Sound OFF - Promoting the use of Cilantro in the kitchen...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Flerbizky
  • 25 comments
  • 3,853 views
Flerbizky

Flerbizky

Weltanschauung
Premium
Messages
7,588
Denmark
Whateversville
Messages
Flerbizky
Well - I think it's time we started talking more about food here - Real food, cooked from the ground up in your kitchen, no take out or "stick in microwave" here. SO - Ladies and Gentlemen - I would like your favorite recipe that contains a serious amount of Cilantro - The Fresh green "straight from the soil" variant.. And of course, I'll start myself - It's one of my current favorites (and ranking pretty high on the overall board) and very very easy to make and quite a mouthfull, even if you get it slightly off - And it'll time perfect with cooking the rice (24 minutes) if you do the slicing and dicing before starting the burners... You need :

  • One stick of Lemon Grass
  • 4 Birds Eye chilis (I tend to go overboard here, but depending on your appetite for chili)
  • 4 clovers of garlic (Adding a couple more won't harm you)
  • 500 gr of chicken - Cut in 1.5 x 1.5 cm chunks
  • Peanut oil for cooking (I _said_ Peanut oil, so unless you're allergic, use it. It DOES make a difference)
  • 1 spoon of sugar (I prefer raw organic)
  • 1 spoon of dark Soy sauce (I probably use x2 as I like a little more sauce)
  • 3 spoons of Fish sauce (I recommend Squid Brand) (As with the Soy sauce)
  • A fistful (Don't be so cheap - It's the good stuff) of fresh Cilantro
  • The leaves from 3 sticks of Thai Basil (I sometimes replace these with Red Basil which changes the overall appearance, but not the quality of the dish)
  • Another 4 Bird Eye chilis (finely chopped) for decorating

Remove the wooden part of the lemon grass, cut the rest in ultra thin slices. Chop the garlic finely, do the same with the chilis. That's it, cuttings done.

Stir fry the garlic, lemon grass and chili until they start to take color. (3-5 minutes) add the chicken and continue to stir. When the chickens almost done, add the Soy and Fish Sauce and the sugar - Let simmer until 5 minutes before the rice is done (app. 20 minutes into the cooking), add the Cilantro and Basil leaves. Serve with the fresh chilis dumped on top !...

Surgeons General Warning: if you haven't dealt with Birds Eye chilis before - Go easy, they do have a slight kick ;-)

Well - I've started, let me hear yours !....
 
Cilantro is a variant of parsley. It's used in Mexican cooking (among many other forms) and is often mixed in or chopped fine and sprinkled on top. It's quite good.
 
I've in the past year used exclusively fresh herbs in all my cooking. There is no comparison for the flavour. Also, there is something about using fresh herbs tham makes you feel superior to people who don't, like they're missing out on somthing so good.
 
Not it Oregano has anything to do with it...


Never tried Cilantro in anything. Taste similarities anyone?
 
Oh my GOD Cilantro is the best!!! I LOVE Cilantro. Far too few dishes have it. When I eat out, if I spot Cilantro among the ingredients I almost always order that dish.
 
[off topic]
How many people thought this topic was by JohnBM01 because of the "sound off" bit?
[/off topic]
 
daan
[off topic]
How many people thought this topic was by JohnBM01 because of the "sound off" bit?
[/off topic]
Click to expand...


I admit it, I blatantly stole that - But I wanted to, for once, try to use a lot of letters in a post.... sorry..
 
danoff
Oh my GOD Cilantro is the best!!! I LOVE Cilantro. Far too few dishes have it. When I eat out, if I spot Cilantro among the ingredients I almost always order that dish.
Click to expand...
Then try the recipe I "dished" out - It's soooo easy and sooo good.. So basic and everything compliments each other very very well....
 
You know I grew Cilantro this year and have yet to use it. We have been too busy. I kept meaning to make homemade salsa with it.

I'll have to try your recipe, it sounds good.

I do prefer cooking fresh Italian with herbs (mostly rosemary, thyme oregano, and garlic), but I grow about ten different kinds.

It is fun to experiment. I was planning on trying Fajitas next week with the cilantro.

If I get it worked out good I will post my recipe up here.
 
TheCracker
It's Coriander for those of a non-North American persuasion.
Click to expand...
Actually in North America, at least in my region, Coriander refers to the seeds and Cilantro refers to the leaves when discussing herbs.

When discussing the plant itself I have heard it used both ways, I just use Cilantro to refer to the plant because that is how they label it in garden stores.
 
We have Coriander - the plant. And Coriander Seeds - for the seeds.

I do a very similar dish to the one Flerbizky posted but with a tin of coconut milk as well ;) - nice
 
Are there any other herbs that are known by different names in different regions?
 
FoolKiller
Are there any other herbs that are known by different names in different regions?
Click to expand...

Oregano

In the US - or-rag-ar-noe

In the rest of the world :sly: - ori-garno
 
The other thing with coriander / cilantro, there are so many varieties of it, they should almost be called something else..I've had some they were spicier than others, and also didn't even taste like the same spice. I live the standard used in Indian cooking, Mexican variety is great aswell...
 
TheCracker
Oregano

In the US - or-rag-ar-noe
Click to expand...
Who says it like that? I pronounce it or-egg-an-oh, sometimes it comes out uh-regg-an-oh, if I am talking fast.

Must be my Kentucky ways. Comes with being bare foot and pregnant (which my doctor tells me is very unhealthy for me).
 
FoolKiller
Who says it like that? I pronounce it or-egg-an-oh, sometimes it comes out uh-regg-an-oh, if I am talking fast.
Click to expand...

Sounds right to me and everyone else I've heard refer to it in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Deleware, Maryland, Florida and Washington.
 
danoff
Sounds right to me and everyone else I've heard refer to it in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Deleware, Maryland, Florida and Washington.
Click to expand...
Which one, mine or Cracker's?

So, are you sharing recipes all across the country?
 
FoolKiller
Which one, mine or Cracker's?
Click to expand...

Yours. The one I quoted.

So, are you sharing recipes all across the country?
Click to expand...

:) I know people/have lived in lots of parts of the country and I've never known anyone to pronounce it other than the way you did.
 
danoff
:) I know people/have lived in lots of parts of the country and I've never known anyone to pronounce it other than the way you did.
Click to expand...
Maybe Cracker heard someone from Boston say it.
 
FoolKiller
Maybe Cracker heard someone from Boston say it.
Click to expand...

Actually, looking back at how i 'pronounced' it originally i think urr-reg-an-noh is probably closer to how i wanted it to sound phonetically. Which is near enough what you were saying.

Either way, the US pronunciation is really quite different to what i've heard in the UK and Europe at least.
 
danoff
Sounds right to me and everyone else I've heard refer to it in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Deleware, Maryland, Florida and Washington.
Click to expand...
It's Delaware... and when were you here, man?
 

Latest Posts

Back