Sweet & Sour Surf & Turf

I love Asian food, but I love AUTHENTIC Asian food. It's something that's not always easy to find in my lovely little town of Yakima, but there are a few places that have outstanding food. If you live in Yakima, and you haven't been to KiKi's or China Town Cafe, you are really missing out. Please go there, because these small restaurants don't always do to well in our town, and we need these restaurants to survive!!

Aside from that, Sweet & Sour Chicken, a staple in most Asian establishments, is something that I've never enjoyed. It seems like it's always heavy on the sweet, and the sour is almost non-existent. The other day I was in
Tri-Cities, and I stopped by a restaurant called Anthony's that my friend Mark has recommended several times. There are several locations in Washington State, and one of the few restaurants that still has Lingcod. Lingcod is a whole different post altogether, but a fantastic cod with very little respect. So I stopped in at Anthony's and sat at the chef's table. I ordered the lingcod fish and chips, and it was great. But the highlight of my experience took place when one of the chef's walked over and asked if I liked prawns. Of course I like prawns!! He proceeded to place a single prawn, in a rich red sauce on small plate, and handed it to me saying, "this is our new sweet and sour prawn, that we'll be adding to the menu soon."

At first looks, I was not impressed, because again - I do not like sweet and sour. But I thought, well, it's a prawn, so it's bound to be good based on that truth alone, and that was SUPER cool of the chef to offer me something not on the menu yet. I cannot tell you how wrong I was. It was everything that I've always wished sweet and sour would be. Sweet and - wait for it - SOUR. The balance was there unlike any dish of it's kind I've tasted. I called the chef over and was quick to let him know that it was a win as far as I was concerned, based on the balance of the sauce, the wonderful, wonderful sauce. Needless to say, I'm anxious to go back and order the new menu item.

In the meantime, there were some very specific tastes that stood out in the dish. It made me realize that while I've never cared for sweet & sour, I've never tried to make it myself. This dish was my inspiration to do so. And it came out incredibly close to what I tasted at Anthony's, along with my own interpretation. I present to you, Sweet & Sour Surf & Turf, with Asian Slaw and Jasmine Rice.

First, we'll create some crispy won tons for the cabbage slaw. You can buy won ton wrappers and fry them up, or you can make your own. I decided to make my own, for a couple reasons. One, I didn't have any wonton wrappers. Two, I thought it would be fun to make my own!

Take an egg and beat it in a small bowl. To that, add 1/3 cup of water, and mix. In another bowl, add 2 Cups of flour and 1 teaspoon of salt. Create a well in the middle and add your egg/water mix. Bring it together by stirring and incorporating slowly. Once you've got a dough beginning to form you'll be able to tell whether or not you need more water. Just add a tiny bit at a time, until you start forming a nice, elastic ball of dough. Once it's got a nice form, cover it and let it hang out for about 10 minutes.

After your ten minutes is up, take the ball of dough and cut it in half. Freeze one half so you can make some potstickers on another day. That'll be another blog at some point...

Take the half you have left, and cut it into 4 parts, and roll each into a ball. I have a pasta maker, so I used that to roll out my dough and it worked beautifully. Once you've got it rolled out nice and thin, make sure it's floured well so it doesn't stick, and then cut it into strips. Place to the side until ready to fry. When it's time, you'll cook them for 2 minutes each side, till they're nice and brown. Drain on paper towels, and keep in a warm oven until ready to use. You can keep your leftovers for something else - snacks, chow mein, etc.

Then you'll need your main proteins. About a half pound of colossal prawns, tail on, cleaned and deveined, and 2 chicken breasts, fat removed and pounded out thin. You may need to cut them in half for the sake of frying.

The coating that I used is one that I've used in the past on fried tofu. It's light, but crispy. I really appreciate the batter because you don't end up with more breading than meat. That's something that really frustrates me, and something I try to avoid. If you like a thicker breading, go for it, but I'll give you my recipe here.

It basically calls for a 1/2 cup of rice flour, a 1/2 cup of corn starch, 1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds, and 1 tsp. of salt. That's it. Combine that, and then then coat your proteins. Allow them to sit for at least 30 minutes. This causes the coating to really adhere to the meat, and not fall off when you fry them.

For the slaw, grab a bag of shredded cabbage at the store, or shred your own, up to you. Place it in a big bowl, and then get your dressing ready. Here's what you'll combine in a small bowl: 6 Tbl. Sugar, 1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar, 1 Tsp. Sriracha (or to taste), 1/3 Cup Sesame Oil, and 1/4 cup thinly sliced pickled ginger.

Pickled ginger???? Yes, pickled ginger. The stuff they always put on the side of your sushi. Trust me, it sounds crazy, but you're gonna love it. Unless you don't, but that's not my problem.

Don't have any pickled ginger? Don't worry, neither did I, so I made my own. How you ask? I'm about to tell you. And if you don't want to make your own, I'm sure you can find it in the Asian food section of your store. Okay, I'm not really sure that you can, but hey, go look!

1 to 3 days before you make this meal, you can get the ginger pickling. Grab a nice 1/2 pound piece of ginger, peel it, and thin slice it up real thin. If you have a mandolin, that's the way to go, but I don't, so I just sliced it myself. I realized that I need a mandolin.

