Do you have any mushy bananas laying around? Gotta couple of egg whites? Sugar? A bit of lemon or lime or orange juice?
If you answered yes, then you can make this RIGHT NOW!
Has anyone noticed just how simple and easy South Pacific cuisine is? Not to say it's not flavourful, but the cooking really let's the fresh food speak for itself.
Oh, here's a tip: you can freeze egg whites. Yup, the next time you are making something like hollandaise sauce and you are wondering what to do with the leftover egg whites just chuck em in the freezer for later use. Just make sure you put them in a container first, ahem.
This comes from Papua New Guinea, as does a great banana jam recipe I have (next time).
Banana Whip
What you need:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar (I use raw, but feel free to use the refined stuff if you'd like)
4 mushy bananas
2 tbsp of lemon, or lime, or orange juice.
What you do:
Mix the egg whites and sugar together. Get your beaters out and whip it till you've got stiff peaks. Peel and mash the bananas and add to the whipped whites. Carefully mix together. Add the citrus juice and slowly mix again.
There! Done! This is tasty stuff. Add a dollop of this onto the top of pineapple sherbet and you'll be happy.
Showing posts with label polynesian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label polynesian. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Polynesian Hibiscus Water
Yes, we are staying in the South Pacific. Why? Cus I like the region, that's why.
Hibiscus...
I'm assuming everyone knows that the flower petals and stamens are edible, and tasty too. If you don't know what an hibiscus flower looks like, just think of any movie set in the South Pacific with the island girls (scantily or unscantily clad) having flower blossoms in their hair. Those flowers are hibiscus. Depending on which island you are on you're supposed to wear the flower over a certain ear during certain times doing certain things. Not many white fellers know that, btw.
There are probably as many different ways to make this as there are islands in Oceania, so don't think this is "The" way.
Oh, it's also made in parts of the Carribean and in the Bajio region of Mexico where it's called Agua de Jamaica. Jamaica flowers are known as hibiscus flowers elsewhere.
Some recipes call for dried flowers, others for fresh; some with dark red flowers only, others with pink. There is no hard and fast rule so feel free to experiment.
Oh, a note or two about the flowers. After you snip them make sure you rinse them well, otherwise you'll have tiny black ants floating in your beverage. Ants are one of the main pollinators of hibiscus. Also make sure you carefully remove the green calyx at the base of the flower.
If your hibiscus bush or tree is flowering profusely now, then harvest a boatload of flowers and put them in your food dryer so you can make this and serve it to your friends in the middle of winter. Lunchtime is an ideal time to start making the drink to serve with dinner.
Here's how I make mine...
Hibiscus Water
What you knead:
20 fresh, clean hibiscus flowers (any colour) OR 10 dried ones
1 to 2 cups of raw sugar --this is to taste
2 quarts --8 cups or 1.892 litres-- of water
2 tbsp grated ginger
juice from 2 limes (1/2 to 3/4 cup) --this is added at the end so it's also "to taste"
What you due:
Put the water, sugar and ginger in a pot. Heat it to boiling (a stovetop works well to boil the water) and then cover and bring it down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and toss in the hibiscus flowers. Give it a little stir so the flowers don't float on the top and then replace the cover.
Let it sit for a while till it comes down to room temp. Add PART of the lime juice and then give it a taste, add more lime juice (or sugar --just stir it in well) for your taste.
Let it stand for an hour.
Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth (give the bundle a good squeeze to get all the flavourful liquid).
Next... Serve it up and drink it!
This makes a nice mixer with rum or vodka if you are so inclined.
ENJOY!
Hibiscus...
I'm assuming everyone knows that the flower petals and stamens are edible, and tasty too. If you don't know what an hibiscus flower looks like, just think of any movie set in the South Pacific with the island girls (scantily or unscantily clad) having flower blossoms in their hair. Those flowers are hibiscus. Depending on which island you are on you're supposed to wear the flower over a certain ear during certain times doing certain things. Not many white fellers know that, btw.
There are probably as many different ways to make this as there are islands in Oceania, so don't think this is "The" way.
Oh, it's also made in parts of the Carribean and in the Bajio region of Mexico where it's called Agua de Jamaica. Jamaica flowers are known as hibiscus flowers elsewhere.
Some recipes call for dried flowers, others for fresh; some with dark red flowers only, others with pink. There is no hard and fast rule so feel free to experiment.
Oh, a note or two about the flowers. After you snip them make sure you rinse them well, otherwise you'll have tiny black ants floating in your beverage. Ants are one of the main pollinators of hibiscus. Also make sure you carefully remove the green calyx at the base of the flower.
If your hibiscus bush or tree is flowering profusely now, then harvest a boatload of flowers and put them in your food dryer so you can make this and serve it to your friends in the middle of winter. Lunchtime is an ideal time to start making the drink to serve with dinner.
Here's how I make mine...
Hibiscus Water
What you knead:
20 fresh, clean hibiscus flowers (any colour) OR 10 dried ones
1 to 2 cups of raw sugar --this is to taste
2 quarts --8 cups or 1.892 litres-- of water
2 tbsp grated ginger
juice from 2 limes (1/2 to 3/4 cup) --this is added at the end so it's also "to taste"
What you due:
Put the water, sugar and ginger in a pot. Heat it to boiling (a stovetop works well to boil the water) and then cover and bring it down to a simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and toss in the hibiscus flowers. Give it a little stir so the flowers don't float on the top and then replace the cover.
Let it sit for a while till it comes down to room temp. Add PART of the lime juice and then give it a taste, add more lime juice (or sugar --just stir it in well) for your taste.
