COCONUT NASI GORENG WITH SHRIMP

Nasi goreng is Indonesia's national dish. It is to Indonesia what meatloaf is to America. Every family has their own recipe. Or so my Dutch friend told me. The Dutch East Indies became Indonesia after WWII, so the Dutch have melded quite a bit of Indonesian cuisine into their own. You can eat some great Indo food in Amsterdam! 


Nasi goreng means 'fried rice' in Indonesian. It's a one-dish meal that can be endlessly varied, depending on what vegetables and meats or seafood you have on hand. I like it best with shrimp or chicken (or a combination of both) but you could certainly use tofu or no protein at all, as my vegetarian friend does. It's a highly spiced dish, usually with a bit of heat. There are some basic ingredients common to the many versions of nasi goreng. Fried shallots, sweet soy sauce and cold rice, which is preferred to freshly cooked rice because it becomes soft and mushy during the cooking of the nasi. You can use ANY leftover rice for this dish. You needn't cook it in coconut milk.


You can make your own bumbu - spice mixture - or buy a commercial variety. The one I like best is made by the Rijsttaffel company. You can visit their website at www.indonesiancooking.com You can use the recipe on the back of the package for guidance, but do your own thing with what you have around, or follow my recipe and get ready for some YUM.

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COCONUT NASI GORENG WITH SHRIMP


2 14 oz. cans light coconut milk *
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. jasmine or long grain white rice


Bring coconut milk and water to a boil. Add rice, stir and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until almost done, when rice still has some bite to it - about 18 minutes. Drain well, reserving the milk. Place rice in fridge to cool (cold is best). 


3 T. canola oil
1 large shallot, chopped
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 lb. large shrimp, cut into thirds
3/4 oz. Nasi Goreng spice mixture
2 T. sweet or regular soy sauce
1 c. frozen peas, thawed
Leftover coconut milk, as needed
Sambal oelek, to serve on the side, if desired ***


In large, deep sauté pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add shallots and saute until turning brown. Add the carrots and about 1/3 c. reserved coconut milk. Cover pan and simmer on low until carrots are just barely tender. Uncover the pan, increase heat to medium high and add half of the spice mixture and the shrimp pieces. Saute two minutes, then add the cold rice, crumbling up as you add it to the pan. Squirt the soy sauce evenly over the rice, pour about 1/2 c. of coconut milk over it and mix all together gently. Let the rice sizzle, turning over occasionally, allowing the bottom to get browned and a little crusty. Turn the heat up higher, if you need to, watching carefully. This browning really adds to the flavor. Once you have some areas of nice browning, remove from heat and serve immediately, with sambal oelek on the side if you like it with a hot kick.
Serves 4 



* light is thinner, so the rice cooks more evenly OR use regular coconut milk, thinned with water
** use wild-caught shrimp to avoid a muddy taste
*** Sambal oelek is a ground red chili paste - HOT!

SHUCK ME, SUCK ME, EAT ME RAW ~ Oyster Heaven ~

That's the motto of the Brady Oyster Company (and others around the country) and they sell bumper stickers! 


Yes, you need a shellfish license to harvest oysters, clams, mussels, cockles, crabs, shrimp, lobsters as well as seaweed. The license costs $18 per year. Seasons and open harvest beaches vary throughout the year for each type. Oysters have the widest range of season compared to clams and crab. There are limits for each type of shellfish, counted per day. 


Before going out shell-fishing for anything, I check the fish and wildlife website to make sure there hasn't been a closure for red tide, PSP (paralytic shellfish poisoning), or other reasons, like allowing the shellfish population to come up again on that beach. I check when low tide is and make sure I arrive within an hour either side of that time. It's very disappointing to arrive at the wrong tide! 

