A new packaging trend...and chicken long rice
October 28th, 2009 by Wanda Adams
The new "food tube" technology.
Have you noticed a new packaging trend being used by a variety of food manufacturers? They're little tubes or lozenges of various powders or liquids, often in a condensed form. I've seen them for powdered teas or other drink mixtures and for concentrated beef or chicken stock. They're used both for individual servings and for larger serving sizes. They work really well and save space compared to, for example, cans or jars. Clever. I haven't really done a price comparison and they haven't really proliferated yet so we're early into this technology but I predict it will become a regular part of our food packaging world.
By request, here's my recipe for chicken long rice. Simple. The secret, to me, is lots of ginger. Also really good chicken broth. The bean thread noodles, also known as sai fun, cellophane threads or glass noodles, lend a pleasing chewiness. Someone asked what brand I prefer and I'm not sure I even have a preference; I checked my cupboard and what I have is Mum's brand, I think from Marukai. Although this is the recipe in my book, The Island Plate, I don't always make it this way. I tend to buy chicken thighs on the bone when they're on sale and I brown them before I put them in the soup rather than using the boneless. The boneless works best if you don't have much time. One thing is, you don't want to put the bean threads in the soup hours ahead of time because it gets kind of soft and soggy so if you're holding it for a while, put the chicken and vegetables together but add the long rice closer to serving time.
Chicken Long Rice/ Gingered Chicken Stew
1 pkg. (3.75 oz.) bean threads
4 c. rich chicken broth
2 c. water
1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into chunks
2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch shoestrings
1 (4-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced (about 1.5 oz.)
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms (about 3 oz.), cut in half crosswise and sliced
Dash Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 c. green onions, cut into 1-inch lengths
In medium bowl, place bean threads with hot water to cover until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and snip with scissors into bite-size lengths. In soup pot, combine broth and water. Add chicken and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots, ginger; simmer 10 minutes. Add mushrooms and bean threads, five-spice powder, salt and soy sauce; simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and flavors are melded.
Serves 8.
October 29th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Thank you, Wanda, for the chicken long rice recipe and the tips on how to cook it. I'll try it tonight.
October 30th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Ask and you shall receive ~ Thx for the long rice recipe! I immediately noticed differences from the way I've made it...have never added Shiitake mushr., carrots or 5-spice...so maybe that will be the difference.
I like the simple clear type of chix long rice with thin noodles served at luaus, but my favorite is the long rice found at okazuyas (?), with display cases, the thick dark noodles not in a broth. That's the type that I cannot seem to duplicate. Guess I need a mama-san to show me.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Wanda, I absolutely love chicken long rice! Thank you for the recipe. Maybe you can help me figure out a dish which sounds somewhat like what Tahoe-gal is asking about but I saw it at Yummy! Korean BBQ in the NEX Food Court (upstairs). I'm back on the mainland and have described it to my Korean neighbor and she said it sounded like Chop Chae. Could be but I never asked what it was called, it looked interesting, and I loved the flavor of it. It has long bean thread which have been soaked in a marinade like teriyaki (but that's not the flavor) so it has a coca-cola color to the noodles, and no sauce with it. I've successfully recreated Kalua pork in my oven (using Hawaiian salt but spinach leaves instead of ti leaves--not available here in NC) and my friends love when I make it. Even made some chili the other day which my daughter said was better than Zippy's which surprised me she remembered their chili at all (we've been back here 3 years now). Thank you for your help!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 am
Yes, that chop chae, sometimes spelled jap jae, and it's their version of long rice. The noodle, however, is thicker and made from a different material. I really like these noodles, they have a nice, hefty texture.
I've got a recipe in, I think, my second cookbook. Here it is...
It is not possible for Koreans to celebrate without a platter of chap chae (aka japchae; pronoucned “ jahp-jay”) — transparent noodles glistening with a soy-based sauce flecked with vegetable strips. The dish is compiled, ingredient by stir-fried ingredient, in a large bowl, then served at room temperature.
No sweet potato noodles? Use any transparent “cellophane”-type noodle — rice or mung bean.
Chap Chae/Korean Celebration Noodles
3 Tbsp. sherry
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 pound lean beef tenderloin, in strips, sliced along the grain
10 dried shiitake noodles, reconstituted in hot water, drained and julienned
2-3 c. mixed julienned vegetables — spinach, Napa cabbage, onion, carrot, scallion, bell pepper (any color)
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
2 tsp. sesame oil
10-12 oz. dang myun (sweet potato noodles)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes or Korean coarse red pepper powder (as for kim chee)
In a bowl, combine1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, lemon juice, sugar and 1 tablespoon garlic. Place beef in bowl and work marinade into it with your fingers. Allow to marinate 10 minutes. In a wok, heat vegetable oil, place beef and marinade in wok and stir-fry until beef is cooked through. Place beef in a large bowl and set aside.
