Hi all. Before I post Japan trip Vol. 2 Tokyo, I wanted to introduce you to these yummy recipes I cooked up in my kitchen. I got inspiration when I enjoyed the generously salty and crispy chicken wings at a nice little place called Pivo near Chinatown in Vancouver. I used drumettes instead of wings and home grown coriander seeds for the rub to give it personality. This is a recipe where I can showcase the whole circle of life of my cilantro plants! If you grow cilantro, make sure to harvest seeds in autumn and leave some on the plant, as later they fall, sprout and grow again, providing you with a key ingredient for winter finger foods. What is your favourite finger food?
On that note, I’m not so much of a hockey, soccer, football or curling fan, but enjoy serving ultimate nibbles for those who get so excited watching the games that they hop up and down on the couch! I got carried away with these drumettes, and wanted to find out what might go with them in our household. It turns out that aged cheddar crackers and bean dip fit the bill perfectly, so here they are. Try these for your next gathering, whatever sport you fancy!
Coriander and Chipotle Drumettes –The Ultimate Finger Food-
For this recipe, you need whole coriander seeds that are ground with a coffee grinder or blender for the best texture.
Serves 4
20 drumettes
1 teaspoon freshly ground ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Dash of roasted sesame oil
For the rub
4 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground chipotle
2 ½ tablespoons coriander seeds
1 lime, wedged
Fresh cilantro leaves
Rinse the drumettes under cold water and pat dry. Combine the ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil in a small bowl. In a rimmed large tray, lay the drumettes and pour over the soy mixture. Coat well all around, cover and marinate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 425C. Lay the drumettes on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
In the meantime, prepare the rub. Grind the coriander seeds in a coffee grinder or blender, leaving some coarse texture, and combine with the rest of the rub ingredients in a large bowl.
Take the baking sheet with the drumettes out of the oven. Using a pair of tongs, dunk each drumette in the bowl of rub and coat all around. Remove excess rub and place it back on the rack. Repeat for the rest of drumettes.
Bake another 20 minutes or until done. If drumettes become too dark, cover them with a piece of foil.
Serve hot with wedges of lime and sprinkle cilantro leaves on top.
Aged Cheddar Crackers with Two Flavours
Makes 2 x 500ml jars
½ cup unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
2 tablespoons butter
1 heaped cup aged cheddar cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 tablespoon Aonori (type of Japanese seaweed), plus extra for sprinkling
1 tablespoon poppy seeds, plus extra for sprinkling
Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and, using your fingers, incorporate the mixture until flaky. Add the cheese and eggs, and incorporate with the flour mixture. Divide in two. Add Aonori to one half and poppy seeds to the other. Form each piece of dough into a ball and flatten into a disk. Refrigerate for half an hour or until the dough is firm.
Preheat the oven to 375C. Flour the work surface and roll the dough into 1/16 inch thickness or as thin as you can. The thinner the crispier. Scatter the extra salt and Aonori (or poppy seeds) over the top and lightly press them into the dough with the rolling pin. Cut into diamond shapes or use your choice of cookie cutters. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely. Serve as is or with dip.
Adapted from Deborah Madison’s seed cracker recipe
Great Northern Bean and Rosemary Dip
Makes 1 x 350ml jar
1 cup Great Northern beans
1 onion, peeled
3 garlic cloves
Juice of ½ lemon
3 tablespoons tahini
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Soak the beans in cold water and leave overnight at room temperature. Rinse the beans next day and cover with cold water in a large pot. Do not add salt at this point.
Bring to a boil rapidly for 10 minutes. Skim occasionally. Add the whole onion and 2 garlic cloves. Continue simmering until the beans are tender, for about 1 hour. Add hot water as necessary to keep the beans well covered during cooking.
Drain the beans, RESERVING some liquid, and discard the onion and garlic. Combine the beans, 1 garlic clove, lemon juice, tahini, 3 tablespoons reserved liquid and rosemary in a food processor. Add the olive oil in a slow and steady drip while pulsing the bean mixture until smooth. Adjust the flavour with salt and pepper and add more liquid if you prefer a looser texture. Transfer to a serving container and cover the surface with some olive oil to prevent it from drying.
Serve with crackers, slices of baguette or toasted pita bread. Refrigerate any leftover for up to a few days.
