Hainanese Chicken Rice

 

I wrote a post on Hainanese chicken rice sometime last year, though without the detailed recipe. Before I go on, let me just say that this recipe was provided courtesy of Mr G. If there's one thing he loves to cook and can cook well, it's chicken rice. The only part I play in the whole cooking process is preparing the chilli sauce and supervising the food styling. I'm only too happy to let him hold the reins on this one as he has cooked this umpteen times for the last few years, and has become quite an expert at it.

 

This style of chicken rice is based on what we used to enjoy back in Singapore, where the chicken rice is served with a ginger chilli sauce and a thick black sauce to drizzle over the rice. If there's one Singapore street food that is better than Malaysia, it's definitely chicken rice. I think the difference lies in the texture and fragrance of the rice and the silky smooth and tender pieces of chicken. I should also mention that it is bursting with "umami" flavours, but that depends on your tolerance level for msg. I did not specifically include msg in this recipe, although I did use chicken stock powder (for extra flavour!).

 

The recipe looks really long, but I've managed to edit Mr G's version to be more reader-friendly and less "intimidating", I hope! For my relatives and friends who have been asking how to make Hainanese chicken rice, here you go!

Hainanese Chicken Rice (Singapore style)
(mostly by Mr G)

Ingredients

Chicken:

1.6kg (about 4 lbs) whole fresh organic or chemical-free chicken, removed from fridge 40 minutes before cooking
Salt
8 slices ginger
3 stalks scallions (spring onions)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled
8 cups reduced-salt chicken stock to 12 cups water

Sesame-soy rub:
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp superior light soy sauce

Chicken sauce (combine in a bowl):
1 tsp chicken oil
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1/3 cup warm poaching liquid/stock

Ice bath with water to cover the chicken in another container after cooking
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced on the diagonal
2 scallions/spring onions, chopped/sliced for garnish
Coriander leaves, for garnish

Method

1. Prepare the chicken by removing the fat around cavity. Reserve the fat for later.

2. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Rub a generous amount of salt all over the skin. Stuff the chicken cavity with 4 slices of ginger and all the scallions.

3. Tie a loop of string across the 2 legs at the ends of the drumsticks or get a meat hook that you can slip into the cavity of the chicken, as you will need this to dunk the chicken in the poaching liquid (make sure the string or meat hook is secure and can support the weight of the chicken).

4. In a 10 litre stockpot on medium heat, add the vegetable oil and sesame oil and fry the garlic and remaining 4 slices of ginger until fragrant. Add the stock and water, cover the pot, and bring it to the boil on high heat.

5. Once boiling, remove the lid from the pot. Lower the chicken into the boiling stock and lift it up again. Repeat this step twice. This helps the chicken skin achieve a smooth texture. Finally, gently drop the chicken into the stock and let it cook using the 20-20-20 rule as follows:

In the first 20 minutes, let the chicken cook in the simmering stock. Initially, the stock will stop boiling for some time due to the temperature change. Leave the heat on medium and let the liquid come to a boil again.  Then, immediately reduce heat to a gentle simmer.

In the next 20 minutes, turn the heat off, leaving the chicken to continue cooking in the pot, covered. Do not exceed this time. In the meantime, prepare the ice bath by filling a large bowl (that will fit the chicken in) with plenty of ice and water.

The last step is to remove the chicken from the pot, emptying the excess liquid from the cavity of the chicken (be very careful as the hot liquid may spill or splash. Then, place the chicken in the ice bath, fully submerged. Leave the chicken to sit for 20 minutes (and no longer).

(Make sure you follow the 20-20-20 timing, especially the last 20 minutes, as it will affect the texture of the chicken)

6. After the chicken has chilled in the ice bath for 20 minutes, remove and then rub the chicken all over with the sesame soy rub.  Use a cleaver or large knife to chop up the chicken into pieces. Debone the chicken if desired.

7. On a large serving plate, arrange the sliced cucumbers, and place the chicken pieces on top. When ready to serve, drizzle the chicken sauce over the chicken. Serve with chicken rice, chilli sauce, black drizzling sauce and a steaming hot bowl of soup.

Rice:

4 cups jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
3 eschalots
5 cloves garlic
10 slices ginger
2 pandanus leaves, knotted
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp chicken stock powder

Chicken fat, reserved from earlier
1 tbsp sesame oil
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

1. Blend eschalot and garlic into a fine paste and set aside.

2. In a pan on low heat, heat sesame oil and vegetable oil. Add chicken fat and fry slowly to extract the oil. Remove the pieces of fat, leaving the oil in the pan.

3. Add ginger and fry for a minute. Remove 2 tablespoons of the oil and place in a small bowl. Reserve this for later when making black drizzling sauce and chilli sauce.

4. With the remaining oil in the pan, add eschalot and garlic paste, and fry for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the rice, salt and chicken stock powder and fry for a minute until well mixed. Place the rice mixture in the rice cooker and add pandan leaves. Pour the poaching liquid/stock over the rice until it reaches slightly above the 4-cup mark. Start the rice cooker according to manufacturer's instructions. Once cooked, give the rice a stir to fluff up the rice before serving.

