By Chef John Nidua
Whether you call it St Patrick’s day, St Paddy’s, St. Patty’s, or St. Patties,. There’s one thing we know for sure about March 17. It’s a great day for a party.
According to legend, the night before St. Patrick’s day is notorious for leprechaun mischief, this year you will be ready for them. So Deck yourselves out in green and celebrate St. Patrick’s day with these Irish-Asian inspired dishes. Whaaat!
Thai basil and lemongrass spinach and heirloom tomato pasta with salted egg queso fresco
Ingredients:
• queso fresco
. heirloom baby tomatoes
•1 box spinach spaghetti (any pasta will work)
•1 medium onion
•1 clove minced garlic
•3 cups fresh spinach
•1/4 tsp chili flakes
•1 lemon grass whole
•1 salted egg ( dried and minced )
•1Tbs oil
Directions:
1. Cook the spaghetti according to the directions on the package.
2. Slice garlic and onions. Chop the spinach if desired.
3. In a skillet, sauté lemon grass, (white part only ) onion, garlic, and chili flakes together in oil on high to medium heat.
4 add the tomatoes and spinach.
5. Once the spinach is melted, add the simmer sauce and continue stirring for three minutes.
6. Serve over spaghetti.
7. Drizzle salted egg and queso fresco.
St. Paddys green corn nachos with salted egg dip ( substitute corn chips for regular potato chips )
Nachos basic Essentials
1. Tortilla chips
2. Cheese or queso fresco
3. Green salsa verde sauce
4. Pinto beans
5. Pickled jalapeno peppers
6. Avocado
Salted egg dip
Ingredients:
1.salted Egg 4
2.Curry leaves 2 sprigs
3.Red Chillis
4.Butter 60g
5.Plain flour 2 teaspoons
6. Milk 200ml
7.Dashi powder 1 tablespoon
8.Sugar 2 tablespoons
9.Salt (optional)
Cooking Method for Dipping sauce:
Blend the salted egg with an equal amount of milk till smooth and creamy. Heat your Frying Pan, once it’s hot, start cooking. Melt butter in a saucepan or pot and add curry leaves and red chillis. Once the aroma of the curry leaves is released, add 2 tsp plain flour and combine, stirring for half a minute ( making a roux). Add salted egg mixture and stir to combine. Slowly add milk and continue to stir
until it turns smooth and creamy. (If the sauce is still oily, just add more milk until it is creamy). Add dashi powder, sugar, salt, mirin and adjust to taste.
Pandan + pistachio macarons
For the Macaron shells :
1.1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2.3/4 cup almond flour
3.2 large egg whites, room temperature
4.Pinch of cream of tartar
5.1/4 cup superfine sugar
6. 1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios
7. 1 cup pandan extract
Pandan + pistachio macarons
1. Pulse pistachio powder, confectioners’ sugar and almond flour in a food processor until combined. Sift mixture 2 times.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk whites, pandan extract with a mixer on medium speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and whisk until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low, then add superfine sugar. Increase speed to high, and whisk until stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. Sift flour mixture over whites, and fold until mixture is smooth and shiny.
3. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip, and pipe 3/4-inch rounds 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, dragging pastry tip to the side of rounds rather than forming peaks. Tap bottom of each sheet on work surface to release trapped air. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Bake 1 sheet at a time, rotating halfway through, until macarons are crisp and firm, about 10 minutes. After each batch, increase oven temperature to 375 degrees, heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to 325 degrees.
4. Let macarons cool on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. (If macarons stick, spray water underneath parchment on hot sheet. The steam will help release macarons.)
5. Sandwich 2 same-size macarons with 1 teaspoon filling. Serve immediately.
Pandan and pistachio mousse
•250g sugar
•10 egg whites
•10 egg yolks
•150g pistachio powder and
.150g chopped pistachio
•80g unsalted butter
•pandan extract
1.Place the butter and pistachio powder in a saucepan.
2.Melt on very low heat and combine the two ingredients together
3.In the meantime, pour the sugar and a small amount of water in a saucepan.
4.Bring to a boil and heat the sugar until the temperature reaches 121°C. For this step, the use of a digital thermometer is essential.
5.Whip up the egg whites until stiff using an electric whisk.
6.When the sugar reaches the appropriate temperature, pour it over the whipped egg whites, while whisking on low speed.
7.Increase the speed and whisk until completely cold.
8.Mix the egg yolks with the pistachio/ pistachio Combine well.
9. add a small amount of pandan extract
10.Add the whipped egg whites (Italian meringue) to the chocolate mixture
… and mix until soft peak consistency.
11. fill your macarons.
May the luck of the Irish enfolds you!
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