Yakitori at its simplest is a chicken shish kabab with a very Japanese
flavor. Pieces of dark meat are served either by themselves, neatly speared
onto the ends of small bamboo skewers (three makes a serving), or
interspersed with bits of green bell pepper or scallion. As the meat is
grilled, it is dipped into a sweetened soy-based sauce. The servings are
tantalizingly small, but you can have as many as you want. If you are hungry
enough for a full meal, you can serve yakitori on a bowl of rice with tea and
pickles on the side.
Makes 4 main course servings, or up to 8 with drinks.
INGREDIENTS
- 4 medium chicken legs (thighs and drumsticks), boned
-
1 large green bell pepper
-
8 tablespoons japanese soy sauce (shoyu)
-
4 tablespoons sake
-
3 tablespoons sugar
DIRECTIONS 1. Cut the boneless chicken leg meat into 1-inch chunks. If some skin
separates from the meat, discard it; leave any skin that clings naturally.
Halve, core and deseed the bell pepper, then cut it into 1-inch squares.
2. Thread two pieces of meat on to a skewer followed by a piece of bell
pepper. If you are preparing bamboo skewers, Japanese-style, push the meat to
one end and keep alternating two pieces of meat with a piece of pepper until
you have loaded about 3 inches of each skewer. If you are using long metal
skewers, you can thread their entire length, leaving each end empty. Thread
all the meat in this way, using as many skewers as required. Cover with
plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.
3. Meanwhile combine the soy sauce, sake, and sugar in a small pan and bring
to a boil. Lower the heat and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
4. Preheat an indoor broiler or an outdoor charcoal grill. Position the
skewers 4 to 5 inches from the heat source and grill for 4 to 5 minutes on
each side or until the meat is three-quarters cooked. Brush with the sauce
and grill briefly on both sides until the meat is almost done. Brush with the
sauce a second time and grill for another 30 seconds on each side. Serve hot.
A food processor is the cleanest, quickest way to get the toasts to a
sand-and-pebble consistency, but you can also leave the Melba toast in the
packaging, let out any excess air and crush them with a rolling pin.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 large eggs
-
1 tablespoon dijon-style mustard
-
1 teaspoon dried thyme
-
3/4 teaspoon salt
-
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-
1 package (5 1/4 ounces) plain melba toast, pulsed to sand-and-pebble texture
-
4 drumsticks and 4 thighs, skin removed
-
spray bottle filled with vegetable oil or vegetable-oil cooking spray
DIRECTIONS 1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position andheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix eggs, mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Put Melba toast
crumbs in another shallow dish. Set a large wire rack over an 18-by-12-inch
foil-lined jelly-roll pan.2. Using one hand for dry ingredients and the other for wet, lay chicken
pieces, 4 at a time, in egg mixture; roll to coat. Then lay 1 piece at a timein Melba crumbs. Press a mix of crumbs into top of chicken. Turn piece over
and repeat, pressing crumbs into other side. Gently shake off excess.3. Set chicken on rack. Spray top portion of chicken pieces evenly with oil.
Bake until chicken is nutty brown and juices run clear, 30 minutes for
drumsticks and 35 minutes for thighs. Serve immediately.
If you can’t get sorrel at your local market, arugula leaves or large basil leaves are a good alternative.
Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 2 1/2 hr
Makes about 60 hors d’oeuvres.
INGREDIENTS
- 6medium yellow or red beets (2 1/2 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
- 1/4cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2(1 1/2-inch-diameter) logs fresh mild goat cheese (herbed or plain;8 oz total), chilled
- 30fresh sorrel leaves (about 4 by 2 inches), leaves halved lengthwise and center ribs and stems discardedspecial equipment:a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter (at least 1 inch deep); wooden picks
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 425°F.
Wrap beets in foil in 2 packages (3 per package) and roast in middle of oven until tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. When cool enough to handle, peel beets and cut off stems and root ends. Halve beets crosswise and arrange, cut sides down, on a work surface. Cut out a cylinder from each half with cookie cutter. Halve each cylinder lengthwise, then cut crosswise into generous 1/4-inch-thick slices.
Line a tray with plastic wrap and brush plastic wrap with some oil. Cut cheese logs crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices with an oiled knife, then halve slices. Arrange cheese slices in 1 layer on tray and brush with some oil, then top each with a slice of beet.
Arrange sorrel leaf halves, veined sides up, on work surface. Put a cheese and beet stack in middle of each leaf half, then wrap sorrel over stack and secure with a pick.
Cooks’ notes:
• Beets can be roasted and sliced 2 days ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag.
• Cheese and beet stacks (without sorrel) can be assembled 1 day ahead and chilled on tray, covered with plastic wrap.
• Sorrel leaves can be trimmed 1 day ahead and chilled in a sealed plastic bag lined with dampened paper towels.
• Hors d’oeuvres can be assembled 4 hours ahead and chilled, loosely covered with plastic wrap.
“My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch,” writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “At the time she didn’t know how to cook, and learning wasn’t easy — the place didn’t even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry.”
Boost the payoff with a scoop of ice cream.
Makes 12 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 2cups sugar
- 1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2large eggs
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2cups all purpose flour
- 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1teaspoon baking soda
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 2pounds golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, coarsely grated
- 1cup walnuts, toasted, choppedpurchased caramel sauce, heated
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat just until blended. Stir in apples, then walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until top browns and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan.