Boil some water on the stove, about 3 cups. Add your ginger and boil for one minute. Strain it real good, and then put it in a mason jar. In the pot you just drained the water from, add 6 Tbl. Sugar, 1 1/2 Tbl. Kosher Salt, and 1/2 Cup + 1 Tbl. Rice Wine Vinegar. Bring to a boil, and make sure to stir to dissolve the sugar. When sugar is dissolved, pour over the ginger in the mason jar. Allow to cool, and then place in the fridge until ready to use. Make sure you give it at least a day. I used mine the day after I made it, and it was great.

Okay, you've got your pickled ginger and all your ingredients for the slaw dressing now. Mix it real good, and then combine with the cabbage. Cover it, and then place in the fridge until ready to use.

Then comes the Jasmine Rice. Step One: Make Jasmine rice. Step Two: Keep warm til ready to eat.

Now it's time to get your sweet and sour sauce ready, the star of the meal. Here's what I combined all together, but feel free to adjust to your taste: 1/2 Cup Sweet Chili Sauce, 1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar, 1/2 Tsp. Sriracha (or more to taste), and 1 1/2 Tbl. Soy Sauce. I mixed it all together and let it sit until I was ready to serve.

Okay, it's been at least 30 minutes, so you're probably ready to cook your food. Grab some canola and fill a large skillet 2-3 inches deep with canola oil. To that, add a couple tablespoons of sesame oil. I usually heat my stove top a couple notches below medium high. That way it gets hot enough, but not so hot that it burns the coating, and doesn't cook the meat.

Once the oil is hot, fry your won ton strips. Again, drain them on a paper towel and keep them warm until ready to use.

Then add your chicken. Fry for two minutes on each side, and then additional 1 minute on each side. Check for doneness, but this should be pretty close depending on how thin you pounded those suckers out. When done, drain on paper towels, and keep warm until ready to serve. Before serving, make sure to slice the chicken into strips.

Then add your prawns. I cooked them for 1 1/2 Minutes per side, but make sure to check for doneness as everyone's oven is different. Again, drain them on towels until ready to serve.

Oh look, we're ready to serve! To plate, place a nice mound of rice in the center of your plate. Surround the rice with the prawns and chicken, which you have now cut into strips. Then, very nicely and humbly, add your sweet and sour sauce. If you like your chicken and prawn drenched, go for it - but I like moderation when it comes to this sauce. The flavor is super rich, and so a nice drizzle is perfect for me. But again, you're not me. So use your own discretion.

In a ramekin or smaller bowl, add your coleslaw and top with the won tons you fried up earlier. From there, it's up to you whether or not you want to share! If you do, this recipe should take care of 2-3 people.

That's it - Your Sweet & Sour Surf & Turf. I hope you enjoy, and if you're like me and have never been a fan of Sweet & Sour, I hope this changes your mind!

Because Eating Good Is A Calling Of It's Own, 
The Fat Pastor

SWEET & SOUR SURF & TURF WITH ASIAN SLAW
Pickled Ginger:
Ingredients: 
1/2 Pound Ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 Cups Water
6 Tbl. Sugar
1 1/2 Tbl. Salt
1/2 Cup + 1 Tbl. Rice Wine Vinegar

Directions:
Boil the ginger in 3 Cups of water for 1 minute. Strain, and place in a mason jar. Bring to a boil the rest of the ingredients, and when the sugar is dissolved, pour over the ginger in the mason jar. Allow to cool, and then keep in the refrigerator, 1-3 days until ready to use

Asian Slaw
Ingredients:
1 Package Shredded Cabbage
6 Tbl. Sugar
1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tsp. Sriracha
1/3 Cup Sesame Oil
1/4 Cup Thinly Sliced Ginger

Directions:
Place cabbage in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Pour over cabbage, and combine well. Cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve. When serving, top with crispy won tons.

Crispy WonTons
Ingredients:
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Water +/- 1 tsp.
2 Cups Flour
1 Tsp. Salt

Directions:
Beat the egg in a small bowl. Add water and mix. In another larger bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the middle and add the egg and water mixture. Stir slowly to incorporate until a dough begins to form. If necessary, add a small amount of water and knead until the dough is firm and elastic. Set aside, covered for 10 minutes. When ready, cut the dough in half, and freeze half for another use. With the half that is left, cut it into 4 equal parts, and shape into balls. Roll into very thin sheets, and then cut into strips. When ready to fry, place them in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels until ready to use.

Sweet & Sour Surf & Turf
Ingredients:
2 Chicken Breast Filet, pounded thin
1/2 Pound Colossal Prawns, tail on, cleaned & deveined
1/2 Cup Rice Flour
1/2 Cup Corn Starch
1 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Cup Sesame Seeds
Canola Oil, for frying
2 Tbl. Sesame Oil, for frying
1/2 Cup Sweet Chili Sauce
1/2 Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/2 Tsp. Sriracha
1 1/2 Tbl. Soy Sauce

Directions:
Combine the rice flour, corn starch, salt and sesame seeds. Coat the prawns and chicken in the mixture. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Make the sauce by combining the chili sauce, rice wine vinegar, sriracha and soy sauce. Keep to the side until ready to serve.
Heat 2-3 inches of canola oil on a little less than medium high. Add Sesame oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken breast, and cook for 2 minutes on each side, and then 1 minute on each side. Check for doneness. When cooked through, drain on paper towels and keep warm. Add the prawns to the oil, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes per side. Check of doneness, and when fully cooked drain on paper towels, and keep warm until ready to use. Serve over a bed of jasmine rice, with the sweet and sour sauce drizzled over.