Dinner will
start at
MENU
|
Appetizers |
Spring
Rolls with Salmon and Mango Beef
& Prawn Bundles |
|
|
First
Course |
Spicy
Sesame Noodle, Green Bean and Carrot Salad |
|
|
Main
Course |
Striped
Bass Grilled In Banana Leaves
Lamb
Curry with Coconut Cream
Rice & Peas
Thai
Fruit Salsa Gado Gado (Vegetables with
Peanut Sauce) |
|
|
Dessert |
Cashew
Meringue Cake Mango
& Pineapple Sorbet |
Phillipines |
REFERENCES
|
Publication |
Publisher |
Pages |
|
1. Asian Flavors |
William-Sonoma,
Time Life Books 1999 |
19, 61,
69, 99 |
|
2. Easy Thai-Style Cookery |
Austrian
Woman’s Weekly, Home Library 1991 |
2 |
|
3.
Bon Appetit Magazine (Vol 43 Number 7) |
Bon
July
1998 |
70 |
|
4. Easy Curry Cookery |
Austrian
Woman’s Weekly, Home Library 1989 |
22,
102 |
|
5. All Around the World Cookbook |
Sheila
Lukins Workman
Publishing Company 1994 |
246 |
|
6. The Essential Asian Cookbook |
Murdoch
Books, Whitecap Books 1997 |
54, 280 |
Spring Rolls
with Salmon and Mango (See
Reference #1 p. 19)
Prep Time: 1 ¼ Hours, plus 1 Hour for Chilling
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients
4 oz dried thin rice vermicelli noodles
1 lb. salmon fillets
1 large carrot, peeled and very finely juilienne
1 teaspoon sugar
16 dried rice paper rounds, each 8 ½ inches in diameter
16 large red-leaf lettuce leaves, ribs removed
1 mango, peeled and cut into slices 3 – 4 inches long and ¼ inch thick
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into slices 3 4 inches long and ¼ inch thick
16 fresh mint leaves, shredded
32 sprigs of fresh cilantro
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Use the sweet Garlic Lime Dipping Sauce (see attached for recipe)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Serves 8
Place the noodles in a bowl and add water to cover. Let stand until soft and pliable, about 15 minutes. Bring a large pot two-thirds full of water to a boil. Drain the noodles, add to the boiling water, remove from the heat, and let stand for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
Pour water to a depth of 3 inches in a wide, deep frying pan just large enough to hold the salmon in a single layer. Place over high heat and bring to just below a boil so that the water shimmers with movement but does not bubble. Slip the salmon into the water and poach, uncovered, until the flesh easily flakes with a fork, 5-10 minutes. Using a spatula, transfer the salmon to a plate and refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into 16 thin slices about 4 inches long.
In a small bowl, combine the carrot and sugar. Let stand until the carrot is softened, about 10 minutes.
Fill a pie dish with warm water. Dampen 2 kitchen towels and lay on a work surface. Dip 1 rice paper round at a time into the water and lay flat on the towels. Continue dipping the rounds and arranging in a single layer without overlapping on the towels. Allow to soften 1 –2 minutes.
When the rounds resemble wet wrinkled tissue, place 1 lettuce leaf across the lower third of each round, leaving a 1 inch border on the right and left edges. Spread a small amount of the noodles over the lettuce in a line about 5 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide. Arrange one-sixteenth of the carrots, a few mango slices, a salmon slice, a few avocado slices, and a few shreds of mint over the noodles. Fold up the bottom edge of the rice paper round and roll once over the ingredients, tucking them into a tight roll 5 inches long. Fold in the right and left edges to enclose the filling. Place 2 sprigs of cilantro over the roll and finish rolling. Set, seam side down, on a baking sheet, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and set in a cool spot while making the remaining rolls.
Leave the rolls whole or cut each into 3 or 4 pieces. Serve at room temperature with the dipping sauce.
Prep Tip: To speed the assembling of the rolls, have ready several dampened clean kitchen towels. As you dip the rice paper rounds into the water, lay them on a damp towel, then cover with another damp towel. Continue making layers of towels and rice paper until you have used the 16 rounds.
Garlic Lime
Dipping Sauce (See
Reference #1 p. 61)
¼ cup sugar
¼ hot water
1 red serrano chile
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup lime juice
¼ cup fish sauce
In a bowl, combine the sugar and hot water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Seed and finely chop the serrano chile. Add to the sauce with the garlic, lime juice and fish sauce.
