Seafood

My dream home comes with tons of land for a veggie garden and a big pond for a backyard. Oh, and while I’m at it, how about a little boat for fishing and someone to come stock my big pond with giant, yummy fishes, squid, shrimp and clams. Hmmm . . . okay, maybe that wouldn’t work well. But wouldn’t it be cool to be able to catch fish for tonight’s dinner? Earlier this year, I brought blogger friends David Lebovitz, Elise Bauer, Diane Cu, Deb Perelman and Matt Armendariz with me to Club Med in the Bahamas. One of our most memorable moments was fishing. We caught four giant 50-pound wahoos and two nasty toothed barracudas! Guess what we had for dinner?

Mussels in Coconut Curry Broth

This is another one of those quick 15-minute meals that has become a favorite among my friends. It’s slurptastic and I’ve never seen a bowl come back to the kitchen with anything other than empty mussel shells. When you buy mussels at the market, make sure your fishmonger hand-selects each mussel for you. The mussels should be closed or just slightly open (but should close when tapped). They should smell faintly of the sea. Once you get home, open the bag (gotta let the babies breathe). Grab two different-sized bowls, one that fits inside the other. Place the mussels in the smaller bowl. Fill the larger bowl with ice and put the smaller bowl inside, on top of the ice, and refrigerate. After cooking, discard any that are still closed or any with cracked shells.

TIP: Here are some ingredient tips—The noodles. Mung bean noodles, which are white when dried and transparent when cooked, are gluten free and very healthy! They are also sometimes called vermicelli noodles, cellophane or glass noodles and they come in “skeins” or small bundles. Look at the ingredient list on the package—the only two ingredients should be mung bean and water. The lemon-grass. If you don’t have a stalk in your refrigerator, just take a lemon and use a vegetable peeler to peel several strips of the peel. The stock. The recipe calls for seafood stock, and generally you can find cartons of seafood stock or broth right next to the beef, chicken or vegetable stock/broth. I’ve also used vegetable stock with great success in this recipe. Beef and chicken would be too strong in flavor for the mussels. If you use vegetable stock, you can add a small bottle of clam juice (look in the canned seafood section) to the stock for additional seafood flavor. If you want to make seafood stock from scratch, see page 32.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

2 lbs (1 kg) mussels

1 teaspoon high-heat cooking oil

¹/₂ cup (125 ml) Thai curry paste, divided

10 oz (300 ml) coconut milk, shake the can vigorously to mix the fat with the liquid before opening

3 stalks lemongrass, outer leaves peeled and bottom 6 in (15 cm) of stalk cut in half lengthwise, or 3 or 4 strips of lemon peel (yellow part only)

2 ¹/₂ cups (625 ml) store-bought or homemade Seafood Stock, page 32 (substitute with Vegetable Stock, page 31)

1 ¹/₂ tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

3 small skeins (100 g) mung bean noodles, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes and drained

1 small handful fresh Thai basil or sweet Italian basil leaves

Juice of ¹/₂ lime

1 Scrub the mussels, remove any fibers from the shell and discard any with cracked shells and those that won’t close when tapped gently.

2 Set a wok or large pot on medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is just beginning to shimmer, add three-quarters of the curry paste and fry for 15 seconds to release its flavors. Take care not to burn the curry paste. Pour in about ¹/₂ cup (125 ml) of the coconut milk and stir until the curry paste is completely dissolved. Add the lemongrass, stock, fish sauce, sugar and remaining coconut milk. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste the broth and if you want a spicier broth, add the remaining curry paste.

3 Turn the heat to high and add the mussels. Immediately cover with a tight fitting lid. When the broth returns to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

4 Remove the lid, push the mussels to one side, add the drained mung bean noodles and redistribute the mussels and simmer another minute uncovered. Stir in the basil leaves and the lime juice. Remove the lemongrass or the lemon peel before serving as they are meant to flavor the broth only.

