colored and usually comes in 750-ml bottles. My preferred brand comes in a rectangular bottle with a red label in Chinese and a small white label at the bottom that says “Shaoshing.” Dry sherry is a reasonable substitute.
Mirin is the syrupy sweet Japanese rice wine used in soups, dressings, and marinades. Look for “hon-mirin” on the bottle, which means it is naturally brewed, not “ajimirin,” which is just a mass of sweeteners and salt. Kikkoman makes both varieties.
Salted, fermented soybeans are one of life’s great culinary bargains. You use them by the tablespoon and a big, 17-ounce can-shaped cardboard box costs sixty-five cents—or it did four years ago when I bought the box I am currently working on. I don’t think they ever go bad in the refrigerator. I use Yang Jiang Preserved Beans. They also come in plastic bags and jars. They add a nice savory flavor to fish, tofu, and chicken.
Sesame oil is an amber-colored oil extracted from toasted sesame seeds. Intensely flavored and used in small amounts, it is one of the most frequently used ingredients in this book. Look for pure sesame oil, not a blend. I prefer Kadoya brand, a Japanese sesame oil. “Toasted sesame oil” and “sesame oil” are the same thing. Grocery stores now routinely carry sesame oil in the international food section.
Sesame paste, made from toasted ground sesame seeds, is used for making sauces and dressings. I prefer Lan Chi brand, which is labeled “Sesame Seed Paste” or “Chinese Salad Dressing” and comes in 8-ounce jars. The oil separates and comes to the top, so try to incorporate it back in as you measure. Middle Eastern tahini is an acceptable substitute although lighter in color, since it is made from hulled raw seeds and it doesn’t have the nutty flavor.
Dried Shrimp and Dried Shrimp Powder Tiny dried shrimp are used as a salty seasoning all over Asia. I like them to flavor soup broths and salad dressings and toss into Thai salads. I even like to munch on them for a snack. (The powdered form is good for salad dressings and as a substitute for whole dried shrimp.) Whole shrimp should be pinkish orange, not brown, and the larger, the better. They are frequently soaked in water to soften, but this is not strictly necessary. There are many qualities available in Asian markets, generally sold in 8-ounce plastic packages. The best dried shrimp are stored in wooden barrels and sold by the ounce. They all need to be refrigerated. Many other dried sea products, such as oysters, squid, scallops, shark’s fin, and mussels are also used as seasonings.
Shrimp Sauce and Dried Shrimp Paste Shrimp sauce and paste are probably the most pungent flavorings found in Southeast Asian cooking. Cooks in this country use them sparingly, but don’t let the odor scare you off; they mellow when cooked and add a very important flavor to the dish. I use the Koon Chun brand of shrimp sauce which is widely available. Dried shrimp paste is generally sold here by its Malaysian name, blachan, or sometimes belacan. Also known as trasi in Indonesia and kapi in Thailand, it comes in 8-ounce bricks. One brick lasts quite a while when well wrapped in paper inside a zippered plastic bag in the refrigerator.
Sometimes labeled “anise pepper,” these reddish-brown berries are not a member of the pepper family at all. The pods are from the prickly ash tree. American Indians used the bark of this tree to numb the mouth in the case of a toothache. It is their hulls that impart the most flavor, not their seeds. The peppercorns have a marvelous aroma when toasted and add that same, mouth-numbing aspect to roasted meats and chicken. You can make a simple seasoning salt with them that’s great to have in your repertoire. (See the recipe for Roast Chicken with Szechuan Peppercorns on page 144.) Once they are roasted and ground, use them right away, as the flavor dissipates quickly. They’re sold in spice shops, Asian grocers, and by mail order.
Soy sauce is the distinctive salty flavoring of many Asian countries. Made from salted, fermented soybeans in liquid form, soy sauce comes in many degrees of saltiness, shades of brown, and consistencies. In this book, when I refer to soy sauce I mean light soy, and mushroom soy for dark soy. Unfortunately, there is little variety available in grocery stores. The light Japanese Kikkoman brand is universally available (I do not mean Kikkoman “lite” soy sauce), although Yamasa brand seems to be favored by the Japanese. If you can get to an Asian market, Pearl River Brand Superior Soy is a good Chinese light soy sauce. For a dark sauce, I like Healthy Boy Brand Mushroom Soy. In general, use the Japanese brand for Korean or Japanese dishes and the Superior Soy for Chinese dishes.
I always buy whole spices and grind them myself in a clean coffee grinder. Whole spices last longer and their flavors are much more intense. A basic Asian spice shelf should contain the following: black mustard seeds, black cardamom seeds, cayenne pepper, cinnamon stick, whole cloves, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, Madras curry powder, paprika, peppercorns (black and white), kosher salt and table salt, raw sesame seeds, star anise, Szechuan peppercorns, and ground turmeric. Most of these spices are available in grocery stores. Szechuan peppercorns, black mustard seeds, and black cardamom seeds are available from Asian grocers, Indian grocers, spice shops or by mail order. See separate entries for garam masala, five-spice powder, and Szechuan peppercorns.
Tofu, made from soy milk curds, is an excellent source of protein, available in sealed 15-ounce tubs. To drain tofu before cooking, wrap it in paper towels and put it in a bowl. Put some sort of weight on top, either a heavy plate or bowl, and pour off the liquid as it accumulates in the bowl. Draining takes about thirty minutes.
For frying, always buy firm tofu. If you buy it fresh, floating in tubs of water, it will need less time to drain. As with all tofu, if you don’t use it up after opening the tub, put the extra in a bowl of fresh water to cover in the refrigerator. Do the same with the kind bought in Asian markets, changing the water daily. It will last three or four days this way.
Deep-fried tofu adds a chewy savoriness to Asian salads and stir-fries. You can buy it pre-fried in Asian stores, but homemade tastes better. To deep-fry, slice the block into ¾-inch-wide pieces after draining. Heat canola oil in a deep-fryer or 2 cups of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When the oil is completely hot, gently slide the tofu in, a few pieces at a time. Fry until golden brown and floating on the top, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Then further slice as described in the recipe.
I use five types of vinegar, all but one of which are available in grocery stores. For the recipes in this book, you need white distilled vinegar, Japanese rice vinegar (Mitsukan brand, not the seasoned variety), red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, and Chinese black vinegar (Gold Plum brand Chinkiang). You can use balsamic vinegar instead of the black vinegar, which may be hard to find.
There are several types of dried seaweed, but I find wakame the easiest and tastiest to use in salads and miso soup. It usually comes in small pieces in 1-ounce plastic bags, so there’s no need to cut it. To reconstitute, pour warm water over it and let it sit for twenty to thirty minutes, then squeeze out the excess moisture. However, there may be hard stems, so cut them off. Wakame is a Japanese product available by mail order, in Japanese markets, in some grocery stores, and in health food stores.