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About The Asian reporter. (Portland, Or.) 1991-current | View Entire Issue (July 18, 2016)
RECIPES July 18, 2016 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 Cooking on deadline: Asian beef-and-mushroom burgers By Katie Workman The Associated Press n grilling season, there’s probably no food more popular than burgers. And while many kinds of burgers have become mainstream, from turkey to tuna to vegetarian, beef remains king. But how can you have the taste and juiciness of beef while cutting back on a bit of the fat? The answer: Add in some mushrooms. When chopped, mush- rooms (either cooked or raw) have a similar texture to ground meat, and blend right in. It’s a nice way to lighten up a summertime staple. And then there’s ponzu sauce, with which I’ve recently become a little besotted. Ponzu is a citrus-based sauce used often in Japanese cooking. It is salty and tangy, made from vinegar, mirin (a low-alcohol rice wine), seaweed, and fish flakes (please, don’t be turned off), and it has just a wonderful flavor. The citrus most commonly added is either juice or zest from yuzu or sudachi, two fruits from East Asia. Ponzu sauce is often I SWEET-AND-SOUR SALMON. A serving of Wild Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Scallions is seen at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. The dish is from a recipe by Elizabeth Karmel. (AP Photo/Richard Drew) Grill fish and fruit for an appealing summer dish By Elizabeth Karmel The Associated Press hen I first started grilling, I had one of those beginner’s luck experiences that made grilled salmon and pineapple a mainstay in my dinner rotation. I was visiting my uncle in Florida and offered to make dinner. The only thing that everyone ate was salmon, so salmon it was! I wanted to give the salmon a sweet-and- sour flavor much like my uncle’s favorite Asian dish. So I marinated the fish, scallions, and thick slices of pineapple with traditional Asian seasonings of toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger, citrus juice, rice wine vinegar, and soy sauce. Because there was a fair amount of sugar in the marinade, I grilled the salmon on a cedar plank so it wouldn’t burn and the bottom skin wouldn’t get too fishy. By contrast, I wanted the whole scallions and W the pineapple rings to char in places. I placed them directly on the cooking grate around the planked salmon so the natural sugars would caramelize. The sweet ingredients in the marinade may promote sticking, so use a wood plank if possible. If you don’t use a plank, slide two spatulas under the fish — one from each side — and lift, leaving the skin on the grill. If you like salmon skin, turn up the heat and let crisp for two to three minutes before removing from the grill. If you don’t like the skin, place the burners on high and burn the skin off. Brush the grates once the salmon skin has turned to “ash.” Add steamed jasmine rice and you have a grilled meal with an appealing sweet- and-sour ying and yang. Editor’s note: Elizabeth Karmel is a barbecue and Southern foods expert. She is the chef and pit master at online retailer CarolinaCueToGo.com and the author of three books, including Taming the Flame. Wild Salmon with Grilled Pineapple and Scallions Grilling Method: Indirect/Medium Heat Special Equipment: Cedar or alder wood plank, soaked in water Marinating Time: 30 to 60 minutes Makes 6 to 8 servings 1 center-cut wild salmon fillet, about 2 pounds 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice, about 3 juicy limes Juice and zest of 1 orange (about 2 tablespoons juice and 1/2 teaspoon zest) 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice wine vinegar 4 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 3 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, about a 5-inch knob 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 1 golden pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into rings 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and cleaned Lime wedges Fleur de Sel Remove any bones from the fish with a pair of tweezers; rinse, pat dry, and set aside. Combine the lime juice, orange juice and zest, vinegar, oils, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame seeds in an extra-large heavy-duty plastic food bag. Add salmon, pineapple rings, and scallions; seal securely. Rotate to distribute marinade and make sure all the food is covered. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to one hour, turning occasionally. Remove fish, pineapple, and scallions from marinade and drain, discarding marinade. (Alternatively, boil the marinade for three minutes and serve as a sauce for the fish.) Lay fish, skin side down, on a soaked cedar plank or directly on a very clean cooking grate. Cook for 10 minutes. After the fish has cooked for 10 minutes, place pineapple rings and scallions directly over the heat on either side of the fish. Turn pineapple and scallions once halfway during the cooking time, about three to four minutes per side. Remove fruit and scallions to a clean plate when they are warmed through and marked on the outside. The fish is done when the flesh is opaque and the stripes between the orange flesh are solid white, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the fish to a platter along with fruit. Garnish with lime wedges. Season to taste with salt. Nutrition information per serving: 256 calories (111 calories from fat); 13 g fat (2 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 169 mg sodium; 13 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 9 g sugar; 24 g protein. BETTER BURGERS. An Asian-flavored beef burger with chopped mushrooms is seen in New Milford, Connecticut. The recipe includes ponzu, a citrus-based sauce used often in Japanese cooking. (Katie Workman via AP) drizzled over foods for a wasabi mayo is optional. finishing touch, or used as They also would be great a dip, but here it’s blended with ketchup or mustard, into the meat and mush- and of course lettuce, rooms for yet another layer onion, and tomato. A last cooking tip: of umami (Japanese for Chilling the burgers before “savory”). Both ponzu sauce and grilling them helps them wasabi paste (or wasabi hold their shape. They also powder, which can be are great seared up in a pan — and hold together even blended with water to better. make a paste) are available Katie Workman has written at Asian markets and in two cookbooks focused on the Asian aisle of well- easy, family-friendly cooking, stocked supermarkets. Dinner Solved! and The For these burgers, the Mom 100 Cookbook. Asian Beef-and-Mushroom Burgers Start to finish: 2 hours Servings: 6 burgers Asian Burgers: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound shiitake or baby Portobello mushrooms Sliced Kosher or coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 3 tablespoons ponzu sauce, plus more for brushing 2 large eggs 2 teaspoons minced garlic 4 teaspoons grated ginger 2 pounds ground beef Wasabi Mayonnaise (optional): 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon wasabi paste, or to taste 6 hamburger buns Lettuce Sliced tomatoes Sliced onions 1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms release any liquid and it evaporates, and the mushrooms begin to turn nicely browned, about eight to 10 minutes in all. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and cool to room temperature. 2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, three tablespoons of ponzu sauce, garlic, and ginger. Finely chop the cooled mushrooms using a knife or by pulsing in a food processor, then add them along with the beef to the bowl. Use your hands to gently mix until well combined. 3. Form the mixture into six patties; use your thumbs to make slight indentations in the center of each burger. (That will cause them to end up flat when they cook.) Refrigerate the burgers for at least an hour, preferably two or three, to let them firm up. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the wasabi paste. Adjust the level of heat to your taste, adding more mayo or wasabi paste as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 4. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the burgers for four to five minutes on each side, turning them carefully with a large spatula, until they are done to your liking. Alternatively, heat a large, nonstick pan over medium-high heat and sear the burgers four to five minutes on each side. Brush the tops lightly with the additional ponzu sauce. Serve on the buns (toasted if you wish) with the wasabi cream, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, or anything you like! Nutrition information per serving: 548 calories (313 calories from fat); 35 g fat (11 g saturated, 1 g trans fats); 147 mg cholesterol; 907 mg sodium; 29 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 28 g protein. Find more recipes online at <www.asianreporter.com/food.htm>.