Chanh Muối (Salted Preserved Lemons)

Happy New Year! 
Going back to blogging after a long absence can be too difficult but I must overcome the laziness, beat procrastination and get motivated. Thanks to the preserved lemon jars that keep staring at me every time I am in the kitchen. That's my muse to resume blogging although I hadn't planned to write about it.

So my friend's lemon tree is full of beautiful, juicy, thin-skinned lemons and he doesn't know what to do with all of them. I took a full basket of them home and preserved in salt and water. I've had these lemons fermenting on the kitchen counter for almost a month. The fermentation is going to take a little while to complete due to the lack of sunlight in the wintertime. The finished lemons should be salty, tangy and nicely soften but as of this post, mine are not there yet. 

This morning the lemon jars caught my eyes again. I went by and unscrewed the jar lid and whiffed up a wonderful distinctive scent of salt and slightly sweet brine. I took out one lemon, a couple tablespoons of lemon brine and mash it in a mason glass jar, added a couple tablespoons of sugar, poured in club soda, stirred it well, and tossed in a few cubes of ice. Voila - I have a wonderful lemonade - uniquely flavored and delicious. One sip and summer comes rushing back. Oh how I love the nostalgia.

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RECIPE:  Chanh Muối

printable recipe

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Ingredients

Lemons or Limes 

Pickling Salt (available at Walmart) 

Water

a Glass Jar, sanitized

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Directions

Preparing a Brine Solution

Pickling salt- salt is one of the key ingredients in the pickling process. Pickling salt is pure granulated salt (sodium chloride). It does not contain anti-caking ingredients, which can turn pickling liquid cloudy, or additives like iodine, which can make pickles dark. In addition, pickling salt has fine granules that make it easy to dissolve in a brine.  

The ratio of salt to water for a brine is 4 tablespoons of salt per 1 quart (4 cups) of water.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Turn off the heat. Add pickling salt. Dissolve the salt in water.  Let it cool to room temperature. 

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Preparing Lemons

Wash and scrub lemons thoroughly to remove any dirt.

Cut off the top and bottom of the lemon so that a little flesh is showing.

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Preserving Lemons

Pack the lemons tightly into a jar and pour the cooled salt water over them. Make sure the lemons are completely covered in the salt water so that they are protected from mold and other bacteria that would cause decay. If your lemons won’t stay submerged, you can break a chopstick into halves and wedge it inside the jar to form a crisscrossed grill. Wipe any salt residue off the rim and seal the jar with a lid.

In the hot days, leave the jar outside where they will get sunlight. When the lemons are done, the lemons will turn darker and the brine becomes a little bit cloudier. These lemons will be ready after one month of preserving, and will last for at least 2 years. It can be kept at room temperature and does not need to be refrigerated. Just remember to use clean utensil to scoop the lemons out every time.

When fermenting lemons or vegetables, it is common to see a white layer forming on top of the liquid. The white film is usually a type of yeast known as kahm yeast and is quiet safe. Kahm yeast can form for a variety of reasons: insufficiently acidic; there is not enough salt in the brine; the batch is over-exposed to oxygen; good hygiene was not observed during preparation. 

If kahm yeast develops in your ferment, skim it off.

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Presentation

Preserved Lemons can be used for cooking or making drinks. Sparkling salted lemonade is a common refreshing drink in southern Vietnam. Make yourself a jar of salted preserved lemons and enjoy it when spring arrives.

Eat Well. Stay hungry. . . and drink homemade salted preserved lemonade. 

Đồ Chua (Carrot and Daikon Pickles)

The classic tangy, sweet, and crunchy carrot and daikon pickles make wonderful condiment for many Vietnamese dishes such as bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich), rice noodle dish, salad, and many fried dishes. This carrot and daikon pickle are incredible easy to make. I also use the same brine to pickle cucumber and red radish to go along with grilled  chicken wings and pan-fried pork chops.

