eG Cook-Off #84: Ginger

[andiesenji]

This was popular with my clients when I was catering.

 

Triple Gingerbread

 Ingredients

1 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda            

1 Tablespoon cinnamon                    

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves        

2 teaspoons ground ginger        

3/4 teaspoon salt            

______

 

1 1/2 Cups sugar

2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 cup chopped Crystallized ginger

1 Cup vegetable oil

1 Cup unsulfured pure cane syrup or (Lyle’s Golden syrup)

1/2 Cup water

2 large eggs

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

 

Butter and flour 9 x 13 baking pan line bottom and sides with parchment

 

Sift first 7 ingredients into medium bowl.
Combine sugar, oil, molasses, water, eggs, and fresh ginger in large bowl; 
Mix in crystallized ginger.

Stir in dry ingredients.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool cake in pan on rack 1 hour (cake may fall in center).  
Turn cake out on wire rack and then back onto serving board or platter.

Sift a light dusting of XXXXX sugar over the top. Use a paper doily to make a pattern.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

(Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap in foil and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving).

Edited February 18, 2020 by andiesenji (log)

[liuzhou]

Living here, it is almost a legal requirement to always have at least three types of ginger in the fridge / pantry. Young ginger, middle-aged ginger, old ginger, sand ginger etc. I covered what I can find in most stores here. I use some variety of it in almost everything. I also drink a lot of ginger tea, which I make from scratch.

 

But my favourite dish containing ginger is not Chinese. It is this. (The first recipe, of course. Never tried the others.) It calls for "syrup from a jar of stem ginger", which I've never seen here. So I have to make that myself, use the syrup and munch on the ginger at other times. I have cooked it many times and served to many friends, all of whom have loved it.

 

I also pickle my own young ginger - the sort of stuff served in Japanese sushi places as a between bites palate cleanser. Always have some  in the fridge. It keeps forever; or would if I didn't keep eating it.

 

I also have some Chinese cooking wine laced with ginger. Seldom use it.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[kayb]

Thanks for the candied ginger recipe, @andiesenji. I'll stock up on ginger next time I'm at the big Asian market (SO much cheaper there!) and try this. Have also saved the triple gingerbread recipe.

[David Ross]

I'm interested in a recipe for ginger tea.  Do you just steep ginger in hot water, or do you also add some black or green tea?

[jedovaty]

I like fresh ginger and turmeric grated and steeped in water at roughly 180F for 5-10 minutes, as an excellent cough/cold/flu relief; honey and lemon can of course be added.  On a strange whim a while back, I mixed some into whole-groat buckwheat porridge with a splash of maple syrup, and it was strangely satisfying.

 

While not cooked, what about ginger ale/beer?  I used to grow a naturally fermented bug late spring and made some tasty ginger beers throughout summer and into fall.  For some strange reason, however, my last several attempts have all failed.  My process is: grow bug (mix grated organic ginger into filtered water with some sugar, add a little ginger and sugar daily until very fizzy and white stuff on bottom), then use about 1/4c into 1-2 L room-temp homemade flavored syrup (ginger, pineapple, strawberry, peach, melon, vanilla, whatever).  Let this begin bubbling, then bottle, and drink/fridge once enough pressure has been built in the bottles. The bug seems to fail at the step when mixing with syrup, I don't know why.  But, if you all haven't tried this, highly recommended!

[andiesenji]

2 hours ago, David Ross said:

I'm interested in a recipe for ginger tea.  Do you just steep ginger in hot water, or do you also add some black or green tea?

 

I prefer a malty assam paired with ginger.  if I have fresh ginger I slice off a piece about the size of a dime, chop and put it in with the leaves.

Or I plunk a piece of crystalized or candied ginger into the bottom of the cup and pour in the brewed tea.  My great grandmother often drank tea that way and she attributed her very long life to drinking tea daily and she varied it throughout the day and evening. She liked green tea with ginger in the mornings.

