5 Ingredients is an Urban Family series where we sit down with a Shanghai-based chef and ask for a family-friendly meal using 5 Ingredients easily found in Shanghai. Let us help you start the week with a simple five-step recipe!
This week we spoke with Brut Eatery founder Jun Wu, a Chinese-Californian who moved to Shanghai with his wife over three years ago. Last year, he and his business partner founded Brut Eatery on Yuyuan Lu, serving natural, healthy dishes to the Shanghai community. What started as a humble neighborhood corner café, has turned into an ambitious business endeavor. They since opened three additional locations in Xuhui, Pudong and Minhang.
Can you tell me about the dish you are helping us prepare this week?
This recipe is a user-friendly version of what we serve at Brut Eatery. It is the perfect dish for the fall as the flavors are light and tangy. The sauerkraut-like cabbage braised in Chinese vinegar pairs extremely well with the sweet coconut pumpkin puree.
What five ingredients do we need?
200 grams cod fillet, skinless and boneless
250 grams pumpkin, skin and seeds removed
500 grams red cabbage
50 grams Zhenjiang black vinegar
100 grams coconut milk
Additional seasoning: oil, sugar, salt and pepper
Image via Flickr
What is the five-step recipe?
1. Prepare the pumpkin
Cut the pumpkin into 3-centimeter cubes. Add 30 milliliters of oil to a pot and sautee the pumpkin on low heat. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, until they are soft.
2. Prepare the cabbage
Cut the red cabbage into quarters lengthwise and remove the white stem. Then, cut each quarter into strips, approximately half a centimeter wide. Add 30 milliliters of oil to a pot and cook the cabbage on medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the black vinegar, 10 grams of sugar and 10 grams of salt. Cover with the lid and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.
3. Prepare the puree
Place the cooked pumpkin into a bowl, then add the coconut milk and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt. Blend until it becomes a smooth puree.
4. Prepare the fish fillet
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a non-stick pan on high heat. With a towel, pat the fish dry and then season both sides with salt and pepper. Carefully place the fish in the pan and sear for 3 minutes. Flip the fish and sear for another 3 minutes until it is thoroughly cooked.
5. Prepare your dish
Place 100 grams of pumpkin puree in the center of your plate, add a tall mound of cabbage and then place the cod on top.
What’s your advice on your dish of the week?
For the fish, you can substitute the cod fillet with halibut, which I also prefer. If you do, make sure you keep the skin on, as it crisps up very nicely. You can also roast the pumpkin. But since this is China, I don’t assume everyone has an oven.
Tell us something that’s happening with Brut Eatery at the moment, that our Urban Family community can enjoy.
Keep an eye out for our fifth location opening soon in Hongkou. We also have an incredible happy hour; ‘buy one get one’ for all wine (glass or bottle), every day from 5pm until closing. This offer also applies to takeout if you want to buy a few bottles to go.
[Title and profile images via Jun Wu]
For more 5 Ingredients recipes, click here.
