Archive for the ‘Vinegar’ Category

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Chilli PeppersCucumber
The traditional way to make this involves poaching the chicken, which is delicious.  I never get round to it, so tend to make it with leftovers from a chicken roast:

cold chicken
3 spring onions
white pepper

Soup
chicken carcass
1 onion
1 carrot
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Rice
1 mug rice
2 mugs cold water
1/2 tsp salt

Cucumber pickle
1 cucumber
1 cup vinegar
1 small chilli
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Once you’ve stripped all the chicken off the carcass, put the chicken in the fridge.  Put the carcass in a big pot with a peeled chopped carrot and onion and two bay leaves.  Cover with water and bring to boil.  Simmer for an hour or two, then strain and throw away the bits, leaving the liquid to cool.

Meanwhile wash the cucumber and cut into batons or thin slices.  Chop the chilli finely.  Mix the chilli, cucumber, vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl and leave to macerate.

When you are ready to eat, cook the rice.  Bring the rice, 2 mugs water and 1/2 tsp salt to boil.  Simmer for around 10 mins until water has evaporated.  Taste the rice.  If it is ready and the water is nearly gone, put a lid on the pot and turn up the heat for 30 seconds to generate steam, then turn off the heat.  If not yet done, add a little more water then retest a couple of minutes later.

While the rice is cooking, bring the chicken stock to boil.  Season with a dash or two of light soy sauce.  Finely chop the spring onion.

To serve, pack the cooked rice into a small bowl, then turn one out onto each plate.  Arrange the cold chicken next to the rice.  Pour some chicken soup into a small bowl for each person, sprinkle in some spring onions and season with a shake or two of white pepper.  Serve with the bowl of cucumber pickle on the side.

I absolutely love the clean, fresh tastes of this dish.  To eat it you can take a spoonful of rice and dip it into your chicken soup.  You then have the succulent pieces of chicken (more so if you make this by the poaching method), and some fresh and spicy cucumber to give it all a lift.  We are having this tomorrow night and I can’t wait!

Posted in Bayleaf, Carrot, Chicken, Chilli, Cucumber, Onion, Recipe, Rice, Soy sauce, Spring Onions, Vinegar, White pepper | No Comments »

Bayerischer Kartoffelsalat (Bavarian Potato Salad)

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Raw Potato
Well, the German theme prevailed this week and tonight the bangers and mash morphed into Bratwurst mit Kartoffelsalat.

500g Potatoes (Nicola are perfect for this)
1/2 Onion
1 Beef stock cube (you can use vegetable, but its not authentic!)
3 tbsp Vinegar
1 tbsp Vegetable oil
Black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut into eighths.  Cover with cold water and bring to boil (you don’t need to salt the water).

Chop the onion very finely and place in the salad bowl.  Put the stock cube in a mug and pour over 1/4 mug of boiling water and whisk with a fork to disperse the stock cube.  Add the same amount again of vinegar.  Whisk in the oil, then pour all the dressing over the onions and stir.

Check the potatoes; you want them just done if possible, as they need to absorb the dressing.  As soon as they are ready, drain and add to the mixture in the bowl.  Stir at regular intervals for the next 10 minutes as they cool.  Taste, and season with a few grinds of black pepper.  I really don’t think it needs extra salt as there is plenty in the stock, but then again I’m used to catering for little ones, so I try to keep the salt levels down generally.

The texture really depends on how soggy you like your potato salad; I’ve had this almost like soup in Germany.  I like it so the potatoes keep some of their shape, but are well seasoned and some of the corners ‘melt’ to thicken the dressing.

This is another deeply savoury and satisfying winter salad.  Stodge without the fat.  Serve warm with any grilled meats or sausages, but this is particularly good with grilled Bratwurst and some mild German mustard (or Dijon if you aren’t a purist).  For further authenticity, serve it with beer, preferably Weissbier.

There are many variations on this, from adding chopped gherkins to chives, bacon bits to cucumber.  In our family, we like it just as it comes.  Even seeds aren’t allowed anywhere near it.  Guten Appetit!

Posted in German, Onion, Organic Box, Potato, Stock, Toddler, Vinegar, Weaning | No Comments »