So I wasn't intending to blog this; in fact, I wasn't hungry, nor was I in the mood to cook today. I rummaged my fridge and found half a loaf of par baked Ciabatta bread and an almost-empty bottle of truffle paste. What could I do with them?
Well, the result of my experiment was so surprising that I decided to include it here. Even though it isn't really weird, it is so simple and delightful I don't know why it hasn't been done already (perhaps it has, but I haven't seen anyone do it this way).
Ingredients
- Par baked Ciabatta bread
- Truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil or concentrated truffle oil
- Truffle paste
Preparation
Slice Ciabatta loaf into diagonal pieces (like bruschettas).
Dip in truffle-infused olive oil or concentrated truffle oil.
Place slices on a grilling pan. Grill until golden. Then turn over and grill other side.
Remove from pan, then spread a little truffle paste.
To Serve
This makes an excellent base for bruschettas or enjoy on its own as an appetizer. I simply had mine with organic burgers (yes, they were delightful) and a love red Rhone.
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Beer batter is light and crisp. It is very easy to prepare; spices can be added to it to give it greater complexity. When it is fried, it seems much less oily than normal batter.
Ingredients
- Potato
- Carrot
- Onion
- Capsicum
- Long beans
- Broccoli
- Cup mushroom
- Chili (red and/or green)
- Japanese tofu (white or yellow; firm)
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Egg
- Beer
- Za'atar
- Black pepper (coarsely cracked)
- Sea-salt
Preparation
Beat egg in a bowl then add flour and mix. Keep adding flour until a very thick pasty (dough-like) consistency is reached. Then pour in beer, very little at a time so that it froths and mix thoroughly. The beer will thin the mix; if it gets too thin, sprinkle more flour while mixing until it is viscous enough to nicely coat a spatula without dripping. Add za'atar, black pepper and salt to taste.
Slice vegetables into chunky pieces about 5 cm by 1 - 2 cm each.
Boil water in a saucepan and cook slices of potatoes and carrots. Peel a few small cloves of garlic and boil them as well. Don't overcook or they will become too soft. Once ready, allow to cool then dip them in batter mix.
Heat olive oil in a fry-pan. You'll only need just enough oil to cover base of pan.
Gently place battered potatoes and carrots in simmering hot oil. Allow bottom to brown then turn over and brown other side. When ready, remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Do likewise for other vegetables, cooking them in small portions without overcrowding.
As for mushroom: stuff small pieces of boiled garlic cloves in between veil and stem then dip entire mushroom in batter. Cut protruding stem down so that it is level with veil. If mushroom is large (over 5 cm in diameter), ensure that there is enough oil in which to immerse it (otherwise tilt pan at an angle so as to allow more oil to cover mushroom). Also, ensure that the oil is hot enough to quickly brown the batter covering the mushroom into a thin crust without allowing the moisture inside it to escape, thus sealing its flavour.
Japanese tofu is easily obtained in blocks the size of a block of butter with a cross section of around 5 cm x 4 cm. Slice block into pieces about 1 cm thick. Allow to drip dry, then gently immerse in batter completely before placing into fry-pan. You'll need a flat spatula to lift and turn over the tofu to brown both sides. When golden brown, remove and place on plate with other cooked vegetables.
To Serve
This makes a complete and balanced meal on its own. A dipping sauce such as mild chili or sweet chili makes a good accompaniment. Or yogurt chutney. Otherwise, just have it plain as the spiced beer batter is already delicately tasty!
Complement with a pale ale, or if wine is preferred, a light Frascati or Muscadet.
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Next> Recipe #21: Grilled Ciabatta with truffle paste & extra virgin olive oil
The inspiration for this recipe comes from a Japanese restaurant in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia where, as an appetizer, crispy fried salmon skin is served.
Asians have a long fascination for making crispy skin from almost all sorts of meat: in Bangkok, you can get crispy fried chicken skin on its own as an appetizer; Thai and Hong Kong suckling pigs have rich tasty crispy skins, and the Cantonese are famous for their crispy skinned ducks and chicken. Above all, my favourite is a Cantonese roast pork with crispy skin that really gives German pork knuckles a run for their money.
Most of these are fried, roasted or baked in high temperatures; some are coated with flour, then fried.
Although some consider fried skin unheatlhy; in fact, in moderation, and if prepared properly, they're no more unhealthy than most food you find these days. Some are actually lower in trans fat, and the skins of some meats can be rather nutritious. Of course, I am no expert in this, and will not state anything other than they can be extremely delicious when prepared properly and washed down with warm sake or red wine, which really makes an uplifting combination. I would advise against cold drinks when eating any sort of fatty food, as cold liquids coagulate fats in the body, which I am sure isn't a very healthy thing.
Anyway, back to salmon skin. It is not only richly nutritious; it is also very tasty. It doesn't have much fat underneath, and when baked properly, turns into a lovely golden crisp layer beneath which are rich, juicy and very tender layers of meat that almost melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
- Tasmanian salmon steak/fillets, with skin on
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse ground black pepper
- Sea-salt
- Spring onions
Preparation
Dry salmon steak with a paper towel, then rub some olive oil and salt over the skin. Sprinkle a layer of coarse ground black pepper. Coat baking dish or aluminium foil with a thin layer of oil, then place fish on dish and bake in pre-heated oven. Turn heat to high until skin begins to crisp, and the black pepper begins to exude a lovely peppery fragrance. Be careful that skin doesn't get charred; if necessary, turn heat down a little and bake until fish is fully cooked. This could take up to an hour depending on thickness of fish; less if fan-forced.
When cooked, remove and garnish with fresh spring onions (these are excellent for balancing the oil from the salmon skin).
To Serve
I prefer very simple buttered pasta, peppered and lightly salted with finely chopped spring onions.
Complement with warm sake or pinot noir.
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Next> Recipe #20: Fried vegetables with spiced beer batter
