Simply Ming - Season 2

Ming Tsai kicks off the second season of SIMPLY MING with a once-in-a-lifetime culinary expedition to South Africa with lifestyle guru Colin Cowie. First, Ming is in the studio to create his Curry Tea Rub — an exotic mix of fruity blackberry-tea and curry powder that will add the taste of India to everyday cooking. Just rub it on and cook — what could be simpler? Ming demonstrates this easy technique by preparing Curry Tea-Rubbed Butterfish with Dried Mango Couscous. Then, Ming and Colin are off to South Africa to explore the famous spice markets of Durban and discover how 11 ingredients come together to create a wonderful house curry. This edible masterpiece is immediately put to work with the help of local chef Rachel Buchner who prepares BBQ Curry Tea-Rubbed Ostrich with Grilled Sweet Potatoes and Fruit Salsa. Back in the studio, Colin whips up the mouthwatering dish of Spiced Cod with Tomato Sauce.

Ming Tsai shares a childhood favorite, Shrimp Mousse, which still ranks high on his list of culinary cravings. One of the first things he learned to make in his Mom's kitchen, it got even better when he applied French techniques learned while in Paris. This airy mousse features four simple ingredients — shrimp, eggs, butter, and truffle oil — and can be used for instant, easy hors d'oeuvres of Shrimp Toast, a light first course of Steamed Shumai with Edamames and Lemon Broth, and an entrée of Shrimp Crusted Halibut with Spicy Asparagus Salad. Who better to consult about finding the freshest seafood than the authorities of Boston-based Legal Seafoods? CEO Roger Berkowitz offers up suggestions of what to look for when selecting the perfect shrimp. Later, legendary chef Jacques Pepin joins Ming in the kitchen and uses the Shrimp Mousse in true French fashion, encasing whole shrimp with the mousse, terrine-style, and serving up a Shrimp Cushion on a simple but delicious watercress salad.

Tea smoking — a classic technique of Chinese cooking — brings a wonderful smoky flavor to a myriad of dishes. With Ming's signature Citrus Herbal Tea Rub, green tea is perfectly complemented by the citrus taste of lemon, lime, and orange zest while mint and ginger add an invigorating flavor to the irresistible mix. Using this master base to elevate the flavor of a few light and healthy dinners, Ming whips up Seared Tea-Rubbed Chicken Breasts with Celery Sauté and Rubbed Halibut with Orange-Fennel Salad. Then it's off to uncover the art of tea smoking at Blue Ginger, demonstrated by sous chef Isaac Bancaco, who uses a mixture of uncooked rice, raw sugar, and tea, heated at the base of a wok, to slowly smoke and flavor a variety of dishes. Back in the studio, guest chef Martin Yan creates a savory Tea-Rubbed Scampi with the citrus herbal mixture.

With the help of a personal favorite — Spicy Black Bean Aioli — Ming reinvents some favorite casual eats. This master base marries the pungent salty taste of the Chinese black beans with garlic, ginger, and spicy sambal to create a flavorful aioli. This tasty condiment adds a punch of flavor to Panko-Crusted Cod Fish Cakes, Skillet Chicken BLT Sandwich, and a Grilled Mahi-Mahi Sandwich with Spicy Black Bean Slaw. Ming heads over to Blue Ginger to check out the innovative ways the light and flaky Panko crumbs are incorporated in a variety of the restaurant's signature dishes. Guest chef and seafood master Jasper White offers up the perfect hors d'oeuvres of Chilled Mussels with Spicy Black Bean Aioli.

Ming makes the most delicious of sweets — caramel — even more heavenly. His Jasmine Caramel Sauce combines smooth caramel with a hint of floral jasmine tea, proving that even perfect tastes can be improved upon. This smooth concoction added to even the simplest of desserts can take them to a whole new level. Ming whips up a few desserts to satisfy his sweet tooth — from a delicate Toasted Almond Tea Cake, to the perfect combination of hot and cold that is his Jasmine Banana Caramel Sauce Ice Cream Sundae, and finally a Toasted Sesame Nougat Bark that is just as delicious left plain or dipped in a decadent dark chocolate. Ming visits Tiny Trapeze Confections in the Boston neighborhood of Hyde Park and discovers that natural and organic ingredients create the richest caramel. Back in the studio, world-class pastry chef Gale Gand prepares her interpretation of the classic French dessert — a wonderful Pear Tarte Tatin.

The tangy burst of fresh cranberries is often a flavor associated with the fall. Ming proves that the options for this petite fruit are virtually limitless when combined with a traditional teriyaki sauce. The result is a Cranberry-Teriyaki Glaze that adds flavor to dishes across a variety of culinary traditions. The glaze gives an incomparable flavor to Cranberry-Teriyaki Chicken on a bed of Garlic Bok Choy and Cranberry-Teriyaki Lamb Rack with Couscous Salad, while also keeping the meat wonderfully moist. For the vegetarian option of Cranberry-Teriyaki Sweet Potatoes Satays, Ming glazes spears of sweet potato with the savory sauce and gives them a finish of chives and sesame seeds. Then Ming travels to Oishii Sushi in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts to see how versatile teriyaki is in the Japanese kitchen. Lidia Bastianich, the matriarch of Italian-American cuisine, creates the perfect fall dish of Oven-Braised Pork Chops with Red Onions, Pears and Cranberry-Teriyaki Sauce or Costolette Di Maiale Brasate Al Forno Con Pere — that captures all the wonderful flavor of the teriyaki with a traditional Italian dish.