Condiments:

Chilli sauce:

1 tbsp chicken oil
1-2 tbsp fresh lime juice
3 tbsp chinese white rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
4 tbsps warm poaching liquid/stock
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt to taste

Blend together finely:
8-10 long chillies (mix with bird's eye chillies if desired)
4 cloves garlic
2 inch ginger, peeled and sliced

Method

Add everything to the blended ingredients, and blend again until well mixed. Add salt to taste, and adjust the amount of sugar and vinegar used if necessary. The chilli sauce should take on an orangey colour.

Black drizzling sauce:

1 tsp chicken oil
2 tbsp Cheong Chan thick caramel
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tbsp warm poaching liquid/stock
1/2 tsp light soy sauce

Method

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm stock. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Serve as a drizzling sauce over the chicken rice.

Soup:

Remove all the bones and scum  from the poaching stock. Add salt and pepper to taste if necessary, and add more water if it's too concentrated. I like to add some sliced cabbage for sweetness. Ladle into individual soup bowls and garnish with chopped scallions before serving.

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Char Kuay Teow, two-ways

 

Char Kuay Teow with sweet soy



If you know and love Malaysian food, then Char Kuay Teow needs no introduction. In terms of popularity, I would think that Laksa ranks number one, followed by Hainanese chicken rice, and then Char Kuay Teow. These three dishes are commonly found in most menus of restaurants serving Malaysian-style food in Sydney, but more often than not, the authenticity of the Char Kuay Teow is questionable. Char Kuay Teow (CKT) literally means fried rice noodles, but a plate of greasy fried rice noodles with black soy sauce does not qualify as CKT. I find that the CKT sold here usually omits the eggs, which is a must in every CKT. It coats the rice noodles and gives it flavour and texture. Cockles are another must-have in CKT, but I have omitted them in my dish as I was unable to find any at the shops here.

I made two versions of CKT. One is the savoury Penang-style, and the other is the sweet version, typical of that found in Singapore. The latter uses kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) and is relatively more moist, whilst the Penang-style is drier. I personally prefer the sweet version. My recipe below explains how you can easily make both.

 

Savoury Penang-style Char Kuay Teow

Char Kuay Teow

(1 serving)

 

Ingredients

 

3 tbsp lard (or substitute with vegetable oil)*

6 fresh prawns, peeled

1/2 Chinese sausage (lup cheong), thinly sliced on the diagonal

8 slices fried fishcake

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

250g (1/2 lb) fresh rice noodles, at room temperature (separate the noodles to prevent clumping together)

1 tbsp chilli paste**

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1 1/2 cups beansprouts

1/2 cup garlic chives, cut into 2 inch lengths

 

Sauce:

1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp thick caramel (Cheong Chan brand)

2 tbsp ABC kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) - omit if Penang-style char kuay teow is preferred***

2 tbsp water

 

Method

 

1. In a large non-stick wok, heat up 1 tbsp lard over high heat and fry the prawns, Chinese sausage and fishcake slices. When the prawns are almost cooked, push  the ingredients aside and add 1 tbsp lard in the centre of the wok. Add garlic and fry briefly. Stir and mix well with the other ingredients. (It is important to keep stirring everything with the spatula in quick motion so that everything cooks evenly. Fry only one batch at a time)

 

2. Toss in the noodles and drizzle the sauce around the side of the wok. Mix in with the noodles and stir-fry quickly, moving the spatula back and forth until noodles are well coated. Do not overcook. Stir in the chilli paste.

3. Turn the heat down to medium. Push the noodles to the side and add 1 tbsp lard. Crack the 2 eggs into the centre of the wok and give it a quick scramble. Fold the noodles over the eggs and mix through again quickly and evenly before the eggs start to set. It should form sort of a slurry eggy coating over the noodles. If the noodles start to look a little dry at this point, drizzle 2-3 tablespoons water around the side of the wok and mix through quickly. Add salt to taste.

 

4. Toss in the beansprouts and garlic chives and mix through quickly for 20 seconds. The noodles should be fairly moist, and if not, add a few drops of water (or extra lard if desired). Transfer to a plate immediately and serve hot.

 

Note:

* To make lard, you can buy pork fat from the butcher and dice them into tiny cubes. For 2 servings, use 4 tbsp pork fat and fry in 3 tbsp vegetable oil on medium-high heat slowly until the fat turns brown and crisp. You can use the crispy lard to garnish the char kuay teow before serving.

 

** Chilli paste: I used dried chillies that have been soaked in water and blended finely, then fried in oil with some chopped garlic, seasoned with salt and sugar. You can substitute with your favourite brand of chilli paste if preferred. 

*** Penang-style char kuay teow is more savoury than sweet, and also drier. Adjust the quantity of kecap manis used to your preference.

