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Eva Paus Asian Kitchen - Season 2 - Episode 03
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00:00For marinades to stir fries, grills and glaze, seasoning or drizzling,
00:04flavours that bind, by Lee Kum Kee, proud sponsor of Eva Pao's Asian Kitchen.
00:11I'm Eva Pao and I am passionate about Asian food.
00:14In this series, I'll unlock the secrets behind mouth-watering dishes
00:19from China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea.
00:23You'll see just how simple it is to make delicious Asian meals at home.
00:28From quick bites and comfort food to takeaway favourites and dishes made for entertaining.
00:34My mouth is watering already.
00:37I'm thrilled to be bringing the wonderful flavours of Asia, from my kitchen to yours.
00:43Let's dive in and have some fun cooking.
00:50This week, I've got four quick fix meals for those days when you're almost too tired to cook,
00:56but you'd be so glad you did.
00:59Burgers are always a quick option.
01:01Why not make them Korean with sensational flavour additions?
01:05You'll have the family cheering for joy.
01:07I love that sizzle.
01:08Prawn tam yam soup, a Thai speciality.
01:11Sweet, sour and a little bit spicy.
01:14Add noodles for a tasty meal.
01:16It's like Thailand in a bowl.
01:18And Oyakadong, a simple but delicious Japanese meal of tender chicken with eggs and rice.
01:23But to start, I've got the quickest fusion dish on the planet.
01:28Only a handful of ingredients and just 15 minutes to cook.
01:32You won't believe how delicious it is.
01:41So we're going to start by cooking our pasta.
01:44Probably the longest part of this whole meal prep.
01:48This dish is all about the fusion flavours of oyster sauce and Italian ingredients.
01:54So we're going to pop our pasta into this pot.
01:57Add a little bit of salt and some oil.
02:00You can use egg noodles if you like for this dish, but I actually really like using spaghetti because it's
02:06a little bit of fun.
02:09Now, this big pot fits the spaghetti perfectly into it and the oil just stops it from clumping together and
02:15the salt adds a little bit of flavour into the water.
02:19Next, I'm going to prepare some garlic.
02:25Garlic is the bridge ingredient that is common between Asian and Western cuisine.
02:30So I'm just going to finely chop my garlic.
02:33I don't want to mince it too finely or else it's likely to burn.
02:37So chop some scallions.
02:39I'm only going to use the green part of the scallion for a pop of colour and some lovely flavour
02:44as a garnish.
02:46Finely slice some chilli.
02:48This adds a lovely colour at the very end.
02:51If you want it to be less hot, you can de-seed it, but I actually like the heat.
02:56This is such a quick dish.
02:58I'm just going to get my parmesan.
03:03So you really won't believe how delicious it is.
03:06The mixture of the oyster sauce and the parmesan cheese and the spaghetti.
03:13Perfect.
03:15Heat your wok.
03:16Add a little bit of butter.
03:18You just want to melt the butter a little.
03:20That gorgeous buttery base.
03:24Add in your garlic.
03:25There's a kind of magic when the garlic hits the heat.
03:30Have it on a low heat so that the garlic doesn't become too golden or else it'll turn slightly bitter.
03:38Check on the pasta.
03:40Make sure that it's completely soft.
03:43Yep.
03:44Perfect.
03:45Time to bring it all together.
03:46So I usually like to just pop my pasta straight into the pan so there's still a bit of that
03:52starchy water.
03:53And that lovely starchy water just adds a little bit of flavour to your pasta dish.
03:58Combine the lovely garlic butter into your pasta.
04:03Now for the game changer.
04:05Three tablespoons of premium oyster sauce.
04:07Now this oyster sauce has a richer, more umami, meaty flavour than normal oyster sauce.
04:13You can also get a vegan version and mushrooms substitute the flavour.
04:20You can see how glossy and rich and luscious it looks.
04:25In goes the parmesan.
04:33So I'm just going to add a little pasta water into the wok.
04:39It just helps to melt the cheese.
04:41Told you it was quick.
04:43It's now ready to plate.
04:51Sprinkle of scallions.
04:53And some chilli.
04:55And I really like my heat so I'm just going to add a drizzle of chilli oil.
05:02This smells so amazing.
05:08Mmm.
05:10This is such a winner.
05:12You have that lovely oyster rich umami flavour and that Italian parmesan just really melts in to make this gorgeous
05:20glossy sauce.