Lychees, a perfumed exotic fruit that are delivered up as simple desserts after many Chinese meals, are reinvented here as a delicious purée. Lychees are known for their sweetness, but as Ming demonstrates with the Lychee-Mango Purée, they are also fantastic in savory dishes when paired with mango and spicy jalapeno pepper. It's a sauce that adds an incomparable fresh and tropical sweet heat to a variety of familiar dishes — the sweet, slightly acidic mango perfectly complements the rich lobster meat in Ming's Lychee-Mango Lobster salad. The traditional hors d'oeuvres of scallops wrapped in bacon are given a new spin in the Scallop and Bacon Fried Orzo with Lychee-Mango Syrup, and a Mid-West favorite — the 'Chicago Dog' — is given a shot of flavor with Lychee-Mango Corn Relish. Ming then heads down to the Legal Seafoods processing plant on Boston's storied waterfront to speak with CEO Roger Berkowitz and check out how lobsters are sorted. Back in the studio, celebrity chef extraordinaire Todd English joins Ming to create a Brochette of Duck with Lychee, Mango and Fennel Slaw.

Salsas have surpassed ketchup as America's favorite condiment and there's a very good reason for that: versatility. They're the perfect way to add flavor to any dish. Ming's Tomato-Kaffir Lime Salsa brings both sides of the world together with lime — a key ingredient in western salsas and eastern curry pastes. For his version, Ming uses incredibly fragrant kaffir lime leaves. This classical Thai ingredient gives the salsa a bright citrus flavor. This master recipe adds a new twist to three favorite grab and go dishes: Asian Lamb "Gyros" with Tomato-Kaffir Lime Tzatziki, a Salmon Burger with Tomato-Kaffir Lime Salsa, and a Tofu-Mushroom Quesadilla that features the satisfying texture of cheese without the calories. Chefs know that the best salsas are the result of using the freshest ingredients, so Ming heads to Marino Lookout Farm in Natick, Massachusetts to discover what types of tomatoes work best for certain recipes. Back in the studio, Ming proves that salsa's versatility doesn't have to end in the kitchen. The king of cocktails, Dale Degroff, joins Ming to make an Oyster Cocktail using the Tomato-Kaffir Lime mixture.

Hot Water Dough, one of the essentials in Chinese cuisine, is just as useful in the American kitchen. Ming is joined by the authority on Hot Water Dough — his mother Iris Tsai — and uses this versatile dough as the inspiration to create four very different hors d'oeuvres (ranging from classic pot stickers to a savory fried dough). Ming's version of one of the most popular appetizers in Chinese restaurants, Pork and Shrimp Pot Stickers, features a mouth-watering combination of diced shrimp, soy, scallion, ginger and pork in a Hot Water Dough wrapper. He then updates the traditional Italian dish of fried raviolis with his Crispy Lemon-Crab version. In this dish, the flavors of freshly picked crabmeat meld perfectly with scallions, honey, and jicama and the dish is served up a crispy golden brown with a lemony vinaigrette. For a simple but delicious treat, Fried Dough with Garlic — the savory version of the familiar sweet dough — becomes slightly caramelized when folded with scallions and a touch of sugar. Out of the fryer, the dough is immediately sprinkled with salt and rubbed with fresh garlic. Guest chef Iris Tsai serves her Xien Bing, delectable dumplings filled with a mixture of ground chicken, mushrooms, garlic and ginger.

One of the earliest convenience foods, Thai Curry Paste was created centuries ago to provide lots of flavor in a ready-to-use form. This master recipe can be easily combined with everyday ingredients — elevating your favorite meats, vegetables, fish, and pasta into instant and delicious curry dishes. In Thailand, the color of the paste often indicates the ingredients that dominate it, and a Green Curry Paste like Ming's is packed with aromatic green herbs such as basil and cilantro, plus mint for a bit of sweetness. With its transforming herb and curry flavor, Ming whips up Green Curry Chicken Noodles, a simple one-wok stir-fry that features the mellow flavor of rice noodles with the spicy green chile of the curry. Ming then heads to Noodle Alcove in Boston's Chinatown to check out what goes into the art of hand pulling fresh noodles. Back in the studio, the paste serves as a dynamic marinade for Grilled Green Curry-Marinated Salmon and Eggplant Steaks. The paste also provides an added boost to the simple flavor of ground chicken meat in Ming's Green Curry Chicken Burger. Lastly, Ming provides a wonderful, hearty dish for the cold winter months: Spicy Green Curry Rock Shrimp Gumbo. But it's not just a flavor for Indian food lovers, as Latin chef extraordinaire, Aaron Sanchez, proves when he joins Ming in the studio to create his "Mole Meets Curry" dish.

