Recipe : Malaysian One Pot Sticky Wings

I adapted this recipe from Food & Wine's Andrew Zimmern's Kitchen Adventures. My adaptations have more to do with availability of ingredients in Ahmedabad, rather than for taste and the final result was good, something I will make again.

Ingredients :
1 kg prepped chicken wings/drumettes (with skin will yield a better glaze & stickiness, but skinless will work too)
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
4 whole dried red chillies (or break in half for spicier flavour)
2 star anise (keep them whole, so they can be easily removed at the end before serving, or crush them for a stronger flavour)
6"cinnamon stick (keep whole, so it can be easily removed at the end before serving, or crush for a stronger flavour)
1/3 cup (80ml)soy sauce
1/3 cup (80ml)sake (rice wine / white wine / a sweetish white vinegar can be substituted, a fruit vinegar can be used if your diet restricts alcohol)
1/3 cup (80ml)water
3 tbsp oyster sauce (fish sauce or thick soya sauce can be substituted, but you may need to use less to manage the overall flavour and salt content)
3 tbsp mirin (sweet wine or sake + a tsp of sugar)
3 tbsp brown sugar (can use normal sugar too)
2 spring onions, thinly sliced

Method:
In a large nonstick pan (or in batches - each wing needs to be in contact with the pan), cook the wings over moderate heat, turning once, until golden on both sides (about 8 minutes).
When all the wings have been browned, put them all back in pan (if you have been frying in batches), add the ginger, chillies, star anise and cinnamon and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the soy sauce, sake, oyster sauce, mirin, sugar and water and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Uncover and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the wings are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a thick glaze.
Discard the chillies, star anise and cinnamon before serving.
Transfer the chicken wings to a platter, scatter the spring onions on top and serve with lime wedges.

Check out the original recipe on Food & Wine, where these wings were 1 of 20 featured Chicken Wings Recipes.

Book Review : 1001 Foods - The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth

The Covers of "1001 Foods - The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth" and "1001 Foods to Die For" look remarkably similar (as you can see in the picture above) However, the introduction for the first is written by Terry Durack and the second one by Corby Kummer. The publisher for the first is Pavilion and the Publishers for the second are Andrews McMeel Publishing and Madison Books. So I'm not sure if they are the same or just share a common topic and cover page.

The book that I own and have reviewed in this post is the 1st one - "1001 Foods - The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth"

The Editor of this compendium - Terry Durack is Australia's top food writer and restaurant reviewer and also a regular contributor to the UK's Independent on Sunday.

"1001 Foods - The Greatest Gastronomic Sensations on Earth" is divided into 11 chapters following the general courses of a classic dinner. Appetizers & Small Food, Soups & Salads, Noodles & Rice, Fish & Seafood, Poultry & Game, Meats, Beans Cheese & Eggs (a surprise chapter), Fruits Nuts & Vegetables, Desserts, Breads Cookies & Pastries and Beverages. This makes the book a quick and easy reference when you are searching for inspiration. There is also a detailed index at the back if you are searching for something in particular.

Do note, that not all 1001 foods have recipes provided. About 25% of the dishes have detailed recipes, the remaining 75% have general descriptions on what the dish looks and tastes like and a bit about its cultural heritage. If you are comfortable cooking without measurements, these descriptions may be enough for you. But even if you can't do that, you can always run an online search for a recipe of a dish that interests you.There are plenty of full colour photographs that will help you visualise what the finished product should look like.

The recipes have been compiled from a number of well known chefs including Julia Child, Heston Blumenthal, Mario Batali, Nigella Lawson, Madhur Jaffrey, Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith, Ina Garten, Rick Stein, Claudia Roden, Nigel Slater, Gary Rhodes and Donna Hay among others.

1001 Foods also has some single page features like : 25 Best Nibbles to Eat with Champagne, 25 Favourite Poultry & Game Dishes, 20 Superb Sausages, Smoked Foods, Best Barbecued Meats, Salumi (Cured Meats), 4 Strong Cheeses, 4 Sheep Milk Cheeses, 4 Children's Favourites - eggs, 15 Apple Desserts, 20 Chocolate Treats

The book covers recipes from India, USA, France, China, Japan, South East Asia (Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand), UK, Jamaica, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Greece, Middle East, Lebanon, Morocco and Germany for the most part.

A couple of recipes from Russia, Ireland, Scotland, Korea, Belgium, Sweden, Mauritius, New Zealand, Israel, Iran, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Cuba, Turkey, Balkans, North Africa, Hungary, Poland, Peru, Egypt, Denmark, Nethrlands, Switzerland, Cyprus, Austria, Scandinavia, Balkans and Eastern Europe also make an appearance.

And some recipes whose origins can't really be conclusively traced are classified as European or International.

As you can see, not all countries are covered. I for one would have loved to have seen some SriLankan & Ethiopian dishes in the book and more recipes from South Africa and South America.

But it would be difficult to create a truly comprehensive book on world cuisine that will satisfy everyone.

