He is not just a chef

It seems that the stereotype for accomplished chefs are that they are dictators and control freaks in their kitchens, charmers with the customers, and stoically dedicated and private about their creative processes. So I decided to say up front that that is not what I saw in Chef Robert Danhi. 

Chef Danhi is one of those people you feel instantly comfortable with. There is nothing about him that is pretentious, or aloof. On the contrary, he is a warm and personable man that you just like from the first. Yet, he is an accomplished writer, photographer, storyteller,  and teacher, and chef extrardinaire. So I urge you to know more about him and his journey into Asian food, so check out his website.

So now you must be wondering where did I met this awesome chef, yes? I met him at the Sunkist Growers Event last Wednesday. He was doing a cooking demo using Sunkist oranges and lemons.

I grew up with Sunkist oranges and lemons because my mum is a loyal Sunkist customer so I know their products well.

Chef Danhi was working with  two major types of oranges: 

Navels and Cara Cara, but there are many more varieties. Incidentallly, did you know that the bigger the navel on a navel orange, the sweeter it will be! My mum told me that and it is confirmed by the Orange facts from Sunkist. 
"Orange Facts:
There are two major types of oranges: Navels and Valencias,

but there are hundreds in  varieties

The bigger the navel on a navel orange, the sweeter it will be!

Oranges will not over ripen when left on a tree

One 5 gallon container of water = One carton of oranges (40 lbs)"

… but what I did not know was anything about their Cara Cara oranges which are also known as power oranges. I didn't even know they existed.

So here is what I learned about them.

Cara Cara Facts:

Cara Cara oranges are available from January through April

Cara Cara oranges are grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley

The Cara Cara orange has  a distinctive pinkish red interior with an exceptionally sweet flavor with a tangy cranberry-like zing

Cara Cara oranges have few to no seeds

Cara Cara oranges will stay fresh up to two weeks when refrigerated or up to 6 months frozen in an air tight container

Three medium sized Cara Cara oranges is equivalent in weight to a female guinea pig. I am not sure why this is important to know but maybe there is a Cara Cara Guinea Pig Stew? I hope not. LOL!

Cara Cara, also known as the Power Orange®, is an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, fiber, a good source of foliate and potassium, a natural source of lycopene

I am really glad I did not "take a rain check" on this invitation. If I had, I would have missed out on an awesome demo by Chef Robert Danhi and receiving a free copy of his award winning cookbook “Southeast Asian Flavors” (signed), as well as tasting the delicious food he cooked and free oranges and lemons to take home.

I am sure here is what you are waiting for. I loved it when I was told that I could share the recipes with you all.

This drink is so refreshing and tasty that I had three.

A simple to make but impressive and delicious appetizer. 

UMAMI!!

We had fun with this because we assemble our own parfait 
after Chef Danhi showed us how to do. This one is mine.
Are you proud of me? LOL!

A dish born of not having a crucial ingredient

We have a Kamias tree in our garden. It bears fruit throughout the year. The Kamias tree is called cucumber or sorrel tree in English. Its fruit is used both for cooking and traditional medicine. Kamias fruit is very sour so it is often used to make chutney or sauces for meat or fish dishes. I love the dish my mum cooks with it.  She stir fries thinly sliced kamias fruit with sliced pork and fermented soy bean paste all balanced out with garlic and sugar. I usually end up eating an extra serving when she makes  it. It is so aromatic that one can be forgiven for failing to resist. 

The dish I am sharing with you today is a bit of a happy accident born of not having "buah cermai" (Malay gooseberry) at hand. For this chef inspired dish it is a critical ingredient. These greenish, yellowish little fruits grow in clusters. Like kamias fruit, they taste rather sour too.

The following recipe is inspired by Chef Malcom Goh's Crispy Skin Salmon with buah cermai. As I did not have buah cermai in stock, I made my version of Crispy Salmon with kamias fruit instead. I am very happy with how it turned out because it is a pretty dish and had a slight umami taste experience. My Quay Lo is not a big fan of the aqua-culture salmon we get here. As a sport fisherman in the U.S. he always caught wild salmon which he prefers. On the other hand,  I am not a big fan of cooked salmon, preferring the sashimi style of serving it. However, we both agree we are happy to have a way to prepare the salmon that we both like.

Crispy Skin Salmon with kamias compote

Inspired by Chef Malcom Goh - Back to the Streets on AFC

This dish was featured in Asian Food Channel (Official) Facebook Page 

on 8th November 2012

Ingredients:

2 x 100gms salmon fillet

Method:

Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Pan fry in a pan with some corn oil skin side first on low heat. Once the fish is cooked three quarters though, using the change of colour on the flesh as your indication, turn over the fish and allow to cook on the other side for 10 more seconds. Remove the salmon and allow to rest.

kamias compote ingredients:

50gms kamias, diced

1 nos tomato, remove seeds and diced

2 nos sliced shallots

¼ cup fennel, diced

1 chilli padi, finely diced 

2 tbsp sugar

100ml water

40 gms butter

½ tsp salt

1 stalk serai (lemon grass) pounded

½ tsp roux

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

bean sprouts shoots for garnishing

Method:

Boil water and sugar till sugar is completely dissolved. Add in tomato, shallots, kamias, lemon grass and chilli padi and let it simmer till kamias is soften. Add in butter and salt and mix well and let it simmer for another 5 minutes on low heat. Add in diced fennel and simmer till fennel is translucent. Add ½ tsp roux to thicken the sauce. Lastly add in the toasted sesame and place it on the serving plate. Put the piece of salmon on top of the sauce and garnish with bean sprouts shoots. Serve with freshly baked baguette and a green of your choice.