Cabbage, Apple and Baby Rocket Salad with Rosemary Pancetta

I can't believe this is the first salad recipe I have posted on my blog! I hope it doesn't give the impression that I am not a salad person. I do love my vegetables. I guess most of the time, my salad is simply made by mixing some green leaves, drizzling them with straightforward dressings. So, there is really nothing great to shout about. However, this recipe is for a great salad. And I do feel the need to share.

It's a great salad on its own right but it is also great to serve it topped with slices of roast pork and crunchy crackling instead of pancetta.

Cabbage, Apple and Baby Rocket Salad with Rosemary Pancetta
(Loosely adapted from Adrian Richardson's MEAT - Cabbage, apple and tarragon salad)
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 kg white cabbage, hard core removed and very finely shredded
75 g salt
1 Granny Smith apple, skin on, cored and sliced into thin matchsticks
1 cup baby rocket leaves
6 slices rosemary pancetta
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt
fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Pan fried the rosemary pancetta until browned and crisp. Remove from pan and set aside.
   

   

2. Toss the cabage with the salt in a large container. Cover with a damp towel and leave for 1-2 hours. You can leave it overnight, which will soften the cabbage even more. (Note: salting the cabbage overnight will take away the rawness to make it tastes a bit like fresh sauerkraut.)
3. Tip the cabbage into a colander and wash very thoroughly to remove the salt. Pat the cabbage dry and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the apple and baby rockets and toss gently.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil. Pour onto the salad and toss to combine. Season to taste and serve with rosemary pancetta.

Orange Flavored Cranberry Scones

I love fruity scones and I was on the lookout for some interesting dried fruits to bake my first homemade scones. Yes, I haven't made scones before. I blame it for the fact that Mr J - being a Dutch - is not a big scone-eater and myself - being gluten intolerant - not able to eat a lot of them.

When Ninette, a fellow food blogger from Connecticut who visited Sydney last December and brought along this interesting Orange Flavored Cranberries, I knew I found the perfect dried fruits to make my scones.

I have also found a perfect occasion to share these scones: A summer afternoon pool party where the kids swam at the pool, the moms and dads seated by the poolside to sample these scones with our afternoon tea.

Orange Flavored Cranberry Scones
(Loosely adapted from Bill Granger's Simply Bill - Sultana Scones)
Makes 12

Ingredients

1 tbsp icing (confectioners') sugar
310 g (11 oz / 2 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
60 g (2 1/4 oz / 1/2 cup) orange flavored dried cranberries (If you can't find orange flavored cranberries, you can replace them with dried cranberries + 1 tsp orange zest)

250 ml (9fl oz / 1 cup) milk
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, melted

To serve
Butter and raspberry jam

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F). Sift the icing sugar, flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the cranberries and orange zest (if using) and stir to combine.
2. Add the milk and butter and stir with a knife to combine. Knead quickly and lightly until smooth and then press out on a floured surface to about 3cm (1 1/4 inches) thick.
3. Use a cutter or glass to cut 5 cm (2 inch) rounds. Place close together on a greased baking tray. Gather the scraps together, knead again and cut out more rounds.

   

4. Bake for about 10 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve with butter and jam.

'Aussie' Tiramisu with Lamington and Anzac Biscuits

Making Tiramisu on the 25th of January is quickly becoming a habit. It's my bestie Miss M's husband's birthday and I promised to make him his favourite dessert on this day: tiramisu.

While making the classic tiramisu for Mr F, I decided to make 2 extra glasses of this Aussie Timarisu, because tomorrow the 26th of January is Australia Day. This Aussie Timarisu idea comes from reading the latest issue of Delicious Magazine (January 2010). There is a column that gives advise on how to use up the loose bits and left overs. One of the ideas is to make Aussie Timarisu using leftover Lamingtons instead of sponge fingers. I have also replaced the grated chocolate with Anzac biscuit crumbs to add a more patriotic feel to it.

