Lunch! What'd ya have? (2012–2014)

[Anna N]

Kitchen sink salad. The last bit of romaine, some sweet onion that was fading in the fridge, leftover flatiron steak and crumbled blue cheese all dressed with a creamy worcestershire sauce dressing and topped with crumbled chicharron and crispy shallots. Looks messy but hit the spot.

[heidih]

Anna - perhaps you have explained your shallot frying method before - can you recap? Also do you make a batch and store, and if so, for how long? I like even the store bought ones but now have access to well priced shallots so would like to try. Also have you done it with onions?

[Anna N]

Anna - perhaps you have explained your shallot frying method before - can you recap? Also do you make a batch and store, and if so, for how long? I like even the store bought ones but now have access to well priced shallots so would like to try. Also have you done it with onions?

This has been an epiphany for me. I have long made crispy fried onions for our Danish lunches and they were good but barely retained their crspness even overnight. These shallots stayed crispy for TWO WEEKS. Funny you should ask about onions as the same thought occured to me last night and I will soon try.

Now for the shallots - the secret is so simple. Start them in COLD OIL! Slice them thinly, drop into lots of cold oil. Heat the oil gently, stir frequently, pull just before they reach the colour you want. Drain on paper towels salting while hot. Store in airtight container. I used a jar that had held chutney or something. As with all deep frying don't crowd the pan. Let oil cool to room temperature before adding another batch. Strain and save the oil. It's delicious. Let me know how it goes.

[heidih]

A favorite oil? On my list

[liuzhou]

Bought some crab claws

and made a simple spicy crab fried rice with crab meat, egg, chilli, onion, coriander leaf, Chinese chives and mushrooms.

[Shelby]

It's a long and uninteresting story why but I ended up in an unexpected lunch with a delightful friend I just happened to run into outside a Hunan restaurant here in Guangxi.

We had 口水鸡 (kǒu shuǐ jī) which I translate as "Mouthwatering Chicken". Some people insist on the more literal "Saliva Chicken", but I feel that is not the sentiment intended.

It is steamed or poached chicken in a light chilli sauce. There was raw cucumber hiding underneath. Really fresh and indeed "mouthwatering".

Mouthwatering Chicken (Large).jpg

Next to turn up was this bowl of 花生苗 (huā shēng miáo) or peanut stems - the stems of the peanut plant. They are sweet and crunchy, but not peanut-y. Truly delicious.

peanut stems (Large).jpg

Then we had 跳舞虾 (tiào wǔ xiā) or "Dancing Shrimp". A table top stove with raw, shell-on but butterflied shrimp mixed with onion strips and enoki mushrooms, covered in a mix of chilli and Sichuan peppercorns turned up, and a waitress cooked the thing table top.

dancing shrimp0 (Large).jpg

Dancing shrimp (pre-cooking)

dancing shrimp (Large).jpg

Dancing shrimp (after the ball).

Not a pretty dish, but it was the tastiest of the three.

All served with plain steamed rice and a nice green tea.

Then friend and I went shopping for dinner, before she carried me home on her motorcycle.

Peanut plant stems! Interesting. Probably something I'll never run across. I'm jealous!

Bought some crab claws

Crab Claws.jpg

and made a simple spicy crab fried rice with crab meat, egg, chilli, onion, coriander leaf, Chinese chives and mushrooms.

crab fried rice.jpg

Looks amazing. AND I see you using my favorite plates again.

[liuzhou]

Looks amazing. AND I see you using my favorite plates again.

Those are my standard everyday plates. I love them, too.

[Anna N]

Homemade pork balls, purchased wontons, some shredded pork adobo and shiritake noodles in chicken broth.

[huiray]

Several lunches from recent days.

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• Pan-fried marinated tuna steaks.

• Cappelini tossed w/ sautéed garlic & parsley.

• Fresh Chinese mushrooms, oyster mushrooms & white beech mushrooms; stir-fried w/ scallions & ginger.

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• Kale in chicken broth.

• Steamed mini cauliflowers (salted, dusted w/ pepper, drizzled w/ oil).

• Broiled marinated hamachi kama (collar cut of Japanese Amberjack).

• White rice (Basmati).

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• Sour-Hot Flavor Vermicelli (酸辣粉絲) [Lam Sheng Kee (林生記); 正宗四川小吃]; augmented w/ sliced Debreziner sausage, a few splashes of Chinkiang vinegar (鎮江香醋) [Jiangsu Hengshun] (I dumped the vinegar pack that came w/ the noodles) plus chopped raw wong nga pak (Napa cabbage) and chopped scallions added in at the end.

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• Spanakopita [Grecian Market (stall), Indy City Market]; with scallions on the side.

• Coarse Braunschweiger, Ring Liverwurst [both from Claus’ German Sausage and Meats]; with celery, mini croccantini, crusty baguette [Goose the Market].