 

 












 

 

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Penang Assam Laksa

It took me this long to finally attempt making Assam Laksa, and if mum says it's easy to prepare, she's quite right there. Just steam (or boil) the fish, add the blended ingredients to the stock and simmer before adding the flaked fish. Then serve with noodles and garnishing. Sounds easy doesn't it? In fact, I think I took more time preparing all the ingredients then the actual process of cooking it (man, those shallots sure took forever to peel, and they brought buckets of tears to my eyes).

In Sydney, mention laksa to anyone and his or her eyes will light up. But if you say "Assam Laksa", chances are you'll be met with a quizzical look. It's not a dish commonly found in Malaysian restaurants around Sydney, perhaps because it's an acquired taste for the local palate, with its sour and spicy tamarind-based fish gravy served with a dollop of black prawn paste (used in Chinese rojak). There is no coconut milk in it, and the flavours in the soup come from heaps of shallots, laksa leaves (or Vietnamese mint - see picture below), lemongrass, lots of chillies, turmeric and mackerel. Mackerel is an oily fish with strong flavours, and when added to the rich stock gives it a complex and intense flavour.

Notice the thick, round and white noodles used in this dish? That's what you have to use. Not vermicelli, not kuay teow, not egg noodles. And then, there are the garnishes (just as important as all the other ingredients I mentioned!): cucumber for  texture and its cooling properties; chillies for extra heat; mint for its sweet and fresh taste; red onions for sweetness and flavour; juicy pineapple pieces are refreshing; and most importantly, the Malaysian prawn paste ("petis udang") which gives this dish its authenticity.

I invited EL and KL to try out my assam laksa, and KL, being a Penangite, gave it a thumbs up (not literally though since he had a pair of chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other). That will do it for me. I've passed the taste-test with flying colours and I'm certainly going to make this again soon, perhaps for our next party? :-)

Assam Laksa
(Serves 6)

Ingredients

1kg (2 pounds) thick round laksa noodles (or substitute with thick round tapioca starch noodles)
1.2kg ( 2 1/2 pounds) mackerel, cleaned
2.5 litres (10 cups) water
1/2 tsp salt

14 stalks Vietnamese mint (a.k.a. polygonum or laksa leaves)
2-3 stalks lemongrass, white part only, smashed
4 pieces dried tamarind skin

4-6 tbsp dried tamarind, soaked in 1 cup hot water and strained (repeat a few times)
3 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Salt
Pinch of Ajinomoto

Blended together finely:
20 cloves of shallots
6 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal
1 inch fresh turmeric (or 3/4 tsp ground turmeric)
6 candlenuts
6-8 (large) fresh long red chillies
5-8 dried (long) red chillies, seeded and soaked in warm water to soften (use more if the chillies are small)
4-5 bird's eye chillies (optional, for extra heat)
1 tbsp roasted belacan (shrimp paste)

Garnish:
4 red chillies, sliced
1/2 pineapple, diced
1 cucumber, shredded
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 torch ginger flower bud, thinly sliced  (optional)
Mint leaves
5-6 tbsp black prawn paste (hae-ko), to serve

Method

Bring the water to the boil. Add the fish and salt, bring to a boil again and let it simmer for 15 minutes until fish is just cooked. Don't overcook it. Remove the fish and reserve the stock. Flake the fish and set aside.

Add the Vietnamese mint, lemongrass and dried tamarind skin into the stock. Add the blended ingredients. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 30 minutes. Add the strained tamarind pulp/juice, sugar, salt and ajinomoto. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary More tamarind pulp can be added if you prefer it more sour. Put the flaked fish in the into the stock and bring to a gentle simmer on low heat until ready to serve.

Blanch or cook the noodles in boiling water. Drain and place in individual serving bowls. Ladle the hot gravy onto the noodles. Sprinkle with garnishings. Stir in a little prawn paste into the gravy and enjoy!

Mmmm....smells and tastes so good!

Mackerel, ready to be flaked

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Pav Bhaji (Bread and vegetables)

 

My Indian friends from work threw a little Diwali party at their apartment last Friday, and I must say it was a very enjoyable evening, with good food, great company and lots of dancing. Moreover, it's hard not to fall in love with the phenomenal view from the balcony of the 33rd floor apartment right in the heart of Sydney. Dinner was a wonderful spread of  home-cooked vegetarian dishes, including pasta, salad and this delicious dish called pav bhaji. Pav (pronounced "pau" as in char siew pau) is equivalent to bun/bread, and bhaji refers to a vegetable dish. Apparently (or so internet sources say), pav bhaji is a popular Indian streetfood snack that originated in Marathi cuisine. It is basically a dish of mashed vegetables cooked in spices, and served with fried buttered pav. This dish uses loads of butter, which explains why it tastes so good. The bhaji is also topped with chopped onions, coriander and a splash of lemon juice which lifts the flavours in the dish.