05:21And then the hit of chilli oil.
05:23It's just perfect.
05:33I'm taking your taste buds to Thailand next for some Tom Yum, a broth-like soup that is known and
05:40loved all over the world.
05:42Its iconic flavours come from three fabulous herbs.
05:46Lemongrass, galangal and lime leaves.
05:48Prepare to fall in love.
05:55I absolutely love this soup.
05:58I get cravings for this all the time and I try to keep all the ingredients in the fridge for
06:04when that craving hits.
06:05So I have here some vermicelli in some hot water.
06:09Vermicelli is this really thin rice noodle and it cooks in minutes.
06:14Let's start with the aromatics.
06:16First up, lemongrass.
06:18Chop the ends and I'm only going to use the bottom part of the stalk because that is where all
06:24the flavour is.
06:26So all you want to do is just slightly smash it so that it releases the aroma.
06:33Perfect.
06:35Next, some coriander.
06:36Chop the ends off and I'm only going to use the stalks, leaving the leaves as garnish for later on.
06:43If I put the leaves into the soup at this stage, they will all turn to mush.
06:48So I just want the stalks to give that lovely coriander flavour.
06:52Chop a banana shallot.
06:55So this banana shallot is a lovely small onion that adds so much flavour into the soup.
07:02If you don't have the banana shallot, you can definitely use half an onion.
07:08Next, some garlic.
07:10I'm just crushing the garlic before chopping as that releases more of the garlic aroma.
07:18The oyster mushrooms.
07:20These are just lovely and meaty and they soak up all that gorgeous flavour of the broth.
07:26Chop them roughly.
07:28If you don't have any oyster mushrooms, you can use any other mushroom you like in the soup.
07:34OK, let's just check on the noodles.
07:37They are perfectly soft.
07:40Strain them and then run them under some cold water to stop them from cooking further.
07:51There is one more vital ingredient to be added into this gorgeous soup.
07:55And that is galangal.
07:57Now you might not be familiar with this, but it's actually a cousin of ginger.
08:02It's slightly more citrusy, more fragrant, but actually you peel and slice it in the same way.
08:08So I'm just going to get a teaspoon and peel it.
08:14Mmm, it actually smells a bit like pine needles.
08:18You can see that the colour of it is quite white.
08:22Roughly slice them.
08:23I have a pot of boiling water ready and the aromatics go in first.
08:28Lemongrass, my coriander stalks, the garlic, the shallot, my galangal.
08:35I'm also using some frozen lime leaves.
08:37Do not use dried lime leaves.
08:40You can use some fresh lime zest if you like.
08:43Now give that a little stir.
08:45I'm just going to let it come back up to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.
08:49The aroma is just so amazing.
08:52It's literally making my mouth water.
08:57Time to add in the prawns.
09:00These are raw, peeled, deveined prawns.
09:04You can use fresh prawns, but I always have a bag of frozen prawns in the freezer because they are
09:09just so handy.
09:11Of course you can use chicken or tofu or other protein that you like, but I love using prawns.
09:18In with the mushrooms.
09:21That needs to simmer now for four minutes.
09:24Tom yum is almost like the national dish of Thailand.
09:28It's served in every region of the country.
09:31In street stalls, fancy restaurants, and it's also commonly cooked at home.
09:36Whenever I'm in Thailand, I always get a cup or bowl almost every day.
09:40Time for the heavy hitters.
09:42We're going to start with the fish sauce.
09:44Two tablespoons.
09:45It is slightly pungent, but a little goes a long way.
09:52Two tablespoons of Thai chili paste.
09:55This will add a little bit of heat.
09:58And some lime juice.
10:01I absolutely love fresh lime, and this adds such a nice zingy flavor to the soup.
10:09A little salt.
10:11Give it a little stir.
10:14The aroma is so nice.
10:16I'm just going to give it a taste.
10:19Mmm.
10:20That is just the perfect balance.
10:22Usually here, I might need to add in a little bit more lime or chili paste or even a bit
10:27of salt.
10:28But this one is bang on.
10:30It's ready to serve.
10:32In Thailand, Tom Yum soup is usually served as just a starter.
10:36But I like to add noodles to this because it makes this wonderful broth into a very quick main meal.
10:43Ladle some soup.
10:44So I'm adding some mushrooms and prawns and some of that wonderful broth.
10:50But I'm leaving those aromatics because they've done their job.
