8. GOURMET ORIENTALE

Oriental dishes have become increasingly well-known to Occidental palates. While we had always understood that time had no meaning whatever in the Orient, oddly enough most Chinese and Japanese cookery requires only minutes to prepare.

Presentation of a dish is much more important in the Orient than in even the fanciest gourmet restaurant of the West. In authentic Japanese or Chinese cookery, for instance, there are special—and very time-consuming—ways to cut and slice vegetables: some are supposed to resemble flowers and others should look like tiny fishes, and it is all very beautiful but in the last analysis, they still taste like carrots and peas. ...

Generally speaking, Oriental cuisine is "innumerable varia­tions on a single theme"—and the theme is rice. The varia­tions are chicken, pork, beef, eggs, lobster and shrimps. Lamb, veal and ham practically are unknown in the Orient . . . but the East has things unknown to us, such as Korean shrimps which are infinitely superior to the fanciest Gulf prawns we have ever known.

While Oriental recipes are generally more highly seasoned and spiced than our western cookery, they are not necessarily hot in the sense of, say Mexican cookery. Many Eastern spices and herbs are more tasty than tangy, and although they may require a little caution until your palate is used to them, they are also a fertile field for experimentation . . . for as you learn their distinctive flavors, you will dare to add a pinch of this or that to one of your prized Occidental recipes—to create a totally new and delicious effect.

CURRY IN A HURRY

One of the most gourmet of all dishes is the curry.

Almost anything can be curried.

A good curry sauce is the definitive answer to leftovers; it is far more impressive than even your finest pasta dish in those difficult moments when cocktail guests are having such a good time they refuse to go home—and in order to feed your famished family, you are forced to offer "potluck" for everyone.

While the authentic East Indian curry takes hours to pre­pare, a gourmet effect can be produced in minutes with today's ingredients.

If you are not familiar with curry, it's wise to experiment as regards the amount of seasoning you personally prefer. Gourmets of long standing, and people who have lived in the Orient, usually like lots of curry, but for your first attempts, make it mild. With time, its odd musty flavor will appeal more and more, and you will find yourself increasing the amount gradually until you, too, are unsatisfied unless it takes the roof off your mouth.

Curry was admittedly originated as a substitute for re­frigeration in the hot countries of the Orient. Its heavy spice not only disguised the taste of meats and poultry gone a bit "high," but provided a bulwark within the tummy against possible ptomaine.

Curry is generally available in powdered form; it also exists in paste form. Its basic ingredients are cumin, coriander, cardamom, cloves, mace, ginger, black pepper, Cayenne, dill, fenugreek (which is a hard seed with a pleasant smell that is also used in chutneys), and turmeric—which creates the characteristic mustard-yellow color.

For the gourmet chef, curry presents a wonderful field for exploration and experimentation. You may add as much plain turmeric as curry powder, to give an extra deep-yellow Oriental color to the dish. A ¼ tsp lovage will further enhance the flavor. Fish, eggs, all kinds of meats, and a great many vegetables can be curried, either alone_or in combinations according to your fancy . , . and fruit curries are equally delicious.

The real Far Eastern touch depends upon side dishes, known as "sambals." There are at least twenty traditional varieties . . . plus whatever your own ingenuity and palate may dictate.

All curries are served with rice, which is the staple food of" the Orient, replacing our bread.

Depending upon the number of sambals you serve with your curry, it is correctly called "Eight-boy Curry," "Eleven-boy Curry," etc., etc. . . . and that is because, in the old days of the British Raj and the East Indian planters, each sambal was served by a separate turbaned houseboy, dressed in a starched white tunic with high tight collar; it was some­times the whim of the host to turban each boy in a color to match or complement the particular sambal he offered to the guests I

The traditional service of curry and the Javanese Rijstaffel is always basically the same: first, a plate before each guest; second, the bowls of fluffy hot rice; third, the curry sauces and hot main dishes, and lastly, the "sambals." But while formerly the host provided a servitor for each side dish —and even today, a Batavian hotel serves its Rijstaffel with 20 native boys each bearing a sambal dish in either hand!— your guests will be equally happy with as many accompani­ments as can be tastefully displayed upon a "Lazy Susan!"

