Ga Kho Gung (Chicken Braised in Caramel Sauce with Ginger)

I saw a wonderful recipe that appealed to me on the blog "Wandering Chopsticks" (this blog has some delicious Vietnamese recipes, she cooks other stuff too, and I love the background stories she shares. It's just a real honest genuine blog I enjoy) scrolling through her recipes I bumped into a recipe for "Ga Kho Gung" (Chicken braised in caramel sauce with ginger) I was a little unclear on how to make the caramel sauce and work with it so I saw a video on youtube that was helpful and prepared the chicken in a very similar way (practically same recipe different ratios) here's the video for those interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPP_e2qE32Q

Do not be intimidated by the caramel sauce, it's rather simply, some people buy it pre-made but it's not hard. There's different methods, I've seen some that melt the sugar directly into the pan, others add a little oil then the sugar into the pan, and other's add sugar and water to a cold pan then bring it to boil on high til water evaporates. I use that method (the water with sugar) because it's the same way I make my caramel for Flan (a type of spanish dessert) and I feel comfortable doing it that way.

Anyways in Vietnamese cuisine caramel sauce is used as a base for many braised meats or fish (any protien seems to be feautured in some form of caramel sauce) it really is comfort food, these sauces are not overly sweet they just have like I don't know hard to describe, it's like this strong savory caramel taste, slightly salty and isn't overly sugary. My favorite of these dishes in caramel sauce is "Thit Heo Kho Trung" (Vietnamese Caramelized Pork and Egg) everyone seems to have a different version of this dish but my favorite version regardless of how simple or whatever is the one my ex's mother use to prepare which had only garlic as it's aromatic (I loved it!) I'll share my attempt to recreate that dish another time. (I believe his mother would marinade pork belly cubes with fish sauce, brown sugar, tons of garlic then quickly brown it maybe, add coconut juice, some water. add hard boiled eggs and more fish sauce to taste) that's another story though.

If you learn to make the caramel sauce this may become one of your favorite quick go to dishes, it is EXTREMELY quick to prepare, you will have it ready within 30- 40 minutes no joke.

The version I'm presenting today is with onion, garlic and strongly flavored with ginger. But there is variations that omit the ginger and onion and just use a lot of finely minced lemongrass and red thai chilies (I love the latter) anyways well here goes. The recipe I'm sharing is from both the video and Wandering Chopsticks blog. Stuff like fish sauce, salt, and sugar can always be adjusted to taste, as well as teh amount of onion, garlic, ginger (however know that ginger is a main element of this recipe so don't skimp on it) These are the ratios I used and I loved it.

Ingredients for Caramel Sauce:
-3 tablespoons white sugar
-1/3 cup water

Main Ingredients:
-3 1/2 lbs. chicken bone in, washed, cut into bite size pieces, patted dry
-1 onion finely chopped
-6 cloves garlic finely chopped
-2 1/2 inches ginger root, peeled, cut into rounds then thinly julienned
-1 1/2 cups water
-3 tablespoons fish sauce (a good quality like 3 Crabs or Flying Lion)
-2 teaspoons salt (more to taste)
-3 tsp. white sugar
Ingredients for garnish (optional)
-1 large sprig of green onion/ scallion washed and chopped into small pieces

Directions:
(1) Have all your ingredients ready and on hand you DO NOT want to burn or ruin your caramel sauce, don't worry it is relatively simple not hard at all just be attentive. Put 3 tablespoons sugar in a pot, and add 1/3 cup water, bring to high heat and stir well with chop stick or sometype of stick it'll start bubbling vigorously
(2) Eventually the water will evaporate and it'll start darkening when it turns a dark golden brown (NOT BLACK) Keep an eye on it do not leave it alone during the whole process, if you burn your caramel sauce you ruin your dish (I've practiced a bit with Vietnamese dishes that use caramel sauce and have learned through trial and error) anyways when your caramel turns a golden dark brown like this
add your chicken all at once, ginger, garlic, onions, fish sauce, additional sugar and salt.
(3) Stir to coat everything in caramel, keep stirring about 2-4 minutes until chicken is no longer pink (just make sure it changed color like opaque)

(4) Add water 1 1/2 cups and bring to a strong boil, add black pepper, cover and simmer on medium low for atleast 20 minutes. I like to simmer it 40 minutes and get the meat real tender and infused with the flavors.
(5) Turn off heat and serve with steamed white rice. You may garnish with chopped scallions.