Let it stand for an hour.
Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth (give the bundle a good squeeze to get all the flavourful liquid).
Next... Serve it up and drink it!
This makes a nice mixer with rum or vodka if you are so inclined.
ENJOY!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Polynesian Pork Roast
Yes, this is one you've been waiting for on our gastronomical tour of Polynesia! Polynesians have been roasting pork on every island since the first outriggers landed, and let me tell ya, they KNOW how to roast pork!
First, you'll need a shovel to dig the hole in your backyard. This will become your oven. And you'll need some decent sized rocks for lining it too. And you need to live in an area that has banana trees.
Oh, wait... There *is* an easier way.
I do wrap mine in banana leaves (very handy having that tree out front), but I'll describe the procedure using aluminium foil instead. Cuz I'm nice. We're also going to marinate the roast in a large, ziplock, freezer bag so you don't have to make a few quarts of marinade.
This recipe doesn't really come from any particular island since they all cook this way. And I use a mix of spices, sauces, and seasonings from all over. But if you had to pick one... let's say The South Sandwich Isles.
Here's what you need:
1 pork shoulder roast (or forequarter or any kind of pork roast) around 3 pounds
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp grated ginger root
small handful finely minced onion
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1 or 2 tbsp water
5 or 6 rings of sliced pineapple
1/2 of a small onion, thickly sliced
small handful fresh spinach leaves
a few large cabbage leaves (large kale leaves work too)
aluminium foil
What you do:
Leave the fat on the pork roast, but score it before marinating.
Mix the next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Put the roast in your plastic, zipperlock freezer bag and then add the marinade (that would be those 7 ingredients you just mixed together). Seal the bag --whilst evacuating as much of the air as is possible-- and then rub the marinade all over the roast (it's all in a sealed bag with no air, you'll figure it out as it really is easy... just hard to describe).
Once the marinade is rubbed into the roast in the sealed bag, pop it in the fridge for a few hours to marinate.
Tick
tock
tick
tock
When a couple of hours are up, you then get to make a faux banana leaf wrap! Put a baking tray on the counter, spread 2 or 3 sheets of foil over it. Make sure you leave enough overlap for the foil to cover the top of the roast with extra left for crimping! Then lay your cabbage or kale leaves over the foil, next is a layer of the spinach leaves. Try to concentrate the spinach leaves in the middle, BTW.
Take the roast out of the bag and put it (the roast, not the bag) in the center of the spinach leaves with the fat side UP. That is important as the fat drips down into the meat while slow cooking and the meat is oh so tender and juicy!
Now comes the fun part. Wrap the roast in the foil till the leaves and the foil are about halfway up the side of the roast (once you do this you'll see how easy it is). Then wedge the pineapple slices between the leaves and the pork, and lay the onion slices on top. Pour whatever marinade is left from the plastic bag evenly over the top. Finish wrapping the whole bundle in the foil and crimp the top to make a tight seal.
Oh, the pineapple and onion slices won't really be tasty after it's cooked, but they infuse the meat with some really nice flavours.
4 hours of cooking time at around 300 F should do the trick. Check it after 2 hours: if too much steam is escaping from the top of the foil then re-crimp.
When it's done and you take it out of the oven, let it sit for 10 mins or so. Unwrap the bundle and you'll find the most tenderest, tastiest pork roast ever! Remove the pineapple and onion slices, and then carefully (it should be close to falling apart) transfer the roast to a large platter for serving. Pour whatever juices are left on the baking tray and in the foil on top of the roast.
Place the platter in the middle of the table with hungry folks all around and tell everyone to dig in!
First, you'll need a shovel to dig the hole in your backyard. This will become your oven. And you'll need some decent sized rocks for lining it too. And you need to live in an area that has banana trees.
Oh, wait... There *is* an easier way.
I do wrap mine in banana leaves (very handy having that tree out front), but I'll describe the procedure using aluminium foil instead. Cuz I'm nice. We're also going to marinate the roast in a large, ziplock, freezer bag so you don't have to make a few quarts of marinade.
This recipe doesn't really come from any particular island since they all cook this way. And I use a mix of spices, sauces, and seasonings from all over. But if you had to pick one... let's say The South Sandwich Isles.
Here's what you need:
1 pork shoulder roast (or forequarter or any kind of pork roast) around 3 pounds
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
3 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp grated ginger root
small handful finely minced onion
1 tbsp pineapple juice
1 or 2 tbsp water
5 or 6 rings of sliced pineapple
1/2 of a small onion, thickly sliced
small handful fresh spinach leaves
a few large cabbage leaves (large kale leaves work too)
aluminium foil
What you do:
Leave the fat on the pork roast, but score it before marinating.
Mix the next 7 ingredients in a bowl. Put the roast in your plastic, zipperlock freezer bag and then add the marinade (that would be those 7 ingredients you just mixed together). Seal the bag --whilst evacuating as much of the air as is possible-- and then rub the marinade all over the roast (it's all in a sealed bag with no air, you'll figure it out as it really is easy... just hard to describe).
Once the marinade is rubbed into the roast in the sealed bag, pop it in the fridge for a few hours to marinate.
Tick
tock
tick
tock
When a couple of hours are up, you then get to make a faux banana leaf wrap! Put a baking tray on the counter, spread 2 or 3 sheets of foil over it. Make sure you leave enough overlap for the foil to cover the top of the roast with extra left for crimping! Then lay your cabbage or kale leaves over the foil, next is a layer of the spinach leaves. Try to concentrate the spinach leaves in the middle, BTW.