Beer Steamed Shrimp with Garlic

One of my childhood heroes was Martin Yan. I used to watch Martin on television, mesmerized by his thick Chinese accent and kung fu–esque knife skills. I got to finally meet the master chef himself in person a couple of years ago and yeah, it’s really true, he can carve a whole chicken in 18 seconds! Martin is a big fan of steaming seafood in Tsingtao beer and I’ve used that technique here. The beer totally brings out the sweetness in the shrimp. This is a simple dish with few ingredients and I bet you could cook this, start to finish, in 15 minutes. Oh, another note: I always believe that the more I have to wrestle with my food, the better it tastes. Which is why I love shrimp with their shell-on, blue crab and crayfish. I figure the more work I have to do, the more I savor its flavor! And I think most Chinese will agree with me—we love eating with our hands and suckin’ those shrimp shells! If you’re not into that kind of thing, then go ahead and remove the shells before cooking.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 fresh or dried chilli pepper of your choice, minced

Generous pinch of salt

1 lb (500 g) raw shell-on shrimp with their tails, deveined (see below)

¹/₄ cup (65 ml) pilsner-style beer, preferably Tsingtao brand

2 green onions (scallions), minced

Set a wok over medium heat. When it just starts to get hot, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic, chilli pepper and salt and fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and immediately begin tossing, using your spatula to scoop the oil all over the shrimp and bathe it in the garlicky oil. Pour the beer in and immediately cover. Steam the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through. Toss in the green onions and mix well. Serve immediately.

TIP: To devein a shell-on shrimp, use a toothpick and go in between the shell segment to fish out the black vein or digestive tract.

Grilled Fish with Kabayaki Sauce

I spent my sixteenth birthday in Japan as an exchange student for the summer. Back then, I didn’t appreciate the art and subtlety of sushi and it didn’t help that the first time I had a sushi dinner, I thought that big green ball of wasabi was a delicious green tea ice cream. Ouch. Big searing ouch.

During those weeks in Japan, I gravitated towards the cooked stuff, especially Unagi-don—or Japanese grilled eel with a sweet soy glaze served over rice.

It’s hard to find unagi outside Asian markets, plus I’ve just learned from Casson Trenor (www.sustainablesushi.net), a sushi sustainability expert, that wild unagi is on the brink of extinction and farmed unagi is a no-no for the environment (and your body). So, instead of unagi in this recipe, I’ve substituted with a firm white fish. The sweet soy glaze, or “kabayaki sauce”, is terribly addictive over fish and rice. My friend and fellow food writer, Amy Sherman, suggests using catfish fillets, as the texture is the most similar to unagi.

For the kabayaki sauce, make sure you’re using “mirin” which is a sweet rice wine, and NOT the rice vinegar or Chinese rice wine. Serve this over short-grained rice.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

4 firm fish fillets, about 4 to 6 oz (125 to 175 g) each, patted very dry

6 cups (1 kg) steamed short-grained rice (page 129)

One small handful of dried or toasted seaweed shreds (Kizami Nori), for garnish 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion (scallion), for garnish

KABAYAKI SAUCE

¹/₂ cup (125 ml) soy sauce

¹/₂ cup (125 ml) mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

3 tablespoons sugar

1 In a small saucepot over medium high heat, stir together the Kabayaki Sauce ingredients. When the sauce begins to bubble, immediately turn the heat to low and let it simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon. Be careful, as the sauce can easily thicken too much and you’ll end up with a caramel! If it becomes too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of water at a time.

2 Set a large frying pan over high heat. When the pan is very hot, add the oil and swirl to coat pan. Lay the fish fillets in the pan, not touching each other. Fry for 2 minutes until the bottoms are browned. Brush the Kabayaki Sauce glaze on the fillets. Flip the fish over and brush the top of the other side. Fry for another minute or two, until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through.

