Restaurant In Business For 250 Years Due To A Single Dish

This Japanese restaurant has been in business for 250 years, is famous for one dish called Oyakodon, and have long lines with wait times up to 4 hours!



And Noma thought it has a fanatic following! :)

It's a nice video. However, I wish there was a bit more description of the dish that is is famous for. Instead, the video focused more on the current owner of Tamahide restaurant in Tokyo.

Anyway, I found another video on the preparation of an Oyakodon. It may not be identical to what they serve in Tamahide, but it will tell you what the dish is. And now, I haven't had the opportunity to have something resembling this yet.



Zz.

Turmeric Chicken

I made another dish based on a S.E. Asian's "turmeric chicken" dish that I remember. I think I had to wing it and adjust the ingredients a bit until it matches my memory. It turned out fine, even though I think I under-seasoned it a bit, and toned down the spicy heat to almost nothing.

In any case, the one interesting ingredient that it requires is fresh turmeric. While turmeric powder is commonly available here in the US, the fresh turmeric root is significantly less common. I'm lucky that there are two grocery stores within a 10-minute drive from where I live that carry these fresh turmeric root. This is what they look like unpeeled, and peeled. They are about 2 inches long.

They are quite fragrant with the aroma of turmeric, and you can use a lot more of these without "over-yellowing" your dish.

So in this turmeric chicken dish, I blended the turmeric roots with shallots, garlic, and ginger until they become a smooth paste. I saute the paste in oil until fragrant, and then add chicken pieces. I prefer bone-in chicken thighs and legs, because they will make the dish tastier.

I then add 2 cups of water to 2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp, and extract the juice/flavor from the pulp. I strain the mixture into the post with the chicken pieces. Then I added 4 smashed stalks of lemongrass. Salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Let it simmer for about 15 minutes, and then add large chunks of carrots, and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes. Adjust seasoning once more.

When done, best to let it stand for about 10 minutes with the lid off. The dish should not be soupy, but it also should not be completely dry.

This is what it looks like while cooking, before adding the carrots.

Serve over rice.

If only you can smell the fragrant aroma of it during cooking. Ah!

Zz.

Roast Chicken On A Weeknight?

Why not?

I made this 2 weeks ago on a Monday, or all days. Had the chicken fully thawed, made sure the chicken is dry by mopping the outside and inside with paper towels.

Then I made an oil rub which consisted of olive oil, fresh rosemary, lemon zest, paprika, salt and pepper. I loosened the skin from the flesh on the breast and the thighs/drumsticks. Carefully, without tearing the skin, I rubbed the meat with the oil rub, basically covering the flesh underneath the skin. You may have to use the handle of a wooden spoon to reach the far crevices of the legs.

Then I put two springs of rosemary and the two halves of the lemon that I used for the zest into the chicken cavity.

I roasted the chicken on a rack in a preheated oven at 425 F for the first 10 minutes, and then reduced it to 3:50 for the remainder of the cooking, about 50 more minutes. But all ovens are different and your chicken will be of a different size than mine, so check carefully after 45 minutes total cooking time for temperature in the thickest part of the chicken for 165 F.

Once it has hit that internal temperature, remove from oven and the pan, and let the chicken rest for 15-20 minutes. If you leave the chicken uncovered, the skin will remain crispy.

After that, it is just a matter of carving it out, or simply pull it apart, and enjoy!

Zz.

Malaysian Satay

Satay is a rather common menu items at Thai restaurants here in the US. And unfortunately, it has been thought of as being a "Thai food" when in reality, satay is a common and popular item throughout South East Asia. Each country and each region has its own version of this food, and the variation can be significant.

Having sampled many different types of satay throughout the region, I'd say that my most favorite satay is the Malaysian/Indonesian satay. While the satay you find in most Thai restaurant are flavored with nothing more than just turmeric, Malaysian satay has a lot more species, herbs, and flavors. This includes the peanut satay sauce that accompanies the satay. The flavor is significantly more complex and interesting.

