Thai Spring Rolls with Asian BBQ Chicken

A few weeks ago, we went to try a new restaurant in town and got their spring rolls as an appetizer.  After that, I was craving them like crazy.  We'd made them before, I knew how simple they were, but I couldn't remember why the hell we didn't eat these largely phallic delicious, nutritious goodies more often!  (Perhaps because I like to mention to my hetero life mate how phallic they are?  Could be.)

I almost feel guilty even posting this as a recipe (especially without a peanut sauce recipe), because there's really nothing to it, it's just baking some chicken, chopping up veggies, cooking some noodles, and rolling them up.  But I don't know many people who make spring rolls at home... and maybe it's because they didn't know how easy they were. 

A note about the peanut sauce: I can't really post a recipe for it, simply because I used a random recipe I found online for a non-cook peanut sauce, and it came out like peanut butter with garlic in it.  So, rather than tossing it, I thought I'd try to save it... I threw it in a pot, put it on the stove, added more coconut milk, more soy sauce, more fish oil, some rice vinegar, and more garlic.  However, in my haste to not waste almost a whole jar of peanut butter, I didn't write down what I added.  It actually came out pretty tasty, but I can't even begin to guess at measurements.  So... you could go to your local Asian store and buy a peanut sauce, or you could find a recipe on line to make one.  I'll have to find a different way of making one and post it later.

I think I posted a Fugazi song a few recipes back, but I heard their song "Ex-Spectator" the other day and had forgotten how much I loved it.  And... you could make these spring rolls with tofu or just veggies, so it could very easily and deliciously be a vegetarian dish that even Ian MacKaye could love. -jen

THAI SPRING ROLLS WITH ASIAN BBQ CHICKEN

• 3 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• 3 tablespoons Hoisen sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3-4 tablespoons Thai peanut sauce
• bean thread (or cellophane) noodles
• rice paper wrappers
• butter lettuce leaves
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 3-4 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, chopped into matchsticks
• whole basil leaves
• whole mint leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (this helps clean up tremendously.)  Peel the skin back from the chicken thighs and place a tablespoon of Hoisen on the chicken, coating the top of it (this gives it that barbecue taste).  Place skin back over the chicken.  Sprinkle each thigh with a tablespoon of soy sauce, and then rub a tablespoon of peanut sauce over each chicken skin.  Bake on lined baking sheet for 20-25 minutes, until inner temp reaches 160 or until juices run clear.  Allow to cool.

Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and discard, then take the meat off the bone and place meat into a food processor.  Grind the meat until it is finely chopped (but don't process it too much or it'll turn into a paste!)  It should be about the same consistency as canned tuna or chicken.  Set aside.

Cook noodles according to package (usually at a boil for 12-15 minutes, until clear and al dente).  Drain and set aside.

Prepare rice paper one at a time.  Take a large dinner plate or pie plate and add hot water.  Press the dry wrapper into the water and using your finger tips, gently move the wrap back and forth a little until it reaches an edible pliability (about 30 seconds).  Carefully, so as not to tear the wrap, remove it from the water and lay on counter top, cutting board, or even a kitchen towel.  Wrapper will be wet, but dries quickly.

Arrange your vegetables in your wrap.  I found the best way was to put two layers of lettuce on the bottom, being sure that you leave about 1" of wrapper on each side (like you would for a burrito, so you can tuck the ends in).  Add a layer of the basil and mint leaves.  Then your chopped scallions, followed by the cucumber matchsticks and the shredded carrot.  Take a handful of noodles and shape them to fit over your vegetables.  Then mold 3-4 tablespoons of the ground chicken on top of the noodles.

Pull the bottom of the wrapper tightly (but carefully!) over your filling, give it a roll, tuck in the left and right sides, and finish rolling.


You'll want to place a damp paper towel over your finished rolls as you make them.  And I found a good way to store them is by wrapping them in damp paper towels and putting them in a Ziploc bag.

Serve with a peanut sauce for dipping.  Makes about 8 spring rolls.

Ordinary Mutton Stew

A couple of weeks ago, Jen and I happened to be out of town near a little butcher that I know and he almost always has some goodies stashed away that you can't find at your local markets around here.  So we picked up a mutton loin, bone in, complete with fat cap and skin still attached and hid it away in the freezer until I could decide what to do with it.  After some consideration I decided to do a stew with it as I have never had mutton before and what could be more traditional than a mutton stew?  Almost every culture across the globe, at one point or another, has developed a stew using sheep flesh so why not try my hand at that?  Plus, I like stews and soups as they are usually simple to prepare, require little to no attention after starting, store well, get better with a couple of days in the fridge, and last but not least, they reheat easily.  Folks are welcome to substitute lamb or beef for the mutton as I can't imagine many folks having access to it unless you live somewhere outside the US or happen to be, or know, a sheep farmer.

I did this in a 7 quart slow cooker and there was plenty of room for more to be added so if you've got a 3 or 4 qt slow cooker, you should be just fine.  Alternatively, if you don't have a slow cooker you can simply follow the recipe as listed and add everything to a roasting pan.  Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven at 250F degrees for 3 hours.

