Asian Dishes Reimagined

You would be hard pressed to find any type of Asian cuisine that I do not love. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Korean, Indonesian, Vietnamese, etc. and my 2024 trip to Asia only fueled my cravings. I have recently been cooking some of my favorite Asian recipes, testing new ones, and reimagining some of the classics.

Growing up there were several fantastic Chinese restaurants in the area but there was one that my family frequented more than any other - Golden Dragon in Randallstown, Maryland. We would carry out as often as we would dine in, and my grandparents in particular were weekly regulars with their best friends nearly every Saturday night. Although many years have passed, I still vividly remember their menu and their dishes that stand out most in my mind are their wonton soup (the very best), breaded pork chop smothered in a sweet tomato sauce (which I loved but as a child, found odd to see on a Chinese restaurant menu), rice pudding (which I never cared for much as a child, but everyone else loved it), and their Shrimp in Lobster Sauce, which to this day has never been topped at any Chinese restaurant I have visited) Duplicating it would be close to impossible, but I came pretty darn close and I know my grandparents would have approved.

The most ironic fact about the dish is that there is actually no lobster in it at all. Instead, it is a rich egg and pork sauce that tastes like it has cooked for hours, but in reality, it comes together in about 10 minutes. Rumor has it that although the sauce is from an old lobster Cantonese recipe, shrimp was substituted to make the dish more affordable.

The first step is important. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a wok and add 1/2 pound ground pork. Break up the meat and cook for a minute or two before draining the meat through a fine mesh strainer and then give it a rinse with fresh water. This step helps with the clarity of the sauce.

Clean the wok and then continue to assemble the dish -

• Heat wok over medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• Add 1 tablespoon minced garlic and stir-fry for 1o seconds

• Add 1.5 pounds peeled/deveined shrimp plus the cooked ground pork and stir-fry for 30 seconds

• Add 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (cooking sherry or rice wine also work) and cook for 10 seconds

• Add 1.5 cups stock (seafood or chicken), 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional), and a pinch of white pepper

• Give it a stir and add 1/2 cup frozen peas

• While the sauce comes to a boil, make a slurry by combining 3 tablespoons each cornstarch and water, stirring until the cornstarch dissolves

• Add the slurry to the wok a little at a time until the sauce reaches your desired thickness (you may not need all of it but if you overdo it and the sauce becomes too thick, you can always add more stock)

• Lightly beat one large egg in a small bowl, spread it across the top of the sauce and let it simmer for 5-10 seconds before folding it into the sauce.

• Finally stir in a big handful of chopped scallions (white and green parts) and serve over white rice

Instant memories. Absolutely delicious.

I love pork dumplings, fried or steamed, but they can be time-consuming and sometimes challenging to make. I saved time but sacrificed zero flavor by making Pork Smash Dumplings. You will not believe how easy these are and the process includes both frying and steaming. Best of all, they are every bit as delicious as regular fried dumplings.

• In a bowl combine 1/2 pound ground pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Ponzu, 1 tablespoon minced or grated ginger, 1 tablespoon finely minced or grated garlic, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2-3 chopped scallions, and a teaspoon (or more) of sambal oelek (optional if you like a bit of tangy heat)

• Arrange 20 small round wonton wrappers on a baking sheet and brush them with a beaten egg

• Add a heaping tablespoon of the pork mixture to each wonton, spread to the edges in a thin layer, and sprinkle with sesame seeds

• Heat 2 tablespoons neutral oil in a large skillet and add 4 wontons at a time, meat side down, frying until brown, 30-45 seconds and then flip. Add a teaspoon of water to the skillet and cover with a lid to steam until the meat is fully cooked and the bottom of the wonton is crispy and browned

• Transfer to a platter to keep warm while cooking the rest

• Serve with more chopped scallions and sesame seeds if desired, and your favorite dipping sauce - My sauce is 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup Ponzu, a pinch of brown sugar, and more chopped scallions

• Watch how fast they disappear!

Next up is a dish that I am honestly obsessed with and have made multiple times. I generally cannot resist shrimp toast when I am eating Chinese food, but these Vietnamese Crispy Shrimp Balls with Black Garlic Noodles made me never want to eat traditional shrimp toast again! The shrimp balls are amazing on their own, but served over a bed of black garlic noodles really sends the whole dish over the top.

