Grilled Tamarind Shrimp - [Cooking]

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon Rebel XTi.)

Hey everyone! Hope you had a great Valentine's Day (or Singles Appreciation Day). Cat and I spent another wonderful evening at 6ix Park Grill in Irvine, which is our favorite special occasion restaurant. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area. They went above and beyond this year. I would have taken some pictures, but I was "off-duty". Instead, you can read about prior visits here and here.



It's a commonly held misconception that barbecuing is something done when the weather is warm and the sun is shining. It seems like every gerbil-faced, smarmy, television food personality starts putting out their "grilling with friends" special during the balmy summer months. To these people, I say, "Wuss!". Grilling is the providence of real men who light up whenever the primordial craving for blood, meat, and fire stirs in their souls. It's a burning in the veins can't be denied. 120°F out? Grab a piece of cardboard and crack a cold beer. Sky pissing cats and dogs? That piece of cardboard is your friend, snowflake. The wind is too high? Baby, the wind is your best friend. It makes coals hotter. What's your excuse now?



Since little or no fat is involved, grilling is one of the healthiest cooking methods available. It's also highly versatile. With proper planning and a little ingenuity, you can grill almost anything at any time and in any place. Don't believe me? I often grill up and pack this lunch before work. Nothing like a warm bento box with steamed rice and Grilled Tamarind Shrimp. All you need to do is free your mind. Don't box yourself into weekend afternoons during the summer. Leave those frozen hamburgers and pressure-formed franks in the mega mart for some other poor schmuck. Anything. Any time. Any place.

Grilled Tamarind Shrimp

Gear:

1 paring knife
1 mixing bowl
1 barbecue
2 metal or bamboo skewers
1 basting brush
1 BBQ lighter or long match
Match-light charcoal briquettes



Ingredients:

1 lb of large shrimp (I like jumbo prawns)
3 tbsp of tamarind pulp
3 tbsp of kecap manis
1 tbsp of sugar
1 tbsp of Chinese garlic chili paste
1/2 cup of water



Prep work (night before):

1. De-vein the shrimp without removing the shells. The shells will protect the shrimp from the direct heat applied during grilling and also add a lot of flavor. I eat these suckers shells and all.


2. Soak the tamarind paste in water. Once soft, work the tamarind and water into a thick sauce. Remove any tamarind seed bits.


3. Add the kecap manis, sugar, and Chinese garlic chili paste to the sauce. Mix well.


4. Add the shrimp to the sauce and toss until evenly coated. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.


5. If using bamboo skewers, soak in water overnight.

Instructions (morning of):
These instructions assume that you're cooking with a charcoal grill. If you're using propane or a stovetop cast iron grill pan, set the heat to medium-high 8-10 minutes before you begin cooking. The whole process should take 20-30 minutes.

1. Stack two large handfuls of match-light charcoal briquettes in a pyramid shape on one side of your grill and light them. Although I prefer lump charcoal, I use match-light for morning grilling because they're ready faster and require less finessing.


2. Fire up your rice cooker and get it going.


3. Make some coffee. Drink it.


4. Brush your teeth. Shave. Yes, I do both in the yard. If you're comfy leaving an open flame burning unattended, be my guest. As for me, it's my damn yard and I'll brush my teeth in it if I want to. I find it rather refreshing.


5. Once the briquettes are white (see the picture above), spread them out along one side of the barbecue. I use a pair of metal tongs for this, but you can use whatever you like. DO NOT USE YOUR HANDS. Fit the grill in place on top.


6. Remove the shrimp from their marinade and thread onto skewers. I use two skewers and thread the shrimp across them like ties on a railroad track (see top picture). It makes them easier to flip and control. Leave about a quarter-inch of space between each shrimp.


7. At this point, the grill should be nice, hot, and ready for shrimp. Constantly brush the shrimp with their marinade while they cook. Jumbo prawns take about 3-5 minutes a side. Smaller shrimp will take less time.


8. Pack the shrimp with freshly steamed rice in an insulated lunch box and you're good to go. You might want to catch a quick shower, though, unless you like smelling like tasty barbecue smoke. Some people do.


9. Remember to put out the coals!

Serves 1-3.

Good eating!

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Crystal Jade Asian Fine Dining - Irvine, CA

(Pictures for this review taken with my Canon PowerShot SD800is.)


(Little Saigon after the Tet parade.)

Hey guys! Happy Lunar New Year, Chinese New Year, Tet, or whatever you like to call it! I'm sorry it's been two weeks since my last post. My work schedule is busier than ever, so most of what I post is written during the weekends. Sometimes I have time to write more than one, other times I miss a week entirely.



