Author Archives: Ducks Mahal

Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang)

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There are two Asian soups I really enjoy.  I am totally O-M-Lambs besotted about them! One is a Vietnamese soup called Pho (Phở) and the other is Korean Samgyetang.

Pho is pronounced “fuh”.  In fact, I get it from a restaurant here called What the Pho.  Pho is a complicated broth made with beef brisket, ox tail and beef bones, rice noodles called bánh Phở, star anise and other specialty herbs.  In south Mississippi it is as popular as Gumbo.  It is much cheaper to buy than to make.

The other soup is Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup (Samgyetang).  This soup is perfect for the cold wet days to come when the germs and bugs are out and you’re feeling under the weather (or not so O-M-Lambs besotted).  It is much simpler to make than Pho, but it requires a visit to the local Asian market.  I work near a wonderful Vietnamese market that sells all the necessary ingredients.

The main ingredient for this soup obviously is dried ginseng root.  If ginseng root is not available you can use red ginseng tea sachets.  The other is a red Asian date called jujube (jujuba). This date comes from the Ziziphus jujuba plant.  Of course you need to find a small one serving chicken.  I have seen recipes recommending a Cornish Hen if you can’t find a small single serving chicken.  You will also need garlic cloves and sticky rice.  Ask for “sticky rice”.  I asked for glutinous rice and the clerk had no idea what I was talking about.  I then asked for sticky rice and he walked me to the rice section and pointed to two bags. One bag he called “sticky rice” and the other bag he called “very sticky rice”.  He laughed.

Ingredients for one: (But the Little Woman and I will split this dish.  Who drinks 6 cups of chicken soup in one sitting?)

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Broth:

  • 1 young whole chicken
  • Several dried ginseng roots
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4 jujube (red dates)
  • 2 green onions (scallions)
  • Salt
  • A little chicken bouillon if you want to add more chicken flavor

Rice Stuffing:

  •  ½ cup rice uncooked
  • 1 ginseng root
  • 2 jujube dates
  • 1 garlic clove

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Sack of rice (For extra rice in a cheesecloth pouch)

  • ½ cup rice uncooked
  • 1 ginseng root
  • 2 jujube dates
  • 1 garlic clove

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Make the broth and bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Stuff the chicken with the rice stuffing and close the chicken with a toothpick and then make the rice pouch.  Put everything in the pot and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours.  Serve with chopped green onions.

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Serve by spooning rice in the bottom of the bowl, add chicken, soup and cover with scallions.

The ginseng has a wonderful musty comfort food flavor.

Brussels Sprout Hash

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I know what you’re going to say, “I hate Brussels Sprouts”.  I know, I know, I haven’t always been a fan of them either.  But this recipe I’m absolutely certain will find its way on your table.  And, now that the weather is starting to cool, you will find Brussels Sprouts in abundance in the produce section.  It has nuclear levels of Vitamin C and Vitamin A and bunch of other stuff that sounds like it should be good for you.

