Let’s make a family meal 🍚
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we bring you recipes of comfort and warmth. Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate.
Steamed cod with five flavor sauce at my friend’s place
Why not your place, too?
I hereby petition to replace all other methods of socializing with the deeply satisfying, zen, and intimate activity of spending all evening cooking with a friend. It’s really the best way to spend time with someone, costs so much less than going out to a bar or restaurant, and at the end of it all, you can enjoy a delicious home-cooked meal. This steamed cod, topped with a zesty ginger-scallion-cilantro-garlic-ketchup sauce, was the perfect centerpiece to the family meal that my friends and I spent a peaceful Sunday evening putting together. The recipe is from Cathy Erway’s* book, The Food of Taiwan, and it is simple but sublime, relying on ketchup, the secret ingredient in Chinese cooking. Here’s an adapted recipe I found online, on the blog Hsu-Chef.
*Cathy is also the host of Self Evident, a wonderful podcast about Asian American stories that my friend James Boo started. It’s a great listen in the kitchen.
Sauteed sweet potato shoots with garlic at my friend’s place
Why not your place, too?
Sweet potato vines are beautiful things. They look remarkably like the heartleaf philodendron that I have growing in my bedroom,* except the difference is that one of these vines is extremely toxic and may kill your cats, and the other is an underrated delicious gem of a vegetable. I love it when my food keeps me guessing. You can get sweet potato shoots in Chinatown, although, like everything in Chinatown, it is only available in family-of-four size packages. That’s alright, because you’ll definitely want leftovers. The recipe we used was also from The Food of Taiwan, but it’s really so simple, you don’t need a recipe. Just make sure to wash the shoots well, trim the bottoms generously (otherwise it will be tough), and fry in a wok or a big pot with some garlic and oil. Stir in a dash of Shaoxing cooking wine, some salt and pepper, and you’re all set.
*And may have been killing by overwatering, :(
Soft boiled tea eggs (茶叶蛋/Cha Ye Dan) at my kitchen
Why not your place, too?
My two favorite things to consume at breakfast are tea and eggs. Tea eggs combine both these things, and are thus the perfect breakfast food and anytime snack. They also double as potpourri, filing your kitchen with the earthy medicinal scent of cinnamon and anise as they boil. Traditionally, you make tea eggs by hard boiling eggs, cracking them all over, and then simmering them in marinade for several hours for a pretty marbled effect. But I like to make mine soft-boiled, and then just steep them in the marinade overnight. It’s both easier and tastier. The effect is like the soy sauce egg you get on top of your ramen, except tea-scented. Here’s my recipe: In a small pot, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Slowly lower in half a dozen eggs and boil for exactly six minutes. Put eggs in ice water to cool. Meanwhile, in a medium pot combine 4 cups of water, ¼ cup of dark soy sauce (I used light, and it turned out fine), 2 black tea bags, and 1 teaspoon five-spice powder. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes, until it reduces. When eggs are cool, carefully peel them and place them in a heat-proof tupperware or large mason jar. Pour the hot marinade over it, and let them cool. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The longer the eggs sit in the marinade, the saltier they and more flavorful they get.
Hainanese chicken with steamed cabbage and rice at my place
Why not your place, too?
I made this recipe for Hainanese chicken from Amy + Jacky’s blog, except I didn’t really follow any of the steps so in the end this didn’t really turn out like Hainanese chicken at all but it was still very good. If you follow the directions I bet it will be even better. There’s really nothing more comforting than steamed chicken over fluffy rice with lots of ginger and scallions. I chopped up half a head of cabbage and pressure cooked it in the leftover broth from the chicken in the Instant Pot, and I highly, highly recommend doing the same for a complete and balanced meal.
New and improved chicken congee with ginger, scallions, and baby spinach at my place
Why not your place, too?
A while back, I posted a recipe for chicken congee, aka the Chinese cure for everything from broken stomachs to broken hearts. At the time, I thought I’d achieved Peak Congee but it turns out that you can make it even better. This is my best congee yet, due to several improvements: 1) I cooked it on the magical “porridge” setting on my Instant Pot, which made the grains of rice perfectly plump and silky; 2) I sautéed the chicken with aromatics before cooking. Here’s how: Heat a drizzle of olive oil in your Instant Pot on the “sauté” setting. Dice one shallot, 2 cloves garlic, and a knob of ginger. Add to oil with a sprinkle of salt. Cook until fragrant and browned. Add 3-4 chicken drumsticks, and sear on both sides. Add 6-7 cups of water and stir in 1 cup of sushi rice (Kokuho Rose, of course) and a large pinch of salt. Close lid and set to porridge setting for 20 minutes. When the timer is up, let all the pressure release naturally — this can take a while. Then take the chicken out. Shred and discard bones and return meat to soup. Stir in 3 stalks of chopped scallions, a large handful of chopped cilantro, and 2 large handfuls of baby spinach. Serve topped with thousand year egg, a drizzle of sesame oil and soy sauce, and ample shakes of white pepper.
Until next time,
Soph
P.S. Next weekend FTIA will be on a plane — so there will be no newsletter. It is not too late to send me your recommendations for Rome and Florence! You can reply directly to this email.