HOGS Note: Spring Rolls with Salmon and Mango
1. Prepare before arriving. However, they do not keep well overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Prepare at least 1 or 2 without the Salmon for those HOGS that don’t want the Salmon.
Beef and Prawn Pouches (See reference #2 p2)
2 tablespoons oil Makes about 30
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
3 oz minced ground beef
2 oz cooked small shrimp, shelled
1 small carrot, grated
2 green shallots, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon sugar
won ton wrappers
1 egg, lightly beaten
oil for frying
1 medium fresh red chili, sliced
Heat oil in pan, add garlic, cook, stirring, until lightly browned. Add onion and ginger, cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add beef, cook, stirring, until well browned. Stir in shrimp, carrot and shallots, cook 1 minute: cool. Stir in basil and sugar.
Brush won ton wrappers with egg, top with level teaspoons of beef mixture. Pull up edges of pastry around mixture, pinch together to seal.
Just before serving, deep fry pouches in hot oil, in batches, until well browned: drain on absorbent paper. Serve pouches hot with hot sweet chili sauce: top with sliced chilies.
HOGS Note: Beef and Prawn Pouches
1. Prepare the pouches before arrival.
2. You will cook them at the dinner.
3. Have at least a few without the shrimp for those HOGS not wanting the shrimp. (Mark them.)
Sweet Chili Sauce
½ cup water
¼ cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon hoi sin sauce
1 small fresh red chili, chopped
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
Combine all ingredients in pan, stir over heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boil, simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Spicy Sesame
Noodle, Green Bean and Carrot Salad (See
Reference #3 p. 70)
The dressing is packed with intense flavors, so only a limited amount of oil is necessary. This recipe must be made a least one day in advance, so the flavors blend.
6 Servings
¼ cup fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons, packed, brown sugar
1 tablespoon oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 small serrano chilies, stemmed, thinly sliced into rounds
9 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut diagonally into ½ inch pieces
1 9 ounce package fresh linguine
2 cups shredded peeled carrots
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
Stir first 8 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Let stand 30 minutes to blend flavors.
Cook green beans in large pot of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to cold water to cool. Drain well. Pat dry with paper towels.
Return water to boil. Add pasta and cook until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Drain. Rinse pasta under cold water. Drain well.
Combine green beans, pasta, carrots, green onions and dressing in large bowl. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover; chill.
HOGS Note: Spicy Sesame Noodle, Green Bean and Carrot
Salad
1. The salad needs to be prepared at least the night before, 24 hours plus is better.
2. Will be served at the table in individual servings.
Striped Bass Grilled In Banana Leaves (See Reference #1 p. 69)
For this Thai dish, you need banana leaves that are 6 inches longer and three times wider than each fish.
Prep time: 1 ¼ Hours
Cooking time: 20 minutes, plus preparing fire
Serves 4
Ingredients
_______________________________________________
For the Spice Paste
6 large cloves garlic, halved
1 piece fresh ginger, 1 inch peeled
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro roots or stems
¼ teaspoon each salt and whole peppercorns, cracked
1 ½ tablespoons Chinese light soy sauce
________________________________________________
2 whole striped bass, sea bass, red snapper, or trout, about 2 lbs.
(Each fish, leave head and tails intact) [See HOGS Note Below]
salt and ground pepper to taste
2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed, crushed, and cut into 2- inch lengths
2 large banana leaves, or more if needed
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, or as needed
_________________________________________________
Garlic-Lime Sauce
4 green serrano chiles, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
__________________________________________________
To make the spice paste, in a mortar or in a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, cilantro roots or stems, salt and peppercorns. Grind with a pestle or blend until a smooth paste forms. Stir in the soy sauce. Set aside.
Rinse the fish under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal slashes, about 2 inches apart, almost to the bone across both sides of each fish. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with lemongrass, dividing evenly, and rub the spice paste inside both fish.
Bring a pot three-fourths full of water to a boil. Dip each banana leaf into the water until softened, about 4 seconds. Wipe dry. Set the leaves, glossy sides down, on a work surface and brush the centers with the oil. Place 1 fish in the center of each banana leaf. Fold the long sides up and over the fish so they overlap in the middle and secure with toothpicks. Fold the ends over to enclose the sides and thread toothpicks into the leaves to make a neat packet. If the leaves tear, wrap with extra leaves.
Striped Bass Grilled In Banana Leaves (cont’d)
Prepare a fire in a grill.