This recipe comes courtesy of a friend of 40 years who once studied at the California Culinary and resides in the San Francisco area with his dear wife Cheryl, the one and only, Mr. Ed Doty (Queue: rock guitar music).

~~~

Ingredients:

  • Bunch of Brussels sprouts
  • 1 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire
  • 1 TBSP minced garlic
  • 2 TBSP olive oil
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

After washing, cut off stalk end and chop spouts into quarter chucks.

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In a two quart pan on high heat get olive oil hot.  You will want to fry the Brussels sprouts for a couple of minutes.  When the oil is hot add the sprouts and turn several times coating the sprouts in oil.

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Add the garlic and stir.  Keep turning another minute or two, add the Balsamic and Worcestershire, salt and pepper, turn off heat and cover.  Let the sprouts now steam in the pot for about 8 minutes or so until al dente, serve as a side.

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Can it be that easy?

(Someone say yes.)

 

What She Did Me – On My Birthday

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I always say, “If you live long enough, you see everything.”

Okay, not exactly words to live by, but this one came as a complete surprise on my birthday.

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So I arrive from work and sitting in the middle of the kitchen is this huge box covered in birthday wrapping paper.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!,” yells the Little Woman.  I’m looking at the box and thinking “What.in.theee.world?”

I get handed a glass of wine and the Little Woman says, “Here is your birthday gift.”

I pull the paper away and this is what I find – a rolling chopping block cabinet thingie.

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The Little Woman found an old cabinet in a thrift store.  She hung doors on it and added new hinges and handles.  Added a wooden towel rack on one side and hooks on the other side and an antique bottle opener for my ale.  She laid soft covering on the shelves and added rolling 360 degree casters on the bottom.  Then she refinished it.  Now I can chop food next to the stove or sink, roll the thing anywhere and I have plenty of room to make pasta and bread, which I do every weekend.

Who does these things?

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Sweet Onion and Spinach Frittata

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This is a good lunchtime or breakfast dish. I use my grandmother’s old frying pan.  As of this writing I am an inch and one-half away from being 60 years old.  This frying pan is WAY older than that.  I think maybe 80 years possibly.  I love these old cast iron pans.

The reason I prefer this dish over a tart or a Quiche is I don’t have to mess with a puff pastry crust, which I like but requires more butter and takes away from the filling and needs a lot more effort to do it right.

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Ingredients:

  • 6 eggs
  • 1 TBSP cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan
  • 1 onion sliced
  • ½ cup frozen spinach (defrosted and drained)
  • ½ bay leaf
  • 1 thick slice of your favorite ham (cut into cubes)
  • 3 TBSP butter

Preheat oven 375°.

In a large bowl add eggs, cream, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese and whisk.

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In an oven-proof pan sauté the ham in the butter 5 to 8 minutes.  Add onions one handful at a time and sauté.  The reason I say add the onion a handful at a time is the onion will have a lot of water in it and the water will steam the onions and cool the pan.  It’s better to brown the onions slightly picking up the flavors of the ham.  Add the bay leaf.  Add spinach. Stir and sauté the ingredients a little more.  Turn off heat and let the onions cool a little.

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Add the onions a large spoonful at a time to the egg mixture.  As you add the onions whisk.  Repeat this until all the onions are added to the mixture.

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Pour the onion/egg mixture back into the pan add more Parmesan cheese on top.

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Place the pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve.

I love this dish.  It makes me feel so, shall we how should I say, Italian…ish.

Grilled Shark

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The Little Woman has never eaten shark.  That was good news to me when we were at the market yesterday and found black tip shark on sale.  We bought three nice fresh fillets for about $5.  Most people will not go out of their way to eat Jaws.  I love shark, as I do any seafood.

Speaking of which, did you know in the world approximately:

  •  655,000 people each year are killed by mosquitoes
  • 2,900 people each year are killed by hippopotamuses
  • 780 people each year are killed by deer
  • 132 people each year are killed by cows
  • And only 6 are killed each year by sharks.

AND, approximately one food blogger is killed each year by his readers because he tells a long story before getting to the recipe.

Shark

3 nice shark fillets

Before cooking, baste the shark in:

  • 3 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 tsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp French mustard
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • A dash of McCormick’s Montreal Chicken seasoning.

Whisk all together a brush on the shark.  The olive oil protects the shark from burning.  I always brush the food with olive oil before grilling.

Grill the shark 8 minutes a side on high heat.

Shark Dipping Sauce

  • 3 TBSP Hoisin Sauce
  • 3 TBSP chicken stock

In a small sauce pan, heat all ingredients together.  The stock thins the Hoisin for dipping.

String Beans

  • 1 strip bacon, chopped
  • 1 bunch of string beans for two
  • 1 TBSP olive oil
  • 1 TBSP Balsamic vinegar
  • 1 TBSP Worcestershire
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Fry bacon in the bottom of a 2 quart sauce pan, add olive oil, on high heat, drop the beans in the pan and stir, add the rest of the ingredient and stir until steam starts to form, turn off heat, cover and the beans will steam to al dente.

Risotto

See recipe on the Recipe Page for Italian Rice.