Comments on: Sesame Chicken & Watermelon

By: Asado Argentina

Asado Argentina — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 13:25:28 +0000

No Iron Chef on my cable but I’m sure I can find that epidsode somewhere.

By: David M.

David M. — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 07:42:29 +0000

I just caught a recent episode of Iron Chef America featuring Bobby Flay VS. a chef who’s name currently escapes me (I reluctantly admit I was not sober at the time of viewing). The secret ingredient – MELON. Being that you can’t serve 4 or 5 dishes of desserts, there were TONS of examples of how melons (watermelon included) could be integrated into savory cuisine. I’m not sure if you get this show in Argentina but if you could somehow manage to view this episode it will give you a lot of good ideas in this field. Kobe beef of course made it’s appearance among a few other things, furthering my view that melon is great for cutting through fat. Try to check it out if you get the chance.

By: Asado Argentina

Asado Argentina — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:03:13 +0000

Thanks for the tips David. That pork dish sounds wonderful. Pork belly is hard to come by at my location (duck too) but I’ll have to give it a try with other porky parts when summer comes around.

Although I’ve never been to New York, I always get a kick out of reading Bruni, Grub Street, and web sites that go on about the food up there. Hopefully I can make a trip one day.

By: David M.

David M. — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:16:51 +0000

There is a great Malaysian restaurant in NYC called Fatty Crab which is highly esteemed in gastronomic circles here and what I personally believe to be the greatest dish there (one that I cannot pass up ordering upon EVERY visit) is made up of about 1″ cubed chunks of very crispy yet tender pork belly (achieved by long braising and then finished by deep frying) among watermelon cubes about the same size and topped with sliced scallions. It works on so many levels, sweetness cutting though salty… wetness cutting through fat… as well as cold crunch countering warm crispness encasing soft succulence. With that chicken recipe… chicken breast without skin is way too lean for the fat cutting effects of watermelon to really work their magic… and all those savory ingredients (soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, vermouth, etc) probably make the savory side of things way too complex to bounce off something that is really sweet the right way. Think about it, proscuitto and melon works because proscuitto is nothing but pig and salt and it’s such a clean flavor that your palate can distinctly taste the melon enhancing it in contrast. Pairing savory foods with fruits as sweet as watermelon can be tricky but your best bet is to keep the flavors pretty simple, letting the (natural) sugar vs. salt battle become the star of the show, and then focus mainly on the textural components. Something like chunks of duck with very crispy skin would have possibly worked better than the chicken.

Also, you’re better off using no ginger than using ginger powder in place of fresh ginger. I’m not saying this because it’s just a poor subsitute, which you already know, but because it’s not a subsitute at all in the first place… ginger powder is meant for use in baking (gingerbread) etc… which is ginger’s main use in traditional European cooking while it is mainly used fresh in savory cooking in Asia.

By: Asado Argentina

Asado Argentina — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:44:36 +0000

Hey Cory,

Yeah I definitely need to whip up some sort of sauce before summer is over. I think some sort of watermelon glaze might work out.

By: Cory

Cory — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:41:47 +0000

That’s just not very pretty as one dish. A clash of colors, and presumably textures. The chicken looks gorgeous, and so does the watermelon. I do love chicken, and I like watermelon. But I’d prefer chopped watermelon as a side, not as part of the main dish.

I wonder how watermelon juice or puree might be used in a sauce for chicken, though. That’s an idea.