Sweet Chili Lime Wings and Bok Choy & Radish Stir Fry

Wings are an easy weeknight dinner, not to mention that I can cook the wings earlier in the day and warm them up for saucing later when everybody's hungry. And no one sees me sneak a cold wing or seven while waiting for said dinner time...

Normally I bake my wings, not fry them.  I do this for two reasons:


(1) Frying is not particularly healthy for you...yes, fried tastes better and yields a way, way tastier texture on the wings, but baking (if done right) can come pretty darned close. Not exact, but close.

(2) Deep frying frightens me. One day, I will blow something up by accident. Once I tried to deep fry fish nuggets in my trusty cast iron dutch oven and I either burned them or they didn't cook completely.  Deep frying is an art that I am still working to master.  I am much more comfortable skillet-frying my way into dinner.  Yet, I will continue to face my fear of frying in more than 2 inches of oil without whimpering in the corner.

I decided to fry the wings this time and face my fear of frying. It worked out pretty well. The texture was just about perfect and not too greasy.

I decided to experiment with a new sauce this time too. We always have the standard buffalo wing sauce, although the brand may vary from time to time.  We have tried (and liked):

* Crystal Hot Sauce and (melted) butter
* Budweiser Wing Sauce (even though I hate their beer other than American Ale)
* Crystal Wing Sauce

This time, however, I wanted to veer away from the traditional buffalo sauce and try something different.  I knew going into this that I was forbidden from making a strictly asian-type of sauce (i.e., using soy sauce in any way, shape or form) because the probability of Papa Bear eating them or liking them would drop below a 30% chance. He has issues with soy sauce that I shall save for another time...

I wanted sweet and spicy instead of just rip-your-tongue-out spicy. I decided on a maple syrup/chili sauce/lime sauce.  It was a little too sweet for Papa Bear and Crazy Artist, but everyone else thought it was pretty darned good. If you give it a try, let me know what you think.

Instead of the standard celery and carrot sticks with dressing, I decided to mix it up and do a quick stir fry with some bok choy and radish.  I cooked until just warm and slightly tender, but it still had a nice crunch to it. I also threw in a little shallot and lemon pepper for some zing.

All in all, this was really enjoyable.  Wings are always on our dinner rotation, and I think the sauce and stir fry side will be too...

Chili Lime Wings

3 pounds whole chicken wings
1 cup real maple syrup (not pancake syrup!)
1 cup chili sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp chili powder
Oil for frying

Cut the wings into three sections and discard the wing tips. In a deep skillet or dutch oven, heat oil to 375.  While the oil is heating, combine flour, salt, paprika, pepper and chili powder in a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Add wings a few at a time and shake to coat.

Fry wings in batches for 8-12 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Drain on paper towels. You can stop at this point if you choose. You can refrigerate the wings until you're almost ready to eat; just heat your oven to 375 and heat the wings on a single layer on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes. If you can't wait for wing-y goodness, continue to the next step.

In a medium saucepan, combine maple syrup, chili sauce, lime juice and mustard and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until liquid has reduced to about 1 cup.  Transfer hot wings to a big bowl; add sauce mixture and toss to coat. Eat immediately or serve to your family...


Bok Choy & Radish Stir Fry

2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 head of Bok Choy
15-20 radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning

Cut off root end of bok choy; you can use this as a garnish (as I did) if it looks particularly pretty.  If not, discard the root end. Cut leaves from stalks and cut into one inch slices. Cut stalks into one inch pieces.

In a large skillet, melt butter with oil over medium high heat.  When butter is melted, add bok choy and cook for 5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. Add the radishes, shallot, salt and lemon pepper. Cook and stir for about 3-4 minutes or until heated through.

Tales From Our Fishy Weekend

The best kinds of weekends are fishy ones.

With Granma and the junior brigade out on the town for the weekend, it was seafood, seafood and more seafood....ah, the beauty of fresh tuna, the crunch of crab rangoon, the snap of a lobster tail cracking open....it's what my dreams are made of.  The kids will eat seafood until the seacows come home, and that makes me happy. Granma, on the other fin, does not like fish, shellfish, or anything from the sea in any shape, fashion or form.