I don't know if this is authentic or not but I like to serve it with like any plain boiled vegetable or a simple sautee of leafy greens sauteed with a little oil, garlic, and a bit of salt.

P.S. You guys need to try her "Bo Kho" it is very well spiced and rich!

PLEASE NOTE:
(1) Be sure once the chicken comes to a boil in the beginning you taste for salt, like atleast add 3 tbsp. fish sauce and 2 tsp salt if your using 3 1/2 lbs chicken from the very beginning because since the chicken wasn't marinaded or anything you want to boil it with enough well sodium to make sure it penetrates it right from the beginning to ensure flavorful results :)

(2) I'm not an expert or anything in Vietnamese food, it is a little out of my comfort zone, so any form of constructive criticism, and suggestions are more than welcomed :)

*Yeah the pictures look kinda retarded :/ haven't gotten a new camera, and like my camera is pretty broken and like the screen doesn't display what I am taking a picture of so yeah.... but heck I'm still bloggin. Just bare with me and if you can't well too bad LOL. but hey much love and peace ha ha

Pollo en Salsa Barbacoa (Chicken in Cuban-style BBQ sauce)

Pollo in spanish is chicken (well most know this) and "Salsa Barbacoa" means "BBQ sauce". Literal translation for this dish is "Chicken in BBQ Sauce" This chicken is tangy, sweet, salty, and smokey. The chicken is marinaded in something called "mojo" pronounced "mo-ho" which is a mixture of lime or lemon or sour orange with garlic, and salt sometimes other spices are added, it is often used to marinade meats in Cuban Cuisine, then the chicken is floured, browned in butter and baked or stewed in a homemade BBQ sauce which has ingredients common in the cuban kitchen (wine, sugar, lime, ketchup, butter, onion, and soy sauce) yes soy sauce, stuff like fried rice and Chinese fast food was always popular in Cuba due to Chinese migration.

Anyways, this recipe I saw it in a Cuban group called "Comida Cubana" on facebook (it's a wonderful group dedicated to the Cuban kitchen, unfortunately it's all in Spanish for those who don't understand the language). I had never cooked this dish before but saw it posted on that group, and on a few Cuban sites, some say it's from Nitza Villapol's cookbook called "Cocina al Minuto " (for those that don't know Nitza Villapol is what many consider the Cuban Julia child and many Cuban woman who had never been in the kitchen learned from this book, however I will add I never learned Cuban food through her, nor prepare everything the same way she does or always agree with her way of doing things lol. but I do like her recipes for idea's or inspiration.)

According to some people who commented the recipe it's apparently a party food for some, made on special occasions, and is held in high esteem, the recipe is also an attempt to reproduce a delicious BBQ chicken popular in the 80's from a restaurant called "Polinesio Restaurant del Hotel Habana Libre" in well Havana, Cuba. Formally known from word of mouth as "Trader Vicks" in 1958 Cuba.