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RECIPE: Carrot and Daikon Pickles

printable recipe

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Ingredients

1 large Carrot

1 Daikon Radish, about same size as carrot

 1 cup cooked Water, room temperature

1/4 cup Vinegar

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Salt

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Directions

Preparing Carrot and Daikon Radish

Peel and julienne carrot and daikon. Place them in a bowl with a teaspoon of salt. Mix them well with your hands to extract any impurities. Drain and rinse under cold water, then press gently to extract any excess water. 

In a mixing bowl, combine water, vinegar, sugar and salt. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add the carrots and daikons into the brine. Let it sit for about half an hour before eating. Left overs can be stored in the glass mason jar and  kept in the refrigerator for a month.

Dưa Cải Chua (Pickled Mustard Greens)

What's a woman to do on a rainy day especially with the forecast of a storm looming on the horizon? How about cozying up with a nice hot cup of matcha green tea on her couch and blogging away about mustard greens? Doesn't that sound sour and delicious all at once?

Dưa Cải Chua (pickled mustard greens) is one of the recipes that I've been blogging on and off for some time but remains unfinished due to the busy holidays season. Thanks to inclement weather, it shall be done today.

This Dưa Cải Chua is simpler to prepare than you may imagine. It's a Vietnamese staple and should have in your lovely kitchen; It serves as a great to contrasting taste to many salty home-cooked dishes such as braised catfish in claypot (cá kho tộ), caramelized pork and hard boiled egg (thịt kho trứng), caramelized pork belly with lemongrass and shrimp paste sauce (thịt kho ruốc sả) or fried fish (cá chiên) - you can finish off the list. The irresistibly crunchy and tart  dưa cải chua is perfect with almost any rich and savory dishes. On a cold day like today, instead of eating it straight from the jar, I like to saute it with diced garlic for a nice warm dish; make soup or curry out of it, or braise beef shank with it. One of my favorite dưa cải chua dishes is sauteing it with diced garlic and scrambled egg.

The main ingredients to ferment the mustard greens are just salt, sugar and the omnipotent sunlight. It is simple and allows the natural flavor and color of the greens to come through. It's effectively preserved the greens as well. The preparation of dưa cải chua takes no more than twenty minutes but the process of fermentation takes about a week before it's ready to serve. This fermentation process can be sped up by sun drying.  Dưa cải chua can be kept in the fridge for a few months.  

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RECIPE: Dưa Cải Chua
Printable Recipe

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Ingredients

2 bunch Mustard Greens, about 4 pounds

1 medium Onion

4-6 cloves of Garlic

1 bunch of Spring Onion, optional

12 cups Water 

3 tablespoons Salt 

3 tablespoon Sugar 

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Directions

Clean and dry jars or glass bowls and lids thoroughly. Set aside.

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Preparing Water Mixture

Bring water to a boil. Add sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve. Let it cool. It's okay if the water is still a little bit warm.

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Preparing Mustard Greens

Cut off ends of the mustard greens and discard. Trim the parts that are bruised, and yellow. Wash the greens with cold water, then shake off the excess water.  Cut greens into sections about 1 inch long.  

Shake off the excess water one more time.  I like to place the bottom of the coriander on top of the other one and shake off the the excess water.  Set aside.

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Preparing Onion and Garlic

Slice onion and garlic. Set aside. If used green onion, cut it into 2 inches segments. Set aside.

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Fermenting Mustard Greens

Pack greens, garlic, onion, or spring onions into the jar. Pour the liquid into the jar covering the greens.

Press the greens down with the back of the soup spoon to submerge them in the liquid. It's okay if the liquid doesn't cover the greens completely right away since the greens will continue to expel liquid as they ferment. But make sure the liquid covers the greens in the same day. If necessary, make more liquid to fully cover the greens.

Secure the mouth of the jar with a tight lid. Place the jar in a warm spot in your kitchen and allow to ferment for 4-6 days. The warmer the room is, the quicker it will ferment.  You can speed up the fermentation process by leaving the jar in the sun.

