
PUNGENT & PEPPERY. Fresh ginger adds flavor to recipes
such as breaded ginger-orange baked chicken cutlets (pictured). (AP
Photo/Matthew Mead)
From The Asian Reporter, V22, #17 (September 3, 2012), page 12.
Fresh ginger: What it is and how to use it
By J.M. Hirsch
AP Food Editor
People have been eating it for thousands of years, yet still no one can
tell me why it should be peeled. So I don’t, and neither should you.
"It" being fresh ginger, the gnarly brown root that lives amongst the
grocer’s Asian produce. And the flavor is so much better than dried, you
must get to know it.
Most of us think of ginger as the powder in the spice cabinet and use it
mostly for baking. In Asia, where ginger originated, it’s more a savory
ingredient. That’s because fresh ginger packs tons of warm, pungent, peppery
flavor that works so well with meats and vegetables.
Though they can be used interchangeably, the flavor of fresh ginger is
more pronounced than dried, sporting heavy citrus, even acidic notes. In
Asia, fresh ginger is an essential part of numerous classic dishes,
including stir-fries, soups, sauces, and marinades, as well as Indian
curries.
When cooking with fresh ginger, keep in mind a couple things.
First, cooking mellows the flavor. So if you want to really taste it, add
some ginger at the beginning of cooking, and a bit more at the end.
Second, the strength of the ginger can vary widely by the piece. So if
you’re looking for a serious hit of ginger, taste it before you add it.
Now, about that peeling. Watch cooking shows and read recipes, and you’ll
be told again and again to peel your ginger before chopping, slicing, or
grating it. I have no idea why. The skin is entirely edible and doesn’t
change the flavor. So save yourself the time and effort, and just use your
ginger as is.
And the best tool for the job is a wand-style grater, such as a
Microplane. These graters quickly reduce ginger root to fine shavings or
pulp ideal for cooking.
When shopping for fresh ginger, look for firm, tan roots with no signs of
mold or shrivelling. It can be stored in the refrigerator for several weeks.
But I prefer to freeze my fresh ginger. Frozen ginger lasts for months and
is easier to grate than fresh.
J.M. Hirsch is the national food editor for The Associated
Press.
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