Prawn and Potato Stuffed Bittergourd

 

 

This is a really refreshing take at eating bittergourd. 

Ingredients (makes 16 pieces of stuffed bittergourd rings)

70g prawns (de-shelled and de-veined)

Bittergourd (cut into 1 cm rings)

1 large potato (250g, cut into small chunks)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cooking Oil, enough for shallow frying

Method:

1. Cut bitter gourd into 1cm thick rings and rub with salt. Leave it for 15 mins (to reduce bitterness). Rinse away the salt thereafter and pat dry with kitchen towel.

2. Mince prawns by smashing each one with the back of cleaver, and shred scallops into strips.

3. Boil the potato in salted water until tender (can poke through with a chopstick), around 10 to 15minutes. Drain water and return the pot to the stove. On low heat, shake the pot to evaporate excess moisture from the potato. Turn off heat and mash the potato while they are hot. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Mix together minced prawns and mashed potato. 

6. Fill each ring with filling and compact it gently. Fry in medium high heat oil till browned, about 2 to 3 minutes a side.

7. For excess filling, make patties/croquette. Shape the filling into patties, lightly coat with plan flour, dredge them through beaten egg, coat with panko (bread crumps) and deep cry untiĺ crispy. Drain off excess oil before serving.

Candied Orange Peel

自制糖渍橙皮

Made my own candied orange peels to add to my bakes. The steps below can be used to make other citrus peels like grapefruit and lemon.

Ingredients:

500g orange peels (from 5 large Navel oranges)

sugar syrup (250ml water + 100g sugar)

Method:

1. Wash the oranges and remove the skin.

2. Soak the peels in a pot of water for at least 12 hours, to remove the bitterness. Drain the water and top up with fresh water, sufficient to cover the peels. Boil the peels for 5 minutes, then discard the water. Repeat this process one more time. Drain the water and set aside the peels to cool down. Once cooled, cut the peels into 1cm strips.

3. Prepare sugar syrup. Boil 100g sugar in 250g water until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat down and put in the orange peels. Simmer until peels are tender and the syrup has reduced and almost gone. Stir occasionally to prevent syrup from getting burnt. Let the peels sit in pot for 1 minute. 

4. Transfer the peels to a rack and sun dry until the peels harden slightly, about 2 to 3 days. 

day 1 of sun drying

after 3 days of sun drying

5. Store the peels in airtight container in the fridge.

Pork Satay

沙爹

Satay is one of our favourite hawker dishes but they don't come cheap nowadays (1 stick 90cents@ Nov 2024). A lot of preparation is required to make the rempah (spice paste) but the end result is truly special and worth the effort. 

Below recipe is after a few trial and error of making our own satay and developing the taste we enjoy. The rempah is the key to great tasting satay. We prepared our own rempah which comprises 20% spices and 10% sugar over the weight of meat. 

Ingredients

1 kg of pork (preferred cut:  不见天 or 边肉)

5g salt 

Rempah/Spice paste ingredients (20% of weight of pork):

60g lemon grass (around 4  stalks, tender part only, slice thinly)

60g galangal / blue ginger (peeled and sliced thinly)

60g shallots (peeled)

20g fresh tumeric (peeled and sliced thinly)

100g sugar (10% of weight of pork)

Method

1. Slice pork into 3cm x 2cm x 1cm (thick) pieces.

2. Marinate the pork with salt for at least 3 hours.

3. Make rempah for meat. Put all ingredients into a stone mortar and pound until they break down. You can transfer to a blender and blend until you get a smooth paste. Add the rempah to the pork. Mix well and marinate for at least 24 hours.

4. Add sugar to the pork, mix well and chill in fridge for 24 hours.

5. On the day of grilling the satay, soak the bamboo skewers in water for at least half an hour. Skewer the meat.

6. Prepare the charcoal stove. Lightly brush the skewers with oil before grilling. Grill until the satay meat turns golden brown and slightly charred. Serve with cucumbers and big onions.

Curry Chicken

咖哩鸡

Old school creamy curry chicken with minimal ingredients yet flavourful and tasty. Best of all, it is not spicy, which my family enjoys. I love to eat curry chicken with white bread and wiping the curry gravy with the bread. 

