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Friday 15 February 2013

Lenten Recipes inspired by Father Z


Cricket fried rice from the Guardian

Serves four to six.
2 large eggs
1 tsp kosher salt
Powdered ginger, to taste
Powdered coriander, to taste
Garlic powder, to taste
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, or to taste
4 tbsp oil for stir-frying, or as needed
1kg cold cooked brown rice
180g roasted crickets (about 3–4 dozen)
150g chopped spring onions
1½ tbsp light soy sauce or oyster sauce, as desired
125g cooked corn kernels
Lightly beat the eggs with the salt, ginger, coriander, garlic powder and pepper.
Heat a wok or frying pan and add two tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, add the egg mixture and cook, stirring, until lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and wipe clean the wok or frying pan.
Add two tablespoons of oil. Add the rice and stir-fry for a few minutes, using a wooden spoon to break it apart. Add the crickets and onions, and stir in soy or oyster sauce as desired. Continue stir-frying for a few more minutes. When the rice is heated through, return the egg to the pan, mix and stir in corn kernels. Serve hot.


Mealworm French Fries from Insects are Food
Ingredients:
  • 4 U.S. grade No. 1 fresh potatoes (Idaho potatoes)
  • 2 dozen mealworms – boiled but not roasted
  • 1 cup chopped scallions
  • ½ teaspoon smoked salt
Directions:
Cut and slice potatoes into preferred style, i.e. shoestring, etc. Keep the skin on to enhance the homemade appearance and flavor. If you prefer to peel your potatoes, please keep in mind that fries made from peeled potatoes should be chilled after cutting in cold water for 10 minutes to 30 minutes before frying, to ensure maximum crispiness and to prevent them from sticking together while frying.
Deep fry potatoes, mealworms and scallions together for 3 minutes in proper temperature oil. The oil is the proper temperature when the fries don’t sink when dropped in and bubbles remain on top of the oil. Always use clean oil to fry potatoes.
Tips: A little known chef’s secret to prevent the potatoes from darkening is to add citrus acid or vinegar to the water solution. Also in order to avoid water spattering and to reduce fat absorption spin dry potatoes as much as possible before frying. In order to get really crispy and tasty fries, fry them twice.

Cicada-licious from Insects are Food
Courtesy of Created by Jenna Jadin and the University of Maryland Cicadamaniacs © 2004 University of Maryland 2nd edition
Cicadas are a delicacy in the city of Shanghai, China, where this creative recipe originated.
Ingredients:
  • Cicadas
  • anises
  • salt
  • rice wine
  • mashed garlic
  • celery
Directions:

Boil the cicadas and anises in salted rice wine for five minutes, then remove the cicadas. 

Sauté the mashed garlic, adding water and rice wine to make a paste.

Deep-fry the cicadas, then skewer them with bamboo picks.
Arrange them on a plate with the turnip greens, celery, and garlic paste to look like the cicadas are climbing out of a mud pie onto green foliage


Well, with so many insects, we would not starve if we learned how to eat them...........