Grilled Miso Chicken

 

It's been a busy weekend in the kitchen. The kids have been waiting all year (since last Christmas) to make gingerbread men, and so we did that this afternoon and they had fun painting the gingerbread men, trees and stars pastel colours of blue, green and pink. They enjoyed them so much that I couldn't bear to eat any (maybe I will pinch a bit when they're not looking!). In the midst of the baking and cookie-decorating, I prepared a simple dinner of grilled miso chicken. With the leftover rice in the fridge, I made a garlic butter fried rice (click here for recipe) to serve with the chicken. And since there were bones from the thighs I had deboned, I made a chicken soup with carrot and corn. No waste!

 

 

For a fuss-free meal (and more time to do Christmas shopping...), let the oven do all the cooking and enjoy this oh-so-tasty grilled chicken with garlic and miso.

Grilled Miso Chicken

Ingredients

6 medium-large chicken thighs, deboned, skin on

Marinade:
4 tbsp Shiro Miso (white miso paste)
3 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp brown sugar

Method

Rinse the chicken and pat dry.

Combine marinade ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

In a large bowl or a Ziploc bag, combine the chicken with the marinade ingredients. Seal the bowl/bag and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Arrange chicken in a single layer, skin side up, on a baking tray lined with baking paper or aluminium foil. Place in oven on the top rack and bake for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, switch on the grill function and turn up the heat to 220C (430F). Use a brush to baste the chicken skin with the juices on the tray. Continue to cook the chicken for 15 minutes until the skin is charred and crisp. Watch it closely as it can burn quite quickly.

Remove the chicken from the tray and cut into slices.

Pour out the juices from the tray into a bowl. Skim off the oil and discard. The remaining makes a delicious sauce you can serve with the chicken and some steamed or fried rice.

For garlic fried rice recipe, click here.

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Okonomiyaki Pancake-style Gyoza

There are some things in life that just can't wait, like these beautifully charred pork dumplings (or gyozas) topped with okonomiyaki sauce, mayonnaise, spring onions and bonito flakes. I was getting my regular TV fix of Destination Flavour Japan last week, and as I watched Adam Liaw flip over a pan of crisp charred dumplings onto a plate, I couldn't help but imagine how tasty those gyozas would be if I could just have a bite. Gyozas are similar to Chinese potstickers (guotie), though their Chinese counterparts usually have thicker skins and are slightly bigger. Both are usually served with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce, sometimes with chilli oil and shredded ginger too.

By the way, check out these dancing bonito flakes below!

I've never made gyoza wrappers from scratch before, though they are really good because you can roll them out thinly and they get nice and crisp after frying. If you can't spare the time to make them, store-bought wrappers work fine too. In the show, Adam used Otafuku sauce, which is a popular brand of Okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake) sauce. I decided to make my own sauce from scratch based on my Modanyaki recipe post.

 

These pancake-style gyozas are fantastic, especially with the tangy okonomiyaki sauce and the creamy mayonnaise. The best part are the burnt black bottoms of the dumplings, which gives it the extra oomph! Seriously. The addition of the potato starch solution during the last part of cooking gives the gyozas the wafer-thin crispy "wings" on the edges. A word of advice: please use a good non-stick pan, and by that I mean one that still has the non-stick coating over it. The pan I used was really old and worn, and so some of the dumplings got stuck to the surface, which made it tricky to pry them off without tearing the delicate skins. Nevertheless, I manage to salvage most of them to a reasonable extent. Most importantly, they tasted good!

I'm looking forward to making these again. Miss H was only too happy to help with rolling out the dumpling skins. Next time, I might teach her how to pleat them, neatly. And in a few more years, I'll be able to sit back and supervise her in the kitchen! Patience. Do try your hand at making these gyozas. It's fun to serve them okonomiyaki-style (we love Japanese mayo!).  They are equally delicious when simply served with a soy and vinegar dipping sauce.

Click here to continue to the Gyoza Recipe plus more photos! >>
 

Charred - mission complete!

 

 

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Beef Lasagne

 

As Mr G was clearing the dishes after dinner, he started whinging about how he's always clearing the dishes. I told him "I've always offered you the chance to cook while I babysit and clean up, but you always say that I'm the cook". Well, I knew he would rather "clean up" than cook anyway, and dare I say that I trust my cooking more? Haha. I have to give him credit for some of his culinary skills. Let's see now... Mr G's forte lies in his famous Hainanese chicken rice. Famous because anyone who is invited to our home for the first time is usually treated to this Singaporean favourite. Oooh...he bakes a good pineapple-glazed Christmas ham, and roast beef too. We'll be looking forward to that soon! And last but not least, he does a pretty good lasagne. I say "pretty good" because the recipe is in his head, and sometimes it can be a little inconsistent. The last lasagne he made had too much béchamel and mozzarella cheese in it. He blamed it on the brand of cheese he used. However, little H loved the cheesiness and sauciness of the lasagne.