I do re-call my grandmother making a Cubanized BBQ chicken which was chicken marinaded in Mojo then deep-fried til cooked through then tossed it in BBQ sauce and served. Maybe this was her version of the dish? I've also seen in several Spanish blogs dedicated to well Spanish Cuisine dishes called "Pollo en Salsa Barbacoa" which braise/ stew chicken in other homemade variations of BBQ sauce. Anyways well here's the recipe I found and let me tell you it was delicious and a hit in my house, served with white rice, black beans, and a salad :) Give it a try you'll be pleasantly surprised, and it isn't overly sweet either. I'm glad I tried it :)

Main Ingredients:
-3-4 lbs. chicken cut into sections (cleaned)
-1/2 cup sour orange juice (you can sub for 1/2 orange 1/2 lemon or lime juice)
-1/2 head garlic finely minced preferably mashed to paste
-1 teaspoon salt
-ground black pepper to taste (about 1 tsp.)

Ingredients to dust chicken:
-1/2 cup flour
-2 tsp. sweet smoked Spanish paprika (I used Pimenton Picante which is a hotter version but in my opinion it isn't spicy)
-1 tsp. salt

Ingredients for sauce:
-1 cup ketchup (I used a brand with no High-Fructose Corn syrup you don't have to)
-1/2 cup dry white wine (red will work too)
-1 tablespoon soy sauce
-1 tablespoon sugar
-juice of 1 small lime
-1 grated or finely chopped onion
-1/3 cup water
-2 tablespoons melted butter

Directions:
(1) Marinade the chicken in a large bowl with salt, pepper, sour orange juice, and garlic for atleast 30 minutes, preferably 2 hrs or over night. Set aside in fridge.

(2) Mix all the sauce ingredients (ketchup, wine, soy sauce, sugar, lime, onion, water, butter), in a small pot, and bring to a boil, then remove from heat, and set aside.

(3) When ready to prepare your chicken pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.

(4) Mix your flour, paprika, and salt in a large plate set aside.

(5) Heat a large frying pan with about 1 stick butter (if you must margarine I suppose) and dust the chicken in flour and shake off excess then brown on both sides, in batches.
When all your chicken is browned, throw your BBQ sauce in the pan and de-glaze with the sauce,
coat the chicken in the sauce.

(6) Transfer to a baking dish, pour any leftover sauce over,
and cover with aluminum foil, bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in oven at 325 degrees, then uncover and raise heat to 400 and cook an additional 10- 15 minutes until a browned color is achieved on top :) Remove from oven and serve.
PLEASE NOTE:
(1) If done in the oven like how I mentioned you get a thick glaze on it, however if you do not want to use the oven and still get delicious results your other option is to after browning the chicken in batches, throw it all in a pot, along with the sauce, add a bit more water, bring to a boil and cover to simmer on low for about 45 minutes until tender :)
(2) There is another dish many Cubans call "Pollo en Salsa Barbacoa" but it is prepared completely different and does have a different taste. And is extremely quick, simple, and is done stove-top. Only has 3 ingredients including the chicken LOL. if you don't count some water, I'll share it next time. Stay tuned, never have made it before but from the list of ingredients it's bound to be delicious :)

(3) Still no new camera so sorry for the photos

Empanadas de Platano (Plantain Empanadas)

These are delicious it's mashed sweet plantain, stuffed with a milk custard, and deep-fried then rolled in sugar. These treats are popular in Salvadorian Cuisine, another variation is a version of it stuffed with a thick savory paste of re-fried black beans (which I've only had once)

Anyways so today my mom's friend "Gomez" (did I mention I love her well I said it now :) who is from El Salvador came over and taught us how to make these delicious treats. She told me that she likes her's best because she uses rice flour to make the custard as opposed to corn starch which is what many places that sell them too use because it's cheaper though I don't frown on it at all it's just a different style, she say's it makes it denser, and taste like a delicious rice pudding. Truth be told it does, the rice flour makes it rich, and it tastes like a creamy, thick, rich smooth rice pudding :)

By the way if your Cuban and haven't tried this you gotta try it, it has elements of SOME of the main stuff we love lol. fried sweet plantains, rolled in sugar, stuffed with a creamy custard that reminds us of a cross between arroz con leche (rice pudding) and "natilla" (spanish vanilla cinnamon pudding) and heck it's deep-fried what's better than that ay!

