It’s been a hell of a week for myriad reasons, but for me, it’s been...well… painful. I developed an infection in a lone ‘anchor’ tooth- a molar. The swelling prevented me from eating properly, so I leaned heavily on no-chew soups and broths, scrambled eggs- soft things. And meanwhile, a large portion of my cabin was in utter chaos because of a much-needed paint job which included a ton of scraping and applying of lots and lots of caulk. I can handle pain- to a degree (so long as I can sleep), but I really don’t do well with chaos, so this WFD is smoke and mirrors. So while I sipped soups and winced, I was dreaming of this meal I’d prepared several weeks back. It was delicious.
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It all started with a pleasant discovery at the grocery— D’Artangon merguez sausage- which is a wonderful spicey lamb sausage with Middle Eastern origins. I’ve featured it in menu appetizers served grilled with a simple salad of palm hearts, summer garden tomatoes, XVOO, S+P and fresh lemon juice. This simple combination, served with crusty bread is devine- especially on a warm summer’s evening. It’s averaging in the mid 20’s here and a hell of a lot colder at night, so I made a more substancial stir-fry- tho equally simple.
Leftover rice, merguez, onion, ginger paste, broccoli, chopped toasted almonds, a small spoon of chili-sesame oil and a shot of soy and ponzu (plus the obligatory sliced scallions that just won’t quit re-growing in my indoor potted herb garden)
mis en place
If you just cut the stem, there’s very little mess left on the counter— if any. I like a no-mess recipe. Also, I use all the broccoli only trimming off the brown end of the stem. I (usually) don’t mind the chew of the stems- not even peeled!
I put about ½ inch of water and a 3-finger pinch of kosher salt in a glass bowl and added the broccoli. I microwaved it, ‘tented’ with one of those silicone/rubbery bowl covers. About 1 minute, if I recall. Not cooked through. Still nice and crunchy.
While that was nuking, I heated the wok and in a touch of coconut oil, cooked the cut merguez, onion with the ginger added last. Then I added the leftover rice and broke it up in the wok. I use a bit of fat— oil of some sort-- when I make rice, so it hit the hot pan and really fried- and not a wet sizzle. I cooked it w/o moving for a minute, only flipping around when there was color on the rice.
Next, I added the drained par-cooked broccoli and allowed everything to sear and really get that wok flavor. The chili oil went in next, the lastly, the nuts, soy asnd ponzu.
The result was a wonderful, flavorful bowl with the sweetness of the broccoli contrasting with the spicy, tender sausage. The almonds added a great flavor and crunch- a thing I’ll do again. So much more interesting that just sesame seeds!
That chili sesame oil is easy to make- but be careful. Hot oil is not something to be sloppy with. Burns leave scars, and I’ll never be a fore-arm model because of my collection of war wounds. The amounts of ingredients are flexible depending on your taste and what you have on hand.
In a Pyrex bowl, pour
crushed chili flake, cayenne, salt and sesame seeds.
Heat oil in a small sauce pot. If you have a thermometer, the oil should be between 225F and 250F. I broke mine, so I had to do a couple tests by ladling out some oil and pouring it over the flakes until I saw the sizzle I was looking for. I learned somewhere that doing a 2-round addition of oil/sizzle produces the best, well-rounded flavor. I don’t know if this is true or not, but I do it nonetheless.
I love this oil. Just a touch in a pan w/ butter when scrambling eggs is great. Obviously also a great additive to many other foods. If you don’t use sesame seeds, the use specrtum is broader. It keeps for ever in or out of the fridge, but if it had fresh garlic- or fresh anything in it, it would definitely have a shelf life and would have to be kept in the fridge.
What’s in your bowl tonight?
Aaaand, Cheers from Maine!