Australia Day means a lot to Mr J and myself. The story of us - a Dutch and a Malaysian - ending up settled down in the Aussie land is well documented in this POST. In case you have not read it, here is the summary:

"We came to Australia from Malaysia in 1999 when my Dutch husband Mr J was head-hunted for a job in Australia with a 2-year contract. We were given 3 locations to reside: Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney. We picked Sydney mainly because we wanted to be in the city that was going to host the 2000 Summer Olympic.

I was pregnant with little Miss C in 2001 and we decided to move back to The Netherlands and settle down for good. By fate, 9/11 tragedy strikes. It has dramatically changed many people's life. We have heard many stories of people's life that have been directly affected by the event. What you might not know is that many people outside of America, not having any link with the incident, were also affected by it. It has changed the world.

Due to religion and political sensitivity, I am not going to go into details of what exactly has happened. The fact is after the terrorist attack, the Dutch government implemented a new immigration law (Residence Permit MVV) that made it almost impossible for me (a Malaysian passport holder) to be a permanent resident in Holland and vise versa for him in Malaysia.

We were in Aussie land at that moment. We were in shock. Australia was the only country that welcomed us with open arms. From that moment, we started to call Australia home. It wasn't an easy journey to start a life in new country without extended families but we didn't look back and little Miss C was born in Sydney the following year.

We love Australia because she has given us a new life. We love Sydney because she has provided us a home that the three of us can live together for the rest of our life."

10 years on, we still call Australia home.

p/s I will be on holidays in Brisbane for the rest of the week.

'Aussie' Tiramisu Recipe
Serves 8

Ingredients

12 - 18 x Lamingtons (depending on the size of your glass)
12 x Anzac Biscuits
1 cup strong espresso coffee
2 tbsp Baileys Irish Cream
2 eggs
75 g caster sugar
250g Mascarpone cheese
300 ml double cream

Method

1. Pulse the Anzac biscuits in food processor to form crumbs.
   

   

2. Mix the espresso coffee with Bailey's Irish Cream.
3. Combine the eggs and caster sugar in an electric mixer and whisk together until thick and light. The mixture should be thick enough to leave a trail on the surface.
4. Put the Mascarpone cheese into a large bowl. Stir in a little of the egg mixture. Fold in the remaining egg mixture. Fold in the double cream.
5. Cut the Lamington to fit the size of the base of the individual serving glasses or a large serving bowl.
   

   

6. Line the bottom of the glass with a layer of Lamington. Drizzle the espresso coffee and Bailey's Irish Cream mixture over the Lamington.
7. Sprinkle over a thick layer of Anzac biscuit crumbs, then spoon Mascarpone mixture on top (3-4 tbsp, enough to cover the Lamington). Level the surface.
8. Repeat the layers until it reaches the top of glass.
9. Decorate with the remaining Anzac biscuit crumbs. Cover and chill for 4 hours.

Roasted Pork Belly with Garlic and Char Siu Sauce

This is a very old recipe. It is originated from a recipe my mother used. It took her hours to slowly braise the pork belly with char siu sauce in a wok. She didn't have an oven then. I still have fond memories of her spending hours making this dish. I have added a few more ingredients to the marinade and decided on roasting the pork belly instead of braising it.

I almost forgot about this recipe until I made the Momofuku ginger scallion sauce. It suddenly came to my mind that this long forgotten pork belly recipe would be excellent to go with the sauce and the ramen noodles.

I am glad that I revisited this recipe and I am delighted to share it with you. It's probably not the best pork belly recipe but an extremely easy and tasty one to follow.

Roasted Pork Belly with Garlic and Char Siu Sauce

Ingredients

700 g pork belly rashers
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp char siu sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Remove rind from pork belly rashers if desired. (I kept the rind on for better presentation )
2. Mix remaining ingredients in large bowl to form a thick paste.
3. Combine pork belly with the marinade. Cover; refrigerate 2-3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 190C (375F).
5. Place pork belly rashers on oiled wire rack in a roasting pan. Roast, uncovered for 40 minutes or until tender and brown.
6. Stand meat for 15 minutes and slice them thinly, about 2 cm thick.

