Frizzled Ginger Recipes

PEANUT-CRUSTED TILAPIA WITH FRIZZLED GINGER & SCALLIONS

Steps:

• In a 10-12 inch non-stick skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot.
• Add the scallions and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are just golden, with some green still visible on the scallions, 2 to 4 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from the heat, and with a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to paper towels to drain, (leave oil in the skillet).
• Toss the ginger and scallions lightly with salt.
• Line up three wide, shallow dishes. Put the flour in the first; beat the egg in the second; put the chopped peanuts in the third.
• Season the tilapia fillets lightly with salt.
• Dredge one fillet in the flour shaking off the excess. Dip the fillet in the egg, then coat it with peanuts. Set aside on a plate.
• Repeat previous step with the second fillet.
• Reheat the oil in the skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add the tilapia fillets and cook until golden on each side and the flesh is opaque and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side, (reduce heat if they brown too fast).
• Put the tilapia on dinner plates, and sprinkle with pepper to taste, and top with the frizzled vegetables , and serve immediately.

CURRIED PEA SOUP WITH FRIZZED GINGER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and leek and season with salt and pepper. Saute the vegetables until they are softened but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder, stir, and cook for 2 minutes more.
• Add the stock and herb sachet to the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and let simmer until the vegetables have completely softened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the peas and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
• Use tongs to remove and discard the herb sachet.
• Use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot, or puree it in batches in a standing blender, then return the soup to the pot over medium heat. Stir in the creme fraiche, being careful not to let the soup return to a boil. (If you like, reserve a few tablespoons of the creme fraiche to drizzle over each serving.)
• Divide soup among individual bowls and serve at once, topping each serving with a drizzle of creme fraiche, if desired, and a few pieces of frizzled ginger.
• Pour the oil into a heavy-bottomed stockpot or lobster pot. Add all the other ingredients and cook, stirring, over medium-low heat until the vegetables have all softened but not colored, about 15 minutes. Pour in 6 quarts water, raise the heat to high, and bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and let the liquid simmer for 2 hours.
• Carefully strain the stock through a fine-meshed strainer set over a large bowl or pot, pressing down on the solids with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Let the stock cool, then refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze in batches to be thawed and used as needed.
• Pour oil into a small pot and heat to 265 degrees F. Shave the ginger into a fine julienne using a Japanese mandoline, vegetable slicer, or very sharp thin-bladed knife. Adds the ginger crisps to the oil, frying them until crispy, about 1 minute; use a slotted spoon to remove them to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Salt as soon as it hits the paper. These crisps can be held at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

RED-COOKED PORK WITH FRIZZLED GINGER

Steps:

• Stir together water, soy sauce, wine, rock sugar, white parts of scallions, ginger, garlic, cilantro stems, zest strips, and star anise in a deep 6- to 8-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Add pork, then cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, turning pork over every 30 minutes, until very tender, 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Cool pork in cooking liquid, uncovered, about 1 hour, then chill, covered, at least 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Transfer chilled pork to a clean cutting board, then remove string and cut meat across the grain into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange pork in overlapping slices in a 13- by 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.
• Discard fat from cooking liquid and reheat liquid over low heat until warm, then pour through a sieve into a bowl (discard solids). Transfer 2 cups cooking liquid to a 1-quart saucepan, reserving remainder for another use. Bring to a simmer, then pour over pork. Cover dish tightly with foil and heat in middle of oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
• Cut scallion greens diagonally into thin slices. Carefully pour hot broth from baking dish into a bowl and stir in scallion greens and grated zest. Serve pork with broth, topped with cilantro leaves and frizzled ginger.

FRIZZLED GINGER

Steps:

• Cut ginger lengthwise into very thin slices with slicer, then cut slices lengthwise into very fine shreds with a sharp knife.
• Heat oil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until it registers 360°F on thermometer. Fry ginger in 4 batches, stirring frequently, until crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Transfer with a slotted spoon or skimmer to paper towels to drain. Return oil to 360°F between batches.