Continuing My Chicken Kick...

Okay, so this may not be the exact recipe for Caramel Chicken, made famous by The Slanted Door, a popular Vietnamese restaurant in San Francisco. Theirs is actually made in a clay pot and takes much longer to prepare. Ain't nobody got time for that!  It’s been well reported that this dish is a favorite of Mick Jagger, who makes a point of ordering it when he’s in the city by the bay. This version is quick, easy, and delicious, and can be whipped up in just a few minutes on the stove top. No clay pot required.

The Slanted Door Caramel Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

¾ cup dark brown sugar

1/3 cup water

3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)

1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon dry sherry

1 teaspoon tamari

2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Thai chilies, sliced thin

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

Freshly cracked black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle, for garnish

½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Steamed jasmine rice, for serving

In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, water, fish sauce, vinegar, sherry, tamari, ginger, garlic and chilies.

Season chicken generously with pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the oil until shimmery and almost smoking; add the chicken and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 5 minutes total.  Adjust the heat as necessary. Push the chicken to the sides of the pan forming a well. Pour the sauce in the middle of the well and reduce until thick and syrupy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir to coat the chicken and finish cooking through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the scallions.

To serve, mound rice on a platter and pour the chicken over. Shower with peanuts and cilantro.

Note: Tamari is dark aged soy sauce.

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Baja-Style Fried Fish Tacos

It's threatening to rain again, and weirdly I'm not craving slow cooked stews, or big bowls of chili. All I can think of is summer food, namely Baja-style fried fish tacos. If you've never had a fish taco the way they make them in Baja you don't know what you're missing.

Okay, admittedly I’ve never been to Baja. But taco stands that serve Baja style fish tacos are a staple in Southern California these days. I swear you can almost imagine yourself standing on the beach in San Felipe when you eat these. Served with an icy cold Mexican beer, there is nothing better.

Serves 4

FOR THE FISH

1 cup pale beer
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste Vegetable oil, for frying
1 pound boned, skinned white fish (cod, catfish, halibut)
24 warm corn tortillas
1/2 head shredded cabbage
Lime wedges

FOR THE CHIPOTLE SAUCE
½ cup good mayonnaise
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or to taste

FOR THE PICO DE GALLO
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded, finely chopped
1/4 cup small white onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
Kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cayenne pepper. Whisk in the beer, blending well, making sure there are no lumps. Batter should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Rinse fish and pat dry. Cut into 2-inch pieces.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed frying pan or Dutch oven with enough vegetable oil to create a 1-inch depth. Heat the oil over high heat to 375 degrees on a deep fry thermometer. Dip fish pieces in beer batter and lift out, draining briefly. Gently slide coated fish into oil, a few pieces at a time. Adjust heat to maintain oil temperature. Fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes.

Remove fish to a paper towel-lined platter using a slotted spoon or Chinese strainer. Continue until all fish pieces have been fried. To assemble, stack two tortillas in your hand. Add a few pieces of fish, chipotle sauce, pico de gallo and top with shredded cabbage. Spritz with a squeeze of lime, fold in half and enjoy!

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