Ingredients

• 2 lbs baby carrots, packaged and peeled
• 32 oz low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 6 roasted mild Hatch chiles, seeded and chopped
• 1 roasted hot Hatch chile, seeded and chopped
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup half and half
• Basil leaves for garnish

Preparation

Place carrots in microwave-safe bowl and steam for 10 minutes, or until fully cooked. Cool in refrigerator. This may be done a few days in advance.

Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Puree onions and carrots in several batches in a blender with cream, yogurt, and broth until the mixture is velvety. Chiles may be puréed with carrots or chopped and added as garnish or a combination of both. Add fresh ginger and stir. Cool soup in refrigerator until ready to serve. Garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt, basil leaf, and chopped Hatch chiles.

Central Market

Ingredients

• 2 celery stalks, outer stems peeled
• 1 pound boneless chicken, chopped into 1-inch chunks
• 3 scallions, ends trimmed
• ¼ cup peanut oil
• 8 dried hot red chiles (preferably Sichuan chiles)
• 1 teaspoon whole Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili bean paste
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or medium-dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil

Preparation

Slice celery at steep angle into ½-inch slices. Set aside and toss with pinch of salt. Slice scallions at steep angle into ½-inch slices. Transfer to same bowl as celery.

Pour oil into large wok set over high heat. When smoking, add chicken. Stir-fry until chicken has lost much of its water, about 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to medium, and add chiles and Sichuan pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add chili bean paste, and stir well. Cook until it stains the oil red, about 10 seconds. Add rice wine, dark soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring often, until chicken looks dry and is very fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes.

Add celery and scallions, and stir-fry until just tender, one to two minutes. Turn off heat, pour in sesame oil, and season with salt to taste. Stir well, and serve with white rice.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 2 green chiles, grilled, peeled, and seeded
• 1 lb peanuts
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup mustard
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken
• 10 romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 tbsp salt, divided
• 1 tbsp pepper, divided
• 1 tbsp garlic powder, divided
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 cup green onion
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Preparation

Chop raw chicken into small, ½ inch squares. Season chicken with ½ tbsp salt, ½ tbsp pepper, and ½ tbsp garlic powder. Pan fry in olive oil until fully cooked. In a blender, combine the Hatch chiles, peanuts, honey, mustard, remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the hot water slowly while blending. Once the blended mole mix and chicken are done, toss chicken in the mole mix. Add chopped tomato and green onion to mixture. Chop romaine lettuce into approximately 5 inch long sections. Wrap about 2 tbsp of mix in lettuce and secure with a toothpick. Serve for crispy wrapping. For soft wrapping, bake for 10 minutes.

Central Market

Ingredients

Tomatillo Puree and Enchilada Sauce

• 10 medium tomatillos
• 1/2 jalapeno, smoked and seeded
• 1/2 Serrano, smoked and seeded
• 8 green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp thyme

Sweet Potato Filling and Enchiladas

• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Salt and pepper
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 16 oz Monterey Jack cheese
• 12 corn tortillas

Preparation

For tomatillo puree: Preheat oven to 375. Place tomatillos on parchment paper or foil-lined cookie sheet. Cook 30 minutes or until soft in the middle. The last 10 minutes, place jalapeno, Serrano, and Hatch pepper on a cookie sheet and put in the oven, so the skins can blacken.

Once skin is blackened, place the peppers in a paper bag to cool. Slice tomatillos open at bottom and squeeze juice into food processor. When peppers are cooled lightly, rub paper bag until skin is peeled. Then slice Serrano and jalapeno in half. Place only half of each pepper in processor. Peel, seed, and chop Hatch pepper and set aside for enchilada sauce. Add a little water. Puree until mixed thoroughly and add to the sauce.

For enchilada sauce: In a skillet, sauté the cornstarch and olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add herbs and spices and cook 11 additional minutes. Add garlic and vegetables and sauté another minute. Add broth, tomatillo puree, and lime juice. Raise heat and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir constantly until thickened. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool. Add back to the food processor and blend until smooth.

For sweet potato filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake the sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. Cool and peel the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mix in the cream cheese, chili powder, curry, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in green onions.

Putting it all together: Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 baking dish. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 10-20 seconds per side. Remove the tortillas with tongs and drain on paper towels. Place a regular spoonful of sweet potato filling down the center of each tortilla, add 1 tablespoon cheese, roll it up, and place filled tortillas seam side down in dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the enchilada sauce is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Central Market

Ingredients

• 3 whole star anise
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 chicken legs, skin on
• 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground
• ½ cup chicken stock

Preparation

Whisk together star anise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and rice wine in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Place a large wok over high heat. When it starts to smoke, pour in oil. Swirl oil around, and then add chicken legs skin side down. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook undisturbed until they are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken legs, and add garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce mixture, and chicken stock. Toss chicken pieces with sauce. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Then cover the work, reduce heat to low, and cook until juices run clear in the legs, about 10 minutes. Remove legs and set aside on a plate.

Turn heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Serve chicken legs with sauce. Pair with white rice or broccoli.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 1 c. white wine
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 c. diced onion
• 1 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. chicken stock
• 1 c. dijon
• 1 tsp. whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp. salt
• pinch pepper
• 2-3 tsp. flour (or corn starch?)

