Stir Fries
Free-for-all frittata
· A free-for-all frittata can make a quick and delicious meal of what you have in your fridge and pantry. It is a great way to use leftover cooked vegetables and meat. Here is a basic method of preparing a frittata for 4-6 people.
1.PRECOOKED INGREDIENTS
· Leftovers can add substance to your frittata especially a cup or two of cooked pasta, boiled or roasted potatoes, pumpkin, or sweet potato. You can also add 1 - 2 cups of other cooked vegetables such as peas, beans, asparagus, artichokes, broad beans, spinach, silver beet, carrots, corn and zucchinis. If your vegetables are not pre-cooked steam or boil them and allow them to cool a bit so they do not curdle the eggs when added to them. You can also add about ½ cup of sliced meat such as cooked sausages, shredded roasted chicken, ham and salami.
2.SAUTE BASIC FLAVOURINGS AND AROMATICS
· Gently fry your choice of sliced or chopped onions, shallots, spring onions, leeks in olive oil or olive and butter, until tender but not browned. Leeks might take 30 minutes to cook thoroughly. You might like to add some chopped bacon and celery or sliced capsicum for more flavour. Add aromatics such as crushed garlic and minced chilli and any spices and hard herbs such as thyme, and sauté over medium heat for a minute. Allow the ingredients to cool down a little.
3.ADDING THE EGG MIXTURE
· Lightly beat 6 eggs together and season with salt and pepper. Add chopped soft herbs such as parsley, dill, fennel, basil. Add the precooked ingredients and basic flavourings and aromatics. Stir together. Heat a large heavy based pan on high heat and add the egg mixture. Allow the bottom to brown for a minute and then turn the heat down. You can make the frittata as thick or thin as you like by your choice of pan but remember the thicker the frittata the lower the heat you should use and the longer you should cook it to make sure that the bottom doesn’t burn while the middle is raw. It could take between 15-25 minutes to cook, meanwhile heat the grill or oven up to brown the top of the frittata.
4.FINNISHING OFF THE FRITTATA
· When the top of the frittata is still moist but with only a little runny egg mix on top sprinkle it with about ½ cup of grated cheese of your choice and put the pan under a hot grill for about 30 seconds or in a hot oven to quickly brown the surface (don’t leave it too long or it will be dry and tough). The frittata should have a golden crust but still be creamy inside. It is lovely served warm with a salad.
Some good combinations for frittatas
1. broad beans, artichokes, spring onions, anchovies, parsley, percorino cheese.
2. asparagus, peas, chives, bacon, capers, parmesan cheese.
3. Leeks, mushrooms, ham, spinach, nutmeg,
4. Peas, chorizo sausage, onion, red and green capsicum, a little smoked paprika
5. zucchinis, red capsicum, onion, salami, basil, parmesan
6. pasta, silver beet, chives, parsley, ham, anchovies, fetta
7. French beans, garlic, potatoes, dill, parmesan
8. Carrots, garlic, bacon, cumin, coriander
9. sweet potatoes, sausage, onions, broccoli, chillies, garlic, ginger
10. Fennel, zucchini, leek, smoked salmon, camembert,
11. A variety of mushrooms, artichokes, bacon, chives, goats cheese,
12. Pumpkin, blue cheese, bacon
13. pumpkin, sausage, broccoli, blue cheese, coriander, parsley
14. Potato, speck, garlic, cabbage, fennel seeds,
15. Beetroot, onion, feta, dill
16. Chinese greens, Asian noodles, onion, ginger, garlic
STIR
FRIES
·
The wok has to be one of the most versatile
cooking utensils ever invented and it is a testament to our multicultural
society and willingness to give things a go that almost every Australian
kitchen today has a wok and you can even get wok burners on your barbeque. Woks now come in all sorts of sophisticated
shapes, sizes, and colours but the original wok was a humble metal, parabolic
dish designed to make the most of limited fuel, limited space and limited time. Who needs an oven, frypan, steamer and
deep-fryer when you have a wok – it can do all the tasks of these kitchen
utilities – you can even use it to smoke food.
