FCSIP134.pdf

90 GRILLING 2019

test kitchen

INGREDIENT

Kecap manis

The Sweet Chili and Root

Beer Baby Backs on p. 34

are flavored with kecap

manis (or ketjap manis), a

sweet, thick Indonesian soy

sauce made with palm sugar,

garlic, star anise, and galan-

gal, among other ingredients.

It’s available at Asian mar-

kets and keeps indefinitely

in a cool, dark place. Buy it to

make the ribs, but don’t stop

there; here are more ways to

use kecap manis.

Sweet and sour pork

sandwich Sauté ground

pork and five-spice powder

until cooked through. Stir in a

sweet and sour mixture

of kecap manis and rice

vinegar. Fill a split French

baguette with the ground

pork mixture and then

top with sliced radishes,

cucumbers, and cilantro

leaves.

Cold soba noodle salad

Mix chilled cooked soba

noodles with kecap manis,

rice vinegar, fish sauce, and

sliced chiles. Add shredded

rotisserie chicken, sugar snap

peas, and sliced carrots.

Glazed striped bass

Grill striped bass fillets,

occasionally brushing with

a mixture of kecap

manis, soy sauce,

and honey, until

the fish is cooked

through and nicely

lacquered. Serve over

jasmine rice, sprinkled

with sliced scallions.

Stir-fried baby bok

choy Heat peanut oil in a wok

until shimmering hot. Add

sliced shallots and stir-fry un-

til golden. Toss in halved baby

bok choy and kecap manis

and stir-fry until tender.

Kecap manis

burgers Mix

ground beef with

minced garlic, ginger,

scallions, and kecap manis.

Form into burgers and grill.

Serve on sesame seed

buns with lettuce.

Egg fried rice Fry left-

over cooked brown rice with

eggs, peas, and kecap manis.

Garnish with chopped

cashews.

black olive caramel
Makes 1¼ cups

Combine 1½ cups granulated sugar and 2 tsp. water in a
1-quart heavy-duty saucepan. Cook without stirring over low
heat until the sugar begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Swirl
the pan to even the color, and continue to cook until the
caramel turns amber. Slowly and carefully add ¾ cup olive
brine (from a jar of olives) and 25 pitted Kalamata olives.
The sauce will harden at first; stir it with a wooden spoon
until loose. Let cool until warm, about 10 minutes. Transfer
to a blender and blend until smooth. The caramel will keep,
covered and refrigerated, for about 1 month.

A swoonworthy sauce

Though black olive caramel (see recipe below) may sound

fancy, it’s something you can easily make at home. It also

keeps for a month refrigerated. A few drops of it would also

add even more interest to salads or grilled vegetables. But

don’t stop there: Try some with lamb chops, grilled aspara-

gus, pasta, and even ice cream.

TIP