Japanese-style Risotto with Roasted Eel

 

 

Risotto. It's not a dish that I would usually order at a restaurant, probably because the ones I've had in the past weren't all that great. I've had some which were delicious at the first few mouthfuls, and after a while they just got a little boring. After all, it's just spoonful after spoonful of the same thing. Up until recently, I've never attempted cooking risotto either. Everytime I hear the word "risotto", it conjures up images of Masterchef Australia, where George or Matt would give the "eyebrow" and the cynical look that says "Death dish. Don't even think about it". For that reason, risotto never had a place in my kitchen. Well, not until a few months ago when we brought the family to a fusion Japanese restaurant in Malaysia where the kids ordered this Unagi Risotto with soft boiled egg. It looked good, but before I could even have a whiff of it, the kids had polished off the whole dish within minutes. Without a doubt, it got four thumbs up from the hungry little monsters.

 

I was so inspired to replicate this at home that I decided it was time to stand up to the challenge and prove that this was no "death dish". Ahem! I tried two different methods of cooking - one by continuously stirring the risotto while slowly adding hot broth to the pan. The second was by simmering it gently in the pan, covered, until most of the stock has been absorbed before stirring it through at the end to release the starch from the rice. Both methods yielded pretty much the same results. I wasn't too fussed although I will probably stick to the former traditional method. I found that stirring butter through the risotto at the end helps to enhance the creaminess of the risotto. Either way, the risotto turned out great and I was quite pleased. I'm also a fan of Japanese grilled eel (unagi) and that with the sweet unagi glaze complemented the rice really well, along with the soft boiled egg (it was meant to be a 63 degree egg, but next time perhaps). Read on to get the recipe.

So tell me dear readers, do you have a "death dish" that you've never dared to attempt before, and why?

 

Japanese-style Risotto Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups dashi stock*
1-2 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter (+ 1 tbsp extra)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
2 tbsp cooking sake (Japanese rice wine)
1 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce (or to taste)
1/4 cup green peas
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Garnish:
1 piece Japanese roasted eel, sliced into portions
2 tsp Tobiko  (flying fish roe)
Seaweed or wakame
Chopped spring onions
2 soft boiled eggs

* I used instant dashi granules to prepare the stock for convenience

Method

1. Bring the stock and mushroom just to the boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and gently simmer.
2. Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent but not coloured. Add garlic, followed by the rice. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until the grains appear slightly translucent.
3. Add the sake to the rice mixture and stir until absorbed. Add a ladleful (about 125ml/1/2 cup) of the simmering stock to the rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed. Continue adding the stock mixture, a ladleful at a time, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding the next ladleful, for 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite. Halfway through, add soy sauce and peas. When finished cooking, the risotto will be slightly creamy, with a bit of liquid left, but not overly-watery. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Quickly mix through the remaining 1 tbsp butter, as this make it even more creamy (and delicious!). Cover with a lid and stand for 1-2 minutes. Lift the lid and stir through the risotto one more time. If it's too dry, add a bit of hot water/stock. Ladle the risotto onto serving plates. Garnish with roasted eel, tobiko, seaweed, spring onions and soft boiled eggs. Serve immediately and enjoy!

 

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Apple Frangipane Tart

 

So, I was telling my friend Samuel the other day that I made fish head curry three times in a row prior to posting the recipe for it last week. I explained that I couldn't get it to taste the way I wanted it to, and I couldn't possibly share a recipe for something I'm not happy with. I got it right on the third attempt though, after I figured out who the culprit was - it was the fish curry powder with the Candlenut! So I changed that, made my own curry paste and it turned out almost exactly like I wanted it to.

Some dishes are a little tricky to master especially when doing a copycat dish, and you just can't place your finger on the secret ingredient. I remember cooking Korean Fried Chicken at least five times before I was happy with the results. That included experimenting with various recipes for the dipping sauce until I finally achieved the right balance. There are also those dishes that are in WIP, for example, attempting to make laksa from scratch. I just couldn't get it right even after adding MSG (doesn't MSG usually solve everything?), and so I've put that on the backburner. In the meantime, I'm getting my laksa fix at Alice's Makan (which I went to today!), or some other decent laksa joint in Sydney. Uh-oh, have I digressed? Read on.

