Recipes by their Ingredients

mirin

  • Kung Pau Shrimp

    King Pau
    Kung Pao
    (Serves 4)

    Protein
    1 lb your choice: shrimp, beef, pork, chicken or firm tofu, cut into equal 1 inch pieces (keep shrimp whole if using, but de-shell and de-vein)
    3-4 tblsp peanut oil, for shallow frying your protein OR 2 cups vegetable oil for deep frying your protein

    Protein Marinade
    1 tblsp mirin (rice wine)
    1 tsp salt
    1 tsp onion powder, optional

    Protein Slurry
    1 lg egg white
    2 tblsp corn starch

    Kung Pao Sauce
    1 tblsp Dou Ban Jiang (Broad Bean Paste)
    1 tbsp of light soy sauce
    1 tsp of dark soy sauce
    1.5 tbsp of black vinegar
    a handful of red dried chilies
    1 tsp of Sichuan (Szechuan) peppercorns, ground
    1 tbsp of garlic
    1 tsp of ginger
    2 tbsp of brown sugar
    1/2 cup of water
    2 tsp of cornstarch

    Vegetables
    4 or 5 green onions, sliced
    1/2 onion, sliced in half then thin
    1/2 green bell pepper, sliced thin
    1/2 Serrano chili, optional
    Optional, Another half cup of vegetables, your choice, like green beans, carrots, etc, sliced thin

    At the end extras
    1/4 cup shelled peanuts, toasted
    5-10 dried chilis, toasted
    1 cup Jasmin rice, cooked

    NOTES: I add the Serrano chili for extra heat, you do not have to. You can make this with cut up chicken breast and have kung pao chicken. The Szechuan Peppercorns give a numbing floral quality which is key to the Sichuan province in China where the dish comes from. At the 3:46 second mark of this video will show you the "velveting" technique. Technically you would finish the "velveting" process by dunking the protein briefly in hot oil or water, which we are not doing here. To cook the rice, rinse the rice in a bowl of water, drain and repeat 3 times (or until the water runs clear). Add rice to sauce pan, add water 1/3 inch over the top of the rice. Add a pinch of salt. Bring the rice to a boil and reduce the heat immediately to simmer and cover the pot and set your timer for 8 minutes. After 8 minutes, unless there's excess water, turn off the heat, using a fork fluff the rice and then keep covered for an additional few minutes. If there's additional water after 8 minutes you can turn up the heat briefly until the water evaporates.
     

    Mix the shrimp, salt, onion powder and mirin. Add the cornstarch and the egg white in the side of the bowl with the shrimp and mix the white and starch together so there are no lumps, then using the velveting technique, hand mix the shrimp until the egg whites and starch have evenly coated the shrimp and seem to take on a smoother "velvety" texture, let the shrimp rest for 30 minutes before frying.

    Make your sauce by mixing all of the sauce ingredients together. Set Aside, in the fridge if your letting your protein sit for over an hour.

    Shallow or deep fry your protein, a handful at a time, do not crowd the pan. Once you are finished with all of your protein.

    Add the shrimp (or whatever protein you are using) back to your shallow fry pan, if you deep fried, using a new pan, heat it up and add your fried protein, mix in any vegetables you like, mix in the peanuts and chilis, toss until all incorporated. toss for a few minutes to warm it all through, then add your sauce, 1/2 at a time until you are happy with the taste. Serve over Jasmin rice and sprinkle with remaining green onions.

  • Poke (Tuna)

    Poke - Tuna
    Poke (Tuna)
    (Serves 4)

    1 lb Tuna, sushi grade, medium dice
    ¾ - 1 tblsp Soy Sauce
    4 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
    2 tsp Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

    2 tsp Sesame Oil
    2 tsp Sambal Oelek (Chili Paste)
    2 tsp lemon juice
    1 scant tsp sugar
    1 pinch sea salt
    1 tblsp Mayonnaise
    2 small thai chilis, minced, optional
    1/2 Avocado, diced small, optional

    Sprinkle over the top
    1 tsp Black Sesame Seeds, optional
    2 or 3 small sheets, Nori, toasted snipped into thin strips, optional
    1 tblsp green onion, sliced thin
    1-2 tsp Tobiko, optional

    NOTES: You can substitute Sriracha for Sambal Oelek, just add a touch more of rice wine vinegar. A susbtitute for Mirin could be a dry sherry with a ¼ tsp of sugar added or a sweet marsala wine or even a dry white wine with a ¼ tsp sugar added. I don't reccommend the dark soy sauce, as it muddies up the look, (although the flavors fine!)
     

    Mix the soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt, sesame oil, lemon juice and chili sauce together mix until the sugar and salt dissolve. Set aside half of this mixture.

    Add the diced tuna and mayo to half of the mixture, mix well, now mix in the green onions and chilis if your using them. Taste, adjust with more of the mix if it's needed.

    Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, up to an hour. Remove from fridge, mix in the chopped avocado, taste and adjust with more of the mix if it's needed, or a little more mayo or Sambal Oeelek depending on your taste, top with the remaining ingredients if you're using them.

    Enjoy on it's own or serve with Sushi rice or even with some toasted nori squares. Yum!

  • Schezuan Sauce

    Schezuan Sauce
    Schezuan Sauce
    (Serves 2)

    1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, ground
    ¼ cup soy sauce
    3 tblsp honey
    1 tblsp sesame 0il
    1 tblsp rice wine vinegar (or black vinegar)
    1 tablespoon Mirin
    3 garlic cloves, finely minced, use a garlic paste
    2 tsp ginger, finely minced, or use ginger paste
    1 tblsp Sambal Oelek (garlic chili paste)
    ½ tsp Chinese five spice
    3 teaspoons cornstarch


    NOTES:
     

    Mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan or skillet.

    Slowly bring to a boil which will very quickly thicken the sauce, be prepared to take it off the heat when the consistency you want is achieved.