Mentaiko Spaghetti

I had Mentaiko in Japan over 10 years ago and I still remember the taste. It is basically a clump of marinated fish roe, kind of like caviar. I always see it frozen and as well freshly made Mentaiko in some local Japanese supermarkets and have been wanting to try it then, but was a bit hesitant. It is raw fish roe after all and there was a recent news saying that some people got sick by eating Korean raw marinaded crabs...

Pan Fried Chicken Steaks

When I told my husband that I will be home late and he has to prepare the chicken for dinner tonight, I saw a green face. I knew right away that I have to post this one urgently. Steps on how to turn a piece of chicken thigh into steak, how to marinade and pictures will follow.

Ingredients

Chicken thighs, bones removed skin on

Marinated

How

If possible, let the chicken sit on the kitchen countertop for 15 minutes before cooking. This will warm the meat up a bit and allow it to be cooked quicker and more even. The estimated cooking time noted below is for chicken that are not completely at room temperature.

Preheat a non stick pan on high and add just a small dash of oil into it. A lot of oil will come out of the chicken so you don't need to add a lot. Use a paper towel to spread the oil evenly on the pan. When you put your hand an inch over the pan and you feel the heat, that means the pan is ready.

Put the chicken steak skin side down and do not overlap them. You can probably cook 2 to 3 pieces at a time.

As soon as you put the chicken into the pan, turn the heat down to medium or medium low. Put a lid over the pan and leave about an inch of gap. Cook like this for about 5-6 minutes, until the top of the chicken starts turning white. Do not leave your chicken unattended. Pay attention to it. If you see smoke, quickly remove the pan from the heat to cool the pan down and turn down the heat. When the pan is no longer smoking, return the pan back to the heat and continue cooking.

If you cannot hear a lot of sizzling, that means the temperature is not high enough. Turn up the heat to bring up the temperature. When the sizzling is back, turn the heat back down and continue cooking.

When you see the top of the chicken starts to turn white (the color of cooked chicken), that's the time to flip the chicken. Flip them and put the lid on with an inch gap again. Cook on low for another 3 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a serving plate. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving hot to let the juice inside get settled.

Before cooking another batch, use a paper towel to wipe off the black bits and extra fat first. Do not add any more oil as the remaining fat in the pan will do.

Note: the reason for cooking with the lid on is to reduce the oil splashing everywhere. But never leave the lid on completely, as it will trap all the moisture and the chicken be steamed and not crispy.

Salmon Poached in Champagne with Honey Mustard Sauce

I guess we are one of the very few families that will have leftover champagne in the house. I mean, who wouldn't finish a bottle of champagne? Well, unless we have guests coming over, we are not big fans of alcohol and we don't usually have alcohol for consecutive nights. So we always have leftover bottles of wine or champagne in the fridge, and they are always good for cooking seafood dishes.