Meanwhile, prepare the garlic-lime sauce: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the chiles, garlic, shallot, broth, sugar and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, stir to combine, and simmer, uncovered, until reduced to alight syrup , about 3 minutes. Let cool and mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Transfer to a bowl.
When the coals are hot, place the fish packets on the grill rack and grill, turning every 3 –4 minutes. The total cooking time is about 15 minutes. The fish should sizzle constantly while cooking. To check for doneness, carefully remove a fish packet from the grill. Using scissors, snip the banana leaf lengthwise along the center to open the packet. The fish should be opaque; if not, rewrap and continue cooking.
Serve hot with the garlic-lime sauce.
HOGS Note: Striped Bass
Grilled in Banana Leaves
1. When done at the test dinner we found that the Red Snapper yielded more and firmer fish than the Bass did, but both tasted very good.
2. When soaking the Banana leaves, make sure you soak until the leaf is pliable.
3. Prepare the fish up to the grilling process and refrigerate prior to coming to the dinner. Grill at the dinner. The meat will need to be stripped of the bones before serving.
Rice and Peas (See Reference #4 p. 102)
1 ½ cups long grain rice
½ ounce butter
4 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 cardamom pods, bruised
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cup fresh or frozen peas
1 large beef stock cube, crumbled
3 ½ cups water
Place rice in medium bowl, cover with cold water, stand for 30 minutes, drain. Heat butter in large saucepan, add cloves cinnamon stick, cardamom and seeds, stir over high heat for 1 minute. Stir in turmeric, stir over high heat for 3 minutes.
Stir in peas, stock cube, water and rice, bring to boil, reduce heat, cover, simmer for about 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove and discard cinnamon, cloves and cardamom before serving.
Serves 6
Lamb Curry with Coconut Cream (See Reference #4 p. 22)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts
¼ cup coconut cream
5 lbs. Leg of lamb, boned, cubed
2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, chopped, extra
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon grass
1 serrano chili (chopped , with seeds left in)
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cardamom pods
2 tablespoons tamarind sauce
1 ¼ cups coconut cream, extra
1 teaspoon plain flour
1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
Serves 6
Blend or process onion, garlic, chili, nuts and coconut cream until smooth. Combine onion mixture and lamb in large bowl, stir until lamb is well coated, cover, refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Heat oil in large saucepan, add extra onion, stir over heat for about 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add lemon grass, coriander, cumin, ginger and cardamom pods, stir over heat for 2 minutes.
Stir in lamb mixture, cook over high heat for about 5 minutes or until lamb is browned all over. Stir in sauce and extra coconut cream. Bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, remove cover, simmer further 30 minutes or until lamb is tender stirring occasionally.
Blend flour with water, stir into lamb mixture, stir over high heat until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in coriander just before serving.
HOGS Note: Lamb Curry with Coconut Cream
1. The one chili still leaves the curry fairly mild.
2. Prepare totally before arrival.
Gado Gado (Vegetables with Peanut Sauce) (See Reference #6 p. 54)
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Total Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4
8 oz potatoes
2 medium carrots
6 ½ oz green beans
¼ cabbage, shredded
3 hard-boiled eggs
6 ½ oz bean sprouts, scraggly ends removed
½ cucumber, sliced
4 ¾ oz firm tofu, cut into small cubes
½ cup unsalted roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Cut the potatoes into thick slices; place in a medium pan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 6 minutes or until just tender. Drain and allow to cool.
Cut the carrot into thick slices. Top and tail the beans and cut into 1 ½ inch lengths. Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add the carrots and beans, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the vegetables with a sieve and plunge briefly into a bowl of iced water. Drain well.
Plunge the shredded cabbage into the boiling water for about 20 seconds. Remove it from the pot and plunge it briefly into the iced water. Drain well.
Cut the eggs into quarters or halves. Arrange the eggs, potato, carrot, beans, cabbage, bean sprouts, cucumber and tofu in separate piles on a large serving platter. Cover the platter with plastic wrap and refrigerate while making the Peanut Sauce.
Drizzle a little of the Peanut Sauce over the salad, garnish with chopped peanuts and serve the remaining sauce in a bowl.