First—

The Curry Sauce:

1 tin condensed cream soup… mushroom, celery, asparagus, cream of vegetable, cream of chicken… the choice will depend on what is to be curried

1 large onion, very thinly sliced

1 cup milk

 ⅛ tsp garlic powder

½ green pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 or 2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 or 2 stalks of celery, chopped

Curry powder – 1 or 2 tablespoons

Turmeric – an amount equal to the curry powder

Lovage - ¼ tsp

Combine soup and milk in the top of a double boiler, mix smooth. Add all other ingredients and whatever is to be curried (meat, fish, vegetables, etc.). Stir thoroughly, cover and hold over hot water, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

SAMBALS(side dishes)

Traditional

Fresh grated coconut

Sauteed onion rings

Pepper rings: both fresh green and sweet red peppers

For quick service

A can or package of commercial coconut

A tin, or frozen package of French fried onions

Tinned pimiento, cut in very fine strips

Crisp-fried bacon, cut very finely

Chopped peanuts, either plain or salted

Hardboiled eggs: shell, separate whites from yolks and sieve. Serve with a pile of yolk in the center, surrounded by minced egg whites Freshly grated orange and lemon peels—served in small individual dishes. Cucumbers: Do not peel; scrub thoroughly, slice very thinly and marinate in Vinaigrette dressing. Serve chilled.

A mixture of freshly chopped parsley and chives Coarsely cut firm cherry tomatoes Seedless raisins, Sultanas, and currants—soaked in sherry and drained

Grapefruit and/or orange sections, soaked in sherry Toasted slivered almonds, or chopped cashews Finely chopped hazelnuts (or pistachio nuts) Chutney Preserved ginger, cut fine

Fruit sherbet (to cool the palate if the curry is hot) Bombay Ducks—which are not poultry but salty dried East

Indian fish, to be crumbled over the curry Sauteed bananas: sprinkle bananas with sugar, fresh lime juice, grated nutmeg, and saute in butter until light brown Peeled, coarsely cut sections of fresh ripe mangoes

Finely chopped green tomatoes, marinated in French dressing

Chopped preserved kumquats Green tomato conserve

Grated bitter chocolate (particularly for fruit curries) Minced fresh mint

Grated carrot mixed with a little grated white onion Minced celery Chopped sauteed mushrooms

Oh, sambals are endless! Your particular choice will depend upon what is already part of the curry itself; the side dishes should be selected to point up the basic flavors.

RICE

Today's packaged and quick-cooking rice makes curry service an easy matter. Our personal preference is Minute Rice, which can be made first and set aside to keep warm while you give your attention to the main dish.

If you fancy the authentic Oriental preparation of rice, it is still quite easy to make.

East Indian Rice

1 cup white long-grain rice

1 tsp salt

2 T butter

1 tsp lemon juice or mild white vinegar

2½ cups water

Start the water in a deep saucepan, add salt, lemon juice and butter, and bring to a boil—while you wash the rice very thoroughly, to remove all the starch. Add the rice slowly to the boiling water, bring once more to the boil, cover and reduce heat sharply until the rice just simmers over the lowest heat. When the rice is tender (about 15-20 minutes) drain in a colander, cover with a clean dishtowel, and steam the rice over hot water for 5 or 10 minutes. Do not rinse the rice before the final steaming period. Do not peek during the cooking period. Keep the heat very low to prevent sticking and do not stir or you will end with broken bits instead of fluffy separate grains.

To serve rice with an Oriental look, pile it loosely in a deep custard cup and unmold on the plate in a neat mound.

STEAMED RICE VARIATIONS

For 2 cups of steamed rice, add any of the following:

Malay Versions

1. finely chopped nuts—pignolias, cashews, pistachios, almonds . . . ½ cup
   
   
2. minced parsley—2 tablespoons
   
   
3. ¼drained can of pineapple bits, sauteed in 1 table­ spoon of butter
   
   
4. 1 teaspoon turmeric

Indian Versions

1. Saute a minced onion in 2 tablespoons butter, sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 pinch each of ground cloves and garlic powder. Cook about 4 minutes, until onion is soft, and mix with steamed rice.
   
   
2. ¼ cup slivered toasted almonds and ¼ cup Sultana raisins.
   
   
3. ½ teaspoon of curry powder to 2 cups steamed rice

Bali

Add a tablespoon of curry powder to 2 cups steamed rice

East Africa

¼ cup each of chopped peanuts and currants

RIJSTAFFEL

This is the traditional Javanese dinner, which was devel­oped in the great plantation days of the last century, by the Dutch planters who had scant amusement aside from eating, poor things. A complete Rijstaffel consists of ten or a dozen main dishes, mostly curries, and as many sambal dishes as one can think of. It bears witness to the era when servants, particularly in the Orient, were practically a penny a dozen . . . because traditional preparation and service will require a full day plus six extra hands.

