Posts Tagged yakitori
Chicken marinade
Posted by tzuyen in Uncategorized on November 14, 2009
Skewers of chicken may be just skewers, but one that has a sweet, savory and salty flavour balanced so well with the juicy meat, gently charred over a Japanese grill, the bite is heavenly. A cold malty beer or sake and a few good company then the evening is very complete
Wikipedia gives some info on the fuel for a Japanese grill:
Binch?-tan or white charcoal is a traditional charcoal of Japan. It dates to the Edo period, when during the era, a craftsman named Bitch?-ya Ch?zaemon began to produce it in Tanabe, Wakayama. The raw material is oak, specifically ubame oak, now the official tree of Wakayama Prefecture. Wakayama continues to be a major producer of high-quality charcoal, with the town of Minabe, Wakayama producing more binch?-tan than any other town in Japan. The fineness and high quality of binch?-tan are attributed to steaming at high temperatures. Although it is often thought that binch?-tan burns hot, it actually burns at a lower temperature than ordinary charcoal but for a longer period of time. It does not release smoke or other unpleasant flavors.
My current marinade consist of (in ratio)
- good, non bitter soy (10)
- mirin (5)
- minced garlic (5)
- small amount of black asian vinegar (3)
- shao-xing liquor (made from barley) or can use sake (3)
- sesame oil (2)
- black pepper (1)
- blow torch (30 seconds at the end of cooking). This last bit is the WOW bit
The photo has some finely sliced kaffir lime leaves for a bit of experimenting
If at home and just pan frying marianted chicken the most important touch is get a blow torch and just add a bit more colour on the chicken. It adds that smokey flavour I crave so much from the Japanese grill.
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Tempted? tarte tatin
Posted by tzuyen in Uncategorized on September 17, 2009
“What are you making?”
“Taarht tartun”
“!?”
“Itzer upsidedownnn taarht”
“Mmm”
I really didn’t know that butter, sugar and pastry would taste so good. To this day, I havent ventured far into making desserts. Maybe it was the French accent.
For the past year I have heard from my foodie friends and also reviews rave about the pear tarte tatin at Bistro Vue. Actually, I had it a few years ago at Bistro Vue. I remeber it was delicous, filling but the caramelized pastry was a little stiff. This year I’ve been there twice. Devine moment when you chew into the pastry. Koko Black’s version is just not good enough.
Once you had THE version, it’s so hard to be pleased. So sad. Today me and my friend went to Maedaya – a yakitori and sake bar on Bridge Rd. It was good charred flavour but something was missing. Maybe that crispness. Maybe it was too sweet. The chicken skin was not crip enough. Maybe it was the thought that I had work soon. Maybe I was just not in Japan with the auditory sensoy input.
Can anyone tell me what do the Japanese restaurant staff scream when customers walk in?
I came home tonight, this cold, moist, damp night and attempted my first tarte tatin. I brought a iron skillet yesterday. A cheap but commercial one that is not cast iron but just as unbreakable. I seasoned it with oil and a lot of heat. Now its all black!
On a 21 cm pan:
- Pre-heat oven to 180 deg C
- Cut a circular piece of puff pastry by drawing the knife around the the upside down edge (largest circle). Place pastry in fridge to keep stiff.
- Peel and quater 2 Pink Lady apples.
- Melt 50 g of butter and 50 g of brown sugar in the pan under medium low heat and place apple pieces in.
- Shake and turn apples to coat with caramel. The liquid should be foaming gently.
- Take off heat, let it cool slightly. Arrange the applies pices neatly in a circular pattern or however rustic you want to look
- Place pastry on top and tuck edged around the inside of the pan
- Bake for 10 min, the reduce heat to 120 deg for another 5 min, or until pastry golden and cripy
- Shake pan to lossen the edges then flip it on the pan upside down!
I had some unsweetened vanilla cream to serve. I think a dark/red tea goes so well with dessert like this.