The old adage "only eat oysters in months that contain an 'R'" was a crude way for people to remember when oysters are likely to spawn, which is in the warmer months, generally. It isn't that you can't eat them during spawn, but they're not as big, they're watery and flubby and the liquor is milky. In some areas of the country, warmer waters also mean higher possibility of PSP or red tide. It's dependent on location, water flow and temperature whether oysters are good to harvest at different times of year. Because Pacific Northwest waters are so cold year-round, I've eaten delicious oysters in May and June. Same goes for Nova Scotia, Maine and the excellent Prince Edward Island oysters. 

As to shucking ... in the drawing above, you see that the "hinge" is to the left of the picture. It's where the oyster is attached so that the oyster can open and close to feed and regulate body temperature. That is where you want to open it. If you try to open it at the "lip" end, the shell just continually chips away, there isn't anywhere to get a good bite to start opening the shell. At the hinge, there is a divot between the two shells where you put the tip of the oyster knife, push hard, kind of waggling a bit until you feel the tip break through. The juice will start to run out at this point - don't waste it! Most beginners try to pry the oyster open by twisting the knife back and forth. It works, but it's a lot harder. Better to pry up and down. Once the oyster is open a quarter inch or so, you slide your knife along the top shell, as close to the shell as you can, to cut the attachment on that side, allowing the shell to fall away. Now your oyster is in the "half shell" but still attached to that one. Again, slide the knife gently under the oyster and cut the attachment. That's how you'd be served oysters on the half shell. Or you use it in your cooking and toss the shell. It takes some strength, but when you get the technique down, it isn't a fight. 

Choosing which ones from the beach might be easiest to shuck gets to be clear once you've learned to shuck them. I look for a clear hinge, with a divot. Sometimes, the hinge is almost fused, with nowhere to put your knife. Those are frustrating, though not impossible. Also, if the oyster is in a cluster, some may be easy to get at, others not, due to how they attached to themselves or the rock they're on. 

With oysters of different types ranging from $8 to $14 a dozen, it's worth it to go out for your own. Even if I only go three or four times, I feel I more than paid for my license. Plus, I go for clams, mussels and seaweed, too, so very worth the $18 license fee. Plus, I get to be outside, smelling sea air, watching birds and gathering food. Can't get much better than that! 

♦ EDIBLE PARCELS ♦

Spiced Beef Parcels in Banana Leaf

One very long day of making hors d'oeuvres for the Christmas party order -- and I survived! It's so much more work doing appetizers than even doing a multi-course dinner. I always forget that. But, it was fun to do and I hope the report from the client will be positive. 

I really wanted to do the beef parcels because they fit a holiday party so well. It's an Indonesian-inspired flavor of minced beef, with toasted coconut and sweet chili sauce to garnish. I think I'd like to do a variation on the theme and serve larger packets as a dinner course, with rice on the bottom, the minced meat on top and sauce already in the wrap. As for the little parcels, one has to have patience. I should have done them first, not last! 

Another offering was a vegetable terrine with gelatin. A very European sort of dish -- I find that gelatin is used much more often in cold starters over there and I think Americans have a bit of an aversion to it because of Jell-o. If done properly, a savory gelatin or aspic is a pretty way to start or separate courses. The terrine I made yesterday was made with roasted eggplant, zucchini, and grilled red and yellow peppers in a gelatin of rich vegetable stock, tomato paste and white wine infused with thyme. I'm very happy with the way it turned out. After making the party terrine in the form, I had enough left over that I put the rest in a bowl for us. This is - roughly - how it looks when sliced, although, the real terrine mold produces much prettier results. This is just to give you an idea of what it looks like. 

The third dish I made was Greek Koftas (meatballs) with a radish tsatsiki sauce. I like this radish version even better than the usual cucumber tsatsiki. It's slight bite and the pink color with red shreds is just so pretty.

Radish Tsatsiki Sauce

They were pleased and enjoyed the flavors. Now the come-down from the holiday excesses and some lighter, refreshing dishes to come. 

FORAGING - Cranberries, Rose Hips and Mushrooms!

~Rose Hip Syrup~

Last weekend was idyllic, autumn weather and I'd heard that mushrooms were up like crazy out near the coast. Our came the foraging gear and off we went to see what we could find. October is also cranberry harvesting season here in the northwest. So, I had high hopes for the day. 