Preparation

In a small saucepan over medium heat, boil white wine, garlic, and onion for 5 min. Add cream and stock. Simmer for another 5 min. Whisk in mustards, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes. Whisk in flour and simmer until sauce begins to thicken. [CP: It’s the thickening step that is problematic; the recipe’s original 1 tsp. flour is no where near enough to thicken this much stuff. Try up to 1 tbsp. flour, or even switch over to corn starch.]

Ingredients

For the pancake batter:

• 3 eggs
• 2 c. flour
• 4 c. milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• pinch salt
• 50 g melted butter

For the filling/garnish:

• berries
• about 2 1/2 c. whipping cream, sweetened

Preparation

Melt the butter in your pancake skillet (should be big, around 12" at least). Beat the eggs and whisk in the flour until all lumps are gone. Add the sugar, vanilla, sugar, and salt. Pour in a little milk at a time until the mixture becomes a nice paste. (These will be thin pancakes, somewhere between American pancakes and crepes.) Pour the melted butter into the batter. Mix well every time you take a scoop of batter to cook. Cook all the pancakes in butter and let them cool. Whip the cream and sweeten it (you can add some vanilla, too). When the pancakes have cooled, put a pancake on a plate, add a little cream and berries, and repeat until you run out of stuff.

Nadjas Kitchen, and Google Translate

Ingredients

• 8 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles (also called Hong Kong noodles; not wonton noodles)
• 1 (1/2 lb.) piece flank steak
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 scallions, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered (2 1/2 cups)
• 6 oz choy sum, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups) or 1-inch-wide broccoli florets

Preparation

Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.

Cut steak with the grain into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put in a medium bowl. Using your hands, toss beef with sugar, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Let beef marinate at room temperature while preparing remaining ingredients.

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color. Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.

Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Pour 1 tablespoon peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add beef, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting beef begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until meat is just browned on all sides but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Transfer meat and any juices to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender). Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and stir to coat. Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.

Serves 4

Gourmet, September 2005

Ingredients

For the flavor base:

• 15 dried japones chiles or 10 dried chiles de árbol or 3 Tbs. sambal oelek
• 1-1/2 cups sliced shallots (from 4 large shallots)
• 2 Tbs. sliced garlic
• 1 Tbs. sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh or frozen and thawed galangal (optional)

For the whole spice blend:

• 4 whole cloves
• 4 whole green cardamom pods
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 3-inch-long cinnamon stick, snapped in half

For the ground spice blend:

• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the rendang:

• 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil; more as needed
• 2 lb. boneless top blade beef chuck (or bottom or top round, flank, or sirloin steak), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
• 3 wild lime leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 medium lemongrass stalks, bruised with back of knife and tied in a knot
• 4 tsp. palm sugar or dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 cup tightly packed grated fresh coconut or unsweetened frozen coconut, thawed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
• Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Make the flavor base:

If using dried chiles, steep them in hot water until pliable, 5 to 8 minutes; then slit and seed them (use gloves). Put the chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal (if using), and 1/4 cup water in a food processor and process to a coarse purée, about 3 minutes (if using whole dried chiles, you’ll still see little pieces of the skins).

Make the spice blends:

In a small bowl, combine the cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, and cinnamon pieces. In a second small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric, and pepper.

Make the rendang:

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-low heat until shimmering hot. Add the whole spice blend and cook, stirring constantly, until the cinnamon sticks unfold (the cardamom may also crack open), 1 to 2 minutes; don’t let the spices burn. Add another 2 Tbs. of the oil and the ground spice blend and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture sizzles and becomes fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds more (if the spices stick to the pan, add a little more oil to prevent burning).

Add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flavor base and cook, stirring, until the purée is an intense reddish-brown, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, add the beef and cook, stirring, to coat it with the spices, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tamarind concentrate, lime leaves, and lemongrass and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the sugar and salt, and simmer, stirring occasionally for the first hour and then more frequently as the stew thickens, until the liquid is very thick and oil appears on its surface, about 1-3/4 hours. The meat will not be fork-tender at this point.

Meanwhile, squeeze any excess liquid from the coconut with your hands. In a 10-inch skillet, toast the coconut over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Stir the toasted coconut into the stew and then continue stirring until it’s incorporated and much of the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup water if you prefer a saucy consistency. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes more (the oil will start frothing after 15 to 20 minutes).

Remove the lemongrass, cinnamon pieces, star anise, and as many cardamom pods and cloves as you can find. Transfer the meat to a serving platter and garnish with the cilantro and lime wedges (if using).

Serves 6 to 8

Susheela Raghavan, Fine Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• Pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• Kosher salt
• 3 large eggplants (about 3 pounds), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups store-bought tomato sauce (such as marinara), divided
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups), divided
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (4 ounces), divided

Preparation

Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in saffron, then wine. Cook until wine reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Add broth; season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is very al dente and still crunchy, about 6 minutes; remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets, overlapping slightly to fit. Drizzle 1 cup oil over; season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden brown, 20–25 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella over, then 1/3 of Parmesan.

Cover with a layer of eggplant rounds, overlapping so no sauce is visible beneath them. Add saffron rice, spreading out in an even layer. Sprinkle over another 1/3 each of mozzarella and Parmesan, then 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce and another layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover dish with foil; transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to set before serving.

Serves 8.

Bon Appetit, September 2012