Fish fillets, roast potatoes with maqaw mayonnaise

This recipe originally from: https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/11/26/2003660008

Fish fillets, roast potatoes with maqaw mayonnaise

Recipe

(Serves 2)

Homemade mayo has been mystified out of all proportion and now with electric whisks and food processors, the slog and risk of putting together something really rather good (better than anything store bought anyway, if not up to Michelin chef standards) have all but disappeared. Some chefs recommend using olive oil, and this certainly has great appeal, but the mayo can end up tasting rather harsh, and the simpler and cheaper sunflower or rapeseed oil makes a more dependable product. Add a dash of your preferred extra-virgin at the end to enhance the flavor if you like. The roast potatoes in this recipe are a family favorite, and though simple, are very tasty. The secret is getting the outside nicely brown in the oven, the mix of starch and oil caramelizing and giving the potatoes a much more complex flavor than you might expect from such simple ingredients.

Ingredients

2 fillets mahimahi (or other firm white fish), approx. 250g

potatoes

1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp breadcrumbs

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 heaped tsp mustard (Dijon or other mild mustard)

7g maqaw

small bunch sweet basil leaves

200ml sunflower oil

a glug of olive oil

splash of rice vinegar (optional)

salt and pepper for seasoning

Directions

1. Separate the eggs, setting the whites aside.

2. Add the mustard to the egg yokes and beat them together. Using an electric whisk, whisk this mixture, adding oil in a thin stream, very slowly at first. As the mixture begins to thicken, you can add the oil more rapidly.

3. Crush the grains of maqaw with the flat of a kitchen knife or in a mortar. Mix into the mayonnaise and season with salt. Add a slash of vinegar, if using. (Most recipes suggest the addition of vinegar or lemon juice to balance the mayo with a bit of acid, but I often find the acid in the mustard already sufficient for this purpose.)

4. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavor of the maqaw to suffuse the mayonnaise.

5. About 30 minutes before you want to eat, season the fish fillets with salt and pepper.

6. Peel and cut the potatoes and steam over high heat for 20 minutes.

7. Place potatoes on a non-stick baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Make sure the potatoes are well coated with oil. (The potatoes at this point can be set aside for as much as a couple of hours.)

8. Pre-heat an oven to 230c. Before putting the potatoes in the oven, give them a good toss, renewing the coating of oil and salt. Place on an upper shelf for 10 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown.

9. When ready to eat, first dust the fish fillets with flour, then dredge them in egg white, then in the bread crumbs.

10. Heat a pan with a generous glug of oil. Fry over medium heat for about 4 minutes. While the fish is cooking, throw in the basil leaves and fry until crisp, about 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

11. Serve the fish topped with crisp basil and a generous dollop of maqaw mayonnaise. Serve with a side of roast potatoes. The addition of a simple salad makes this a complete meal.

Ian Bartholomew runs Ian’s Table, a small guesthouse in Hualien. He has lived in Taiwan for many years writing about the food scene and has decided that until you look at farming, you know nothing about the food you eat. He can be contacted at Hualien202@gmail.com.

This is one of two recipes that feature: maqaw pepper

This recipe also includes: black pepper

Steamed Cod with wild peppercorn

This recipe originally from: https://onestove.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/steamed-cod-with-wild-peppercorn/

Taiwan has a lot of beautiful scenic places with poetic names. One place which I visited recently is Xiangtian (“Facing the Sky”) Lake in Nanzhuang, Maoli County. While we were waiting for the bus, we spied several small shacks next to the bus stop selling “Maqaw Eggs”.  What in the world are Maqaw eggs?  It turns out Maqaw  马 告 (pinyin “Ma Gao”) is a kind of wild peppercorn that is famous in Miaoli’s aboriginal cuisine. Its scientific name is Litsea Cubeba, a plant native to Taiwan, China and Indonesia. Its fruit produces a lemony essential oil which is used in soaps and its seeds are used in cooking. The stall was selling hard boiled Chinese tea eggs specially flavored with Maqaw so we naturally had to try them (they were delicious!) as well as Maqaw peppercorn seeds. The proprietor convinced me that they are very expensive in New York specialty stores but it’s a good price at Xiangtian Lake because they are locally grown. Not one to pass up a deal, I naturally had to buy a bottle of the fragrant wild peppercorn. It is supposed to be great for tea eggs as well as pork and fish dishes. So tonight I sprinkled some Maqaw peppercorn seeds on my cod fish and they certainly added a lovely citrony flavor to the dish.