On the way, we spotted some rose bushes laden with perfect rose hips. We picked about three cups, making sure to leave plenty for the birds to enjoy. I planned to use them to make rose hip syrup for use in tea. 

When we arrived at the coast, we started looking under the shore pines just behind the dunes. There were bolete mushrooms all over the place,as well as a few chanterelles! Jim called to me from the parking lot, "See any?" "Only everywhere," I replied. We could afford to be picky and only take the freshest, least blemished ones. At the end of the day, we had over 12 lbs. of mushrooms and I had a lot of work ahead of me to fry and freeze, dry and bag and to eat now.

We broke for lunch and were served piping hot cranberry apple cider. It was utterly delicious - I had two. After lunch, we headed for the cranberry fields, hoping to buy some fresh ones. There were some people out harvesting, but not many. The cranberry rakers we use out here in the northwest were invented here, as flooding the fields as they do back east isn't practical. No one was selling cranberries, so we got out to take some photos and all along each field were scattered berries that would go to waste. So, we gathered a bag of them and I had visions of my own cranberry cider dancing in my head.  

Hot Cranberry Apple Cider - heavenly!

Bags of cranberries, ready to ship out

It was fun to find all this free food, just going out looking for it. Today, I made the rose hip syrup. The color is so rich and beautiful and the flavor is uniqely its own. Rather like persimmon, but with a little kick. Here is a simple recipe to make your own. It's wonderful in tea, over sliced fruit, on ice cream or plain yogurt. 

ROSE HIP SYRUP

2 1/2 c. ripe rose hips, any size

2 c. water

1/3 c. sugar

6 strips of lemon peel

Juice of half a lemon

Trim the blossom ends off the hips and place in small saucepan. Pour water over, then add sugar and lemon peel. Bring to boil, then turn down heat to a simmer. Do not cover! Simmer about ten minutes, then use a potato masher or back of a large spoon to crush the fruit. Continue simmering for another 25-30 minutes, until liquid is becoming thickened. Stir in lemon juice. Remove from heat, cool slightly and then strain through a very fine sieve (or use one sieve inside of another), crushing fruit as you go to extract as much juice and pulp as possible. Pour into a jar, refrigerate and use within a month. 

Note: spices can be added, if desired, such as cinnamon, cloves or candied ginger

☼

~CHANTERELLE HEAVEN~

Aren't they beautiful?! I look forward to chanterelles all year. Autumn in the Pacific Northwest brings an enviable harvest of many types of mushroom ~ lobster mushrooms; chanterelles; fall oyster mushrooms; cauliflower types; lion's mane; various boletes - including King boletes (porcini), if you're lucky; matsutakes; shiitakes; puffballs;  hen of the woods. It really is a fungi cornucopia! If you're not a mushroom lover, you have my deepest sympathies. This weekend, I'm going on a mushroom hunt in the Olympic National Forest with the South Sound Mushroom Club. I have high hopes for some great finds. But, since I have a basketful of chanterelles today, I wanted to post some photos and a couple of favorite recipes of mine. I hope that, wherever you are, you have access to these earthy, rich, meaty, colorful mushrooms.

As chanterelles (plural) grow in many places around the world, they go by different names. My family is German-American, so I always knew them as "pfifferlinge". The French often call them girolles, Italians call them cantarelli, but most cultures call them chanterelles. Their color glows! The hues range from pale yellow-cream to bright golden-orange. Color depends on age and the weather conditions when they were developing. All sizes and shapes are equally delicious and tender, from button-sized new ones to those fluted, horn-shaped, huge ones like the one on the upper right above. That one is 7 inches by 4 inches in HALF! If you look closely, you can see that it's folded like a clam. The photo below shows just a simple sauté of chanterelles in olive oil, butter, garlic, salt, black pepper and white wine served over newly harvested potatoes from our garden. Often, simple preparations are simply the best.  

