This is a Bengali variant of a fruit aachar/preserve that can be made
with unripe, local stone fruit. Mangoes and olives variants work well too,
although I haven’t tried them yet. The recipe itself a based on some commentary
from an aunt, whose aachar is quite popular within my extended family.
- Add unripe stone fruit (e.g., peaches), washed and cut coarsely, and some
water (~ 1/2 cup) to a small, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a simmer.
- Add sugars, about half weight of stone fruit, to pot:
- Brown sugar
- 3-4 tbsp, honey
- 1 tbsp, pomegranate molasses
- OR Nolen gur
- For sourness: tamarind paste (whole)
- Simmer fruit and sugar and let reduce. Cool some on the back of a spoon to
test final consistency and aim for something jam-like.
- Fold in spices:
I eyeballed this the first time I made it, and the volume measurements are
calibrated for about 400g of fruit (with cores removed).
-Buro
This recipe is sized for a potluck!
I call it a “salad”, the Chinese name for it might be “liang ban tofu gan”. Liang ban is a technique used to dress cold vegetables of all kinds. Once you’re comfortable with the sauce and technique, you can use it to dress carrots and blanched bean sprouts! Or poached chicken!
Ingredients & Sourcing
- 4 blocks Tofu Gan – This is the center piece of the dish. You can find it labeled as “Braised Tofu” or “Tofu Gan” or “Pressed Tofu Blocks” in the store. They’re very firm, they’re brown on the outside, and do not come in water (they come in plastic though). Hodo Soy calls theirs “Braised tofu”, and that’s widely available where I live.
- 1 bunch celery – Just normal standard celery here, Chinese celery would be an OK substitute, please don’t use only the hearts.
- tablespoon kosher salt
- neutral oil (grapeseed / canola)
The Sauce
- 1/4 cup Chili oil
- a few tablespoons Szechuan peppercorn, toasted, then ground in a spice grinder – I have a lot more I could say about these, but if you’re having difficulty sourcing, I actually buy mine online here. To toast, follow something similar to the chilis in the chili oil. Don’t burn ‘em. The black bits in the peppercorns should be removed, they’re gritty af. Your bag has a lot of black bits? Find a different source. Can’t find any near you, or find this process laborious? You can skip it, or use commercial szechuan peppercorn oil.
- a few tablespoons soy sauce – I use light soy sauce, Pearl River Bridge brand.
- a few tablespoons Chinkiang “Chinese black” vinegar – If you don’t have this vinegar on hand, strong sherry vinegar and a tablespoon of sugar can substitute.
Short note on ingredients
The above is the majority of my pantry list for all my Chinese cooking. That’s it! Once you have those ingredients, you can make lots of other tasty things.
Recipe
- Chop celery on the bias (diagonal), as shown here
- Lightly salt celery with a tablespoon of kosher salt. Let rest.
- Chop tofu gan vertically / horizontally so that it’s around the same thickness as your celery.
- Poach celery pieces for 1-2 minutes until they change color.
- Stir fry tofu gan pieces, you might have to go in batches as well. After it’s fully coated in oil and hot, add the soy sauce and vinegar. Keep stir frying until fully absorbed. Remove from heat.
- Combine celery and tofu gan, top with chili oil and Szechuan peppercorn, gently toss to combine. Add additional soy sauce and vinegar to taste (although err on the side of dressing more assertively–cold dampens flavors).
Chill. Serve within a few days. Tastes better after chilling and marinating in the fridge over night. Shake before serving.
In April 2016, Buro and I went on a short backpacking trip out on the Lost Coast in California. I came back with mixed impressions and raw feet from walking on the sand for 3 days.
On night one we made a green garlic cabbage slaw that is better forgotten than written up. Green garlic is quite pungent in April and we had used it generously in the sauce like an earlier in the season green garlic.
However, on night two, we made a fun and fantastic duck confit salad that travelled and ate well.
Make ahead
Fish sauce vinaigrette salad dressing
Bring backpacking
- Carrots (5-7)
- Y-peeler
- one to two larger pieces duck confit
- (small) pan or pot that fits each piece of confit in it easily for searing
- aformentioned made-ahead fish sauce vinaigrette
Put together
- Y-peel carrots (This is fun!)
- While one person is y-peeling carrots, shred each piece duck confit off the bone and place shredded pieces (with any fat that’s fallen off during the day while you’ve been hiking) in the pan to fry up and warm up. Brown and warm.
- Place duck on top of y-peeled carrots and pour over vinagrette to taste.
<3 Maggie
Pla Rad Prik is a Thai dish: whole-fried, meaty white fish with
chili sauce, usually a centerpiece entree. It’s pretty common to find red
snapper (delicious!) in Thai restaurants in the US; farmed or less over-fished
alternatives like grouper, pompano, white perch, etc. probably work as
well. Ideally, whatever fish is sized appropriately for your wok.
This is a recipe for a soft cashew cheese spread, in the style of what you may
find from Miyoko’s Creamery. The spread can also be pressed into a package with
a cheese press.
Mix together into a food processor and blend until smooth:
- 500g soaked cashews (simmered and soaked overnight)
- 1 tbsp miso
- 2 tbsp fermented tofu
- 1/4 cup pickle brine (lactofermented)
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
Empty into a glass bowl, cover with a secured cheesecloth, and leave to ferment
in a sunny area (probably for a few weeks?). The cheese should begin to bubble
after a few days and will eventually darken on top.
