Vietnamese Summer Rolls

Thursday, May 17th, 2012 | posted by mike

Serves 4 – Makes 8 rolls

shrimp summer rolls salad

Substitute lettuce for the wrap if desired

8 – 9 inch diameter round rice papers

4 oz. rice noodles

16 jumbo wild gulf shrimp (10-15 cnt per lb.) boiled and cut in 1/2 lengthwise

1/4 cup cooked crabmeat (lump, Jonah or king crab)

1/2 cup cucumber cut into 2-inch long matchsticks

1/2 cup carrots cut into 2-inch long matchsticks

16 basil leaves

16 mint leaves

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

8 red lettuce leaves, tear into 5-6 inch lengths

In a large bowl soak rice noodles for 10 min. in hot water, cool in ice bath, drain and set aside

Submerge rice paper sheets, one at a time, in hot water for around 10 seconds (no longer) and place on a clean dampened towel

Arrange 4 shrimp halves colorful sides down lengthwise in center of paper

Spread crabmeat over and between shrimp

Top with some rice noodles, 2 basil leaves, 2 mint leaves, cilantro leaves, carrots and cucumber

Tightly roll lettuce leaf and place on the top

Do not overstuff!

Fold bottom half of paper over ingredients, making sure that the stuffing is tightly stuffed, fold the sides in then tightly roll

Store on a sheet tray covered in saran wrap until ready to serve

Bernie’s Thai Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

3 T soy sauce

3 T rice vinegar

2 T peanut oil

1 T brown sugar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 t ginger

pinch red pepper flakes

Sweet Chili Lime Dip or Dressing

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 T fish sauce

2T sweet chili sauce

Juice of 2 limes

1 small serrano chili pepper thinly sliced (optional, if you like it HOT) or a light squirt of sriracha sauce

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Vietnamese Bluefish Sandwich

Friday, September 23rd, 2011 | posted by wendy

Mike Monahan created this great sandwich as a special for the lunch counter. It incorporates the wonderful flavors of Vietnam—Asian hot-spicy-sweet-sour vinaigrette and crunchy shredded cabbage—that perfectly compliments the fantastic rich flavor of bluefish. It’s great with a simple cucumber salad on the side. This recipe serves 4.

  • Fresh baguette
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs bluefish fillet pin bone removed
  • 1/4 cup Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour
  • 1/4 cup Cajun seasoning or Prudholms Cajun magic
  • 1 1/2 cups finely sliced cabbage (purple and green)

The vinaigrette

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 T rice wine vinegar
  • 2 T Fish sauce
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3 T Thai sweet chili sauce
  • 2  t  Shiracha sauce
  • 2 T basil finely chopped
  • 2 T cilantro finely chopped
  • 1 T mint finely chopped
  • 3 scallions finely sliced

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Slice baguette in half lengthwise and then into 4 6-8 inch lengths.

Angle cut bluefish fillets into 4 slices about 6-8 inches in length. Dust fillets in Drake’s batter mix and a little Cajun seasoning. Heat ovenproof pan or iron skillet over high heat on stove, then add 2 T olive oil. When sizzling hot, place fillets in flesh side down. Pan sear for about 3–5 minutes or until the fillets are brown and crispy around edges. Flip and pop the skillet  into your pre-heated oven for another 5-7 min or until fish is opaque in the center.

Place fillet on baguette and top with cabbage. Drizzle vinaigrette over cabbage and serve.

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Schwartz' Wild Gulf Shrimp Banh Mi

Thursday, July 21st, 2011 | posted by wendy

(Makes 4 sandwiches)

Here’s the recipe for the components  necessary for the sandwich…you can save them to use in other things like salads as well.

Pickled Carrots and Daikon Radish
1 cup warm water
¼ cup distilled white vinegar
2 T sugar
2 tsp Salt
½ pound carrots (grated through a medium fine grater)
½ pound Daikon Radish (grated through a medium fine grater)

Mix the water, vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolves. Place the carrots and Daikon radish in a container and pour the liquid over. Let pickle for one hour. Can be stored in the Fridge for up to a week.

