Seafood

Regulators say that over the last year, more than 30,000 inspectors have fanned out across the country, working to close shoddy seafood operations and enforce regulations against the use of banned antibiotics, like chloramphenicol and malachite green, which is thought to cause cancer. But officials from the ministry’s fisheries bureau also say that pollution and water quality problems are e now the biggest challenges facing the nation’s fish farming or aquaculture industry, something they have rarely acknowledged in public.

“Water quality is the top issue for Chinese aquaculture,” Ding Xiaoming, the director of aquaculture in the fisheries bureau, said on Tuesday. “Without good water quality, Chinese aquaculture cannot develop.”  He said the government was introducing an array of new programs and regulations to educate farmers and combat the quality problems.

The stakes are huge because China is the world’s biggest producer and exporter of seafood and an important supplier to the United States and Japan. And with the seas increasingly depleted by overfishing, much of the world is turning to China’s huge land-based fish farms to meet growing consumer demand for everything from shrimp and catfish to tilapia and eel.

But after years of spectacular growth, this country’s booming seafood industry is being threatened by water shortages, contaminated water supplies and illegal veterinary drug use. In recent years, Japan and the European Union have imposed temporary bans on seafood imports from China because of excessive residues of illegal drugs. And last June, the United States Food and Drug Administration moved to block the import of several types of Chinese seafood products because of similar food safety concerns.

Some of the banned veterinary drugs are thought to be highly effective in helping stressed fish cope with disease. But fish that are fed such drugs could be poisonous for consumers, regulators say. The Chinese government has responded aggressively in recent months by blacklisting seafood processors or revoking the licenses of companies that export seafood tainted with illegal drugs or other banned substances. Ready you are seafood. Please visit in the site http://indomunch.com for extra details.

Chili Chicken with Basil and Coconut

Thickened with peanuts like some Veracruz sauces, and made with the classic Mexican technique of blending and then frying the sauce ingredients, this mild chili makes for an earthy modern-day meal. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil. Chop the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the saucepan. Brown the chicken till done, about 10-12 minutes. Add all canned ingredients, then all the spices. Stir well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with sour cream, cheese, chives or anything you would put on chili.

use less chili pepper if you prefer milder heat levels. Coconut cream is available in Asian markets and some supermarkets; if you can’t find it, here’s the perfect substitute: Open a can of coconut milk without shaking it first, and use the thick cream at the top plus enough of the milk to make one cup. It’s time for a recipe. Lately, between playing free rice and writing my novel (I’m actually using my outline and writing five pages a day), I’ve been been reading recipes and trying to come up with the perfect white chicken chili.

I’m ready to share this one, although if you make it, you should feel free to make alterations to it. Every time I make it, I love it more than I did the last time, and I suspect that’s because I never  make it the same way twice. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the onions until translucent and then add the chicken, stirring occasionally until all the pieces are evenly brown. Set aside. In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, bring the chicken broth and green chile peppers to a boil. Stir in the cans of cannellini beans, corn, garlic, cumin, crushed red pepper, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Stir in the chicken and onion mixture.

Let cook for a long time, at least a half hour, and then add the cream of chicken soup.  I usually put the sour cream in it after it’s cooked, although if it seems to need thickening, I add more. I apologize for the can of cream of chicken soup. I usually hate recipes that call for canned soup, but once I made this recipe and left it out, and…well, it didn’t taste as good. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s true. I suppose a more ambitious person could create their own cream of chicken stuff that would be just as good, but this recipe has the advantage of being quick, easy, and tastes wonderful on a cold evening. And it’s even better the next night! And by the third night, it’s the best thing you ever put in your mouth! Ready you are Chili Chicken with Basil and Coconut. Please visit in the site http://indomunch.com for extra details.

Chili Prown

Sift the flour with a pinch of salt into a mixing bowl, or place in a food processor and mix once or twice.  Rub in the butter and fat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs, or work in the food processor, being careful not to over-mix.  Mix in the liquid gradually, adding enough to bring the pastry together into a ball. In a food processor, add the liquid through the funnel while the machine is running. Wrap the pastry well and chill for 20-30 minutes.  Roll out the pastry on a well-floured surface with a floured rolling pin. 

