Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Salad with Fennel Flower Crystals and Vanilla Coconut Dressing

Yes, that title is a mouthful.  Fortunately, it's a pretty tasty mouthful.  Although I've been slack in posting lately, I was intrigued by a challenge from MarxFoods.com.  They are having a contest for bloggers to produce a savory dish from items they market that would more commonly be found in desserts.  Actually, I don't know that the fennel flower crystals even find their way into many desserts.
Besides the flower crystals and vanilla beans, the other two ingredients that were included were coconut sugar (drier and more granular than traditional gula jawa) and granulated honey, which is about ten percent honey together with sugar.  The granulated honey is said to provide the convenience of sugar, but with the richer taste of honey.  That is the one ingredient that I did not use in this challenge.

This salad has Asian flavors with a fennel kick.  I had thought the fennel flower crystals were just going to be fennel pollen, something I've tried before.  When I got the packet of flower crystals, I was stumped.  These are extremely fragrant and sweet, tasting like licorice-infused sugar.  How the hell was I going to use these in a savory dish?  Somehow I thought of salt and pepper shrimp, the Szechuan dish, which I have made with kumquats in the past.  Kumquats have a slight fennel taste, so I thought if I balanced the flower crystals with some salt, the fennel crystals might work with shrimp.

The rules for the challenge say only two ingredients need to be used in the recipe, and I knew I'd have no trouble using the coconut sugar, an ingredient common to many Indonesian and southeast Asian dishes, sweet and savory.  I've had some Thai dressings that used coconut milk along with lime and fish sauce, so I thought I'd see what adding a vanilla bean to some coconut milk together with lemongrass would do.  In as much vanilla complements pineapple, it seemed a good idea to add some grilled pineapple to the mix.  The sweetness of the grilled pineapple and shrimp called for some bitterness to keep things in balance.  Arugula seemed a good choice.

Finally, I thought some fried rice vermicelli (bihun) would provide a crispy accent to the salad and absorb some of the dressing.  When I was at the market, I noticed some banh uot kho, dried rice flakes, which I've never known to be fried.  I didn't know if they would fry up well, but thought that if they did, they might be a more interesting and attractive addition than the vermicelli.  They worked wonderfully, frying up like thin shrimp chips in a flash in hot oil.  I dusted them with a sprinkling of the fennel flower crystals ground together with some sea salt as soon as they came out of the fryer.

It should be noted that Marx Foods provided me with the samples used in creating this recipe.  Although they did not give me any money, the winner of the challenge will get a $100 gift certificate from Marx Foods.

Grilled Pineapple and Shrimp Salad with Fennel Flower Crystals and Vanilla Coconut Dressing

printable recipe

Dressing

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup water

3 stalks of lemongrass, sliced and pounded

1 Tahitian vanilla bean, split, the seeds scraped into the coconut milk along with the pod

1 TBS fish sauce

3 TBS coconut sugar

1/2 cup of the infused coconut milk

2 tsp lime juice

2 tsp coconut sugar

1 tsp fish sauce

To make the dressing, simmer the coconut milk and water with the lemongrass, vanilla, fish sauce and coconut sugar for about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and let steep another 30 minutes or more.

Strain through a coarse sieve, allowing the vanilla seeds through but keeping out the lemongrass.  Mix 1/2 cup of the strained mixture with the lime juice, coconut sugar, and fish sauce.  Keep until ready to dress the salad.  (The remaining coconut milk infusion can be refrigerated--or frozen--for another time.)

Salad

1 pineapple, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices

20 shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 cups arugula, washed and dried

2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 to 3 TBS mint, julienned

1 red jalapeno or other pepper with some heat

1 cup of dried rice flakes or rice vermicelli, fried in 350º F oil until crisp and puffed

1 tsp fennel flower crystals ground with 1 tsp kosher salt, for dusting the fried rice flakes

1 tsp fennel flower crystals for sprinkling on the shrimp just before serving the salad

Grill the pineapple slices on a hot grill for about 3 minutes a side until cooked.  Remove and cut each slice into eight pieces, removing the fibrous central core.  Thread the shrimp onto skewers, season lightly with salt and quickly grill them.  Be careful that you don't overcook them.

To assemble the salad, place the arugula on a deep platter.  Top with the grilled pineapple pieces, followed by the fried rice flakes.  Top with the grilled shrimp sprinkled with the fennel flower crystals.  Scatter the sliced shallots, mint, and red chili pepper.  Pour the dressing over and serve.

Don't add the rice flakes until you are ready to serve the salad.  If you add them beforehand, they will become soft and unappetizing.

I was afraid the fennel flower crystals might be overpowering, as they are quite strong when tasted by themselves.  However, I found that in the salad they were quite subtle.  It's possible that you might want more than one teaspoon's worth sprinkled on the shrimp when serving the salad.

Chicken Cilantro Rolls

Love it or leave it; people aren't ambivalent towards cilantro. I'm on the side of those who are for cilantro right or wrong. In salads, sandwiches, soups, or main courses, I love the jolt of cilantro. I even like it in sweets. One of the treats I sought out when we returned to Vietnam for a visit a couple of years ago was banh ngò thơm. These are thin wafers with a filling of sweetened peanuts with several cilantro leaves pressed into the wafer. They are beautiful, not too sweet, and have a subtle suggestion of cilantro.

Sometimes, subtle is not what you're after. These chicken cilantro rolls assert their cilantro filling. If you don't like cilantro, don't make this recipe. However, if you feel towards cilantro as I do, give them a try. They are quite easy to make, and are a nice accompaniment to cocktails. They would be perfect for a spring or summer cocktail party.

