Use the oil from frying shallots to baste Andy Ricker'sWhole Roasted Young Chickens from his new Pok Pok cookbook. Use the fried shallots on top of salads, stir-fries, noodles, or eat for a snack.
3 ounces peeled small shallots, preferably Asian (about 6)
About 2 cups vegetable oil
Procedures
Halve the shallots lengthwise, remove the peel, and slice them against the grain as thinly as you can. (To do it especially quickly and accurately, use a mandoline.) You're shooting for slices that are all about 1/16-inch thick.
Set a fine-mesh strainer over a heatproof container. Pour enough oil into a small pan to reach a depth of 3/4 inch or so. Set the pan over high heat and bring the oil to 275 degrees. (Or test whether the oil is hot enough: as soon as a piece of shallot added to the oil bubbles right away, add the rest.) Add the shallots, then immediately turn the heat to low (don't be tempted to rush the process with high heat), and stir once or twice.
Cook, stirring and scraping the sides occasionally and adjusting the heat to maintain a gentle sizzle, until the shallots are deep golden brown and completely crisp, 10 to 20 minutes. If the process takes less time, that means the oil is too hot and you risk a bitter result. You'll quickly get the hang of it.
Pour the pan's contents through the strainer, reserving the flavorful oil. Gently shake the strainer, then transfer the shallots to paper towels to drain and cool in more or less one layer. Because the shallots continue to cook after they leave the oil, by this time they will have gone from deep golden brown to deep brown.
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Combine the sugar, vinegar, and water in a medium pot and set it over high heat. Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook for 10 minutes or so, whisking to help dissolve the sugar.
Meanwhile, pound the chiles, garlic, and salt in a granite mortar (or pulse in a food processor) to a very coarse paste. Stir the mixture into the pot.
Decrease the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook until the liquid thickens slightly and becomes just slightly syrupy, 8 1o 12 minutes. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Let it cool to room temperature.
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As I mentioned before, I have a long history with Andy Ricker's roasted young chicken (or game hen). It was one of my favorite dinners back when I lived in Portland, and I still fantasize about driving up to the Northwest just for another taste. Luckily, now I don't need to spend the gas money (or wait in line). The dish is featured prominently in Ricker's new Pok Pok cookbook, and it's surprisingly easy to make.
Why I picked this recipe: I hadn't had this dish since leaving Portland almost 5 years ago, so it would have been a shame not to recreate it.
What worked: Despite the long ingredient list and recipe, this was actually an easy dish to prepare and the final result tasted remarkably like the the game hens I ate back in college.
What didn't: No problems here.
Suggested tweaks: You could probably adjust the cooking times in the recipe and use a single chicken instead of the two game hens if necessary.
Brine the birds: Whisk the salt and sugar with the 10 cups of tepid water in a large mixing bowl or pot until the sugar and salt fully dissolve. Combine the garlic, peppercorns, ginger, and lemongrass in a mortar and lightly pound to bruise and slightly crush them. Add them along with the cilantro and green onions to the brine, then add the birds breast side down. If they float, weigh them down with a plate. If the birds still aren't completely submerged, choose a different container. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or, even better, overnight.
Make the stuffing and stuff the birds: Remove the birds, discarding the brine, and sit them ass down in a colander to drain. Cut the lemongrass crosswise (tough parts, too) into rough 1/8-inch slices. Firmly pound it in a granite mortar until it's very fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add the garlic and pound to break it into small pieces (you're not making a paste), about 20 seconds. Add the salt and pepper, pound briefly, then add the cilantro stems and pound to bruise them, about 10 seconds more.
Divide the stuffing equally among the birds' cavities, set the birds breast side up on a plate (or even better, a rack set over a tray) so there's some space between them. Tuck each wing tip under the body. Put the birds in the fridge, uncovered, to dry out for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.
Marinate the birds: Stir the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl along with the 2 tablespoons of water until the sugar is fully dissolved. Brush the birds with the marinade, then put them back, uncovered, into the fridge for about 2 hours.
