eG Cook-Off #84: Ginger

[KennethT]

25 minutes ago, David Ross said:

Over the years some of the best kitchen gadgets I've acquired are little things I've found in local Asian markets.  I think my family and friends ofter see these things and wonder why I would use something that was so cheap, (in price), and isn't fancy like the expensive French mandoline that I rarely use.  Well, these gadgets work perfectly for the job and have lasted for years in spite of maybe only costing a few dollars each.  

 

For ginger I sometimes grate it on a rasp or grater.  Last week I was wondering how I could julienne ginger more easily.  I sliced it incredibly thin using this small scale "mandoline", then stacked the slices and cut them into julienne.  It's pefect for soups and garnishes when I'm looking for more ginger flavor rather than minced or grated.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a similar mandoline - the Super Benriner! from Japan!!  Lots of !!! on the packaging... it came with a few different width blades you could attach that would julienne all in one stroke.  It's great when I make green papaya salad.

[David Ross]

4 minutes ago, KennethT said:

I have a similar mandoline - the Super Benriner! from Japan!!  Lots of !!! on the packaging... it came with a few different width blades you could attach that would julienne all in one stroke.  It's great when I make green papaya salad.

Yes that's it! Couldn't remember!  I have two julienne blades, one thin and one wide.  I'm glad you mentioned it for green papaya, as I used another tool which didn't work well.  

[heidih]

Love those cheap things. I had a small "mandoline" that did slices one end and had a ginger grater on the other. My father in law walked off with it. My replacement not so  good - but family...  This is from the Japanese version of 99 cent store

[heidih]

This finely minced ginger sauce from Fuchsia Dunlop caught my eye this morning. Kinda off sesame oil but I'd modify to my taste. Anyone going to give it a go?  https://www.seriouseats.com/2020/02/ginger-juice-flavor-sichuan-cooking.html

Edited February 24, 2020 by heidih (log)

[David Ross]

Another one of my Asian recipes uses ginger.  It's a simple shrimp dish.  In this photo I garnished it with Vietnamese Fried Garlic, one of my favorite ingredients that I use in all kinds of dishes and cuisines.  The local Asian market also sells a similar product-fried garlic.  It's basically dried ginger that's fried and it's crispy with a zingy burst of ginger flavor.  

 

Ingredients-

32 medium size shrimp, shells on

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp. canola oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. minced ginger

1 tbsp. Shoshing Chinese rice wine

1 tbsp. soy sauce

6 tbsp. butter

1/3 cup chicken stock

Salt and white pepper to taste

2 tbsp. fried garlic

1/3 cup finely chopped green onions

 

Instructions-

Peel the shells off the shrimp, leaving the tails.  Cut a slit down the back of the shrimp and remove the thin black vein.  This is the digestive tract of the shrimp and is bitter.

 

Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-hight heat and add the sesame oil and canola oil.  When the oil is hot, add the shrimp and stir-fry for 1 minute.

Add the fresh garlic and the ginger and stir-fry another 30 seconds, then add the Chinese rice wine to deglaze the skillet.  Add the soy sauce, butter and chicken stock and continue to cook until the shrimp are done and the sauce is reduced, about 3 minutes. Season with a dash of salt and white pepper.

 

Place the shrimp on a serving plate, then pour over the skillet sauce.  Garnish with the fried garlic and green onions.

 

 

Use fried ginger in place of the fried garlic

 

 

 

[MokaPot]

This Kyocera ceramic ginger grater is kind of a uni-tasker (can use it for garlic, too), but works well on ginger. It leaves behind the fibers and you end up with a cloudy ginger juice. Good for adding ginger flavor without any chunks of ginger.

[ElsieD]

10 minutes ago, MokaPot said:

This Kyocera ceramic ginger grater is kind of a uni-tasker (can use it for garlic, too), but works well on ginger. It leaves behind the fibers and you end up with a cloudy ginger juice. Good for adding ginger flavor without any chunks of ginger.