3 Serve the fish over rice and pour additional Kabayaki Sauce over the fish. Top with seaweed shreds and green onions.

Mom’s Chinese Steamed Fish

The moment I tell mom that I’m planning to come visit her, she pulls out her list. It’s a list of dishes that I’ve tagged as my favorites, and this list has never changed in the past twelve years. Steamed fish Chinese style is always first, mainly because I could never get the flavors right when I cooked it myself. Every year, I’d bug mom about teaching me how to make this dish. And every year she brushes me off, saying, “aaahhh…too difficult…come home and eat!” Finally, I teased the secret recipe out of her last year and she revealed why she never taught me. She figured that the more I missed HER cooking, the more frequent the visits! Okay, so here are mom’s secrets for making clean, fresh tasting steamed fish, just like the Chinese restaurants!

1) Buy fresh fish—well, duh. But I had to say it. Large Asian markets in big cities will have a fish tank brimming with live fish. You pick out what you want and the fishmonger will go fishin’, do the dirty work and present you with a scaled, gutted and cleaned whole fish to take home. If you’re dealing with already-still fish, you can either buy a whole fish or a large fillet. When buying whole fish, look at the eyes to determine freshness. Clear, protruding eyes means that it is likely to be fresh. Avoid fish with sunken, cloudy eyes. Touch and push down on the fish with your fingers. If it’s stiff, firm and the skin bounces right back, it’s good. If the fish is flaccid and the flesh is slow to bounce back, pass.

2) The biggest mistake I made before mom revealed her secret was that I steamed the fish and then served the fish with its steaming juices and herbs. The problem with this is that the juice in the pan is extremely fishy and the herbs already flavorless. After steaming, discard all the herbs and pan juices and serve the fish with a clean, fresh sauce and fresh herbs that have been “popped” in hot oil.

3) The last tip is to delicately steam the fish on medium heat. A high-rolling, harsh boil will tear apart the delicate flesh of the fish and finished dish will not look as pretty (plus you run the risk of over cooking the fish).

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

1 lb (500 g) whole fish (or fillets 1-in/ 2.5-cm or thicker for the best results) Salt and pepper

1 ¹/₂ tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry) to pour on fish prior to steaming

(A)

4 green onions (scallions), cut into 3-in(7.5-cm) lengths

One 3-in (7.5-cm) piece fresh ginger, sliced into thin coins

1 small bunch of fresh cilantro (coriander)

(B)

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (coriander)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

¹/₂ teaspoon sugar

Generous pinch of salt

¹/₄ teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)

1 fresh chili pepper of your choice, thinly sliced (optional)

(C)

2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil

One 2-in (5-cm) piece fresh ginger, cut into thin slivers (use technique in Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33, for using ginger as a condiment)

2 green onions (scallions), cut into 3-in (7.5-cm) lengths

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

A shallow pan to hold the fish and a large pot or wok for steaming. (If you don’t have a fancy steamer or steamer insert, invert a small, shallow bowl to use as a stand. I’ve also improvised with 3 shot glasses too!)

1 Clean your fish, pat dry. Season generously inside and out with the salt and pepper. Take half of (A) and stuff inside the fish.

2 Lay the other half of (A) in a shallow pan, this will be your “herb bed”. If using fillets, just use all of (A) for the bed. Lay the fish on top of the bed. If the fish is too long, cut the fish in half. Pour the Chinese rice wine on top of the fish.

3 Add 2 inches (5 cm) of water to your large pot, cover and bring to a boil. When it is boiling, uncover and wipe the inside of the cover clean of any condensation (all this condensation will drip back down on your fish, diluting the flavor), put your fish pan inside, propping it up with a small inverted bowl. Steam the fish over medium heat (see Note for steaming times).

4 Prepare the aromatics: Towards the end of the steaming process, you’ll want to start preparing the aromatics that garnish the finished dish. Take a microwave-safe bowl, add (B) and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. When the fish is done, carefully lift the fish out onto a serving platter, discarding all of the cooked cilantro/ginger/green onions and the fish juice in the pan. Pour the hot (B) over the fish.

