Kellie's Chicken Khao Pune (Laotian Curry Noodles)

I was craving some Laotian Khao Pune (curry noodles) so I texted my friend Kellie to see if she could send me her “recipe.” She texted me back and said she will email it later. The recipe below is pretty much Kellie’s version.

I use a whole chicken because it’s what Kellie uses. I think it makes a more flavorful broth. Some people simply use boneless breasts and augment with chicken broth or bouillon but I think the flavor payoff is well worth the extra step of having to deal with bones. Chicken feet and chicken wings are also great for making yummy broth. (Chicken feet is my secret ingredient for making the perfect matzo ball soup broth.)

Kellie's Chicken Khao Pune (Laotian Curry Noodles)

Ingredients for Sauce:
1 whole chicken
1 pound chicken feet (optional)
1 stalk lemon grass
3 kaffir lime leaves
1 knob dried galanga root
water to cover
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 shallot, finely diced
1 13.5 ounce can Chaokoh coconut milk
1 4 ounce can Maesri brand Namya Noodle Curry Paste
2 tablespoons red curry paste (or use about ¼ cup red curry and exclude the namya curry paste)
MSG, to taste
Fish sauce, to taste
1 disk palm sugar (or about 2 tablespoons regular sugar)

Ingredients for Serving:
Rice vermicelli noodles, boiled
Cabbage, shredded
Bean sprouts
Banana blossom, sliced (optional)
Long beans, finely sliced
Cilantro, chopped
Green onions, sliced

1. Cut up a whole chicken into pieces and add to a large stockpot. Add chicken feet (if using), lemon grass, lime leaves, and galanga root to stockpot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken pieces and allow to cool. Continue to simmer broth.
2. When chicken is cool enough to handle, separate out the chicken meat, discarding skin and bones. Pound chicken meat with a mortar and pestle until chicken is shredded. (I think you can use a potato masher is you do not own a mortar and pestle. The goal is a finely shredded/mashed chicken without getting it too pasty.) Set mashed chicken aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, sauté shallots in some oil. Add curry pastes and sauté a few minutes until fragrant. Add coconut milk and sauté a few minutes longer. (Kellie doesn’t think that this step is necessary but I went ahead and followed it since it’s the way Kellie’s mom taught her to make the sauce.)
4. Add the curry coconut milk to the simmering broth. Add the reserved mashed chicken, MSG, fish sauce, and palm sugar. Return to a simmer until sugar is melted.

Maesri brand namya sauce, coconut milk, an assortment of rice vermicelli noodles and banana blossom.

To Serve:
1. Boil the rice vermicelli. Soak the noodles in cold water and create little bundles of noodles by grabbing a handful and laying it down on a colander. (This makes it easier for everyone to grab a bundle or two when assembling their bowls so make small serving size bundles.)
2. Layer the noodles and the various topping in a large “pho” bowl and ladle boiling sauce on top. Enjoy.

Plate of vegetable toppings:

Layer noodles and vegetable toppings in a large "pho" bowl.

Ladle hot sauce over noodles.

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Taco Shop Shredded Chicken Filling

San Diego taco shops usually have at least two different chicken burritos on their menus: a shredded chicken burrito and a grilled chicken burrito. The grilled chicken or pollo asado is usually seasoned diced chicken; grilled on a flat top and stuffed inside a ginormous flour tortilla with pico de gallo and guacamole while the regular chicken burrito is simply filled with stewed and shredded chicken. I enjoy both versions but I find the shredded chicken easier to replicate at home than the pollo asado. 

Growing up in San Diego, these taco shops have a special place in my heart.  They are unique to San Diego.  The style is very different from Mexican restaurants found in other parts of the country.  I think it is a regional development due to San Diego's proximity to Tijuana (TJ). Where else can you find carne asada fries?  Most of the shops are independently owned (with a few chains thrown into the mix) but they taste very similar. (Of course there are standouts but you can pretty much walk into any taco shop in San Diego and walk out pretty happy.) 

Looking for a great taco shop in San Diego? Below are a few of my favorites.

JV’s in Linda Vista/Morena: 1112 Morena Boulevard http://www.jvsmexicanfood.com/menu.htm
El Cuervo in Hillcrest: 110 West Washington Street
El Cotixan in Clairemont: 4676 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard

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Khao Piak Sien (Laotian Fresh Rice Noodle Soup)

It's been awhile but I hope this recipe was worth the wait.

I was craving some good Laotian Khao Piak Sien and then I remembered the stewing hens in my freezer. My dad sent me home with a few stewing hens and cocks during one of my visits home. I also asked my mom to pick up some homemade pho meatballs, som moo and isaan sausage from her lady. My grandpa packed a cardboard box for me. It was inspected by TSA. I wonder what they were thinking when they searched the box.