 

I have one of those.  Works really well.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Just now, ElsieD said:

 

I have one of those.  Works really well.

 

I have one also.  I find it hard to get the grated ginger out.

 

[David Ross]

36 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I have one also.  I find it hard to get the grated ginger out.

 

That's one problem with a aluminum one I have.  Fibers stick to the darn thing, so I use my little one that has a plastic base and fine metal grating bed.  Nothing sticks to that one.

[ElsieD]

39 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

I have one also.  I find it hard to get the grated ginger out.

 

 

Use a firm toothbrush, not one of those soft wimpy ones.

[Katie Meadow]

The most effective way to grate ginger in my kitchen is to use the fine shredder on a box grater. Not the very finest holes, just the one that makes tiny strings. It doesn't seem to create a cleaning hurdle.  And sometimes I like to grate it that way and then squeeze it out in my hand if I just want the juice and not the fibres. For that you really do need fresh young ginger.

[liuzhou]

I've been using this almost daily for about 20 years. No cleaning issues. Although, I also use a dedicated toothbrush when needed.

 

[David Ross]

Today I was working on an Instant Pot recipe and made some last minute decisions on what I was going to make.  I bought a whole chicken but only needed the two breasts for another recipe, so then I thought what to do with the carcass and legs, thighs and wings.

 

That's usually when I turn to the Instant Pot.  Into the pot went the carcass and legs, thighs and wings.  Then the bit of chicken stock I had on hand, water and some chicken bouillon cubes.  I usually don't use them but keep it hand.  Then chopped onions, garlic and large chunks of ginger I had from this cook-off.  The seasonings were tumeric, ground coriander, curry powder, salt and black pepper.  Pressure cooked for 25 minutes.  I've strained the stock and pulled the chicken meat off the bones and discarded bones and skin.  I plan on making a soup with the broth, chicken and some cubed potatoes.  I'm thinking I'll stir in shredded ginger and fresh lemon juice in the end.

 

Anyone have experience using ginger in Instant Pot recipes?  I'm wondering if pressure changes or mutes the flavor of ginger?

[David Ross]

Anyone have a favorite recipe and photo of a dish using ginger in Indian cuisine? Do you ever add ginger to Mexican or South American dishes?

[Darienne]

11 minutes ago, David Ross said:

Anyone have a favorite recipe and photo of a dish using ginger in Indian cuisine? Do you ever add ginger to Mexican or South American dishes?

No photos but a recipe: Vegan Indian Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry from a Chef's Kitchen (online).  I don't subscribe to Chef's Kitchen and can't remember where I found it now.

 

It is a basic list of ingredients in this dish with no quantities given.   It suggests in the notes section adding sweet potatoes and so I did.  And then added even more sweet potato when Ed complained noted that he wasn't getting enough sweet potato in his.  I also added a whopping amount of shredded pork (I follow more or less to Robert Rodriguez's recipe for Puerco Pibil .  He wrote, scored, directed, photographed, edited, etc, etc "Once Upon a Time in Mexico".  Dreadful movie (I thought) with Johnny Depp's bad guy killing one chef after another, either because his Puerco Pibil was not up to par or because it was so excellent that Depp's character knew he'd never have such a wonderful meal ever again.)  Again Ed asked for more meat.  We've eaten it on brown rice and on black beans.

 

Right....you did ask about ginger.  Well, ginger was in it. My  last set of scribbled notes says it still needed more spice.  We like spicy food.  

[David Ross]

I'm working on a cookie recipe today that hails from 1930.  The recipe calls for ground ginger, or some of the recipes back then just said "ginger."  My guess is that in 1930 not many towns had fresh ginger available.  So I'm going to add dried ginger to the cookie dough, but also grate in some fresh ginger.  What are your thoughts on dried ginger and how is the flavor profile different from dried and fresh ginger in a recipe?  Cookies and cakes for example?

[heidih]

I find ground ginger more along the flavor and taste profile of dried spices with warmth whereas the fresh has a sharper more "hello" bite. Using dry ground, plus fresh and crystallized was trendy for a while. Sometimes, to me, a bit busy.  