Edited February 18, 2020 by andiesenji (log)

[BeeZee]

For me, ginger tea is coins of peeled ginger, lemon peel, and honey simmered for a while until I feel like the ginger taste is strong enough (so it will vary depending on volume of water/amt of ginger). Some fresh lemon juice added to the cup before drinking. Last time I made a large amount and reduced it quite a bit with sugar to make a ginger simple syrup which was really nice tossed with citrus segments.

[David Ross]

What are your thoughts on how to store ginger?  Today I'm making a Chinese rib recipe and I have ginger in both the marinade for the pork ribs and also in the glaze I'll be using to brush the pork.  When you have a knob of fresh ginger left after a recipe, how long do you find it will store in the fridge, and do you or have you ever freezed it?

[Margaret Pilgrim]

I keep[ ginger in the garlic crock, dry, since I've had it mold in the fridge.     It's stays viable for a month or so.

[ElsieD]

I've kept mine for months in the freezer.

[KennethT]

I find that the flavor of ginger gets muted in the freezer.  I keep it on the shelf with the garlic/onion/shallots, etc.  How long it keeps depends on how old it was when I got it at the store!  That can vary quite a bit.  Galangal keeps a bit better in the freezer, but when defrosted it weeps liquid and is mushy - so if you were to use it, I would slice it thinly while it is still frozen so you don't lose all the juice.  It still isn't nearly as powerful as fresh though.

[heidih]

I store ginger wrapped in a paper towel and in the  thin plastic bag from market loosely wrapped w/ a few holes for bit of air, then into vegetable drawer of fridge. Unless it was crummy to start it lasts for weeks and seems to retain moisture just right as opposed to drying out.  I do check on it and replace towel or slice off dry bits.  Not a recipe cook so if I think it might enhance something, in it goes - unpeeled. sliced lengthwise to expose the cells  

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

I've kept mine for months in the freezer.

Also done here.  And it's easier to grate from frozen.

 

[andiesenji]

8 hours ago, David Ross said:

 

 

I have a crock, in which I keep some sand and I store ginger in the sand which gets a couple of drops of water from time to time.  (It's washed "sharp" sand) The ginger may sprout after awhile but it stays fresher than way than any other.

I also store fresh  galangal  and turmeric in the crock.

Edited February 19, 2020 by andiesenji
quote inserted that I did not. (log)

[liuzhou]

7 hours ago, David Ross said:

I'm interested in a recipe for ginger tea.  Do you just steep ginger in hot water, or do you also add some black or green tea?

 

 

I do it basically the same as @BeeZeedescribes.

Edited February 19, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[Ann_T]

On 2/17/2020 at 9:26 AM, Darienne said:

Glad of the smile...but here I go again.  Whipped cream on gingerbread?  I think not.  I grew up eating gingerbread and the only topping ever offered was applesauce.  I don't know about other Canadians.  I've not made a study.   

 

In a similar vein, Canadians invariably (to my somewhat limited knowledge) always eat apple pie with cheddar cheese and yet I have yet to find one American sourced recipe which mentions cheese...only ice cream...and again whipped cream.   Whipped cream on apple pie?  A travesty in my not so humble opinion. 

This Canadian doesn't care for cheese on my Apple Pie, but I am very happy with either whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

And when it comes to Gingerbread, I like it  warm served with either a lemon sauce or a caramel sauce.  Have never had it with apple sauce. 

[KennethT]

2 hours ago, andiesenji said:

 

I have a crock, in which I keep some sand and I store ginger in the sand which gets a couple of drops of water from time to time.  (It's washed "sharp" sand) The ginger may sprout after awhile but it stays fresher than way than any other.

I also store fresh  galangal  and turmeric in the crock.

 

That's really interesting. I'd love to know more about it.

[Margaret Pilgrim]

2 hours ago, Ann_T said:

This Canadian ... when it comes to Gingerbread, I like it  warm served with either a lemon sauce

As did my mother-in-law.

[andiesenji]

Storing roots of all kinds in sand is an old technique.