I made this heavenly (oh yeah!) apple frangipane tart last weekend, and for the record, this was my second attempt. The first time, I used Buttersnap cookies for the base, and I found it way too sweet, plus the added egg made the crust a little chewy and cakey. I was aiming for a light and crispy crust instead, and achieved that by using a basic shortcrust pastry with the addition of amaretti cookie crumbs. And it wasn't too sweet either as no sugar was used in the crust. There was already sweetness coming from the frangipane filling, complemented by the tartness of the apple slices. I was thrilled when I took the tart out of the oven, and it looked and smelt amazing, until....

My joy was short-lived. In my haste to remove the piping hot tart from the pan, Murphy's Law happened. The tart did a miraculous backflip onto the edge of the table, with half of it landing onto the chair. My heart just sank. Ouch. The photo above is what I managed to salvage from the table, which probably explains why it looks the way it does. It was a delicious tart nonetheless. Find the recipe after the jump.

This picture below is version 1.0 of the tart, where I used Buttersnap cookies for the base, hence the darker caramelized colour on the crust.

Here is the recipe for the best-ever apple frangipane tart. Best consumed within the next day. If refrigerated, reheat in the oven for a few minutes, and serve with whipped cream if desired.

Apple Frangipane Tart

Tart Crust:
1 1/4 cup plain flour
1.5 oz (40g) finely crushed Amaretti cookies
1/2 cup (125g) butter, cut into small cubes
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp iced water

Frangipane:
3.5 oz (100g) unsalted butter, softened
3 oz (85g) icing sugar
1 cup (100g) almond meal
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and quartered
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp apricot jam + 2 tsp hot water, microwaved for 20 seconds

Method

In a food processor, blitz the flour, Amaretti cookies and salt until well mixed. Add butter and pulse until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs. With the motor running, slowly add the water until  the dough starts to come together. Press the dough between your fingers and if it sticks together, it's ready. Don't add too much water or else the dough will be too soft.

Turn the dough over to a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it form a smooth ball. Press into a disc and place it in a 9 inch fluted loose-bottom tart pan. Use your fingers to line the base and sides of the pan. Refrigerate it for 1 hour until it's firm. Then prick it all over with a fork.

Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Bake the tart crust in the middle rack for 15 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove and let it cool.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 190C (375F). Next, prepare the frangipane. Place the butter in a mixing bowl and stir with a spatula to soften it. Stir in the icing sugar, followed by the almond meal and mix well. Finally, add the vanilla and eggs and stir until evenly mixed through. Spread it evenly onto the base of the tart crust.

Slice the apples very thinly and arrange them over the frangipane filling. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake in the middle rack for 45 minutes until the apples start to lightly brown at the edges. Remove from oven and brush with apricot jam. Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Malaysian Fish Head Curry

This is a Malaysian-Chinese style fish head curry, as opposed to the Indian-style which uses fish curry powder, curry leaves, fenugreek and mustard seeds. I think most commercial fish curry powders are meant for Indian style curries, and so I made my own from scratch using ground coriander, chilli and turmeric. After three attempts, I was happy with how this final one turned out. Cod fish head was fantastic, although snapper head works perfectly well too. Some of you may cringe at the thought of having a fish head served at the dining table. If that's the case, you can always substitute with fish tail or fish cutlets. I love having lots of okra, eggplant and tofu puffs in my curry, making it pretty much a one pot wonder. Find the recipe after the jump.

Some handy tips before you start cooking this.

1. Ask your fishmonger to scale your fish head properly. Trust me, it's not pleasant having fish scales in the curry while you're eating.
2. Don't overcook the okra. 10-15 minutes is fine.
3. Don't let the coconut boil in the curry for too long, otherwise it will start to split.
4. Don't overcook the fish either.
5. Cook plenty of white rice as you will need it.
6. And finally, the fish cheek is the best part, so get to it first before anyone else does, but politely offer it to others before you land it on your plate.