Sweet and sour, a classic flavor contrast in Chinese cuisine, is usually achieved by using vinegar and sugar. Growing up at his family's restaurant, Mandarin Kitchen, the traditional mixture would be sweetened with pineapple, but Ming favors cranberries for their sweet tart flavor and brilliant color. Ming's Sweet & Sour Cranberry Chutney is a world tour of flavor including Japanese rice wine vinegar, Southeast Asian lemongrass, and the very American cranberry. This chutney enhances a spectrum of dishes: in Ming's Peppercorn Duck Breast, the classic French pairing of duck and fruit is updated with a dollop of the chutney and served on a bed of potato discs. Showing how to make two take-out favorites even better at home, Ming prepares Sweet and Sour Pork Fried Rice and Cranberry-Crab Rangoon by mixing the flavors that you crave with the freshest ingredients and the tart-sweet chutney. Ming visits a cranberry bog with farmer Gary Garretson to see the process of wet harvesting. Back in the studio, renowned New England chef, Melissa Kelly, proves that the chutney works just as well with her own inspired dish — a Crisp Maine Lobster-Potato Cake with a Petite Herb Salad, Pixie Mandarin Sauce and Sweet and Sour Cranberry Chutney. Say that three times fast!

Lychee-Cranberry Salsa combines two fruits that you don't normally see on the same continent, never mind in the same bowl — Far East lychees and New England cranberries. Ming uses this Lychee-Cranberry Salsa to make four delicious desserts — from a warm compote to popsicles. Confections include: Vanilla Ice Cream with Warm Lychee-Cranberry-Raspberry Compote, Lychee-Cranberry-Rasberry Granita, Popsicles and Ice Cubes, and a Lychee-Cranberry Shortcake. Then Ming pays a visit to cranberry farmer Gary Garretson of Slocum Gibbs Cranberry Company to see the techniques involved in both wet and dry harvesting. Back in the studio, pastry chef and dessert guru Gale Gand works her own magic using the Lychee-Cranberry Salsa to create a Frozen Passion Fruit Parfait.

As many cooks know, dashi is a fundamental Japanese cooking stock. Made easily from a few simple ingredients, it's the basis for miso soup. The addition of ginger in Ming's Master Dashi Broth results in a dashi that is remarkably smoky without being overpowering. Rock Shrimp with Miso Risotto and Spinach is Ming's reworking of the classic Italian risotto using Japanese ingredients. In his Miso Soup with Tofu and Nori, traditional miso soup is enhanced with a hint of ginger for spiciness and garnished with crisp nori seaweed — the perfect warm broth for a cold winter afternoon. Ming then prepares one of the most familiar Japanese meals, Beef and Onion "Sukiyaki" — Dashi flavored stir-fried beef with vegetables (and sometimes noodles). To learn the endless uses Dashi has in the Japanese kitchen, Ming visits Chef Ting Yen of Oiishi Sushi in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Latin chef Aaron Sanchez then joins Ming in the studio to demonstrate the cultural versatility of Ming's master recipes by making Caldo de Pescado con Dashi y Jalapeno Amor — a wonderful fish stew.

The addition of dried shiitakes to a traditional vegetarian base, adds the depth that meat and bones usually give a stock. The flavor power behind the mushroom advances the taste of the vegetable broth and Ming offers up some delicious interpretations of classic European fare — including Three Onion Soup and a Shiitake Spinach Risotto. Ming then heads out of the kitchen and, giving an all-new meaning to the term "fresh produce," meets up with master forager, Russ Cohen in Lexington, Massachusetts to hunt for wild mushrooms. Back in the studio, Ming reinterprets another French favorite, Legumes Aux Vin, his riff on the traditional Coq au Vin. Jacques Pepin then joins him and prepares Red Snapper a la Nage. In this dish, the red snapper is combined with the delicate flavors of white wine, julienned leeks, mushrooms, and the Master Vegetarian broth.

Hot sauces are popular all around the world and at the top of Ming's list is peri peri a recent favorite. It's a very, very hot chile paste that Ming discovered while on a culinary expedition to South Africa with native and lifestyle guru Colin Cowie. The paste was so addictive that it inspired Ming to create this Kaffir Lime-Shallot Sambal. In the sambal, the aromatic citrus of the kaffir lime is spiked with heat, giving dishes from marinated grilled pork to rock lobsters a spicy and sunny flavor that captures the true essence of Thai cuisine. The sambal is used to make Marinated Grilled Pork Porterhouse with Fragrant Rice; Sizzling Whole Marinated Farmed Bass; and Rock Lobster Smothered in Kaffir Lime-Shallot Butter with Toasted Coconut Rice and Tomato Salad. Rock lobsters are a specialty in South Africa but New England lobsters are an equally delicious substitute. Lastly, in keeping with his amazing reputation for entertaining with style, Colin prepares a Flash-Seared Shrimp with Kaffir Lime-Shallot Raita — a dish that looks fabulous and tastes even better.