However, some of the Rijstaffel main dishes can easily be made in a short time—to be accompanied, as always with mounds of fluffy rice and a few of the simplest sambals.

Nasi Goreng

East Indian fish and meat dish, highly spiced.

1 cup cooked chicken meat, cut in strips

1 cup cooked shrimp, coarsely chopped

1 can crabmeat(drained and fibers removed, coarsely cut)

½ cup cooked ham cubes

1½ cup cooked rice

4 tablespoons peanut or salad oil(not olive oil)

2 chopped onions

1 clove garlic, pressed

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground chili peppers

¼ tsp mace

2 T peanut butter

First prepare quick-cooking rice and set aside to mature until needed. Leftover rice is excellent; in Java, the rice for Nasi Goreng is usually cooked the previous day, so that it will be very dry.

Next start the oil, add minced onions and garlic, and cook over a very low flame to prevent burning. Stir occasionally.

Prepare shrimp—cleaned frozen shrimp need only about 10 minutes to cook in boiling water to cover, and are better than tinned shrimps because they are more firm in texture.

While shrimp are boiling, cut up the chicken and ham; clean a can of crab meat (Geisha brand or similar) and shred in fairly large pieces.

Add rice to onions, and stir frequently until it browns.

Drain shrimp and cut coarsely. Add all the meat and fish, plus spices and peanut butter, to the rice and mix well. Cook gently, stirring constantly, over low heat for 10 minutes. Serve with several sambals, such as chutney, chopped raisins, sliced fresh banana, or grapefruit sections.

HATI HATI

Chicken livers, highly seasoned.

1 lb chicken livers, coarsely chopped

1 cup coconut

1 cup milk

3 T butter

1 small chopped onion

1 clove garlic, pressed

¼ tsp dried ground chili pepper

¼ cup ground almonds

2 T grated lemon rind fresh(1 tablespoon of powdered lemon rind)

2 tablespoons orange juice

½ tsp salt

1 Tamarid – or a tablespoon each of fresh lemon juice and plum jam

Combine coconut and milk in a saucepan, bring to a boil, remove from heat and leave for 15 minutes. Then press all the milk from the coconut; discard the pulp.

Melt butter, add onion, garlic and chili powder, and saute 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add livers and saute for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, in­cluding coconut milk, cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve with rice.

BAKED SPICY FISH

4 fish fillets(sole, mackerel, or boned shad)

½ cup melted butter

3 T lemon juice

¼ cup soy sauce

¼ tsp ground chili peppers

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 pressed cloves of garlic

Mix salt, pepper and garlic together thoroughly and rub on both sides of fish fillets. Place in a buttered baking dish and bake 10 minutes in moderate (375) oven. Combine re­maining ingredients in a butter melter, blend well and keep warm. Use about a third of it to baste the fish after ten minutes; continue to bake for another 20 minutes, basting and turning the fillets several times. Distribute the remaining warm sauce over the cooked fillets when you transfer them to serving plates, and accompany with steamed rice.

FRUIT CURRY(2-step cookery)

½ cup fresh ripe mango, cut coarsely

2 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced

1 cup fresh melon balls(or a defrosted package)

1 sliced banana

1 small drained tin of pineapple chunks

1½ cups Sauterne(or enough to cover fruit mixture in a bowl)

1½ cups chicken consommé

¼ cup each: chopped pistachio nuts(or almonds); Sultana raisins

1 tsp cornstarch, mixed in 1 T water

2 T curry powder

Grated coconut and cooked steamed rice

1. Combine all the fruits in a bowl, cover with Sauterne, and let stand for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. If you prepare the fruit on the previous evening, sprinkle banana and peaches with the juice of a lemon and place them at the bottom of the bowl where they will be well-covered by the wine—to prevent unsightly blackening of the fruit.
   
   
2. Drain the fruit juice and wine, and return fruit to the refrigerator.

Prepare 2 cups quick-cooking rice and set aside to keep warm.

Combine 1½ cups of the wine with 1½ cups chicken con­somme in a deep saucepan, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add nuts and raisins, and thicken the sauce with cornstarch dis­solved in a little warm water. Stir smooth, and add a bit of the mixture to the curry powder to dissolve it; return curry to the sauce, and cook smoothly for 5 minutes.

To serve: apportion the chilled fruit over hot rice on each plate, cover with some of the hot sauce (placing the rest in a sauce pitcher on the table), sprinkle with coconut.

