Asian Cuisine

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Mint Culinary Studio 2 West Park Ave, STE #2 DuBois, PA 15801

www.MintCulinary.Com

Coconut Rice 2 tablespoons coconut oil ½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut 1½ cups jasmine rice, rinsed ¾ cup water 1 14-ounce can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons reserved 1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the oil and shredded coconut. Cook, stirring, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until some of the grains are chalky and a few begin to pop, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the water, all but 2 tablespoons of the coconut milk and the salt. Bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan frequently.

Reduce to low, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Drizzle in the reserved coconut milk, then fluff and stir with a fork.

©Mint Culinary LLC Tempura

2 ½ cups rice flour, divided 2 egg yolks 2 cups ice cold water ¼ cup of ice cubes Assorted Vegetables

Heat the oil over medium heat to 350° (360 if cooking shrimp), checking it with a deep-fry thermometer placed in the skillet. Maintaining a consistent temperature is important: If the temperature is too low, the batter will absorb oil and won't crisp up; too high, and it will burn.

While the oil is heating, place one-half cup of rice flour on a plate for dredging, and line a sheet pan with paper towels for draining; set both aside.

In a large bowl, mix the yolks with two cups of cold water. Add one-quarter cup of ice cubes. Add two cups of rice flour.

Grasping four chopsticks, their tips pointed down, stab at the flour to combine it with the liquid until a loose, lumpy batter forms, about thirty seconds. Pockets of dry flour should be visible in the liquid, which should have the consistency of heavy cream. (Mix the batter just before cooking, so that the flour particles have limited time to absorb moisture.)

Lightly dredge the vegetables in flour. Quickly dip the vegetables quickly into the batter. If the batter appears watery, sprinkle a little flour on top, but do not mix it in; dipping the ingredients in the batter will be enough to combine the flour with the liquid.

Quickly lay each vegetable in the oil; separate them from one another with chopsticks. Tiny, brisk bubbles will form around each vegetable. While the vegetables cook, dip your fingers into the batter and drizzle some directly over each vegetable so that the batter adheres to each piece. This process, called hana o sakaseru, will make the tempura even crispier, leaving crunchy, enticing tendrils on the surface of each piece. Use a slotted spoon to remove loose batter from the oil. (These bits of batter can be saved and used, as they are in Japan, as crunchy garnishes on salads and noodle dishes.) Cook the vegetables until the bubbles around them grow larger and less intense, and the batter turns golden brown, about three minutes. Remove the vegetables from the oil, and place them on the paper towels to drain.

To maintain consistent oil temperature, cook the rest of the ingredients in small batches. Serve the tempura immediately, with a dipping sauce or seasoned salt.

©Mint Culinary LLC Tentsuyu – Tempura Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons finely grated ginger 2 tablespoons chopped green onion 2 medium cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl and set aside.

©Mint Culinary LLC Negimaki - Teriyaki beef wrapped scallions

12 scallions (1 bunch), trimmed and cut 7- to 8-inches long 1 1/4 pounds flank steak, thinly sliced against grain on an angle into pieces 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide and 1/4- to 1/8-inch thick Vegetable or peanut oil for drizzling plus 1 tablespoon Coarse black pepper 1/2 cup Shaoxing rice wine 1/3 cup soy sauce 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sugar 2 large cloves garlic, crushed 1 2-inch piece ginger, grated 1 tablespoon canola oil

Working on cutting board, shingle/layer 3 or 4 slices of meat to form a 7- to 8-inch square. Place 3 scallions and 3 asparagus on each square and roll them up in the meat; secure each roll with 2 or 3 pieces of kitchen string. Repeat to form 3 more rolls.

Combine Shaoxing, Mirin, soy sauce, ginger and garlic in a shallow dish. Add beef rolls and marinade 15 minutes, turning them occasionally to coat all over with sauce.

Heat a large, cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat with oil, 1 turn of the pan. Shake off any excess marinade and add rolls to skillet. Cook 5-6 minutes for medium- rare center and crispy outer layer; remove to cutting board. Add marinade to pan and reduce 1-2 minutes to form a syrupy sauce.

Cut string off beef rolls and cut each roll into 5 pieces, arrange pinwheels upright on plates in a small pool of the reduced sauce.

©Mint Culinary LLC Real-Deal Kung Pao Tofu (宫爆豆腐) Author: Maggie Zhu

*Be Sure to use extra firm tofu. If you cannot find this type, medium-firm tofu also works. Look for House-Foods. It is tasty, inexpensive, and made with high-quality Non- GMO US soybeans. It is also gluten-free and kosher certified. You can find it in most grocery stores and Asian markets.

Tofu 1 block (16 oz / 450 g) House Foods extra firm tofu (or medium firm tofu) 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or agave nectar) 5 to 6 tablespoons cornstarch

Sauce 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry) 3 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons water

Stir fry 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil) 2 teaspoons whole Sichuan peppercorns (Optional) 4 to 5 dried chili peppers 1 tablespoon garlic, minced 1 tablespoon ginger, minced 2 teaspoons doubanjiang (spicy fermented bean paste) (Footnote 1) (Optional) 4 green onions, roughly chopped 1 bell pepper, chopped 1/3 cup peanuts

Cut tofu into 1-inch pieces and transfer to a large ziploc bag. Add soy sauce and maple syrup. Gently flip the bag a few times to coat tofu with the liquid. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix all the sauce ingredients with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.

When tofu is marinated, open the bag and drain and discard marinade. Add cornstarch, a tablespoon at a time, and gently toss the bag to coat the tofu. It is OK if the tofu isn’t coated evenly.

Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Add the tofu with your hand (or a pair of tongs), shaking off any extra cornstarch. Let cook without

©Mint Culinary LLC moving for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side. If the pan gets too hot, turn to medium or medium low heat. Transfer cooked tofu to a plate. Set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the Sichuan peppercorns. Cook and stir until the peppercorns turn dark (but not black). Remove the Sichuan peppercorns and discard them.

Add the chili pepper, garlic, ginger, and doubanjiang. Stir for 20 to 30 seconds to release the fragrance. Add the bell pepper and green onion. Stir for 20 seconds.

Stir the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely. Pour into the pan. Stir a few times until the sauce thickens. Add back the cooked tofu. Gently toss to coat with sauce. Add the peanuts and give it a quick stir. Immediately transfer everything to serving plate.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes *If you do not use doubanjiang, taste the tofu at the end and add a pinch of salt, if needed.

4 cups chicken broth 2 stalks lemongrass, remove tough outer layer and cut into 3-inch lengths and pound 6 kaffir lime leaves, lightly bruised to release the flavor 6 ¼-inch thick slices galangal 8 oz chicken, boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into strips or thin pieces 8 oz. Shiitake, oyster, or maitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps cut into bite-size pieces 1 bird's eye chilies, bruised 1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoon fish sauce 1 tablespoon lime juice

Garnish: Birdseye chilis, cilantro, chili oil, lime wedges

Create Poaching Liquid: Bring chicken broth, lemongrass, kaffier leaves, and galangal to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, 15 minutes. Strain broth into clean saucepan; discard solids.

Add chicken and to strained poaching liquid and return to medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and chili, simmer, skimming occasionally if needed. Cook soup over medium low heat until, chicken is cooked through and mushrooms are soft, 20–25 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Serve with chili oil, sliced chilis, cilantro, and lime wedges.

Note: *“Tom Kha" means galangal in Thai. Ginger is not the substitute for galangal. If galangal is not available, just omit and follow recipe as it.