Burma Superstar
April 4, 2017 by Jenny
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Burma Superstar: Addictive
Recipes from the Crossroads of Southeast Asia by Desmond Tan
and Kate Leahy, owners of the beloved San Francisco restaurant of
the same name, delivers a mouthwatering collection of
recipes.
The restaurant known for its bustling tables and the sounds and aromas of sizzling onions and garlic coming from the wok, have customers who start to line up before the doors even open. A full parking lot or a line outside the door is a sure sign of greatness – no one waits for mediocre food.
Ninety recipes have been revamped for the home cook and include Chili Lamb, Pork and Pumpkin Stew, Platha (a buttery layered flatbread), Spicy Eggplant, and Mohinga, a fish noodle soup that is touted as Myanmar’s national dish. Vivid photography and essays that focus on the country and its food make this a must-have book that delivers a glimpse into this jewel of Southeast Asia.
Read about Har San, the Platha Man, who makes the buttery flatbread on a stainless-steel table in an office above the Oakland restaurant – his journey to America and his secrets to making this beautiful bread. And Wai K. Law, the sentry at the wok who handles the mad rush from 5 pm to 10 pm like a superstar. The history behind the food and traditions – the story of Myanmar’s most mysterious food – tea – and try Burma Superstar’s famous Tea Leaf Dressing. This is a cookbook, a love story to Burma, and a tribute to the heart of Burma Superstar – the staff – two pages of their headshots finish up the book.
I have made the Superstar Vegetarian Noodles (and have to resist the urge to pull a Mary Katherine Gallagher move every time I type Superstar) and the Fried Onions and Onion Oil (and have to resist the urge to pour that onion oil on everything). You wouldn’t think that potatoes and noodles go well together in the Vegetarian Noodles but they are perfect. I have countless other recipes on my list to make including their version of Sesame Chicken, Chicken with Basil and the Chicken with Mint (we like chicken) which we are sharing with you today.
The restaurant known for its bustling tables and the sounds and aromas of sizzling onions and garlic coming from the wok, have customers who start to line up before the doors even open. A full parking lot or a line outside the door is a sure sign of greatness – no one waits for mediocre food.
Ninety recipes have been revamped for the home cook and include Chili Lamb, Pork and Pumpkin Stew, Platha (a buttery layered flatbread), Spicy Eggplant, and Mohinga, a fish noodle soup that is touted as Myanmar’s national dish. Vivid photography and essays that focus on the country and its food make this a must-have book that delivers a glimpse into this jewel of Southeast Asia.
Read about Har San, the Platha Man, who makes the buttery flatbread on a stainless-steel table in an office above the Oakland restaurant – his journey to America and his secrets to making this beautiful bread. And Wai K. Law, the sentry at the wok who handles the mad rush from 5 pm to 10 pm like a superstar. The history behind the food and traditions – the story of Myanmar’s most mysterious food – tea – and try Burma Superstar’s famous Tea Leaf Dressing. This is a cookbook, a love story to Burma, and a tribute to the heart of Burma Superstar – the staff – two pages of their headshots finish up the book.
I have made the Superstar Vegetarian Noodles (and have to resist the urge to pull a Mary Katherine Gallagher move every time I type Superstar) and the Fried Onions and Onion Oil (and have to resist the urge to pour that onion oil on everything). You wouldn’t think that potatoes and noodles go well together in the Vegetarian Noodles but they are perfect. I have countless other recipes on my list to make including their version of Sesame Chicken, Chicken with Basil and the Chicken with Mint (we like chicken) which we are sharing with you today.
Thanks to Ten Speed Press and the authors for sharing this
tasty recipe with Eat Your Book members. Be sure to head over to our contest page to enter our
giveaway.
CHICKEN WITH MINT
SERVES 3; 4 AS PART OF A LARGER MEAL
Those who like laap will love this Burmese-Chinese version of
the herby Thai minced meat dish. Here, minced chicken is stir-fried
with ground cumin and mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, and a spoonful
of sambal oelek (see page 238). Whole cloves of garlic are mixed in
for texture, but they are fried ahead of time to reduce the
pungency of eating them raw. Use the smaller cloves found on the
inside of a head of garlic or slice large cloves in half. You can
turn this into a veg¬etarian dish by dicing up a block of firm
tofu, letting it drain on paper towels for a few minutes, and then
stir-frying the tofu pieces in place of the chicken. If you made
the Mustard-Cumin Spice Blend (see page 215), use a teaspoon of it
in place of the mustard and cumin seeds called for below.
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 small) or
4 to 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1⁄2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons sambal oelek (see page 238)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce or 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1⁄4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola oil
6 to 8 small garlic cloves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1⁄2 jalapeño, chopped, or 2 Thai chiles, sliced
1⁄4 cup chopped cilantro, plus extra sprigs for garnish
1⁄4 cup chopped mint
Lime wedges, for garnish
To mince the chicken, place the pieces on the cutting board so
the smooth side is facing up. With a knife blade parallel to the
cutting board, slice the chicken in half width-wise, opening it up
into two thinner, even pieces. Cut the chicken against the grain
into thin strips, then chop the strips finely. Run the knife over
the meat until it looks evenly minced. (Cutting the chicken by hand
results in a better texture than using ground chicken.)
In a dry wok or skillet, toast the cumin seeds and mustard
seeds until the cumin is fragrant and the mustard seeds start to
pop, no more than 30 seconds. Transfer to a mortar with a pestle or
a coffee grinder used for grinding spices and pulverize into a
coarse powder.
In a small bowl, mix together the sambal, soy sauce, fish
sauce, and sugar. (If not using soy sauce, you may need a pinch
more fish sauce.)
In a wok or large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Tilt
the wok so the oil pools to one side and add the garlic cloves.
(This helps the garlic cloves stay submerged in oil so they fry
more evenly.) Fry until light golden and softened, about 1 minute.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the garlic cloves. Leave the oil in
the wok.
Heat the wok over high heat. When the oil is hot (but not
smoking), add the minced garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a few
seconds and add the chicken. Using a spatula or wooden spoon,
stir-fry the chicken briefly, then press the meat against the sides
of the wok to increase the surface area and decrease how much the
chicken steams. (If using a skillet, spread the chicken evenly
across its base.) Water will start to pool in the center of the
wok, but that’s okay-it will cook out. After a minute, give the wok
a stir so the chicken pieces don’t stick together. Repeat this step
until the chicken is light brown in places and pale in others,
about 3 minutes depending on the wok and the burner strength.
Stir in the mustard-cumin blend, sambal mixture, fried garlic cloves, and jalapeño. Stir constantly, until the liquid just lightly coats the meat. Mix in the chopped cilantro and mint. Serve with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.
Add this recipe to your Bookshelf (click the blue +Bookshelf button)
Reprinted with permission from Burma Superstar, copyright © 2017 by Desmond Tan and Kate Leahy. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC. Photographs copyright © 2017 by John Lee
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