What Are You Eating

[no1novice]

It just sounds fabulous & fancy




Since you mentioned it's a paste I've been googling & I can get it here too. I might have to try that but I'm trying to eat less meat currently but I think I have some Quorn piece in my freezer that need eating that might do it. I might manage to get to a Chinese supermarket tomorrow so if I do I'll have a look, otherwise it's online!

[sputnik]

^^^
Do it! It’s really nice because it has some kick to it but not so much it will burn your tongue off. I mix gochujang, some neutral oil, grated fresh ginger and garlic, bit of maple syrup, tamari/soy sauce, a few drops of fish sauce and marinate the chicken in it but you could totally do tofu or quorn or even salmon would be lovely. Then chuck in a sheet pan with whatever veggies you want to eat with it. Not fancy at all!

I love Asian flavours so a lot of my cooking veers that way. And I could eat anything pickled in vinegar, all day every day. 

[no1novice]

I met my friend - we didn't manage to get to the Chinese supermarket but she did take me back to her parents & her mum fed me samosas, gazabo bean curry and some crackery things. Lovely!

[czb]

now i'm motivated to try this (gochujang).

[no1novice]

It's payday tomorrow so I am going to hunt it out too!

I need to go to Hull on Saturday so I'll ask around & see if they have a China town.

Ah! I had to go out for fuel & as it was late got a Costa hot chocolate on the way home. It's years since I've had one (no cream or frou-frou but hazelnut sugar free syrup) & it felt very luxurious sitting in bed drinking it.

[kittylady]

I don't think Hull has a Chinatown but there's a Chinese supermarket not far from Victoria Dock.

However if you end up in Liverpool at any time the Chinatown there would be a good place to stock up. I had the best Chinese food ever the last time I was there but I can't remember the name of the restaurant, damn it! All I can remember is that it was only five or ten minutes walk from the East Village Arts Club.

[sputnik]

Czb, the TJ one is fine but I think I prefer the one I get at whole foods (mother in law’s).

[waterslide]

I have an Hmart near me but never have recipes handy when I go. And it's expensive in there. Even more expensive than the Japanese mart somehow. When things settle down, I want to make some Korean stuff. That Mother in Law's brand flies off the shelf at WF but I don't think I ever got it because I was never sure what was going to be good and what was going to be WF's bougie idea of good (not saying you're bougie...just that I don't trust WF's opinion unless someone I know and trust says something's good.) And literally, it would be gone within minutes of it going on the shelf so I barely saw it in stock. I had always eaten Korean food in restaurants or people's houses and just never cooked much of it on my own for some reason. I have seen that Costco sells a lot of Korean food items, but I'm not sure if they do that at every Costco, because I barely know how Costco works. I get these frozen Korean "style" (bulgogi) dumplings that are actually really good, definitely more on the premade side, and not as healthy as homemade side. I love making dumplings from scratch, but my last two jobs made me crazy and I stopped cooking. Anyway, I make some soy, vinegar, sesame, hot oil sauce and eat a few with stir fry or whatever. They're handy when you have freezer space and you have nothing else to cook.

My neighbor brought us Pollo Campero fried chicken the other day. I had never had it before, but the skin and batter reminded me of a slightly spicier version of my mom's fried chicken. It was good. I guess the place came from Guatemala and I'm not sure how many they have in the states and elsewhere. The place he brought it from is not far, but realistically, a 1.5 hour drive.

[sputnik]

^^^
yeah it's from Guatemala, owned by one now extremely rich family. it used to be that every flight from Guatemala to the US smelled like fried chicken because people there love it so much they wanted to bring some back with them to the US until finally they started opening them in US cities. at first for the guatemalan diaspora but i think they've slowly gained quite a following in the US.
i agree it's better and more seasoned than most american fried chicken places but i'm not really a fried chicken fan so it's kind of wasted on me. there's at least one that i know of in DC and there were several in new york, i know texas has some and they've even opened locations in europe and asia.

eta: re mother in law’s, it’s almost always in stock at my WF but then it’s a pretty white neighbourhood they’re probably afraid of any spice lol 
I’ve only had the classic not the extra hot one  or the marinade so can only vouch for that one but it’s as good as any I’ve had from H mart which is way out of the way in the suburbs, snd better than trader joe’s

[no1novice]

Jul 28, 2022 23:27:09 GMT kittylady said:

I don't think Hull has a Chinatown but there's a Chinese supermarket not far from Victoria Dock.