This is one of those dishes that really benefits from a tougher old chicken although, my mom has made it with regular old whole fryers because my sister didn’t want to eat her pets.

Khao Piak Sien is a great dish to serve a crowd. We took turns cooking the meals during our snowboard/ski trip back in February. My friend was in charge of dinner day 2 and was undecided between Khao Piak Sien or Pho. She decided on the Khao Piak Sien. Everyone was glad to have a steaming bowl of Khao Piak Sien after a day on the slopes.

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Black Bean Soup

The weather in Denver has been a bit strange lately. It snowed last Wednesday and the temps are still pretty chilly. I had a ham bone tucked away in the back of my freezer so I decided to make a bean soup. I checked pantry to see what types of dried beans I had on hand. I went with black beans but this can really be made with your choice of beans or even split peas or lentils.

To soak or not to soak? The soaking of dried beans is a controversial subject. Some people do it and some people do not. The other question is: To salt or not to salt? I salt at the end because my mom said so. I personally like the quick hot soak method. I sort and rinse the beans, boil for few minutes, turn off the heat, let them sit about an hour and then another rinse.

Some people simply toss the beans in with the soup stock. I would recommend at least rinsing and scrubbing the beans first. Who knows what sort of grime is stuck on the exterior?

Another method I’ve read about is the oven method. It involves preheating the oven to a pretty low temp, bringing the beans to a boil on the stovetop and then 90 minutes in the oven.

Black Bean Soup

1 pound dried black beans
1 teaspoon oil
½ onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup sofrito
¼ cup recaito
water
1 ham bone or 2 ham hocks or 1 smoked turkey drumstick, remove meat from the bone and set aside
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon Mexican oregano
salt
pepper
cilantro, chopped


1. Sort through beans and discard any debris or stones. Thoroughly wash beans with cold water. Transfer to a medium pot and cover 2 inches with water. Bring beans to a boil, boil 2-3 minutes and turn off heat. Allow to sit, covered for 1 hour.
2. Heat a medium dutch oven; add oil when hot. When oil is heated - add garlic and onions. Saute about a minute. Add sofrito and recaito. Saute another minute.
3. Drain and rinse soaked beans.
4. Add water, ham bone, beans and bay leaf to dutch oven. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a medium boil. Cook until beans are soft.
5. Remove ham bone. Add ham and season with salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. Serve with cilantro.

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Puerto Rican Style Pink Beans and Rice (Habichuelas con Arroz Blanco)

We often place lunch orders at a small catering company called House of Plantain. The owner of the company makes this delicious side dish she calls Arroz Blanco + Habichuelas. This version of rice and beans is different from any version I have ever had. The beans are slightly sweet and creamy in a tangy tomato-based sauce. I can never decide on the side dishes so I usually skip the entree and order a few of the side dishes instead.

I had a craving for this pink beans and rice dish but unfortunately, House of Plantain requires at least 24 hours notice. I talked to a coworker and she described her method for making Puerto Rican rice and beans. She has stashes of homemade sofrito in he refrigerator. I went out and bought a jar of Goya brand sofrito. I couldn't find the Goya brand sazon with coriander and annatto so I had to subsitute with coriander, cumin, annatto and garlic.

I ended up serving this on the side of some grilled chicken breast seasoned with Goya adobo seasoning.

Pink Beans:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ onion, diced
2 cloves garlic
1 green chile pepper such as cubanelle or green chile, finely diced
¼ cup sofrito
¼ cup recaito
2 15.5 ounce cans pink beans, rinsed and drained (or use 4 cups of cooked pink beans)
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
½ cup water
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt
pepper
1 envelope Goya sazon con achiote (or use  ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano, ¼ teaspoon ground coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon ground annatto seed)
cilantro, chopped

1. Heat a medium dutch oven over medium heat and add oil. Add onion, garlic, chile, sofrito and recaito. Saute until fragrant.
2. Add beans, tomato sauce, water and potato. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer.
3. Add salt, pepper, and sazon (or cumin, oregano, coriander, and annatto. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens and potato is fork-tender.  Garnish with cilantro.


Rice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups long grain white rice
4 cups water

1. Heat a medium dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil and rice. Saute rice until rice is opaque white in color and very slight golden on the edges.
2. Add water and bring to a boil. Allow to boil about 5 minutes and then lower heat to a low simmer. Stir rice, cover with a lid and cook for another 15 minutes or until rice is soft. Let rice sit 15 minutes and fluff using bamboo rice spatula.