Take the roast out of the bag and put it (the roast, not the bag) in the center of the spinach leaves with the fat side UP. That is important as the fat drips down into the meat while slow cooking and the meat is oh so tender and juicy!
Now comes the fun part. Wrap the roast in the foil till the leaves and the foil are about halfway up the side of the roast (once you do this you'll see how easy it is). Then wedge the pineapple slices between the leaves and the pork, and lay the onion slices on top. Pour whatever marinade is left from the plastic bag evenly over the top. Finish wrapping the whole bundle in the foil and crimp the top to make a tight seal.
Oh, the pineapple and onion slices won't really be tasty after it's cooked, but they infuse the meat with some really nice flavours.
4 hours of cooking time at around 300 F should do the trick. Check it after 2 hours: if too much steam is escaping from the top of the foil then re-crimp.
When it's done and you take it out of the oven, let it sit for 10 mins or so. Unwrap the bundle and you'll find the most tenderest, tastiest pork roast ever! Remove the pineapple and onion slices, and then carefully (it should be close to falling apart) transfer the roast to a large platter for serving. Pour whatever juices are left on the baking tray and in the foil on top of the roast.
Place the platter in the middle of the table with hungry folks all around and tell everyone to dig in!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Pineapple Sherbet & Pineapple Topping from Samoa (updated)
Yea! We're back in the South Pacific. Western Samoa to be exact. Don't wanna go over to American Samoa since they don't have good, traditional, Polynesian type food over there. Besides, those two islands are sooooooo tiny compared to the Savai'i and Upolu islands of Western Samoa.
These two recipes go together very well. Why, you ask? Cus you need one pineapple for both recipes and the goodies from each are served in each hollowed out pineapple half. It really does make sense to do make these together.
Credit for these two is given to Gwen Skinner from one of her wonderful books The Cuisine of the South Pacific. The book is almost 30 years old and was researched in the 70's as she sailed around Oceania.
I've used several cooking techniques and tips from her book (and many other books from other authors) for many of my own recipes --and modified some that I found in it-- but these two are ones that I don't mess with. For two reasons: Not only are they PERFECT, but I always make them during the holidays. If you've looked at any of my holiday menus (or this one too) --or perhaps this one-- you'll know that I'm pretty darned busy so if I don't have to experiment with something new, all the better.
Oops! I've got to go shred some lamb I just roasted up this morning for tomorrow night's souvlaki. Stay here, I'll be right back.
I'm back! Didja y'all miss me? And I even remembered to wash my hands before and after shredding the lamb.
Ok, pineapple sherbet and pineapple topping.
What you need for the pineapple topping:
1 pineapple
1/2 CUP (oops, forgot the unit first post) unsweetened pineapple juice
1 beaten egg yolk
1 cup sugar
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch is the same thing, just depends what country you are in)
3 tbsp H2O --this would be water.
What you do for the pineapple topping:
Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Cut out the fruit from both halves of the shell (I use a very thin, curved, fish filleting knife) so that you've left about 1/4 inch of pineapple fruit in the shell --this is so none of the goodies leak out. Mince the fruit finely --I use a cleaver for this, goes right through any tough parts of the fruit-- and try to keep as much of the juice as possible.
Toss the minced fruit with it's juice, 1/2 cup pineapple juice also, the egg yolk, sugar and butter into a saucepan and boil it up. Mix the cornflour & water, whisk it into the saucepan and keep on low heat till the whole mess thickens a bit --should take less than a minute.
Let it cool to room temp and then pour/scrape/spoon it into one of the pineapple halves. Refridgerate overnight. Then use it. There are a great many uses for it as it goes quite well with many things --including cornchips! Ice cream topping... Mmmmmmmm!
Next up, the pineapple sherbet
What you need for the pineapple sherbet:
Hollowed out pineapple half from above recipe
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 cup crushed pineapple (just use the canned stuff)
2 egg whites --beaten till stiff
What you do for the pineapple sherbet:
Mix the condensed milk and the butter very thoroughly. Then add everything EXCEPT the egg whites. Stir it very well. Chill well for a few hours and then fold the beaten egg whites into the chilled mixture.
Put it into the freezer till it's about half frozen, then scrape the mix into a large bowl. Beat it with a large spoon till it's smoothed out but not melted. Then pour the mix into the hollowed out pineapple half and put it into the freezer.
The next day, serve it up!
These two recipes go together very well. Why, you ask? Cus you need one pineapple for both recipes and the goodies from each are served in each hollowed out pineapple half. It really does make sense to do make these together.
Credit for these two is given to Gwen Skinner from one of her wonderful books The Cuisine of the South Pacific. The book is almost 30 years old and was researched in the 70's as she sailed around Oceania.
I've used several cooking techniques and tips from her book (and many other books from other authors) for many of my own recipes --and modified some that I found in it-- but these two are ones that I don't mess with. For two reasons: Not only are they PERFECT, but I always make them during the holidays. If you've looked at any of my holiday menus (or this one too) --or perhaps this one-- you'll know that I'm pretty darned busy so if I don't have to experiment with something new, all the better.
Oops! I've got to go shred some lamb I just roasted up this morning for tomorrow night's souvlaki. Stay here, I'll be right back.
I'm back! Didja y'all miss me? And I even remembered to wash my hands before and after shredding the lamb.
Ok, pineapple sherbet and pineapple topping.