 

I decided that I would have a go at making lasagne this time, and I have made it in the past before. The only thing was that I forgot which recipe I used, and it wasn't on my blog either. Basic lasagne recipes are quite similar, with differences in the amount of meat it contains, and whether béchamel sauce is used.  I love mine with the creamy béchamel, and so here's a simple recipe for delicious lasagne that you can try at home.

 

Beef Lasagne

Serves 8

 

Ingredients

 

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

120g bacon, diced

600g beef mince

1 large carrot, diced

4 tbsp tomato paste

800g canned diced tomatoes

1 cup red wine

1 bay leaf

2 tsp dried oregano or Italian herbs

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

Salt and black pepper

 

250g lasagne sheets

1/2 cup grated parmesan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

 

Béchamel sauce:

80g butter

1/3 cup plain flour

3 cups milk

3/4 cup grated parmesan

Salt and black pepper

 

Method

 

In a large deep pan, heat oil and fry the onions until softened. Add garlic and bacon and fry for 2 minutes. Add the beef mince and break it up with the spatula. Mash it up if you can so that it doesn't form large clumps when cooked.

Next, add the carrot, followed by tomato paste, diced tomatoes, red wine, bay leaf,  herbs, vinegar and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, for 2 hours until it's slightly reduced but not runny. Add sugar, salt and black pepper to taste. By then, it should taste rich and aromatic, so you know it's ready. Turn off heat and set aside.

 

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

 

Prepare béchamel sauce. In a saucepan, melt the butter and then stir in the flour. Continue stirring for 2 minutes until it's cooked. It shouldn't smell of raw flour. Gradually add milk and stir to mix into a paste, until you get a smooth white sauce. Continue stirring for a few minutes until it starts to thicken and coat the back of the spoon. Stir in parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Don't let the sauce get too thick, as it will continue to thicken upon standing. Turn off heat and set aside.

In a large deep rectangular casserole dish, spoon a thin layer of the meat sauce over the bottom. Place a layer of lasagne sheets on top. Ladle some meat sauce over, followed by a layer of béchamel. Repeat layering with the lasagne sheet, meat sauce and béchamel until you reach the top. Finish off by scattering the grated parmesan and mozzarella over the béchamel layer.

 

Cover the dish loosely with aluminium foil, and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes until the top of the lasagne browns.  Serve immediately with a side of salad and garlic bread.

 

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Lamb Kofta Kebab

 

In my previous post, I wrote about my first time dining at a Lebanese (or Middle-eastern) restaurant, Al Aseel. I had ordered the "Mixed Plate", comprising an array of dips and a three types of grilled meats on skewers - chicken, lamb and kafta. I wasn't a fan of the chicken as I found it a little dry. The lamb was not bad, but my favourite was the kafta.

 

Kofta generally refers to savoury balls of ground meat (or vegetables, potatoes, lentils etc) mixed with spices, herbs or other ingredients. In Lebanese cuisine, it's called kafta and is usually made with ground beef, allspice, parsley and onions. I decided to make a lamb kofta kebab instead by placing the lamb mince on skewers and then grilling them on the barbecue. You can use either beef, lamb or a combination of both.

You may serve this with some Lebanese bread (or any flatbread), hummus and tahini sauce with tabouli as a salad.  I also made some beef kebabs which is simply taking some good quality beef steaks (I used scotch fillet), cut into chunky cubes and skewered with alternating onions (or use bell peppers). Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper before grilling them on the barbecue. Serve together with the bread, dips and salad.

 

Lamb Kofta Recipe

Ingredients

500g lamb mince
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp chopped coriander
1 1/2 tbsp chopped parsley
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or substitute with chilli powder), or more to taste

Vegetable oil for brushing
6 metal skewers

Method

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except oil) and mix well using your hands until it becomes pasty and sticks together. Refrigerate for an hour until firm. This makes it easier to skewer the meat without it falling apart.

Take a handful of the mixture and "mould" it onto the metal skewer to form a long sausage-shape. Try to do this in one go and not move the mixture around the skewer too much. Otherwise it might not stick onto the skewer properly. Repeat until you finish the mixture.

Prepare a barbeque grill. Brush some oil over the lamb skewers and place them on the grill. Cook, turning occasionally until it's charred outside. Once cooked, transfer onto a serving plate. Serve immediately with pita bread, dips and tabouli.

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Falafel Wrap

 

Never judge a book (or falafel) by its cover. Before this, I never gave much thought to falafels. They are the round brown balls that look like croquettes or arancini, and are commonly displayed in kebab stalls at the food courts here. I love kebabs, but those falafels just never looked appetizing to me. That was then.