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Candied Pumpkin

This is another stock post that I keep for those periods when I am too busy to cook and blog. (I was out of town for a baby shower. I'll post pictures from the shower after I download them from my phone.) I made this back in early December when I had an extra sugar pumpkin from Thanksgiving.

The recipe is pretty simple and straightforward. I didn't use the exact same method as my grandmother but her cooking is very forgiving. I used a sugar pumpkin instead of a pumpkin from grandma's garden. I also substituted granulated and palm sugar for the piloncillo sugar cones.

Candied Pumpkin

1 sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, buttercup squash or kabocha pumpkin
1 ½ cups granulated sugar (or two Piloncillo cones)
2 cups water
2 disks palm sugar (about ½ cup)
pinch salt
½ cup coconut cream

1. Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the insides. Wash thoroughly and then cut into 2 inch by 2 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large saucepan, caramelize granulated sugar until golden brown. Carefully add water and palm sugar and allow sugar to dissolve. (If using piloncillo sugar, skip the caramelization step but cut the cones into smaller chunks and dissolve in water. Omit palm sugar.) Bring syrup to a boil.
3. Add pumpkin pieces and cook until soft. Turn off heat and allow pumpkin to soak in syrup for about 30 minutes or longer.
4. Meanwhile, make coconut sauce by heating ½ cup coconut cream with about ¼ cup pumpkin cooking syrup.
5. To serve: Place several wedges on a plate and drizzle with coconut sauce.

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Chicken Posole

I'm only posting pictures tonight. I was almost done typing up the recipe when Word froze on me. I suppose it's fair since I'm running Microsoft Office on a Mac. I'm surprised Outlook works so well on my phone, considering it is an Apple product, when my sister had a hell of a time getting Google Apps to work on her iphone. (Her work uses Google.)

I had to do a Command+Option+Escape and although it did auto recover my documents, it didn't save the recipe I just typed up. When I'm working up a new recipe, I usually will sit down and write the ingredients down on a piece of paper. I will then write the amounts I use and notes on my method as I cook. I have the "recipe" scribbled on a piece of paper. I just need to type it up.

**Edit** 1/19/2010
I finally got around to retyping the recipe after that catastrophic Microsoft crash.

Chicken Posole

1 3 to 4 pound chicken (cut up) or bone in thighs, breasts or drumsticks
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 pound frozen posole, rinsed well
8-15 dried chiles (New Mexico or Guajillos), stems and seed removed
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
salt
pepper

Typical Garnishes:
Sliced cabbage
Sliced radishes
Cilantro
Sliced green onions
Diced avocados
Cheese
Lime wedges
Reserved chile puree

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and brown. If using skinless chicken, coat the bottom of dutch oven with oil or lard before browning.

2. Add onions and garlic and cook a few minutes until onions are translucent. Add bay leaves. Cover with water, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer about an hour or until chicken is cooked. (Breasts will take less time than thighs and drums.)

3. Meanwhile, bring rinsed posole and water to a boil and cook 1 to 2 hours, or until soft. Strain and set aside.

4. Toast chiles under broiler. (Be very careful because it literally takes seconds. Some people like to toast them in a cast iron skillet but I find the broiler easier.) Once chiles are toasted, place them in a saucepan and cover with water. Cover pan with lid and simmer about 20 minutes. Leave the lid on and allow the chiles to cool. Once chiles are cool enough, pour chiles and liquid in a blender and puree. Strain the puree to remove seeds and skins. Set aside.

5. Once chicken is cooked, remove from broth, allow to cool and shred. Set shredded chicken aside. Strain the broth to remove onions and garlic. (This step is not necessary and most people leave the onions and garlic but I felt like removing them. Sometimes I will puree the onions and garlic with the chiles but I wanted a pure chile puree.)

6. Bring strained broth back to a boil; add cooked posole and shredded chicken. Season with Mexican oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Add about half to three quarters of the chile puree, depending on the level of spiciness you desire. Save the rest of the puree to add when serving.

7. Garnish with toppings.

Dried chiles from my two potted Big Jim plants.

Rinse and boil the posole.

Toast, boil, puree and strain chiles.

Remove cooked chicken and then strain broth. Return strained broth to a boil and then add shredded chicken, cooked posole and half of the chile puree. (I wasn't sure how spicy my chiles were so I only added half. I ended adding more chile puree to my bowl because the puree was pretty mild.)


Garnish and eat. I only garnished with cabbage, cilantro and green onions. I don't like radishes and I wasn't interested in the other topping options.