For the Shrimp
2 T Sugar
2 T water
1 T Fish Sauce
1 T oil
1 shallot finely diced
2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 pound wild gulf shrimp
1 T Fish Sauce
½ tsp black pepper

Heat the sugar and water in a pan on medium high heat until the sugar caramelizes and turns dark brown. Carefully (it will splatter) add the water and Fish Sauce and stir over low heat until the caramel dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add Shallot and Garlic and sauté for 3-5 minutes until soft. Add Shrimp, caramel sauce, fish sauce, and pepper and cook until shrimp is pink all over about 3-4 minutes. Let cool.

Assembling the Sandwich
1 Baguette
4 T Mayonnaise
1 t Soy Sauce
1 lb. large wild Gulf Shrimp (see above)
¼ cup pickled Daikon Radish (see above)
¼ cup pickled Carrots (see above)
½ cup thinly sliced Cucumber
1 bunch Cilantro
1 Jalapeno or 2 Serrano chilies thinly sliced (optional)

Cut baguette into four pieces and slice in half. Mix Mayo and Soy Sauce together in a bowl and spread on bread.   Divide Shrimp among 4 sandwiches, place the remaining ingredients on each sandwich and enjoy!

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Schwartz Concocts a Banh Mi Sandwich with our Wild Gulf Shrimp!

Thursday, July 21st, 2011 | posted by mike

When we opened our fish market back in ‘79 our staff was pretty thin. There were just a few of us and a key guy was “Schwartz.”

Mike Schwartz was a U of M student at the time and was working a lot of hours with us, considering he was a student. He had an interest in fish and cooking and already had restaurant experience behind him from his high school years in Livonia. From the start he helped us with recipe ideas for the market and even though Mike went on to become a lawyer and now a teacher, he still pops in to help out, make a prepared dish, or give some recipe ideas.

This past Tuesday Schwartz prepped an amazing lunch special for us. I’ll let him describe it for you along with the recipe. He used our wild gulf shrimp, which we think are the finest out there. The flavor and the firm ” snappy” texture is so much better than the soggy, limp farm-raised shrimp that shows up everywhere nowadays. We also like to support the U.S. fishermen and fishing communities .

I have been telling Michael (Monahan) that he needed to have a lunch special that was served cold. Well, the forecast for the Art Fair this week was HOT. So I thought I should try to get him to serve one of the most refreshing sandwiches around, Banh Mi.  This sandwich usually contains sliced pork or a pate of pork, but I was looking through some of my favorite food blogs and came across Banh Mi burgers on the food blog, Closet Cooking. I remembered that he had a shrimp Banh Mi sandwich a while back, so I searched the archives and found the recipe.

These fill the bill for a cool and refreshing meal on a hot day. There is some cooking, but that can be done ahead of time so that the stove can stay off in the heat of the afternoon.  The Caramelized shrimp will keep for a day or two and the pickled vegetables will keep for a week.

The trick to all of the fresh vegetables is to cut them thin enough. I use a mandoline for the cucumbers and the peppers.  For the carrots and daikon radish I use my Borner 4 sided grater which a julienne side that is just perfect for this cut.  If you use your coarsest setting on your box grater it is a little too large.  I would suggest slicing the carrots and Daikon on a mandoline and then cutting the slices into matchsticks.

As for some other variations,  you could substitute red pepper flavored rice vinegar for the white vinegar in the pickling part of the recipe.  You could also use Monahan’s Mustard Mayo dip instead of plain Mayonnaise (add the soy sauce to the dip). You could also substitute Monahan’s Salmon Burgers for the Shrimp. I would sauté the Salmon Burgers for 1-2 minutes each side before adding the liquid in that cooking step.

Mike Schwartz’ Shrimp Bahn Mi is our recipe of the week. Enjoy!

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Thai Fish Cakes: Flavor Explosion!