5 Now we’ll work with (C): In a separate pan or wok, heat up the cooking oil until you see smoke. Add the ginger and green onions, fry for 10 seconds to “pop” the flavors. Pour the hot oil with the green onions and ginger over the fish. You’ll hear a very satisfying sizzle!

NOTE: Steaming Times

Whole fish 1 lb (500 g): check at 12 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 1/₂ lb (250 g) Fillets 1 inch (2.5 cm) and thicker: check at 10 minutes, add 2 minutes for every ¹/₂ inch (1.25 cm) or more thickness Fillets less than 1 inch (2.5 cm): check at 7 minutes Super thin fillets: check at 5 minutes

Check to see if the fish is cooked through at the times indicated. Poke at the flesh near the top fin. If flesh flakes easily near the top fin, then it’s done. If the flesh sticks together, then add 1 to 2 more minutes to cooking time. For fillets, just gently poke at the flesh at its thickest part. Also check to make sure you haven’t run out of steaming water.

Salt and Pepper Squid

I’ve always been a big squid fan, especially FRIED squid! I can eat an entire dish by myself, and if I ever were to open a movie theater, Salt and Pepper Squid would be served. Forget the popcorn! Squeeze just a bit of lime over the squid, and if you want, eat with a bite of fresh chilli pepper.

Try to find baby squid that has been cleaned for you. It saves you the hassle of removing the cartilage and the thin outer membrane. You can buy frozen uncooked squid—just defrost before using and pay very dry. Squid come in many different sizes. The ones that I like to use are smaller, with bodies about 4 inches (10 cm) long.

The combination of all-purpose flour with cornstarch creates a light and crisp coating for deep frying.

If you don’t have a deep fryer, use your wok or a medium sauté pan. The smaller the diameter of pot that you use, the less oil you need but also the fewer squid you can fry in each batch. Which is why a wok is perfect! It’s diameter is small at the bottom and gently tapers up. The secret to this dish is to use clean oil. Once you are done frying, let the oil cool and discard the oil.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

High-heat cooking oil for frying

1 lb (500 g) uncooked squid, preferably about 4 inches (10 cm) long, cut into ¹/₂-inch (1.25-cm) thick rings, leave small tentacles as they are

¹/₂ cup (50 g) all-purpose flour

¹/₂ cup (80 g) cornstarch

1 ¹/₂ tablespoons Sichuan Peppercorn Salt (page 27), plus extra for sprinkling over fried squid

1 lime, cut into wedges

Sliced fresh chilli peppers of your choice (optional)

1 In a wok or medium sauté pan, add enough oil to come up about 1 ¹/₂ inches (3.75 cm). Set over high heat until the oil reaches 375°F (190°C) or when you flick a bit of flour, the flour sizzles on contact. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain the temperature. Have at the ready tongs and/or a spider and a sheet pan with a baking rack sitting on top to drain.

2 Rinse the squid in cool water and lay it flat on 2 layers of paper towels. Pat very dry with another 2 layers of paper towels.

3 Combine the flour, cornstarch and Sichuan Peppercorn Salt in a large bowl. Toss the squid in the bowl. When the oil is ready, use your tongs to grab a few pieces of squid, shaking off the excess flour mixture before lowering the squid into the oil. Deep-fry for about 60 to 90 seconds, or until lightly golden brown, and set on the rack to drain. Sprinkle some Sichuan Peppercorn Salt over the fried squid while hot. Repeat with the remaining squid. If the squid fries in less than 60 seconds, lower your heat. Serve with lime wedges and sliced chillies.

More Options

If you’d like a creamy dipping sauce, combine 1 cup (250 ml) of mayonnaise with 1 to 2 teaspoons Chilli Garlic Sauce or Sriracha chilli sauce and a pinch of sugar.

You can also use the Apricot Sweet Chilli Sauce (page 27), Sweet Chilli Sambal (page 26) or the Ginger Scallion sauce (page 28).

No Sichuan peppercorns? Combine 3 tablespoons kosher or fine sea salt with 2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder.