10:55A final garnet, some coriander, and a little bit of chili, and we're ready to taste.
11:04Mmm.
11:05Wow.
11:07It's like Thailand in a bowl.
11:09It's so aromatic and zingy.
11:11It's just stunning.
11:15I could really drink all of this, but I'd better do a clean down.
11:45Let's do it.
11:47Succulent Irish beef combined with sweet and spicy Korean flavors, and wow is the result.
11:54If you like burgers, you'll absolutely love this one.
12:02This is 30 minutes from the time you get in the door to when you're sitting down.
12:07So how do you turn a beef burger into a Korean burger?
12:11I'm about to share the secrets.
12:13Roughly chop two scallions.
12:18Some garlic.
12:20And some ginger.
12:27Some people cook and leave the skin of the ginger on.
12:30It's just a matter of preference.
12:32Slice the ginger.
12:36Pop all of these aromatics into a food processor, and they're going to form the base of my burger
12:41mix.
12:44Into that, add some soy sauce for some saltiness, a touch of sesame oil for a bit of nuttiness,
12:54some light brown sugar that will help with caramelization, and a pinch of black pepper.
12:59Now, some people would stop here, but I'm adding in four tablespoons of samjang paste.
13:06It is a mixture of Korean soy bean paste, which is called donjang, and also Korean pepper paste,
13:14which is called gochujang.
13:16And it's all of that mixed in together with a touch of honey, garlic, and onion.
13:23It has such a rich, fabulous umami flavor.
13:28In Korea, they often use the samjang paste just as a dipping sauce for grilled meats.
13:32Give it a quick blitz.
13:39This takes a good few minutes to get it really well blended.
13:43Check that all the big bits are well blended.
13:47Okay, this looks perfect.
13:49I'm just going to grab the beef.
13:55Add the beef into this bowl, and then the burger mix.
14:01It smells so fragrant.
14:03You can really smell that lovely garlic and ginger all mixed in here.
14:08Combined with the Irish beef, it's just amazing.
14:11Give it a good mix so that the burger mix is really well combined in the beef.
14:19Form them into four patties.
14:23You want to flatten them to about two centimeters.
14:28You don't want them too thick, or else it's going to take much longer to cook.
14:32And I'm going to press a little dimple in the middle.
14:35That stops the middle from rising up and keeps the burger flat when cooked.
14:42Just going to try and make them all the same size so that when they cook, they cook evenly.
14:50Time for a quick hand wash.
14:57So pop the burgers in the fridge so that they firm up and infuse with the flavors, while I do
15:03a little bit of a cleanup.
15:13So you could fry your burgers off now and dinner would be served, but I'm going to be changing your
15:19culinary world forever with lotus root crisps.
15:23Now remember, you first heard them from me.
15:27I'm peeling my lotus root, and yes, the lotus root is the root of the actual lotus flower, the ones
15:35that are pink and that are floating in the pond.
15:37You'll probably have to go to a specialty store to get these, but they are so worth it.
15:44So the lotus root is actually really interesting.
15:46They become really, really long, almost like chains, and they're about three feet long.
15:54Let's get some oil heating because we want to shallow fry them.
15:58Thinly slice the lotus root.
16:01Look, isn't it so amazing?
16:04Nature has done its job.
16:06Try and get them as thin as possible so that they can crisp up really well.
16:13You can check your oil with a chopstick or wooden skewer.
16:16When it bubbles like this, it's ready.
16:19Into the pan they go.
16:22See how they float.
16:24They take two to three minutes to cook on each side.
16:28Keep an eye on them.
16:29It goes really quickly.
16:31You don't want to overcrowd the pan so that they don't stick together.
16:35You really want to be able to swivel them around a bit.
16:41A quick taste.
16:43I'm going to add a pinch of salt and a little bit of mushroom powder.
16:47Just adds that little bit of umami flavour.
16:53Mmm.
16:54It's lovely and delicate, crispy.
16:57And there's that lovely sweetness as well.
17:00So addictive.
17:01On with the burgers.
17:05Add a drizzle of oil to a hot pan.
17:08And once it's warm, in they go.
17:12I love that sizzle.
17:15So they're going to take four to five minutes on each side.
17:18But if you want it to be more well done, cook it for a few more minutes.
17:27The buns are lightly toasted.
17:29And I have my toppings here.
17:31Lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese.
17:34And this is my secret sauce.
17:36Kimchi ketchup.