However if you end up in Liverpool at any time the Chinatown there would be a good place to stock up. I had the best Chinese food ever the last time I was there but I can't remember the name of the restaurant, damn it! All I can remember is that it was only five or ten minutes walk from the East Village Arts Club.

There are 4 or 5 supermarkets some do a range (Chinese, Korean, Thai etc), and there is a specifically Thai one.

Also places in Leeds, York + Scunthorpe.

[waterslide]

Jul 29, 2022 8:43:20 GMT sputnik said:

^^^
yeah it's from Guatemala, owned by one now extremely rich family. it used to be that every flight from Guatemala to the US smelled like fried chicken because people there love it so much they wanted to bring some back with them to the US until finally they started opening them in US cities. at first for the guatemalan diaspora but i think they've slowly gained quite a following in the US.
i agree it's better and more seasoned than most american fried chicken places but i'm not really a fried chicken fan so it's kind of wasted on me. there's at least one that i know of in DC and there were several in new york, i know texas has some and they've even opened locations in europe and asia.

eta: re mother in law’s, it’s almost always in stock at my WF but then it’s a pretty white neighbourhood they’re probably afraid of any spice lol 
I’ve only had the classic not the extra hot one  or the marinade so can only vouch for that one but it’s as good as any I’ve had from H mart which is way out of the way in the suburbs, snd better than trader joe’s

I didn't know that about Pollo Campero.  That's a cool story.  I'm glad they opened one here...maybe they'll open one closer to me.  I love fried chicken, but I feel the stars have to align...the batter has to be thin and crunchy and the skin has to be crisp and salty and the chicken itself needs to be seasoned/brined with some heat.  Not all fried chicken is built the same.  My mom's fried chicken has a pretty light batter, which is basically just flour and, of course, seasoning, but it's pretty simple.  

LOL about the neighborhood being scared of spice.  I'm surprised that isn't the case here, well...it probably is, but I think about 40% of WF's customers were from Europe or Asia and they were usually looking for vegetables and dairy products that were of better quality than what you might find elsewhere.  Anyhow, I will give the Mother in Law's stuff a try...I haven't been to TJ's in a long ass time.  I need to go in there one of these days.

edit -

If anyone is interested, here's a recipe for Guatemalan fried chicken (chicken pollero knockoff recipe).  It is a lot like my mom's but she doesn't use cumin or curry in  hers, I'm sure.  But she will eat it if I make it for her...

Shallow-frying the chicken ensures crispy, golden brown pieces all over without the amount of oil required for full deep frying.
A small dose of MSG gives the chicken the savory flavor of the original.

The last time that my mom flew back from El Savador, I greeted her at LAX with an excited "Hi, Ma!" She responded with an urgent, "El Pollo Campero is in that maleta (suitcase)."

Pollo Campero is a food chain that originated in Guatemala, but has since become a cultural icon throughout Central America, including my family's native El Salvador. Their signature dish is delicious and succulent fried chicken that's layered with spices, perfect when paired with tortillas, french fries, a dinner roll, or—a more appropriate Central American side dish—yuca fries.

Our airport scene is more or less how it goes every time, my mother arriving with an entire piece of carry-on luggage meticulously packed with boxes of Pollo Campero fried chicken. So what if it isn’t crispy? It's a taste of home that she's tenderly transported back to us in the States. Even after the long journey, the flavor is still mouthwateringly savory, with a pronounced pepperiness that tickles the nose.

These days, you’ll find Pollo Campero in a number of cities in the US, but with travel limited—both domestically and internationally—it seemed high time to recreate this dish in the comfort and safety of my own kitchen. It took me a while to recreate the dredging's specific spice profile, but this version, which includes both white and black pepper, cumin, curry powder, chile pepper, and more, hits closest to my sense memories. Just as important: a small dose of MSG, required for its savory, umami kick. Of course you can leave it out, if desired, but the chicken won't quite taste like home without it.