[David Ross]

This is an example of a molasses cookie recipe from the 1950's.  The recipe calls for 2 tsp. of ginger.  I just finished baking my molasses cookies using a recipe from 1930 and I used 1 tsp. ground ginger and 2 tsp. grated fresh ginger.  I'll post a photo later.  I remember it was a real treat when Mother made warm gingerbread, but sadly I rarely make it today.  Not that I don't love it, I just never think of gingerbread.

[MokaPot]

@David Ross , How did the cookies come out? IMO, fresh ginger root probably used to be an exotic and hard-to-obtain ingredient. I think people used ground (dried) ginger because that's all that was available. All of those old recipes can probably be improved with fresh ginger root.

[heidih]

I thought I posted about our late incredible food writer Laurie Colwin earlier but I didn't. Her piece in Gourmet was as beautiful as everything she wrote. Here is a sample of her gingerbread ode.  https://eatsreadsthinks.wordpress.com/category/laurie-colwin/  The Gourmet references are December 1987 and January 1993. Over time I've made them and enjoyed them.

[David Ross]

I used both dried ginger and fresh ginger in the Molasses Crinkle Cookies.  I did think the addition of fresh ginger made a tiny difference in boosting the flavor, but not enough that I think was really noticeable. But I think without even dried ginger they would be a really flat tasting cookie.

 

Ingredients-

3/4 cup Crisco shortening

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/3 cup blackstrap molasses

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 ground ginger

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1 tbsp. granulated sugar for dusting.

cold water for sprinkling the tops of the cookies

 

Instructions-

Mix the shortening, brown sugar and molasses in the bowl of a mixer until combined. Add the egg and mix again.

 

In another bowl, add the flour, baking soda, salt, cloves, ginger, cinnamon and allspice and stir to combine. With the mixer running, add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and slowly beat to bring the cookie dough together.

 

Heat the oven to 375. Place the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Roll 1" balls of cookie dough, then roll around in the sugar. Place the balls of cookie dough on a Silpat baking sheet on a cookie rack, and place the cookie rack on a baking sheet. This allows some air to get underneath the cookies while baking. Gently press down on the cookie dough balls to flatten, then sprinkle with a few drops of cold water.

 

Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 12 minutes. You'll see the cookies just start to have crinkles on top. Bring the cookies out of the oven and sprinkle more sugar on top. Let the cookies cool and serve.

 

[MokaPot]

@David Ross Thanks for answering my question. (The cookies look good, though.) What about ginger snaps? I heard a lot about how good the Trader Joe's triple ginger snap cookies were. I tried them and was disappointed. Maybe you can improve greatly on those, when you get the time.

[Anna N]

14 minutes ago, David Ross said:

I used both dried ginger and fresh ginger in the Molasses Crinkle Cookies. 

 

I tried to compare your recipe to my recipe and it seems to me that you definitely need to up the spicing. Not sure why you are using blackstrap molasses but suspect such would overwhelm the spices. But I don’t claim at all to be an expert. 
this is my recipe which I hope you can read. 
 

 

[heidih]

20 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I tried to compare your recipe to my recipe and it seems to me that you definitely need to up the spicing. Not sure why you are using blackstrap molasses but suspect such would overwhelm the spices. But I don’t claim at all to be an expert. 
this is my recipe which I hope you can read. 
 

 

That is what Laurie Colwin says - up the spice and nix the molasses - overwhelms and can add a bitter tone. That woman I trust  Why she liked Lyle's golden syrup or similar.

[David Ross]

31 minutes ago, Anna N said:

I tried to compare your recipe to my recipe and it seems to me that you definitely need to up the spicing. Not sure why you are using blackstrap molasses but suspect such would overwhelm the spices. But I don’t claim at all to be an expert. 
this is my recipe which I hope you can read. 
 

 

I'll up the ginger.  I've always used blackstrap molasses for recipes because I just love that deep flavor.