HOGS Note: Gado Gado (Vegetables
with Peanut Sauce)
1. This will be served from platters at the table for the main course.
Peanut Sauce (See Reference #6 p. 54)
1 tablespoon oil
1 large onion, very finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chipped
2 red chilies, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon shrimp paste, optional
8 oz crunchy peanut butter
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons kecap manis
1 tablespoon tomato sauce
Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat for 8 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the chili and shrimp paste to the pan and cook for another minute.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the peanut butter. Return the pan to the heat and slowly stir in the combined coconut milk and water. Bring the sauce to the boil, stirring constantly over low heat, and being careful the sauce does not stick and burn.
Reduce the heat, add the kecap manis and tomato sauce, and simmer for another minute. Allow to cool.
Kecap Manis
Also known as sweet soy sauce, this thick, dark, sweet soy sauce is used in Indonesian cooking as a seasoning condiment, particularly with satays. If it is not available a substitute can be made by gently simmering one cup of dark soy sauce with 6 tablespoons treacle and 3 tablespoons of soft brown sugar until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Note: Fresh peanut butter, available from health food stores, will give the sauce the best flavor. Be sure not to overcook the vegetables—they should be tender yet still crisp.
HOGS Note:
1. Should you have trouble finding the Kecap Manis call Elaine & Jesse Allen, they have a bottle left over from the test dinner that you can use.
Thai Fruit Salsa (See Reference #5 p. 246)
Stir in the chopped basil just before serving.
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and cut into ¼ inch dice
1 ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and cut into ¼ inch dice
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno chili
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
In a large bowl combine all the ingredients except the basil. Refrigerate covered up to 2 hours. Just before serving, toss in the basil.
Mango and Pineapple Sorbet (See Reference #1 p. 99)
No pairing of fruits is
more Southeast Asian than mango and pineapple. In this Western-influenced
recipe, the fruits are accented with lime and made into a sorbet. Ices are not as foreign to
Serves 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes, plus 1 ½ hours for freezing
2 mangoes, peeled and pitted, plus thin slices for garnish
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
In a blender or food processor, puree the 2 mangoes. You should have about 3 cups. Add the sugar and lime juice and process to combine. Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the pineapple.
Pour the mixture into an ice-cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until ready to serve.
To serve, scoop the sorbet into chilled bowls and garnish with the mango slices.
Prep Tip: If you do not have an ice-cream maker, pour the puree into a 9 by 12 inch metal cake pan (or 2 – 8 inch square cake pans). Freeze until almost solid, 1 – 1 ½ hours. Using a plastic spatula or large spoon, break up and process in a food processor, pulsing until smooth, light and fluffy; do not over beat. Pour into an airtight container and freeze.
Cashew Meringue Cake (See Reference #6 p. 280)
Prep Time: 30 minutes plus cooling
Total cooking time: 45 minutes
Cashew Meringue
10 ounces cashews
8 egg whites
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
2 teaspoons white vinegar
Fillings:
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Crème de Cacao
2 cups cream
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
2 teaspoons vanilla
chocolate curls and cocoa powder, for decoration
To make Cashew Meringue: Preheat the oven to moderate 350 degree oven. Spread the cashews on a baking tray and toast them in the oven for 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally to turn them over. Check frequently to make sure they don’t burn. Remove the cashews from the oven and allow to cool., Place the cashews in a food processor and process them in short bursts until finely ground.
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. Line 4 oven trays with non-stick baking paper (parchment) and draw a 8 ½ diameter circle on each piece of paper.
Beat the egg whites in a large, clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar to the bowl, beating well after each addition, until the whites are thick and glossy. Using a metal spoon, fold in the vanilla, vinegar and ground cashews.
Divide the mixture evenly among the 4 circles and carefully spread it to the edge of each circle. Bake the meringues for 5 minutes or until they are crisp. Turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool in the oven, leaving the oven door ajar.
To make Fillings: Place the butter, icing sugar and Crème de Cacao in a bowl and beat until the mixture becomes light and creamy. Set aside. Place the cream, orange liqueur and vanilla essence in a separate bowl and beat until soft peaks form.
Place 1 meringue circle on a serving plate and carefully spread it with half the butter mixture. Place a second meringue circle on top and spread it with half the orange cream mixture. Repeat with the remaining meringue circles, butter mixture and orange cream mixture.
The top of the meringue cake can be decorated with chocolate curls and dusted lightly with cocoa. Carefully cut into sections for serving.
HOGS Note:
1. For ease of cutting an appropriately sized slice, of this rich desert, please form the baked meringue layers in the shape of a square or rectangle.
2. Bake the meringue and assemble at the dinner.