Ingredients

4 whole chicken leg (about 1kg), chopped into 3 parts

3 medium sized potatoes (cut into chunks)

1.5 teaspoon salt

2 large shallots (finely chopped)

2 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)

3 lemon grass, 4 inch from base, lightly smashed (optional)

1 sprig of curry leaves (optional)

40g curry paste (I've tried A1 and Ikan brands, both are good) or 

3 tbsp meat curry powder, mixed with 3- 4 tbsp water into a paste

300ml water

100g coconut milk

Method

1. Marinate chicken with salt for 30 minutes.

2. Heat wok with oil and fry garlic and shallots until fragrant.

3. Add curry paste and stir fry a little, until the oil releases from the curry paste. Toss in lemongrass and curry leaves at this step if using.

4. Add chicken and stir fry until the chicken skin is just cooked.

5. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut cream (upper layer of coconut milk) and cook until the milky colour disappears (i.e. milk has turned to oil).

6. Add water to chicken and bring it a boil. 

7. Add potatoes, mix with the chicken, lower heat to medium-low and cover the wok to simmer.  Stir ocassionally to prevent bottom burning.

8. Simmer until potatoes are tender and the curry gravy has reduced, around 20minutes. Once ready, you can smell the curry chicken aroma in your kitchen!

9. Add salt and the remaining coconut milk. Stir in the coconut milk gently. Off the heat.

10. Dish up and serve with rice or bread (my favourite!).

Fried Hokkien Prawn Mee

 炒福建虾面

Ingredients (serves 4 to 5 pax):

500g fresh large prawns 

500g lean pork 

1 piece of fresh squid

500g fresh yellow noodle

70g rice vermicelli (bee hoon)

1 bundle of chives (cut into 3cm short strips)

2 eggs

2 garlic cloves (chopped finely)

1 litre water

Method:

1. Soak the rice vermicelli with water until softened, around half an hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Wash, clean and de-vein prawns. Keep the prawn heads and shells to make stock.

3. Wash and clean the squid. Slice the squid into 1cm thick rings. 

4. In a hot wok, add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the prawn shells and heads until fragrant. Add 1 litre water, bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. Sieve the stock to remove the prawn shells and head. 

5. Place the lean pork into the stock and boil over medium heat for 30 minutes. Then take out the pork, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of salt over the cooked pork and let it cool down. Once cooled, cut the pork into thin slices.

6. Blanch the prawns and squids in the stock for 5 minutes.

7. Season the stock with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon fish sauce.

8. Heat up wok over high heat with 1 tablespoon of oil, then crack the eggs into the wok. Quickly scramble the eggs. 

9. Add the yellow noodle and rice vermicelli. Stir fry the noodles in a circular motion for a few minutes. 

10. Push the noodles to the side of the wok, add 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the garlic for a few seconds.

11. Mix the noodles with the garlic, add 4 to 5 big ladles of prawn stock and stir fry the noodles in circular motion. Cover the wok, lower heat to medium and braise the noodles for a few minutes.

12. Add the prawns, squids, pork slices and chives into the wok and fry with the noodles.  

13. Dish up the noodles and serve with sambal chilli, lime and crispy pork lard.

American Southern-Style Fried Chicken Bites

 炸鸡

This fried chicken recipe is different from my other fried chicken recipes (here, here, here, here and here) as it soaks the chicken in buttermilk brine which helps to tenderise the chicken, and the chicken is cooked sous vide before deep frying. Follow this recipe to get fried chicken that is quite similar to KFC fried chicken or Shake Shack chicken bites. 

Ingredients:

500g chicken breast 

Buttermilk brine/marinade: 125ml buttermilk (or 125ml milk with 1/2 tsp white vinegar), 1 tsp salt, 1/2 egg

Herb-seasoned flour: 120g plain flour, 40g corn flour, 1 tsp black pepper, 3/4 tsp paprika, 3/4 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp ginger powder, 1/2 tsp dried herbs (thyme and/or oregana), 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp celery salt

2 tbsp plain flour (plus more, if needed)

Method:

1. Prepare buttermilk brine by mixing buttermilk with salt and egg. If you do not have buttermilk, pour milk in a large bowl, add white vinegar to it, give a quick stir and let it sit for 10 minutes until it starts to coagulate/curdle a little. After that, mix in salt and egg. 

