Caramelized Black Pepper Fish Food

CARAMELIZED BLACK-PEPPER FISH

Steps:

• Heat oil (in a skillet large enough to hold the fish) over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften (lower the heat if they start to brown) Transfer them to a small bowl and set aside.
• Add sugar, fish sauce, and water to the skillet. Over medium heat, cook the mixture for about 5 minutes, until it starts to turn brown and there are large bubbles throughout. Sprinkle in the pepper and the cooked shallots and cook for a minute more. Add the fish and cook, turning gently with a spatula every three minutes or so, until it is coated evenly with thickened caramel sauce, and just cooked through, 8-10 minutes. (you can add a few tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the pan seems too dry).
• Sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice and a simple green vegetable.

CARAMELIZED BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN WITH JASMINE RICE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine sugar, fish sauce, water, vinegar, garlic, ginger, pepper and chiles. Set aside.
• In a large, deep skillet, heat oil over high. Add sugar mixture, shallot and chicken to skillet. Stirring frequently, cook until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve over jasmine rice.
• 4/17/2020 NOTE: After making, I believe the recipe needs improvement. Follow as advised, but once the chicken is nearly cooked through, have ready 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water. Add to pan at the last minute and cook for 1 minute or until bubbly with constant stirring. This solution will thicken the sauce nicely. If you're desiring a much deeper brown color, add 1 teaspoon kitchen bouquet before thickening.

VIETNAMESE FISH SIMMERED IN CARAMEL SAUCE (CA KHO TO)

Steps:

• In a heavy 2-quart saucepan, cook the sugar over low to medium heat, swirling the pan constantly, until brown and caramelized.
• Remove pan from heat and stir the fish sauce into the caramel.
• It will smoke slightly.
• Return the pan to low heat and gently boil for about couple minutes while stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Stir in the shallots, chili and ginger.
• Add the fish in the caramel sauce and sprinkle with black pepper.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.
• Simmer for 30-45 minutes, turning the fish occasionally and carefully.
• Serve with rice.

SALT-AND-PEPPER FISH

Steps:

• Rinse rice in several changes of cold water in a medium bowl until water runs clear. Drain well, then transfer to a small saucepan. Pour in 1¼ cups cold water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Give rice a stir so grains don't stick to the bottom. Cover pot and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook, undisturbed, until water is evaporated and rice is tender, 18-20 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, still covered, 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, trim dark green tops from scallions and thinly slice; set aside. Thinly slice white and pale green parts of scallions of a deep diagonal. Set aside separately.
• Mix ginger and 2 Tbsp. oil in a medium bowl. Add cod and season with salt and sprinkle all over with pepper. Toss to coat.
• Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook cod, undisturbed, until golden underneath, about 2 minutes. Turn over and scatter reserved white and pale green scallion parts on top. Cook, shaking the pan a few times, until fish is cooked through and some scallions are caramelized and some are just slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Stir vinegar and sugar in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Mix into rice. Add butter and reserved dark green scallion tops and gently stir until butter is melted. Season with salt.
• Transfer rice to a platter and top with fish; pour any pan juices over.

CARAMELIZED PEARS WITH BLACK PEPPER-CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove seeds from pear halves with a large melon baller, and trim off 1/4 inch from the bottom of each pear half so it will stand upright on a plate. Place the water in a 12-inch nonstick skillet and pour the sugar into the center of the pan, taking care not to let the crystals adhere to the sides of the pan. bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is bubbling wildly. Add the pears to the skillet, cut-side down, cover, reduce the heat to medium-high, and cook until the pears are nearly tender (a paring knife inserted into the center of the pears feels slight resistance).
• Uncover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until the sauce is golden brown and the cut sides of the pears are partly caramilzed, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour the heavy cream around the pears and cook, shaking the pan back and forth, until the sauce is a smooth, deep caramel color and the cut sides of the pears are beautifully golden 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Using tongs, carefully remove the pears from the pan and place cut-side up on a wire rack set over a trimmed baking sheet. Cool slightly. Season the sauce left in the pan with salt to taste and the crushed black pepper, then pour it into a liquid measuring cup.
• Carefully (the pears will still be hot) stand each pear half upright on an individual plate and arrange a wedge of the blue sheese beside it. Drizzle the plate and some of the pear with the caramel sauce. Serve immediately. (Alternatively, the pears can be stood upright on a large serving platter, and the warm caramel sauce and the blue cheese can be passed separately.).
• TECHNIQUE: Coring a Pear 1. Cut the fruit in half from stem to blossom end. Use a melon baller to cut around the central core with a circular motion. 2. Draw the melon baller from the central core to the top of the pear, removing the interior portion of the stem as you go.

CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE WITH BLACK PEPPER SYRUP

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, cut the skin off the pineapple, then cut the pineapple into 6 lengthwise wedges. Remove the core. (Alternatively cut your pineapple into rings or chunks if you wish a different shape than the wedges).
• Bring 4 cups of water and 3/4 cup of the white sugar to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Add the pineapple. If necessary add a bit more water to cover the pineapple pieces. Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until the pineapple is tender but not to soft. (Note that the cooking time with be less if you use the smaller pineapple chunks or rounds so keep and eye on it).
• Remove the pineapple from the syrup using tongs and place the pineapple into a large squat glass jar or bowl. (Do not use metal).
• Return the syrup to the heat and bring to a near boil. Continue to cook the syrup to reduce it until you have 2 cups remaining. Pour the syrup reduction through strainer over the pineapple. Let it marinate overnight.
• The next day remove the pineapple from the poaching liquid. Return the poaching liquid to the stove and further reduce it over medium high heat until one cup remains. Once it is reduced, remove from heat, add the 1 tsp of butcher grind black pepper. Let the reduction cool.
• Place the pineapple on a baking sheet and sprinkle heavily with the remain 1/4 cup white sugar. Broil until the pineapple begins to caramelize. Turn pineapple pieces and broil the remaining side(s) for 1 minute.
• Serve with vanilla ice cream and top with the Black Pepper Syrup.