Soy Delicious

Soy sauce wears many hats. It boosts the flavour of a bowl of steamed rice. It can jazz up soups and stir fries, or lend its salty, meaty tang to delicate sushi and sashimi.

Universally used as a condiment throughout Japan and China as freely as salt (and often in place of salt), soy sauce is also widely enjoyed in Southeast Asia. And we in North America have not been immune to its charms, either.

Such lofty status for this humble brew traditionally made from defatted, steamed soya beans and roasted, crushed wheat that are mashed together, inoculated with a starter culture, allowed to ferment, mixed with a strong salt solution, injected with a second starter and yeast, and finally fermented for eight to 12 months.

Soya beans have been grown in China for at least 3,500 years, but soy sauce’s creation is comparatively recent. Indeed, soy sauce was developed sometime during the Zhou Dynasty (1134-246 B.C.), and likely evolved in tandem with fermented fish sauces. Early versions of soy sauce were, in fact, a solid paste known as “sho”or “mesho,” which developed into two products, liquid “shoyu” and solid miso. In Japan, both are used equally, while in China, the liquid version rules.

The European name “soy “ (virtually the same in all languages) originates with 17th-century Dutch traders who carried the sauce back to Europe, where it became popular despite its high price. Incidentally, the beans are called “soya” or “soy” after the sauce, not the other way around.

Typically, soy sauce is available in light and dark varieties. The most extreme of the dark varieties is the thick Indonesian “kecap” made from black soya beans. The Japanese favor the light type—amber-coloured and saltier than the dark varieties—common in the Osaka region. Tamari is a soy sauce made without wheat, from whole or defatted soy beans only, and is darker than the typical kind. Possessing a distinctively mellow flavour, tamari is used mostly as a table condiment and dipping sauce, or for basting.

For those who prefer their soy less salty (or if you’re on a low-sodium diet), manufacturers have created low-sodium versions—a satisfactory compromise that allows you to have your soy and eat it, too. Like salt, use soy in moderation, your doctor will thank you.

Polynesian Baked Chicken and Lemon Rice

Two juices (orange and lemon) and fresh pineapple and papaya lend a fruity, South Pacific tang to this simple-to-make baked chicken. Serve with lemon rice and you’ve got a meal fit for a South Seas king!

INGREDIENTS:

2 frying chickens, cut up (or chicken parts)
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 lb butter
1 cup orange juice
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 fresh papaya, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Place chicken parts, flour and salt into a sealable plastic bag. Shake bag, making sure to coat chicken parts with flour and salt. Rub 2 tbsp of butter into a large baking dish. In small saucepan over medium heat, melt remaining butter. Place chicken in a baking dish and brush melted butter over each piece. Place baking dish into oven and bake for 50 minutes or until chicken is browned and juices run clear.
2. Meanwhile, combine orange and lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. When liquid is clear and thickened, remove from heat and add fruit.
3. Pour mixture over cooked chicken, coating each piece, and bake 10 minutes more. Garnish with chopped parsley or finely chopped green pepper and sesame seeds, if desired. Serve with lemon rice.

Serves 4

Give our recipe a try and tell us what you think—“two forks up” or “two forks down!” Send comments to food@outpostmagazine. And if, during your travels, you sample a delicious dish and are able to snag the recipe, send it to us at tkemail, and we’ll consider it for publication.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 14th, 2007 at 1:20 pm and is filed under Gourmet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site. Add to del.icio.us.