1 piece cod fish

1 tbsp black bean and garlic sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)

1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand)

1/2 tbsp XO sauce

1 tbsp Maqaw peppercorn seeds

1. Rinse the cod fish under running water.  Pat dry. Place it on a dish, add all the ingredients on top of the fish. Steam for 10 mins or until cooked.

2. Sprinkle spring onions on top for garnish. Serve hot with steamed rice.

This is one of two recipes that include: maqaw pepper

Roast Asparagus with Long Pepper Gremolata Recipe

This recipe originally from: https://www.seriouseats.com/roast-asparagus-with-long-pepper-gremolata-recipe

Roast Asparagus with Long Pepper Gremolata Recipe

by Max Falkowitz updated Aug. 30, 2018

Now's the time of year when I eat asparagus once or twice a week. To change things up from the usual, I dressed it with a modified gremolata—typically a mixture of citrus zest, minced garlic, herbs, and spices. This version takes advantage of long pepper's sweet pungency, fleshed out by coriander, enlivened by lemon. It's a simple—and a favorite—way to enjoy long pepper. And asparagus, for that matter.

Since the spices aren't cooked at all, they are best toasted before grinding to bring out their flavors.

Ingredients

1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 teaspoons long pepper, toasted and freshly ground

1 1/2 teaspoons coriander, toasted and freshly ground

4 cloves garlic, minced

Zest of one lemon

Directions

Turn on broiler and adjust rack to 4 to 6 inches from heat source. Trim bottom two inches off asparagus, rub with oil, and season well with salt. Arrange in a single layer in an oven-safe skillet or baking sheet.

Broil for two to three minutes, then check on asparagus for signs of light charring and a bright green color. Very thin spears may be finished at this point. Squeeze gently with tongs. If still very firm, return to broiler for another two to three minutes, or until spears bend slightly but break with a snap.

Combine long pepper, coriander, garlic, and lemon zest in a small bowl and mix to combine. Toss with asparagus and serve immediately.

This Recipe Appears In

Spice Hunting: Long Pepper

This is one of two recipes that feature: long pepper

This recipe also includes: coriander, citrus rind

Cooking with Pippali: Sweet & Spicy Recipes

This recipe originally from: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/blog-the-banyan-insight/details/cooking-with-pippali-sweet-spicy-recipes/

Cooking with Pippali: Sweet & Spicy Recipes

Pippali or Piper longum is a small shrub and grows all over the tropical forest of India. It has a special affinity for the respiratory system, and it also supports the digestive, reproductive, circulatory, and nervous systems. 

Commonly known as long pepper, pippali is the fruit of the plant (although sometimes referred to as the flower) and one of the most precious herbs in Ayurveda and Indian cuisine. In its dry form, pippali has a pungent or sharp taste. Its energy, or virya, is mildly heating, and it has a sweet post-digestive effect, which is soothing and balancing. It pacifies vata and kapha and even though it is pungent and heating, it is fine for pitta if used short-term and in moderation. It has oily, light, and penetrating qualities.

In its fresh green form, pippali has the opposite qualities that are found in the dried form. When green, it is sweet in taste, it can aggravate kapha and reduce pitta, and it is heavy, which makes it harder to digest.

Pippali in the Kitchen

While pippali is a true pepper, it is considerably less hot than many ground pepper varieties. At the same time, it is deeply aromatic and energizing. It’s a tasty addition when cooking poultry, fish, and vegetable stews or dals.

Since ancient times, long pepper has been used in cooking for its hot and spicy flavor. Its popularity in the kitchen has decreased because black pepper and chili pepper are cheaper and easier to grow. On the other hand, those who understand the value of pippali continue using it in different recipes including some desserts because it has a sweet aftertaste and aids in digestion.

