The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. Jaden Hair
Japanese breadcrumbs made from crustless bread and once you use panko, there is absolutely no wanting to go back to regular, heavy, soggy breadcrumbs. Panko are more like “flakes” than crumbs and the end result is airy, super-crisp coating on whatever it is you’re coating. You can use it to bread seafood, meats or vegetables and you can deep-fry, pan-fry (Asian Crab Cakes, page 83) or even bake for a healthier dish, like in Baked Crispy Chicken with Citrus Teriyaki Sauce (page 105). You can find panko at any Asian market and even at your regular grocer. Check the “Asian” section or the section that sells bread-crumbs. If you can’t find panko, just use regular, unseasoned breadcrumbs.
Chili, Chile, and Chilli I’ve had fiery debates going on via Twitter and email on the correct spelling of chilli pepper (the fruit from the plant . . . I’m not talking about chilli con carne). In the past, I’ve always spelled the pepper “chili”, my friends Elise and Matt spell it “chile” (as do many in America and in Spanish-speaking countries). But many of my Asian cookbooks use the spelling “chilli”. Sigh . . . how confusing! Well, I asked my friend, Michael Ruhlman, for his opinion and he cited late food historian, Alan Davidson’s Oxford Companion to Food and Harold McGee, NY Times food writer and author of many chefs’ food bible On Food and Cooking. Both believe that the double “ll” spelling is the way to go, pointing out that it is the original romanization of the Náhuatl language word for the fruit (chīlli). Whatever spelling you see in other books, on grocer’s shelves or jar of hot sauce, just remember they all refer to the fiery hot members of the Capsicum genus.
Chilli Sauce I don’t think I could ever be without chilli sauce. Wait. I think I say that about a lot of ingredients! Chilli sauce is a blend of chillies with other ingredients such as garlic, salt, vinegar and sugar. Chilli sauce is so popular in all countries of Asia, and it’s very easy to make your own from fresh or dried chillies. Of all chilli sauces, there are two that are the most popular in the U.S., one is called Sriracha and the other is the Indonesian sambal oelek—a chilli-garlic combo. A staple at many Vietnamese restaurants (though originated from Thailand), Sriracha is like ketchup with a kick! I use it for everything, yes, even dipping in french fries (mix Sriracha with mayo). Its bottle is easy to spot—look for a green cap and a rooster logo—and you’ll find it. Chilli garlic sauce, or sambal oelek, is thicker and great to add to a bit of soy sauce for a simple dipping sauce for dim sum. I also sometimes add a spoonful of chilli garlic sauce to stir-fries. Once opened, keep chilli sauce in the refrigerator. For a discussion of sambal, see page 24.
Chillies, dried You can find whole dried chillies at most Asian markets and you can soak them in hot water for a few hours to blend with some garlic or other seasonings to make a great chilli sauce, or you can throw them whole into your cooking. Of course, if you use them whole, you’ll get the lovely flavor of chilli without all the heat. I personally like to cut each dried chilli in half, empty out and discard the seeds and add the halved chillies to my dish. This way, my kids aren’t surprised with a zinger of a bite if a chilli seed (the source of most of the heat) is hidden in their food! The whole dried chilli is about 1 1/2 to 2 inches (3.75 to 5 cm) long and you can usually find them in your regular supermarket.
Chillies, fresh Of all ingredients, this is the most fun to play with. There are so many different chillies from all over the world and each has different levels of heat. In the U.S. you’ll find finger-length chillies (medium spicy) to Thai bird’s-eye chilli, which are tiny but will have you screamin’ for your mama. Here’s my tip. Use what you like and what you can find fresh in your markets. Generally (and I really do mean generally) the larger the chilli is, the less spice it packs. I try to find larger chillies because while I totally enjoy the flavor of fresh chillies, my spice tolerance really isn’t that high. Jalapenos, while not Asian, are super-fresh and plentiful in my markets and I also grow them in my backyard. If you prefer even less heat, go for the big, fat banana peppers, which are incredibly mild but still have wonderful flavors.