Momofuku Ginger Scallion Noodles

If you still have not heard of Momofuku, check it out HERE.

After making their Fried Chicken with Octo Vin, I couldn't wait to make their ginger scallion sauce to pair with some store-bought ramen and green vegetables. I also made a Roasted Pork Belly with garlic and Char Siew sauce (my recipe, not Momofuku's) that went wonderfully with the ginger scallion sauce and ramen noodles. Recipe for the roasted pork belly will be posted soon.

Ginger Scallion Noodles

Momofuku - "Ginger scallion sauce is one of the greatest sauces or condiments ever. Ever. It's definitely a mother sauce at Momofuku, something that we use over and over and over again. If you have ginger scallion sauce in the fridge, you will never go hungry; stir 6 tablespoons into a bowl of hot noodle - lo-mein, rice noodles, Shanghai thick noodles - and you-re in business. Or serve over a bowl of rice topped with a fried egg. Or with grilled meat or any kind of seafood. Or almost anything."

Ginger Scallion Noodles
(Adapted from Momofuku Cookbook)

Ingredients

6 oz ramen noodles
6 tbsp ginger scallion sauce (recipe follows)
Your choice of condiments

Method

1. Boil the ramen noodles, drain, toss with ginger scallion sauce; top the bowl with 1/4 cup each of Bamboo Shoots (recipe can be found in Momofuku Cookbook), Quick-Pickled Cucumbers (recipe can be found in Momofuku Cookbook); pan-roasted cauliflower (a little oil in a hot wide pan, 8 or so minutes over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the florets are dotted with brown and tender all the way through; season with salt); a pile of sliced scallions; and a sheet of toasted nori. But that's because we've always got all that stuff on hand. Improvise to your needs, but know that you need ginger scallion sauce on your noodles, in your fridge, and in your life.

Ginger Scallion Sauce
(Adapted from Momofuku Cookbook)
Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups thinly sliced scallions (greens and whites; from 1 to 2 large bunches)
1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 cup grapeseed or other neutral oil
1 1/2 tsp usukuchi (light soy sauce)
3/4 tsp sherry vinegar
3/4 tsp kosher salt, or more to taste

Method

1. Mix together the scallions, ginger, oil, soy, vinegar, and salt in a bowl. Taste and check for salt, adding more if needed. Though it's best after 15 or 20 minutes of sitting, ginger scallion sauce is good from the minute it's stirred together up to a day or two in the fridge. Use as directed, or apply as needed.

Paella

I know there are many paella recipes out there but this is the recipe that I like and I have been cooking my paella with this recipe for many years. It's only a few easy steps and the result is always satisfying. It's a great one dish dinner to share with family and friends.

Paella

(Adapted from AWW's Modern Classic)

Serves 4

Ingredients

500 g clams (I didn't use clams)

1 tbsp coarse salt

1 pinch saffron threads

1/4 cups (60 ml) hot water

300 g medium uncooked prawns

500 g small black mussels

2 tbsp olive oil

2 chicken thigh fillets (220 g), chopped coarsely

200 g chorizo sausage, sliced

1 large red onion (300 g), chopped

1 medium red capsicum (200 g), chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp sweet paprika

1 1/2 cups (300 g) medium-grain white rice

3 1/2 cups (875 ml) chicken stock

1 cup (125 g) frozen peas

2 medium tomatoes (380 g), peeled, seeded, chopped finely

Method

1. Rinse clams under cold water and place in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt, cover with cold water, soak 2 hours (this purges them of any grit). Discard water, rinse clam thoroughly; drain.
2. Meanwhile, shell and devein prawns, leaving tails intact. Scrub mussels and remove beards.
3. Combine saffron and the hot water in small bowl; stand for 30 minutes.
4. Heat oil in 40cm-wide shallow pan; cook chicken until browned; remove from pan. Cook chorizo in same pan until browned; drain on absorbent paper.
5. Add onion to same pan with capsicum, garlic and paprika; cook, stirring, until soft. Add rice; stir to coat in onion mixture.