A few weeks ago, a friend decided to introduce me to Lebanese food at Al Aseel, where I ordered the mixed plate, consisting of grilled chicken, lamb and kofta with a variety of dips and tabouli. These were served with some pickles and a side of Lebanese bread. I wasn't a fan of the bright neon-coloured pickles, but everything else was superb. It wasn't until I had almost finished eating that my friend commented how I was not eating it the "proper" way. So, what is the proper way? Well, first you tear off a small triangular piece of bread. With the bread between your fingers, use it to grab some onions and meat, and then scoop up some dip before shoving the whole thing in your mouth. Apparently, the pieces I tore off were too big or the wrong shape, and I wasn't supposed to scoop up the tabouli either, which was supposed to be a salad. Go figure. Well, at least I learnt something new. And my favourite part of the meal? The falafel! Crunch and nutty, it reminded me of Gateaux Piment (a Mauritian snack made with yellow split peas). If I dine there again, I'll remember to order a whole plate of them, as an appetizer of course.

 

Falafel is a traditional and popular street food in the Middle East, and is generally a ball or patty made with chickpeas, fava beans or both, mixed with herbs and spices, then deep-fried until brown and crisp. There are slight variations between the falafels among the different countries. For example, Egyptian falafels are made with fava beans, whereas Lebanese ones are made with both chickpeas and fava beans (please correct me if I'm wrong!). They also vary in terms of the spices and herbs used.

 

The recipe that I've adapted is based on the super-tasty falafel at Al Aseel. Super crunchy and super addictive. Serve them with a tangy tahini sauce, or make your own falafel wrap/roll for a complete meal. So good. I will never look at a falafel the same way again.

 

Click here to continue to the Falafel Wrap recipe.

 

 



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Movida braised beef cheeks in Pedro Ximenez with cauliflower puree

My sister thinks that my posts are long and verbose at times. Well, I don't deny that. I guess I enjoy reliving the gastronomic experience and want to describe every chewable aspect of it. Maybe I should explore how to incorporate sound effects in my posts/photos next time. Crunch! Crackle! Slurp! Ahh....

Now, what would best describe these meltingly tender beef cheeks and that silky smooth cauliflower cream?

OMG....Simply awesome.

Movida Slowly braised beef cheeks in Pedro Ximenez with cauliflower puree
Source: Movida Spanish Culinary Adventures

Ingredients

1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) beef cheeks
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) olive oil
3 carrots, roughly chopped
1 garlic bulb, halved
1 brown onion, sliced
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) Pedro Ximenez sherry
500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) red wine
3 bay leaves
3 tablespoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
185 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) cream
40g (1 ½ oz) butter

Method

1. Trim the beef cheeks to neaten them up and remove any sinew and silver skin. Season well.

2. Heat half the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Brown the beef cheeks for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden, then remove from the pan.

3. Add the remaining olive oil, then add the carrot, garlic and onion and sauté over high heat for 12-15 minutes, or until well browned. Stir in the sherry, wine, bay leaves, thyme, sea salt and 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) water.

4. Reduce the heat as low as possible, add the beef cheeks, then cover and cook for 3-4 hours, or until the cheeks are beginning to fall apart.

5. Meanwhile, put the cauliflower, cream and butter in a saucepan, season to taste with salt, then cover and cook over low heat for 35 minutes, or until very tender. Place the cauliflower mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Keep the puree warm.

6. The sauce from the beef cheeks should by now be reduced and glaze-like. If it needs further reducing, remove the cheeks from the pan, cover with foil to keep them warm and simmer the sauce over high heat until nicely reduced. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and return to the pan; gently reheat the cheeks in the sauce if necessary.

Serve the cheeks and their sauce on warm plates with the cauliflower puree on the side.

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Hokkaido Cheesecake (Farm Design Choco Moo Cheesecake)

 

I brought this cheesecake to my uncle's housewarming party last Saturday. My aunt took a look and said "I think I've seen this cake before, with the cow-pattern. Wasn't it on TV recently?". Yes! It was on Destination Flavour Japan on SBS. "The show with that Adam Liaw guy from Masterchef..." she says. I was thinking, gee, she must have REALLY wanted to eat that cheesecake to have remembered it so well. I guess it is a rather unique-looking cake. And it tastes absolutely heavenly. Velvety smooth and silky, not too rich, not too sweet. It's really the perfect cheesecake. It's the Choco Moo cheesecake, made popular by Farm Design Hokkaido Cheesecake.

What makes this cheesecake so special is the use of Jersey milk that has high butterfat content, although you can also substitute with regular milk. The inside of the cake has little balls of chocolate ganache. The chocolate really shouldn't be oozing out like the picture above. I didn't let it chill long enough before slicing into the cake. I mean, can anyone out there who's made cheesecake before admit that they could actually wait until the next morning (or even a few hours) before cutting into the cake? I didn't think so.

 

>> Click here to continue to the RECIPE

 

 

 



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