I think I first discovered these more than ten years ago. The recipe is from a really great collection of recipes of Southeast Asian dishes. A Taste of Indochina not only has a wide range of delicious recipes, but many of the recipes are meant to serve two. This is something I appreciate in a cookbook, so it's a cookbook I return to often.



Chicken and Cilantro Rolls

2 TBS oil
2 tsp curry paste, red or green
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 to 3 red chilies, diced
10 oz boneless, skinless chicken thighs, chopped
1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling
1 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped garlic chives (green onions can be substituted in a pinch)
1 tsp curry paste
2 TBS of the chicken paste mixture

In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the curry paste, garlic, onion, and chilies until softened, about five minutes. Set aside to cool.

Blend the chicken with the cooled onion mixture and egg in a food processor. You want to blend until you have a fairly smooth paste.

For the filling, process the herbs, curry paste and 2 tablespoons of the chicken paste until everything is thoroughly chopped.

To assemble the rolls, divide the chicken paste into six even portions and the cilantro paste into three even portions. On 10-inch square piece of parchment or plastic wrap (I find the plastic wrap easier), spread one portion of the chicken paste into a 4 1/2 inch square. Spread one portion of the cilantro paste on top, then cover with another portion of the chicken paste. Lift the parchment paper or plastic to roll the square into a cylinder, like rolling sushi. Twist the ends to seal. Repeat the process two more times.

Gently steam over boiling water for 20 minutes. Remove rolls from steamer and loosen the wrapping to let liquid drain off. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch thick diagonal slices. These are equally delicious warm or cold.

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Grilled Asparagus Salad

Asparagus season is upon us in Northern California. Asparagus is one of those vegetables I can't get enough of when it is in season. Fried, steamed, grilled, and baked--it's such a versatile vegetable. Although it is apparently a nutritional powerhouse, packed with vitamins C and A, high in folic acid, and a natural detoxifier, I eat asparagus because I like its taste.

One of my favorite dishes is asparagus and beef with black bean sauce. When I stopped at vegetable stand a few days ago and picked up some beautiful looking asparagus tips, I was planning on making that dish. However, it turns out some of the women in my life have given up red meat for Lent. So I decided to make a salad instead.



The infused oil in this dish comes from Susanna Foo's Chinese Cuisine. The vinaigrette is something I came up with, thinking it would work particularly well with grilled asparagus. I intended to include some grilled radicchio in the salad, but I forgot. Even without the radicchio, it is a wonderful salad. The grilled red onion and peppers add a subtle sweetness to the salad.

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Black Bean Vinaigrette

Infused Sichuan Peppercorn Oil

1 cup vegetable oil
2 TBS roasted Sichuan peppercorns
3 to 4 garlic cloves

In a small saucepan heat the oil until very hot. Add the Sichuan pepper corns and the garlic, cook for a couple of minutes over high heat until the garlic browns, then turn off the heat. Make sure you don't allow the garlic to burn, as this will produce a bitter taste. Cool, strain out garlic and peppercorns, and store in a glass bottle.



Grilled Vegetables

2 lbs asparagus
2 to 3 red or yellow bell peppers
1 red onion

Roast peppers in a gas or charcoal grill until blackened. Put in bowl and cover with plastic. After 10 minutes or so, peel the peppers and cut into strips.

Toss the asparagus with several tablespoons of the infused oil. Grill over high heat for 3 to four minutes. Cut the grilled asparagus into 2-inch lengths.

Slice the red onion lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Hold the slices together by running wooden skewers through them. This makes them much easier to handle on the grill.

Black Bean Vinaigrette

1 TBS fermented black beans, soaked in one cup of water for two minutes to remove some of their salt, then drained
1/4 cup of the infused sichuan peppercorn oil
2 TBS black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 tsp kecap manis

Mix the above ingredients in a jar. Shake well. Pour over the grilled vegetables and serve.

Put the Lime in the Coconut

Although I'm not really all that into desserts, I've been pretty much designated the dessert person in my book club. I could bring a chocolate tart every time and there would be no complaints. (Well, maybe from my wife.) But I try to mix it up some and bring different types of desserts.

Tonight's effort is a variation on a lemon pudding cake I like. I normally cook it in one larger vessel, but for tonight I thought I'd try individual ramekins. While I don't generally test recipes out on guests, this is for the book club, and they'll pretty much eat anything I put before them ;-). I sampled one and found it a little drier than my usual recipe. Whether this is because of baking it in individual ramekins or the use of coconut milk, I don't know. I do prefer a moister, more pudding-like cake.

Coconut Lemon-Lime Pudding Cake

1 stalk lemongrass, lower half only, outer leaves removed
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 can of coconut milk, Chaokoh brand is what I prefer
3 TBS butter, softened
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cup flour
1 cup sugar
7 TBS lemon juice
zest of one lemon, finely grated
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350º.

Steep the lemon grass and two of the kaffir lime leaves in the coconut milk in a pan over low heat for half an hour. Strain and cool the coconut milk.

Mix flour and sugar together.

Microwave the other kaffir limes for about 40 seconds to 1 minute, until crisp. Crush in mortar or spice grinder to make a fine powder. Stir into the flour mixture.

Whisk the yolks and butter together until smooth. Add in the cooled coconut milk, lemon juice, and zest. Stir the flour mixture into the coconut milk mixture.

Whip the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Fold them into cake batter.

Pour the batter into individual ramekins or a 1 quart baking dish. Place into a roasting pan that can accommodate them and create a bain marie by adding boiling water until it reaches half way up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for 25--30 minutes. With tongs, remove the ramekins from the bain marie and allow to cool on racks. May be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

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