PDA

View Full Version : Great Eats Week 2: Cookin' With Heat


DoctorFinger
10-18-2008, 04:46 PM
There's nothing like the perfect spicy dish. Not face melting heat, but that perfect amount that makes every bite skirt the line of pain.

Salsa/Pico de Gallo

This is not your normal jar salsa. It's as much a salad as it is a condiment. And once you have it fresh you'll never look at the jarred stuff the same way again. It takes a little work to chop all the stuff, but it stores well and it's worth the effort.

1 yellow onion, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 bunch scallions, chopped
2 cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
2 bell peppers (red, green, whatever), diced
1 medium pepper (cubano, anaheim, poblano, etc), diced
2-4 hot peppers, (jalapeno, thai, serrano, habanero, etc)# diced
1 14oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes* (optional)
3 tblsp each chopped parsley, basil & chives
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tblsp each salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Store in the fridge and serve over meat, or with chips.

# be careful how much heat you add. You can always add more, you can't really take it out.

*adding the crushed tomatoes makes the salsa much redder, which some people like a lot.

Sczechuan Hot Wings

A great party food, that can scale from mild to nuclear. It also takes almost no effort, but make sure you have plenty of napkins available!

3 lbs chicken wing sections (frozen works well here)
2-4 tsp toban djan* (chili bean paste)
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 tblsp dark soy sauce
hot sauce (optional)
sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 350. Spread the wing sections out on a baking sheet, and place in oven. Cook for 45-55 minutes, or until the juices run clear from the wings. In a skillet or wok over high combine the chili paste, garlic, soy and if desired the hot sauce. Mix well and toss the wings in the wok until coated. Plate the wings and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

* the toban djan can be powerful stuff, so don't go overboard.

shunoshi
10-20-2008, 10:42 AM
Mmmm, hot stuff. I like hot stuff.

Szechuan Stir Fry

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns (DO NOT use black peppercorns as a substitute)
Salt
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, pounded thin and cut into 1-inch thick strips
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 cup onions, julienned
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 cup green peppers, julienned
1/4 cup red peppers, julienned
1/4 cup yellow peppers, julienned
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tablespoon chile paste
1/4 cup scallions, cut thinly on the bias

Heat a small, dry saucepan. When the saucepan is hot, add the Szechuan peppercorns and, shaking the pan constantly, toast until the peppercorns are fragrant. Remove from the heat. Place the peppercorns in a spice grinder and grind. Season the chicken pieces with the peppercorns and salt and set aside. Heat a large wok over high heat. When the wok is hot, add the oil. Add the ginger, garlic and onions and stir fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken, broccoli, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, sherry, red pepper flakes, and chile paste. Stir fry until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are cooked, but al dente, about 5 minutes. Add the scallions and stir fry for 1 more minute.

This is my favorite stir fry. The Szechuan peppercorns add a flowery, citrus flavor to the dish and are very important. Just visit a local Asian market and they'll carry them. You'll probably have to ask where they are (unless you can read Chinese ;)).