Misono UX10 712 Gyuto 210mm and knivess....

I recently bought a Misono UX10 chef's knife or gyuto to be precised. The price ranged between $150-$170 on several online sites which is the place that you can find unless there is a local store that sells specifically kitchen knives. I bought mine for $159 including shipping from Japan at www.japanesechefsknife.com. 

I have researched for about 2-3 months about knives before I made this purchase and believe it to be the best choice for me. I have looked at reviews for so many different knives ranging at very reasonably price to out of my budget ones and then slowly as I gained more and more info narrowed down to a certain kind of knives (8" chef knife or gyuto) price range between $120-$200. It boiled down to 3 knives which I have to decide on. MAC MBK-85 8.5", Shun Classic Chef Knife 8", and  Misono UX10 712 Gyuto 210mm. In the early stages of my research, I pretty much decided on the MAC due to a lot of good reviews for that knife. As time passes I realizes there were much more knives that I need to compare before making my decision. I then stumble onto shun's and misono knife. I eventually did a comparison of all three and decided to get the misono.

Although a knife for $159 sounds absurd for many people, which I agree, it is still not a "high-end" knife that usually cost upwards of $300. I don't advice people to spend that kind of money for just ONE knife. I would probably recommend a cuisinart knife to begin with and maybe slowly upgrade to a low end model shun or global, a wushtof or henckels. My opinion is that most home cooks do no require a commercial / professional knife. If you learn to maintain the your regular knife by keeping it clean, not abusing it, honing and sharpening it, the knife(s) will last a long long time. Also, most home cooks will not use their knives like how a trained chef or people with experiences in commercial kitchens.

For me, the decision came because I felt that I have outgrown my regular made in china knife which I still very much like. When using the misono gyuto, it feels extremely comfortable on my hands and it allows me to cut at speeds and precision that I am looking for although initially I was very careful with its sharpness as I was not used to a knife like this. After using it several times and as I use it more often, I feel a lot more confident and in tune with it as though like an extension to my hand.

If you read on any trained chef's blog or any reviews they will always mention that a sharp and good knife is much safer than a dull one. I totally agree but I think I have never come across anyone saying that when a trained chef / industry people handles their knives, they treat it with utmost respect almost like a god but without realizing it. You will never see them play around with their knives or mishandle it or not cleaning it after use.

In conclusion, I do no recommend most people spending a lot of money on knives until they feel that it is time and that I SUPER LOVE MY NEW GYUTO!!

Claypot: What to do?

When buying claypot, make sure you get the size that fits your cooking style. For example in my case, I have a problem cooking in small quantity hence I got the biggest one out there which was about 10-12" diameter. Ideally, a medium size probably around 8" will do for most people. At the store, make sure to check for cracks and most importantly that it has a steel wire caging the pot. This provides a better support for the pot according to many of my sifu (cooking instructors).

Once it gets home, immerse the claypot completely in water for at least 15 hours. Ideally would be 24 hours. If you observe carefully, you will notice little bubbles rising from the pot. Before any use of the claypot, heat up the claypot with water filled up 1/4 way at low heat. The first few times (make it 5) should be used at low or medium low fire. Once it has "broken in", you may abuse it with high heat but its always best to heat up the pot slowly treating it almost like an oven.

Do not soak claypot in soapy water as it will absorb some of it. I've read in some websites to use salt to clean it. I personally soak the pot in hot water to allow the "burnt" stuff to soften up and then remove it with a steel scrubber. Once all the sticky stuff has been removed, I quickly was it with some dish detergent and rinse off immediately. Eating soap won't kill you not in small quantity.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Ingredients 

• Claypot (may use rice cooker but there's a huge difference in flavor)
• 2 piece chicken breast cut into cubes or a bunch of boned-in chicken or both
• 4-5 cups of rice pre-cooked
• 8-10 pieces black mushroom soaked for at least 2 hours and halved
• Salted fish pan fried until light brown
• Chinese Sausage (optional)
• 2 stalks green onion chopped
• 2 piece ginger julienned
• 3-4 cloves garlic chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1.5 cups water
• 10 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 5 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 5 tablespoons light soy sauce
• white pepper

Directions 

1. Preheat claypot at low heat. Mix chicken with some corn flour and salt.
2. In a saucepan or large wok, heat up some cooking oil at high heat.
3. Add garlic, ginger, mushrooms and half the green onions. Cook until fragrant and add oyster sauce, dark and light soy sauce, and a few dashes of white pepper. Add chicken and cook until done.
4. Add 1.5 cups of water and if required a little more dark soy sauce to make sure the sauce is pretty dark.
5. Transfer the cooked rice into the claypot and then add everything from the wok/saucepan into it and mix around evenly. Add chinese sausage and salted fish on the top and cover. Let it cook on medium heat.
6. About every 5-8 minutes, stir the rice. Once the sauce is dried up, turn off fire and serve with the claypot and garnish with some green onion. 