What you need for the pineapple topping:
1 pineapple
1/2 CUP (oops, forgot the unit first post) unsweetened pineapple juice
1 beaten egg yolk
1 cup sugar
2 tsp butter
2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch is the same thing, just depends what country you are in)
3 tbsp H2O --this would be water.
What you do for the pineapple topping:
Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise. Cut out the fruit from both halves of the shell (I use a very thin, curved, fish filleting knife) so that you've left about 1/4 inch of pineapple fruit in the shell --this is so none of the goodies leak out. Mince the fruit finely --I use a cleaver for this, goes right through any tough parts of the fruit-- and try to keep as much of the juice as possible.
Toss the minced fruit with it's juice, 1/2 cup pineapple juice also, the egg yolk, sugar and butter into a saucepan and boil it up. Mix the cornflour & water, whisk it into the saucepan and keep on low heat till the whole mess thickens a bit --should take less than a minute.
Let it cool to room temp and then pour/scrape/spoon it into one of the pineapple halves. Refridgerate overnight. Then use it. There are a great many uses for it as it goes quite well with many things --including cornchips! Ice cream topping... Mmmmmmmm!
Next up, the pineapple sherbet
What you need for the pineapple sherbet:
Hollowed out pineapple half from above recipe
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup pineapple juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
pinch of salt
1 cup crushed pineapple (just use the canned stuff)
2 egg whites --beaten till stiff
What you do for the pineapple sherbet:
Mix the condensed milk and the butter very thoroughly. Then add everything EXCEPT the egg whites. Stir it very well. Chill well for a few hours and then fold the beaten egg whites into the chilled mixture.
Put it into the freezer till it's about half frozen, then scrape the mix into a large bowl. Beat it with a large spoon till it's smoothed out but not melted. Then pour the mix into the hollowed out pineapple half and put it into the freezer.
The next day, serve it up!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Spicy Indian Peanuts
I know, you are asking yourself just what the heck does an Indian recipe have to do with Polynesia? Well, lots. Really.
This recipe comes from Fiji. Yes, I know that *technically* Fiji is Melanesia, not Polynesia. But if you look at the boundaries of Mela- and Polynesia, you'll see that geographically Fiji should be Poly. I quite understand the classification of Fiji as it is not only linguistically based but also based upon settling/migration waves.
But there has been so much Poly influence on the Fijians over the last few hundred years that their foods nowadays have a much more Polynesian tone to them than Melanesian. Especially during all their wars with Tonga in which prisoners from both sides would be taken as slaves and servants which vastly influenced the food.
But dave, what do the Indians have to do with all this?
Good question. It deserves a good answer!
In the late 1800's and early 1900's over 60,000 Indians (60,533 to be exact) came over to Fiji to escape economic bad times bad in India. The worked in the sugar cane fields and in the sugar refineries.
Needless to say, they've rather flourished lately and there are now more Indians than Native Fijians living in Fiji. They've also brought a lot of their cuisine with them. I think this'll be the only Indian/Fijian recipe I'll put up, all the other Fijian recipes will be much more traditional island goodies.
Oh, I do know that peanuts are not nuts. They are beans. Buuuuuuut since we all know them as nuts, I'm keeping them as nuts. Aw, nuts.
Spicy Indian Peanuts from Fiji
What you need:
1 pound of shelled, roasted peanuts --you know, the kind you buy in the store, ready to eat
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) OR coconut oil OR peanut oil OR olive oil --I use olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp to 2 tsp chili powder --just how hot do you want them?
sea salt
What you do:
This is pretty simple... Heat the oil or ghee in a frypan, then fry the garlic, curry powder and chilli powder for 30 to 45 seconds (DON'T BURN THE GARLIC!!!). Add the peanuts, turn the heat way down, toss to coat the nuts, and fry (while shaking those nuts) for a minute or two.
Put em in a bowl, sprinkle with your sea salt and enjoy with a crisp lager.
A note to all you Barkeeps, Taverners, Hoteliers, Publicans, etc. Make these nuts and also my spicy almonds in a large batches, keep em on the counter. You will be GUARANTEED to sell boatloads of cheap beer at highly inflated prices!
BTW; Barkeeps, Taverners, Hoteliers, Publicans translates to bloke or blokette who owns a bar, tavern, hotel, or pub.
This recipe comes from Fiji. Yes, I know that *technically* Fiji is Melanesia, not Polynesia. But if you look at the boundaries of Mela- and Polynesia, you'll see that geographically Fiji should be Poly. I quite understand the classification of Fiji as it is not only linguistically based but also based upon settling/migration waves.
But there has been so much Poly influence on the Fijians over the last few hundred years that their foods nowadays have a much more Polynesian tone to them than Melanesian. Especially during all their wars with Tonga in which prisoners from both sides would be taken as slaves and servants which vastly influenced the food.
But dave, what do the Indians have to do with all this?
Good question. It deserves a good answer!
In the late 1800's and early 1900's over 60,000 Indians (60,533 to be exact) came over to Fiji to escape economic bad times bad in India. The worked in the sugar cane fields and in the sugar refineries.
Needless to say, they've rather flourished lately and there are now more Indians than Native Fijians living in Fiji. They've also brought a lot of their cuisine with them. I think this'll be the only Indian/Fijian recipe I'll put up, all the other Fijian recipes will be much more traditional island goodies.
Oh, I do know that peanuts are not nuts. They are beans. Buuuuuuut since we all know them as nuts, I'm keeping them as nuts. Aw, nuts.