For the shrimp balls -

• Add 1 pound of peeled/deveined shrimp, 1 lightly beaten egg, 2 tablespoons chopped shallot, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons each of cornstarch, light brown sugar and fish sauce, 2 cloves rough chopped garlic, a pinch of salt, and black pepper to the bowl of a food processor and process into a smooth paste

• Add paste to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until firmed up, around 30 minutes

• Using a small ice cream scoop, form into balls and place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper

• Set up a steamer basket over a pot/pan of boiling water being careful not to let the water come into contact with the basket

• Add the shrimp balls, cover the pan/steamer basket and steam the shrimp balls for 5 minutes

• To a bowl, add 1.5 cups of Panko bread crumbs and to another bowl, add 2 large eggs and beat until smooth

• Roll the steamed balls in the Panko, then in the beaten egg, and finally back to the Panko

• Heat 1 cup of neutral oil in a large skillet and cook the shrimp balls in batches, turning frequently, until golden brown on all sides

• Remove the shrimp balls from the oil and place onto a rack set over a sheet pan so that the excess oil can drain, and sprinkle them with Kosher salt as soon as they come out of the oil

• Serve right away or keep warm

For the black garlic noodles -

• Choose 1 pound of your favorite noodle (I used macaroni) and cook in boiling salted water according to package directions

• In a small sauce pan, add 3-4 tablespoons butter, 3 tablespoons of black garlic paste (I found it on Amazon), and 2 teaspoons of black pepper, cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until combined

• Add half a ladle of pasta water to the black garlic mixture along with the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of Kosher salt and stir until combined

• Add 1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and stir vigorously until the cheese is melted and the sauce is smooth, adding more pasta water as needed

• Add 1 more tablespoon of butter and stir until melted before adding the cooked noodles, and toss until fully coated

• Serve the noodles in a bowl and top with a crispy Vietnamese shrimp ball

• Optional but I also added a drizzle of spicy mayo on top (1/4 cup kewpie mayo with a teaspoon of sriracha

• You can also garnish with more cheese or chopped scallions

I served this as an appetizer but it could easily be a main course.

After I made the shrimp balls with garlic noodles the first time, I decided to experiment with the recipe to turn them into traditional-looking shrimp toast, minus the pasta. I followed the same steps as above, but this time I added the paste to a small square baking pan and stuck it in the freezer for 30 minutes because it needs to be extra firm to hold the shape, I cut into smaller squares and cooked them using the same method as above. As you can see, I served them as an appetizer with spicy mayo, a dab of sriracha, and more chopped scallions.

I love a banh mi sandwich and if it's on the menu, I'll order it every time. Banh mi is one of the most popular street foods in the world. Banh mi is the Vietnamese word for bread and a typical banh mi consists of a protein, often pork, pickled vegetables such as carrots and radish, plus cilantro and jalapeños. I decided to reimagine this street food into something a bit more elegant and I ended up with Banh Mi Glazed Meatballs with Pickled Vegetables. This had all of the flavors I love but in a new presentation.

For the pickled vegetables, I sliced carrots, parsnips, radish, and cucumbers and added them to a bowl. In a small sauce pan I boiled 1 cup each water and white vinegar with 2 tablespoons Kosher salt, a bay leaf, and 1/3 cup sugar, stirring until the salt and sugar had dissolved. I poured the brine over the vegetables and let sit for a few hours.

For the "turporkey" meatballs -

• Sauté 1/2 small onion and 2 minced garlic cloves in olive oil with a pinch of salt and pepper until translucent, let cool slightly

• To a large bowl, add 1 pound each ground pork and ground turkey, the sautéed onions, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Gently mix until just combined, roll into balls, and add to a sheet pan lined with parchment

• Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 15-20 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Cooking time may vary based on the size of your meatballs

For the glaze -

• In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 4 smashed garlic cloves, 1 jalapeño pepper cut in half, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer until slightly thickened, a few minutes and then remove from heat (if you want the glaze thicker you can add a cornstarch slurry)

To assemble -

• Brush the glaze over the meatballs and put them back in the oven for a few minutes

• Add a meatball to the bottom of a bowl, brush with more glaze and serve with the pickled vegetables and if you like, cilantro leaves and sliced jalapeños

And finally, for something sweet, a Japanese take on a French classic - this amazing Matcha Creme Brulée, which by the way only calls for 5 ingredients - milk, heavy cream, matcha (green tea powder), egg yolks, and sugar.

• Combine 1.5 cups each milk and heavy cream plus 1 tablespoon matcha in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook, stirring often until scalded, but not boiled, then remove from heat and let cool a little

• Meanwhile in a bowl, add 1/2 cup sugar plus 5 egg yolks and whisk until blended and the mixture turns pale yellow

• Temper the egg mixture by adding 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the eggs while whisking vigorously (you don't want to cook the eggs)

• Slowly add the rest of the milk while whisking and then pour the entire mixture into a clean bowl through a fine mesh strainer

• Pour the mixture into 4oz ramekins, filling almost to the top (this recipe makes 6 however I made 1.5X the recipe which yielded around 10), and place them into a large deep roasting pan or casserole dish

• Fill the roasting pan with boiling water until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins

• Bake in a preheated 300 degree oven for 35 minutes until set, but still wobbly in the middle

• Remove from the water bath, allow to cool to room temperature, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (I made mine the night before I served them)

• Take them out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving

• Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sugar over each one and melt the sugar using a kitchen blow torch until caramelized and allow to sit for 5 minutes (you can also do this in the oven under a broiler for 1-3 minutes with the oven door open)

Hopefully these Asian inspired recipes spark some inspiration in your kitchen as well. These are all so delicious and I would make them over and over and over (actually I have made several of them multiples times already). As always, if you make any of them, please let me know! Happy eating!