Here are ten good reasons to love pav bhaji:
1. It's vegetarian, so it contains loads of veggies which are good for you.
2. It's got potatoes, which I love!
3. Great flavour from the spices, and it doesn't have to be spicy (hot).
4. The dish is cooked with butter.
5. The dish is served with more butter.
6. The pav (bun) is fried with lots of butter.
7. It's almost like an Indian vegetarian version of a Coney dog, sans the dog.
8. It's not too difficult to prepare if you use a food processor to blend the veggies.
9. It tastes sooooo good, even though there's no meat (although that could be an option).
10. Butter. I love butter, don't you?

Here is my version of the recipe for this dish. You can use hamburger or hotdog buns for the pav. As for the vegetables, any combination of capsicum (bell peppers), carrots, peas, cauliflower or eggplant will do. The spice used is pav bhaji masala, which should be available at most Indian grocery stores.

 

Pav Bhaji

 

Ingredients

 

Vegetables, boiled and mashed/pureed:

2 large (or 3 medium) potatoes

1/2 cup green capsicum (bell peppers), chopped

1/4 cup carrots, chopped

2 cups cauliflower, chopped

1/4 cup peas

 

3 tbsp butter

1 large onion, chopped

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste (optional)

1 tbsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

2 tbsp pav bhaji masala

1-2 cups water

1/8 tsp hing powder (asafoetida) (optional)

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

Salt and black pepper

Corinder leaves

Lemon juice

 

To serve:

Pav (burger or hotdog buns will do)

Butter

Chopped coriander leaves

Lemon wedges

1 small onion, chopped

 

Method

 

In a large non-stick pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Fry until onions are softened, then add tomatoes. Fry until tomatoes are slightly dry, then mix in the mashed vegetables and potatoes. Add tomato paste, chilli powder, turmeric and masala. Mix well and add 1 cup water. Cook for 15-20 minutes. Add asafoetida, crushed fenugreek leaves, salt and black pepper to taste. Stir in some chopped coriander leaves and the juice of half a lemon. Simmer, adding more water if necessary and cook until it turns into a thick gravy. Dish out and add a knob of butter on top, garnished with chopped onions and coriander leaves. Serve with fried pav.

 

For the pav, slice the buns in half horizontally, and fry in butter until lightly browned and crisp. Serve with the prepared vegetables (bhaji) and some lemon wedges.

 

Note: If you don't have pav bhaji masala, try substituting with garam masala instead.

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Sans Rival

 

Sans Rival is a rich, buttery and nutty cake (or dessert) made with crisp layers of cashewnut meringue and filled with French buttercream. Sounds decadent enough? It was Al from work who introduced me to this dessert, and as she didn't really know the exact name, she merely referred to it as Sandflower cake, or San something. I totally fell in love with it at first bite. The combination of silky buttercream, the light and crispy meringue and scattering of chopped cashews was just amazing. The next thing I did was to google Philippines, san, cashew and cake, and to my delight and excitement, I discovered the Sans Rival, which literally means "without rival", and it is indeed true to its name.

After sifting through the various recipes available on the internet, I finally settled on this one below that comes from a Filipino cookbook. The original recipe uses rum in the buttercream, though I think I might omit it next time and substitute with vanilla instead. Although the recipe seems fairly simple, it is a multi-step process that involves cooling, chilling and assembly time. The tricky part came down to slicing the actual Sans Rival, as the meringue is so brittle that it takes a bit of patience and skill in cutting it into neat slices without leaving too many crumbs on the plate. After a series of "shattered" meringues, I found that the best way was to cut it straight down in one swift stroke using a serrated knife. I brought this dessert to a party and I think it was quite well received by everyone (sans the kids). Guess I'll have to wait for the next party before I make this again, although I did read somewhere that it freezes well. I'd better start clearing out some space in my freezer then.

Sans Rival
Adapted from Nora Daza

Ingredients

6 egg whites
¾ cup sugar
1 1/2 cups roasted unsalted cashew nuts, chopped finely
1 tsp vanilla extract
Extra 1/2 cup chopped cashewnuts set aside for decoration

Method

Grease and flour three 14” x 10” cookie sheets. Set aside. Beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until egg whites are very stiff. Fold in the 1 1/2 cups chopped cashew nuts and vanilla. Spread thinly in prepared pans. Bake at 160C/300F for 20-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Turn off oven and leave the wafers in the oven for 2-3 hours until cool. They will turn crisp by then. Gently loosen and slide wafers to a flat surface. Trim off the uneven edges with a serrated knife.

Prepare filling:
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup / 300g unsalted butter
1-2 tbsp rum (optional)

Method

Boil sugar and water until it reaches the soft ball stage, or it spins a thread. Meanwhile, beat egg yolks until thick and pale. Pour hot syrup to egg yolks in thin streams while beating on medium speed until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl and chill in the fridge.

Cream the butter with a mixer. Blend in the chilled egg yolk mixture and rum (if used).

Turn the wafers over (smooth-side up). Spread a thin layer of cream over the wafer and place the next wafer on top. Spread the cream and repeat with the next wafer. Cover all over with remaining cream.  Sprinkle top with extra chopped cashew nuts. Chill well before slicing and serving.

