May 26, 2007
Chicken With Cucumber And Bitter Melon
There are weekend farmers markets all around Milwaukee, We go to the one on Fondy, across the street from the original Lena's grocery, not only because it is convenient, but also because it is interesting. Many of the vendors are from the local Hmong community, and along with the greens and tomatoes which are the largest selling produce here on the North side, they offer some seriously hot peppers and other vegetables they grew in their homeland.
Hmong-style cooking, like that of much of Asia, is stir-fried. The technique is simple, you just need a heavy pan (a wok is nice but not essential), high heat, a little oil, uniformly cut vegetables, and lots of stirring and tossing. It goes fast, so you need to have all ingredients ready before beginning to cook.
1 small bitter melon
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
½ pound skinless chicken breast meat, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Cut the bitter melon in half lengthwise, scoop out and discard the seeds, and dice. Toss with salt in colander and let stand 20 minutes. Rinse well and squeeze out the excess liquid, which carries some of the bitter quinine with it.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over high heat in large, heavy skillet. Stir-fry the chicken, garlic and green onions until barely tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove to a bowl. Wipe out the pan and heat again with remaining oil. Stir-fry the bitter melon and cucumber until barely tender, again 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in soy sauce and sugar. Stir in chicken and heat through. Serve with white rice and hot pepper sauce.
Posted by triticale at May 26, 2007 07:37 AM | TrackBack