Good ginger recipes?
April 3, 2005 8:16 PM Subscribe
In the spirit of this question on Chipotle peppers, I have one of my own: what are your favorite ginger recipes? I've tried it in stir-frys but I'm looking for more.
Homemade ginger snaps are the bizzomb. Um, I don't really have a recipe to post for those though; I usually just use the one from this random cookie recipe book I have and use fresh grated ginger instead of powder.
The only other thing I ever use ginger in is Asian cooking, so I'll post one of my favorite super-easy Asian recipes, Thai Chicken Coconut Soup. First, chop up 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and about 1/4 that volume of ginger. Sauté it in a tablespoon or so of oil in a soup pan for ~1 minute, then add a 1/2 pound of cubed chicken and sauté until brown. Then add a can of chicken broth (chicken base or bullion + water is fine), a can of coconut milk and a tablespoon of Thai Green Curry Paste and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Finally, juice a lime into it, add fish sauce to taste and serve immediately. Makes 2 bowls or 4 cups.
posted by boaz at 8:54 PM on April 3, 2005
The only other thing I ever use ginger in is Asian cooking, so I'll post one of my favorite super-easy Asian recipes, Thai Chicken Coconut Soup. First, chop up 2 or 3 cloves of garlic and about 1/4 that volume of ginger. Sauté it in a tablespoon or so of oil in a soup pan for ~1 minute, then add a 1/2 pound of cubed chicken and sauté until brown. Then add a can of chicken broth (chicken base or bullion + water is fine), a can of coconut milk and a tablespoon of Thai Green Curry Paste and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Finally, juice a lime into it, add fish sauce to taste and serve immediately. Makes 2 bowls or 4 cups.
posted by boaz at 8:54 PM on April 3, 2005
You can put chunks of fresh ginger in a jar of vodka and steep it in the freezer for a few weeks. Makes great cocktails.
I buy ginger puree in a tube and add it to everything from broiled fish to hummus.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:57 PM on April 3, 2005
I buy ginger puree in a tube and add it to everything from broiled fish to hummus.
posted by CunningLinguist at 8:57 PM on April 3, 2005
Well, this is the recipe for the best gingerbread ever. It uses Lyle's Golden Syrup (a British cane sugar syrup available in many grocery stores in the U.S.) instead of molasses, so the flavors of the spices really come through. It smells amazing while it's baking and it tastes just as good.
posted by cerebus19 at 9:01 PM on April 3, 2005
posted by cerebus19 at 9:01 PM on April 3, 2005
If you like korean food, very simple and good dishes can be made by sauteing ginger into various bean pastes and veggies to make the best stir frys! Or ginger honey rice porridge...Mmmm
posted by mrs.pants at 9:04 PM on April 3, 2005
posted by mrs.pants at 9:04 PM on April 3, 2005
ginger sorbet is yummy - make a simple syrup and cook it up with shaved ginger, then strain into your ice cream maker. also excellent in cocktails. for variety, make ginger peach sorbet or ginger coconut sorbet.
posted by judith at 9:11 PM on April 3, 2005
posted by judith at 9:11 PM on April 3, 2005
It doesn't use very much, but whenever I make blueberry crisp in the summer, I always add some ginger (either powdered or finely grated, depending on what's in the kitchen). It adds a nice dimension of flavor.
Also, ginger tea. Boil sliced ginger in some water in a saucepan for about 15 minutes, strain, and then use the water to steep some black tea leaves in. Very spicy and soothing.
posted by stefnet at 9:31 PM on April 3, 2005
Also, ginger tea. Boil sliced ginger in some water in a saucepan for about 15 minutes, strain, and then use the water to steep some black tea leaves in. Very spicy and soothing.
posted by stefnet at 9:31 PM on April 3, 2005
Vietnamese caramel ginger chicken. You can thank me later. You can also do this recipe with tofu, shrimp, or chopped catfish, though I'd add a tablespoon of chopped garlic with the ginger in those cases to add heft to the dish.
This is from my bible of online Vietnamese cooking, Vietworldkitchen.com, written by Andrea Nguyen, a lovely girl who's writing a Vietnamese cookbook. I've got Vietnamese cookbooks, and I keep coming back to this site, so what's that tell you?
It'll also walk you through the simple process of making your caramel sauce, a necessary ingredient, here.
I'm going to say this once, real slow: Read the caramel sauce recipe all the way through before you start. Print it out. Because when the magic happens, there's no time to be running back and forth to the computer.