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• Leftover stir-fried shrimp (from the previous night’s dinner) w/ extra thin Fuzhou flour vermicelli (mee sua) [sun Kee].

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• Leftover Harm Choy Tong.

• Sliced fresh Merguez sausages [smoking Goose, via Goose the Market] mixed w/ dried chilli flakes then sautéed in olive oil w/ lots of sliced garlic (Music), some of the rendered (red-colored) fat poured off; sautéed w/ halved shallots, trimmed broccoli rabe then enough water to create sauce. Tossed w/ al dente spaghetti [Garofalo].

[rotuts]

Sour-Hot Flavor Vermicelli

Yum !

[Anna N]

The lunch of an unabashed carnivore.

[Anna N]

Today's take on summer rolls. Julienned carrots, green onions and leftover rare beef wrapped in Boston lettuce with a swipe of wasabi mayo.

[rotuts]

interesting. is that last outer layer the usual rice wrapper?

[scubadoo97]

Took a hint from Steve Irby and made what kids nightmares are made of, turnips and kale. Love them both and they were excellent together. Thanks Steve

[Anna N]

interesting. is that last outer layer the usual rice wrapper?

Yes it is.

[huiray]

Recent lunches.

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• Onion rings, Purple Peruvian & Red Thumb fingerlings, Leberkäse, farm eggs. All pan-fried.

• Spinach & Wong Nga Pak salad; oil & vinegar & black pepper.

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• Stew. Meaty country-style pork ribs, farm carrots, yellow onions, leeks, Carola potatoes, whole cloves, stick cinnamon, water, sea salt.

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• Vegetable/"Vegetarian" buns [The Chinese food stall/eatery (天津小吃; "Tianjin Snacks") in Saraga International Market].^¶

• Glutinous rice w/ Chinese mushrooms & pork bits wrapped in lotus leaf [commercial].

^¶"Vegetarian" in the loose sense (see relevant thread in the China sub-forum) - this has dried prawns (har mai) in the filling.

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• Soup. Fish tofu [from Thailand; distributor: CF Trading], tong ho (garland chrysanthemum, large-leafed variety), wong nga pak (Napa cabbage), large standard white mushrooms, garlic, chicken stock.

• Capellini [De Cecco], tomato sauce [fresh tomatoes, butter, salt], Parmigiano Reggiano.

Edited December 10, 2013 by huiray (log)

[liuzhou]

Crab Ramen

This was meant to be a quick lunch after I arrived back from a field trip this morning. But by the time I boiled the crab and dug out the meat I was starving!

The broth was made from some stock I had in the freezer - clam and shrimp shell stock - and I added shallots and chillies. There is also a little camera shy greenery hiding underneath.

[weinoo]

Berkeshire Pork Rib Chops w/slightly overcooked (a la Romana style) broccoli raab.

[Anna N]

Salad of romaine, scallions, and chuck tender dressed with chipotle mayonnaise and some crispy fried onions.

[scubadoo97]

Homemade gyro meat stuffed in a pita with a large smear of fresh made tzatziki,

slices of tomato and shredded lettuce

[ambra]

I've been thinking about trying my hand at homemade gyro meat. Do you have a recipe you like? Thanks!

Edited December 14, 2013 by ambra (log)

[scubadoo97]

I've been thinking about trying my hand at homemade gyro meat. Do you have a recipe you like? Thanks!

I use an altered version of Alton Brown's recipe.

I use a mixture of beef and lamb for a milder flavor which my family likes. I add a little more salt and a touch of MSG to the recipe. Alton suggests two cooking methods, rotisserie or loaf/oven method. I don't have a rotisserie on my grill so opt for the loaf method which is very easy. The loaf is also easy to slice.

Comes very close to flavor and texture of gyro meat locally found in my area

[huiray]

Recent lunches.

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• Leftover beef, veal, celery meatballs in beef stock; with misua (min sin; Fuzhou flour vermicelli) [sun Kee].

• Napa cabbage Kimchi [commercial]

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• Chicken broth w/ carrots & celery.

Pic of the gnarly carrots that went into it:

(yes, that is a glass of J&B on ice)

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• Cantonese-style steamed striped/large mouth bass. (swimming around in a tank until not so long ago before it hit my pan)

• Stir-fried young bok choy, w/ smashed garlic.

• White rice (Basmati).

Edited December 15, 2013 by huiray (log)

[liuzhou]

Bladder Moon Snails* in a spicy dressing. Slightly chewy, peppery and utterly delicious. They are approximately 50mm / 2 inches in diameter. I got through a dozen.

*Glossaulax didyma, a variety of carnivorous sea snail. The Chinese name is 扁玉螺 (biǎn yù luó), which I much prefer. It literally translates as Flat Jade Snail, which sounds a whole lot better.

[Anna N]

Pork tonkatsu.