Spicy Indian Peanuts from Fiji
What you need:
1 pound of shelled, roasted peanuts --you know, the kind you buy in the store, ready to eat
1 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) OR coconut oil OR peanut oil OR olive oil --I use olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp to 2 tsp chili powder --just how hot do you want them?
sea salt
What you do:
This is pretty simple... Heat the oil or ghee in a frypan, then fry the garlic, curry powder and chilli powder for 30 to 45 seconds (DON'T BURN THE GARLIC!!!). Add the peanuts, turn the heat way down, toss to coat the nuts, and fry (while shaking those nuts) for a minute or two.
Put em in a bowl, sprinkle with your sea salt and enjoy with a crisp lager.
A note to all you Barkeeps, Taverners, Hoteliers, Publicans, etc. Make these nuts and also my spicy almonds in a large batches, keep em on the counter. You will be GUARANTEED to sell boatloads of cheap beer at highly inflated prices!
BTW; Barkeeps, Taverners, Hoteliers, Publicans translates to bloke or blokette who owns a bar, tavern, hotel, or pub.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Maori Fried Mussels
And we all know how the Kiwis love their mussels! Heck, just look at the All-Black Rugby team! Ok, just a little humour there...
There are probably about as many different ways to fry mussels as there are chef's in this world so these are definitely NOT the end-all, be-all of mussel frying. BUT (and it's a huge butt) there is one key thing here: fresh ingredients and minimal seasonings.
Why? Cus that's the Polynesian way of cooking, and New Zealand is part of Polynesia.
I'm going to give you 3 "methods" of frying them, no real recipes, just the basics of how to do it.
Oh, if you can't get fresh mussels, then you can use the jarred ones for this, but it won't be as tasty. But you won't have to go through the prep work so it all evens out.
A quick way to de-beard mussels: hold the mussel in one hand with the hinge of the shell towards you. Grab the beard with your other hand and give a quick pull towards you; the shell, as it approaches the hinge, will neatly slice off the beard. If you have a LOT of mussels this is much quicker than using scissors or a knife, AND you always get the entire beard.
1st method:
De-beard the mussels and put them in a pan with enough water to just cover them. Heat em up and take them out of the water as soon as they open. It is important you take them out right when they start to open.
Take the mussels out of their shells and slice or cutaway the tough outer ring around the front edge. Lightly dust them with flour, dip into egg/milk mixture (1 to 1, so about 1/4 cup of milk for each egg), dredge through breadcrumbs, and fry in hot butter until lightly golden brown.
2nd method:
Same as the first, but once you've got them out of the shells and cut away the tough ring you give em a quick rinse in cold water. Then dust with a mix of flour, salt and pepper. Dip in egg wash (all eggs, NO milk), dredge through breadcrumbs, and fry in very hot oil.
3rd method:
De-bread the mussels and pry them shells open (this can be, ummmm, fun!), cut off the outer ring, dust with flour, dip in 100% egg mix and then fry immediately in hot butter. This method produces the MOST succulent fried mussels EVER! But it is also a bit of work gettin' them suckers open without lightly steaming them first.
Any of those methods can be used with jarred mussels, no worries. Oh, and if you can get New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels... not only are they tasty but have some wonderful pharmacuetical properties too (I'll leave the googling for you).
If you do use a dipping sauce, DON'T use a strong flavoured sauce and DON'T use a lot of it.
A nice, crisp lager goes well with these, BTW.
There are probably about as many different ways to fry mussels as there are chef's in this world so these are definitely NOT the end-all, be-all of mussel frying. BUT (and it's a huge butt) there is one key thing here: fresh ingredients and minimal seasonings.
Why? Cus that's the Polynesian way of cooking, and New Zealand is part of Polynesia.
I'm going to give you 3 "methods" of frying them, no real recipes, just the basics of how to do it.
Oh, if you can't get fresh mussels, then you can use the jarred ones for this, but it won't be as tasty. But you won't have to go through the prep work so it all evens out.
A quick way to de-beard mussels: hold the mussel in one hand with the hinge of the shell towards you. Grab the beard with your other hand and give a quick pull towards you; the shell, as it approaches the hinge, will neatly slice off the beard. If you have a LOT of mussels this is much quicker than using scissors or a knife, AND you always get the entire beard.
1st method:
De-beard the mussels and put them in a pan with enough water to just cover them. Heat em up and take them out of the water as soon as they open. It is important you take them out right when they start to open.
Take the mussels out of their shells and slice or cutaway the tough outer ring around the front edge. Lightly dust them with flour, dip into egg/milk mixture (1 to 1, so about 1/4 cup of milk for each egg), dredge through breadcrumbs, and fry in hot butter until lightly golden brown.
2nd method:
Same as the first, but once you've got them out of the shells and cut away the tough ring you give em a quick rinse in cold water. Then dust with a mix of flour, salt and pepper. Dip in egg wash (all eggs, NO milk), dredge through breadcrumbs, and fry in very hot oil.
3rd method:
De-bread the mussels and pry them shells open (this can be, ummmm, fun!), cut off the outer ring, dust with flour, dip in 100% egg mix and then fry immediately in hot butter. This method produces the MOST succulent fried mussels EVER! But it is also a bit of work gettin' them suckers open without lightly steaming them first.
Any of those methods can be used with jarred mussels, no worries. Oh, and if you can get New Zealand Green-Lipped Mussels... not only are they tasty but have some wonderful pharmacuetical properties too (I'll leave the googling for you).
If you do use a dipping sauce, DON'T use a strong flavoured sauce and DON'T use a lot of it.
