sweet soy chicken

made this on a whim the other night and it was a nice change from our usual chicken. 

sweet soy chicken
makes 4 servings

3-3 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, wings, or drums
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry, white wine or sake
4 garlic cloves, minced

Place all ingredients except the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and stir to combine. Add the chicken, seal (pressing out any excess air), and turn the bag to coat the chicken evenly. Place in the refrigerator and marinate, turning occasionally for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 375. Bake chickens for 45-60 mins or until 165 degrees (wings will cook much faster!).

soy ginger scallion whole steamed fish

This dish is probably my favorite of a multi-course Chinese banquet. I never thought I'd be able to do it on my own, but this turned out just like the real thing.

whole steamed fish with soy, ginger and scallion
makes 2 (or 4 side) servings

1 (1 1/2 lb) whole white fish (such as sea bass, branzino or flounder), cleaned with head and tail intact
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2"x 1/2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 scallion, julienned
4 sprigs cilantro
1/2 cup canola oil

Rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a heatproof plate that is both large enough to accommodate it (a glass pie plate works well) and will also fit inside your steamer, bending the fish slightly if it is too long. Stuff half of the ginger inside the cavity of the fish and spread the remaining ginger on top of the fish.

Pour water into a wok or stockpot and set a steamer in the wok or on the rim of the stockpot. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Place the plate holding the fish in the steamer, cover, and steam for about 8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife.

While the fish is steaming, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, wine, and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.

When the fish is ready, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and pour off any accumulated liquid. Lay the scallion and cilantro along the top of the fish. In a small sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Remove the oil from the heat and pour it directly over the scallion and cilantro to "cook" them. Drizzle the soy mixture over the fish and serve immediately.

soy sesame miso dressing

A friend of ours brought over this homemade dressing which they received from another friend, who owns a restaurant and never gives out the ingredients of this dressing. It was so good! We've been trying to recreate it - we've even kept a small amount of the original jar to compare with and tweak each new recipe we make. This isn't exactly it, but we're getting closer...

miso sesame soy dressing
makes 4-6 servings

1 1/2 tbsp miso paste
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tbsp honey
1 tbsp minced, fresh ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp lime juice

Whisk miso paste into rice vinegar in a bowl until smooth. Stir in honey, ginger, sesame oil and lime juice into the vinegar mixture.

soy marinated tofu

This was actually my first time cooking tofu, and it was amazing, and an even better version of one of the kids' favorite dishes from Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles in Chinatown.

soy marinated tofu

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

4 teaspoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or a good pinch of ground ginger

4 teaspoons hoisin sauce, optional

One 16-ounce tub extra-firm tofu

1 or 2 scallions, thinly sliced, optional

1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and stir together.

2. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Blot well between clean tea towels or several layers of paper towels, then cut each slice through the thickness again to make 1/4-inch-thick slices. Blot briefly again.

3. Cut each slice into 2 squares. Place in a shallow pan and drizzle with the marinade. Gently turn the tofu pieces over so that both sides are coated with marinade. Let stand for 10 minutes or so.

4. Heat a wide nonstick skillet. Transfer the tofu and marinade into the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently and frequently, until the tofu is nicely browned on most sides.

Scatter scallions over the tofu if desired, and serve at once.