   

6. Return chicken and chorizo to pan. Add stock and saffron mixture; stir until combined. Bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, about 12 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Sprinkle peas and tomato over rice; simmer, uncovered, 3 minutes.
7. Place clams, mussels and prawns over rice mixture. Cover pan with foil; simmer 5 minutes or until clams and mussels have opened and prawns are cooked. Discard any unopened shells.

Tips: Chorizo is a spicy pork sausage made with garlic and red capsicums. Saffron threads are available at specialty food stores and some supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute a tiny pinch of saffron powder.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

This is the first dessert recipe I have tried to make from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook. The reason I left it so late is because of the unenthusiastic reviews of his dessert recipes. I heard the chewy cherry clafoutis comment during one of the masterchef chats and read the runny creme brulee feedback from this Les Halles Cooking Blog.

After owning the cookbook for almost a year, I went ahead to bake this tart. It turned out to be surprisingly good. I especially like the ganache filling which is a thick rich concoction with a heavenly taste. It set perfectly with a velvety texture. To be honest, I can't find any fault with it.

The tart shell is made from a sweet pastry dough. It didn’t shrink, and cooked to a perfect texture: not too crumbly, not too hard. I was a little annoyed because the baking instructions for the tart shell were not included in the cookbook. I had to figure out how to bake the tart shell myself, but it turned out to be not too hard after all.

I used a rectangular tart shell instead of a round tart shell as instructed purely for presentation purposes.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart Recipe
(Adapted from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook)
Serves 8

Ingredients

8 ounces / 225 g dark chocolate, chopped
3 ounces / 75 g butter
2 cups / 450 ml heavy cream
2 egg yolks
5 ounces / 140 g hazelnuts
1 prebaked 10-inc / 25.3-cm tart shell (Basic tart dough recipe follows)

Method

1. Place the chopped chocolate in the mixing bowl and add the butter.
2. In the small pot, bring the cream to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and butter. Let sit for 5 minutes, then add the yolks and mix well. Stir the hazelnuts into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the tart shell.
3. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Basic Tart Dough
(Adapted from Anothny Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook)
Makes one 10-inch / 25.5-cm crust)

Ingredients

1 cup / 250 g pastry flour
1/2 cup / 125 g butter
1 egg
1/2 cup / 125 g sugar
A few drops of vanilla extract

Method

1. Sift or sieve the flour into the large bowl. In the bowl of the electric mixer, cream the butter (whipping on medium speed to soften and lighten it). Turn the butter into the bowl with the flour and quickly mix the two ingredients, using the wooden spoon. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the egg, sugar, and vanilla. Use the pastry cutter or two knives to combine the mixture into a dough. Roll it into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Once you are ready to use the dough, remove it from the refrigerator, unwrap, and press the dough down with the hell of your hand to flatter it. On a floured work surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out to the desired thickness.
3. Working from the center of the dough, use short, quick strokes with the rolling pin to get your dough to the desired thickness - generally about 1/4 inch / 6 mm thick for most pies and tarts. Tears can be repaired bu patting the dough back togehter with fingers, but take care to avoid too many patches, as this will interfere with the proper and even cooking of the dough. When you're ready to transfer the dough to the pan, gently fold the dough in half on itself (so that the circle becomes a half-moon), and gently lift and place it in the pan (which should not be very far away). Carefully unfold the dough so that its shape roughly mirrors the shape of the pan, and using delicate pressure, pat the dough into the corners of the pan. Once you are satisfied that the dough is truly lining the pan, either fold over or cut away the excess dough.

Note: Tart dough is much more delicate than pie dough, so it is essential that your ingredients be cold, that the work surface and rolling pin be amply floured, and that you work with a quick and delicate hand.

The cookbook didn't include the baking instructions for the tart shell. This is the method I use to bake the tart shell:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Line pastry shell with baking paper and baking weights or rice. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake for a further 10 minutes, or unitl pastry is golden, crisp and thoroughly cooked. Allow to cool on wire racks.

Recipe Shout-Out (5)

This is my fifth Recipe Shout Out to show my thankfulness to everyone who has been inspired and tried the recipes I have posted on my blog.

