Curried Rice With Smoked Oysters Recipes

GREEN CURRY FRIED CHICKEN WITH SMOKED OYSTER AIOLI

Steps:

• For the marinade: Toast the mustard seeds, coriander seeds, grains of paradise, black peppercorns, pink peppercorns, green peppercorns, fennel seeds, mace, cinnamon, cloves and star anise in a dry skillet until fragrant, being careful to not burn. Blend the toasted spices in a spice grinder. In a blender or food processor, blend the spices, onions, ginger, spinach, cilantro, garlic, tamari, salt and chiles until smooth. Add the grapeseed oil and blend until emulsified.
• Marinate the chicken in the green curry for 1 hour.
• Add the buttermilk and marinade for 1 more hour.
• For the aioli: Shuck the oysters carefully, reserving their liquor. Strain the liquor through a coffee filter. Use the strained liquor to rinse the oysters and remove any sediment or bits of shell. Strain the liquor one more time, and pour over the cleaned oysters.
• Place the eggs, garlic and oysters into a tall, round container. Add a quarter of the oil and, using an immersion blender, blend until emulsified. Then slowly add the remaining oil while continuously blending to maintain the emulsion and blend until smooth. Transfer the aioli to a wide storage container and cover with plastic wrap to ensure the container will trap the smoke. Place the container over an ice bath. Use a food smoker with the applewood and alfalfa dusk to fill the container with smoke. Allow the smoke to infuse until it completely dissipates. Taste and smoke again if you would like a more pronounced smoke flavor. Reserve the aioli in a container over an ice bath and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• For the custard: Sprinkle the yolks with the salt and lightly mix with a whisk.
• Place the yolks into a vacuum-sealed bag and compress under full pressure. Cook in a circulator at 65 degrees C (149 degrees F) for 1 hour. Alternatively, cook the custard in a double boiler set over low heat stirring with a rubber spatula.
• Chill the mixture in an ice bath until completely cooled. Pass the custard through a fine mesh strainer. It should have a thick, smooth texture. Reserve in a squeeze bottle or piping bag.
• For the sea urchin powder: Gently wipe the seaweed with a damp towel and cook it in 1 liter of filtered water at 70 degrees C (158 degrees F) for 1 hour. Strain the seaweed and add the salt to the cooking liquid, mixing until the salt dissolves. Chill the mixture over an ice bath until completely cool.
• Use the mixture to brine the sea urchin for 10 minutes. Remove the sea urchin from the brine and blend with the mirin. Place the mixture in a dehydrator programmed to the medium setting. When the sea urchin is completely dry, blend in a spice mill.
• For the fried chicken: Fill a cast-iron skillet with about 3 inches of grapeseed oil and some schmaltz if using. Heat the skillet until a deep-frying thermometer inserted in the oil reaches 350 degrees F.
• Strain the chicken from the buttermilk and dust in the flour. Fry the chicken until golden, turning as necessary, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Season the fried chicken with the sal de gusano and sea urchin powder. Dot the fried chicken with egg yolk custard and place a few coriander blossoms and fennel fronds on top. Serve over the smoked oyster aioli.

CURRIED RICE WITH SMOKED TROUT

Steps:

• Put the eggs in a medium saucepan and cover with water by 2 inches; bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let stand 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl of ice water to cool.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and curry powder and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion softens, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and rice and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low; cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper.
• Peel and quarter the eggs. Toss the mixed greens with the lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. Divide the rice mixture among plates and top with the smoked trout and eggs. Serve with the salad.

CURRIED RICE

Steps:

• Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add to it the black pepper and white pepper. Toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the curry powder, shake again and toast for 1 minute more. Scrape the toasted-curry-powder blend into a small bowl using a rubber spatula, and set aside.
• Add the oil to the skillet, and swirl it around. When it shimmers, add the curry leaves, and fry, 1 minute. Stir in 4 tablespoons butter. When it melts, add the shallots and garlic. Lower the heat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are soft and translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Raise the heat to medium. Stir in the toasted-curry-powder blend, followed by 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce and the sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add habanero to taste, then adjust the levels of soy sauce and oyster sauce if you want to go a little saltier or sweeter. Scrape the curry paste into the small bowl.
• To finish the dish, add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet, and heat over medium-high. When the butter melts and foams, flake the rice into it, and allow it to crisp slightly, then stir a few heaping tablespoons of curry paste into the rice to season to taste. Finish with lime juice to taste, and serve with lime wedges alongside fried fish, stewed chicken, goat or lamb, or just on its own. Transfer remaining curry paste to a lidded container. Let cool, cover and refrigerate up to 1 month.

SMOKED-OYSTER STICKY RICE STUFFING IN LOTUS LEAF

Steps:

• Cover rice generously with cold water in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours. Drain in a medium-mesh sieve and rinse well under cold running water.
• Soak mushrooms in boiling-hot water (2 cups) in a medium bowl, turning mushrooms over occasionally, until softened, about 1 hour. Lift out mushrooms, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl. Cut out and discard stems, then thinly slice caps. Reserve 1 cup mushroom-soaking liquid and discard remainder.
• Chop scallions, keeping pale green and white parts separate from dark green parts. Quarter sausages lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Stir together reserved mushroom-soaking liquid, rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a bowl until sugar has dissolved.
• Fill sink with hot water and soak 2 or 3 lotus leaves (if using) until softened, about 15 minutes. Pat lotus leaves dry. Choose best leaf (some leaves may be blemished or damaged), discarding remainder. Cut out center stem and arrange leaf in pie plate (there will be a lot of overhang), overlapping leaf slightly to cover gap in center.
• Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates instantly. Pour peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat side. Add pale-green and white parts of scallion, pine nuts, and ginger and stir-fry until pine nuts are golden, about 1 minute. Add sausage and mushrooms and stir-fry until mushrooms are golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add oysters and stir-fry 1 minute. Add rice and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add liquid mixture and bring to a boil, then cook, stirring gently, until liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Transfer rice mixture to pie plate (with or without lotus-leaf-lining) and smooth top. Fold over sides of leaf (if using) to cover, then secure with skewers.
• Set a steamer rack inside cleaned wok and add enough water to reach just below steamer rack, then bring to a boil. Steam stuffing in pie plate on rack, covered with lid, 45 minutes (replenish water as necessary). Remove wok from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes, then carefully remove pie plate from steamer with oven mitts. Remove skewer and open leaf, then stir in scallion greens. Fold leaf over to keep warm.