This means one thing.  We do not get to eat seafood very often. This does not make me happy. So we either eat seafood when she's not home for dinner, or she has a slab of prime rib in the fridge (nobody likes prime rib but her). Sigh. Needless to say, we do not get to eat lovely seafood as often as we'd like. She swears we can eat it whenever we like, but I feel somewhat guilty making her eat a hamburger or a salad when we have the food of the gods before us.

Now, this is no one's fault! Another big reason we don't eat it often is that some seafood is very pricey, and we simply can't afford to eat it very often. Just so happens the more pricey it is, the more we happen to like it. I could eat king crab 24/7. Swordfish or tuna comes a close second. We like the cheaper stuff too - clams, mussels, tilapia, etc., but we'd rather splurge and eat the stuff we really love when we can.

Papa Bear and I love tuna. We prefer it rare or barely seared, but will eat it any way we can get it.  If it's not rare, I simply wasn't paying enough attention! Our best loved way to eat it is tataki. This is one of our favorite dishes when we eat out (if it's available). Last Friday night, we decided to have Tuna Tataki with a shredded Daikon and Radish Salad. In keeping with the "theme", I decided to try making Crab Rangoon to serve alongside.

The very best Crab Rangoon we have ever, ever had was at a tiny Thai restaurant (could not recall the name if I tried) in Tampa right next door to the Tampa Theater.  We had gotten tickets for our friend Steven's birthday to see Eddie Izzard in concert there, so we decided to eat there before the show.  Papa Bear ordered the Crab Rangoon and it was truly amazing. It was fried to perfection, and the sweetness of the crab was accompanied not only by the creaminess of the cream cheese, but there was a slight yet strong hint of curry in those little pouches that was a very pleasant surprise.  We have not had rangoon that good since that night...

...until I decided to make Curry Crab Rangoon for the first time ever! <Cue Superhero Theme Music>

It was even more amazing! I honestly don't know what possessed me to attempt to make it...it just sounded good! I was so excited at how well it turned out, I just had to share.  I served it with hot mustard, but they were fantabulous just plain.

Saturday night was Steamer Pot night. Nothing beats a great steamer...and the ones at Joe's Crab Shack are pretty darned tasty!  They just aren't big enough...for me. I prefer my items steamed in a good, hearty ale, but I am not opposed to the beauty of a good steam in very dry white wine either.  I like a lot of variety in my pot, as I am not discriminatory at all in my contents (with the exception of sausage... I will never understand the inclusion of sausage in a steamer pot. Every time I see one, I feel like I am four years old watching Picture Pages with Bill Cosby asking me, "Which item does not belong in this picture, boys and girls?". I want to raise my hand and shout "I know! I know! It's the sausage!!"). It quite possibly could be because I am not a New Englander.

Our late night snack Saturday night was more rangoon that I smartly set aside for our anticipated seafood withdrawl I knew we would be going through knowing everyone would be home the next day...

_______________________

For your enjoyment....please consume responsibly (and call me when dinner's ready!)


Tuna Tataki with Daikon & Radish Salad
 serves 2

2 tuna steaks, about 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Sea salt

Freshly cracked black pepper
1 large daikon radish, peeled and shredded
12-15 red radishes, trimmed and shredded
2 tbsp mirin
Ponzu sauce (preferred) or soy sauce (both optional)
Wasabi paste (optional)
Pickled Ginger slices (optional)
Wasabi Peas (optional)

Spray a non-stick frying pan with cooking spray (like Pam). Turn heat up to medium high. Meanwhile, brush tuna steaks with a light smattering of olive oil on both sides. Sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and sesame seeds.

Sear tuna on both sides - For presentation, I sear on short sides as well. You may have to hold the steaks with tongs to so, depending on how thick the steaks are.

For rare, sear about 1 minute on each side.
For medium, sear about 2-3 minutes per side.
To cook all the way through (but why, oh why?) cook 4-6 minutes per side and don't blame me.

Remove tuna from pan and let rest 5 minutes. Slice tuna very thin. You may get lucky and the tuna pieces will fall apart (flake) where they are naturally supposed to.  If not, that's why we invented the chef's knife! I like my tataki at room temperature, but some prefer it cold.

