I like Chinese

Well all the preparations for this week's blog post have definitely been interesting. I decided to do a few of my favourite Asian dishes: pot stickers, sesame chicken, and veggie chow mein. I got the first recipe from a guy named Alton Brown, if you haven't heard of him he's a personality on the Food Network, and he is what I would consider to be the foremost expert on all things food related. If you haven't seen his show "Good eats" I'd highly suggest checking it out. So while the ingredients may seem a bit odd, trust me, it is delicious! As for everything else, I had an interesting time finding some of these ingredients. A bit of advice, even though it may seem a bit racist, if you can't find any of the ingredients google an asian market in your town or area. If you can't find something there, call you local Chinese restaurant and ask them where to get it, that's how I found my sesame seeds.

Alton Brown's Perfect Pot Stickers

 (You're gonna want a bit of "burnt" looking on the outside, gives them a nice crisp done texture)

• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 35 to 40 small wonton wrappers
• Water, for sealing wontons
• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
• 1 1/3 cups chicken stock, divided

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a medium-size mixing bowl (pork through cayenne). Set aside.
To form the dumplings, remove 1 wonton wrapper from the package, covering the others with a damp cloth (I used a sheet of paper towel soaked in water). Brush 2 of the edges of the wrapper lightly with water. Place 1/2 rounded teaspoon of the pork mixture in the center of the wrapper. Fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Set on a sheet pan and cover with a damp cloth. Repeat procedure until all of the filling is gone.
Heat a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Brush with vegetable oil once hot. Add 8 to 10 potstickers at a time to the pan and cook for 2 minutes, without touching. Once the 2 minutes are up, gently add 1/3 cup chicken stock to the pan, turn the heat down to low, cover, and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove wontons to a heatproof platter and place in the warm oven. Clean the pan in between batches by pouring in water and allowing the pan to deglaze. (heat the pan til it's screaming hot and pour the water in, loosening up all the burnt and cooked in food) Repeat until all the wontons are cooked. Serve immediately.

Sesame Chicken
 

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 dash sesame oil
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon chile paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 quart olive oil for frying
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sift flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 tablespoons water, vegetable oil, and a dash of sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, bring chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and garlic to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Dissolve 1/4 cup cornstarch into 1/2 cup of water, and stir into boiling sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens and turns clear, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and keep sauce warm.Heat olive oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to a temperature of 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Drop in the battered chicken pieces, a few at a time, and fry until they turn golden brown and float to the top of the oil, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain on a paper towel lined plate. To serve, place fried chicken pieces onto a serving platter, and pour the hot sauce overtop. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds to garnish. Makes 6 servings.

 

Veggie Chow Mein 

• 12 cups of water
• 10.5 oz fresh, thin chinese style egg noodles (any thin egg noodles will do)
• 2 t sesame oil
• 1 T cooking oil
• 2 cups fresh bean sprouts
• 2 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
• 1 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup canned, sliced bamboo shoots, drained
• 1/3 cup chopped green onion
• 3 T dry sherry
• 3 T oyster sauce
• 3 T soy sauce
• 1 t sugar
• 1 t sesame seeds

Measure water into dutch oven or large pot. Bring to a boil and add noodles. Boil, uncovered, for about 1 minute until tender but firm. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain once more and return to the same pot. Add sesame oil and toss, set aside. Heat wok or large frying pan on medium-high heat until very hot. Add cooking oil and the next 4 ingredients. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes and then add the green onion. Stir and then add the next 4 ingredients. Stir once more before adding the noodles. Stir fry for about a minute until heated through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve! Makes about 8 servings.