Toor Dal & Pippali Soup

Pippali is also used in healing foods. This soup recipe is a good addition to a meal as an appetizer, promoting healthy digestion and robust agni.

Ingredients:

1 ripe medium tomato, finely chopped

¼–½ teaspoon pippali powder

1–2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

½ cup chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

4 curry leaves

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup cooked toor dal

3 cups water

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons ghee

Directions:

Combine the pippali, cumin seeds, and garlic together and set aside.

Heat the ghee in a pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they pop add the curry leaves. Add the crushed pippali, cumin, and garlic mixture and a pinch of salt, and sauté till the spices are aromatic. Add about 3 cups of water, gradually add the chopped tomato and tamarind concentrate, mix well, then add the brown sugar and stir. Let it simmer on medium low till the tomato is cooked.

Adjust salt to taste, add the cooked and mushed toor dal, chopped cilantro (reserve some for garnish, if preferred), and stir well, letting the soup simmer till it becomes creamy. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.

Sweet & Spicy Fruit Truffles

This is a simple and delicious seasonal dessert recipe. It also works well as a snack. In addition to being nourishing, it’s also a good digestive aid for the winter season. 

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped pitted dates

½ cup chopped dried figs

½ cup chopped almonds that have first been soaked and peeled

½ cup roasted cashews

½ cup honey

½ cup roasted sesame seeds

¼ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons pippali powder

1 teaspoon nutmeg powder

Directions:

Chop the dates and figs into small pieces and combine in a bowl. Chop the almonds and lightly roasted cashews into very small pieces and add to the bowl. Mix and massage all the ingredients with the hands while adding the coconut oil. This will make a sticky paste. Then add half of the honey and mix well. Add the pippali and nutmeg powders and thoroughly combine all the ingredients.

Roll the mixture into bite size balls. Add a little honey on the surface of each ball and roll in the roasted sesame seeds. Place the balls on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until they become firm. Once they have set they are ready to be served. Left overs can be kept in a covered container at room temperature for up to ten days.

This is one of two recipes that feature: long pepper

This recipe also includes: cumin, mustard, sesame, nutmeg

Pepper Soup Spice

This recipe originally from: https://lowcarbafrica.com/pepper-soup-spices/

Published on Mar 12, 2020. Updated on Jan 21, 2021. By Tayo.

If you have ever tasted an African pepper soup, you might be wondering what gives it its unique and earthy flavor. I’m going to show you how to make pepper soup spice from scratch using the traditional ethnic spices, and also how to make it using everyday spices from your local grocery store.

African pepper soup dishes are made with a blend of complex and unique spices. These spices are commonly found in the West African region and used in a variety of ethnic soups, like this goat meat pepper soup.

Traditional Spices Used In Making African Pepper Soup Spice

Alligator pepper: also known as Grains of Paradise, Guinea pepper, and Melegueta pepper. In Nigeria, this spice is known as Atare, Atariko or Ulima seeds.

Alligator pepper has a nutty, woody flavor with a hint of citrus. It has a nice peppery taste without any harsh after-burn.

It also makes a great substitute for black pepper for those that don’t like the taste or are allergic to it.

Selim pepper: also known as Grains of Selim, Ethiopian pepper, Senegal pepper, Negro pepper, Kani pepper or Uda seed. This pepper has a musky flavor of smoked herbs with a hint of bitter cocoa. It is similar in flavor to peppercorns.

Calabash nutmeg: also known as Jamaican nutmeg, African nutmeg, and Muscadier de Calabash. In Nigeria, it is known as Ehuru, Ariwo or Ehiri, depending on what tribe you’re from.

This spice is very similar to nutmeg and is grown in West Africa and also in the Caribbean islands.

How To Make Pepper Soup Spices From Scratch Using Traditional African Spices.

Roast the calabash nutmeg in a dry pan for about two minutes.

Grind the calabash nutmeg, selim pepper, and alligator pepper together to a fine powder. My go-to grinder is this handy coffee grinder or this mortar and pestle set.

Make sure they are well mixed together and store in an airtight container.

This makes 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix and each serving has 0 net carbs and 0 calories.