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Fond Blanc de Volaille (White Poultry Stock)

My first class in culinary school was Stocks and Sauces 101. I made all sorts of different stocks in huge pots the size of bathtubs.

Now, whenever I debone chicken and have no use for the bones, I stick them in the freezer. I had a nice collection of various chicken, turkey and duck bones. I even had the carcass of a chicken I roasted the other day. When I do not have enough bones collected and need to make stock, I will go out and buy chicken feet and chicken wings for the stock. They both make a very nice gelatinous broth.

The difference between stock and broth is stock is made using primarily the bones and broth is made using primarily meat with some bones. Broths are used for soups and stocks are used for sauces. I find it weird that you mainly find broth in grocery stores and we never made broth in school. We only made stocks. We made fifteen different types of stocks but no broths.

A few years ago I felt a little ambitious so I made duck demi glace starting by making duck stock and then espagnole and then demi glace. I could have reduced it more to make glace de viande but I stopped there. I froze the demi glace in little ice cube trays and stored them in a little baggie. I had instant sauces for many many meals.

When making chicken stock or fond de poulet, I stick with the classic mirepoix for the aromatics. When making a brown poultry stock (fond brun de volaille) we usually roasted the mirepoix with the bones and when making a beef stock we also roasted a tomato product such as tomato paste with the bones and mirepoix. When making a delicate fish stock, we used something called a white mirepoix, which omits the carrots and subbed leeks for the onions.

Poultry bones (combination of chicken, turkey and duck)
Water, to cover
Celery
Carrots
Onions
Parsley (I had some parsley that I needed to use up. We usually threw all of our parsley stems into the large stockpot that we usually had simmering.)
Peppercorns
Bay leaves

In a large stock pot, add all the ingredients and cover with water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for several hours and skim off the foam (depouiller). Strain through a chinois. Pour into freezer safe containers and lable with name of stock and date.

(I reduced mine a little longer for a more concentrated stock because freeze space is very precious to me. I usually dilute it a bit with more water when I use in recipes. I also never salt my stocks like how I never cook with salted butter. This way it allows you to have more control when seasoning.)

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Chicken Recuerdos de Tucson

This recipe is part of Barbara Kingsolver’s book “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life.” I remember reading Barbara Kingsolver’s books in AP English. She was Mrs. Philips’ favorite author. This book chronicles the year that Kingsolver and her family decided to move away from Tucson, to a small farm, and ate only the food they grew. The book is pretty long and it is all about food! Barbara Kingsolver describes her book as, “part memoir, part journalistic investigation.”

Barbara Kingsolver’s daughter developed (or at least wrote down) the recipes in the book. I decided to make a dish called “Chicken Recuerdos de Tucson.” I’m not sure what it means but if I had to guess it probably means something along the lines of Memories of Tucson Chicken. The dish does have many southwest influences. The family was probably trying to recreate the dishes they were used to eating in Tucson while they lived on the small farm in Virginia's Applachian mountains.

The dish is very delicious even though I did not make it with the food I raised or grew on my own. The only ingredient from my garden was the basil. This recipe makes a large pot (about 4 quarts). I wanted to try this recipe for a while now but have always put it on hold because the bf has an aversion to zucchini and squash.

So when I was trying to decide on a dish to make for some friends who just had a baby. I decided this was a great dish to make. I kept a small container for myself and packed the rest of for my friends. Below is a link to the recipe (and the other recipes in the book) but of course I diverted from it a bit.

Chicken Recuerdos de Tucson: http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/Recipes.html


I'm just outlining the steps in the recipe (the way I did it). You'll have to go to Barbara Kingsolver's website (or book) for the actual recipe. I didn't completely follow the recipe but I think the recipe is pretty forgiving and you can use what is in season or what you have on hand.

1. Brown chicken in batches. (I used 3.5 pounds of chicken thighs because I feel they do better than breasts in a dish like this one. The recipe said to use a whole chicken, thighs, or drumsticks.) Remove chicken and set aside. I didn't add olive oil because there was enough fat left in the pot. Add the onions and garlic and saute. (Okay I forgot to take a picture.)

2. Add the tomatoes, spices and the broth (or water). Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and let simmer about 20 minutes or so until chicken is almost cooked through.


3. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and simmer until chicken and veggies are cooked. I seasoned with salt and pepper even though the recipe didn't list salt or pepper. I also skimmed a lot of the fat out because I used skin-on chicken thighs.

Ingredient Note: The recipe lists green chiles. I used one roasted and diced poblano. The recipe also list one red or green bell peppers. I think I the next time I make this I will omit the bell peppers and used more roasted green chiles or poblanos instead.

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