Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp)

 

I honestly think that Australia might have the highest consumption of laksa per capita compared to other countries. There's probably more laksa varieties in Sydney than there is in Singapore, and IMHO, they taste better too. But let's not go there. What fascinates me is that many Australians have come to embrace Asian food as part of their regular dining and grocery options. Take panko crumbs for example. The word panko doesn't sound the least like it's something edible, though it is an ingredient that is commonly available and used here. Why go for regular breadcrumbs when you can have super light and crunchy panko?



Don't these crunchy crumbed deep-fried prawns look lovely? That's the beauty of panko crumbs. Looks good, tastes great and sounds earth-shattering (okay, maybe that's a little too much). They are quite simple and easy to prepare, though I won't lie - I took a while to peel, devein and prep the prawns. But it's all worth it in the end, and I even saved some leftovers and popped them into the air-fryer the next day. My favourite way of serving these are with rice topped with a generous helping of thick Japanese curry. I will show you those in my next post. For now, have a go at making these Japanese fried shrimp (Ebi Fry) and serve them with tartare sauce or mayonnaise if you like. You can also use them as a topping for sushi, or in a sandwich. An Ebi Fry on a hot bread roll sounds good too, perhaps with some coleslaw and tartare sauce? Read on to get the recipe.

Ebi Fry (Fried Shrimp) Recipe
Adapted from Just One Cookbook

Ingredients

500g (1 lb) large whole prawns (about 15)

Salt and black pepper

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 eggs + 2 tbsp water

1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Oil for deep frying

Tartare sauce and lemon wedge, to serve (optional)

 

Method

 

1. Rinse the prawns, remove the heads, and shell the prawns, leaving the tail intact. Devein the prawn. Rinse the prawns again and pat dry with paper towel. Using a pair of scissors, snip off part of the sharp end of the tail. Place the prawn on a chopping board, belly-side up. Use a sharp knife to make 3 diagonal scores on the belly where it's closer to the tail. Don't score the fat part close to the head so that it retains its shape. Turn the prawn over onto its belly and lightly press down on to flatten.  You should be able to feel it "crack" under pressure. Repeat this with the rest of the prawns.
2. Season the prawns with salt and pepper.
3. Prepare three small dishes. Place flour in one, panko in another, and in the third, beat the eggs lightly with 1 tbsp water.
4. Dredge the prawns in the flour, followed by egg. Shake off excess, then dredge in flour again, followed by egg, and lastly coat in panko. Set aside on a plate and repeat with the other prawns.
5. In a pan/wok, heat sufficient oil (about 2 inches or enough to cover the prawns). Deep fry the prawns in batches for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel. Serve with lemon wedges and tartare sauce if desired.

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Roast Chicken with Russian Salad {Best Ever}

 

This is the most amazing and easy roast chicken ever. I'm dreaming of having this chicken again as I write this. I actually ate this three days in a row and never got tired of it. In fact, it tasted even better the following days, with the flavours from the marinade (and the pan juices) having absorbed into the chicken. I was a little sceptical about the Russian salad

(although it was really the "exotic" reference to "Russian" that enticed me to try out this recipe) as I don't usually have cold creamy salads with roast chicken. Well, I was pleasantly surprised that they complemented each other really well and I just kept going back for more (and more, and more). I made sure the egg was cooked just right, with a jellied yolk centre, because that's the best way to have 'em!

 

Roast Chicken with Russian Salad
Adapted from Gourmet Traveller (July 2013)

Ingredients

2.4 kg chicken marylands (whole chicken leg)
2 lemons, quartered

Spice rub:
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil

Russian salad
4 eggs
3-4 potatoes (about 500g)
2 carrots, halved horizontally
200 g frozen peas, defrosted
250 g (1 cup) mayonnaise
60 ml (¼ cup)
cider vinegar
4 golden shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with deep fried shallots)
1 cup loosely packed chopped dill (optional)
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

For spice rub, combine ingredients in a bowl. Rub over chicken, place in a non-reactive container, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 24 hours) to marinate.