Wrap the circle of pastry around the rolling pin to lift it into a 25 cm (10 inch) flan dish. Unroll the pastry over the dish.  Carefully press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the dish, taking care not to stretch it.  Roll the rolling pin over the top of the dish to remove excess pastry, or cut off with a sharp knife.  Mix the eggs, milk, cream and garlic together. Sprinkle the cheese, onion, chillies and prawns onto the base of the pastry and pour over the egg mixture.   Bake in a preheated 200°C (400°F) Gas Mark 6 oven for 30 – 40 minutes until firm and golden brown. Peel the tail shells off the prawns and remove the legs and roe if present. Use to garnish the quiche along with the sprigs of parsley.

                I use a wok for this pasta dish as it keeps hot and is easy to work with lots of pasta.  Start by heating oil, then add prawns & garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add the spring onions, oregano & lime zest cook for another minute or so.  Pour in white wine and reduce a little, for about a minute.  Add butter, tomatoes, chilli, freshly cooked pasta & the juice from the limes and toss about until it is all heated through and the pasta is completely coated in the flavours.  Toss in the grated parmesan, parsley, s&p and serve immediately.  Top with a few extra shavings of parmesan for taste and garnish. Ready you are chili prown . Please visit in the site http://indomunch.com  for extra details.

Citizen Fish – Chili Pain lyrics

Chili Pain! The heat is hot like desert rain Floods of fire as I perspire All sensation feeds the flame “Did it efore… Do it again!” Something transmits to my brain Through chemical sparks that quickly drain Into the arteries and veins . And throat! The scarcity Of any type of other need  Like the cut without the  leeding Some intensity of feeding From the mass slowly reeling With physical mental sharpened feeling

I could attack or defend Choose the time I spend Without counting the cost Without feeling a loss Almost any space increases As the twitching face decreases So push the essence and feel the gain Trace the source through the fire and pain

Light a charcoal fire in a grill. Cut deep diagonal slits in the fish about 1 1/2 inches apart. Put the fish in a dish large enough to hold it and rub 1 teaspoon salt onto the skin, into the slits and inside the cavity. Sprinkle the fish with 2 1/2 tablespoons of the lime juice. Set the fish aside for 15 minutes. Meanwhile in a blender or food processor combine the bell pepper, chili peppers, shallots, ginger and remaining lime juice. Work the mixture until it forms a coarse paste. Transfer half the paste to a small serving bowl; it will serve as dipping sauce. Put the remaining paste in a mixing bowl. Add the oil to make a basting sauce.

Rub half the basting sauce on the fish, in the slits and inside the cavity. When the coals turn gray, brush the grill rack with oil. Set the fish on the rack and cook over the least-hot part of the fire for 10 minutes. Turn the fish over and cook about 4 minutes more or until the fish is golden and cooked through. Serve at once with the dipping sauce and a big bowl of white rice. Ready you fish chili. Please visit in the site http://indomunch.com for extra details.

Fish in Garlic Sauce

Use only Clarified butter (dont think of using margarine) Dust the fillets lightly with flour. Meanwhile, heat some of the clarified butter in a frying pan until hot but not smoking. Saute the fish until lightly browned (some Mexican cooks fry fish until it is the approximate consistancy of our potato chips , but I feel this is taking authenticity a bit too far :-

Remove the fish from the pan, and add additional butter if needed (you will want about 2-3 Tbsp. of melted butter per fillet to sauce the finished dish). Add garlic to the pan and saute garlic until it is a light brown color. Do not allow it to burn, but do allow the garlic to take on some color and become slightly crisp. Squeeze in the lime juice. Pour the hot butter/garlic mixture over the fish, and serve. This dish is quite common in Southern Mexico, and traditionally would be served with black beans (either whole or refried); perhaps a simple dish of rice, cooked in chicken broth with chopped cilantro and a few diced green chiles; a side relish of homemade fresh salsa (see Pico de Gallo).

