The Shabbat dinners I enjoyed in far-off Cambodia and Vietnam were a combination of the familiar and the exotic. Chicken soup and brisket were on the menu, along with dishes featuring local ingredients.
At the Chabad Jewish Center of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, fresh green peppercorns were cooked in a beef stir-fry, giving it a spicy bite. (Green peppercorns are the unripe berries of the peppercorn plant. Once the berry is ripened and dried, it becomes the familiar black peppercorn.) Since fresh peppercorns are not available in the Bay Area, brined, pickled or dried green peppercorns can be used in the Cambodian Beef and Green Peppercorns.
In Ho Chi Minh City, I was a guest of Chabad of Vietnam. At that Shabbat dinner I had wonderful homemade challah and was served local fruits for dessert. I’ve combined those elements into my parve Southeast Asian Challah Bread Pudding. Be sure to use canned unsweetened, unflavored coconut milk, not the boxed coconut milk beverage in the dessert.
Cambodian Beef and Green Peppercorns
Serves 3-4 as main course; 4-6 Asian-style
1 lb. beef top round, very thinly sliced
1 recipe marinade (see below)
1/4 cup drained brined or pickled green peppercorns (see note)
2 Tbs. oil plus extra as needed
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
3/4 cup beef broth
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. cornstarch, optional
1 cup diced fresh tomato
Cut beef slices into 2-inch pieces and place in marinade. Stir well. Cover and marinate for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Place green peppercorns in separate bowl and cover with warm water. Soak 1 hour. Drain before using.
Heat oil in large wok or fry pan over medium-high heat. Stir-fry beef with marinade until browned. Remove and set aside. Add oil if needed. Stir-fry garlic and ginger until garlic begins to brown. Add soy sauce, sugar, broth and green peppercorns. Cook, stirring, until liquid is reduced by half. Add meat and lime juice and cook until beef is cooked through and sauce has thickened and coats the meat. (If desired, remove 1 Tbs. of pan sauce, mix with cornstarch until smooth, and stir into sauce and cook until thickened.) Remove from heat. Stir in tomatoes. Serve.
Marinade: In bowl combine 1 Tbs. soy sauce, 1/2 Tbs. sugar, 1 Tbs. chopped garlic, 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper, 1 Tbs. oil, 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger and 1/4 cup beef broth.
Note: Brined or pickled green peppercorns can be found online and in specialty and ethnic food stores. If the peppercorns are still attached to the vine, remove before measuring. To use dried whole green peppercorns instead, soak 3 Tbs. in hot water for 1 hour. Drain and use as above.
Southeast Asian Challah Bread Pudding
Serves 6
3 Tbs. margarine plus extra for greasing pan
13.5-oz. can coconut milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
8 oz. challah, cut into
1- to 2-inch pieces
1 cup cubed fresh mango
(cut into 1-inch pieces)
1 cup cubed fresh pineapple (cut into 1-inch pieces)
2 medium bananas
1 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, optional
1/4 cup water, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2-qt. casserole or soufflé dish. Beat coconut milk with eggs and sugar. Pour over challah in large bowl. Stir in mango and pineapple. Peel and slice bananas into 1-inch rounds. Stir in with shredded coconut. Mix well. Add water if mix is very dry. Pour into prepared dish. Cut margarine into small pieces and dot top of bread pudding. Bake for about 1 hour until browned and the custard mixture seems set. (It will continue to thicken as it cools.) Serve warm or at room temperature.
Faith Kramer is a Bay Area food writer. Her columns alternate with those of Josie A.G. Shapiro. She blogs at www.clickblogappetit.com. Contact her at [email protected].