Note: Make sure the when cooking the chicken, it is a little more salty so that when you mix in with the rice it will carry the flavors through. Don't worry about too much salt as the rice will absorb a lot of it and it will be tastier. Of course as usual, use your brains!

Pot Stickers

  Ingredients 

• 6-10 pieces dumplings
• Cooking Oil
• Frying pan

Directions 

The dumplings can be self made which I will leave it for another time when I figure out how to do it or you can simply buy it from stores that sell it in packets. Make sure to buy the ones with a thicker skin. I like to buy the ones with pork, mushroom and chives although there are many variance and definitely up to your palette.

1. Fill a small pot with water halfway and heat it to a boil. Add the dumplings and cook it completely. Once cooked, remove and allow the water to drain and the dumplings to cool a little.
2. In another medium size non stick frying pan, add about 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil at medium to medium high heat. Add the dumplings flat face on the pan.
3. Allow it cook before moving it around so as to not tear the skin wrap when removing it. Once the flat face turns golden brown and looks slightly charred, removed and serve.

Dipping Sauce

• 4-5 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 2-3 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 whole garlic chopped finely
• 1 stalk green onion chopped 
• Pinch of salt and a few dash of white pepper
• Red chilli paste

Fill above ingredients into a small bowl which should fill about 1/3 to 1/2 of it. Fill remaining bowl with hot water. Add more water if too salty.

Curry Chicken

 Ingredients 

• 4-5 chicken quarters (cut into 5-6 pieces each) lightly marinated with curry powder
• 4 russets potato cut into medium size cubes (cooked 1/2 done)
• 2-3 cloves garlic cut finely
• 1 red onion cut finely
• 1 white/yellow onion cut finely
• 1-2 lemon grass cut into 5-6 cm lengths
• 10-15 kaffir lime leaves
• 3-4 cm ginger cut finely
• 1-2 cm galangal cut finely
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/4 tablespoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel
• 8-10 pieces dried red chilly (more if you want it spicier)
• 2-3 cups of curry powder
• 3 cans coconut milk

Directions

1. Add 1/2 cup cooking oil into wok / pot at high heat. Add both onions, garlic, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves, ginger, galangal and chillies. Cook until onion golden brown. Reduce heat to medium and add curry powder, turmeric, fennel and cumin and stir often to not allow curry to burn. If becomes to dry, add more cooking oil. Cook mixture until curry turns about one or two grades darker (shouldn't take more than 4-5 minutes)
2. Turn heat back on high and add chicken. Stir and mix chicken with curry mixture until it is even and then add 2 cans of the coconut milk. Reduce heat to medium / medium high. You may add a little water if its too thick but should be unnecessary as the chicken will release its liquid as you cook it. 
3. Stir every few minutes to make sure the curry doesn't get burn on the bottom. You can cook it on high heat but requires more stirring or low heat for less stirs (requires more time but will taste better). 
4. Once it comes to almost a boiling state, add the 1/2 cooked potatoes and repeat step 3. Add remaining coconut milk for a creamier curry.
5. Once chicken and potatoes are done, serve hot with white rice and BEST eaten with hands!

Ja Jiang Mein

Ingredients 

• Egg Noodles (1-1.5 lbs) precooked
• Ground / Minced Beef (stir fry / cook in high heat oil covering the entire meat)
• 6-8 pieces of black mushroom soaked for at least 2 hours and then cut into small cubes
• 1 stalk green onion
• 1 whole onion julienne
• 8-10 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 4-5 tablespoon light & dark soy sauce
• Corn starch 
• Dry red chillies
• 1 whole garlic smashed

Directions

1. Heat up wok / frying pan with oil at high heat. Add egg noodles into frying pan and stir noodles while adding 2-3 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1/2 teaspoon white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook noodles until fragrant and very lightly burn. Remove noodles and put in a bowl / large serving plate with curved edges.
2. In the same wok add a little more oil on high heat. Add mushroom, red chillies, garlic, green onion and julienned onions and fry until fragrant. Make sure mushroom is cooked completely. Add cooked ground/minced beef into wok and stir some more. Once some liquid has been released add oyster sauce and both soy sauce. Stir for a few minutes to allow the flavors to be released. 
3. Add 2 cups of water or more if you want more sauce to the wok and allow it to boil. 
4. Once sauce has boiled, add corn starch and water mixture (oobleck) to allow the sauce to thicken. You may also continue cooking the sauce without the oobleck until it is reduced to a texture that you desire.
5. Pour sauce over noodles in the bowl and serve hot with Sriracha or any hot sauce preference you like.