Remove any skin and bones from fish, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.  Cut into large chunks. Mix together cumin, coriander, ground anise, chile powder, garlic, lemon juice and salt, blending to a smooth paste. Spread over fish, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Half-fill a deep pan or deep-fryer with oil and heat to 350 degrees F. or until a 1-inch bread cube browns in 50 seconds. Cook fish, a few pieces at a time, 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot, garnished with lettuce and radish slices.  Ready you are Fish in Garlic Sauce. Please visit in the site  http://indomunch.com  for extra details.

Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary

Spread the lamb on a work surface.  Light a grill. Season the lamb with salt and pepper; do not scrape off the garlic or rosemary. Grill the lamb over a hot fire, turning often, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in each piece registers 125° to 130° for medium-rare. The times will vary according to the size and shape of the lamb leg, anywhere from 8 minutes for a 6-ounce piece to 20 minutes for a 1 1/2-pound piece. Transfer the lamb to a carving board as each one is done, cover loosely with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Thinly slice the lamb and serve.

 Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Remove the lamb from the fridge and allow it to get to room temperature.  Make the garlic and rosemary butter. Peel the garlic cloves and grate them finely with a grater. Place into a bowl with the butter. Strip the leaves off the rosemary stalks and chop finely. Add to the bowl with the garlic and butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mash to a paste with a fork.  With a sharp thin knife or a metal skewer, make between 30 and 50 small incisions into the flesh of the lamb. They should be large enough for you to stick just your fingertip into.

             Work the butter and garlic mixture into the lamb by massaging it into the meat, trying to work it into the holes that you’ve created. Place the lamb in a roasting tin, cover loosely with foil and place in the preheated oven. As it heats up, the butter will melt and help the rosemary and garlic to work their way into the holes and really penetrate the lamb.  After 30 minutes, remove the foil and leave to roast for a further 20-30 minutes.  At the end of cooking time, remove the lamb from the oven and leave it to rest in the roasting tin for 10-15 minutes, with some foil on top to keep it warm.   Make the gravy. Heat a heavy-based frying pan on the hob. When hot, pour the pan juices from the roasting tin into the pan (be careful as it may splatter). Add the red wine. Turn the heat down and leave the sauce to reduce.

 To thicken the sauce, make a beurre manie by mixing together the flour and butter in a clean bowl to make a paste. Add about a teaspoon of the beurre manie to the pan and whisk well, until the sauce has the desired consistency.  To serve, slice the lamb and pour over the gravy. Garnish with a couple stalks of fresh rosemary. This would be good with potatoes dauphinoise and fresh vegetables, for a Sunday lunch. Ready you are Lamb with Garlic.  Please visit in the site http://indomunch.com for extra details.

Hot And Healthy GobiI Manchurian

 The Gobi Manchurian  is  Mostly for Lunch, Dinner meals. Dry manchurian can be made by omitting the gravy. Make florettes as above and instead of adding water as above, add fried florettes, spring onions and soya ce at this stage. Sprinkle 1 tsp. cornflour on the florettes and stirfry for 2 minutes. Serve piping hot with toothpicks or miniforks and chilligarlic sauce or tomato sauce. Same procedure for veg. manchurian (with gravy or dry), but instead of using only cauliflower, use finely chopped minced vegetables and bind with some cornflour or bread crumbs and make small lumps the size of a pingpong ball. Fry as above and proceed as above.

Boil the florettes for 3-4 minutes in plenty of water, to which a tbsp. of milk has been added. Drain and pat dry on a clean cloth. Make thin batter out of flour and 2 tbsp. cornflour, adding 1/4 tsp. each of ginger and garlic and red chilli powder and salt to taste. Dip the florettes in the batter one by one and deep fry in hot oil. Keep aside. In the remaining oil, add remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli and fry for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for a minute. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add 1 tbsp. cornflour to 1/4 cup water and dissolve well. Gradually add to the gravy and stir continuously till it resumes boiling. Boil till the gravy becomes transparent. Add florettes and soya sauce. Boil for two more minutes and remove. Serve hot with noodles or rice.