Here's Nguyen's recipe:
Chicken and Ginger in Caramel Sauce (Ga Kho)
Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes
This is a very straightforward northern Vietnamese preparation. I've read recipes from the central and southern Vietnamese regions that include garlic and chiles, and that saute the chicken with aromatics before simmering. While there's bound to be more complex flavors in those versions, the beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. This preparation shows off the ease of making a kho dish and the delectability of the results.
The chicken exudes its juices during cooking, which adds extra savoriness to the sauce. The ginger softens and mellows, blending in with the other ingredients while still retaining its jolting quality. To crush the ginger, place the flat side of a knife blade on each slice and give the blade a firm whack with the palm of your hand. Crushing the ginger releases more of its juices during cooking, thereby mitigating its bite.
Traditionally, the chicken was left on the bone with the skin attached. You'd cut the chicken pieces up and simmer the ingredients into an unctuous kho. My mother used to simmer chicken wings and what I jokingly called "chicken knees" (the bony knob ends of the drumsticks that she'd cut off as she butchered chickens and save in the freezer). For the sake of ease and health considerations, I now use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled, thinly sliced into quarter- size coins and crushed
3 tablespoons Caramel Sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, green tops only, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving
Place the chicken, ginger, Caramel Sauce, fish sauce, salt and water into a saucepan. Give a stir to distribute everything. Cover and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Stir again to break up the chicken pieces, then replace the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, periodically stirring to evenly expose the chicken to the sauce. The kho will send fragrant steam out from under the lid. The sauce will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices.
After the 10 minutes are up, remove the lid and continue cooking to reduce the sauce and deepen the color to a rich reddish brown, about 5 minutes. Replace the lid and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish sauce, if necessary. Garnish with the chopped green onion and serve with plenty of rice.
posted by sacre_bleu at 9:34 PM on April 3, 2005
This is from my bible of online Vietnamese cooking, Vietworldkitchen.com, written by Andrea Nguyen, a lovely girl who's writing a Vietnamese cookbook. I've got Vietnamese cookbooks, and I keep coming back to this site, so what's that tell you?
It'll also walk you through the simple process of making your caramel sauce, a necessary ingredient, here.
I'm going to say this once, real slow: Read the caramel sauce recipe all the way through before you start. Print it out. Because when the magic happens, there's no time to be running back and forth to the computer.
Here's Nguyen's recipe:
Chicken and Ginger in Caramel Sauce (Ga Kho)
Active Work Time: 10 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 30 minutes
This is a very straightforward northern Vietnamese preparation. I've read recipes from the central and southern Vietnamese regions that include garlic and chiles, and that saute the chicken with aromatics before simmering. While there's bound to be more complex flavors in those versions, the beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. This preparation shows off the ease of making a kho dish and the delectability of the results.
The chicken exudes its juices during cooking, which adds extra savoriness to the sauce. The ginger softens and mellows, blending in with the other ingredients while still retaining its jolting quality. To crush the ginger, place the flat side of a knife blade on each slice and give the blade a firm whack with the palm of your hand. Crushing the ginger releases more of its juices during cooking, thereby mitigating its bite.
Traditionally, the chicken was left on the bone with the skin attached. You'd cut the chicken pieces up and simmer the ingredients into an unctuous kho. My mother used to simmer chicken wings and what I jokingly called "chicken knees" (the bony knob ends of the drumsticks that she'd cut off as she butchered chickens and save in the freezer). For the sake of ease and health considerations, I now use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 (2-inch) piece ginger root, peeled, thinly sliced into quarter- size coins and crushed
3 tablespoons Caramel Sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 green onion, green tops only, chopped
Steamed rice, for serving
Place the chicken, ginger, Caramel Sauce, fish sauce, salt and water into a saucepan. Give a stir to distribute everything. Cover and bring to a strong simmer over medium heat. Stir again to break up the chicken pieces, then replace the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, periodically stirring to evenly expose the chicken to the sauce. The kho will send fragrant steam out from under the lid. The sauce will increase in volume as the chicken releases its juices.
After the 10 minutes are up, remove the lid and continue cooking to reduce the sauce and deepen the color to a rich reddish brown, about 5 minutes. Replace the lid and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust the flavor with extra fish sauce, if necessary. Garnish with the chopped green onion and serve with plenty of rice.
posted by sacre_bleu at 9:34 PM on April 3, 2005
If you have a juicer try mixing grated ginger with freshly squeezed lime juice in a glass and juice in some carrots and an apple or pear. Heaven in a glass. More ginger juicing suggestions towards the end of this thread.
posted by amestoy at 1:35 AM on April 4, 2005
posted by amestoy at 1:35 AM on April 4, 2005
There are a great many Indian dishes that call for ginger, one that comes to mind where it can be used to fine effect is Aloo Gobi.
posted by misteraitch at 2:18 AM on April 4, 2005
posted by misteraitch at 2:18 AM on April 4, 2005
The best ginger in the world comes from Buderim, Queensland, Australia. Check out their recipes here (drop down the list at 3a - "browse for recipes by name"). I'm sure you can find local versions of Buderim's crystalised ginger, and you can just use fresh ginger wherever their bottled ginger is required.
