Ming says: I'll admit it: The Chinese didn't invent pesto. The giveaways are the cheese and pine nuts, two indisputably Western ingredients that help make it delicious—and rich. My East-West version, which adds ginger, cilantro, and chile heat to the basic basil-garlic mix, is much lighter than the Italian original. It makes a temptingly spicy flavoring for pasta and much more.
The pesto stays vibrant in color and flavor for at least a week; after that, it will darken but will still taste great for another week. Stir the sauce well before using it.
Makes about 3 1/2 cups
- 2 jalapeño chiles, stemmed and seeded
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 heaping tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- 1 cup roasted salted macadamia nuts or roasted salted peanuts
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
- 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, packed
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, sugar, ginger, nuts, zest, and 1 cup of the oil and blend until smooth.
- Add the basil, mint, and cilantro and blend while slowly adding the remaining oil until a thick purée is formed. Season with salt and pepper. Store in a tightly covered jar and refrigerate. Lasts 2 weeks, refrigerated.
TRY IT
For a great chip dip, mix equal parts of the pesto with softened cream cheese.
Use the pesto as a sandwich spread; it's particularly good with chicken salad or grilled Portobello mushroom fillings.
Mix 1 part pesto with 2 parts chopped shrimp. Use as a filling for dumplings made with store-bought wonton skins. Deep-fry the dumplings until golden and serve as an hors d'oeuvre.
>>This recipe appears in
Episode #123.
>> For additional recipes and more, visit
www.ming.com