Dear readers, please take a few minutes to check out these brilliant bloggers and their beautiful creations:

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All That Splatters - Cloud Souffle

Inspired from Nuvolone (Cloud Souffle)

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The Blue Slipper - Cinnamon Buns

Inspired from Norwegian Cinnamon Buns

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Moje Wypieki - Oliebollen

Inspired from Dutch Oliebollen

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Food For Four - Clay Pot Chicken Rice

Inspired from Claypot Chicken Rice with Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage)

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Quinn's Baking Diary - Chocolate Mud Cake

Inspired from Chocolate Mud Cake

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Опитайте - Julia Child's Popovers

Inspired from Julia Child's Popovers

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An Empty Stomach Is The Best Cook - Pom Poms

Inspired from Pom Poms

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Alter Gusto - Souffle Aerien d'oeuf Cocotte (Nuvolone)

Inspired from Nuvolone (Cloud Souffle)

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Pemerindung Puteri - Babi Panggang

Inspired from - Chinese Roast Pork Belly with Crackling

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An Empty Stomach Is The Best Cook - Kaya

Inspired from Kaya (Coconut Custard Spread / Coconut Jam)

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Please also check out my previous Recipe Shout-Outs:
Recipe Shout-Out (4)
Recipe Shout-Out (3)
Recipe Shout-Out (2)
Recipe Shout-Out (1)

If you have tried my recipes, please send me an email at almostbourdain[at]gmail[dot]com to let me know so I can include your blog on my next shout out.

Momofuku Fried Chicken with Octo Vinaigrette

I don't blame you if you have not heard of "Momofuku". I didn't have a clue myself until a month ago.

Momofuku is a restaurant group based in the East Village in New York City. Momofuku means 'lucky peach' in Japanese; David Chang, the head chef and owner, is Korean American.

I have always been slow in catching up with the latest hype about restaurant cookbooks. I often find their recipes are far too complicated to cook at home (unless I have a sous chef and a team of kitchen hands to assist me at home!). However, I was intrigued by several Momofuku recipes adapted by fellow bloggers including Bo Ssäm from A Table For Two and - Cereal Milk Pannacotta , Chicken and Egg from Trissalicious.

I went on to purchase a copy of the cookbook and made their Fried Chicken the following day. Did Momofuku live up to the hype? No one said it better than Anthony Bourdain:

Anthony Bourdain - "The breathless hype is true. His food is as good and as exciting as everyone says it is. David Chang has opened up a new direction in dining and cooking. With this troika of Momofukus, he changed the whole game. Scary-smart, funny, and ambitious, the wildly creative Chang is the guy all chefs have got to measure themselves by these days."

I really like Momofuku as a book. It's a very good read. Never in my life that I have read so much into a cookbook. It has documented the struggle and the meteoric rise to stardom of Momofukus and David Chang. The emotions are very raw, lots of frustrations, lots of F words but by reading the book, I felt I have been through the Momofuku journey with him.

I particularly like his closing chapter:

David Chang - "But that's all behind us. We're going to open more restaurants, we're going to work constantly to improve the restaurants we have now, and we're going to keep training new talent and trying to come up with new concepts. We're going to keep our heads down and try to be the most disciplined, knowledgeable, and accountable cooks ever."

"And me, I'm burnt out. Fried. At some point "me" evolved into "we." My life stopped being mine and the restaurants' needs replaced any I might have had. I got into the kitchen to get away from sitting at a desk and having to be nice to people, and here I am with a calendar full of events and meetings and food conferences. I opened a noodle bar so I wouldn't have to deal with the expectations of the starred restaurant world and that plan fell flat on its face (Living up to high expectations sucks.)

"But for all that, I know this: I am one very lucky bastard."

Momofuku Fried Chicken with Octo Vinaigrette Recipe
(Adapted from Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan)
Serves 2 to 4

David Chang - "I love, love, love, love, love fried chicken. I order it like a side dish at restaurants or when I get takeout. I will eat the worst fried chicken and love it.