 

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Grilled Pork Belly with Spicy Sauce

Hello! It's been a while since I last did a proper post on my blog. Life has just been a little busy lately, and just when I thought things were starting to wind down, my calendar for the next two months is fast filling up with dates for parties, school events, concerts and birthdays. And when you have three kids like me, multiply that by three and you'd wish weekends were a little longer, and perhaps with a free day for cooking and baking. Last weekend, I managed to find time to prepare these grilled pork belly skewers which were inspired by my recent dining experience at Sake restaurant in Sydney. What I found interesting was the spicy antichucho sauce that was served with the grilled pork (kushiyaki). Antichucho is apparently Peruvian grilled marinated beef hearts, served with a tangy and spicy sauce, I believe. As there is a considerable Japanese influence on Peruvian cuisine (one of Peru's presidents was of Japanese descent), that explains the use of the antichucho sauce in this dish.

I recalled seeing a recipe for antichucho sauce in the cookbook "Nobu Now" which I have adapted below by substituting the aji panca (a type of Peruvian chilli paste) with - Korean red pepper paste! I mean, they are both chilli peppers right? Just of different descent. The sauce turned out pretty good actually, spicy and tangy with a hint of cumin, a flavour I immediately picked up when I tasted the one at Sake. I drizzled some of the sauce onto the tender and fatty grilled pork belly (see also Crispy Roast Pork Belly), topped it with chopped scallions and squeezed some lemon juice over it which lifted the flavours altogether. Mr G tried it and gave it two thumbs up! Try out this dish for your next barbecue this summer!


Grilled Pork Belly Skewers

Ingredients

1kg (2 lbs) pork belly

Salt

Pepper

Vegetable oil

 

To serve:

Sesame oil mixed with a pinch of salt (for brushing)

Chopped scallions/spring onions

Lemon wedges

Spicy sauce (see recipe below)

Method:

1. Boil some water in a pot with 2-3 teaspoons salt, and place the pork in the boiling water, making sure it is totally submerged. Boil uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove and drain on a wire rack. Pat dry with a paper towel and leave for about 20 minutes to dry out. Rub about 1/2 tbsp of salt over the meat and skin. Place in the fridge uncovered for 4 hours or overnight.
2. Score the skin in a criss-cross diamond pattern with a knife, about 1/2 cm apart. Make sure it cuts through to the fat, as this will allow the fat to render. Rub a little salt and vegetable oil over the skin.
3. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).  Place on a wire rack skin side up, and pour about 1-2 cups of water into the roasting pan so that it steams the meat in the oven. Place the pan in the middle rack in the oven and roast for 1 hour. Increase temperature to 220C (450F) and roast for another 15 minutes or until skin starts to brown and sizzle. Turn on the grill/broiler on high to crisp up the skin, which should begin to bubble and blister! When it starts to char, and the skin is evenly crisped all over, remove from oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes (you can scrape off the blackened charred bits first using a knife). 
4. Slice the pork into 1 inch cubes. Thread them onto wooden skewers and grill them on the barbecue or non-stick pan until lightly browned on both sides. Arrange on a serving dish. Lightly brush the pork with the sesame oil and salt mixture. Then, drizzle with spicy sauce, garnish with chopped scallions and add a splash of lemon juice.
 

Spicy Sauce Recipe

3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 1/2 tbsp gochujang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 1/2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white rice vinegar)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp tomato sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp dried oregano

Method:

Combine the ingredients above and place in a small pan on medium heat. Fry briefly, then transfer to a small serving dish.

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Quick Microwave Chocolate Cake

Microwave Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

3 tbsp self-raising flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder
1 egg
3 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp butter, melted
3 tbsp water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp chocolate chips

Method

Combine flour and cocoa in a small microwave-safe container and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs with sugar and add this to the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter, water and vanilla. Stir well until evenly mixed and smooth. Add chocolate chips on top. Place in the microwave on medium heat (600W) for 3 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool slightly before serving.

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Asparagus and Prawn Stir-fry

 

 

Asparagus and Prawn Stir-fry

 

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp vegetable/peanut oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced/chopped

200g prawns, peeled, deveined and tails intact

2 bundles asparagus, woody ends snapped off, halved crossways

2-3 bird's eye chillies, sliced

 

Sauce:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp palm sugar (or to taste)

1 tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce

3 tbsp water

 

Method

 

Heat oil in a wok on high heat. Add the garlic, followed by the prawns. Let the prawns cook on one side, then flip them over to cook the other side. When the prawns are almost cooked, remove and transfer them to a plate and leave the oil in the wok. Next, add the asparagus to the wok and fry for 30 seconds, then push them aside. Add the chillies and pour the sauce ingredients down the side of the wok into the centre and bring to a boil. Toss the prawns in with the asparagus and sauce, and stir-fry briefly until everything is well coated, and sauce is slightly reduced. Turn off the heat and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

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Braised Lamb Shanks with Massamun Curry

 

 

 

The first time I had lamb shanks was at Mulligan's, an Irish restaurant in Sydney. I remember how tender the meat was and it just melted in the mouth, together with the luscious red wine gravy and mashed potatoes. Well, that was a really really long time ago, and since then, I had always wanted to cook lamb shanks but never did until now, after I bought a french oven that's large enough to fit those shanks. I decided to make a Thai version by braising the lamb in massamum curry with some potatoes. I had it in the oven long enough that the meat was so tender and just fell off the bone. It was delicious, and with all curries, it tastes even better the next day!

