Japanese Inspired Fish

Everyone knows I really enjoy True Food Kitchen. They have some great dishes that I don't feel too guilty eating. JC and I make their Tuscan Kale Salad on a regular basis, and now we have another dish to add to our recipe book.

One of my favorite entrees is their Miso Glazed Black Cod. It is slightly sweet with a definite Japanese influence. The cod stays nice and juicy, and it is served on a bed of bok choy with mushrooms. I was thumbing through Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking which is a great cookbook for anyone that wants to try simple Japanese cooking at home. Her recipe for Poached Red Sea Bream caught my attention because it reminded me a lot of the dish at True Food Kitchen, sans the miso. I decided to give it a try since it calls for a very short list of ingredients, and it blew me out of the water. This dish tastes exactly like the Miso Glazed Black Cod. The fish retains its moisture in the sauce and is just a tad sweet. I also threw in some oyster mushrooms and served it with a side of wakame seaweed as Harumi suggests. I also substituted black cod since they did not carry red sea bream at the store. We served it over a bed of stir-fried bok choy.

Poached Red Sea Bream
from Harumi's Japanese Home Cooking by Harumi Kurihara

• 1 lb red sea bream (I substituted black cod)
• 1/4 c. sake (I substituted rice wine)
• 1/4 c. mirin
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. water
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, sliced

1. Cut each fish fillet into 3-4 pieces
2. In a large shallow pan, mix together the sake, mirin, soy sauce, water, and sugar and bring it to a boil. Add the fish pieces into the broth, taking care to arrange them so they sit side by side. Sprinkle the sliced ginger over the fish.
3. Back back to boil, cover with drop lid made from foil or wax paper (*see below) and simmer for 5-6 minutes. When the liquid has reduced to just less than half, turn off the heat and leave for a short while for the fish to absorb some of the remaining liquid. 
4. Remove the fish and ginger from the pan and place on a serving dish. Pour over any remaining sauce from the pan. 

*Drop Lid (Otoshibuta) according to Harumi: "Traditionally, drop lids were made of wood. They are placed in a pan, directly on top of food as it cooks. It is a technique frequently used in Japanese cooking to ensure even distribution of flavor. These days, most households use lids made of aluminum foil or greaseproof paper with a hole in the middle. You can fashion a disk easily, making sure it is slightly smaller than the inside of the pan. It is a different way of cooking but it is very useful and very Japanese."

Simple Chinese Dinner

This is what we had for dinner tonight and it could not have been more simple or more delicious (or more cheap!).

Have you ever noticed that every single Asian grocery store smell exactly the same. I don't know what it is. It is like a musty, herbal smell. I've been to many Asian grocery stores, all around the country, and they all have that distinct smell. 

We have an Asian grocery store down the street from us, Stone and Grant Market. Of course, it smells like your typical Asian market. It has tons of inexpensive vegetables which are displayed in a very unsanitary manner, a few aisles devoted to just sauces, and a huge meat selection of cuts you normally wouldn't find at your neighborhood grocer. And this is why I keep coming back. 

I was in the mood for a Chinese spicy shrimp dish with some Chinese vegetables. We made a quick stop at Stone and Grant Market to pick up some shrimp, oyster mushrooms, pea shoots, and gailan (chinese broccoli) to whip up a quick dinner. From start to finish, our entire meal was done in less that 30 minutes (I know because we were watching the Presidential Debate). This is a great weeknight meal that will leave you with leftovers for lunch and dinner the next day. I also decided to add some sliced oyster mushrooms to the dish, this is totally optional.

Shrimp with Spicy Garlic Sauce
from Appetite for China

1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons chili sauce (I used Sriracha)

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped

1 pinch freshly-ground black pepper

1 scallion, thinly sliced

optional: sliced oyster mushrooms

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact. Devein the shrimp if you choose.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar and set aside.

3. In a wok or large pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp and cook until both sides are pink, about 2 minutes on each side. Add the sauce mixture and stir so the shrimp is fully coated. Season with black pepper. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for a few more minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and garnish with chopped scallions. Serve with rice or vegetables.