Friday, May 6th, 2011 | posted by mike

Thai cuisine with all of it’s history and complexity is truly one of the world’s most amazing and delicious. Trying to attack authentic Thai cooking requires a knowledge of many ingredients, techniques and methods. We’re talking about food that had to satisfy the demanding and discerning taste of the nobility of old Siam!

Not many Thai dishes are what we westerners would call ” quick and easy.” Relishes and pastes, which are a vital component, are ground by hand one ingredient at a time with a mortar and pestel. Many of their recipes are quite challenging but there’s one that’s easy and happens to be one of my all time favorites—Thai fish cakes!

Famous street fare in Thailand, these light, fluffy little cakes are packed with flavor. Authentic cakes use a freshwater fish called Pla Grai that are unavailable here. I use cod, pollack or hake and get great results. Typically served as an appetizer with cucumber relish in Thai restaurants, I serve them as a main course with a sweet roasted red chili sauce, jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

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Thai fish cakes (Tawd Mun Pla )

Friday, May 6th, 2011 | posted by mike

I use cod, pollack or hake and get great results. Typically served as an appetizer with cucumber relish in Thai restaurants, I serve them as a main course with a sweet roasted red chili sauce, jasmine rice and cucumber salad.

For the fish cakes

  • 1 lb. cod, pollack or hake fillet skinned and cut in cubes
  • 2 T sweet chili sauce
  • 2 sriracha sauce.
  • 2 T fish sauce
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 4 scallions sliced very thin
  • 6 T cilantro chopped ( save 2 T for garnish)
  • 2 T red curry paste
  • 1 t brown sugar
  • 3 kafirr lime leaves fine slice ( chiffonade)
  • 4 T snake or green beans sliced thin
  • Egg whites from 1 large of two small eggs
  • Flour for dredging
  • Peanut or vegetable oil
  • Lime wedges

Roasted red sweet chili sauce

  • 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
  • 2 T roasted red chili paste
  • 1 T fish sauce
  • 1 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T lime juice

Pulse-chop all ingredients except beans, scallions and lime leaves in food processor. Transfer to mixing bowl and stir in the beans, scallions and leaves. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour.

Heat oil for deep frying in wok or skillet over medium heat. Smack and stir batter with wooden spoon (to fluff it up and aerate). Wet your hands and form small cakes (uniform thickness but uneven shapes are O.K.) and dredge in flour. Fry cakes for about 2 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Drain on paper towel, then serve topped with sauce (or on side). Sprinkle with remaining cilantro. Garnish with lime wedges

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Coconut Curry Mussels

Friday, October 22nd, 2010 | posted by wendy

2 lbs mussels
2t Red Curry Paste
1 6–8 oz. can of coconut milk (we prefer Chaokoh brand from Thailand, available at Sparrow Market)
lime wedges
cilantro

Bring coconut milk and red curry paste to a boil, then add scrubbed mussels. Cover tightly and steam until open (5 minutes or so). Serve with Basmati or Jasmine Rice, garnished with plenty of lime wedges and fresh cilantro.

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The Center of the Universe: Your Kitchen

Friday, October 1st, 2010 | posted by mike

What a great summer we’ve had. The classic Michigan summer with lots of steamy days, great cookouts, picnics and evenings on the porch with family and friends. Now there’s a nip in the air and it’s time to get back in the kitchen.

There’s nothing like the warmth and comfort of laying out some great fresh ingredients and enjoying all the sensations that working in the kitchen has to offer. Every sense is stimulated—the sights, touch, smells and sounds. The creative experimentation and improvisation, the science of achieving the perfect formula. Preparing a dish from another land and pairing with the perfect beverage can take you to another world on a dreary cold night.