These chocolate and ginger truffles are great.
When you have a cold, brew up some tea, then add plenty of freshly grated ginger, honey and lemon juice. Sip slowly; sniffle.
Soften a pint of premium vanilla icecream. Stir through a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, then refreeze. Also good with a bag of lightly crushed Maltesers stirred through at the same time ;)
Muddle ginger, mint and sugar in a highball glass with ice. Top with a healthy slosh of dark rum and top with ginger ale. And nothing beats Stones Green Ginger Wine with plenty of cracked ice and lemonade in summer.
Simmer sliced ginger, a vanilla bean and a couple of bruised cardamom pods in a simple syrup. Strain, then drizzle over fresh figs. Serve with yoghurt.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:01 AM on April 4, 2005
These chocolate and ginger truffles are great.
When you have a cold, brew up some tea, then add plenty of freshly grated ginger, honey and lemon juice. Sip slowly; sniffle.
Soften a pint of premium vanilla icecream. Stir through a couple of tablespoons of freshly grated ginger, then refreeze. Also good with a bag of lightly crushed Maltesers stirred through at the same time ;)
Muddle ginger, mint and sugar in a highball glass with ice. Top with a healthy slosh of dark rum and top with ginger ale. And nothing beats Stones Green Ginger Wine with plenty of cracked ice and lemonade in summer.
Simmer sliced ginger, a vanilla bean and a couple of bruised cardamom pods in a simple syrup. Strain, then drizzle over fresh figs. Serve with yoghurt.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 4:01 AM on April 4, 2005
I like some fresh grated ginger in my chili. Other than that, I'm bookmarking about 2/3rds of this thread.
posted by caution live frogs at 5:50 AM on April 4, 2005
posted by caution live frogs at 5:50 AM on April 4, 2005
I'm not much of a recipe cook, and — alas — an ex who couldn't stand the stuff broke me of the habit of using much ginger.
Looks like you're getting lots of dessert suggestions. Ginger's also good in marinades for meat. It goes especially well with lemon or lime juice, and you can add some to almost any citrus-based marinade. Lemon, ginger and mint make an awesome combination — try them on fish, or add ginger and mint to a glass of lemonade. It's also good with peanuts or sesame — you can get a good pseudo-Asian peanut sauce by blenderizing peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
If you're into that hippie shit, ginger is very good for the digestion and will settle your stomach quickly. I just suck on a few ginger Altoids when I'm feeling queasy, but in the dark pre-Altoid era, candied ginger or ginger tea would work just as well.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:39 AM on April 4, 2005
Looks like you're getting lots of dessert suggestions. Ginger's also good in marinades for meat. It goes especially well with lemon or lime juice, and you can add some to almost any citrus-based marinade. Lemon, ginger and mint make an awesome combination — try them on fish, or add ginger and mint to a glass of lemonade. It's also good with peanuts or sesame — you can get a good pseudo-Asian peanut sauce by blenderizing peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil.
If you're into that hippie shit, ginger is very good for the digestion and will settle your stomach quickly. I just suck on a few ginger Altoids when I'm feeling queasy, but in the dark pre-Altoid era, candied ginger or ginger tea would work just as well.
posted by nebulawindphone at 7:39 AM on April 4, 2005
My wife makes an awesome marinade for pork tenderloins (she uses it on other things too, but I forget). It's a mixture of fresh ginger root, garlic, a little honey, a little vegetable oil, and soy sauce.
posted by booth at 10:11 AM on April 4, 2005
posted by booth at 10:11 AM on April 4, 2005
stuffy head cold medicine:
boil chopped ginger and garlic in water, then squeeze a lemon on it and stir in some honey. tastes rather nasty, but it provides great (temporary) relief.
posted by leapingsheep at 3:10 PM on April 4, 2005
boil chopped ginger and garlic in water, then squeeze a lemon on it and stir in some honey. tastes rather nasty, but it provides great (temporary) relief.
posted by leapingsheep at 3:10 PM on April 4, 2005
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by orthogonality at 8:34 PM on April 3, 2005