First pluck the flowerettes from the Cauliflower. You may cut them into bitesize pieces. Make a batter of Corn meal by adding water to 1 cup of corn meal. Add a little salt to taste and mix well to a thin paste. Dip the Gobi pieces in the batter completely and fry them until light brown. Spread them on a paper towel so that the extra oil soaks into the towel. On a frying pan (A non stick) or a Wok, put little bit of oil (Sesame or Peanut oil will give you that special taste) and heat it for a minute in low to medium flame. Put the cut Garlic, Ginger and green chillies and fry them until they start to turn brown. Add two tablespoons of Sweet & Sour Sauce to this and start turning the mixture for about 2 minutes so as not to let it stick to the pan.

 Now add the fried Gobi pieces to this mixture and depending upon the dryness of the mixture, you may add 2 more tablespoons of the sweet & sour sauce. Continue stirring for about 10 minutes. For the last 2 minutes, add a pinch of Ajinamoto to the manchurian. You can add salt to taste. The whole process takes about 20 minutes to prepare. OBSERVATIONS: Depending upon how hot you like it, you can add/reduce the pieces of green chillies. You may also increase Garlic/Ginger pieces depending upon who your guests are. Depending on how dry/fluidy you like your manchurian, you need to reduce/add the Sweet & Sour sauce. Very little Ajinamoto is to be added to give the Chinese aroma to your manchurian. Ready you are Gobi Machurian  Please visit in the site www.indomunch.com for extra details.

American’s Like Eggplant

Eggplant is delicious hot or cold and can be enjoyed marinated, stuffed, roasted, grilled, fried, in a casserole, in stews, or on brochettes. Sliced eggplant absorbs oil like a sponge, but a good bread crumb or batter coating will help, and make sure the oil is preheated. Complementary spices include allspice, basil, bay leaves, garlic, chile powder, oregano, sage, thyme, marjoram, and parsley. It’s a natural combined with tomatoes and onions, as in the popular dish Ratatouille.

When choosing eggplant, look for heavy, firm fruit with unblemished skin. Male eggplants have fewer seeds  than the female; they have a rounder, smoother blossom end or base. The blossom end of a female eggplant is generally indented. Store an eggplant in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator where it should keep for several days. It may be blanched or steamed then frozen for up to six months.

The dish more people probably associate with Sicily than any other is caponata, a (generally) eggplanty delight that has now spread throughout the Peninsula, much in the manner of cotoletta alla milanese. As is the case with the cotoletta, which is one thing in Milano and too often something else elsewhere, much of the caponata one encounters outside of Sicily is a shadow of what it should be — a zesty summer dish that’s ideal for perking up an indolent appetite on a hot day.

Melanzane alla Griglia, or Grilled Eggplant: Luc writes, “Hi I’m looking for a recipe for marinated eggplant mild and hot.” I’m not sure I’ve ever had raw marinated eggplant. However, it’s common practice to marinate eggplant, grill it, and return it to the marinade to be eaten cold. This is mild-flavored; should you prefer it hotter add some shredded fresh hot pepper to the marinade.

Eggplant is a cold-sensitive vegetable that requires a long warm season for best yields. The culture of eggplant is similar to that of bell pepper, with transplants being set in the garden after all danger of frost is past. Eggplants are slightly larger plants than peppers and are spaced slightly farther apart. Eggplant requires careful attention for a good harvest. Small-fruited, exotic-colored and ornamental varieties can be grown in containers and used for decorations. Ready Your Eggplant.  Please visit in the site www.indomunch.com  for extra details.

Sweet and Sour Vegetables

This dish can also be made by adding strips of meat to the vegetables, stir-fry the strips of chicken, pork or beef in the garlic and onions and remove from the pan but keep warm. Then adding any seasonal vegetables and stir-fry as above. Return the cooked meat to the pan to combine at the end. You can also use up pre-cooked meat in this dish, left-over roast chicken works well. Try marinading the cold chicken for half an hour or so in a little soy sauce, sesame oil and add a sprinkle of sesame seeds, before adding to the stir-fry to heat through.