Clams Sautéed in Garlic and Black Bean Sauce

Most of my friends have never had clams in shell other than in an Italian pasta dish. Oh, what they are missing! This shell-and-finger-suckin’licious dish is popular in Chinese restaurants.

Black bean sauce is the magic savory ingredient in this dish. Brands of black bean sauce and chilli garlic sauce differ in salt content. Taste as you thicken the sauce; you may also have to add an additional ¹/₄ cup (65 ml) of light broth or stock to adjust.

You can use any type of clams, though I think the tiny ones taste sweeter. If you use larger clams, like the 2-inch (5-cm) or larger Cherrystone clams, you’ll have to increase the cooking time. Take a peek and if not all the shells are opened, then steam an additional minute.

Have your fishmongers select your clams one by one. I know, it’s a pain in the butt, but having even one bad clam in the lot can ruin a dish. The clamshells should be intact and should be tightly closed . . . unlike mussels whose shells may be slightly open, fresh clams should always have their mouths shut. Trust me, it’s better that way. For tips on selecting and storing clams, see Shellfish Tips from John the Seafood Guy, page 39. The black bean sauce is great over rice so make sure you have plenty of rice to serve with this dish.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

1 ¹/₂ lbs (750 g) Manila or Littleneck clams

2 teaspoons high-heat cooking oil

6 pinky-length whole dried chilli peppers, cut in half and most seeds discarded

1 clove garlic, finely minced

¹/₂ teaspoon grated fresh ginger (see Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33)

3 tablespoons black bean sauce

3 teaspoons chilli garlic paste or sauce (substitute with any Asian chilli sauce) 1 cup (250 ml) store-bought or homemade light stock (Vegetable Stock or Seafood Stock, pages 31–32)

2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)

1 tablespoon minced chives, for garnish

1 Let the clams hang out in a big bowl filled with cool, fresh water for 20 minutes. This allows the clams to breathe in fresh water and expel any sand or grit. After 20 minutes, lift the clams out of the water (all the sand will have accumulated at bottom of the bowl). Now it’s time to scrub the shells with a firm brush under cool running water. Discard any cracked and or opened shells.

2 In a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the dried chillies, garlic and ginger. Fry for 15 seconds, until fragrant. Add the black bean sauce and chilli paste and fry for another 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and wine. Turn the heat to high. When the mixture comes to a boil, immediately add the clams and cover.

3 Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the clams open. Spoon out the clams, leaving the sauce in the wok. Discard any clams that did not open. Turn the heat to high and let the sauce thicken, about 1 minute. Taste the sauce, and add an additional ¹/₄ cup (65 ml) of stock, if needed. Pour the sauce over the clams, sprinkle with chives and serve hot.

Coconut Shrimp

I had to choose just one recipe for you to try first in this book, this is it. In fact, this recipe is so simple that my kitchen-fearing friend, Jen, cooks this dish every time she wants to impress a date! (Oh my, she’s gonna kill me for saying that!)

For this recipe, I’m using unsweetened shredded coconut found in health food stores and Asian and Indian markets. If you can’t find it, use sweetened shredded coconut that you can find in your regular supermarket (look in the baking aisle) but omit the sugar in the recipe.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

¹/₄ cup (20 g) unsweetened shredded coconut

1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

1 lb (500 g) raw tail-on shrimp, deveined and patted really dry

2 tablespoons butter

4 green onions (scallions), cut into 2-in (5-cm) lengths

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic

3 tablespoons cognac (brandy or rum make good substitutes)

Generous pinch of salt

³/₄ teaspoon sugar (omit if you are using sweetened shredded coconut)

1 In a wok or frying pan over medium heat, add the coconut and toast until golden brown. This should only take about 3 to 4 minutes. Take care not to burn the coconut! Once the coconut is toasted, immediately remove to a plate to cool.