Fish Head Curry Recipe

Ingredients

1 kg fish head (snapper or cod), cleaned and scaled
4 tbsp oil
2 stalks lemongrass, lightly bruised 
3-4 cups water
1 1/4 cup (300ml) coconut milk (I used Kara canned coconut milk)
10 tofu puffs (Soya King brand)
2-3 tomatoes, quartered
10 okra (or add eggplant if desired)
Coriander leaves for garnish

Blend finely:
120g (4oz) shallots
4 cloves garlic
1 inch galangal
1 inch ginger
2 candlenuts
1/2 tbsp toasted belacan
3 tbsp chilli paste (dried chillies that have been soaked until softened, and finely blended)

Curry powder (mixed with 4 tbsp water to form a paste):
2 tbsp ground coriander
2 tbsp chilli powder
1/2 tbsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin

Seasoning:
2 tsp chicken/ikan bilis stock powder
1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1-2 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
Salt to taste

Method

1. Rub some salt over the fish head and set aside for 1/2 hour before rinsing it off. Ensure there is no blood left on the fish as it may cause bitterness in the curry.
2. In the meantime, heat up 4 tbsp oil in a large pan/pot. Fry the blended ingredients (shallots, garlic etc) for 3-5 minutes. Then add curry powder mixture continue frying for 2 minutes until the chilli oil starts to release into the pan. Add the lemongrass.
3. Add water, cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Then add seasoning and coconut milk. Once it starts to simmer, quickly add the tofu puffs and okra. Simmer for 5 minutes before adding tomatoes and the fish. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes until the fish is cooked. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 3 minutes so that the oil rises to the top. Dish out
4. immediately, garnish with coriander and serve hot with steamed white rice.

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Caramelized French Toast with Strawberries

 

Finally, a recipe for French Toast that the kids couldn't get enough of! I made this two mornings in a row, and both times, they"fought" over who could have the last piece. I was quietly pleased, of course. I used less sugar in the first batch, and served it with a generous glug of maple syrup. Yum! With the second, I was more heavy-handed with the sugar and butter. I had been meaning to make Kouign Amman, a crisp, chewy French pastry that is loaded with sugar and butter, and tastes like a rich croissant glazed with butterscotch. I figured if that's what it takes, then bring on the sugar and butter! And my, it was sinfully delicious and indulgent for French toast. In fact, it wouldn't be a bad idea to serve it for afternoon tea or dessert either. It's eleven pm right now. I'm thinking, French toast for supper, anyone?

Caramelized French Toast

Ingredients

4 large thick slices of bread (1-2 days old), halved*
2 eggs
4 tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2-3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (or to taste)
3-4 tbsp butter

* I used Helga's Traditional White Toast. You could also use wood-fired bread

Method

1. In a large shallow dish, beat the eggs. Add the cream and vanilla essence, stirring well to combine.

2. Combine sugar with ground cinnamon in a small bowl.

3. Dip bread in the egg mixture to coat both sides. Drain off excess egg. Set aside on a plate and sprinkle the top with cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the rest of the bread.

4. Heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat and add 1-2 tbsp of butter to melt. Add the bread slices with the sugar side down. Then, sprinkle the top of each slice with the sugar mixture.

3. When the bottom of the bread has browned and caramelized, add more butter to the pan, and then flip the bread over to fry the other side. Shake the pan slightly to move the bread around so that it soaks up some of that melted butter and caramelize with the cinnamon sugar. Watch it carefully to make sure it doesn't burn! When it's nicely browned, caramelized and glossy-looking, transfer to a serving plate. Serve immediately with maple syrup if desired, and fresh strawberries.

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Salted Egg Yolk Crispy Squid

 

I had the pleasure of dining at one of Sydney's most popular Roti Canai establishments on Friday. Mamak specialises in Malaysian cuisine, in particular its famed roti canai, which are freshly made on the spot and served on a silver-coloured platter with two curries. I'm a little embarrassed to admit that it was my "inaugural" visit to Mamak, since almost everyone I know has been there at least once. I didn't set any expectations for this place, and was pleasantly surprised by how authentic (both in flavour and heat from the chillies) the food was. One dish I just had to try was the Sambal Sotong - stir-fried brown cuttlefish in fiery (indeed!) sambal sauce. I grew up enjoying nasi lemak, lontong and roti canai served with sambal sotong and it's one of my favourite Malaysian dishes! Typically, it uses dried brown cuttlefish which is soaked in alkaline water to rehydrate, tenderise and give it a springy texture when cooked.