Having moaned to my friends about the satay that we often got at Thai restaurants, I decided to put my money where my mouth was and actually made Malaysian satay at home and invited many of my friends to sample it. I basically started with a basic recipe, and then I adjusted it until the flavor that I get matched what I remember how it should be. Making satay at home isn't easy, and it is tedious. Satay is often eaten at food stalls or restaurants because of this. This is very seldom done at home. So I certainly was aware of what I was undertaking.

First, let me give you the basic recipe that I used to make satay. The meat used in the recipe is chicken (boneless dark meat) or beef (flank steak). But in Malaysia/Indonesia, you may find tripe, chicken liver, beef liver, etc. skewered as the satay meat.

Satay Recipe

2 boneless chicken thighs and 2 boneless chicken legs, cut into half-inch pieces. If using flank steaks, cut into thin strips (no more than 1/4 inch) about 3/4 inch long

5 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon turmeric power

Satay Spice Paste

6 shallots
3 stalks lemongrass
1 inch galangal root
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons oil

Toast coriander and cumin seeds in a pan until fragrant. Combine all the ingredients for the Spice Paste into a blender or food processor and process until you get a fine paste. Add more oil if necessary to get a smooth paste.

Combine the Spice Paste with the chicken pieces, sugar, salt, and turmeric. Mix thoroughly. Let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Satay Sauce

2 cups dry roasted peanuts, skinned (may substitute with 2 cups of chunky peanut butter)
1/3 cup oil
1 heaping tablespoon tamarind paste, soaked in 1 cup warm water.
1 cup water
4 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt

Satay Sauce Spice Paste

1 dried ancho pepper, soaked in warm water until soft
6 cloves of garlic
3 shalots
4 stalks lemongrass
1 inch galangal root
3 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds

Toast coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. If using dry roasted peanuts, chopped in food processor coarsely and set aside.

Blend Satay Sauce Spice Paste ingredients in a food process until smooth. Add cooking oil if necessary to obtain a smooth paste.

Heat oil and fry spice paste. Once fragrant, add tamarind water, water, sugar, salt, and peanut/peanut butter. Slowly simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside and serve at room temperature or slightly warm.

Back to the satay. The next day, thread 4-5 pieces of meat per skewer.

In preparation for grilling, pour a cup of cooking oil into a bowel. Use another stalk of lemongrass, and lightly bruise the stalk end. Dip this end into the oil and let it steep for 1/2 hour. This will be the basting brush.

Grill the satay skewers over coal or on a grill at high heat. Brush the meat with the oil-infused lemongrass. Flank steaks should take no more than one minute on each side, while chicken may take 1-2 minutes per side, depending on how thick the pieces are. There should be slight charring of the meat for flavor.

Serve with satay sauce, sliced cucumbers, and red onions.

So, want to see what I did and how my satay party turned out?

These are the coriander and cumin seeds being dry toasted in a pan.

Preparing the satay spice paste. I couldn't find galangal root, so I substitute ginger root instead.

Frying the spice paste for the peanut sauce. I was making a large amount.

The lemongrass basting brush soaking in oil.

Grilling the satay. I made both chicken and beef.

Malaysian satay is served. I also made "pressed rice" to serve with the satay and peanut sauce, along with the sliced cucumber and red onions. Traditionally, the rice is "ketupat", which is rice cooked in a weaved basket made of coconut leaves. But hey, I can only do so much!

It was yummy, if I may say so myself, and it was definitely a success. I managed to give an idea to my friends what "satay" is supposed to taste like, at least from what I remember.

I may have to do this again next summer if I can find people to help me skewer the meat.

Zz.

Random Tastes of 4 Fast-Food Fried Chicken

This is some random, unscientific survey of fried chicken from 4 popular chain restaurants: KFC, Chick-fil-A, Church's, and Popeyes. Here's what they found:

All in all, if you want excellent fried chicken, your best bet is Popeyes or Church's. If you're willing to sacrifice a true, on-the-bone experience, Chick-fil-A's strips are your best bet. But don't bother with KFC.

This is why Popeyes chicken, with the spicy version accompanied by their Cajun rice, is my most favorite guilty pleasure. However, I do think that they used to be "spicier" a while back, and the spicy version seems to have been toned down a bit now.

Still, it's my #1 most favorite chicken from a chain restaurant.

Zz.