2 Wipe the wok or pan dry and set over high heat. When a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates upon contact, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the shrimp to the wok, keeping them in a single layer. Fry for 1 minute, flip and fry an additional minute until almost cooked through. Remove from the wok, keeping as much oil in the wok as possible.

3 Turn the heat to medium, add the butter and, once the butter starts bubbling, add the green onion and garlic. Fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the cognac and add the salt and sugar. Stir and return the shrimp to the wok. Let the whole thing bubble and thicken just a bit—the sauce should lightly coat the shrimp. Remove from the heat, sprinkle in the toasted coconut and toss well.

More options

For a classic Malaysian Butter Shrimp dish, add 10 fresh curry leaves at the same time you are frying the shrimp. It will give an amazing warm lemony, sage-ish aroma. It’s not the same as curry powder though.

Scallops with Tropical Fruit Salsa

This was the dish that really launched my food-writing career. Brian Ries, a food critic for a weekly paper called Creative Loafing contacted me for a story on “The $20 Showdown”. The article featured five chefs, each contributing recipes for dinner for two, and only spending $20 in ingredients. Piece of cake, since usually I don’t even spend $20 to feed my family of four!

After the story was published, Creative Loafing asked me to join them as their weekly food columnist. And they said I could write about anything I wanted! I was overcome with the joy of being published, but then that euphoria was quickly followed by “Oh crap, there’s no “CRTL-Z button for the newspaper”. That’s probably the most difficult part of transitioning from blog to paper—there’s certainly no morning-after delete function to erase anything embarrassing that I’d written! The Tropical Fruit Salsa is also great with tortilla chips, as a topping to grilled chicken, and to serve alongside your favorite fish or shrimp skewers. Use as much chilli powder in the Tropical Fruit Salsa as you want. I love the tingling sensation after the initial sweetness of the fruit. This is a great recipe to serve with Coconut Rice (page 130).

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

20 large scallops, preferably dry-packed Generous pinch of salt or Citrus-Ginger Salt (page 27)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

TROPICAL FRUIT SALSA

1 mango, diced

¹/₂ small papaya, diced

¹/₄ cup (40 g) diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

Pinch of Asian chilli powder or cayenne powder (or to your taste)

1 tablespoon lime juice

Generous pinch of salt or Citrus-Ginger Salt (page 27)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 In a bowl, combine the ingredients for the Tropical Fruit Salsa. Gently toss and set aside.

2 Pat the scallops dry with a paper towel and season with the salt and pepper.

3 Set a large frying pan over high heat. When a bead of water sizzles and evaporates immediately upon contact, add the oil and swirl to coat. Carefully add the scallops. Make sure that the scallops do not touch each other—they should have a finger-width’s space between them. Fry 1 ¹/₂ to 2 minutes on each side. The scallops should have a golden brown crust and the interior should be just barely cooked through. Serve with the Tropical Fruit Salsa.

Tea Smoked Salmon with Cucumber Relish

Wok smoking is an age-old Chinese technique. Most popular is the tea-smoked chicken or duck, but salmon works wonderfully. The trick is to smoke the salmon low and slow as the gentle cooking creates an absolutely silky, feather-light texture. I learned this technique from Barbara Tropp, whose book, The Modern Art of Chinese Cooking has become my go-to resource when Mom’s not available to give me her wisdom on the phone.

If you don’t have a wok or pot big enough for the bamboo steamer, I highly recommend Helen Chen’s Steamer Ring for about $5, which will let you use any stockpot with a bamboo steamer.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

4 salmon fillets, about 6 oz (175 g) each

Generous pinch of salt

1 cup (210 g) uncooked rice

1 cup (70 g) black tea leaves

2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns

1 cup (200 g) sugar

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT

Bamboo steamer, wok and aluminum foil

CUCUMBER RELISH

¹/₂ cup (170 g) diced cucumber

¹/₂ cup (85 g) diced red bell pepper

¹/₂ cup (170 g) diced green apple

1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro (coriander) or other fresh herb

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

Pinch of salt

Pinch of sugar

1 Season the salmon with the salt on both sides. Place the salmon pieces in a bamboo steamer. You should have no more than 2 to 3 pieces per steamer basket, as they should not be touching. If you crowd them too much, the steam and smoke will not be able to circulate.