 

In Malaysia, we use the term "sotong" loosely, regardless of whether they are cuttlefish, squid or calamari. In a different context, namely Singlish, "sotong" can also refer to a person who is "blur like sotong". Anyway, I picked up a book from the library today - Sydney Seafood School Cookbook - and learnt a new word: Cephalopods. It comes from the Greek word, meaning "head-feet", which sums up the appearance of squid, cuttlefish and octopuses. Squids have long cylindrical heads and a thin, translucent feather-shaped internal shell, called a quill. Cuttlefish is similar to squid, but have a broader, thicker head, shorter arms and a thick, calcified internal shell. Octopuses are different in that they have round heads instead of cylindrical, and lack the two longer tentacles, side fins and internal shells that the other two species have. Calamari (flashbacks of Kellie Pickler in her Southern drawl) is just the Italian word for squid, though it also refers to another species of squid.



 

So, I wanted to make these crispy deep-fried squid tossed in salted duck's egg yolk and curry leaves. During my recent trip to Malaysia, I tried these at a local restaurant and it was absolutely heavenly! The smells were so amazing, I could have sworn I was on a high for a while. Back in Sydney, I searched high and low for squid that was just the right size, in order to replicate this at home. Most of the seafood shops sell large squids and octopuses. I finally found frozen ones from the Asian supermarket which were the perfect size! Surprisingly, they turned out tender and crispy after deep-frying. The salted egg yolk sauce, which lightly coats the squid, was fabulously melt-on-your-tongue and leaves a lingering umami taste that is totally addictive. Mmm....craving satisfied. Mission complete.

Salted Egg Yolk Squid

Ingredients

300g squid, cleaned and cut into bite-sized segments
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Batter (combine in a bowl to form a smooth paste):
2 tbsp self-raising flour
3 tbsp water
1 tsp oil

Flour coating (mix together in a bowl):
4 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp potato starch (or substitute with corn flour)
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tsp curry powder (optional)
1/4 tsp salt

Sauce:
Yolks from 3 salted duck's eggs*, steamed for 5 minutes and mashed with a fork
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3-4 bird's eye chillies, thinly sliced
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 tsp chicken stock powder
Salt, sugar and pepper to taste
1 tbsp milk (optional)

* You can find salted (preserved) duck's eggs from major Asian supermarkets. They are made by soaking ducks' eggs in brine or packing them in damp, salted charcoal. The ones I bought were wrapped in plastic and vacuum packed. See picture below.

Method

Combine squid with marinade and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat up oil for deep-frying. Dip squid pieces in the batter, remove and toss it in the flour coating mixture until evenly coated all over. Deep-fry for 1-2 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Remove and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Set aside.

In a clean wok,  heat up oil and butter, then add garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Fry for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Stir in the mashed egg yolk and chicken stock powder, and swirl it around the wok with a ladle until it turns foamy. Add milk and bring to a boil. Season with salt, sugar and pepper.

Add the squid and briskly toss in the sauce until evenly coated. Dish out immediately and serve hot with steamed white rice.

 

 

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Chimichurri Roast Chicken

 

Seems like ages since my last post. I've been quite busy of late. Well, actually, I've been on holidays. Busy on holidays with the kids. Then, I returned from my holidays and was busy getting back into routine again. Now that I've settled back in, it was time to start those blogging juices flowing. Not. Speaking of which, I made a juicy roast chicken with chimichurri for dinner last night. I only just discovered chimichurri a few months ago.Prior to that, it always crossed my mind as being related to chimichanga (well, they do sound like they come from the same family!). We have a little herb garden at home, and there are two plants in particular that are thriving throughout the year - the rosemary and the parsley. There was a time, many years ago, when our parsley never survived more than a few months. Now, we have a parsley bush that's enough to make chimichurri for a month.

