Chinese beef curry

Cantonese Beef Curry
recipe adapted from The Woks of Life
serves 8 as part of a main dish

INGREDIENTS:

3.5 lbs beef chuck, cut into 2 inch pieces

kosher salt

4 tbsp avocado oil

1 onion, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

3 bay leaves

1/3 cup curry powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup beef broth

4 tsp rock sugar

2 tbsp tomato paste

Vegetables:

1 potato, peeled and cut into 1" pieces

2 carrots, peeled and 1" sliced on a bias

chopped green onion for garnish (optional)

METHOD:

1. Season beef lightly with salt. Set aside.

2. Instant Pot - turn on Sauté setting and add oil and onion. Stir fry for 2-3 mins until fragrant. Add garlic and and bay leaves and continue to infuse the oil for another 2 mins. 

3. Add the curry powder and turmeric and stir until well combined. Add a more oil so the curry powder doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. Be careful not to burn the spices. Cook for 1 min.

4. Add beef, broth, sugar, and tomato paste. Stir to combine, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cancel Sauté setting.

5. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on High for 15 mins. Allow the Instant Pot to release pressure naturally. Once the Instant Pot is safe to open (pressure is fully released when the float valve has dropped back into the lid), open it and add potatoes and carrots. Stir to combine with the beef.

6. Replace the lid, seal the Instant Pot, cook on High for 5 mins. Allow it to release pressure naturally. Once it is safe to open, check that everything is fork tender. You can thicken the sauce with a corn starch slurry if desired.

7. Remove to a serving bowl, garnish with green onion and serve with rice and other side dishes.

soya sauce chicken

See Yao Gai (豉油雞)
recipe adapted from The Woks of Life
serves 8 as part of a main dish

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken legs or 8 chicken thighs

kosher salt

1 tbsp avocado oil

7 slices ginger

2 green onions, cut into 3 inch pieces

3 star anise

1 1/2 cups Chinese Rose Wine (mei gui lu) or 3/4 cup if replenishing existing sauce

1 1/2 cups light soy sauce (3/4 cup if replenishing)

1 1/4 cups dark soy sauce (2/3 cup if replenishing)

1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup if replenishing)

8 cups water (5 cups if replenishing)

METHOD:

1. Salt chicken and set aside.

2. In a wide large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add ginger and gently stir fry until crisp.

3. A green onion and cook for 30 secs until fragrant. Add the star anise, rose wine, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and water.

4. Add chicken and simmer for 20-30 mins until tender. Stir every 10 mins to prevent burning.

5. Once the chicken is done, remove to a platter and serve with rice and other side dishes.

6. Any leftover soya sauce braising liquid can be skimmed, saved and frozen for re-use. Follow replenishing measurements if re-using.

shanghainese pork belly

Hong Shao Rou (红烧肉)
recipe adapted from The Woks of Life
serves 8 as part of a main dish

INGREDIENTS:

3 lbs lean skin-on pork belly, cut into long 1 inch long strips

2 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp rock sugar

4 tbsp Shaoxing wine

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2-3 cups water

METHOD:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, lightly salt pork belly and blanch for a few minutes. This gets rid of impurities and starts the cooking process.

2. Remove pork to a cutting board and cut into 1 inch pieces. Set aside.

3. In a shallow pan over medium heat, add avocado oil and rock sugar. Once the sugar has melted slightly, add the pork and cook until lightly browned.

4. While stiring, add shaoxing wine, regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce and water.

5. Cover, lower heat and simmer for 45-60 mins until pork is fork tender. Check every 5-10 mins and stir to prevent burning. Add water if the pork gets too dry.

6. Once the pork is done and there is still a lot of visible liquid, increase heat and stir continuously until the sauce has reduced to a glistening coating. Serve with rice and other side dishes.

sour cream coffee cake

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
recipe adapted from barefoot contessa
makes 1 small 7" Bundt cake

INGREDIENTS

For the batter:
1 + 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

3/4 stick (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream

For the streusel:
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, diced
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 - 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

For the glaze:
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

METHOD:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F. Grease a small 7" Bundt or tube pan. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Set aside.

3. In another small bowl, make the streusel by pinching all ingredients except for the nuts together until you form a crumble. Mix in the nuts. Set aside.

4. In the bowl of your mixer, cream butter and sugar on high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Add eggs one at a time, beating well in between and scraping down as needed. Add vanilla, sour cream and mix well.

5. Add half the flour mixture and mix on low. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in remaining flour. Do not overmix.

6. Scoop half the batter into pan and spread out with a knife. Sprinkle 3/4 of the streusel. Spread in the rest of the batter and top with remaining streusel. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.

7. Cool cake in pan for 30 minutes before transferring streusel-side up to a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes. You may need to run a knife around the pan edges to help remove the cake. 

8. While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Add a few drops of water to make the glaze thick but runny. Drizzle glaze on top of caked once it has cooled. Serve warm or at room temperature.

insta chicken and white bean stew

Chicken and White Bean Stew

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

4 bone-in skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and pepper

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 tsp finely chopped rosemary

2 inch piece Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

2 15oz cans white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

6-8 cups chicken stock

4 cups chopped kale

1 tbsp lemon juice  

flat leaf parsley

grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

cooked ditalini or pasta shells

METHOD:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. In a slow or pressure cooker, add onions, carrots, rosemary, rind, beans and then top with chicken breasts. Add enough chicken stock to cover contents. Close lid and slow cook for 6 hours or pressure cook on high for 30 minutes.

3. When done, transfer chicken to a shallow dish. Let cool and shred the meat, discarding the bones. Return shredded chicken and any accumulated juices back to your pot. Add kale and cook uncovered on "Sauté" mode for 5 minutes until kale is tender.

4. Stir in lemon juice and discard rind. Taste and season as needed. Serve with pasta and garnish with parsley and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

popovers

Yorkshire Pudding
recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 24 popovers

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups flour
4 eggs
3 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 tbsp rib roast drippings or bacon fat

METHOD:
1. In a large glass measure, whisk together flour, eggs, 1 1/2 cups milk, salt and pepper until smooth. Set aside and let rest at least 30 minutes or more.

2. Preheat oven to 400F. Whisk in remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk. The batter should now resemble heavy cream. 

3. Use a brush or spoon and grease 2 muffin pans with drippings/bacon fat. Place in oven for 2-3 mins until just smoking. Remove pans and carefully fill each cup with batter about 1/3 full.

4. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Popovers should release easy from muffin pans. Serve immediately.