You can get all these spices from amazon or an African store and mix yourself or just buy a pre-packaged pepper soup spice mix. I have done both and I honestly can’t tell the difference as they both turned out really good.

How To Make Pepper Soup Spice Using Spices Commonly Found In The Grocery Store

It can be quite hard to get the native pepper soup spices if you don’t live in Africa. I like to order from Amazon sometimes but the items frequently go out of stock.

So I began to experiment with different household spices to see if I could come up with something relatively close.

After a few hours of mixing, smelling, tasting and shoving my spice blend under my husband’s nose for his approval, I eventually came up with a mix that mimics the taste of the traditional blend.

The ingredients I used are Allspice, Peppercorn, Ginger, Cayenne pepper, Fennel seeds, and Cumin.

Allspice has a woody flavor that resembles a combination of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. So if you don’t have allspice on hand, you can recreate it using half a teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

To Prepare The Pepper Soup Spice:

Grind the peppercorn and fennel seeds to a fine powder using a spice blender.

Mix all the spices together and store them in an airtight container. This produces about 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix.

One serving is roughly 1 - 1.5 tablespoons, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. As you can see, both spices are quite similar though not quite the same. But if you can't get the traditional spices, this option will work perfectly as it tastes really close to the original.

What Can I Use Pepper Soup Spice For?

This spice is perfect for African pepper soups like this Nigerian Pepper Soup and this Fish Pepper Soup. You can also add small quantities to any stew or soup to really enhance the taste and flavor.

Check out these African pepper soup recipes!

Chicken Pepper Soup

Goat Meat Pepper Soup

Nigerian Pepper Soup

Fish Pepper Soup

Pepper Soup Spices

Learn how to make Nigerian pepper soup spice from scratch using the traditional ethnic spices, and also using common spices from your grocery store.

Ingredients to make pepper soup spice (using traditional African spices)

6 calabash nutmeg

8 selim peppers

1 tbsp alligator pepper

Ingredients to make pepper soup spice (using regular spices)

1 tbsp peppercorn

2 tsp allspice

1.5 tsp ginger

1 tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp cumin

Instructions

How to make pepper soup spices using traditional African spices

Roast the calabash nutmeg in a dry pan for about two minutes. 

Remove the outer skin and take out the seed inside.

Grind the calabash nutmeg, selim pepper, and alligator pepper together to a fine powder.

Store in an airtight container.

How to make pepper soup spices using common spices

Grind the peppercorn and fennel seeds to a fine powder using a spice blender.

Mix with the other spices together and store in an airtight container.

Notes

This produces about 3 tablespoons of the pepper soup mix. One serving is roughly 1 - 1.5 tablespoons, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be.

The recipe card shows the nutrition info for the pepper soup spice made from spices found in the grocery store.

The traditional pepper soup spice contains 0 calories and 0 carbs.

This is one of two recipes that feature: grains of Selim

This recipe also includes: african nutmeg, alligator pepper, black pepper, allspice, ginger, cayenne, fennel, cumin

How to make Ninomae Ina'nis' Dr Oopsie soda from Hololive EN

Dr Oopsie Soda

1 cup black cherry juice

½ cup white or brown sugar

1 vanilla chai tea bag

1 tbsp seedless raspberry preserves

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp almond extract

Heat the cherry juice and prepare it with the vanilla chai, according to the package instructions. Remove the tea bag when finished, reheat the mixture if needed, and dissolve in the sugar. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Wait to add the almond extract until the mixture is cool.

To serve, mix 2 fl oz (¼ cup) of syrup with 10 fl oz of plain seltzer. Stir gently to mix.

I love making soda at home, so I thought it would be fun to try to recreate Dr Oopsie, the favorite drink of Ninomae Ina'nis from Hololive EN. While I've never actually tried Dr Oopsie, it does look very similar to another brand of soda that I'm more familiar with, which is what I tried to base the flavor off of.

These were the ingredients I used for my batch. I especially like this brand of tea, it has a very strong vanilla flavor that almost reminds me of marshmallows. I also used one of those 10 oz glass bottles of seltzer to make the soda. When mixed with 2 fl oz of syrup, it makes 12 fl oz of soda total, the same size as a standard soda can. You can adjust the ratio if you like to make it more or less sweet, but I think 10-to-2 tastes pretty close to the bottled stuff.

