LCBO Food & Drink Winter 2018

TRENDS  A TASTE OF TAHINI

Chicken− tahini satay with spicy black sesame brittle

3 For satay sauce, in a small bowl, combine tahini, soy sauce, rice vinegar and water. Stir together until smooth. Set aside. 4 Skewer marinated chicken onto soaked skew- ers (1 strip per skewer), through the length of the pieces. Broil chicken in the top third of the oven for 2 to 3 minutes each side, or until juices run clear. May also be barbecued on medium- high heat if desired. 5 Lay out cooked chicken skewers on a plat- ter and drizzle with satay sauce. Sprinkle with a handful of black sesame brittle and sliced green onion. Serve at once. Serves 6 to 8

2 tsp (10 mL) rice vinegar ¼ cup (60 mL) warm water 16 wooden or bamboo skewers, soaked for 1 hour 2 green onions, thinly sliced 1 In a medium bowl, stir together soy sauce and rice vinegar. Add chicken and marinate for 30 minutes. 2 To make sesame brittle, line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until it comes to a steady boil, stirring carefully and constantly with a wooden spoon until it turns golden (just over 300°F/150°C on a candy thermometer). Remove from heat and immediately stir in toasted black sesames, red pepper flakes and salt, then very carefully pour onto the prepared baking sheet, spread- ing it out evenly with the back of the wooden spoon. Cool for 20 minutes, then break into small shards. Put some shards in a Ziploc bag and gently pound with a rolling pin to make finer shards. The rest can be stored in an air- tight container for up to 2 weeks. (Though it’s a tasty treat, so likely won’t last the night.)

Tahini is similar to peanut butter in that it’s a nutty-tasting savoury base for a delicious sauce. And that’s what we did with this Asian- inspired chicken satay appetizer. To add some crunch and—let’s face it—drama, we also made a sweet and spicy black sesame crumble to up the wow factor. CHICKEN ¼ cup (60 mL) soy sauce 2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 6 oz (175 g) each, 1½ lbs (750 g) in total, each breast cut into 4 long even strips SESAME BRITTLE ¾ cup (175 mL) sugar 1 tbsp (15 mL) water ½ cup (125 mL) toasted black sesame seeds

WHAT TO SERVE Newcastle Brown Ale LCBO 12047, 500 mL, $2.70 Trius Chardonnay VQA LCBO 497248, $15.10

(available at Asian grocers) ½ tsp (2 mL) red pepper flakes Pinch of sea salt SATAY SAUCE ¼ cup (60 mL) tahini, well stirred 2 tsp (10 mL) soy sauce

30  FOOD & DRI NK WINTER 2018