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Nicoise Salad

Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette 1/2 half cup plus 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons minced red onion 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil Roasted Potatoes with Tuscan Marinade 12 small unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 2 ounces each), quartered 8 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh thyme 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Herb-Crusted Salmon 3 green onions, including light green parts, minced 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil 3 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 2 large cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil Six 4-ounce salmon fillets, skin and...
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Clear-Steamed Sea Bass

Ingredients: - 1 dried shiitake mushroom - A few rectangular slices of bamboo shoot - 1 oz (30g) fresh ginger, skin on - 3 spring onions, white parts only - 1 sea bass (about 1 1/2 lbs/650g), scaled and gutted - A few rectangular slices of Spanish or Chinese cured ham, steamed briefly - 4 tbsp Shaoxing wine - 1/2 cup (100ml) clear chicken stock - 3 tbsp light soy sauce - 1/2 tsp superfine sugar - 3 tbsp fermented glutinous rice - 1 tbsp chicken oil or lard - Salt and ground white pepper For the dipping sauce: - 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger - 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar Steps: Cover the shiitake mushrooms in boiling water and leave to soak for at least half an hour.  Bring a pan of water to the boil and blanch the bamboo shoot slices, then drain them.  Smack the ginger and spring onion whites with the flat side of a Chinese cleaver or a rolling pin to loosen their fibers. Put the fish on a chopping board.  Holding your knife at an angle to the b...
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Red-Braised Fish

Ingredients: 1 sea bream or sea bass (about 1 3/4 lbs/800g), scaled and gutted 3/4 oz (20g) fresh ginger, skin on 1 spring onion 2 tbsp lard or cooking oil 3 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tsp super fine sugar 2 tbsp thinly sliced spring onions, green parts only Salt For the marinade: 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine 1/4 tsp salt 2 tsp dark soy sauce Make 3 or 4 parallel diagonal slashes through the thickest part of the fish, then a couple in the opposite direction, to make a broad crisscross pattern.  Rub the fish inside and out with the marinade wine and salt and leave for a few minutes.  Smack the ginger and spring onion  with the flat side of a Chinese cleaver or a rolling pin to loosen their fibers.  Tie the spring onion into a knot, if its long and slender enough to make this possible. When you are ready to cook, boil the kettle.  Pat the fish dry with paper towels, then rub both sides with the 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce.  Heat ...
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Steamed Sea Bass with Snow Vegetables

Ingredients: 1 sea bass (Branzino) about 1 lb.  Scaled and gutted 1 oz (30g) fresh ginger, skin on 2 spring onions, white parts only 1 1/2 tbsp Shaoxing wine 3 tbsp lard or cooking oil 4 oz (100g) snow vegetable 2 tbsp sliced spring onions, green parts only Salt Cooking: Put the fish on your chopping board and, holding your knife at an angle to the board, make a few parallel diagonal slashes into the thickest part of the fish.  Repeat on the other side.  Cut the piece of ginger in half.  Use the flat side of a Chinese cleaver or a rolling pin to smack the ginger and spring onion whites to loosen their fibers.  Put the fish on a plate and rub it inside and out with 1 tablespoon of the Shaoxing wine and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Put one piece each of ginger and spring onion into the cavity of the fish.  Leave to marinate for about 15 minutes. Remove the ginger and spring onion from the marinade and pat the fish dry on paper towels.  Place t...
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Hunan Steamed Fish with Pickled Chilies and Tofu

Ingredients 12 oz. tilapia or flounder filet 1 carton/small block of firm tofu 2 tablespoons soy sauce ¼ - ⅓ cup jarred hunan chili peppers (try finding the "Tantan Xiang" brand at your Chinese grocery store) ½ teaspoon sugar 1 tablespoon fermented whole black beans washed and strained a small bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped 1 scallion, chopped noodles (optional -- see note at the bottom of the post) Instructions Select a large shallow bowl or plate with a 1-inch rim around the sides that will fit nicely into your wok with a shallow steamer rack set up at the bottom. Rinse your fish fillet and pat it dry with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into neat ½-inch thick rectangles. Arrange the tofu on your plate/shallow bowl in two rows. Place the fish filet on top of the tofu. If the fillet is too big for the plate, you can fold the thin tail end and tuck it underneath the rest of the fillet so it fits snugly onto the plate. Combine the soy sauce, peppers, and ...
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Corn, Crab and Shrimp Chowder

INGREDIENTS 6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth 1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined, shells reserved 3 ears of corn—shucked, kernels cut off and cobs reserved 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons 1 large yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/3-inch dice 3 celery ribs, cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 serrano chile, minced 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over 1 quart heavy cream Salt Freshly ground black pepper Snipped chives, for garnish Buttered toast, for serving HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil with the shrimp shells and corn cobs. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cobs. Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a large, heatproof bowl, pressing on the shells to remove as much stock as possible. Wipe out the pot. In a small skillet, toast th...
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Chinese Braised Fish (Hongshao Yu)

Ingredients 2 tilapia, totaling about 2 ½ lbs, descaled and cleaned 2 teaspoons cornstarch 3 tablespoons oil 6 slices ginger 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces ¾ cup shaoxing wine 2 tablespoons sugar 2½ tablespoons Chinese black vinegar 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce 2 teaspoons light soy sauce Instructions Using paper towels, pat the fish thoroughly dry. Wrap the fish in fresh paper towels while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The goal is to make the fish as dry as absolutely possible. Use a sharp knife to score both sides of the fish three times. Once the prep work is done, unwrap the fish and dust it with a thin, even layer of cornstarch on both sides. This step will help keep the skin in tact during pan-frying. Heat the wok until it starts to smoke, and immediately add the oil and ginger slices. Reduce the heat to medium. Once the ginger slices start to brown, remove them from the wok and set aside. Carefully lay the fish in the wok, and DO EVERYT...
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