As the greens start to ferment, they will turn a beautiful shade of yellowish green. Properly fermented greens should smell like pickles. They are crunchy and have a sour, salty, and spicy taste.

You can keep it refrigerated for at least a few months. Drain the greens well before serving.

Here's to your sour and salty cravings!

Dưa Giá (Pickled Bean Sprouts)

It's only one more week to Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) and I am just barely starting to prepare food for the new year. Last year I had made Mứt Tắc (Candied Kumquats), Giò Thủ (Vietnamese Head Cheese), Dưa Món (Pickled Vegetables in Fish Sauce), and Nem Chua (Cured/Fermented Beef). But a new year calls for new recipes to enjoy!

Let's start with something light, crisp, and healthy - excellent for those of us who are weight conscious and needs to lose a pound here and there. Dưa Giá is a refreshing condiment that adds a pleasurable tartness to any braised or simmered dish such as Thịt Trứng Kho Tàu (Vietnamese Braised Pork and Boiled Eggs).

This healthy Dưa Giá is very easy and incredibly fast to make. It is packed with vegetables, herb and spices including bean sprouts, chives, red peppers, ginger, carrot, and your old reliable salt, sugar, and vinegar. This combination produces a special flavor and zest that renders a wonderful side dish.  Dưa Giá is a versatile recipe that can also be enjoyed as a salad!

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RECIPE: Dưa Giá

Printable Recipe

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Ingredients

3 bags Bean Sprout (8 oz per bag)

3 small Carrots

1 bunch Chives

1 piece fresh Ginger

4 small or 1 large Red, Yellow, or Orange Sweet Bell Peppers

8 cups Water

2 cups Vinegar

2 cups Sugar 

3 tablespoons Salt

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Preparing Vinegar Brine

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add salt, sugar and vinegar then stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool.

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Preparing Bean Sprouts, Carrots, Ginger, Bell Peppers, and Chives

Bean Sprouts - rinse with cold water. Drain.  Carrots - peel, wash and cut into matchsticks.  

Ginger - peel, wash and slice lengthwise with peeler, then cut into matchsticks.

Red Sweet Bell Peppers - wash and cut peppers into matchsticks.

Chives - wash and cut into an inch segments.

In a bowl, add bean sprouts, carrots, ginger, bell peppers, and chives, tossing well to combine.

Pack the vegetables into a clean, dry glass container. Pour vinegar brine over the vegetables to cover completely. It's okay if the vegetables are not submerged. They will shrink in volume in about 10 minutes. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour. Pickles will keep for at least two weeks.

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Presentation

To serve, transfer pickled sprouts onto a plate. Enjoy this crisp and cool pickled bean sprouts with bánh chưng or bánh tét (Vietnamese steamed cakes) with braised pork and eggs.  You can also add the touch of tang, sweet and sour crunch and flavor to bánh mì (Vietnamese sandwich).

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới!

Dầu Hạt Điều (Annatto Oil)

Vietnamese cuisine often use annatto oil to enhance a dish with its taste and the vibrant color. Annatto seeds release a beautiful orange color when added to hot oil, but it also adds warm, rich flavor to your dishes. The oil imparts a slightly peppery scent with a nutty hint. 

Annatto shrub with flowers and fruits
http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Bixa_ore.html

Annatto seeds sometimes called roucou or achiote, can be found at spice markets, Asian markets, and in the Mexican foods section of some grocery stores.

If you want to read more about annatto seeds, click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annatto

I use a lot of annatto oil in my cooking. I often pre-make a jar of annatto oil and keep it at room temperature for a a few weeks. 

To make annatto oil, add 2 tablespoons of  oil and 2 teaspoons of annato seeds in a saucepan and bring the heat to medium.

As the temperature rises, the red color will leach from the annatto seeds.  The more annatto seeds added to the oil, the deeper of color you will get.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and let stand for a minute. Strain and discard seeds.