When the honor roll of the 1990s` most popular ingredients is read almost a decade from now, don`t be surprised to find ginger root and lemon grass prominent on the list.
The basis for this projection is simple: Whatever the changing winds of fad and fashion bring to the American culinary scene over the next few years, Americans` love affair with assertive flavors appears certain to wax rather than wane, and so will the influence of Asian cooking.
The reasons are several-demand for variety and economy when dining out and at home, increasing emphasis on links between healthful eating and wellness, more business and tourist interchange between the U.S. and nations on the so-called Pacific Rim and more and better immigrant-run Asian restaurants, markets and food-related enterprises.
There is evidence, too, provided by chefs at a number of Chicago`s cutting edge restaurants. At The Cottage, for example, Carolyn Buster makes a dynamite lemon grass and coconut milk soup. Chef Yoshi Katsumura of Yoshi`s Cafe garnishes a classic French veal preparation with candied ginger. Jackie`s Jackie Shen marinates tuna in ginger juice and soy sauce and uses diced ginger in her crabmeat wontons. Charlie Trotter employs both ingredients in a dish he calls foie gras ravioli with ginger confit and lemon grass-infused sauternes sauce. Dan Kelch of Le Mikado garnishes fried catfish with a preserved pickled ginger vinaigrette. One of the recipes Stuart Parsons developed for Eurasia was ginger crisp potatoes.
Ginger is an obvious choice. Its popularity earned it a place on the 1980s` honor roll, but only during the past decade did demand for fresh ginger soar here. Previously most Americans, especially those of northern European extraction, knew ginger almost exclusively in the powdered form. Long a major player in the cooking of China and India, two major sources of inspirations for innovative cooks and adventuresome eaters, its use and influence should increase as U.S. chefs indulge in more cross-cultural cooking and other Asian cuisines come to the fore.
Potent newcomer
Lemon grass is more of a long-shot. Distinctive-looking, it comes in long, stiff, reed-like stalks with a tender, tubular core that looks like a large, off-color green onion. Both parts can be used in cooking, though the stalks, too coarse to be eaten, are used only to flavor liquids or steamed foods. It gives off a slightly grassy floral aroma with hints of both lemon and lime.
”My vote for the next great seasoning power after ginger and cilantro,” writes Elizabeth Schneider in her fine book ”Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables” (Harper & Row, $16.95 paperback), ”is this remarkably potent, yet soft-spoken newcomer to American kitchens. Like the aforementioned two, lemon grass can be used raw or cooked, as background coloring or for brilliant foreground dazzle, and as an intensifier or disperser of flavors. And it is versatile enough to be a part of every phase of a meal, from soup through after-dinner tea.”
Lemon grass may be native to Malaysia, as is its pungent cousin citronella, and can be found throughout Southeast Asia, in India, Western Africa, Central and South America and in Florida and California. In most of the world, Schneider reports, it is dried and appears only in tea or herbal remedies. In Vietnam, Thailand (where it is called tabrai), Indonesia (sereh) and Malaysia (serai), however, it is used extensively to give citrus flavor to soups, marinades, chutneys and pickles.
In Vietnamese and Thai restaurants here, you will encounter the haunting aroma of lemon grass stalks and leaves in the broth of seafood soups, infused into cooked rice or poached fruit, in steamed fish or poultry. The tender inner core is cut into slivers (that may look like bamboo shoots) and added directly to stir-fried dishes, cold composed salads, as well as soups, stews, marinades and seasoning pastes. The core is fibrous, too, so it always is cut into small pieces.
Lemon grass generally is available in oriental food markets year-round. Separate the bulb from the stem and store in the refrigerator, wrapped in foil, for up to two weeks. It also can be frozen with little loss in flavor. Because of their length and rigidity, storing more than a few stalks may be inconvenient.
Centuries-old spice
Ginger has been in man`s consciousness since the first recorded information on cooking and eating in China. Part of a large plant family that also includes turmeric and cardamom, it has played a role in medical treatments for centuries, was a table spice in Medieval Europe-as salt and pepper are today-and came to be known by generations of American children through ginger ale and gingerbread. Only recently, though, has fresh ginger gained popularity in this country. It now comes from Hawaii, Fiji, Taiwan, the Philippines and Central America.