A nice, crisp lager goes well with these, BTW.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Polynesian Fried Sweet Potatoes
I'm going to post some Polynesian type recipes for a while. Of course there'll be some times when I have to post something besides that, so the posts won't be 100% Polynesian --I'll (obviously) tell you when it's not.
This, however, is one of those times when the post IS about Polynesian food. I think the title would have given a clue, eh?
Did y'all know that New Zealand is officially part of Polynesia? Tonga is but Fiji (very close by Tonga) is not. However I will be including Fijian recipes. Also one or two from Papau New Guinea even though it's not Polynesian.
Why? Cus this is my food blog! Harumph. Grumble.
One of the hallmarks of South Pacific Island food is the freshness of the ingredients, the way it's cooked, and not overly seasoned. The taste of the fresh food really comes through.
This method for frying the sweet potatoes is a more traditional way than the modern way. The modern way is basically exactly how the Belgians cook Pome Frites. That's chips to the English and french fries to US'ns.
Fried sweet potatoes and fried taro are found all throughout the South Pacific, this recipe isn't from any one particular Island.
Authentic Polynesian Fried Sweet Potato
What you need:
One or two big ole sweet potatoes
Big pot with water
Something for frying (you'll need an inch of oil, I use a wok)
Oil for deep frying --I use sunflower oil.
What you do:
Scrub the sweet potatoes well. You don't need to peel them, no worries. Hack (I like to use my cleaver for this part --fun too!) the sweet potatoes into halves and toss them into a pot of boiling water. If you have a pot large enough then you won't have to chop them in half.
You may have noticed that raw sweet potatoes are much denser and tougher than other spuds. This means you can boil them for 20 mins and although they'll be well-softened they won't be totally cooked through.
Take them out of the water (don't forget to turn the heat off on your stovetop!), let them cool 10 minutes. Slice them into disks 5mm to 10mm thick (around 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).
Heat up an inch of oil in a wok (or whatever you use for deep frying) and, ummm, deep fry them disks! Obviously, the longer you leave them in the oil, the crispier they'll get. I like to fry mine for about 2 minutes in hot oil (just before the oil starts to smoke), this makes the outer rim crispy and the center soft and SWEET.
Drain on paper towels, lightly (very lightly) salt, and fry the next batch.
This process really brings the sweet, sugary flavour out of the sweet potato.
You may want to fry one disk at a time (with a timer) and then test it for your tastebuds to determine whether you'd like to fry them longer or not.
Once you've made them once, you'll know exactly how long to fry them for your taste and then you can make them at the "drop of a hot". Very tasty, very sweet, very easy.
This, however, is one of those times when the post IS about Polynesian food. I think the title would have given a clue, eh?
Did y'all know that New Zealand is officially part of Polynesia? Tonga is but Fiji (very close by Tonga) is not. However I will be including Fijian recipes. Also one or two from Papau New Guinea even though it's not Polynesian.
Why? Cus this is my food blog! Harumph. Grumble.
One of the hallmarks of South Pacific Island food is the freshness of the ingredients, the way it's cooked, and not overly seasoned. The taste of the fresh food really comes through.
This method for frying the sweet potatoes is a more traditional way than the modern way. The modern way is basically exactly how the Belgians cook Pome Frites. That's chips to the English and french fries to US'ns.
Fried sweet potatoes and fried taro are found all throughout the South Pacific, this recipe isn't from any one particular Island.
Authentic Polynesian Fried Sweet Potato
What you need:
One or two big ole sweet potatoes
Big pot with water
Something for frying (you'll need an inch of oil, I use a wok)
Oil for deep frying --I use sunflower oil.
What you do:
Scrub the sweet potatoes well. You don't need to peel them, no worries. Hack (I like to use my cleaver for this part --fun too!) the sweet potatoes into halves and toss them into a pot of boiling water. If you have a pot large enough then you won't have to chop them in half.
You may have noticed that raw sweet potatoes are much denser and tougher than other spuds. This means you can boil them for 20 mins and although they'll be well-softened they won't be totally cooked through.
Take them out of the water (don't forget to turn the heat off on your stovetop!), let them cool 10 minutes. Slice them into disks 5mm to 10mm thick (around 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick).
Heat up an inch of oil in a wok (or whatever you use for deep frying) and, ummm, deep fry them disks! Obviously, the longer you leave them in the oil, the crispier they'll get. I like to fry mine for about 2 minutes in hot oil (just before the oil starts to smoke), this makes the outer rim crispy and the center soft and SWEET.
Drain on paper towels, lightly (very lightly) salt, and fry the next batch.
This process really brings the sweet, sugary flavour out of the sweet potato.
You may want to fry one disk at a time (with a timer) and then test it for your tastebuds to determine whether you'd like to fry them longer or not.
Once you've made them once, you'll know exactly how long to fry them for your taste and then you can make them at the "drop of a hot". Very tasty, very sweet, very easy.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Banana Tart
I noticed a few days ago that one of my readers was interested in my banana tart recipe from my holiday feast. Since bananas are now back in season and cheap here right now (less than a buck a pound) then I thought this'd be a good time for the recipe.
The trick is the filling (the banana stuff). The casing is simple. Just get a pack of shortcrust pastry sheets, use a 3 inch cookie cutter, put the cut rounds into something like this:
Poke the bottoms a bit, and then bake in an oven till the pastry is done. Or you could do it even simpler: just go to the shops and get a pack of pack of pre-cooked tart shells. But they are much more expensive than the sheets.
Side note for suzer: you can get the above baking tray at Coles, they're around 6 dollars and last forever.
Now for the filling!