Place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in wok, heat and stir-fry vegetables (work in batches if your wok isn’t large) until they’re brightly colored but still crisp. Add remaining sherry and soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and remaining garlic, stir-fry a few seconds, then place in bowl with beef. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place noodles inside; boil 5 minutes, until softened but still al dente. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Toss with remaining sesame oil and place in bowl. Toss all ingredients together. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 6-8.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:11 am
Yes, that sounds like chap chae or japchae, the Korean version of fried noodles. They are made with a thicker, more firm noodle, which I like very much.
Here is the recipe from one of my cookbooks.
It is not possible for Koreans to celebrate without a platter of chap chae (aka japchae; pronoucned “ jahp-jay”) — transparent noodles glistening with a soy-based sauce flecked with vegetable strips. The dish is compiled, ingredient by stir-fried ingredient, in a large bowl, then served at room temperature.
No sweet potato noodles? Use any transparent “cellophane”-type noodle — rice or mung bean.
Chap Chae/Korean Celebration Noodles
3 Tbsp. sherry
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. minced garlic
2-3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 pound lean beef tenderloin, in strips, sliced along the grain
10 dried shiitake noodles, reconstituted in hot water, drained and julienned
2-3 c. mixed julienned vegetables — spinach, Napa cabbage, onion, carrot, scallion, bell pepper (any color)
3 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
2 tsp. sesame oil
10-12 oz. dang myun (sweet potato noodles)
2 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes or Korean coarse red pepper powder (as for kim chee)
In a bowl, combine1 tablespoon sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, lemon juice, sugar and 1 tablespoon garlic. Place beef in bowl and work marinade into it with your fingers. Allow to marinate 10 minutes. In a wok, heat vegetable oil, place beef and marinade in wok and stir-fry until beef is cooked through. Place beef in a large bowl and set aside.
Place 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in wok, heat and stir-fry vegetables (work in batches if your wok isn’t large) until they’re brightly colored but still crisp. Add remaining sherry and soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and remaining garlic, stir-fry a few seconds, then place in bowl with beef. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and place noodles inside; boil 5 minutes, until softened but still al dente. Drain and plunge into cold water to stop cooking. Toss with remaining sesame oil and place in bowl. Toss all ingredients together. Serve at room temperature.
Serves 6-8.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Chicken long rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. I use only the Nice brand long rice--it doesn't get mushy and it is nice and thick. Like you I like to brown my chix. thighs with lots of ginger and some sea salt and when it's nice and carmelized I add water and a few cubes of chix. boullion cubes and add shitake mushrooms and canned button mushrooms. Afet boiling for about an hour, what a nice broth!!!!! Then I debone and shredd the chix and add the long rice. When the weather is rainy and cold, I do a version of chix. long rice with lots of ginger, no mushrooms but at the end I add bitter melon leaves---yummm-talk about a very tasty broth!
November 7th, 2009 at 3:19 am
Several days ago I tried the chap chae recipe, minus the Shiitake mushr.('noodles' misprint?), pine nuts and proper noodles, cuz' I didn't have them). I used the last little bundle of thin sai fun type family had sent me and reduced the amount of all the other ingredients. Lots of work to julienne but I was focused! It turned out very tasty and the flavors were complex. I inhaled it as is without fixing rice ~ and it temporarily satisfied my craving for local style noodles.
Thanks for the detailed description of your method for fixing chix long rice, Annette; I'm definitely picking up a supply of the Nice brand noodles and the dried mushr. on our trip back in a couple of weeks so I'll have them on hand. That ginger in chix stock definitely speaks of comfort to me.
My mission on this trip will be to hit a local Japanese plate lunch counter and get reaquainted with my favorite long rice dish...the thick caramel-colored, shimmery, slither-down-the-throat noodles of simple flavors (shoyu, mirin?, sugar, ginger, green onions...dunno) and try and find out the secret to making it. Memories of the long rice and mac salad and cone sushi and..and...hold me back!
November 9th, 2009 at 8:48 pm
Reading this article makes me hungry and I have plans to try these recipes.!
November 9th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Last Christmas, a friend gifted my family with a delicious bottle of homemade seasoned salt. Do you have a recipe that works with all kinds of meats or vegetables?
November 10th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
Can you tell me anything about the flavors? Will help my search. WAA