2416. PAN-ROASTED PINK SNAPPER with GINGER and BACON BOK CHOY and LEMONGRASS KAFFIR LIME BROTH

makes 2-4 servings


pink or red snapper fillets; skin-on
4-6 medium bok choy
4-5 slices of bacon
2 slices of ginger slivers (for sauté only)
4 cloves of minced garlic
3-4 tablespoons of shredded lemongrass stems
1 large leek
Salt & pepper

For Lemongrass & Kaffir Lime Broth
4 cups of water
4-5 soup spoons of Vietnamese fish sauce
2 small lumps of yellow rock sugar
3 cloves of whole garlic
2 slices of ginger
15 – 2″ pieces of lemongrass stalks (more if you’re a lemongrass enthusiast)
Kaffir lime leaves (shredded lime leaves work faster)
Bunch of Thai basil leaves
1-2 thai chilis or 2 red jalapeños
Salt

Marinate the fish in olive oil, salt & pepper, garlic and the shredded lemongrass stems. Marinate for at least 2 hours, no more than a day.

Start making the lemongrass and kaffir lime broth. Add the water, garlic, ginger and lemongrass stalks into a pot and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, lower the heat so you can start doing the taste-testing. Add fish sauce and dissolve 1 small lump of rock sugar first, adding the other lump if needed. Once you have a nice balance of fish sauce, sweetness and aroma from the lemongrass, it’s time to add the kaffir lime leaves to achieve a flavor that resembles a very mild tom yum soup. Add 4 pinches of shredded lime leaves (3-4 leaves) to taste. Then add a few Thai basil leaves at a time to extract the aroma. Add chopped Thai chiles or red jalapeno slices for a little spice kick. Once the broth is complete, turn the heat on low and remove the Thai basil leaves – they will make the soup bitter if you leave it in.

Prepare bok choy by cleaning them properly and cutting off the stem so that the leaves are detached. On high heat, sauté the garlic, ginger slivers and Nueske bacon (for flavor) and salt & pepper to taste. Make sure these are sautéed 50% through as you’ll want them to have some crunch upon service. They will also be sitting in broth and will eventually soften. Set these aside or begin plating.

Optional: Cut 1/8″ diagonal “coins” from the leek stem. Pan fry these on medium heat in oil till they are nice and brown on both sides. It should have a nice crispness to it. Set aside when finished.

Turn oven to 450 degrees. Add salt & pepper on all sides of the snapper fillet. Sear the snapper fillets skin-side down on medium heat with your oil of choice for about 4-5 mintues. Make sure that you get a nice crust on the skin as the snapper skin is a bit more rubbery like chicken skin. Carefully flip the fillets over without ruining the skin and put the skillet in the oven for another 5-7 minutes, depending on your cuts. Take fillets out and set aside.

Bring the lemongrass and kaffir lime broth to a boil and make sure the broth is seasoned well and has not become salty from water loss. Place fish on top of the bed of bok choy and add the broth around the fish, careful not to get the fillets wet. Garnish with leek “coins” and thinly-sliced red jalapeños or Thai chiles. Optional: Put the whole plated dish back into the oven for a good 5 minutes to ensure a super hot plate – it tastes better that way.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Dylan, Eat, Drink + Be Merry., Los Angeles, March 28, 2011

2373. SWEET CHILI GREEN BEANS with BACON

1 lb. green beans, trimmed
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 onion, thinly sliced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
3 thai chiles, minced
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 cup water
sesame oil, optional
toasted black sesame seeds, optional

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans and cook for about 3 minutes, or until beans are a bright green. Drain and set aside.

In a large skillet over medium to medium high heat, cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain on paper towel-lined plate and set aside. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan and add onion. Cook until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the ginger, Thai chiles, sweet chili sauce, fish sauce, and water. Add green beans and toss to coat. Saute for 5-10 minutes, until water evaporates, the sauce thickens, and the beans become tender.

Stir in bacon and sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Peggy, My Fiance Likes It So It Must Be Good!, Louisville, Kentucky, August 12, 2011

1569. BACON-WRAPPED SHRIMP with PASSIONFRUIT MUSTARD

yields 4 first-course servings


1 cup passion fruit juice
1 Thai red chile, halved lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 tablespoons honey
1 Thai green chile, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
salt
8 large shrimp, shelled and deveined with tails left on
8 thin slices lean bacon
1 Hass avocado, quartered and thinly sliced
1 passion fruit, halved and seeds scooped out (optional)
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
cilantro leaves, for garnish

In a small saucepan, boil the passion fruit juice with the red chile until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan, toast the cumin seeds over moderate heat until fragrant. Add the honey and green chile and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain the honey and stir in 1 teaspoon of the water.

In a bowl, blend the dry mustard with the remaining 2 teaspoons of water; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the Dijon mustard. Strain the reduced passion fruit juice into the mustard and season with salt.

Light a grill. Wrap each shrimp in a slice of bacon. Grill the shrimp over moderately high heat, turning a few times, until the bacon is lightly charred and the shrimp are cooked throughout, about 4 minutes.

Fan the avocado slices on each plate and top with the shrimp. Spoon the mustard around the shrimp, then spoon the honey around the mustard. Drizzle the shrimp with olive oil, garnish with the passion fruit seeds and cilantro and serve.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Jean-Georges Vongerichten, "Jean-Georges’s Bora Bora," Food & Wine, May 2007