2 Fold a large square of foil into quarters and place that on the bottom of the wok. This makes sure that the smoking ingredients do not burn. Next, line the wok with a large piece of foil. Pour the rice, tea leaves, Sichuan peppercorns and sugar in the middle of the aluminum foil.

3 Turn your heat to high and let the wok heat up. When you start seeing 3 to 4 thick, steady streams of smoke coming from the sides of the wok, it’s ready. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes to heat up. Make sure that you get a good start on the smoke before adding the food, as we will be smoking on a low heat the rest of the way.

4 Once you start seeing bigger streams of smoke and can start smelling the wonderful aroma of the peppercorns and tea, turn the heat to low and place your bamboo steamer on top. Scrunch up more foil and place around the outside edge of the steamer to enclose the smoke so that it travels up and into the steamer, and does not escape out to the edge of wok.

5 Place the lid on the steamer and smoke on low for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for another 10 minutes to finish cooking.

6 In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the Cucumber Relish. Serve the fillets with the Cucumber Relish on top.

More Options

If you’re not up for smoking, I have another method of cook-ing salmon for you that will create the same slow-cooked, silky texture. Preheat the oven to 250°F (120°C). On a sheet pan, make a bed of orange slices from 2 oranges. Lay the salmon on the bed and slow-cook the salmon for 30 minutes. Discard the oranges and top the salmon with the Cucumber Relish. This is a must-try method. Though the salmon looks uncooked, trust me, it’s fully cooked. The slow-cooking method preserves all of the natural flavors and colors of the fish.

SMOKING IN A STEAMER BASKET

1 Rice, tea leaves, Sichuan pepper-corns and sugar are poured in the middle of the aluminum foil.

2 The salmon is placed in the steamer once big streams of smoke have begun to waft up.

3 Additional foil is scrunched up and place around the edges of the steamer to keep smoke from escaping from around the edges of the wok.

Herb Crusted Fish with Sweet Chilli Sambal

For this dish any medium-firm to firm-fleshed fish fillet (say that 10 times fast!) will work beautifully. How about salmon, catfish, grouper or swordfish? Just shorten cooking time if you’re using fish thinner than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick. You’ll find endless uses for this vibrant Thai Basil and Mint Oil. I like to use it as a finishing oil, drizzling it on just about any dish. Instead of discarding the spent herbs after straining them to make the oil, you’ll slather them on the fish fillet. They create the most incredible herb crust that protects the fish from drying out while being pan-fried.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

Four 6-oz (170-g) skinless, medium-firm fleshed fish fillets, about 1-in (2.5-cm) thick

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to season the fish

2 tablespoons herb puree (Thai Basil and Mint Oil, recipe below)

1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil

2 tablespoons hot chilli sauce (or Sweet Chilli Sambal, page 26)

(MAKES 1 CUP/250 ML)

THAI BASIL AND MINT OIL

1 ¹/₂ cups (50 g) loosely packed fresh Thai basil leaves (discard stems)

1 ¹/₂ cups (50 g) loosely packed fresh mint (discard stems)

1 cup (250 ml) canola oil (or other neutral-flavored oil)

¹/₂ teaspoon salt

1 To prepare the Thai Basil and Mint Oil, have a colander and big bowl of ice water ready. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the basil and mint. When water returns to a boil, immediately drain the leaves and shock the leaves in the ice water. With your hands, squeeze all the water out of the herbs. You should be left with about ¹/₂ cup (100 g) of herbs.