Since I get home from the office late most nights, I decided not to try putting together my usual Chinese New Year's feast. Instead, Cat and I had dinner at Crystal Jade in Irvine with a few friends. This is a fairly standard way of ushering in the new year if you can't make it home to your family. Don't worry. We honored my ancestors with incense and a nice altar loaded with goodies at home.



The latest addition to Irvine's already impressive stable of Chinese restaurants, Crystal Jade opened last year in the Quail Hill area at the corner of Sand Canyon and Quail Hill Parkway. It was a fairly daring move, given the recent closures of Chinatown, China West, and Cathay Newport. With its sleek decor, full bar, and somewhat Americanized offerings, it's clear that Crystal Jade is going after the same market; young career couples and families. They might have a shot. At the moment, they're pretty much the only game in South Irvine. Lucky for us, the food is pretty good.



Take their Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce, which is one of Cat's favorites. The large pieces of moist catfish stir-fried in an earthy sauce made from fermented soybeans have her purring after every visit. The aromatics in this dish aren't filler. They're delicious! The crisp, sweet chunks of flash-fried bell peppers are to be relished as much as the fish. Mee-ow!



The Kung Pao Chicken, another Cat favorite, is also tasty. Toned down for American palates, Crystal Jade's version is sweeter and less spicy than the more authentic rendition offered by Hsin Hsin Shao May. However, the filler veggies are kept to a minimum, and the peanuts are plentiful. If I can't have Hsin Hsin Shao May's, this will do.



Maniacal Penguin is addicted to the Malaysian Chicken. I'm not sure how Malaysian it really is, but it reminds my of some of the great Cantonese curries I've had in the past, with generous slabs of chicken and hearty chunks of potato. My mother used to make something really similar for me when I was a child; a warm, filling, comforting dish.



Mr. Big always orders the Honey Walnut Shrimp, which is deep fried shrimp and caramelized walnuts tossed in a sauce made from honey and Chinese mayonnaise. It's really really good, but it's also very rich. I normally don't order this for myself, but when Mr. Big is in da house, I can pork away (relatively) guilt free.



If you're more of a traditionalist, like Elonweis, you might order the E-Fu Noodles Braised with Crab Meat. Shred of crab meat floating in an unctuous sauce envelope a fluffy pile of hand-made noodles and bean sprouts. It's a delicate dish with a gentle texture that slides easily down the throat.



Her brother, Alphanarf, enjoys bolder flavors. Crystal Jade's Pan-Fried Beef with XO Sauce is right up his alley. Invented in the 1980s by a Hong Kong chef, XO sauce is a luxury condiment made from high-quality cognac, fried aromatics, and dried seafood. Considered revolutionary when it was first introduced, it provides an intense, complex blast of flavor. Most good Chinese restaurants will make their own varieties of XO sauce, each specifically formulated for meat, poultry, seafood, or vegetables. All of Crystal Jade's XO sauce dishes are excellent, particularly when you take the price point into consideration.



Despite whatever impression my meat-bloated ramblings may have given you, I really like my veggies. The classic combination of chilies, garlic, and string beans in Crystal Jade's Dry Sautéed String Beans sits smack dab in the center of my comfort zone. You'd be surprised at the depth of flavor they can get out of these simple ingredients.



But you guys didn't come here to read about vegetables. You came here for sexy shots of glistening, meaty food porn. Well, here ya go. Pork Chop Peking Style, with deep fried pork chops encased in a sweet and sour caramel crust. It'll set the whole table to fighting.



Happy Chinese New Year everyone! In case you're wondering how we cut from Little Saigon on Sunday to Irvine on Wednesday and back again so quickly, it might be because Maniacal Penguin can burn rubber and drift like the guys from the Fast and Furious films. Or maybe I can bend time and space like Hiro Nakamura. YATTA! YATTA ZO!


Crystal Jade - Delicious Chinese food in a nice setting. A good place to share with family and friends.


Bill:

Fish Filet with Black Bean Sauce - 11.95
Kung Pao Chicken - 9.95
Malaysian Chicken - 12.95
Honey Walnut Shrimp - 16.25
E-Fu Noodles Braised with Crab Meat - 13.00
Pan-Fried Beef with XO Sauce - 14.95
Dry Sautéed String Beans - 8.95
Pork Chop Peking Style - 9.95


Flavor: B+
Ambience: A
Service: C+
ROI: A-

Overall: B+


Crystal Jade Asian Fine Dining
6511 Quail Hill Pkwy
Irvine, CA 92603
(949) 725-3368

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