Massamun Curry Lamb Shanks

 

Ingredients

 

6 lamb shanks (about 2kg or 4lbs)

Salt

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 star anise

1 cinnamon stick

6 cardamom pods, lightly crushed

110g (4oz) massaman curry paste

2 cups coconut cream

2 cups reduced-salt beef stock

1 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)

3-4 tbsp palm sugar (or to taste)

2 tbsp tamarind pulp concentrate

1/4 cup ground/chopped peanuts (optional)

500g (1 lb) potatoes, peeled and cut into golf-ball sized

Coriander leaves, for garnish

 

Method

 

Preheat oven to 180C (350F). Rub some salt over the lamb shanks. Heat up the vegetable oil in a large dutch/french oven or and sear the lamb in 2 batches on high heat, about 8 minutes each batch until browned. Transfer to a plate.

 

Using the oil left in the dutch oven, fry the onions, star anise, cinnamon stick and cardamom for 3 minutes, and then add the massaman curry paste. Fry until fragrant, then add half the coconut cream. Fry for 1-2 minutes until the oil starts to separate. Add the rest of the coconut cream and beef stock. Bring to a boil, then add the lamb shanks. Cover with a lid and place in the oven to cook for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and add fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind pulp and peanuts. Stir well to mix. Add the potatoes and cook in the oven again for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on the stove on medium-high heat. Remove the lid and let it boil for about 10 minutes to let the curry reduce slightly until thickened.

To serve, transfer to a serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves. Enjoy with steamed jasmine rice.

 

 

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Buttermilk Pancakes

I was pondering over what to write for this post and decided to look up "pancakes" in Wikipedia. It was fascinating to learn that different countries around the world have their own version of pancakes, be they sweet or savoury. Of course, the ones that most of us are better acquainted with are American-style pancakes, Australian pikelets (mini-sized ones) or crepes (which are thin pancakes). It was the long Labour Day weekend and the kids asked for pancakes this morning, and so I made pancakes!

I remember seeing Nami's post on Buttermilk pancakes a while back, and her pancakes looked so good! Moreover, it was a really simple recipe and although I didn't have any buttermilk on hand, I could easily make some using fresh milk with a splash of lemon added to it. They did take a while to make because I only had one pan and made the pancakes one at at time. However, these pancakes were wonderfully light and fluffy, unlike the dense, heavy and cakey types that can be found in some restaurants. I served the these lovely pancakes with raspberry coulis, fresh blueberries and maple syrup, although the kids wanted theirs with only syrup or Nutella.

Buttermilk Pancakes
Adapted from Just One Cookbook

1 1/4 cup plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups of buttermilk

2 tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp almond essence (optional - I omitted this)

Some butter, to grease the pan

Maple syrup, butter and fresh fruit, to serve

 

Method

 

In a large bowl, put the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk together.

 

In a small bowl, whisk the egg and sugar. Whisk in the buttermilk, melted butter and almond essence. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth and combined.

 

Heat a non-stick pan or skillet on medium heat, and add a tiny amount of butter to grease the surface. Pour about ¾ cup of batter onto hot pan from 12 inch high. This is necessary for a nice circular shape. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake. This takes about 3 minutes. When the surface looks almost dry, flip the pancake over to cook the other side for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer to a serving plate and repeat the steps above to make the rest of the pancakes. Serve the pancakes immediately with syrup, butter, fresh fruits or anything you fancy.

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Teriyaki Chicken Rice Burgers (Sliders)

 

There are people who don't like Vegemite, a minority of the population detest peas, and then there are those (like me, or is it just me?) who aren't particularly fond of beetroot. But I bet everyone (by that, I mean most people in general) loves teriyaki sauce. It's like a sweet soy-based barbecue sauce that goes with almost anything. The kids in particular enjoy having it with either grilled salmon or chicken, served with steamed rice. This time, I decided to make mini teriyaki chicken burgers (sliders) using round dinner rolls that I bought from the Vietnamese bakery. The size of these rolls are ideal for little hands and it makes me beam with joy when the kids ask for seconds (they love 'em!). These buns are actually really good, because they are similar to the ones used for Vietnamese pork rolls, which have a thin and flaky crust on the outside, with a light and fluffy interior.

I made two versions of these teriyaki chicken sliders - one using dinner rolls, and the other using rice cakes. The rice cakes are basically sushi rice (calrose or short-grained rice) which have been cooked and compressed into rice cakes. I used an egg ring to mould and compress them into shape, with the aid of cling wrap. They are similar to grilled onigiri (see Nami's recipe here) except that I've shaped them differently. Then I simply grilled them in a lightly greased skillet, followed with a light glaze of teriyaki sauce over the top which I grilled again until lightly charred.