As musical accompaniment to this dish, I decided to go with Face to Face's song "Ordinary" as it takes me back a good 15 yrs or so down memory lane to my teen years, just as a good homemade stew should take you back to childhood.  Besides, this recipe is fairly, well... ordinary.  A meat stew is usually savory and doesn't have a lot going on in the "Wow" department.  It's homey, hearty, warm, and perfectly reliable as a good meal, especially in the winter months.  Ordinary. - Justin

ORDINARY MUTTON STEW

• 1 3lb mutton loin, bone in (approx 8 ribs)
• 2 medium potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 2 large carrots
• 1 large rutabaga
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dried rubbed sage
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley 
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 shot dry vermouth
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried ground tarragon
• 1/4 dried ground herbs de provence 
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped chives
• 1 cup wild rice or pearled barley

If you've acquired your roast at a grocer or butcher, chances are you won't have to prep it at all, so in an effort to save time describing how to butcher and skin a sheep, we'll assume you all have done the former and we'll skip right to the veggies.  If your roast has rib bones, leave them in as they will exude the best tasting marrow into your broth while they cook!  If your roast doesn't have ribs, you can either leave it whole or dice it into 2 inch cubes.

Wash the carrots, potatoes, and the rutabaga and leave the skins on them as that is where all the flavor and nutrients are. Dice them all, and the onion as well, into roughly similar sized chunks, approximately an inch to an inch and a half and add them to the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add the kosher salt, black pepper, sage, parsley, chicken and beef broths, the sherry and the dry vermouth and stir everything to combine.  You want to make sure that the liquid comes up to the top of the veggies.  If you need to, add a little more broth or some water to raise the level.  Add the roast to the top of the veggies, rib bones up if you have a bone-in roast, cover and cook on low for 6 hours.

After 6 hours pull the meat off the bones and cut it into 1"h to 1.5" chucks and add back to the slow cooker along with the sea salt, white pepper, tarragon, herbs de provence, chives and rice.  Cook for another 2 hrs on low.  Serve with some good bread for soaking up broth.

Southern Fried Dill Pickles & Veggies

Admittedly, the food inspired the music tonight, instead of vice versa.  I'm a huge fan of dill pickles, served in a number of ways.  Just wait until I post the recipe for my family's favourite holiday appetizers - pickles, cream cheese, and cheap ass lunch meat!  But I do love a good deep fried pickle.  Being a Southern thing, most people here in Northern California have never heard of them, let alone tasted one!  I'm going to assume the rest of the country (outside of the South) is equally in the dark, and I want to shine the light onto the shiny, greasy deliciousness that is the fried pickle!  And while operating the deep fryer, who better to belt it out in Southern punk rock fashion than one of my all time favourite punk bands, Avail. I. Love. This. Band.  I got to see them a number of times when I lived in Chicago, and they were the loudest, fastest, angriest shows!  I never left one without bruised ribs, stomped toes, and a kick or two in the head from crowd surfers.  Best shows ever!  I miss them. Here's their "Simple Song".  -jen

Back to the food... I like my batter really seasoned, and I find a lot of places don't season their batter much.  So you could definitely cut back on the seasoning if you're more of a plain-batter kind of person (but what fun would that be?)

BEER BATTER

• 1 cup flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (depending on how spicy you'd like it)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 6-12oz ale
• vegetable or peanut oil for frying
• dill pickle slices (Vlasic makes "Ovals" which are huge slices, great for this!)

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 360-370 F.

On a plate, lay out two layers of paper towels.  Place pickles in single layer on towels and cover with another double-layer of paper towels, pressing down on the pickles so that the towels absorb the juice.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.  Begin whisking in the beer, a little at a time.  I like my batter to be a little on the thick side, so I'll use about 1/2 a bottle of the beer.  Some people like a thinner batter, which would require 3/4 to 1 whole 12oz bottle.  Start conservatively and remember you can always add more beer!

Dip the pickles in batter and gently place into oil, frying until golden brown (2-3 minutes).  I use plain, wooden, disposable chopsticks to flip the pickles half way through the cooking time.  Don't over-crowd the pan, fry in batches.  Let drain in a paper towel-lined dish. You can preheat your oven to 250 F and keep your early batches warm.  Serve with ranch dressing for dipping sauce.

Tip: You can re-warm leftovers in the oven or toaster oven.  Set to broil, lay leftovers in single layer.  Broil until crispy on top side, then flip.  In the toaster oven, it's 4-5 minutes on each side.  

The pickles are the front-left, next to the ranch (see, big Ovals).  The batter really works for anything.  I got a little crazy tonight and ended up making enough deep fried food for about thirteen people (instead of the two of us).  I did zucchini, crimini mushrooms, onion rings, cheese curds, and then I even tried stuffing pickled cherry peppers with the cheese curds.  They were a little sour and not as good as I thought they'd be.  I'll have to try my hand at some jalapeno poppers next time - those'll be great!