Ingredients for dough:
-3 lbs. ripe yellow plantain with black blotches
Ingredients for filling (this is called "Manjar" pronounced man-haar in Spanish)
-8 cups milk
-3 sticks of cinnamon
-1 fat pinch salt (optional)
-2 cups rice flour
-2 cups white sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Additional Ingredients:
-oil to deep-fry (I personally use canola oil to deep-fry it has a clean taste, high smoking point, and things don't seem to absorb it, however in Latin cooking like Mexico and Central America corn oil is very popular but I do not like it because it has a lot of omega-6 fatty acids, and leaves a heavy taste, oxidizes quicker too.)

Directions for dough:
(1) Wash plantains real well, remove ends and cut them into 3 sections. Place in a pot with enough water to barely cover and bring to a boil on high heat, then leave in medium heat until tender, they will be tender when they swell, and the peels crack open. Atleast 30 minutes you want them tender.
(2) Drain them well while hot, carefully remove the peels, while still hot mash to a paste with a potato masher like real well until you obtain a dough, it doesn't have to be a super smooth paste, just get rid of most lumps and mash well. You have to do it while hot to really make it mash up.
(3) Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
Directions for filling:
(1) Heat a large pot with milk, sugar and cinnamon stick. Allow to come to a bubble, then reduce heat to super low simmer 5-10 minutes to infuse with cinnamon. Do this uncovered.
(2) Put the rice flour in a large bowl and dilute/ whisk it with milk, to form a smooth loose paste with no lumps.
(3) Add the rice flour mixture pouring in a stream to the pot of milk, sugar, and cinnamon, and whisk it while you pour it in so it doesn't lump. Raise heat to medium high heat, whisk continuosly 5- 10 minutes until it thickens. Taste it and add more sugar if you would like to, and stir in vanilla.
(4) Turn off heat, and allow it to cool and come to room temperature, or cool in fridge.

Directions to make Empanadas:
(1) Have a large pan or several plates, ready and the surface rubbed with oil (because you will place the empanadas you make on these and don't want them to stick)

(2) Have another tiny bowl or whatever with oil to grease your hands so dough doesn't stick.

(3) Grab a ball of cooled plantain dough, flatten into a round flat not to thin disk,
spoon a tablespoon or teaspoonful of the filling (Manjar).
Close it my making all the ends meat,
like close it try to seal it,
if u don't have enough dough to close add a little patch to close it up. Roll gently into a round oval shape.
Place them on the oiled pans or plates.
Directions to finish off the dish:
(1) Heat a frying pan in my case i use a wok with generous amounts of oil (I'd say about 2 cups atleast) over medium high heat, when oil is hot slide the empanadas into the hot oil
and fry about 5-7 minutes on one side, and carefully flip them over (I use a spoon and fork you can use a ladel whatever, just be careful not to break them they are sensetive when hot) once you flip it fry another 5-7 minutes until browned.
(2) Drain on paper towels,
and while warm roll them in sugar.
(3) Allow to cool a bit and enjoy, you can eat them as snack, breakfast, dessert whatever you'd like :) If you have leftovers simply re-heat them.

This is the inside of it :)
PLEASE NOTE:
(1) The filling called "Manjar" for these empanadas is actually a dessert on it's own, it's a type of milk custard, you can actually eat this on it's own in bowls dusted with cinnamon powder. They can also be cooled in individual serving paper cups dusted with cinnamon and enjoyed cold :)

(2) The portions can be adjusted, you want less dough use less plantains, you want more use more plantains, etc.

(3) It does take some skill to work with the dough of mashed plantains and everything but hopefully these pictures will be helpful and you can always see videos on youtube on how other people work the dough or techniques they may use. This is how I learned to make them :)

(4) Yeah I haven't bought a new camera so bare with me and if you don't want to then oh wellz toodles :-P ha ha <3 ya