Milk Street RecipesAsked May 15, 2020 by Manoj B.
In Singapore (where I was born) and neighbouring Malaysia, there is a chili paste known as Sambal Belac(h)an.
It is similar to this, with this addition of "Belachan" which is a dried shrimp paste that is available in block form. You shave small amounts of it, toast and add it to this type of chili paste. I now live in the Cincinnati area, and it was readily available at stores like Jungle Jims as well as CAM Asian Market.
The caution here is to dry-toast this outside, in a skillet on a grill because the aroma can be rather pungent. You would then sprinkle the shavings into this chili paste while you're frying it.
A decent substitution would be to use fish-sauce (Red Boat is my go-to fish-sauce).
This is great over Coconut Rice topped with a fried (crispy edges) egg and a drizzle of sweet soy sauce (ABC brand comes to mind) and some minced shallot.
Just sharing my thoughts.
M
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Manoj - This sounds fantastic. We love Red Boat fish sauce too. Thanks for sharing! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 12, 2020 by Sally S.
Hello. How do you modify the chicken biryani recipe to make without an instpot?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Sally - We don't have the exact same version of biryani, but this version, with the title Curried Chicken and Rice, is similar and done on the stovetop. They are both excellent! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 08, 2020 by Dawn H.
I bought a bottle of your preserved lemons, and I'm hoping you can direct me to a recipe or two that uses them. Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Thanks for your question! I love the Casablanca preserved lemons from our store, I'm so glad you ordered them. They have a much more well-rounded flavor than most, less bitter too.
Here are some ideas:
Chicken Tagine - simply add 1 to 2 tablespoons of minced peel 10 minutes before the dish is done.
Preserved lemons are a terrific way to enhance bean dishes, like a quick chickpea salad or our favorite weeknight-simple Turkish Red Lentil Soup flavored with cumin and paprika. Follow the recipe, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of finely chopped rind to the dish during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
Make a quick yogurt dipping sauce following this simple recipe. Blend 1 tablespoon of minced peel per 1 cup of Greek yogurt seasoned with salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and a splash of extra-virgin olive oil. Stir in 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley, cilantro, oregano or dill. The sauce will taste good with vegetables, fish or chicken; or thin it out with lemon juice and more olive oil to make a salad dressing.
For a quick relish for meats, fish or roasted vegetables, mince 2 teaspoons of pulp to blend with ½ cup of rinsed-and-chopped green and black olives and ¼ cup of chopped parsley. It’s equally good slathered thickly on the inside of a fried egg sandwich or added to an omelet with crumbled feta or a dollop of creamy ricotta.
For an all-purpose butter mix, blend 1 teaspoon of finely minced peel with 4 tablespoons of softened butter. Melt over fish, chicken, blanched greens, rice or pasta—there’s little the combo doesn’t match.
Preserved lemon’s piquancy helps cut through starchy grains. Chop up and fold a spoonful into bulgur or couscous. Try adding 1 tablespoon of chopped peel to our Herb-and-Pistachio Couscous, instead of the recipe’s minced jalapeño peppers.
If you want to improvise with preserved lemon, remember that the pulp and peel should be used separately. The soft pulp can be mashed and stirred into soups, stews, dressings and sauces. The firmer, stronger-flavored rind should be diced and cooked for a bit in dishes to soften its texture and disperse its flavor—or minced very fine to not be overpowering.
Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 08, 2020 by deb B.
Hi I was watching the video on the Tomato Conserva and was wondering it it would freeze well. I know My Grandmothers and my Mom used to freeze tomatoes all the time so thought maybe it would. Any thoughts on this ?
Deb Bremer
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Deb - Thanks for your question! I definitely think you could freeze the tomato conserva. Just make sure it's in an airtight container. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 05, 2020 by Henry M.
Hello Milk Street,
I made the Chicken Vindaloo and it was absolutely delicious (we have an absurdly large bag of kashmiri chili powder and this was a great addition to my repertoire of uses for it). My wife is a vegetarian and she was jealous, which made me wonder if there was a way to make a vegetarian version of this dish. I was thinking maybe an Eggplant Vindaloo? It feels like tofu wouldn't really stand up, and we have no easy source of jackfruit. What do you think?
Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Henry - I agree that tofu might not stand up since it already tends to stick and the chicken in this recipe is likely to stick to the pan. I think chunks of eggplant, winter vegetables (squash, carrots, etc.), or potatoes could work. You probably won't get as much depth of flavor as you would from the chicken, but with all of the spices in the dish - especially your Kashmiri chili powder - I still think it would be good. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked May 01, 2020 by Mary B.
Trying my first recipe from the magazine. Deep dish Quiche. There are multiple times in the article. Finally resigned myself that I was not going to eat this today. What is the initial 1 1/2 hour start to finish relate to?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Mary - I was able to speak with our Director of Recipe Development, Diane Unger. The timing should line up with how long it takes to complete the steps in the recipe, not including the pie crust preparation. With that said, we agree that this timing is off. I believe it should be closer to 2 hours, 40 minutes, plus cooling. In reality it looks like this recipe should be made a day ahead for best results since cooling time is significant. I'm very sorry this was not made very clear in the recipe and thank you very much for pointing this out to us. I will pass along your concerns to Diane and our editorial staff. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 29, 2020 by Jennie O.
Pizza Dough question: Can I substitute non instant (active dry yeast) for the instant yeast called for in the recipe? And if so, does that change anything?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Jennie - You can substitute active dry yeast but you will need to use 25% more to achieve the same results. Also, active dry yeast needs to be proofed in warm water for about 10 minutes before adding it to other ingredients to remove the dead cells that surround the live yeast. Instant yeast granules aren’t surrounded by dead cells and can be mixed right into the dry ingredients. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 27, 2020 by Eileen A.
After listening to the Milk Street Podcast I would like to make the English Mess that was described. However, I cannot find the recipe. Could you please point me in the right direction? Thanks!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Eileen - I love the simplicity of that recipe! It's listed on the website under another name, which is probably why you couldn't locate it. So sorry about that! Here is the link. Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 24, 2020 by Raymond B.
OK you know the drill. Got a "free" 21lb turkey last Thanksgiving 97 year old WW2 vet held it in his freezer for me until now. So got it back and using this opportunity to break down the bird and to experiments with recipes I want to try.
One is turkey burgers that don't, you know - suck :-)
This is one that I had my eye on. When I parted out the turkey I had 2lbs plus of boneless thigh meat. So perfect for trying 2 recipes. One was this one from Milk Street. The other one was not from ATK, but I'm a long time member there and they are on the list too for some koji turkey experimenting (yeah I have the koji done for a good while)
Anyway I digress - Key question: would one freeze the uncooked herbed burgers as is (raw) or par cook first then freeze?
Will the herbs and texture suffer from freezing without par cooking?
Yesterday I did one of the herb burgers and par cooked first at 425, in the oven for 20 minutes flipping. It was good, very good. But didn't finish to mallard it totally. Worked fine. Everyone is skeptical when folks talk about turkey burgers. I think this is a great recipe frankly. The density also makes it easy to work with. It's very similar to beef burgers in texture /density.
I will be answering my own question over time - but don't have all that much extra time to experiment as you folks :-)
I love Milk Street!
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Raymond - These turkey burgers are some of the best I've had, but I do think they are best made fresh since they are pre-seasoned and contain fresh herbs, both of which will fade in the freezer. If you do decide to freeze them, I would 100% freeze them raw and then defrost in the fridge before cooking. You can freeze them on a sheet until firm and then place parchment between and transfer to a zipper-lock bag. Good luck! Best, Lynn C.
Read MoreAsked Apr 23, 2020 by Beverly F.
Are the recipes in the magazine part of the 2020 cookbook or the Tuesday night book?
Answered by Lynn Clark
Hi Beverly - All of the issues of the magazine and their recipes will appear in the 2020 Annual that is published at the end of the year. The Tuesday night cookbook was published in 2018. Hope that helps! Best, Lynn C.
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