Asian Recipes

Asian Recipes Blog

The Unrivaled Practical Guide for Asian Cooking

Barbecuing using fish racks

Barbecuing fish is easier if you use a special fish rack. To prevent the fish sticking to the metal, brush the rack inside and out with oil - but do not preheat it. Before starting, you can stuff a whole fish with fresh herbs or wrap it in vine leaves. Oil the fish or fish steaks, place in the rack, close it tightly and place the rack on the barbecue grill. Turn the rack over once during cooking and baste the fish often through the metal bars, so that the flesh will stay moist.

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12:25:02 on 08/31/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Cooking asparagus

Asparagus takes 10 - 15 minutes to cook, depending on how thick the stalks are. These need longer cooking than the tips, and determining cooking time can be tricky. Here are three solutions to solve the tricky situations.

1. Using an asparagus steamer - To cook in a specially designed asparagus steamer, stand the stems upright in the wire basket and add water to about halfway up their length. Simmer until tender when pierced just above the water level with the tip of a knife.

2. In a wok - Shorter stems of asparagus can be cooked in a wok. Arrange them like the spokes of a wheel, so that only their bases are immersed in the cooking water. Cover with the lid and simmer until tender.

3. In a saucepan - Tied bundles of asparagus can be cooked in a deep saucepan, held up by new potatoes. Cover with a dome of foil tucked in tightly around the outer rim of the pan and cook until tender. The asparagus flavored potatoes can be eaten hot or cold.

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00:03:21 on 08/31/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Cooking and Serving Artichokes

An artichoke is usually boiled or steamed whole until it is tender, and then the leaves are pulled off and eaten one by one. Below is one of the ways to cook and serve artichokes.

1. Wash the artichokes and remove discolored leaves from the base.

2. Break off the stalks close to the base, pulling away any strings. Pack the artichokes in one layer in a stainless-steel or enamel saucepan. Sprinkle on some salt and lemon juice, then add enough water to come halfway up the artichokes.

3. Bring to the boil, cover tightly and simmer for about 40 - 45 minutes until a leaf from the middle of an artichoke pulls out easily. Tip the artichokes into a colander and leave upside-down to drain for 5 minutes.

4. For a dinner party presentation, peel back the outer leaves, pull out the purple central cluster of leaves and scoop out the inedible choke beneath with a spoon.

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19:10:23 on 08/30/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Making a delicious lemon barley water

This traditional summer drink is extremely easy to make. Allow plenty of time for cooling, as it is most appealing served chilled with ice and lemon slices.

1. Wash three large lemons, dry them and pare the zest using a potato peeler. Place the pieces of peel in a bowl and add 60-125 g caster sugar, according to your taste. Put 3 tablespoons pearl barley in a large saucepan, pour in a 1.25 liters of water and bring to the boil. Cover and leave the grains to simmer for 10 minutes, until they are soft.

2. Pour the water and barley over the sugar and peel and leave to cool.

3. Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice into a jug to discard the pips. Strain the barley liquid into the juice.

4. Serve.

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02:57:22 on 08/30/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Making Basic Batter

This basic batter will make 8-10 pancakes. Include 3 tablespoons of extra milk if making lighter crepes, and halve the liquid for making thicker coating batter.

1. Sift 125 g/1 cup plain flour and a pinch of salt into a bowl and make a well in the center, then break in 1 egg and beat with a balloon whisk or wooden spoon. You can also use a food processor for a few seconds or a hand-held electric mixer for slightly longer.

2. Beat in 300 ml milk, little by little, incorporating the surrounding flour gradually so the batter becomes very smooth.

3. The batter may be used at once, but it is much better if it is left in a cool place for some 30 minutes, allowing the starch grains to soften.

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16:47:16 on 08/29/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

The best way to cut up meat for a barbecued kebab.

Trim the fat and connective tissue from the meat, then cut across the grain into fairly even-sized cubes that are no larger than 5 cm thick. If you prefer rarer meat with pink centers, then you should skewer the cubes closely together in order to achieve that. However, if you prefer the kebab to be much better done, then ensure that the cubes are separated more.

Any lean cut of meat can be used for kebabs. For example, you can try using cubes of pork fillet, or the fillet end of leg of pork. Other good choices for making skewered kebabs are lamb fillet or fillet end of leg of lamb, fillet of beef and chunks of either turkey breast or chicken breast.

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12:08:52 on 08/24/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Different types of barbecue

There are many types of barbecue available in the market. The most basic is one that you can make yourself from bricks and an iron grill. Although this can be an attractive feature in the garden, it is permanently installed and the grill is usually fixed so it is difficult to control the temperature.

Portable barbecues, which can fold up are easy to carry around and ideal for picnics and holidays. The most popular model known as hibachi or firebowl in Japanese, has a grate to hold the charcoal, adjustable grills and vents to control the air flow. As portable barbecues are usually quite small, the amount of food you can cook at any one time will be limited.

Standard barbecues are usually about 60 cm across and have a built-in windbreak. They generally have a grill and a hotplate, which makes it easier to cook different types of food at the same time. For example, sausages that need quick cooking and chicken joints that need much slower cooking.

Covered, kettle barbecues are the most efficient. Charcoal burns in baskets on either side and the food is put on a rack in the center so that it cooks using the indirect heat reflected off the lid.

The most expensive barbecues are covered models where blocks of lava rocks are heated by gas or electricity. This takes less time and is less messy compared to those using charcoal, but the food is cooked in the same manner as in a conventional covered barbecue. It will still have the smoky flavor, but this is from the fat and juices spitting onto the lava rocks, not from the charcoal. Whichever you buy depends on your need and preference.

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16:01:54 on 08/22/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Three simple, delicious and fruity treats for avocados.

Below are three simple ways to prepare a delicious avocados -

For a rich and yet healthy starter before meals, try a dressing thickened with a lightly sweetened rhubarb. For four persons serving, cook four thick stalks of rhubarb, puree and mix it with 2 tablespoons of walnut oil and a splash of lemon juice. Season and spoon the dressing into the halved avocados.

Avocado also makes a very good side salad by slicing and cmbining with chunks of pineapple or mixed with segments of sweet pink grapefruit and then garnished with coriander leaves to serve with roast chicken.

Halve the avocados and fill the cavity with a homemade Waldorf salad mixture. Waldorf salad mixture can be made by stirring together a diced apple, two celery stalks and a little chopped walnut in a dressing made with 3 tablespoons walnut oil and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

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05:22:48 on 08/14/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -

Thickening liquid in cooking with arrowroot

Arrowroot and cornflour are used in the same quantities to thicken liquids and in the same way. In order to thicken 300 ml of sauce, such as a gravy or a custard, mix 2 tablespoons arrowroot with the same quantity of cold liquid. Heat the rest of the liquid to boiling point, then pour it into the blended mix and stir well. Return the sauce to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring continuously until it is thickened and smooth, then simmer gently for 1 minute. If you are making a glaze, use only 1 tablespoon of arrowroot for each 300 ml of liquid.

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21:04:15 on 08/08/06 by Webmaster - Cooking Guide -