Spicy Clams and Shrimp

On 09/01/2012 (Monday) at 11:49 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/82sb874

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Details

• Prep Time:
  10 min
• Cook Time:
  7-10 min
• Ready Time:
  17 min

Ingredients

• 8-10 little neck clams or any clams of your choice
• 8-10 medium shrimp
• 3 cloves of garlic chopped
• one red chili chopped
• 1 tablespoon red pepper paste see photo for example
• teaspoon fish sauce
• tablespoon sugar
• handful of fresh basil chopped once
• vegatable oil

Directions

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Start with a hot wok or pan and add three tablespoons of vegetable oil and let it get smoking hot. Now add the garlic and chilies and let sit for 15 seconds of so the stir them around for about one min.

Now add the clams and depending on the size of them how long they will take to open. stir them around a bit and if needed add a splash of water and cover for a min or so and they will pop open. (you get all that great clam juice as part of the sauce) discard any clams that don’t open.

Now add the red pepper paste, fish sauce and sugar stir fry constantly for about a min. Then add the shrimp and basil and toss a few more times the shrimp will cook quick. The sauce should become one with everything in the wok. Remember to keep the heat almost on high. If for some reason it gets to hot pull it off the heat for a min but you need really high heat for this.

Plate and finish with a little more fresh basil and some more chopped chili if you want it even hotter.

Keep it low carb buy just eating it this way no rice I think you will find it hugely satisfying  as the flavor is crazy!

Benny

Littleneck Clams with Crispy Shallots

On 26/02/2012 (Sunday) at 7:20 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/7z3erys

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Details

• Prep Time:
  15 min
• Cook Time:
  3 min
• Ready Time:
  18 min

Ingredients

• 5 littleneck clams per serving
• crispy shallots in olive oil finely slice shallots and fry them in olive oil until browned
• fish sauce
• sliced scallions
• chili sesame oil
• fresh lime juice

Directions

Start by shucking the little necks. If you are not good at it you can always put them in a 375 degree oven for a couple min or until they just start to open.

Lay on a baking tray and put some of the crispy shallots with some of the olive oil on top of the clam. Add a dash of fish sauce and a little bit of scallions and a drop of sesame chili oil.

Now under the broiler middle rack for about 2 min until you can see the juice bubbling. Finish with a squirt of fresh lime juice.

How easy is that and absolutely delicious!

Benny

Spicy Head On Shrimp

On 15/01/2012 (Sunday) at 6:00 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/7coxly3

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Details

• Prep Time:
  15 min
• Cook Time:
  5 min
• Ready Time:
  20 min

Ingredients

• 3 large head on shrimp
• kosher salt and pepper
• 1/2 bup Sriracha sauce
• tablespoon honey
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
• olive oil

Directions

Most important part cleaning and prepping the shrimp. Use my photos to help, start with a pair of scissors and cut from the head towards the tail the shell so you can expose the digestive track of the shrimp. You can see me pulling it out this you want to get rid of. Most of the prep time is the cleaning.

Now using wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 min thread it through the shrimp to keep them straight. This is good for presentation and helps with them to cook evenly most important.

Mix the Sriracha honey and chili oil and brush on the shrimp all over season with salt and pepper then onto a hot grill for about 2 min a side until there is a little char happening.

Take off the bbq let rest for a min then pull the skewers out and serve with a little more Sriracha sauce and drizzle some chili oil on for some extra heat.

Don’t forget to suck the brains out of the head!

Benny

Roasted Pork and Baby Bok Choy

On 03/02/2012 (Friday) at 3:05 am by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/6ryot2j

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Details

• Prep Time:
  5 min
• Cook Time:
  20 min
• Ready Time:
  25 min

Ingredients

• 4 oz of pork tenderloin
• 3 heads baby bok choy
• kosher salt and pepper
• sriracha sauce to finish
• olive oil
• Benny’s Asian marinade

Directions

you will need my Asian marinade for this dish

• 2 cups light soy sauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 5 cloves of garlic minced
• large knob of ginger minced
• tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

combine everything and keep in the fridge for about 2 weeks

Take the pork loin and cut  into small rounds then using a meat mallet pound them out until they are about 1/8 inch thick. pour some of the marinade on top and let sit for 30 min room temp or overnight in the fridge. Cut into strips before cooking.

Cut up your baby bok choy into thirds or so rough chop is good. Now using a roasting pan put the baby bok choy in followed by the pork season with salt and pepper, drizzle some olive oil over and a little more of the Asian marinade (about 3 tablespoons)

Now into a 450degree oven and about ten min into it using tongs toss it all around. You will see a lot of liquid on the bottom that is ok back in and check after ten min. Once the liquid has evaporated start tossing everything around and back in for a few more min. Keep checking and tossing until you have a nice glaze on everything.