While tuna is napping, combine the shredded daikon and radish in a large bowl. Toss to combine. Add the mirin. Sometimes, depending on the strength of the daikon/radish intensity, I may cut it with a teaspoon of sugar - this is completely optional. I also like to serve this at room temperature.

To serve: Mound 1/4 to 3/4 cup of the radish salad on a plate. Fan or place slices of tuna across salad. Drizzle ponzu or soy sauce (lightly!) over tuna. Add wasabi, ginger, and/or wasabi peas to plate (optional) in any form you desire. If I had my way, the wasabi would be smeared over every inch...


Curry Crab Rangoon
 makes 40-50

 
For Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
8 oz crab meat (I like claw meat for this)
1 cap full worcestershire sauce
1 cap full soy sauce
1-2 tbsp curry powder (to your taste)
1 tbsp sriracha hot sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper
2 finely minced scallions, whites and greens
1/4 of a large red onion, finely minced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
-
1 package wonton wrappers
1 egg plus 1 tsp water, beaten
Vegetable oil for frying

Combine the crab and the cream cheese in a large bowl. I use a hand mixer because it is not essential to keep the crab in large pieces. Mix in the remaining filling ingredients one at a time.

On a flat surface, lay out a few wonton wrappers in front of you so that it forms a diamond shape. Keep the remaining wrappers covered with a damp towl so they don't start to dry out while waiting to be used. Wet the edges of the wrappers with egg and water wash using your fingertip.

Add a heaping teaspoon of filling to the middle, and spread it out toward the left and right points of the diamond so that it forms a log or rectangular shape (otherwise the wrapper may break in the middle during deep-frying). Fold over the edges of the wrapper so that it forms a triangle shape. Press to seal the edges, adding more wash if needed.

Cover the completed Crab Rangoon with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out while preparing the rest.

Heat frying pan and add oil for deep-frying. Traditionally, these are deep fried, but we actually prefer to pan fry them. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees), carefully slide in the rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd. Fry until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, turning once.

Remove with a tongs and drain on paper towels.


You can serve these little beauties with a bottled Chinese hot mustard (like in the restaurants), wasabi mayo, sweet and sour sauce or just scarf 'em down plain. Betcha can't eat just one...


Garlic & Wine Steamer Pots
Makes 2-3 servings

I'm craving this just looking at the photo...

You'll need:
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (I always go heavy on the garlic in this one)
1 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 cups white wine (something you would drink)
12 littleneck clams, cleaned and scrubbed
1 pound mussels, cleaned and scrubbed, beards removed if still attached
1 pound raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined, tails on
2 lobster tails, meat removed from shell (save the shell for presentation or to use for making stock another time)
1/2 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp cold unsalted butter
2 tbsps lemon juice
2 tbsps lemon zest
Lemon wedges
Loaf of crusty bread for dipping into the sauce

In a large, deep & heavy saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add wine and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes.

Add clams/mussels and steam covered, over moderately high heat 5 to 7 minutes, transferring them as they open with tongs to a serving bowl and reserving cooking liquid (Discard clams/mussels that are unopened after 7 minutes.) Keep warm. Add shrimp and lobster meat and steam in same liquid, turning as needed until shrimp is nice and pink! Lobster should be cooked in about the same amount of time. Transfer to bowl with clams and mussels.

Add parsley, butter, lemon zest and lemon juice to reserved cooking liquid and stir until smooth. You could also process in blender or use immersion blender in the pan, but I prefer it chunky. As soon as the butter is melted, remove pot from heat. Pour sauce over bowls.

Garnish with more fresh parsley if desired and serve with crusty Italian or French bread to sop up that superb sauce at the bottom of the bowl (that I could literally drink with a straw...who needs bread??!!)

Feel free to substitute 2 bottles of your favorite beer for the wine. We have used many a lager, but Rogue Dead Guy and Rogue Chipotle Ale are our favorites to use with this dish thus far. Of course, we will need to do some more tests....I think I may try this with a few bottles of Xingu Black next time. That is, if I can refrain from drinking it!