Cook the birds on the grill (highly recommended): Prepare a charcoal grill to cook at 350°F to 375°F. If your grill doesn't have a firebox, which allows for easy indirect cooking, push the coals to one side of the grill and form them into a mound. Add the birds, breasts up, to the grill rack opposite the charcoal, and cover the grill, opening the vents and rotating the grill cover if possible so the vents are directly over the birds. Positioning the open vents above the birds will pull the charcoal smoke toward them, giving them a little more smoky flavor. While you cook, you'll have to add more charcoal as necessary to maintain the temperature.
Cook for 25 minutes, flip the birds over to get some color on the other side, and after about 5 minutes more, flip the birds over again.
If you're not cooking on a grill with a firebox, carefully remove the birds and the grill grate. Spread out the coals so that instead of mound, they're lying in one or two layers, still on one side of the grill. Return the grate and the birds to the grill.
Continue cooking, covered, with the birds on the side opposite the coals. After 5 minutes, brush the birds all over with the shallot oil and re-cover. After 5 minutes more, brush the birds all over with the honey mixture and move them so they're directly over the coals. Keep cooking, covered, turning over and rotating the birds as necessary to achieve even browning and brushing occasionally with the honey mixture, until the skin is a slightly glossy golden brown with some dark patches and the juices of the thigh run clear, 5 to 10 minutes more, depending on the size of the bird.
In the oven: Move the oven rack to the bottom third of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the birds breast side up on a baking tray (or even better, a rack set over a tray or roasting pan).
Roast the birds for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and brush the birds all over with the shallot oil. Cook for 5 minutes more, then brush the birds all over with the honey mixture. Crank up the heat to 400°F. Check on the birds every 5 minutes, brushing them with the honey mixture, until the skin is a slightly glossy golden brown with some darker patches and the juices run clear when you pierce the thickest part of the thigh, about 10 minutes more, depending on the size of the bird.
Rest and carve the birds: Let the birds rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes. Serve them whole or carved—it's up to you—with the dipping sauces. At Pok Pok, we halve the birds lengthwise, then remove the hindquarters and separate them into drumsticks and thighs, remove the wings, and chop the breast portions through the bone into two or three pieces.
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Combine the palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind pulp, and water in a medium pot. Set the pot over high heat, bring the mixture to a boil, then immediately decrease the heat to maintain a simmer. Use a whisk or spoon to break up the palm sugar and tamarind pulp as they soften, and cook just until the tamarind has fully softened and dissolved into the mixture, 5 to 8 minutes
Stir in the chile powder, turn off the heat, and let the mixture sit, stirring occasionally, until it has cooled to room temperature.
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About the author:Joshua Bousel brings you new, tasty condiment every other Wednesday and a recipe for weekend grilling every other Friday. He also writes about grilling and barbecue on his blog The Meatwave whenever he can be pulled away from his grill.
Every recipe we publish is tested, tasted, and Serious Eats-approved by our staff. Never miss a recipe again by following @SeriousRecipes on Twitter!
Roast pepper over gas stove, grill, or broiler until skin is completely charred. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the charred outer skin, cut in half and remove the seeds and core. Finely chop pepper.
To bake potatoes in oven or grill: Preheat oven or grill to 400°F. Place potatoes directly on cooking rack and bake until a paring knife can be inserted into middle of potato with little to no resistance, about 60 minutes. Transfer to plate and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
To bake potatoes in microwave: Place potatoes on a microwave safe plate and microwave on high for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating potatoes every 3 minutes, until a paring knife can be inserted into middle of potato with little to no resistance. Remove from microwave let and rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
Slice tops off potatoes lengthwise. Using a spoon or mellonballer, scoop out flesh into a medium bowl, leaving about 1/4-inch of flesh remaining in potato.
Add all but 1/2 cup of cheese into bowl with potato flesh along with roasted pepper, sour cream, 3 tablespoons melted butter, paprika, and cayenne. Mash ingredients together until mixture is cohesive.
Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Brush potatoes all over with remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place on cool side of grill, cover, and cook until potato skins start to brown around the edges and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes.
Remove potatoes from grill. Spoon filling into potatoes and top with remaining cheese. Place potatoes back on the cool side of the grill, cover, and cook until cheese has melted, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill, let cool for 5 minutes, garnish with chives, then serve immediately.
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