Prosciutto And Asian Pear Sushi By Ming Tsai Recipes

MASTER SUSHI RICE

Steps:

• Wash rice at least 3 times or until water is clear. Fill rice cooker or casserole with water to about 1-inch over rice or use Mt Fuji method. I highly recommend a rice cooker - more than 2 billion people use them in Asia for a reason. Slowly heat vinegar, mirin and sugar until very hot but not boiling. Fold in 'su' (vinegar and sugar) with the hot rice, add enough so that the rice has a tart/sweet taste. Rice should be shiny, not mushy. Carefully clean bowl with damp cloth, cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

PROSCIUTTO, ASIAN PEAR, AND DATE CANAPES WITH MINT

Steps:

• On a cutting board hold 1 Asian pear, stem side up, and cut down through pear just to right of stem, cutting off largest piece of fruit possible and avoiding core. Turn pear so cut side faces you and cut again in same manner. Cut off remaining 2 sides of pear in same manner and discard core. Put 1 piece, cut side down, on cutting board and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Cut remaining pieces of pear in same manner. Repeat procedure with remaining pear. You should have about forty 1/4-inch-thick slices.
• Halve each date lengthwise and fill indentation in each half with 1/2 teaspoon cream cheese. Cut prosciutto into 3- by 3/4-inch strips. Top a pear slice with a mint leaf and top mint leaf with a date half, filling side down. Fold a piece of prosciutto lengthwise in half and wrap crosswise over pear and date, tucking ends underneath. Make more canapés in same manner.

MING TSAI'S SWEET AND SOUR SPARE RIBS

Steps:

• ** Brine method: Use sweet sea water ratio: 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup kosher salt to 1 quart water, multiply as necessary to fully submerge pork in a large container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Rinse under running water before cooking.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Rinse the ribs and pat dry. Place brined ribs, cut in two, in pan and cover the pan with about 1/4-inch of ponzu. Cover with foil and place in oven and bake until ponzu is evaporated, about 1 hour.
• Remove ribs and place pan over medium-high heat and coat with oil. Preheat broiler.
• In pan, saute ginger and onions until soft and add cranberries. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Deglaze with 1/2 cup ponzu, add brown sugar and cook for about five minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender. Remove stopper from blender top, cover stopper hole with folded over towel and, while placing hand over towel, start blending on low speed. Be careful of the steam rising out of the stopper hole. Adjust to high speed and blend smooth.
• Brush ponzu-brown sugar mixture on ribs and broil on both sides for about 8 minutes or until sticky. Slice and serve ribs stacked.

PROSCIUTTO AND ASIAN PEAR 'SUSHI' BY MING TSAI

Steps:

• In a non-reactive saucepan, combine vinegars and simmer.
• Reduce by 60 to 70 percent until a syrupy consistency is achieved. Keep in mind that the syrup will thicken as it cools.
• In a bowl, mix julienned pears with lime juice and season with pepper.
• Using a sushi mat lay out one or two slices of prosciutto.
• Lay the pear pieces across the bottom of the prosciutto.
• Roll very tightly.
• Drizzle some vinegar syrup on a plate in a zigzag pattern.
• Slice rolls like sushi and garnish with chives and cracked peppercorns.