2. Use a sharp tip of the knife to poke the chicken breasts lightly to help the meat absorb the marinade, then cut into bite size.

3. Submerge the chicken into the buttermilk brine (in a vacuum bag) for at least 3 hour or overnight (in fridge - remove chicken from fridge one hour before cooking).

4. On day of cooking, sous vide the chicken breasts first. Heat a pot of water to 70 degree celcius. Submerge the vacuum bag with chicken pieces into the water for 45 minutes. After 45minutes, remove the chicken pieces from the vacuum bag and put them in a sieve for the excess marinade to drip off (into a bowl)

5. When ready to fry the chicken, prepare the herb-seasoned flour. Add 4 to 5 tablespoon of marinade into the herb-seasoned flour and use a whisk to mix until you get lots of lumpy flour bits. These lumpy flour bits will turn into crunchy crust after frying.

6. Lightly coat each piece of chicken with plain flour and shake off excess flour. Then dip the chicken into the marinade and dredge the chicken through the herb-seasoned flour. Squeeze the chicken piece using your palm so that the flour will adhere to the chicken. Repeat for remaining chicken pieces. Rest the breaded chicken pieces on a tray for 10 to 15 minutes (to allow the flour to adhere properly to the chicken). 

7. Fry the chicken pieces in batches until golden brown, flipping it half way through frying. Transfer the chicken to wire rack to drain excess oil. Repeat until all chicken pieces have been fried. 

Enjoy the chicken bites whilst warm and crispy!

Salt grilled salmon head

 烤鲑鱼头

Yes, you can have a decent Japanese meal at home. Buy a  salmon fish head from the market (they are cheap - I got one head for S$5!), grill it and serve with Japanese rice, miso soup and chawanmushi (steamed egg).

Ingredients

1 salmon head

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Ask the fishmonger to cut the head into two and remove gills. 

2. Wash and clean the fish heads and dab dry. Make sure scales on the fish head are removed.

3. Line a baking pan with aluminium foil. Put the fish head, cut side facing up, and sprinkle half of the salt.

4. Grill the salmon at 250 degree celcius for 8 to 10 minutes. 

5. Take the salmon from the oven, flip the salmon over and sprinkle the remaining half of the salt. Return the salmon to the oven and grill until the salmon head is a bit charred, around 15minutes.

6. Take salmon out from the oven and serve hot.

Claypot Chicken Rice

沙锅鸡饭

This is a simple one pot meal which you can cook at home. 

Ingredients (serves 4 pax)

3 chicken drumsticks (deboned), cut into bite size (750g before debone) 

1 Chinese sausage (optional) , thinly sliced diagonally

2 rice cooker cup rice

2 rice cooker cup water (360ml)

a few pieces of salted fish

Marinade for chicken:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 tablespoon rice wine (I use Hua Diao brand)

2 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

Method

1. Prepare the marinade.

2. Heat 1 teaspoon cooking oil in wok and fry the salted fish over low heat till golden brown and fragrant. Cut into small pieces and mix into the marinade. Replace salted fish with 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if you do not have salted fish. 

3. Mix the marinade into the chicken, set aside for at least half an hour.

4. Wash the rice, drain and put it in the claypot (ceramic pot will work too). Add water and start cooking over medium-small fire for 10 minutes.

4. After 10 minutes, turn off heat, open lid and add the marinated chicken pieces including all the marinating liquid. Do not stir the rice. Place the sausage on the chicken, if using. Cover and cook over small heat for another 15 minutes. 

5. After 15 minutes, fluff up the rice and serve hot. If you like darker rice, add 1 tablespoon of cooked oil and 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce into the rice and mix in. Serve hot with vegetables!

Homemade Yogurt

酸奶

Yogurt is an effective way to get probiotic bacteria on a daily basis, and improve our gut microbial health. All you need is fresh milk and some starter yogurt (from store bought  yogurt).  