Rating : 4 / 5

Recipe: Spring Rolls

My friend Shilme had given me her recipe for spring rolls awhile ago, but I'd been postponing making them myself, as I had the mistaken notion that it would be a lengthy process.

I just made them myself with store bought frozen spring roll wrappers and while it took some time to gather speed and my shapes aren't all even, it was actually quite easy.

These freeze well, so you can make them and fry immediately or freeze and fry when needed.

Ingredients for Stuffing:
250gms chicken mince (can make this at home with boneless breast pulsed in the food processor)
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 large Onion - chopped
1/2 cup carrot - minced
1/2 cup peas
1/2 chopped spring onion
1 tbsp veg oil
Salt, white pepper , a dash of sugar to taste

Other Ingredients for Spring Rolls:
1 packet Spring roll wrappers - about 40 sheets
oil for deep frying

Method:
Heat oil till smoking hot.
Add garlic, sweat for a few seconds then add the minced chicken.
Stir fry till the chicken is cooked and looks fairly dry .
Add chopped onion, carrot and peas, stir till the vegetables are half cooked.
Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
Sprinkle the spring onion just before turning off the fire and give a quick stir.
Set aside to cool.

Roll into spring rolls using the following steps:

Then roll in a forward motion to get this cigar shape

Fry immediately or stack in a box for freezing.

When you want to use them, take them out of the freezer 5-10 minutes before and deep fry. If you still have pieces leftover - pop them back in the freezer. I used my batch for over a month. It tastes best when fresh but the frozen ones are good too.

Serve hot with readymade sauces or the sauces given below.

*These will yield about 20-25 pcs of spring rolls, depending how generous you like the stuffing in your rolls.
* You can just make the vegetarian ones by omitting the chicken and doubling the vegetables.

Red Chilli Sauce:
5 Fresh red chillies
3 cloves garlic
salt, sugar, vinegar to taste

Whiz in blender with some water till smooth, heat in a pan till it reaches your desired consistency.

Alternative Red Chilli Sauce:
Same process as above but I use dried chillies instead, cut them into a few pieces to remove the seeds, and saute in hot smoking oil for about a minute. Don't cook for too long it will get bitter and lose all the taste. Blend with other ingredients and heat in a pan till it reaches your desired consistency.

Shilme's Spring Rolls

My friend Shilme whose husband was posted in Cairo the same time as us, has now come to India, after short stints in Johannesburg and Ireland in between.

While Shilme is Malaysian, her sojourns across the globe have added depth and layers to her food and cooking style. She invited me over for a Malaysian home cooked soul-food lunch the other day. The food was so good that I was so busy eating, I did not take pictures.

I think I will start a series of posts on home made food cooked by my friends. Many of whom are wonderful cooks, but do not blog. They will be henceforth tagged as Guest Chef. They might include recipes, but at the least they will include photos.

Coming back to Shilme, she had made a wonderful beef broth with noodles and a variety of home made sauces. The broth was light and flavoursome. The noodles made it a filling dish as well. This dish is a kind of Malay soul food.

Shilme also fried up some home made spring rolls. While the pastry is the store bought variety, she makes the stuffing at home. Shredded cooked chicken and vegetables with salt, pepper and a hint of sugar make the stuffing.

She said that she stuffs and rolls the spring rolls and then freezes them. Then she just takes them out and immediately deep fries them for a tasy snack or side dish when needed.

She gave me some frozen rolls to take home and husband averred that these were the best spring rolls he has ever eaten in his life (he had no idea they were home made before I served them to him)

Thanks Shilme.

Edited on 1st December 2010 to add Shilme's Recipe
Ingredients for Stuffing:
250gms chicken mince (I usually make this at home with boneless breast and pulse in the food processor)
3 cloves garlic - minced
1 large Onion - chopped
1/2 cup carrot - minced
1/2 cup peas
1/2 chopped spring onion
1 tbsp veg oil
Salt, white pepper , a dash of sugar to taste

Method:
Heat oil till smoking hot.
Add garlic, sweat for a few seconds then add the minced chicken.
Stir fry till the chicken is cooked and looks fairly dry .
Add chopped onion, carrot and peas, stir till the vegetables are half cooked.
Season with salt, pepper and sugar.
Sprinkle the spring onion just before turning off the fire and give a quick stir.
Set aside to cool.

*These will yield about 20-25 pcs of spring rolls, depending how generous you like the stuffing in your rolls.
* You can just make the vegetarian ones by omitting the chicken and doubling the vegetables.

Red Chilli Sauce:
5 Fresh red chillies
3 cloves garlic
salt, sugar, vinegar to taste

Whiz in blender with some water till smooth, heat in a pan till it reaches your desired consistency.

Alternative Red Chilli Sauce:
Same process as above but I use dried chillies instead, cut them into a few pieces to remove the seeds, and saute in hot smoking oil for about a minute. Don't cook for too long it will get bitter and lose all the taste. Blend with other ingredients and heat in a pan till it reaches your desired consistency.

Good Luck.
Shilme