Here's the tea bag in the cherry juice. I like using this tiny pot for making soda, since I usually don't make a large batch to store for later. It's around 2 cups and I got it from Stop & Shop, on one of those hooks in the middle of the aisle. I brought my juice to a boil, turned off the heat, and put the tea in for 4 minutes which is what my package said.

The juice was still hot after letting the tea steep, so I dissolved the sugar in there without turning on the heat again. After that, I added the preserves and lemon juice. It was a little difficult to dissolve the preserves, since they were much thicker than the rest of the liquid, but I was able to get most of it by alternating between stirring and pressing down on the bottom of the pot. If it doesn't work for you, try gently heating the mixture again or straining it before making the soda. To cool the syrup, I placed the pot on a dish of ice in the sink. It has to be cool before you can add the almond extract, because heat can weaken the flavor a lot. Once that's done, you can store it or serve immediately.

For best results, I think you should make glasses of soda one-by-one. You can always put away the leftover syrup for later, and homemade soda goes flat really easily. Just for fun, I garnished mine with a maraschino cherry and a printed out Dr Oopsie logo I made based on the bottle from Ina's streams. I'll include the image I used here. If you print out the whole thing as one sheet, it should be about the same size.

Enjoy!

Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce Just as Good as the Canned Stuff (but better!)

Plain Nacho Cheese Sauce

8oz block of semi-firm cheese (I used Monterey jack)

12 fl oz can of evaporated milk

Optional: additional 5 fl oz can of evaporated milk

8g citric acid powder (approx. 2 tsp)

9g baking soda (approx. 2 tsp)

Combine citric acid and baking soda in a bowl. Add enough hot water to dissolve both. It will fizz as soon as it touches the mixture; keep stirring until it's completely dissolved.

Shred the cheese and add it to a pot with the dissolved water and evaporated milk. If you plan on serving the cheese hot, use 12 fl oz of milk. If you plan on serving it cold, use 17 fl oz. The extra milk will prevent it from thickening at lower temperatures. Turn the heat on low and stir constantly until the cheese is fully melted. Take off the heat and, while still warm, stir in herbs, spices, peppers, or any other flavorings you like. Serve immediately or refrigerate, and use just like you would premade cheese sauce.

I got the idea for this recipe mostly from this video by Adam Ragusea:

I'm a big fan of liquid cheese sauces, but could never make a version I was happy with at home. Usually I would buy something like that in a can or jar, but most of those have peppers and stuff mixed in with the cheese, and I think they get pretty gross after sitting in the jar for a while. Now that I have this recipe for it, I can make it just the way I like.

The trick to getting it as smooth and melty as the commercial product is the citric acid/baking soda mixture. They react to form sodium citrate, which allows cheese and milk to mix very well when melted. In Adam Ragusea's video, he does something similar with lime juice and baking soda, but I have pure citric acid so I decided to use that. This reddit post helped me figure out the exact proportions to use. This recipe also helped me figure out how much of it to use with a certain amount of cheese.

I've read on some websites that citric acid is common in grocery stores, I think it's used for canning or something. I've never actually seen it for sale at mine. The citric acid I have is from my local Indian grocery store, where they sold it in the spices section.

In the recipe, I gave approximate amounts for the citric acid and baking soda that were each two teaspoons. That should work, but every time I've done it, I used weight for extra accuracy. I have a jewelry scale, which is precise down to the milligram. A normal kitchen scale would work too, but I also like the jewelry scale for measuring spices for teas and syrups and stuff like that. If you're interested in that stuff too, I would recommend getting one.

If you make this and save it for later, remember that it will thicken a lot as it cools in the fridge. The first time I tried making this, it actually hardened back into a solid. Both options for the recipe here are liquid at fridge temperature, although the cold version is much easier to eat right away without microwaving.

I knew I'd need a nice photo for the recipe, so here's some nachos I made with the sauce. Ever since 5th grade, I dreamed of making nachos with Doritos instead of regular chips, so that's what I did here. It's everything my elementary school self could have imagined.