GINGER

There was ginger before there was Canada Dry ginger ale, and even before there was Canada.

Ginger has played an essential role in food and medicine in Asia for about 7,000 years. Where its use originated, whether in China or India, is a debatable point. And although all Asians use ginger root in their cuisines, it is most fundamental to Chinese cooking. Look for it sliced, shredded, juiced, minced, pickled and tossed into just about every dish.

One happy consequence of America`s great interest in Asian home cooking is the year-round availability of fresh ginger. Greengrocers and supermarkets from coast to coast carry arthritic-looking ``hands`` (as they are called in the produce trade) of the knobby root. Actually, this root is an underground stem, or rhizome. A rhizome produces buds and nodes. True roots do not.

Ginger has a flavor affinity for garlic, chiles, coriander, green onions and cumin. You`ll notice it as an underlying flavor in soups, marinades and many Chinese savory dishes where it is a perfect pungent aromatic.

But as a home cook, don`t be afraid to match it with Western partners, such as cream and butter in such classics as creme brulee, fruit compotes and vegetable dishes.

To buy: Ginger is plump and juicy when young. You can almost buy it by feel; like a potato, the harder the better. Pieces that are freshly harvested are rock-hard and very weighty for their size. The skin is thin and slightly translucent, with a pale-tan color often tinged with pink. The flesh is ivory with occasional traces of light green. Old ginger develops a thick skin; it is drier and hotter. Avoid buying any ginger with shriveled skin, cracks, moldy patches or a musty smell.

To store: Keep it in a cool place. Ginger dehydrates easily. If you plan to use it within a week, place it in a clean brown bag placed in a plastic food bag and toss it into the vegetable crisper.

For longer storage and instant availability, make ginger-vodka. Peel the ginger with a swivel peeler, cut into finger-shaped pieces and place in a jar. Cover ginger pieces with vodka, cap with an airtight lid and refrigerate. Thus prepared, ginger will keep indefinitely. (Although some people use Sherry, vodka is recommended because it doesn`t distort the flavor of a given dish.) Freezing ginger is not recommended because it turns to mush.

To use: Break ``fingers`` from the ``hand`` and peel with a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler or paring knife. When preparing ginger as an ingredient rather than a flavoring, it should be sliced as thinly as possible; ginger should always be sliced across the fibers. If a recipe calls for ginger juice, press small pieces through a garlic press or place grated ginger and peelings in a piece of cheesecloth and twist.

What about that ginger powder you pull off the spice shelf to make gingerbread? It`s simply dehydrated fresh ginger that has been pulverized. It is excellent in recipes for cookies and gingerbread. However, the properties and flavors are quite different, and dry ginger should never be substituted for fresh ginger.

GINGER-BROILED TUNA STEAKS

Even people who say they hate fish will like this meaty-textured dish.

4 tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup dry Sherry

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger

2 tablespoons grated orange zest

Chopped green onions, cherry tomatoes and lime wedges for garnish

Place fish in shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, olive oil, Sherry, garlic, ginger and zest. Pour over fish. Marinate about 1 hour, turning fish twice.

Remove fish to oiled rack in broiler pan. Reserve marinade. Broil about 4 inches from heat 2 to 3 minutes, then turn fish over and broil until done, about 2 minutes. Transfer to heated serving platter.

Bring reserved marinade to boil and simmer 2 minutes. Serve in sauceboat. Garnish each serving with green onions, few cherry tomatoes and lime wedges. Makes 4 servings.

MASHED SWEET POTATOES WITH GINGER AND ORANGE

The pungent, hot-cool bite of fresh ginger lends an Asian note to this American classic. Serve with Ginger-Broiled Tuna Steaks or roast chicken and cooked green beans tossed with a little sesame oil, then topped with black sesame seeds. Pass plum chutney on the side.

4 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (yams)

1 teaspoon ginger juice (from 2 nickel-sized slices fresh ginger)

1 large orange, grated zest and juice

2 tablespoons butter, optional

Salt

Scrub potatoes and pierce in several places. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until soft, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle, scoop out flesh into medium bowl. Mash potatoes.

Place pieces of cut ginger in garlic press. Squeeze out juice directly onto sweet potatoes. Stir in orange zest. Add butter. Add enough orange juice to give light but not runny consistency. Season with salt. Add more ginger juice, if stronger flavor is desired. Makes 4 servings.

(Adapted from ``Entertaining 1-2-3`` by Rozanne Gold, Little Brown.)

(Marlene Parrish is a cookbook author and food writer based in Pittsburgh. She is a 2000 James Beard Foundation Journalism Award winner.)(c) 2000, Marlene Parrish. Distributed by the Los Angeles Times Syndicate.

Article continues below

---

advertisement

---

Author: Marlene Parrish