2 In a blender or food processor, add the herbs, oil and salt and puree for 1 ¹/₂ minutes, until the mixture is well blended. In a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, strain the herb oil, using a rubber spatula to press out the oils from the herbs. Set the oil aside and reserve the pureed herbs for coating the salmon. You’ll only use a few tablespoons of the Thai Basil and Mint Oil as a finishing oil on the fish. Store the oil in a glass jar in the refrigerator for about a week. Since the herbs are salted, go light on the salt when seasoning the fish fillets.

3 Pat the fish fillets very dry with paper towels. Lightly season the fish with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread 1 teaspoon of the herb puree on the top and the bottom of the fish fillet. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.

4 Heat a large frying pan on high heat, and when hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the fish fillets, making sure that they do not touch each other. Cook for 2 minutes, flip. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 4 minutes, until the fish just cooked through (check the thickest part of the fish). Serve with the Thai Basil and Mint Oil drizzled on top (about 2 teaspoons per serving) and the hot chilli sauce on the side to taste.

More Options:

Any extra Thai Basil and Mint Oil can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. You can toss it with cooked noodles for a great side dish. Toss with steamed vegetables and a squeeze of lime for a pop of flavor. Or you can add rice vinegar to taste and it becomes the most fabulous salad dressing in the world.

Asian Crab Cakes

These are the best crab cakes. Ever. I’ve got an eternal love affair with the ubiquitous Sriracha chilli sauce in the plastic bottle with green cap and a rooster on the front. “Sriracha” is too hard to say and spell, so my girlfriend Kelly calls it “rooster sauce” and you DO NOT want to know what our other naughty nickname for this sauce is (thanks Sarah of Tastespotting.com—you told me once and now it’s stuck in my mind!). The crab cakes are super moist and the super light panko breadcrumbs gives it a fabulous crisp-crunch. The quality of crabmeat you use is important. I don’t always have the time to hand-pick at a crab to harvest the meat (okay, truth be told, I do have the time BUT if you put a big ’ole pile of crabs in front of me and ask me to extract the meat into a bowl WITHOUT eating a bite, that would be total torture . . . a chunk of meat for the crab cakes, a big bite for me . . . one for the crab cakes, three bites for me . . .). I usually buy good quality crabmeat that comes refrigerated in a big 1-pound (500-g) tin or frozen in a pouch.

SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL

2 eggs

1 lb (500 g) good quality crabmeat

1 tomato, finely diced

1 green onion (scallion), finely minced

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (see Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33)

Generous pinch of salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1 to 3 teaspoons Asian chilli sauce (Sriracha preferred)

¹/₄ cup (30 g) plus 1 cup (120 g) panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil 1 tomato, finely diced, for garnish

1 green onion (scallion), thinly sliced

SRIRACHA MAYO

1 tablespoon Sriracha chilli sauce (or any other Asian-style hot sauce)

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

¹/₂ cup (125 ml) mayonnaise

1 In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the crabmeat, tomato, green onion, ginger, salt, black pepper, fish sauce, lime juice, hot chilli sauce and ¹/₄ cup (30 g) of the panko breadcrumbs. Mix gently.

2 With your hands, gently form 8 equal-sized crab cakes. Do not squeeze too hard. It’s easier if you form the crab cakes on a clean, flat surface and pat gently to form the cake.

3 Set a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it is very hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat.

4 On a plate, spread out the remaining 1 cup (120 g) of panko breadcrumbs. Using a small spatula, gently lift one of the crab cakes and set it on top of the breadcrumbs. Spoon some of the breadcrumbs on top of the cake and press gently to adhere. Immediately transfer the crab cake to the frying pan and bread the remaining crab cakes, each time transferring to the frying pan after breading. Sauté the crab cakes for 2 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

5 Prepare the Sriracha Mayo by combining the Sriracha, lime juice and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Stir well to blend. Top each crab cake with some of the Sriracha Mayo and top with diced tomato and thinly sliced green onions.

FAR LEFT TOP TO BOTTOM: Nathan kissing our very first broccoli from our garden; Why do I look so perky in the early morning? COFFEE; On set live at Tampa’s CBS10 with hosts Marty and Dave during the early evening news.