Prep:30 mins
Cook:40 mins
Active:90 mins
Marinating Time:4 hrs
Total:5 hrs 10 mins

Serves:4 servings

Ingredients

To Brine the Chicken:

5 cups (1.2L) water
1/2 cup (3 ounces; 85g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt use half as much by volume or the same weight
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons red chile flakes
10 bone-in chicken pieces (about 4 pounds/1.8kg total), preferably drumsticks and thighs

For the Flour Dredge:

2 cups (9 ounces; 255g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce; 20g) seasoning salt, such as Lawry's
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons MSG
3/4 teaspoon cayenne

To Fry:
Vegetable or other neutral oil, for frying (about 4 cups/1L)


Directions

To Brine the Chicken: In a very large mixing bowl or vessel, stir together water, salt, black pepper, and red chile flakes until salt is dissolved.

Add chicken, making sure it is submerged in the brine. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 4 and up to 12 hours.

For the Flour Dredge: In a medium bowl, whisk together seasoning salt, flour, black pepper, white pepper, cumin, curry powder, paprika, MSG, and cayenne.

Fit a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, lift chicken from brine and dip in the flour mixture to completely coat, using fingers to press the flour coating onto every nook and cranny.

Place the dredged chicken on rack and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.

To Fry: Line a second baking sheet with a wire rack for the finished fried chicken. Fill a large cast iron skillet with about 1 inch oil and heat to 350°F (175°C) over medium-high heat. Working in batches and being careful not to overcrowd the skillet, fry chicken, turning once, until golden brown all over and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center (but not touching the bone) registers 150°F (65°C) for white meat and 165°F (75°C) for dark, about 15 minutes per batch (note that frying times can vary depending on the size and shape of the chicken pieces).

Transfer fried chicken to the prepared rack and let cool at least 5 minutes before serving. Return oil to 350°F (175°C) and repeat with remaining chicken.

Special Equipment
Two wire racks and rimmed baking sheets; large cast iron skillet
Make-Ahead and Storage
The chicken is best eaten right after making.

NUTRITION FACTS
(PER SERVING)
1080 CALORIES
60g FAT17g CARBS
111g PROTEIN

Show Full Nutrition Label
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Homemade Pollo Campero (Central American–Style Fried Chicken) Recipe - Serious Eats

[no1novice]

Jul 27, 2022 5:10:36 GMT sputnik said:

^^^
Do it! It’s really nice because it has some kick to it but not so much it will burn your tongue off. I mix gochujang, some neutral oil, grated fresh ginger and garlic, bit of maple syrup, tamari/soy sauce, a few drops of fish sauce and marinate the chicken in it but you could totally do tofu or quorn or even salmon would be lovely. Then chuck in a sheet pan with whatever veggies you want to eat with it. Not fancy at all!

I love Asian flavours so a lot of my cooking veers that way. And I could eat anything pickled in vinegar, all day every day. 

I managed to get a squiggy packet of ready made sauce for chicken. I'm going to give it a try when I have some chicken.

But during the week I am so exhausted (all the symptoms of under active thyroid but they keep checking & it's fine ....) so it may be the weekend before I use it

[czb]

i love love love fried chicken but never gonna make it. i have no skillz for deep frying.

and korean food, yum. mr czb found some amazing kimchee at costco and it is fab. i saw a diff brand at WF and it looked quite bougie and didn't buy it. fermented cabbage stuff is all the rage with the anas.

[no1novice]

I think it's all over.

I made red thai curry with ingredients from a proper Thai shop and even I could eat it (I can cook but I struggle to eat what I've cooked - don't ask my why!)
I also gave some to the Thai person that works with(for?) me. She called me a Type A Boss Lady so I took some to prove that I cooked.
Waiting to hear if it was any good ...

Oh! Fried chicken! My team were trying to convince me to get an air fryer today. They all seem to have them

[mrsfawlty]

Aug 4, 2022 21:29:49 GMT no1novice said:

I think it's all over.

I made red thai curry with ingredients from a proper Thai shop and even I could eat it (I can cook but I struggle to eat what I've cooked - don't ask my why!)
I also gave some to the Thai person that works with(for?) me. She called me a Type A Boss Lady so I took some to prove that I cooked.
Waiting to hear if it was any good ...

Oh! Fried chicken! My team were trying to convince me to get an air fryer today. They all seem to have them

Hey, Nov, I bought an air fryer................and then I bought a second one! They are brilliant and great for feeding me and Basil's hungry visitors!xx
Get one, Gurrrrrl!