I’ve been traveling for the past week and it sure feels good to be back home. Back in my own kitchen and bed. While it’s always a treat to eat out (especially when visiting Chicago, one of my favorite cities), it’s actually not something I do very often. Although, it is nice every once in a while and I do love to get inspiration from chefs/restaurants I visit. For instance, the smoked beets from Cellar Door Provisions is now on my to-do list (am a sucker for anything smoked). I don’t normally love beets, but put a little smoke on them and it’s a whole different story. I’m also intrigued by Stephanie Izard’s puffed wild rice (served over blistered shishito peppers) at Duck Duck Goat. Any idea how to puff wild rice? I tried frying some in olive oil. Some popped, some didn’t 🙁

What’s on your to-do list for 2019? My plan is to cook what I like. Screw the latest fads.

There’s no rhyme or reason for today’s menu other than I’ve been really into soups, stews and porridges as of late. It doesn’t get more basic than congee. Essentially, broken rice that’s simmered until thick and poridge-y. Traditionally, the rice was left to cook overnight in the dying embers so that by morning it was ready for breakfast.

From a flavor standpoint, congee is pretty much a blank slate, a vehicle for toppings…a drizzle of sesame oil and/or soy sauce, fresh herbs (scallions, cilantro), chopped peanuts, eggs, meat, etc. I made two cups of broken jasmine rice, which expands when cooked and was enough to feed a small army. It’s cheap and plentiful.

The pork recipe comes from David Thompson’s: Thai Street Food. The pork is marinated overnight in a salty-sweet mixture of fish sauce, soy, garlic, cilantro, condensed milk, sugar, and spices and then quickly grilled. The condensed milk seems strange, but Thompson explains that it’s what makes the pork rich and caramelized. The recipe calls for boned pork neck, a fatty and tender cut of meat. When I called my local butcher looking for pork’s neck, I was informed that pig’s in fact do not have necks and that there is no such thing as pork neck. Who knew? I was instructed to use a cut of pork called coppa, which, apparently, is the most equivalent to pork’s neck. In any case, the pork turned out tender and delicious and made for a nice topping for the congee.

Happy New Year! Cheers to all things delicious and new adventures in the kitchen in 2019.

Topped the congee with a 6 1/2 minute egg. To prepare the eggs, bring a pot of water to a rolling boil. You’ll need enough water to cover the eggs by a few inches. Gently lower the eggs into the boiling water. Set your timer for 6 1/2 minutes, keeping the water at a rolling boil. Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath. When your timer goes off, scoop the eggs into the ice water bath to prevent them from continuing to cook. When cool to the touch, gently peel the eggs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

This is my take on green papaya salad, but with green mango instead of papaya — sweet, sour, hot, and salty. However, the green mangos at my local Asian grocer were a bit riper than I wanted. For a bit of crispness and crunch, I planned on adding some julienned kohlrabi as well. However, I couldn’t find any. Instead, I tossed in some julienned fennel, which worked out nicely.

Congee

2 cups broken jasmine rice
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, more or less to taste

Topping suggestions (use some, use all, you decide):
Drizzle of sesame oil
Drizzle of soy
Drizzle of chile oil (recipe below)
Fresh chopped herbs – scallions, cilantro
Soft-boiled egg
Grilled pork (recipe below)
Chopped dry roasted peanuts
Chiles steeped in vinegar
Shredded ginger

Place rice in a bowl, cover with cold water and soak for 2 hours. Drain (soaking the rice will speed up the cooking time).

In a large heavy-bottom pot, bring stock to a boil. Add rice and salt, stirring to combine. Cover, reduce heat to a very low simmer and cook, stirring from time to time, adding more stock or water as needed, until thick and porridge-y, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Ladle into bowls and serve with desired toppings.

Grilled Pork Skewers

Adapted from David Thompson’s, Thai Street Food
4-5 Thai garlic cloves (see note)
3 cilantro roots (or stems)
1 teaspoon white peppercorns
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons neutral oil
2 tablespoons condensed milk
2 tablespoons fish sauce
Dash of soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon light palm (or brown) sugar
Large pinch of finely ground dry-roasted coriander seeds
Pinch of ground star anise
2 Thai bird’s eye chiles, minced
3/4 pound boned pork neck bone (coppa), cut into 3/4-inch strips

Pound garlic, coriander roots/stems, peppercorns and a generous pinch of salt with a mortar and pestle, then combine with oil, condensed milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, spices and chile and transfer to a bowl/container. Add pork, turn to coat, cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.

Heat a charcoal barbecue (or grill pan) to low. Thread 3-5 pork strips onto each skewer and grill in batches, turning occasionally until just cooked through (about 3 minutes per side). Serve with congee.

Green Mango & Fennel Salad

3 small garlic cloves, peeled
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons dried prawns, rinsed and drained
2 heaped tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted peanuts, plus extra for topping
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 to 6 Thai bird’s eye chiles, thinly sliced, more or less depending on desired heat
1 cup shredded/julienned green mango
1 cup shredded/julienned fennel
Handful of fresh chopped mint and cilantro (Thai basil optional)
2 tablespoons palm sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon tamarind water

Using a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic with the salt. Add the dried prawns and peanuts and pound to a coarse paste. Add six cherry tomatoes, quartered, to the mortar and bruise with the pestle. Next, add the bird’s eye chiles, barely crushing them. The more they are pounded, the hotter the dish.

Combine the tomato-chile mixture with the julienned mango, fennel and remainder of the tomatoes. Add the fresh herbs. Toss to combine.

Prepare the dressing. Mix the palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and tamarind water in a bowl. Toss with the julienned green mango and fennel. It should taste sweet, sour, hot and salty. Top with more fresh herbs and peanuts.

Chile Oil

7 tablespoons chile flakes
3/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly crushed, divided
1 cup vegetable oil
1 inch ginger
2 bay leaves
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
3 scallions, white parts only
2 garlic cloves, peeled, whole
4 cloves
1 black cardamom
3-4 green cardamom

Place chile flakes and 1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns in a small heatproof bowl. Set aside

Heat the oil and rest of the ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place a mesh strainer over the bowl with the reserved chile flakes. Carefully pour the hot oil into the bowl. Discard spices (I like to add the star anise back into the chile oil). Cool and transfer to a glass jar.

Store chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.