An easy and pleasant way to explore the world of ginger is through
”Ginger East to West” by Bruce Cost (Addison Wesley, $10.95). Originally published in 1984, but recently revised and expanded, it presents ginger recipes from several cultures and a good deal of useful background information as well.
In addition to being dried and powdered, ginger can be preserved in syrup (stem ginger), in vinegar (as the Japanese do to provide a condiment for sushi and sashimi presentations) and crystallized. Fresh ginger, readily available in most supermarkets, will keep for up to a week at room temperature or in a vegetable crisper. To store longer, seal it in a plastic bag with a piece of paper towel to absorb moisture. When using repeatedly, cut off and discard a small slice from the cut end.
Antidote to blandness
Contemporary American cooks, with almost no guidance from classic French and Italian chefs, are discovering that fresh ginger is a wonderful antidote to blandness. It speaks out on the taste buds, but at the same time harmonizes with a broad range of ingredients.
Cost points out that in China, while ginger had spiritual and medical significance, it also was easy to cut to the proper shape to harmonize with other ingredients in cooking. It played the yang (or hot) role in balancing such yin foods as poached poultry or fish, worked beautifully to curb the odor of garlic, offset the raw taste of strong vegetables and overwhelmed any rank smell in meat or innards.
In India, on the other hand, ginger usually was pounded with other spices to make a seasoning paste or the base for a curry.
Both approaches are being used by American cooks these days, along with methods that are part of other Asian cuisines. The adapted recipes that follow show some of the versatility of both ginger and lemon grass.
YOSHI`S MEDALLIONS OF VEAL WITH CANDIED GINGER AND LEMON ZEST
Preparation time: 40 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Yield: 3 servings
1 piece (2-inches) fresh ginger root
1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup Madeira wine, Boal preferred
5-6 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup veal or chicken stock
Salt, white pepper
5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 veal medallions (about 2 ounces each), slightly pounded
1. Peel ginger root, then cut it into fine julienne strips. Remove yellow portion of lemon rind with a vegetable peeler, then cut into fine julienne strips. Reserve lemon for another use. Heat water to boil in small pan. Add ginger and lemon strips and, once water returns to a boil, cook 10 seconds. Drain.
2. Combine sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy-bottomed pan. Heat to boil, then simmer 5 minutes. Add blanched ginger and lemon strips and cook 5 minutes. Keep warm.
3. For sauce, combine Madeira and shallots in small pan with heavy bottom. Boil to reduce until wine is almost entirely evaporated and has formed a glaze. Add veal stock, heat to simmer and cook 10 minutes. Strain sauce into a clean pan. (There should be about 3/4 cup. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Recipe may be done ahead to this point. Reheat sauce before continuing.)
4. Heat 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium- high heat. Add veal medallions and cook only until medium-rare, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.
5. Meanwhile, use a whisk to beat remaining 3 tablespoons butter into the hot (but not boiling) veal sauce, a tablespoon at a time.
6. Place 2 veal medallions on each of 3 warm plates. Pour sauce around the medallions and garnish with ginger and lemon strips. Serve with fresh pasta or a combination of wild and domestic rice.
CAROLYN BUSTER`S LEMON GRASS AND COCONUT MILK SOUP WITH SHRIMP DUMPLINGS
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
5 medium-large shallots, roasted, peeled and crushed to a paste
5 large garlic cloves, roasted, peeled and crushed to a paste
3 1/2 cups clam juice
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk, preferably frozen, see note
2 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
3-4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons Oriental fish sauce, see note
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons tamarind paste, see note
1/2 teaspoon red chili paste, see note
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons peeled lime rind cut into julienne strips
1 fresh red chili (3 inches), seeded and cut into julienne strips
Shrimp dumplings (recipe follows) or 24 medium shrimp, grilled and peeled
1. Combine shallot paste, garlic paste, 3 cups clam juice, coconut milk, lemon grass, ginger, fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice, tamarind paste and chili paste in large pan. Heat to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer approximately 30 minutes, stirring frequently. (Recipe may be done ahead to this point. Reheat before continuing.)
2. Stir remaining 1/2 cup clam juice into cornstarch in small bowl to make a slurry. Add to the soup and stir with a whisk until soup returns to a boil.
3. Remove soup from heat, strain into a clean pan and add juliennes of lime rind and red chili. Keep warm while preparing shrimp dumplings or shrimp. Add dumplings or 3 shrimp to each portion and serve at once.
Note: Ingredients available in oriental food markets.