Firstly, make LOTS. This stuff is so good you'll be eating it by itself. The riper the banana is the better it tastes. Even the ones that are totally black on the outside are great to use.
For every pound of banana, you'll want 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar plus the juice of one lemon.
What do you do? Chop up your bananas (peel 'em first), and toss them, the sugar, and the lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat it up, stir FREQUENTLY. Keep it at a temp that's just bubbling the mixture. When it starts to a light orangish/reddish colour, then it's done (15 to 20 mins, the riper the banana the quicker it cooks).
Pour/spoon into a bowl and let it cool. Once it's cool, spoon it into the cooked pastry shells. Then eat! You can top them with whipped cream, that's good too.
The banana filling can be used for many things: ice cream topping, a spread on toast, filling in a flaky buttermilk biscuit, or just eat it as is. When I buy bananas I'll hide 5 or 6 of them and let them go black; THEN they are great for making the filling.
The trick is the filling (the banana stuff). The casing is simple. Just get a pack of shortcrust pastry sheets, use a 3 inch cookie cutter, put the cut rounds into something like this:
Poke the bottoms a bit, and then bake in an oven till the pastry is done. Or you could do it even simpler: just go to the shops and get a pack of pack of pre-cooked tart shells. But they are much more expensive than the sheets.
Side note for suzer: you can get the above baking tray at Coles, they're around 6 dollars and last forever.
Now for the filling!
Firstly, make LOTS. This stuff is so good you'll be eating it by itself. The riper the banana is the better it tastes. Even the ones that are totally black on the outside are great to use.
For every pound of banana, you'll want 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar plus the juice of one lemon.
What do you do? Chop up your bananas (peel 'em first), and toss them, the sugar, and the lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat it up, stir FREQUENTLY. Keep it at a temp that's just bubbling the mixture. When it starts to a light orangish/reddish colour, then it's done (15 to 20 mins, the riper the banana the quicker it cooks).
Pour/spoon into a bowl and let it cool. Once it's cool, spoon it into the cooked pastry shells. Then eat! You can top them with whipped cream, that's good too.
The banana filling can be used for many things: ice cream topping, a spread on toast, filling in a flaky buttermilk biscuit, or just eat it as is. When I buy bananas I'll hide 5 or 6 of them and let them go black; THEN they are great for making the filling.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I survived!!!
Yes, I have gazed into the maw of the monster known as "Holiday Feast" and have come out unscathed. Won't mention anything about those extra pounds that came along with me...
I've also just noticed that Rachel wants to know about Miti.
Miti is a fairly simple coconut cream sauce that originated in Fiji. Since it uses chilli, onions, and lemons I'm assuming that it is not a "traditional" recipe, but one that evolved after the Europeans "discovered" the South Pacific and brought some non-native foods with them. Either way, it's darned tasty.
Before you make Miti, you have to make Lolo. There are many different ways to make Lolo, I'll describe some of them in reverse order of ease. Oh, Lolo is the Fijian word for coconut cream. Oh, when you cook with coconut cream, don't bring it to a rolling boil: lots of protein in it so it curdles and separates easily.
Lolo method 1, very traditional.
What you need:
One coconut
1/2 cup water
What you do:
Grate the flesh of the coconut, but don't forget to de-husk it first! Add the water, then strain it through a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. Wring/squeeze it out well so you get all the cream out.
Lolo method #2, not traditional
What you need:
1 cup of dessicated coconut (most stores carry this)
1/2 cup boiling water
What you do:
Pour the boiling water into the bowl with the dessicated coconut. Let it sit for a few hours, then squeeze and wring it through muslin or cheesecloth.
Lolo method #3, cheating
What you need:
cash
What you do:
Go to a grocery store and use the above cash to buy a can of coconut cream.
Note, method #3 should only be used if you're in a bit of a rush. Method #2 is the easiest, just make sure you start the dried coconut soaking in plenty of time.
On to the Miti!
What you need:
1/2 cup Lolo (see above)
juice from a lemon (you can't use my lemon tree, BTW)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 small thai chilli, finely minced
1 small onion, minced
What you do:
Chuck it all into a bowl, whisk it together and call it done! Obviously, the longer it sits on the counter, the stronger the flavour will be.
Bonus stuff!!!!
Thick Miti dip
What you need:
One cup Miti
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp minced spring onion greens (or garlic greens)
What you do:
Mix the cornflour with 1/4 cup of the Miti and the salt. Mix well. Stir in the rest of the Miti and bring it to a simmer so that it thickens, but don't let it boil or it'll separate.
Let it cool, then mix in the onion or garlic greens. Chill it for a bit, then use it as you would any kind of dip for chips, crackers, veggies, or whatnot.
I've also just noticed that Rachel wants to know about Miti.
Miti is a fairly simple coconut cream sauce that originated in Fiji. Since it uses chilli, onions, and lemons I'm assuming that it is not a "traditional" recipe, but one that evolved after the Europeans "discovered" the South Pacific and brought some non-native foods with them. Either way, it's darned tasty.
Before you make Miti, you have to make Lolo. There are many different ways to make Lolo, I'll describe some of them in reverse order of ease. Oh, Lolo is the Fijian word for coconut cream. Oh, when you cook with coconut cream, don't bring it to a rolling boil: lots of protein in it so it curdles and separates easily.
Lolo method 1, very traditional.
What you need:
One coconut
1/2 cup water
What you do:
Grate the flesh of the coconut, but don't forget to de-husk it first! Add the water, then strain it through a muslin cloth or cheesecloth. Wring/squeeze it out well so you get all the cream out.