Plate, finish with some Sriracha if you are wanting some heat and enjoy! Cheap, healthy and delicious!

Benny

Soy Bean Sprout Pad Thai with Shrimp

On 18/02/2012 (Saturday) at 3:10 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/8789zll

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Details

• Prep Time:
  12 min
• Cook Time:
  7 min
• Ready Time:
  19 min

Ingredients

• one bag of bean sprouts about 4 cups worth
• 5 medium size raw shrimp shells off and cleaned
• handful of fresh cilantro
• one scallion chopped
• one egg beaten
• one red chili chopped
• 1/4 cup toasted crushed peanut or cashews which I used

Sauce

• 3 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• tablespoon tamarind sauce you can use white vinegar instead
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• juice of half a lime
• teaspoon peanutbutter
• vegatable oil for frying

Directions

Start by making the sauce just combine everything together mix well set aside.

Using a wok or big pan heat it up as high as you can add the a couple tablespoons vegetable oil and when smoking drop in the shrimp and cook for about one min until just turned pink then set aside.

Add the chopped scallion and chili and stir fry until fragrant, now add the bean sprouts and stir fry for about 2 min until they are just starting to lose their crunch make sure the heat stays as hot as it can.

Make a well in the middle of the sprouts and drop in the beaten egg and stir fry around quickly so the egg is incorporated into the sprouts. Now make a well again and add the sauce, let it start to boil and reduce slightly so it looks thick and stir fry it into everything.

Add the shrimp back in and keep stir frying until the sauce has coated everything nicely and there is no trace of liquid this may take 3 min or so just keep it moving in the wok until it reaches this point.

Plate and finish with the toasted nuts and fresh cilantro.

Benny

Braised Napa Cabbage with Chinese Five Spice

On 09/10/2011 (Sunday) at 4:56 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/62hjskr

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Details

• Prep Time:
  5 min
• Cook Time:
  15 min
• Ready Time:
  20 min

Ingredients

• one napa cabbage one quarter per serving
• 1/2 cup clarified butter good for 2 servings
• 1/2 cup sake good for 2 servings
• kosher salt and pepper

Directions

Trim the tough leaves off the cabbage and cut into quarters

Make your clarified butter by putting a stick of unsalted butter in a pan to melt and when it starts to foam remove those solids from the top then carefully pour butter into a dish making sure to leave the bottom sentiment behind.

Put the cabbage into a pan and pour the butter and the sake over the top, season with salt and pepper and seal with foil tightly and into a 450 degree oven for 12 min.

Take out, remove the foil and put back in for another 3 min or until you start to see the ends of the cabbage char a little.

Plate and pour the juice from the pan over the top, light dust with some Chinese Five Spice Power and a good amount of Shichimi Togarashi which is a fine red pepper mix or you can use crushed chilies.

Easy stuff now go make some for your friends!

Benny

Tempura Sole with Spicy Ponzu

On 29/08/2011 (Monday) at 9:57 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/3cpcfgg

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Details

• Prep Time:
  15 min
• Cook Time:
  5 min
• Ready Time:
  20 min

Ingredients

• 6-8 oz piece of your favorite flat fish I used sole filets
• vegatable oil for frying
• thinly sliced shallots to garnish

Tempura Batter

• 2/3 cup AP four
• one cup cold water
• one egg yolk

Spicy Ponzu Sauce

• 1 tablespoon tabasco sauce
• 1 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil vegatable oil will work as well
• 2 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon chopped cinlatro add before you serve
• juice of half a lemon and half a lime
• pinch of kosher salt

Directions

First, take your fish of choice and cut it into bit size portions making sure they are all roughly the same size and set aside.

Then, preheat your vegetable oil to 375°F.

Next, make the spicy ponzu sauce by combining all of the ingredients (except the cilantro) together in small bowl. Don’t add the cilantro at this point because it will turn an unappealing brownish color. It will be added right before serving for maximum flavor and color. Mix everything together and set aside.

Making tempura batter is a little tricky, but follow my recipe and you will have a perfect result. Place the egg yolk and the ice cold water into a small bowl then start whisking in the flour. Drop the fish into the batter and coat well, then drop the battered pieces into the hot oil. Cook for about 3-5 minutes until they become a little golden in color. If they get too dark, the fish will be overcooked. Remove the fish pieces to drain on a paper lined plate and then begin to prepare your plates for service.

Spoon some of the sauce onto each plate, add some fresh cilantro and then stack the fish pieces in a small mound. Garnish each plate with some thinly sliced shallots. Dip each of these delicious, crispy pieces of  fish into the sauce and enjoy.

I believe you will find this to be a pleasant change to the usual fried fish with tartar sauce.

Benny