We have some amazing ethnic grocery options in Ann Arbor. On any given night you can try something completely different with ingredients that may be completely new to you. Our own Farmers Market has lots of unusual greens, squashes, radishes and peppers that are out there right now! (Market days are Wednesdays and Saturdays here at Kerrytown.) Last Saturday I snuck out of the fish market to buy some baby bok choy from the farmers. Nobody had any but one lady had a green called Choy Sum…it looks a little leafier and more spinach-like so I thought I’d give it a try in a Thai-style rice noodle soup. Maybe not typical or traditional but the flavor was perfect—a little bitter and it went well with the sweetness of the clams and shrimp in the dish.

This week’s recipe for Seafood Rice Noodle Soup is fast, easy and healthful. It will warm your soul and take you from Ann Arbor to a night in Bangkok.

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Chinese Black Bean Squid

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 | posted by wendy

(serves 4)

•    2 lbs. squid
•    2-4 T black bean paste*
•    2 t sugar
•    4 T sherry (or rice wine)
•    2 T peanut oil
•    4 cloves of garlic, minced
•    2 t grated ginger root
•    4 scallions, chopped diagonally
•    2 t cornstarch
•    2 T sherry (or rice wine)
•    2 cups pea pods (broccoli, etc.)

Cut cleaned squid into fillets, score once side with knife (without cutting through meat) to put crosshatch pattern on squid.  Then cut fillet into triangles approximately 1 1⁄2” in size.

Mix black bean paste, sugar, 4 T sherry and let sit 20-30 minutes.  Separately mix cornstarch and additional 2 T sherry.  Set aside.  (This will be used to thicken sauce at very end of cooking.)

Blanch a green vegetable of your choice (cut into bite size pieces) by dropping into boiling water for 30-60 seconds depending on the vegetable.  Refresh under cold water to cool immediately then pat dry.  Set aside.

Heat 2 T peanut oil in wok (medium-high) then lightly brown the garlic and ginger.  Add squid and half of the scallions.  Stir fry for 30 seconds.  Add the black bean sauce and continue to stir fry for 1-2 more minutes, then add the cornstarch mixture to thicken, vegetables and remaining scallions.  Serve over hot rice.

*  A spicy addition to black bean paste is to add a tablesspoon or so of Chili paste, available at most Asian grocery stores.  The chili paste is HOT but delicious!

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Steamed Whole Walleye (Shanghai Style)

Sunday, March 21st, 2010 | posted by wendy

Steaming is one of the simplest and gentlest methods of fish preparation. It allows the fish’s natural flavor to take center stage, enhancing by only subtle seasoning. Great low-cal potential since steaming imparts no calories on the fish whatsoever.

1 & 1/2 lbs. whole walleye, cleaned
3 scallions, sliced lengthwise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 t grated fresh ginger
3 T black bean sauce
1 T chopped cilantro

Optional:
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 cloves of garlic
2 T sesame oil

To prepare a whole fish for steaming:
Score fish on one side with diagonal slices at 1 inch intervals, just deep enough to pierce the skin.

Steaming equipment: Use a bamboo steamer placed in a wok—or improvise with a disposable aluminum roasting pan punched full of holes over a pot. (Mike Monahan broke the center post off his vegetable steamer and it works great!) A good steamer is anything that accommodates the fish, keeps it above the water, and has a tight fitting lid to keep the steam from escaping.

To steam: Bring 2 inches of water to a full boil. Position the steaming rack over the water. Then place scored fish on rack and coat with black bean sauce. Sprinkle with garlic and ginger. Cover with lid and steam for 15-20 minutes or until fish is opaque to the bone at its thickest part.

To serve: Place the whole fish on a serving platter and garnish with scallions and cilantro.

An optional flair for this dish: Prepare a hot garlic oil by heating 1/4 c vegetable oil and 2 cloves crushed garlic. Cook 1 additional minute, then remove garlic with a slotted spoon. Add 2 T sesame oil at the end. At this point the oil should be hot and the fish should have just finished steaming. Put whole fish on serving platter, carefully pour hot oil over it, then garnish as above and serve.

Substitutes: red snapper, black sea bass, mangrove snapper or porgy

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