Ingredients

500ml fresh milk 

3 heap tablespoons plain and unflavoured Greek yogurt (starter)

Method

1. Put the milk in a pot (covered) and heat over medium heat until it is just below boiling point (small bubbles form around the edges).

2. Remove the pot from heat and let it sit until you can dip your finger into the milk for 5 seconds without burning your finger. If you need to use the pot for something else, transfer the milk to a wide mouth stainless steel container/thermos flask (which can retain heat) where you will be storing the yogurt.

3. Transfer 100-200ml of milk to a small bowl and add the yogurt starter. Stir until smooth and transfer this back to the pot/container/thermos flask with warm milk. Stir to mix in, cover the pot/container/thermos flask with lid and keep it warm by wrapping it with a towel. 

4. Let the yogurt sit for 4 hours (Singapore weather). It should set by then, if not leave it (wrapped) for another hour. Note that the yogurt will be tangier the longer it sits. 

5. Store the yogurt pot/container/thermos flask in the fridge. 

Note that even though you used Greek yogurt as a starter, your homemade yogurt is not considered as "Greek" yogurt unless you strain it to remove the whey. I find that straining is not necessary as whey is nutritious and I can still get thick/creamy yogurt by increasing the amount of starter.

Homemade Chinese Five Spice Powder

五香粉

So easy to make if you have these 5 spices in your kitchen.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/2 tsp cloves

1 tablespoon szechuan peppercorn

4 star anise

2cm cinnamon stick

Method

1. Break the spices into small pieces and toast them over low heat in wok until fragrant. Set aside to cool down.

2. Put the spices in a blender and blend until powder form. Transfer the five spice powder into container.

3. Put a tablespoon of rice grains into blender and blend to clean the residual powder and  remove the smell of five spice from the blender container.

Sourdough Crackers

天然酵母葱饼

Revived my sourdough starter that was kept in the fridge for more than a year. Fed the starter with equal amounts of water and flour every 24 hours until it doubled in size on consequent days. Luckily, the starter was strong and it slowly sprung back to life. It became bubbly and tripled in size after 5 hours on the third day. In the feeding process, I collected a lot of sourdough discards, and a good way to use them up was to make crackers. So glad I found below recipe from King Arthur Baking. 

These crackers have a slight tangy taste due to the use of sourdough starter. But they are still very tasty!

Ingredients

227g sourdough discard (cold, straight from fridge)

113g Plain flour 

1/2 tsp sea salt flakes

2 tbsp dried herbs (oregano, thyme or basil)

57g butter (melted and warm)

Half portion

113.5g sourdough discard

56.5g plain flour

1/4 tsp 

1 tbsp dried herbs (I replaced with 12g fresh scallions/spring onions from my garden)

28.5g butter (melted and warm)

Method

1. Sieve flour into mixing bowl. Mix in the salt. 

2. Add butter and use the dough scrapper to quickly mix into the flour. Butter will coat the flour with fat which makes for a more tender cracker.

3. Add the starter and mix in using your fingers/dough scrapper. Then add the scallions and continue to mix until the dough almost comes together. If necessary, cover and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes for easier rolling.

4. Divide the dough into two pieces (for easier handling) while it is in the mixing bowl. 

5. Preheat oven to 170 degree celcius.

6. Take one piece of dough from the mixing bowl and cover the other piece with a cloth/cling wrap (to prevent drying) and place on benchtop/rolling mat (lightly floured with rice vinegar). Lightly dust the top of the dough with rice flour and shape the dough into a rectangular slab. Roll the dough to about 2 to 3cm thick and cut the dough into desired shapes. Prick each cut dough with the tines of a fork (to prevent the dough from puffing up). Transfer the cut dough into a baking tray (lined with parchment paper) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crackers are lightly browned. Note: to save some effort and time, the shaping/rolling/cutting can be done on a parchment paper. Then the dough and parchment paper transferred wholesale to the baking pan for baking. No need to separate the cut dough at all as the crackers will separate themselves as they bake.

7. Remove the crackers from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool. Once cooled, store in air tight container.