For Russian salad, cook eggs in a saucepan of boiling water until soft-boiled (6-7 minutes). Cool under running water, peel, quarter and set aside. Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes, place in a saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and cook until tender. Drain and set aside. Cook carrot in a saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender (10-12 minutes), cool and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Blanch peas in a saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green (1 minute), refresh and drain. Combine mayonnaise and vinegar in a large bowl, season to taste and stir until smooth. Add all ingredients and toss to combine.

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Arrange on a large baking tray and roast until cooked through (45-55 minutes). Cover loosely with foil and rest for 10 minutes. Cut each chicken into quarters, season to taste, squeeze over lemon and serve with warm salad.

Note: You'll need to begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the chicken.

 

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Pork Ribs with Black Bean and Bitter Gourd

Now that the summer holidays are over and the kids are back in school, things are getting busy again. It's not only the homework, but birthday parties, shopping for birthday presents, ironing the summer uniforms (it's much easier in winter when they just have to wear their skivvies and pullovers!), planning meals and packing lunchboxes. The only time I cook is usually on the weekends, and even then, I try to spend more time with the kids and less in the kitchen.

Like most braises and stews, this dish of black bean pork ribs with bitter gourd is a relatively easy dish to prepare - a one pot wonder with meat and veggies included. The bitterness of the gourd complements the rest of the dish really well - the tender pork and that delicious thick gravy. I've never been a fan of bitter gourd, but cooked this way, I love. One big plate of rice this way please.

Pork Ribs with Black Bean and Bitter Gourd

Ingredients

1 large bitter gourd
700g pork ribs, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 tbsp dark soy (Cheong Chan thick caramel)
1 tbsp vegetable oil
6 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tbsp salted soy beans (brown), mashed
1 1/2 tbsp salted black beans, roughly chopped
1-2 chillies, chopped (optional)
1 1/4 cups water

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp dark soy (Cheong Chan thick caramel)
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
2-3 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp chicken stock powder
1/4 tsp pepper

Method

Slice the bittergourd length-wise into half. Use a spoon to scoop out the spongy white centre and seeds, and discard them. Rinse the bittergourd and sprinkle with some salt to remove some of the bitterness. Leave for 20 minutes, then rinse off the salt. Cut into thick slices (about 3/4 inch).

Rub the pork ribs with 1 tbsp dark soy. Heat vegetable oil in a pot and fry the garlic, soy beans, black beans and chillies. Once fragrant (about 3 minutes), add the pork ribs and fry until all the pieces are seared and coated in the sauce. Add water and seasoning ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes until meat is tender, then add the bittergourd and simmer for another 20 minutes. Let the sauce reduce until it turns into a thick gravy. Remove the lid to speed up the process. Mix the pork and bittergourd around in the sauce so that every piece is nicely coated in the yummy sauce. Dish out and serve with steamed white rice.

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Spicy Chicken (Vindaloo)

 

Here's a hot and spicy chicken dish that's quick and easy to prepare, and will have you going back for more! This tastes even better the next day or two, so double the batch if you want to save some leftovers for a busy weeknight dinner.


Spicy Chicken (Vindaloo)

Ingredients

500g (1/2 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cubed
Vegetable oil, for frying
3-4 medium-sized onions, peeled and sliced into rings
1/2 tsp mustard seeds, coarsely ground with mortar and pestle
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 inch ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin
2-3 tbsp chilli paste (made from ground dried chillies)
1/2 cup water
2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp vinegar (or to taste)

Method

Heat up 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a pan or wok. Fry the onions for 5-10 minutes until softened and slightly browned.  Remove the onions and transfer to a plate, leaving the remaining oil in the pan.

In the same wok, add the mustard seeds and fry until they start to pop. Add the minced garlic and ginger, cumin and chilli paste. Fry for 2 minutes, then add the chicken. Brown the chicken in the pan, then add the onions (that was fried earlier) and approximately 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and let the chicken simmer until fully cooked (about 10 minutes), and the sauce reduced to a gravy consistency. Add sugar, salt and vinegar to taste.  Dish up and serve with steamed basmati or other white rice.

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