17:38It transforms burgers, rice, noodles, eggs, you name it.
17:42I like to have a bottle on standby at all times.
17:45It's so easy to make.
17:47Chop some garlic and onions and saute them for three to four minutes.
17:51This gives you time to slice up your tomatoes and kimchi.
17:55Kimchi is pickled veggies.
17:56Tangy and fantastic.
17:58In they go.
17:59We want to slowly reduce it until the sauce is thickened, which will take about 10 to 15 minutes.
18:05Add a pinch of salt, sugar and vinegar.
18:09If you want your ketchup chunky, you can leave it as it is.
18:12Or if you want it smooth, blitz it up.
18:14I'm going smooth.
18:17This is ketchup with a Korean cake.
18:19Now we've got everything.
18:21It's time to serve.
18:23A layer of kimchi ketchup on both sides.
18:27A layer of lettuce.
18:30Slice of onion.
18:31Tomato.
18:33My perfectly flat burger.
18:35Slice of cheese.
18:37Now you top it off with a burger bun.
18:39So I can really sink my teeth into this right now.
18:42But I'm going to show some restraint and plate it up properly.
18:46I'll get my lotus roots in here.
18:48They go so well with the burger.
18:53Time to taste.
18:55How am I going to do this?
19:04You get that lovely kimchi tang.
19:07And the meat is just so flavoursome.
19:10Delicious.
19:12Delicious.
19:24The last quick-fix meal is a classic staple of Japanese home cooking.
19:30You have rice, eggs, chicken and a dash of dashi.
19:42So dashi is a Japanese stock base that is used for soups and broths, rice and noodles with a simmering
19:50liquid.
19:51Now you can make it from scratch.
19:52But for a quick-fix meal, we're going to use the powder format.
20:02DASHI has a very smoky, seaweedy, umami flavour.
20:08We pour that into the pan.
20:11Add some sake.
20:13A lovely Japanese rice wine.
20:16Some mirin.
20:17Similar to sake, but a lot sweeter.
20:20Then for some saltiness, two tablespoons of soy.
20:27Last ingredient, some sugar.
20:33I've got the heat going.
20:35And now we're going to add some finely sliced onions.
20:39Now a yakadang means parent and child rice bowl.
20:43You might be thinking of a really happy family.
20:46But actually, it relates to the chicken and the egg.
20:54While the onions are softening, I'll prep my eggs.
21:03Just gently beat the eggs so that you can still see some of the egg white and the egg yolk
21:09separated.
21:11The reason for this is when you pour the egg in, and when it's cooked, you'll get these little white
21:17streaks in the egg, which makes it look better.
21:21So the onion is looking perfect.
21:23I'm just going to add in my chicken.
21:26I have some lovely chopped thigh meat.
21:29And this is going to soak up the lovely flavours of my dashi stock here.
21:37Spread them out so that they cook evenly.
21:41Simmer this until the chicken is cooked through.
21:45Now here comes the unusual part.
21:48Well, clearly not unusual in Japan.
21:51We're going to pour the beaten egg all over the chicken and onion.
21:57Now the lid goes on.
21:59And this allows the egg to cook from below and above.
22:03That just needs to simmer for a couple of minutes.
22:06I'm going to get my rice bowl ready.
22:17Now this part can be a little tricky.
22:20I want to slide my ayakadong on top of the rice.
22:24Hopefully I can get it all in one go.
22:26Okay.
22:28It's messy but delicious.
22:31Sprinkle it with some scallion.
22:35And now some Japanese togarashi.
22:37This is a chilli powder.
22:40It adds a lovely colour and a little heat.
22:45Time to taste.
22:51Mmm.
22:53That chicken cooked in that technique just makes it so succulent.
22:59And the dashi gives so much flavour to this dish.
23:04So tasty.
23:05Dinner in a flash.
23:14So the next time you're hungry but in a hurry,
23:18I hope you'll give one of today's recipes a go.
23:20Whether it's the super quick Chinese spaghetti,
23:23a classic Tom Yum soup,
23:26a Korean burger with a kick,
23:28or a soothing ayakadong bowl.
23:31You and yours will be fed and happy in no time.
23:35Have fun cooking and see you next time.
23:38All recipes from today's episode are available at rte.ie forward slash food.
23:45You and yours.
23:47TUNE TUNE TUNE TUNE TUNE TUNE TUNE TUNE
24:15Transcription by CastingWords
24:17Transcription by CastingWords
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