Recipe: Asian grilling unleashes dazzling flavors in meat and vegetables

Oh, the allure of food grilled Asian style, the primordial perfume of smoke melding with the scent of caramelized basting sauces and marinades. Sweet and sour, salty, and spicy tastes form an irresistible, crisp jacket of flavor over grilled vegetables and meat. Fish and fowl, too.

Su-Mei Yu, author of “Asian Grilling” (William Morrow), writes that it’s the balance of flavors used to marinate and/or baste that makes Asian-grilled dishes so appealing. She explains that it is the distinct flavors of Asian seasonings that make it so delicious, adding that they are designed to match perfectly with the main ingredient.

She advises readers to find the primary taste that they like best (sweet, sour, salty or spicy hot) and build on that, contrasting it with other flavors.

In her book she explains that each Asian region has its own distinct seasoning style. In Southeast Asia, garlic, lemon grass, salt, turmeric, white pepper, and ginger or galangal (a rhizome with ginger-peppery flavor)  are generally signature ingredients. In China, sesame oil, soy sauce, cinnamon, five-spice powder, and ginger often play a key role. Koreans, she says, prefer a sweeter blend, using sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce and green onions. The Japanese favor more simple, clean tastes, frequently using soy sauce, miso (fermented soybean paste), mirin (wine made from glutinous rice), and sugar.

Here are delicious examples of Asian grilling; some made with chicken, one with beef, and one with Asian eggplant.

Chicken and Green Onion Yakitori

Grilling is a revered tradition in Japan. There’s a more formal grilling style called robatayaki and a casual style called yakitori. The word yakitori is from yaki, which means grilled, and tori, which means chicken.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

About 10-12 bamboo skewers

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts or thighs

2 bunches thick green onions, plus 3 green onions coarsely chopped, divided use; see cook’s notes

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sake

1/2 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

3 tablespoons sugar

3 (1/4-inch thick) slices fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

Vegetable oil for oiling grate

Cook’s notes: Traditionally, the chicken is skewered with negi, a member of the green onion family that’s thicker than a green onion but thinner than a leek. They are sold at some Japanese markets. Here common green onions are used and serve to add a tasty contrast.

DIRECTIONS

1. Place bamboo skewers in pan; cover with cold water. Allow to soak while you prepare yakitori. Rinse chicken in cold running water; drain and blot dry with paper towels. Cut crosswise into pieces 2 inches long and 1/2 inch wide and thick. Set aside.

2. Trim roots off whole green onions and cut white portion into 2-inch pieces; cut green portion into 4-inch pieces and fold in half.

3. Dry skewers. Thread chicken pieces crosswise on skewers, alternating with green onion (both a piece of white and a folded piece of green); use 4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Arrange skewers on platter and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to grill, up to 6 hours.

4. Preheat grill to high. Prepare sauce: Combine soy, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic and chopped green onion in small, heavy saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until blended and sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until sauce is glossy and syrupy and reduced to 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into bowl (sauce can be prepared up to 6 hours in advance, covered and refrigerated).

5. When ready to cook, oil grill grate. Arrange skewers on hot grate and grill, turning with tongs, until chicken is nicely browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side; brush it generously with sauce at least once on each side while cooking, but not during the last 3 minutes.

Source: Adapted from “The Barbecue Bible” by Steven Raichlen (Workman, $18.95)

Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce

This satay is Nonya-Style, a fusion of Malaysian, Indian and Chinese cooking. In this recipe chicken is the star, but pork loin can be substituted. Accompany the satay with peanut sauce for dipping.

Yield: 10 to 12 skewers

INGREDIENTS

For marinade:

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 serrano chilies, minced; see cook’s notes

1 stalk lemon grass, tough outer layers and green parts removed, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric (for chicken); see cook’s notes

3 shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup)

1 tablespoon ground blanched almonds

1 teaspoon red miso; see cook’s notes

1/2 cup coconut milk; see cook’s notes

For satay:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

10 to 12 bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes, then dried with paper towel

1/3 cup pineapple juice

Vegetable cooking spray

For serving: Peanut Dipping Sauce; recipe included

Cook’s notes: Use caution when working with fresh chilies. Wash hands and work surface thoroughly upon completion; do NOT touch face or eyes.

DIRECTIONS

1. Put coriander seeds in small skillet and dry-roast over medium-high heat, sliding skillet back and forth over burner to prevent burning, until spice exudes a pleasant aroma, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl to cool. Grind in spice grinder (or pound seeds in a zipper style plastic bag with a mallet or bottom of a saucepan) and set aside.

