Laquered Squab With Long Beans Recipes

LACQUERED SQUAB W/ GINGERED CABBAGE AND FENNEL-PEAR PUREE

Steps:

• For the Sichuan pepper-salt:.
• In a small heavy-bottomed pot, slowly roast the salt and peppercorns over low-medium heat until very aromatic, about 20 minutes.
• Cool; grind in a spice grinder and sift through fine sieve and set aside.
• For the Fennel-Pear Purée:.
• Combine the fennel, pears, verjus, anise, sugar and salt in a heavy-bottom pot.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until everything is very tender, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the star anise and purée in a high-speed blender until smooth.
• Adjust the seasoning and pass through a fine sieve and keep warm until ready to serve (should be about i cup of puree).
• For the Gingered Napa Cabbage.
• Chop the cabbage and radicchio into 1-inch dice.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a medium skillet over low heat.
• Sauté the cabbage, spinach and radicchio separately until tender, about 5 to 6 minutes each.
• While the cabbage and radicchio are sautéing, use a mortar and pestle to reduce the ginger, garlic and scallions to a paste.
• Return all the sautéed greens to the pan.
• Add the ginger, garlic and scallion paste to the greens and cook until aromatic, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the raisins, vinegar, salt and sugar. Remove from the stove and dress with sesame oil (should be about 2 cups of the cabbage mixture).
• For the Squab and assembly.
• One hour before cooking, season the squab on both sides with the Sichuan pepper-salt (use as much as you like--at least 1/2 teaspoon).
• Put the honey in a heavy-bottomed sauce pot and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes until it becomes reduced and thick. Set aside.
• Grill the squabs, skin side down over high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
• Turn; sear the other sides for 1 to 2 minutes and then rest the squab on a plate for 5 minutes (the squab will be medium-rare).
• Brush the skin sides with a thin coat of warm honey.
• Return it to the hot grill before serving to lightly caramelize the skin for 1 minute on each side.
• Carve the squabs, slicing the breast meat.
• On a serving platter, make a line of the hot fennel-pear purée from one end to the other. Arrange the gingered cabbage in the center and the carved squabs around it.
• Arrange the legs standing up against the cabbage.
• Sprinkle Sichuan pepper-salt on the sliced breast.
• Dust the plate with Chinese 5-spice powder.

GLAZED CHINESE LONG BEANS

Steps:

• In a large pot of boiling water, blanch long beans for 2 minutes until slightly tender. Allow to cool.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add butter. Add scallions, ginger and garlic. Mix together. Add red pepper flakes and long beans. Allow to cook for a few minutes. Stir in chicken stock, honey and sesame oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add sesame seeds, if desired. Mix together.

LEMONGRASS SKEWERED SWORDFISH W/ THAI BASIL PESTO AND SESAME LONG BEANS

Steps:

• Cut 1 stalk of lemongrass in half and on bias. Skewer the swordfish. Fine dice the other stalk of lemongrass and mix with 1 tablespoon chopped garlic and 1/4 cup soy oil. Marinate the swordfish steak. In a blender, add the Thai basil, egg yolk, rice vinegar, jalapeño, Parmesan cheese, and one tablespoon chopped garlic. Add 4 ounces of soy oil in a slow steady stream to emulsify the sauce. Blanch long beans in boiling salted water, then saute quickly in a little bit of oil. Season with salt and white pepper, and then dress the beans with the sesame oil, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar. Grill the swordfish for about 8 to 10 minutes. Toss the long beans in sesame dressing, put in the middle of the plate, and on top of the beans put the fried potato noodles. Lean the swordfish against the potatoes and finish with the thai basil pesto.

BBQ YELLOW BEAN CHICKEN WITH GRILLED CHINESE LONG BEANS

Steps:

• Put the bean sauce, honey, rice wine, light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, brown sugar, dark soy sauce garlic and ginger into a bowl and stir to combine. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover the bowl, refrigerate and leave to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour and as long as overnight.
• Preheat a grill or grill pan over high heat, making sure the grates have been brushed clean and lightly oiled before cooking.
• Remove the chicken from the marinade. Reserve the marinade, transfer to a small pan and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Divide and thread the chicken onto the 4 bamboo skewers, 5 to 6 pieces of chicken per skewer. Grill the chicken on each side until charred, about 2 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium and place the green beans on the grill alongside the chicken skewers, basting the chicken and beans with the reserved marinade. Continue turning and basting every couple minutes until the outside edges are glazed and sticky and the chicken is cooked through; 10 to 12 minutes total. Serve hot or at room temperature, garnished with the chiles.

LAQUERED TOFU TRIANGLES WITH GREEN BEANS AND CASHEWS

Steps:

• Drain the tofu. Cut it crosswise into slabs about 1/2 inch wide. Cut each slab in half lengthwise, then cut into triangles. Blot well with paper towels. Cut the bell pepper in half lengthwise, removing veins and seeds, then cut each half into three long strips. Cut each strip into triangles. Snip the ends off beans and cut them into 2-inch lengths. Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until aromatic, then grind to a powder and set aside.
• Combine the next five ingredients in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, without disturbing, until firm, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook the other side. The tofu should be golden, but still tender to the touch. Remove and set aside.
• Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and when hot, add the green beans. Stir-fry over high heat for 2 minutes, then add the bell pepper and cook for about another 5 minutes . Return the tofu to the pan and season with a few pinches of salt and the Szechuan peppercorns.
• Add in the scallions. Pour in the soy-sauce mixture and cook, shaking the pan to coat the tofu and peppers. Turn off the heat before it reduces too much. Top with cashews, and serve over rice.
• Enjoy!