I grew up on a farm and we had barrels of sand in the cellar where root vegetables were stored for months.

My grandparent's cook stored ginger in sand, that I think came from Florida when I was a child in the 1940s and it came in a wooden crate packed in sand on the train with crates of fruit and melons. 

 

I just always thought that was the way to store it.

 

 

[David Ross]

We know there are all sorts of different ways to prepare ginger for a recipe, slicing, mincing, grating or cutting into thin julienne strips.  Yesterday I was working on a Chinese salad recipe and used a new technique for cutting ginger.  I'll have a photo later today, but what are your thoughts on how different techniques  affect the flavor of ginger in your recipe?

[heidih]

Hhmmm - my experience is that the more you open the cells by cu or crush the more flavor . But I also consider who I am cooking for.   For just me I tend to do finer style because I'll eat it. For some others I try to use pieces that can be picked out by the eater if desired to just provide a subtle ginger note. 

[David Ross]

I usually add ginger to my Asian dishes even if the recipe may not call for it.  And in some cases I add extra ginger.  Sometimes I'll add ginger to the sauce, stir-fry and maybe some fresh ginger as a garnish.  This is my recipe for Satay with a Thai Red Curry Peanut Dipping Sauce.  I use ginger in the marinade for the Satay and also ginger in the dipping sauce. 

 

Ingredients-

1 lb. thinly sliced beef round or chuck

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, chopped (substitute 2 tbsp. frozon, pre-chopped lemongrass)

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. fish sauce

2 tbsp. dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. minced garlic

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 tsp. tumeric

1 tsp. ground coriander

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

shish kebab skewers

 

Cut the beef into slices 1/4" thick.  You can freeze the beef for 3 minutes to harden it a bit, making slicing easier.  Then cut the beef into 2" x 3" strips.

If you're using bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for one hour prior to grilling so they won't catch fire.  Metal, non-stick skewers are a good alternative.

 

Place the lemongrass, oil, fish sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, tumeric and coriander in a blender and blend to combine, about 1 minute.

Pour the marinade in a container and add the beef strips.  Stir to coat the beef with the marinade.  Cover and refrigerate to marinate, 4 hours.

 

Prepare your outdoor grill.  (Or heat a grill pan on the stovetop or the broiler in your oven.  The key is to cook the Satay on high heat just a few minutes until it starts to char and is cooked through). 

 

Remove the beef from the marinade and thread onto the skewers. When the fire is hot, place the grate on the barbecue grill and place the skewers over the fire.  Grill for 1-2 minutes, then turn and grill another 1-2 minutes until the meat starts to char and is cooked through.

 

Transfer the Satay to a large serving platter and serve with Thai Red Curry Peanut Sauce 

 

Thai Red Curry Peanut Sauce-

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup hot water

1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. Siracha hot sauce

1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

1 tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 tsp. minced fresh garlic

1 tbsp. chopped green onions

2 tbsp. chopped dry-roasted peanuts

 

Place the peanut butter and hot water in a blender and pulse to combine. Add in the Thai red curry paste, palm sugar, hot sauce (you can eliminate the hot sauce), soy sauce, rice vinegar, lime juice, ginger and garlic and pulse to make a smooth, thick sauce. Place in a container, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

 

Place the peanut dipping sauce in a serving bowl and garnish with the green onions and chopped peanuts.

[heidih]

My left hand smells like good spicy ginger. Got a hand of it in a grocery delivery. Quite juicy/ it helps that most of the shoppers are from ginger using countries.  they select well. Just tucked a few maybe 16th inch planks into the broth for later. 

[liuzhou]

On 2/19/2020 at 10:56 PM, andiesenji said:

My grandparent's cook stored ginger in sand

 

Yes. Ancient storage method. The Chinese for one type of galangal literally translates as "sand ginger" for that very reason.

 

沙姜 (shā jiāng) -- Kaempferia galanga - sand ginger

 

Edited February 22, 2020 by liuzhou (log)

[David Ross]

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.