We came up with this dish at the new Noodle Bar, once we had moved up the block. We tried different methods. Buttermilk soaking - the traditional southern way - was okay, but it didn't amplify the natural flavor of the chicken, which took a long time to cook in the fryer. Kevin and Scott experimented with some batters and coatings, all of which were tasty, but none of which was right.

We were using a crazy expensive and delicious chicken - the creed name is poulet rouge - and I wanted to strip away as much excess flavouring as possible. That's when we settled on this method: steam the chicken first, just until it's cooked, then use the fryer just to crisp and brown the outside. We came around to that method in part because of the new kitchen and the new Noodle Bar. At the original Noodle Bar we had just about the worst equipment on the planet: one oven in the basement in which everything was roasted and one tiny countertop fryer that fit maybe two chicken legs at a time. At the new Noodle Bar we have a fancy oven that allows us to cook the chicken at 160F in a steam-filled chamber and also a big deep fryer in which we could probably fry an entire baby pig.

But it isn't just a gear-driven approach: frying the chicken this way means the chicken spends less time in the oil, so it has a really clean flavor, and because of the sugar in the brine, it browns deeply - quickly. Take it out, chop it up, douse it in octo vin, and there it is: fried chicken dinner."

Ingredients

4 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup kosher salt
One 3- to 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 4 pieces - 2 legs, 2 breast halves with wings attached (I used 8 drumsticks)
4 cups grapeseed or other neutral cooking oil
Octo Vinaigrette (Recipe follows)

Method

1. Combine the water, sugar, and salt in a large container with a lid or a large freezer bag, and stir until the sugar and salt dissolve. Add the chicken to the brine, cover or seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and no more than 6.
2. Set up a steamer on the stove. Drain the chicken and discard the brine. Put the chicken in the steamer basket (if you are using a stacking Chinese-style bamboo steamer, put the legs in the bottom level and the breast on the top). Turn the heat to medium and set the lid of the steamer ever so slightly ajar. Steam the chicken for 40 minutes, then remove it from the steamer and put it on a cooling rack to cool. Chill it in the refrigerator, preferably on the rack, for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you fry it.
4. In a deep skillet, heat enough oil for the chicken to be submerged to 375F. Fry the chicken in batches, turning once, until the skin is deep drown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
5. Cut the chicken into a few pieces: cut the wing from the breast, cut the breast in half, cut through the knee to separate the thigh from the drumstick. Put in a large bowl, toss with the vinaigrette, and serve hot.

Octo Vinaigrette Recipe
(Adapted from Momofuku by David Chang and Peter Meehan)
Makes about 1 cup

From Kevin Pemoulie, creator of this vinaigrette, one of the world's finest condiments and food-improvers - a sauce so good it makes anything taste better:

"So, the "octo vin" is how she's formally known. I think of it as an interesting flip-flop of a traditional vinaigrette in that the ratio of vinegar to oil is reversed. It's designed to hold up to the char of the octopus and to dress the seaweed, which, unlike lettuces, requires a very forceful, pungent sauce. I wish my prom date had worn a pungent dress.

If we used this to dress a salad, it would probably be too strong. However, it is really f**king delish with meats: grilled or fried. We served it once with whole fried sole. We've served it with grilled hamachi collar. And, obviously, the Fried Chicken."

Ingredients

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 fresh bird's eye-chile, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup usukuchi (light soy sauce)
2 tbsp grapeseed or other neutral oil
1/4 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
Fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Combine the garlic, ginger, chile, vinegar, soy, grapeseed oil, sesame oil, sugar, and a few turns of black pepper in a lidded container and shake well to mix. This will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days, and is good on everything except ostrich eggs, which is really more the ostrich's fault than the vinaigrette's.

Note: When preparing the garlic and ginger for this recipe, make sure to take your time and work your knife skills: small, even pieces of garlic and ginger (not the mush that a garlic press or a ginger grater creates) really make a difference. Big bits of raw garlic can have an acrid sting: chunks of ginger will deliver a too-spicy blast can be unpleasantly fibrous.