I want to share with you one of my favorite ways of cooking chanterelles ~ a wild mushroom ragout that's amazing served over grilled or roasted meats or as a sauce for polenta, potatoes or pasta. The fresh parsley on top at the end really does make a difference, in taste as well as presentation. Eat and be merry!

~WILD MUSHROOM RAGOUT~

4 servings

Note: If you are serving with pork or chicken, use Marsala. If serving with beef or game, use the red wine. If serving with pasta or polenta, it's your choice.

2 T. each of butter and olive oil

4 oz. finely chopped pancetta

1 medium shallot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 lb. fresh chanterelles or a mix of wild mushrooms, roughly chopped (stems included)

2 T. flour

2/3 c. chicken stock, heated

2/3 c. Marsala OR dark red wine

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves OR 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. sea salt or Kosher salt

Fresh parsley, minced

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, sauté pancetta until just starting to brown. Add shallot, garlic and chanterelles and sauté several minutes, until mushrooms lose their moisture and start to brown. Sprinkle flour over the mushroom mixture and continue to stir and cook for one minute more. Add hot chicken stock, stirring constantly. Sauce will start to thicken. Add Marsala or wine, thyme, salt and pepper and stir two minutes, until smooth and aromatic. Serve over meat, poultry, pasta or polenta, sprinkled with fresh parsley.

WHIRLY, CURLY GARLIC SCAPES

My spring garlic plants put out their scapes in the past few days. They always seem to show up overnight. Suddenly, I see the wild curlicue whorls of the seed heads and stems. So artistic! The scapes are cut off in order to encourage the plant to put its energy into making the bulb grow and enlarge, rather than into making seeds. Even if you don't have your own, they're showing up in farmer's markets more and more often. What many people used to throw away (although my Oma added them to soups) are now a "new" gourmet food item. They'll only be available for a few weeks. Be sure to buy and use them when they're still curly. Once they straighten out, they're too old and will be tough.

They can be used cooked or raw. Sauteed in olive oil, steamed like garlicky beans, added to soup - all are delicious. I decided to make a pesto out of them, with a little bit of Spanish twist with the nuts and cheese. Tossed with hot linguini or spaghetti it is divine. That heady smell of garlic takes over your senses. See if you can find some scapes and give this a try.

Garlic Scape Hazelnut Pesto

15 curly garlic scapes

2/3 c. of a nice, green extra virgin olive oil

1/2 c. grated Spanish sheep cheese or Pecorino

1/2 c. grated Pamiggiano

1/2 c. dry white wine

Grated rind of one medium lemon

2 T. fresh lemon juice

1/2 c. ground hazelnuts or whole pine nuts

Wash scapes and chop roughly to fit into the bowl of a food processor more easily. Add half of the olive oil to the scapes and pulse until the scapes are well chopped. Add remaining olive oil and the rest of ingredients to the bowl and process until smooth, adding more olive oil if you like the consistency more loose.

Cover with plastic wrap, pushing the plastic down onto the surface of the pesto to keep it from oxidizing and turning dark. If using right away, leave it at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. If not, refrigerate up to three days. Toss with hot pasta, cooked al dente, and serve.

RUSTIC LUNCH

Italy struck me today in the form of lunch. I made a southernized version of panzanella salad, with anchovies and red pepper flakes added to the usual dish. And, in Italian fashion, had a little red wine alongside. Hey, it was 10 p.m. in Italy, so why not? I had company, as you can see ...

What are we having?

I've had a creative day, writing at the battered picnic table out in the garden. Working on a short story (I think - maybe a long story) that's going very well and I'm really into. It's finally good enough weather to be outside. I prefer writing outside, where my mind has space to wander and imagine scenes. I never compose first drafts on the computer (except for blogs). I like the feel of the pencil on paper and the slower pace of hand writing allows me to think of just the right word. I write in pencil because I feel less constrained, more free to change later. Just a personal, psychological thing. Now that I've had lunch, I'll go play with my words some more - and dream up some new recipes while I'm at it.