SUKIYAKI

This is properly pronounced "SkeeyaJd" and is the national dish of Japan. It should be prepared at table in a chafing dish, and much depends upon the artistry with which you cut and slice the ingredients, as well as the quick cooking.

4 T salad oil(Wesson, sesame, peanut – for once you do not need pure olive oil!)

2 bunches scallions

1 green pepper, seeded

3 yellow onions

3 stalks celery

½ pound mushrooms

1 cup bamboo shoots

¼ cup sugar

¾ cup soy sauce

1 cup strong bouillon

1 cup shredded spinach

2 pounds sirloin steak

½ pound vermicelli, boiled and drained(or 1 cake soybean curd)

Sake or Sherry

First, you must cut the meat and vegetables prettily: The steak should be cut in thin slices, about 2 inches square by % an inch thick. The celery stalks should be cut on the diagonal; the mushrooms should be sliced from one side of the cap to the other—in such a way that, through the stem area, there will be thin umbrella-shaped pieces. If you can obtain genuine soybean curd, it is traditionally sliced ¼ inch thick.

Cut the green- seeded pepper in rings.

Wash and shred the spinach coarsely (cabbage, either Chinese or white, can be substituted here).

Clean the scallions and cut them in 3-inch lengths, tops and all.

Peel and thinly slice the yellow onions.

Slice the bamboo shoots (drain them from a can).

Prepare a cup of strong bouillon (use 2 bouillon cubes).

All the above operations should be done in the kitchen.

The various ingredients are then distributed artistically in small groups on a large platter. For your first attempt, per­haps you will be wise to place the piles in order of use, start­ing clockwise from the pile of meat strips.

Thus, you will have: meat; onions, pepper, scallions, celery; bamboo shoots, mushrooms, and spinach (or cabbage); soybean curd slices (or vermicelli).

On a separate tray, you will have: a measuring cup, a bowl, the ¼ cup of oil, the bottle of soy sauce, a small jar of sugar, the cup of strong bouillon, and a bottle of Sake, if obtainable. Sherry is an acceptable replacement.

Finally, as the guests look on hungrily, you start to pre­pare the Sukiyald. First, heat the oil in the chafing dish; throw in the meat slices and brown quickly on all sides.

Combine the bouillon, soy sauce, sugar in the bowl, and add about half to the chafing dish. Push the meat to one side of the dish, and add: onions, scallions, celery, and green pepper.

Cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Add the remaining stock, the bamboo shoots, mushrooms and spinach (or cab­bage). Again cook gently for 3 minutes. Finally add the bean curd slices (or the cooked vermicelli), and simmer for another 3 minutes. Add ½ cup of Sake (if you can get it— and if not, substitute a tablespoon of dry sherry), heat for a minute, stirring gently.

Serve immediately, on top of plain boiled rice.

RISOTTO and CHINESE FRIED RICE

This is the "other" way to prepare rice—and every coun­try boasts some dish made this way. It is simply raw rice browned in fat, then cooked in meat juice . . . with in­numerable variations.

Italian Risotto

1½ cups ordinary white rice

2 T olive oil

2 (or more) cups chicken consommé or bouillon

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add washed rice and stir until it turns a golden brown (about 5 minutes). Reduce heat and add a cup of consomme or bouillon. Stir briskly until bubbling stops; cover tightly and simmer over lowest heat for 5 minutes. Add more consomme, re-cover and con­tinue to simmer.

Subsequently check the rice every 5 minutes or so, adding consomme as needed. Overall, the cooking should take about 25-30 minutes, to produce a tender brown-tinged rice that has absorbed all the liquid.

This is a basic recipe—but any gourmet chef can produce infinite variations, such as adding:

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

a clove or pressed garlic

¼ tsp each of basil and oregano

1 tsp of chervil, and ½ tsp celery salt

½ cup of any diced leftover meat, fish or chicken

Chinese Fried Rice

This differs from Risotto in that it uses cooked rice and contains an addition of some kind of vegetable or meat. . . .

2 T oil

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 cup cold rice(or prepare a cup of quick-cooking rice at the start of the dish-to be ready when needed)

1 T soy sauce

½ tsp salt

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup of additions such as: Minced cooked chicken, pork, beef, ham(or a leftover)

Minced shrimp, lobster or crab meat

½ cup minced green peppers

½ cup minced nuts: peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc

Heat the oil, saute onions until brown, add cooked rice (or quick-cooking as above), and saute the rice until it browns. Add eggs, soy sauce and salt, and the cup of "addition." Saute for a further five minutes.

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