Chilli Powder or Flakes Asian chilli powder is dried chillies ground into powder or flakes. It’s very popular in fiery Korean dishes, like Spicy Korean Tofu Stew (page 112) and it’s the heat that makes kimchi hot! Use sparingly at first, taste and then add more chilli powder if you need to into a dish. A little goes a long way, trust me. Oh, and one more thing. After you taste, wait 30 seconds before you add more chilli powder. Some chilli powder sneaks up on you, and its effect won’t be apparent until a few seconds after you swallow! The powdered seasoning mixture, sometimes labeled as “chilli powder”, is used to make chilli con carne should not be substituted for Asian chilli powder.
Curry paste, Chinese five spice powder, cinnamon sticks, shallots, ground and whole coriander, star anise and dried red chilli pepper.
Chinese Black Vinegar This is one of my secret ingredients in my pantry. Anytime that I think a Chinese stir-fry needs a little somethin’—a splash of Chinese black vinegar always does the trick. It’s made with sweet rice that has been fermented, like fine aged vinegars. You can substitute with balsamic vinegar. You’ll find that Chinese black vinegar is that indescribably secret ingredient in Chinese Beef Broccoli (page 94).
Chinese Rice Wine (or Sherry) Shaoxing wine is the most popular Chinese rice wine, and it’s made from rice and yeast. While you can drink good quality Chinese rice wine, it’s not my cup of spirit. However, I can’t imagine cooking Chinese dishes without it! I use Chinese rice wine in everything from marinating meats to a splash in my stir-fry to an entire cup in braises. You can substitute with dry sherry.
Chinese Sausage or “Lap Cheung” is found in the refrigerated section or in the dry goods section. Chinese sausage is sold in plastic shrink-wrapped packages in Asian markets. It is cured, so it lasts for a long time like Italian sausage. Keeps for about six months, sealed in its original packaging at room temp. Once you open, seal in plastic bag and refrigerate for up to another 6 months. Unopened, they keep in your pantry for 1 year, as they have already been cured. This is another of my secret ingredients, especially in Chinese Sausage Fried Rice (page 131). Everyone who’s tried this sausage becomes addicted. I mean like loves it so much they’ll sneak in your fridge and swipe the rest of the package home. It’s salty-sweet and has little tiny pockets of fat that melt when cooked and flavor your entire dish. This is a must-try! There are few types of Chinese sausage, including duck liver. My favorite is just the regular ‘ole pork. My kids think I’m the world’s best mom when I throw a few links into my steaming rice—Chinese Sausage With Rice and Sweet Soy Sauce (page 129). There is no substitution—just buy the real thing!
Chives—Chinese. Chinese chives look like thick blades of grass—they are flat and dark green. They are stronger in flavor (and sweeter too) that the regular thin chives used in Western cooking, and you can add Chinese chives to any stir-fry, dumpling or egg roll filling. The flowering Chinese chives are stiffer, taller than Chinese chives, and are one of my favs to add to noodle dishes, like the Quick Noodle Stir-Fry (page 136). You can substitute with regular Western chives.
Cilantro. See Herbs.
Coconut milk is made by squeezing the grated pulp from a coconut, it’s not the same as coconut water (which is the water found when you open a fresh coconut) You’ll find coconut milk canned at any Asian market and mostly likely in the “Ethnic” section of your grocer (which, I hope one day will be obsolete and global ingredients will be found throughout the store). Coconut milk is unsweetened (not to be confused with sweet creme of coconut used for cocktails). There are many differences in each brand. The first pressing of the grated coconut results in very rich and creamy coconut milk (I loooove) and then the coconut pulp is soaked in warm water and pressed again. The subsequent is more watery, less flavorful. The best way to tell the quality of a coconut milk is to pick up a can and shake it. If it feels/sounds thick “schlonk-schlonk” (yeah, um, schlonking is a word) it’s good. If it’s watery “squish-squish” it’s not as good. Personally, I go for schlonk. My fav brands are Mae Ploy and Chaokoh. There aren’t really substitutions, unless you want to grab a coconut, grate and squeeze yourself. Don’t even try to sub with milk and coconut extract—I’d rather have you skip the dish entirely than go that route.