Coconut Soup With Caramelized Lychees And Mango Tofu Recipes

COCONUT TOFU WITH SNAP PEA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Slice the tofu from a short side into 1/2-inch-thick sticks. Press the tofu pieces gently between paper towels to remove the excess water, then season generously with salt.
• Place the flour in a shallow baking dish. Whisk the eggs and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in another shallow dish. Pulse the coconut and panko in a food processor until roughly chopped; transfer to a third shallow dish and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Dip the tofu pieces in the flour, shaking off any excess, then dip in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, and press in the coconut mixture to coat. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until the tofu is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk 2 tablespoons vinegar with the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large bowl. Trim the snap peas and halve crosswise, adding them to the dressing as you go. Add the cilantro, season with salt and toss. In a small bowl, whisk the apricot preserves, 3 tablespoons water, the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and a pinch each of red pepper flakes and salt. Serve the tofu with the snap pea salad and apricot dipping sauce.

MAPO TOFU

Steps:

• Heat a wok over medium-high heat and toast the Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Remove from heat and transfer the peppercorns to a bowl to cool. Coarsely grind the peppercorns in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle and set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken broth, hot bean paste, cornstarch, hot sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar; set aside.
• Heat the wok over medium-high heat. Add the canola oil, garlic, ginger and fermented black beans and cook until fragrant, stirring often, about 10 seconds. Add the ground pork and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up the meat with a wooden spatula or spoon, until it is browned, 3 to 5 minutes. (Lower the heat to medium if the garlic starts to burn.) Add the reserved ground peppercorns, the tofu and the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring once to combine, until the sauce is reduced, thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from heat and garnish with the scallions. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

"SOUP TO NUTS" COCONUT SOUP WITH CARAMELIZED NUTS

Steps:

• Nuts:
• Place sugar into heavy bottomed saucepan and cook over a high flame until sugar begins to change color and become golden brown.
• Add cashews, butter, cayenne pepper and pinch of salt. Stir to coat all the nuts with evenly with the sugar. Spread onto waxed paper lined sheet pan and allow to set. Be careful as the nuts will be very hot. When cool break up into small bite-size clumps and set aside.
• Soup:
• Melt the butter in a large sauce pot, over medium heat, and add the coconut. Toast the coconut until golden brown. Add whole milk, coconut milk, coconut ice cream, and spices. Lower the heat and stir constantly until the mixture is heated through.
• Place in serving bowls and garnish with caramelized nuts and chopped mint.

CHILLED COCONUT LEMONGRASS SOUP WITH WARM PINEAPPLE DUMPLING

Steps:

• Heat the simple syrup with the ginger, kaffir lime and lemongrass until just simmering. Do not boil or reduce syrup. Remove from heat, and allow mixture to steep for at least 1 hour. Stir in the coconut milk and heavy cream, and strain through a chinois. Chill soup and serve with dumplings, pineapple lime bombe, tropical fruit salsa and basil oil.
• In a medium skillet, caramelize 3 ounces of sugar until golden brown. Add the diced pineapple and vanilla beans and stir until sugar dissolves and pineapple is softened. Set pineapple aside to cool. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add 1-ounce sugar, pinch of salt and egg and mix until just combined. Fold in pineapple mixture and chill until firm. Fill wrappers with 2 tablespoons of the filling and chill until ready to fry. Heat oil to 350 degrees F and fry dumplings until golden brown. Drain dumplings well before serving. Yield: 1 to 2 dozen
• Whip egg yolks and 1/2 of the sugar and salt until tripled in volume. Fold in the pineapple puree. Whip the egg whites on medium speed until foamy. Increase the speed of the mixer to high and add the remaining sugar. Whip to stiff peaks and fold into the yolk mixture. Fold in whipped cream, lime zest and lime juice. Place in a large container or small containers and freeze until set. Serve frozen.
• To make the pineapple puree, peel, core and chop 1 pound 4 ounces of fresh pineapple into medium chunks. Toss with 3 ounces of sugar and cook until fruit is soft and sugar is just starting to caramelize. Puree in a food processor until smooth. Chill and reserve for use in bombes.
• Dice fruit and toss with minced ginger.
• Blanch basil and shock with ice water. Drain and squeeze water from basil. Place basil in blender; add oil slowly to form green oil. Strain through cheesecloth.

CREAM OF COCONUT AND MANGO SOUP

Steps:

• In a saucepan set over moderate heat, combine coconut milk, sugar, cardomon pods, lemon grass, ginger and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and let cool. Chill, covered, overnight.
• In a bowl, combine the tapioca with the water and let mixture sit for 45 minutes. Drain the tapioca. Strain the coconut mixture. In a saucepan set over moderate heat, combine the tapioca with the coconut milk mixture, bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until thickened. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cream. Let cool and chill, covered, until cold. In a bowl, combine mango with orange juice, lime juice and sugar. To serve: Pour coconut mixture into soup bowls then arrange mango mixture in the middle of each bowl. Garnish with mint leaves.

THE BEST THAI COCONUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with cilantro.