But one of the most appealing things about woks is that you can use them
to cook tasty, healthy food – fast!
Just remember to cut up your ingredients
into pieces that will take roughly the same time to cook through. Even so, some food may cook quicker than
other food, so add it a bit later to the main ingredients. And don’t put too much in the pan at the same
time as it will stew the food, especially meat.
You don’t want it to do that – you want the hot wok to sear the food instantly
so that it locks all the moisture into the tiny morsels – that way your food
will be succulent and delicious.
·
Food will cook in a wok very quickly so
don’t leave it sitting – stand there and turn it over to ensure even
cooking. If you have prepared everything
in advance this will be no problem. Put
your rice on before you start cooking or soak your noodles in some hot water
and everything will be ready at the same time.
Stop the intense frying by adding a little liquid towards the end, along
with drained noodles if you like, and warm through for a few minutes at lower
heat. You can put the lid on if some of
your vegetables need a little longer.
Anything goes in a wok but you can vary the
flavour of your stir fries by varying the oils that you use, the aromatics, the
sauces and garnishes, as well as the accompaniments. Sometimes it is better to cook several stir
fries for a meal rather than one gigantic dish with the lot. This approach helps to keep the tastes fresh
and distinct and reduces the likelihood that food will stew rather than sear. Aim for a contrast of textures – eg crispy
vegetables and soft noodles and a balance of flavours – salty, sour, savoury,
and even a touch of sweet.
Cut up your meat (beef, lamb, pork,
chicken, fish, prawns etc) into evenly sized thin strips or small pieces. Marinade it for a short period in a mixture
of soy sauce, a little water mixed with a teaspoon or two of cornstarch and any
other seasonings you fancy such as five spice or Sichuan pepper. The cornstarch
will help seal the meat when it is added to the oil and will also help to
thicken the sauce at the end of cooking process. While the meat is marinading, cut up seasonal
vegetables (such as Chinese cabbage, bok choy, choy sum, broccoli, zucchini,
capsicum, onions, mushrooms – whatever is on hand) into evenly sized pieces.
·
Mince your aromatics (such as ginger, garlic,
bulb shallots or onions, lemon grass and if you like your food hot – some
chilli) or pound them in a mortar. Chose your chillies to suit your taste –
tiny red chillies are usually hotter than big ones and the chilli will be
hotter if you leave the seeds and white membrane in.
·
Heat some oil over high heat – use oils
that are good at high temperatures such as peanut oil. Add a dash of sesame oil if you like (but not
too much as it strongly flavoured). Quickly
fry the aromatics then add about a cupful of drained meat to the wok at a time
and cook on high heat for a minute or two until seared on the outside but not
completely cooked. Remove from the wok,
drain on paper towel let the wok come back to temperature and then add the next
batch. Once the oil is hot again add the
chopped vegetables putting in the ones that take longest to cook first. Stir fry for a few minutes until almost
tender.
·
Add sauces for flavouring. Some good combinations are a tablespoon of
soy sauce (savoury and salty) with a tablespoon of lime or lemon juice or Chinese
rice wine or vinegar (sour), to which you can add a tablespoon or two of a
prepared sauce such as Hoisin, plum, oyster, black bean or satay sauce and a
dash of sweet chilli sauce or a pinch of sugar, a teaspoon of honey or some
pineapple pieces to add a sweet note.
Experiment with different combinations to get a good balance of
flavours.
Add the meat back to the wok and noodles if
you are using them. At this stage you
can add a teaspoon of cornflour mixed with a little water if want to thicken
your sauce and give the dish a glossy finish.
Heat through for a minute or two. Serve on a bed of rice or noodles (if
not already added to the wok), garnish with toasted nuts (of any variety) or
sesame seeds, thinly sliced scallions and/or chilli, and chopped herbs such as
coriander and mint.
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