Asian Recipes

Asian Recipes Blog

The Unrivaled Practical Guide for Asian Cooking

Why do some cookery experts prefer not to use a garlic crusher?

Many experienced cooks prefer to use a knife to cursh garlic because garlic crushers can be hard to clean and may harbor stale remnants that can taint the next dish. Crushing garlic also releases acrid-tasting chemicals. This is not a problem if the garlic is to be heated, as it is mellowed by cooking, but garlic to be eaten raw has a more refined flavor if it is carefully minced by hand.

** Asian Online Recipes **

11:19:35 on 12/14/06 by Webmaster - Recipes -

Christmas Cordial

Makes: 750 ml
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 20-30 minutes

Ingredients:
750 g prepared fruit, such as blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, raspberries, strawberries, redcurrants or blackcurrants
125 - 250 g (0.5 - 1 cup) caster sugar

Method:
Put all the fruits into a heatproof bowl. If you are using blackberries, boysenberries, loganberries, raspberries or strawberries, add 90 ml of cold water; if using redcurrants, add 200 ml of water; and if using blackcurrants, add 600 ml of water. Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and heat for some 20-30 minutes until the juice flows freely. Occasionally crush the fruit with a potato masher to help to extract the juice. When the fruit is very soft, take the bowl off the heat. Scald a nylon or stainless-steel sieve, a large bowl and a large square of muslin with boiling water; drain the bowl and sieve and sring out the muslin. Place the sieve over the bowl and line it with the muslin.

Pour the pulped fruit and syrup into the sieve and leave it to drain for about 20 minutes until almost all of the juice has dripped through the sieve into the bowl. Take two opposite sides of the muslin and fold them over the fruit so that it forms a secure parcel. Twist the ends of the muslin tightly in opposite directions to squeze out all the remaining juice. Once the juice has been extracted, discard the pips and dry pulp remaining in the muslin. This method produces a clear, smooth syrup. For a grainier, more textured juice, you can use a nylon sieve without the muslin.

Pour the fruit juice into a clean, stailess-steel or enamel saucepan. Add the sugar gradually, a tablespoon at a time, until sweetened to taste - sweet fruits such as boysenberries, raspberries and strawberries will need about 125 g (1/2 cup) while the other fruits will require more. Place the saucepan over a low heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, but do not allow the syrup to become too hot. Pour into clean and preferably sterilized bottles, seal with a tight-fitting lid and store refrigerated for up to three months.

To serve, pour the syrup onto ice and dilute to taste, using about one part syrup to two or three parts mineral, soda, tonic or drinking water.

** Asian Online Recipes **

05:18:36 on 12/05/06 by Webmaster - Recipes -

Vegetarian Fruit Mince Recipe

Makes: about 2.5 kg
Preparation time: 30 minutes plus
Maturing time of at least 4 weeks
Cooking: none

Ingredients:
350 g (2 cups) seedless raisins
350 g (2 cups) sultanas
250 g (1.5 cups) currants
175 g (1 cup) chopped mixed peel
500 g cooking apples (peeled, cored and coarsely grated)
250 g butter, melted
350 g (2 cups) dark brown sugar
50 g (1/3 cup) blanched almonds, chopped, optional
Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon and 1 orange
3 teaspoons ground mixed spice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
150 ml brandy

Method:
Pick over the dried fruits and remove any stalks; wash and dry only if necessary. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix together thoroughly. Put the mixture into clean, sterilized jars then cover, seal tightly and store in the refrigerator. Allow the fruit mince to stand for only four weeks before it is used as this gives it time to mature.

** Asian Online Recipes **

05:00:42 on 12/05/06 by Webmaster - Recipes -

Tropical Fruit Salad Recipe

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: none

Ingredients:
60 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 passionfruits
1 large, ripe mango
1 large, ripe pawpaw
750 g pineapple
250 g fresh dates
12 lychees or rambutans
4 tablespoons rum
To decorate: a few cape gooseberries, optional

Method:
Put the sugar, cinnamon and cardamom into a small bowl and mix together well. Cut the passionfruit in half and scoop the pulp out into a bowl. Peel and slice the mango and the pawpaw. Skin, quarter and core the pineapple then dice the flesh. Halve and stone the dates, peel and stone the lychees or rambutans.

Put all of the prepared fruits into the bowl with the passionfruit pulp, sprinkle in the spiced sugar, pour in the rum and gently mix together. Cover and macerate the fruits in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Just before serving, transfer the fruits and the flavored juices to a serving bowl and decorate with the cape gooseberries, which should have their leaves pulled back. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

09:30:22 on 12/01/06 by Webmaster - Recipes -

Green Fruit Salad Recipe

Serves: 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:
60 g (1/4 cup) white sugar
3 limes, well scrubbed under warm, running water
2 green dessert apples, washed
2 ripe, firm pears, washed
750 g green-fleshed galia or honeydrew melon
3 kiwifruit
250 g seedless green grapes, washed
To decorate: sprigs of fresh lemon balm, optional

Method:
Pour 500 ml of cold water into a small stainless steel or enamel saucepan and add the sugar. Pare the rind from the limes using a zester or peeler and add it to the pan. Stir over a moderate heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then bring the sugar syrup to the boil and simmer it for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Squeeze the juice from the pared limes, stir it into the sugar syrup and then pour the flavored syrup into a large serving bowl. Working quickly, quarter and core the apples and slice them directly into the hot lime syrup. Then peel, quarter and core the pears and slice them into the syrup as well.

Cut the melon in half, remove the seeds and then either scoop out the flesh with a melon baller or cut it into cubes. Add the melon and any remaining juice to the bowl. Peel and slice the kiwifruit and add them to the fruit salad with the grapes. Stir the fruits together gently, cover the bowl and leave to chill for 1-2 hours before serving. Serve the salad at room temperature or slightly chilled, decorated with lemon balm, if using.

** Asian Online Recipes **

09:03:09 on 12/01/06 by Webmaster - Recipes -