Cut cake into squares and serve with warm caramel sauce.
The wasabi powder, which can be found in the spice aisle or Asian foods section of most supermarkets, gives the crust a spicy kick. Serve with: Packaged Asian rice pilaf enlivened with a bit of lemon peel, and green beans sprinkled with sesame seeds. Dessert: Tapioca pudding.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4cups panko (japanese breadcrumbs) or fresh breadcrumbs made fromcrustless french bread
- 4teaspoons wasabi powder
- 1/2teaspoon salt
- 1/4teaspoon pepper
- 2eggs, beaten to blend
- 4skinless boneless chicken breast halves, flattened to 1/3-inch thickness between plastic wrap4tablespoons peanut oil3tablespoons teriyaki sauce
- 3tablespoons sake
- 3tablespoons low-salt chicken broth
- 3green onions, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS Combine panko, wasabi powder, salt, and pepper in large shallow dish. Place eggs in pie dish. Dip chicken, 1 breast at a time, in egg, then in panko mixture. Turn to coat completely.
Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté 2 chicken breasts until golden and cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to platter. Repeat with remaining oil and chicken.
Add teriyaki sauce, sake, and chicken broth to skillet; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Drizzle sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/2cups fresh lime juice (12 limes)
- 3garlic cloves, minced
- 2teaspoons achiotepaste*
- 1teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2pounds skinless boneless chicken thigh meat, cut into 1-inch pieces2jalapeño chilies
- 120-ounce jar guava shells in syrup,* strained, 5 tablespoons syrup reserved, shells pureed
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
DIRECTIONS Blend 1 cup lime juice, garlic, achiote paste, oregano, and cumin in processor until smooth. Season marinade to taste with salt and pepper. Place marinade in medium bowl. Add chicken; stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate chicken overnight.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place chilies on small baking sheet. Roast until soft, about 20 minutes. Stem and seed chilies. Transfer chilies to processor. Add pureed guava, reserved guava syrup, cilantro, and remaining 1/2 cup lime juice. Process until smooth. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to medium bowl. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.)
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove chicken from marinade. Divide chicken among 8 eight-inch metal skewers. Grill until chicken is cooked, turning once, about 7 minutes. Serve, passing guava sauce separately.
Ga Ngu Vi Huong
The best five-spice chicken I have had in Vietnam was made by a street food
vendor in the port town of Hoi An in the central region. The vendor used a
spice mix of freshly toasted star anise and turmeric. When she grilled the
chicken, the whole neighborhood was perfumed with the most enticing
fragrance. This is my version of that dish.
Makes 4 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 whole chicken (about 2 1/2 pounds), preferably free range, rinsed
-
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
-
2 tablespoons soy sauce
-
3 tablespoons minced ginger
-
2 tablespoons minced garlic
-
2 tablespoons sugar
-
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
-
1 teaspoon chinese five-spice powder
-
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
-
4 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes, pounded or
ground into a fine powder
-
1/2 cup soy-lime dipping sauce
DIRECTIONS 1. Cut the chicken into 6 pieces and make 1 or 2 slashes in each piece for
faster cooking. Trim and discard any excess fat. Pat the chicken dry.
2. In a bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, turmeric,
five-spice powder and salt. Stir well to blend. Add the chicken pieces and
turn several times to coat them evenly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at
least 4 hours.
3. Start a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to moderate heat. (You can
also use a broiler.) Thirty minutes before cooking, add the freshly toasted
star anise powder to the marinated chicken, turning so the meat is
coated evenly.
4. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the grill. Cook 10 minutes, then turn
over and grill until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear, another
10 minutes, depending on the thickness. While grilling, move the chicken
pieces around so that they cook evenly. Transfer the chicken to a serving
platter and serve with the dipping sauce.
Make this the centerpiece of an hors d’oeuvre platter that includes crackers, breadsticks, cornichons, and olives.
Makes 6 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 8ounces smoked salmon, chopped
- 1/4cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 3tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 2tablespoons chopped shallot
- 1tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 2teaspoons fresh lemon juice
DIRECTIONS Blend all ingredients in medium bowl. Season salmon butter with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)
In a Korean home or restaurant, grilled ribs (kalbi kui) would be accompanied by the spicy pickled cabbage called kimchi. It’s available in the refrigerated foods section of some supermarkets and at Korean and Asian markets. For the ribs, have the butcher cut the flanken across the bones into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Begin marinating the ribs one day ahead. What to drink: Asian lager.
Makes 8 servings.
INGREDIENTS
- 1cup soy sauce
- 1/2cup mirin(sweet japanese rice wine) or sweet sherry
- 1/2cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1/4cup unseasoned rice vinegar
- 1/4cup oriental sesame oil
- 1/4cup minced garlic (about 15 cloves)
- 2large green onions, chopped
- 5pounds korean-style short ribs (beef chuck flanken , cut 1/3 to 1/2 inch thick across bones; about 20 pieces)chopped spinach with toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS Combine first 7 ingredients in medium bowl; whisk to blend well. Pour into heavy jumbo resealable plastic bag. Add ribs; seal bag. Turn bag over several times to coat ribs evenly. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Drain ribs; discard marinade. Working in batches, grill ribs until browned and cooked to medium-rare, about 3 minutes per side. Mound ribs on platter; surround with chopped spinach and serve.
