A Sprinkle of Savoury Magic
I have a distinct memory of being over a friend’s house for dinner when I was about eight years old (in the 1980’s) and her ordering a Chinese takeaway. The first thing she said over the telephone in a serious, warning tone was “No MSG please!!!!” I recall asking her what this “MSG” thing was? She then sat me down in a dark corner, lit a torch under her face and in a ghostly manner told me that it was called “monosodium glutamate” - it would give you tingles, brain fuzziness and in the wake of a full moon you would start to grow hair in odd places!
An outing to a Chinese restaurant of my childhood was like taking a trip to an exotic island. They embraced Hawaiian/Chinese themes where drinks would be displayed “Tiki style” with dainty paper umbrellas. Fried appetizers, even though already cooked, would have some bizarre blue volcanic live fire display within its’ centre. Then there was the ubiquitous make- shift paper signs in the windows that would cite “No MSG!”. Even though I have trodden through an MSG world and have come out completely unscathed, that childhood memory was enough to avoid purchasing it and using it in my cooking…until recently.
“Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” came to be when a letter was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1968. The writer speculated about his cause of ailments (lip tingling, migraines, confusion) that occurred after he ate Western Chinese food stating it could be the high sodium content, soy or cooking wine OR per other’s suggestions the use monosodium glutamate. The letter was signed “Robert Ho Man Kwok, MD Senior Research Investigator, National Biomedical Research Foundation, Silver Spring, MD. It is believed that this in fact was a hoax but the propagation of it would start a 50 year worldwide campaign against MSG and more specifically Chinese restaurants.
MSG is a naturally occurring substance that is found in foods such as cheese, heirloom tomatoes and even breast milk. The powder form is an extraction of fermented sugar beets, starch or molasses which creates umami, “the fifth taste” and adds depth and richness to dishes. From KFC to salad dressing, crisps and canned soups, monosodium glutamate is in a lot of things that we consume.
A year ago, I started reading about the suggestion of adding a dash here and there in recipes. That memory of being a frightened eight-year-old came back to me. Doesn’t that make you turn into a werewolf or something, I thought? Where there are MSG allergies and there have been studies that suggest ingesting copious amounts of it can cause health problems, the consensus is that there is no substantiated evidence pointing to it being harmful. Seeing as I happily consume a lot of things that probably are not considered great for me, (salt, wine, fried chicken…to name a few) I decided to do my own research and go buy a bag in Chinatown. A dash of it on your tongue is reminiscent of unctuous chicken fat….it makes your salvatory glands go nuts. I then made my first “MSG Martini” which was delightfully intoxicating in flavour and substance. I have now sprinkled it on steaks, vegetables and in quick soups which has made them sing with a lot of richness and little effort.
Deep flavour can most certainly be accomplished with layering elements and time sans MSG. But there are many a time when we cannot stew bones and meat for an entire day. And to those moments when there isn’t time, I happily embrace a sprinkle of savoury magic.
Crispy Ginger Chicken Thighs with Sauteed Lettuce and Lemon Sauce
Here I have created an umami dish that is loosely inspired by the rich Chinese chicken wings of my youth and a sweet and tart lemon chicken. In addition, if you have not delighted in sautéing lettuce or popping it into hot soups, you most definitely should. MSG is of course optional. It will still be extremely tasty without it, but if you are interested in cooking with it, please do!
For the Marinade:
6 large chicken thighs (skin on bone in)
¼ Tsp. MSG, plus more for sprinkling
½ Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 Tbsp. neutral oil such as vegetable or peanut
1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
2.5 cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
Salt
For the Lemon Sauce:
80 ml fresh lemon juice
50 g caster sugar
60 ml water
2 Tsp. corn flour
For the Lettuce:
2 large romaine lettuce heads washed and cut into thirds
2 minced garlic cloves
1 Tbsp. of the chicken fat
Flaky salt, coriander and Chilli oil to garnish
Deboning Instructions:
Using a sharp paring knife, place the chicken thigh skin side down and cut a perpendicular slice through the meat to reveal the bone. Using your hands and knife scrape the meat down off the bone on either side until it comes loose. Set bones aside or freeze for chicken stock.
Marinate:
Whisk marinade ingredients together to form a loose paste. Salt the chicken and then rub the marinade into the chicken concentrating the ginger and garlic on the underside. Place in a plastic bag or dish and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator about 45 minutes before cooking.
For the Lemon Sauce:
Whisk sugar, lemon and water in a small saucepan on medium high heat then slowly incorporate the corn flour. Whisk until it boils and thickens. Set aside to reheat for serving.
Cook the chicken:
Preheat the oven to warm. Using two heavy (preferably cast iron or carbon steel) pans heat the larger one on medium low with 2 Tsp. oil. The smaller pan will act as a weight so fold some aluminium foil onto the bottom of the pan*
Wipe off any excess marinade off the chicken. Working in batches of three place the chicken skin side down and place the heavy pan on top. Cook for 10 minutes then carefully remove the weighed pan, turn the chicken over and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with a dash more MSG, place on a warm plate in your oven and repeat. Reserve a Tablespoon of the chicken fat for cooking the lettuce.
For the Lettuce:
Heat a wok or large frying pan on high, add chicken fat and garlic and fry for about 10 seconds. Add the lettuce and stir fry until wilted and slightly browned. Sprinkle with salt.
Plate:
Plate the lettuce with some chilli oil and coriander. Cut the chicken into crisp slices and plate over the lettuce. Drizzle with a smattering of the lemon sauce and enjoy!
*If you do not have a second heavy pan you can use any frying pan weighed down with a couple of canned goods.
This method of cooking skin on, deboned chicken thighs is appropriated from the cookbook Salt Fat Acid Heat – it is a wonderful versatile method that results in a crispy rendered chicken skin and a juicy moist meat.
Jenny is “The Salty Chilli” an obsessive cook and food writer who lives in Moseley.
To read more check out her Instagram @thesaltychilli, her blog www.thesaltychilli.com