So, there. What do you do when your garden is overgrown with parsley? Make chimichurri of course. This delicious parsley sauce is now my best friend. It goes with absolutely anything that's grilled or roasted - prawns, fish, steaks, chicken, vegetables, you name it. And because it has a slight tang to it from the vinegar, it makes everything taste so appetizing that you keep eating more and more. That's not really a bad thing, unless one is pregnant and lactating, as there might be uterotonic effects of excessive consumption of parsley. In fact, did you know that parsley is one of the most underrated superfoods, and is often overlooked in its popular role as a garnish? Parsley is packed full of nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, has healing properties and can potentially reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease. Google parsley and read all about the nutritional benefits of this wonderful herb.

Anyway, I digress. Chimichurri - super easy to prepare, super tasty and versatile and great if you're looking to use up extra parsley lying around. Make sure you use flat-leaf or Italian parsley, and not the curly ones. If you've never tried it, you should! Delizioso!

Chimichurri Roast Chicken

Ingredients

2 chicken marylands (whole leg)
Salt and pepper

Chimichurri Sauce:

1 1/2 cups tightly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Method

Prepare Chimichurri by mixing all the ingredients together. Set aside, or refrigerate for up to 3 days until ready for use.

Preheat oven to 200C (400F).

Rub salt and pepper over the chicken. Gently lift the skin until it separates from the flesh, and stuff it with some chimichurri. Rub 1 tbsp of chimichurri all over each chicken Maryland. Place in a roasting tin. Toss some potatoes and vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper (and butter if you like). Arrange these in the roasting tin. Bake for 1 hour until chicken is cooked and browned. Turn up the heat to 230C (440F) for the last 5 minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve immediately with extra chimichurri on the side.

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Korean Fried Chicken with Hot Dipping Sauce

There's been a lot of deep-fried wings going on in my house lately. I've been experimenting with different recipes to come up with the ultimate crispiest chicken wings and the best Korean chilli dipping sauce, and so far, nobody's been complaining. I finally got it down to using a batter made with self-raising flour, rice flour and glutinous rice flour to achieve a light and crisp layer on the wings. The double-frying simply maximises the crunch factor (and I think it prolongs the crispiness too). One of our favourite places for Korean Fried Chicken is Stra Pocha in Strathfield, where you can ask for their special chilli sauce for dipping the wings in. We love the sauce, and I'm happy that my version of it comes quite close - sweet and spicy with a lot of heat from the red peppers.

 

Let me tempt you with some photos....

Isn't the sauce looking lovely? You can bet those wings are crispy too!

I prefer to serve the chilli sauce on the side, rather than toss the chicken into the sauce as they are sometimes served. That way, the wings stay crisp and crunchy, and it's less messy too if you're eating with your  hands (that's the only way to eat chicken wings!).

Here's the recipe for these delicious wings. Enjoy!

Crispy-battered Korean Fried Chicken

Ingredients

1kg (2 pounds) chicken wings
Salt
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Batter:
1/4 cup self-raising flour
2 tbsp rice flour
3 tbsp glutinous rice flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup water (approx)
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Dipping sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp Gochujang (Korean red pepper paste), extra hot/spicy
2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp corn syrup (or substitute with sugar)
1 tbsp ketchup
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water

Method

Prepare the sauce by combining the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil for about 1 minute until it's thick and glossy. Remove from heat and transfer to a serving bowl. Set aside.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle all over with 1/2 tbsp salt and leave for 10 minutes. Use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture and shake off excess salt.

Combine ingredients for batter in a bowl and mix until smooth.

Heat oil in a wok for deep-frying. Dip wings into batter and let excess batter drip off. Slowly drop it into the hot oil (on medium-high heat), and repeat with more wings. Fry in batches until golden brown and cooked (about 8-10 minutes). Drain on kitchen paper.

When all the wings have been cooked and are resting a plate lined with kitchen paper, turn up the heat to high. Fry the wings a second time for 1-2 minutes to crisp them up further. Drain on kitchen paper, then transfer to a plate. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce for maximum enjoyment.

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