The rice burgers are assembled by sandwiching it with grilled teriyaki chicken (see recipe here) which I then brushed with extra teriyaki sauce, and topped with lettuce, red onions and mayonnaise. It was delicious, regardless of the fact that it was a little fiddly and messy to eat because the chicken fillet kept sliding off the rice cake. Wrapping the burger in some greaseproof paper helped to hold it together a little. Next time, I would probably substitute the chicken thigh fillets with meat patties instead (click here for teriyaki meatball recipe which you can shape into meat patties to make these burgers). Otherwise, just serve the teriyaki chicken on classic dinner rolls (I grilled these buns in the pan to crisp and warm them up) - quick, simple and equally delicious!

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Crispy Polenta Chips with Parmesan and Rosemary Salt

Ever since Jamie's Italian opened a branch in Sydney, I've only been there once, with three other friends. I had the Buffalo Ricotta ravioli with lemon and mint, which in all honesty, I thought was a rather confusing dish because as I was eating it, I kept tasting Lemon Curd Tart, and wished it was served as a dessert instead. If it was intended to be a main-and-dessert all in one, it certainly achieved its purpose. I suppose we had higher expectations for the food, as we found that the other mains were either underseasoned or lacking in flavour (we must have caught the chef on a bad day). That explains why I never went back again. Well, not until Ms L told me that the crispy polenta chips at Jamie's Italian were very, very good. I did want to go back just to try them, but the rest of the girls weren't really keen on going back just to have a small bowl of overpriced chips.

 

So, I did a bit of research and stumbled upon quite a few recipes for polenta chips. It's basically polenta cakes that are sliced, coated in [raw] polenta and deep-fried. These are then sprinkled with rosemary salt and grated parmesan while they are still hot. My oh my, they were so crispy and delicious, especially with the umami flavours from the parmesan combined with the scent of rosemary. Addictive! These would make a great snack for movie nights, games nights, or simply with a pint of beer in one hand. You can even make the polenta cakes ahead of time and refrigerate them until you're ready to fry and serve them up. I bet they'll taste great with aioli too!

 

Click here to continue to the Recipe

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Kanitama-don (Crab Omelette on Rice)

Kanitama-don is basically a Japanese-style "egg fuyong", comprising an omelette of crab meat served on a bed of rice, and topped with a soy-based gravy. I first tried this dish in a Japanese restaurant a few years ago, and was taken by surprise by what was a huge mound of an omelette sitting in a pool of gravy on a large plate. I suppose I was expecting it to be a little more colourful and artistic in presentation, like typical Japanese cuisine. For a moment there, I thought they got my order wrong! Well, never mind that I was  having "egg fuyung" while my lunch partner enjoyed her steaming hot bowl of ramen. I LOVE eggs, and I do love a good omelette, especially when it comes with gravy, and so I was quite happy and contented with my meal that day and was already thinking of ordering it again next time. Well, except that I didn't see it on the menu anymore after that, and that meant only one thing - I have to make it if I want to eat it.

I'm glad to report that my attempt at replicating this dish was successful, certified by the nods of approval given by Mr G and Miss H, my two "gourmets" at home. This is really just like egg fuyung that you get at Chinese restaurants (or better, perhaps!) covered with a delicious gravy to which I added baby peas and straw mushrooms. The omelette is packed with crab meat (I used tinned crab meat), scallions and bamboo shoots which are absolutely essential for providing the needed textural contrast.  You may also choose to add sliced shiitake mushrooms to the omelette if you like. This is my new go-to recipe for comfort food and will be something I'll be cooking more of especially on busy weekends.

Kanitama-don (Crab Omelette on Rice)

 

Ingredients

 

Omelette:

3 large eggs, well-beaten

1/4 cup crab meat

1/4 cup diced ham

1/4 cup canned bamboo shoots (rinsed with water, drained and julienned)

1/4 cup scallions/spring onions, chopped

1/4 tsp chicken stock powder/granules (optional)

1 tbsp water

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

Pepper

2-3 tbsp vegetable oil for frying

 

Sauce:

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp sake

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp chicken stock powder/granules

1 tsp potato starch (or cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water

 

Garnish:

3 tbsp baby peas

A handful of straw mushrooms

 

Method

 

Prepare the sauce first. Combine all ingredients for the sauce (except the potato starch solution) in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add the straw mushrooms and peas and simmer for 1 minute until mushrooms are cooked. Stir in the potato starch solution and bring to a boil again. Once it's thickened, turn off the heat, cover with a lid and keep warm.

 

Combine ingredients for the omelette in a bowl. Heat vegetable oil in a wok/pan on high heat. Pour in the egg mixture to make a round omelette. Let it cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes until the bottom is browned and crispy. Then flip it over and cook the other side for 1 minute.

 

Scoop a bowl of rice onto a serving plate. Carefully slide the omelette from the wok/pan onto the rice. Pour the sauce over and serve immediately.