Drain water chestnuts and bamboo shoots , rinse well, add fresh water and allow to stand until ready for use. Have all ingredients prepared and ready to cook. Prepare sauce ahead of time. : Pour about 1 oz of the wine into a deep cook pot – preferably lined. Turn heat to high. When wine gets hot, add lecithin – if youre using it – and stir vigorously. Saute carrots for about five minutes before other vegetables, then drop in pepper, cauliflower, onions, green onions, garlic and ginger. Begin stirring immediately and vigorously.

When vegetables have softened, add small amount of wine, broccoli and pea pods with vigorous stirring. Saute for a few minutes and cover. If too dry add a small amount of wine. Cook for about three minutes. Add tofu – if used – pineapple, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots, stir thoroughly, cover and cook for an additional two or three minutes. : Have all ingredients for sauce in a measuring cup, stir well and pour over vegetables and stir. Turn heat to medium, stir constantly until sauce just barely bubbles and thickens. Serve with basmati rice or quinoa – or whatever.

Wash all the vegetables and cut into bite size pieces. Place the 3 quarts water in a saucepan and bring to a vigorous boil. Add all the cut vegetables to the boiling water and turn off the heat at once. Let vegetables stay in the water for 2 minutes. Drain off water and spread out the vegetables to dry on a platter. When vegetables are cooled, pack the pieces at random tightly into a glass jar or plastic container. In a saucepan, mix marinade ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from stove to cool. Pour marinating liquid over the vegetables until they are completely covered. Cap the container or jar and store in refrigerator. Ready you are Sweet and Sour Vegetables.  Please visit in the site www.indomunch.com for extra details.

String Beans in Black Bean Sauce

Blanch the string beans in a large pot of boiling salted water for 1 1/2 minutes only. Drain immediately and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Heat the butter and oil in a very large saute pan (12-inch diameter) or large pot and saute the shallots on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until lightly browned. Drain the string beans and add to the shallots with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper, tossing well. Heat only until the beans are hot. If you’re using regular string beans, blanch them for about 3 minutes, until they’re crisp-tender.

This is my first official experiment in my quest to create accessible, simple recipes for those who are new to cooking Chinese foods, and it came about because I had a piece of beef top round thawed that needed to be cooked. I also had some string beans and a sweet red bell pepper sitting about in the crisper drawer, so I decided to cook them all together.

Most often, stir-fried beef is paired with oyster sauce and broccoli in Chinese-American restaurants. It can be a great combination; the slightly bitter edge of the broccoli pairs well with the strong flavor of the beef, while the oyster sauce tames them both and gives an oceanic fragrance to the entire dish. That is, if it is executed well. If it isn’t, the dish turns into a brown-sauced gloopy mess filled with oil and lackluster in flavor.

In this dish, I eschewed the oyster sauce, and instead, decided to use the minimal flavorings of Shao Hsing wine and dark soy sauce paired with a tiny bit of sugar, and a dash of rice vinegar then finished with a kiss of sesame oil. For the aromatics, I used a lot of ginger; I find that the assertive floral fragrance perfectly freshens the strong flavor of beef. I also used scallions and an optional fresh chile pepper, just to add a tiny spark of heat.

`As for the beans, because I wanted them to be tender crisp, and I wanted them to take in a bit of the flavors of the sauce, I decided to blanch them before tossing them in the wok. This step is simple, fast, and helps soften the outer skin of the beans a bit so that they stir-fry faster and also absorb some of the flavors in the wok more readily. All one needs to do is to bring a pot of water that will hold all of the beans to the boil, dump the beans in, give them a stir, and let them cook for about two to three minutes, or until they just brighten in color. Then drain them, rinse in cold water and drain until you are ready to cook. Ready you are String Beans.  Please visit in the site www.indomunch.comfor extra details.