It’s been a whirlwind couple of weeks around here. Lots of cooking, lots of great new recipes, and a complete kitchen makeover!
One of the newest joys in my life is sitting down now with a cookbook or a cooking magazine, and finding recipes that I think I’d like to try out. Sure, I did this before my husband discovered he likes to cook, but I’ve never been a particularly confident cook, so I ended up just looking at a lot of recipes wistfully and never going much farther than dreaming about eating those particular dishes.
It turns out, however, that Ward is what I call a “fearless cook”. A long list of ingredients and instructions that go beyond a page don’t daunt him at all. In fact, I suspect he relishes the challenge of preparing dishes that appear complicated!
We still haven’t gotten into the rhythm of taking pictures of everything that Ward makes, so unfortunately there aren’t any pictures to accompany this post. But I just had to write up the experience of eating a Rice Noodle Flan - it is absolutely delicious, with a taste sensation that is very unlike traditional Chinese cooking.
The recipe is from Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine, and it was the picture of the dish that caught my eye first. A small round made up of rice noodles, with visible slivers of leek, it definitely looked like something I would enjoy.
Susanna Foo notes, “The custard that forms the base of this [flan] is typically French, seasoned with leeks and garlic; here Chinese rice noodles give the flan body and texture.”
The resulting flan is very rich and filling, with a creamy taste that’s lightly spiked with the flavors of garlic, onion and leek. It’s not a dish to be eaten quickly, but rather one to be savored. Best of all, we discovered that it’s just as good the next day, pan fried to a beautiful crispness on both sides, retaining the melt-in-your-mouth smoothness of the night before.
I will definitely ask for this one again!
Update: Ward made these again, and we remembered to take a picture this time. And yes, they were just as good the next day, fried nicely crisp on the outside!:
From Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration: New Approaches to Chinese Cuisine:
Ingredients:
4 ounces thin dried rice noodles
1-1/2 tsps soybean or corn oil
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 very small leek, white part only, cuti nto 2-inch sections, washed, and cut into fine julienne
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces Swiss or Parmesan cheese (or a mixture), grated1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease six 4-ounce 3-inch diameter soufflé cups or molds (Ward used slightly bigger cups but they worked just as well.)
2. Soak the rice noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes, then drain well.
3. Heat oil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add onion and shallot and sauté until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Add stock and drained noodles, and bring to boil. Turn heat to low and cook about 5 mintues, stirring often so noodles don’t stick to bottom of pan. Noodles should absorb all the liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Spread hot noodle mixture out onto large platter to cool.
5. Melt butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add leek and garlic and cook, stirring, just until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Cool.
6. Beat egg and cream together in large bowl. Add noodle mixture, leek and garlic mixture, and grated cheese. Mix well. Pack evenly into prepared molds, smoothing the tops.
7. Place molds in baking pan and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm. Remove from oven and cool for a minute or so.
8. Run small knife around the edge of each mold and turn out onto serving plate. Serve hot.
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