 

 

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Deep-fried Snapper with 3 Flavour Sauce (Thai-style)

 

 

If you've been following my recent posts, you'll know that I've been coming up with "copycat" recipes for some of dishes served at Sailors Thai. This time, I attempted to prepare the deep-fried snapper with three flavour sauce that everyone at our table of ten was raving about. As we ordered only one of each item from the menu, by the time it was passed down to our end of the table, the fish was almost mangled beyond recognition. Okay, perhaps that's an overstatement. Fortunately though, the fish head appeared to be intact, and surprisingly, nobody took the best part - the cheek! If I was having fish with my family (or relatives), the cheek would definitely be the first thing to disappear.

This is actually quite simple and easy to prepare, given that there aren't many ingredients required. The sweet, sour and spicy sauce is briefly simmered in a pan and then poured over the deep-fried fish. I've used a whole snapper here, although you could always substitute with pan-fried fish fillets if preferred. If you're using fresh long red chillies, depending on how hot they are, you may want to consider throwing in a few bird's eye chillies for some extra kick.

Deep-fried Snapper with 3 Flavour Sauce
(Serves 2-3)

Ingredients

800g whole snapper (or other firm white fish)
Cornflour
100g (3oz) fresh long red chillies, seeded and finely ground *
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 sprig coriander leaves
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves

Sauce:
3 tbsp tamarind pulp concentrate (bottled kind or equivalent)
3 tbsp palm sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp vinegar *
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (optional)

Method

Heat up sufficient oil in a wok and deep fry the basil leaves for 10 seconds or until translucent and crispy. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.

Make two or three diagonal slashes across both sides of the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Coat with cornflour and shake off excess. Deep fry in hot oil until crispy and golden. Remove and drain off excess oil, and place the fish on a serving plate.

In a clean pan, heat up 1 tbsp vegetable oil and fry the garlic, followed by the ground chillies and sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer briefly (about half a minute). Pour the sauce over the fish, garnish with crispy basil and coriander leaves. Serve immediately with steamed jasmine rice.

* Note: Instead of using fresh chillies and vinegar for the sauce, you may choose to substitute with Thai sambal oelek instead, which are sold in jars. Sambal oelek can be rather hot though, which is perfect if you like it hot!



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Snow Peas and Asparagus in Oyster Sauce

In my previous post (Grilled Beef with Charred Tomato and Chilli Sauce), I wrote about my visit to Sailors Thai where I had the luxury of savouring an array of creative and exotic Thai dishes and was simply enamoured by the overall gastronomic experience. I attempted to make a mental note of how each dish tasted so that I could recreate the same at home if I ever had a craving for it. And so, this post features a very simple recipe for delicious stir-fried vegetables in oyster sauce. In the menu, it was actually stated as "stir fried broccolini and sugar snap peas with oyster sauce", but they looked more like asparagus than broccolini, and so I've used asparagus in my recipe here. How timely it was that Ms AC received a bag of snow peas from her neighbour who just harvested them from the backyard, and she brought some to the office for me!

 

 

I decided to ramp up this dish by garnishing it with some crispy garlic chips and crispy dried baby anchovies. Not only do they add texture (crispy on anything is always a good thing!), but also flavour and saltiness from the baby anchovies. You can buy these dried baby anchovies from the Asian supermarket (the one I bought comes from Korea), but they are entirely optional, so feel free to omit them. This is a versatile dish where you can add or substitute with other ingredients like carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, seafood, meat and so on. From there, you can also add kaffir lime leaves, sliced chillies, or perhaps a splash of lemon juice for a little zing. The sauce makes a great base for any stir-fry, and I've kept it simple here, as it was when I tried it at Sailors Thai.

 

For best results, do use good quality ingredients especially when it comes to the oyster sauce (I used Lee Kum Kee premium oyster sauce - great umami flavours!) and fish sauce (Squid Brand). Also, take care not to overcook or undercook the vegetables, particularly the asparagus.

 

Snow Peas and Asparagus in Oyster Sauce

Ingredients

3 tbsp dried baby anchovies (optional)

1-2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Vegetable/peanut oil

1 bunch asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into 3 inch lengths

1 1/2 cups snow peas, topped and tailed, strings removed

Sauce (combined in a bowl):

1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee oyster sauce

1 tbsp Squid brand fish sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp palm sugar

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp Maggi seasoning (optional)

Method

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the anchovies on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes until crispy. Discard the oil and transfer the anchovies to a plate.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok and fry the garlic on medium-high heat until lightly golden and crispy. Remove the garlic chips and set aside together with the anchovies above. Leave the oil in the wok.

Heat the wok with the garlic oil on high and fry the asparagus for half a minute. Then add the snow peas and fry for another half minute. Push the vegetables to the side of the wok and pour the sauce in the centre. Bring to a boil and reduce slightly and toss the vegetables in the sauce briefly to coat. Turn off the heat and transfer everything to a serving dish. Garnish with fried garlic chips and crispy baby anchovies. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.



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