2. In blender, add all marinade ingredients; whirl until pureed. If prepared ahead, place in glass jar; seal well and refrigerate overnight. When ready to use, place in bowl.

3. Slice chicken diagonally across grain into thin strips. Add chicken to marinade; mix well, coating it thoroughly, and let sit 30 minutes.

4. Start grill, mounding charcoal on 1 side of grill, leaving other half empty. While grill is heating, thread 3-4 pieces of chicken onto each skewer into a tight bundle, covering 5 inches of skewer. Add pineapple juice to marinade and mix well. Set aside.

5. Spray skewers generously with vegetable oil. Place skewers with meat portion on grill over medium-high heat, arranging them close to one another. The uncovered portion of the skewer should not be over coals. Grill, brushing lightly and frequently with marinade only during the first 5 minutes of grilling, turning frequently to prevent burning. Grill until outside is crispy brown and inside white and tender, a total of 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to platter. Serve with Peanut Dipping Sauce.

Source: Adapted from “Asian Grilling” by Su-Mei Yu (William Morrow, $24.95)

Haley’s Peanut Dipping Sauce

Yield: About 2/3 cup

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water, plus 1/3 cup water, divided use

1/2 teaspoon canola oil

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup hoisin sauce; see cook’s notes

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

Optional: Asian chili sauce, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In small bowl, combine cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water; set aside.

2. In medium skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add hoisin, vinegar, 1/3 cup water and peanut butter; mix well and bring to boil. To add some optional spicy heat, stir in Asian chili sauce to taste.

Source: Haley Nguyen, chef-instructor, Long Beach City College

Kang’s Grilled Asian Eggplants

Asian eggplants are irresistible when grilled to perfection. Unlike the common globe eggplant variety, Asian eggplants are long and slender; they are lightly seeded and hold their shape when grilled. Grilled Asian eggplant starts by marinating scored Japanese (Asian) eggplant halves in a mixture of soy, Chinese oyster sauce, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Then it’s grilled until tender but not mushy. Other vegetables, such as zucchini, can be prepared in the same way.

Yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

4 Asian (Japanese) eggplants

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1-2 tablespoons mixed, minced fresh herbs, such as thyme, oregano, parsley or basil (choose 2)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup Asian sesame oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut eggplant almost in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion along 1 side attached; open book style. Using small, sharp knife, score interior (make shallow parallel cuts about 1 inch apart; do NOT cut through skin). Set aside.

2. In shallow glass or ceramic pan large enough to hold eggplant in single layer, mix remaining ingredients. Place eggplant, cut side down, in marinade. Marinate 1 hour.

3. Heat grill. Grill eggplant, turning frequently, until cooked through, about 5 minutes depending on side of eggplant and heat of fire. To serve, sever the “hinge” holding two halves together.

Source: Michael Kang, retired chef-restauranteur

Beef Skewers with Green Apple Salad

Mai Pham, a chef, and cookbook author, came to the United States from Vietnam. In this scrumptious dish, she substitutes tart green apples for green mango, a more common ingredient in Southeast Asian cuisine.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

Bamboo skewers

1 pound flank steak

3 stalks lemongrass, root end trimmed, tough outer leaves discarded

1 tablespoon minced shallot

4 teaspoons Asian fish sauce

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

Dressing:

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 large garlic clove, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced serrano chili, see cook’s notes

Salad:

4 unpeeled Granny Smith apples

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1/4 cup chopped salted roasted peanuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Soak bamboo skewers in water. Pat beef dry and cut across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices. Cut a 3-inch portion off the root end of lemongrass; cut each of these portions into slices (upper stalks can be discarded or used to flavor curry or broth). Mince it or place in mini food processor and pulse to finely mince. In a nonreactive bowl, stir minced lemongrass with shallots, 4 teaspoons fish sauce, soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sugar; add beef and toss. Marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. Prepare grill; heat to medium-high and clean grate (I like to clean with a folded paper towel held with tongs and dipped in vegetable oil). Place all dressing ingredients in blender; puree until smooth and set aside.

3. Thread any small pieces of beef on bamboo skewers to prevent it from falling through grate. Grill beef slices, in batches, if necessary, uncovered, turning once, until lightly charred, about 2 minutes per batch. Transfer to plate.

4. Cut unpeeled apples into matchsticks; gently toss with two-thirds of the dressing, plus basil, cilantro, and peanuts. Mound onto 4 plates and top with beef. Drizzle some of the remaining dressing over the beef.

Source: “Pleasures of the Vietnamese Table” by Mai Pham as adapted in “The Gourmet Cookbook” by Ruth Reichl

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet” and “Melissa’s Great Book of Produce.” Follow her at @CathyThomas Cooks.com.