Lolo method #2, not traditional
What you need:
1 cup of dessicated coconut (most stores carry this)
1/2 cup boiling water
What you do:
Pour the boiling water into the bowl with the dessicated coconut. Let it sit for a few hours, then squeeze and wring it through muslin or cheesecloth.
Lolo method #3, cheating
What you need:
cash
What you do:
Go to a grocery store and use the above cash to buy a can of coconut cream.
Note, method #3 should only be used if you're in a bit of a rush. Method #2 is the easiest, just make sure you start the dried coconut soaking in plenty of time.
On to the Miti!
What you need:
1/2 cup Lolo (see above)
juice from a lemon (you can't use my lemon tree, BTW)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 small thai chilli, finely minced
1 small onion, minced
What you do:
Chuck it all into a bowl, whisk it together and call it done! Obviously, the longer it sits on the counter, the stronger the flavour will be.
Bonus stuff!!!!
Thick Miti dip
What you need:
One cup Miti
2 tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp minced spring onion greens (or garlic greens)
What you do:
Mix the cornflour with 1/4 cup of the Miti and the salt. Mix well. Stir in the rest of the Miti and bring it to a simmer so that it thickens, but don't let it boil or it'll separate.
Let it cool, then mix in the onion or garlic greens. Chill it for a bit, then use it as you would any kind of dip for chips, crackers, veggies, or whatnot.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
THE Holiday Feast Down Unda
I'm a little late getting this years holiday feast typed in. In fact, we've already started on it --3 days ago! Some of you may notice it's a wee bit similar to last years feast; that's cus we've got many favorite recipes. Also, I've some new ones, and some that are just too darned expensive.
This is in NO particular order, but it'll feed four adults for two weeks. Oh, we're having a pool party and barbeque on the 28th, so the 4 or 5 kilos of snags are for the sausage sizzle.
Unless otherwise noted, everything is homemade by yours truly, or adapted (by yours truly) from recipe book --of which I have LOTS.
If'n any of you'd like a recipe for any of the following, just let me know via a comment, no worries.
Highland oat cakes
Shortbread
Peanut butter cheesecake with hot fudge sauce
Polynesian pork spare ribs
Pineapple pie
Cinnamon raisin bread
Polynesian ham
Pineapple sherbet
Chocolate mint ice cream with choc chips
Banana jam
Pineapple-Coconut pie
Miti (it's a dip)
Charlotte rouse
Banana leaf wrapped pork roast
Roast chook (at least 2 of em)
Candied yams
3 apricot cobblers (had one of em last night)
3 kinds of stuffing
4 types of gravy
3 types of salsa
Guacamole
5 kilos of sausages (for the bbq pool party)
2 kilos onions (for the above sausages)
Herbed spuds on the grill
My special homemade Dolmades
Waldorf salad
Tzatziki dip
One of my special sushi platters
Maple syrup candied pork roast
Corn chips and potato chips fresh made
Green beans and red capsicums with bacon and peanut sauce
Champagne with strawberries
Buttered roasted pumpkin pieces
2 cases beer
2 casks red wine
1 cask white wine
spicy marinated onions
Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice (mum-in-law has requested my special margaritas)
1 bottle brandy
1 bottle Father O'Learys Irish Cream
1.5 liters bourbon and coke
1 bottle dry cider
1 bottle sweet cider
Hot fudge sauce
Fudge brownies
Mince pies (lots)
Banana tarts
1 homemade bottle of chilli pepper and honey mead (I'll be the only one having that)
I think that should pretty much cover it. Remember, if you want a specific recipe then just ask.
This is in NO particular order, but it'll feed four adults for two weeks. Oh, we're having a pool party and barbeque on the 28th, so the 4 or 5 kilos of snags are for the sausage sizzle.
Unless otherwise noted, everything is homemade by yours truly, or adapted (by yours truly) from recipe book --of which I have LOTS.
If'n any of you'd like a recipe for any of the following, just let me know via a comment, no worries.
Highland oat cakes
Shortbread
Peanut butter cheesecake with hot fudge sauce
Polynesian pork spare ribs
Pineapple pie
Cinnamon raisin bread
Polynesian ham
Pineapple sherbet
Chocolate mint ice cream with choc chips
Banana jam
Pineapple-Coconut pie
Miti (it's a dip)
Charlotte rouse
Banana leaf wrapped pork roast
Roast chook (at least 2 of em)
Candied yams
3 apricot cobblers (had one of em last night)
3 kinds of stuffing
4 types of gravy
3 types of salsa
Guacamole
5 kilos of sausages (for the bbq pool party)
2 kilos onions (for the above sausages)
Herbed spuds on the grill
My special homemade Dolmades
Waldorf salad
Tzatziki dip
One of my special sushi platters
Maple syrup candied pork roast
Corn chips and potato chips fresh made
Green beans and red capsicums with bacon and peanut sauce
Champagne with strawberries
Buttered roasted pumpkin pieces
2 cases beer
2 casks red wine
1 cask white wine
spicy marinated onions
Tequila, triple sec, and lime juice (mum-in-law has requested my special margaritas)
1 bottle brandy
1 bottle Father O'Learys Irish Cream
1.5 liters bourbon and coke
1 bottle dry cider
1 bottle sweet cider
Hot fudge sauce
Fudge brownies
Mince pies (lots)
Banana tarts
1 homemade bottle of chilli pepper and honey mead (I'll be the only one having that)
I think that should pretty much cover it. Remember, if you want a specific recipe then just ask.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)