Scallop biryani

It’s the second biryani for the Daring Cook Challenge.

The key ingredient : baby scallop. I got them already steamed.

The gravy with sweet spices (wuxi, cinnamon, cardamom, saffron, paprika…), shimeji mushrooms and goji berries.

Thai jasmine rice soaked in a mix of thick coconut milk and water, then cooked.

At the layering stage, I’ve added a few edamame beans. More shimeji mushrooms ans saffron threads on top.

It’s ready. Toppings : dry coconut, gojis and minced coriander leaves. Goya (bitter squash) to decorate the plate.

Fingerlicking yummy… Biryani is eaten with the hand. Well, I do that after taking the photos.

The extras standing behind the star, on the first photo. They are greenhouse mikan that just arrive on the markets now.

source daring cook
Fish Biryani:

Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 tomatoes, skinned and chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
4 green chillies
4 cloves garlic
1 onion
3 tablespoon (60 ml) (2 oz) (60 gm) ghee
2 cups (500 ml) (370 gm) (13 oz) basmati rice, soaked for 30 minutes and drained
3 cups (750 ml) coconut milk
1 lb (½ kg) white fish fillets, cut into 1 inch (2½ cm) pieces
Salt
Directions:

1. Blend the tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, chillies, garlic, and half of the onion to a smooth paste.
2. Thinly slice the remaining onion and fry it in the ghee over medium high heat until lightly browned. Stir in the rice and fry for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and enough water to bring the liquid about 1 inch (2½ cm) above the rice. Cover and simmer for about 5 minutes until the rice is half cooked.
3. Add the paste, fish, and salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes or until the rice is dry.

Ginger makkoli stewed chicken

Chicken and shiitake mushrooms cooked with makkoli, the Korean fermented rice drink. I’m probably not the only person on the planet doing it but that was an improvisation and I loved the result.

So this is the weapon used for the crime. I’ve associated it to ginger and kuko (goji berries) to remind Korean medicinal drinks.

Cook onion, fresh shiitake mushroom a little in oil.
Then add a chicken breast, a few slices of fresh ginger, a sip of soy sauce, cover with makkoli. Cover, let on low heat.
When the meat is tender, break it in big pieces with a fork. Add goji berries, fresh spinach and a little potato starch if you want a thicker sauce. Cook slowly 5 more minutes.

Served on home-made tortilla colored with turmeric, with kimchi as a side.

And a glass of chilled makkoli.

Marron berry chunky terrine

What about a thick slice of year-end terrine ? It’s full of whole sweet chestnuts, big bits of onion, and balanced with the light sourness of red goji berries. The texture is ideal.

Yes, that’s one more bean terrine. But this time it’s based on kuromame black beans.

Half mashed, half whole. Another secret ingredient ;
soba cha, buckwheat tea

I’ve added some (dry, not infused) for texture and the nutty taste. The terrine is not so good freshly baked, but after 1, or better 2 days in the fridge, the flavors mixed and set, it became firmer and easier to cut too.

It’s the season of these small Japanese kiwi. They look like the first kiwis we’d get in France when I was a kid, smaller and less colorful that those they sell massively now. The taste fresh and a little tart, flavorful, not overly sweet.

Creamy aurora smoothie

Green energy to run faster and longer. This one is not green at all. It takes its morning sun shades from these “fruits” :

The creaminess is kinudofu, silky tofu. A few anise seeds for the flavors, ice-cubes for freshness, a little apple juice to make it more liquid. Into the blender. Brrrrrr… Yummy !