How to prepare gingko nuts

 

Gingko nuts are seeds of the gingko tree. They are toxic when eaten raw but very tasty when cooked with dishes (e.g. chawanmushi - Japanese steamed egg, or desserts (e.g. beancurd barley with gingko nuts).

I buy raw gingko nuts (select unblemished and unbroken nuts) from markets (100g cost S$1) and this is how I prepare the nuts so that they can be readily added to my cooking. From my experience, unshelled gingko nuts may turn moldy if they are kept in plastic bags that are tied up. If you do not de-shell the nuts on the same day when you buy them, do store the gingko nuts in the fridge or leave the plastic bag untied at room temperature.

Steps:

1. Place the nut on its edge, then use a nut cracker to crack the shell. A stone pestle will work too. 

Using nut cracker:

Using stone pestle:

2. Discard seeds that are hard and dry. Refer to examples in this picture.

3. Use a knife to peel the papery brownish skin.

4. Use a knife to slit one side of the nut open and remove the seed leaf (cotyledon) within. Discard the seed leaf as it is bitter.

5. Store the gingko nuts in the freezer. 

Yam Ring

 芋头圈 / 佛钵

Yam ring or yam basket or fatt put (in cantonese) is usually served during festive occasions.  It is served with a mixture of stir-fried vegetables and chicken or seafood (prawns/ scallops).

Ingredients: 

300g taro, steamed

60g wheat flour

30g pork lard

90ml hot boiling water 

1/2 tsp baking powder

Seasoning: 1/2 tsp of salt, 

1/8 tsp ground white pepper, 1/8 tsp five spice powder

Method: 

1. Peel and cut the yam into small pieces. Steam for 10mins until it turns soft, mashed through sieve while hot. Mix in the seasoning and set aside.

2. Slowly add the hot boiling water to the wheat flour and mix continously using a pair of chopsticks. You will get a thick and sticky white paste/dough. Add this, pork lard and baking powder into the taro (step 1) and mix until well combined. Knead to form a smooth dough, wrap it in plastic/cling wrap and rest in the fridge for at least 30minutes until the dough is firmer (to facilitate shaping).

3. Remove from fridge and unwrap the yam dough. Sprinkle some wheat flour on the benchtop and on the yam dough. Shape the yam ring by poking the centre of the dough with your thumb and pressing gently with fingers to form a wide and shallow ring. Note: shallow rings will require lesser oil to fry! Place the yam ring on a strainer with holes.

4. Heat up cooking oil in wok. When the oil temperature has reached approximately 160 degree celcius, lower the yam ring (with strainer) into the hot oil. Use a laddle to spoon the oil over the yam ring if necessary. Deep fry until the yam ring turns golden brown.

5. Cook the filling with vegetables and meat of your choice, and stuff it into the yam ring. 

Kueh Pie Tee

 

Little crispy cups stuffed to the brim with tasty turnip fillings are my family's favourite and served in almost all of our family gatherings. 

Ingredients (makes about 100 shell)

For Kueh Pie Tee Shell

60g plain flour

180g rice flour

30g corn flour

Half teaspoon salt

1 egg (60g nett) - lightly beaten

400ml water

For Kueh Pie Tee Filling

1 turnip (bang kwang / jicama)

1 carrot

1 piece dried squid (rehydrated and cut into thin strips)

handful dried shrimps (rehydrated and chopped into small pieces)

3 strips of smoked bacon (cut into small pieces)

8 shallots (finely chopped) 

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon salt

Method

Kueh Pie Tee Shell

Sieve the 3 flours together. Mix salt into the flour. Make a well in the centre of flour and add beaten egg. Use a small whisk to mix in 1 direction. Add water slowly and whisk until you get a smooth batter. Strain the batter to remove lumps. Set aside the batter to rest for 1 hour. 

After an hour, stir the batter and pour some into a small cup (deep enough to submerge the special mold for the kueh pie tee shell). Note to self: use NYPS souvenir cup

Heat up oil in pot over low heat and fully submerge the mold (to heat it up). Lift the mold from oil, shake off excess oil and dip the mold vertically into the batter until almost to the top (95%). Dip the mold into the hot oil until it is almost submerged. When the shell turns light brown, either jiggle the mold up and down to loosen the shell from the mold or use a chopstick to gently separate the shell from the mold. Use chopstick to turn the shell around in the oil so that it is evenly cooked. When the shell is golden in colour, transfer it to a wire rack to cool. Repeat process until the batter is used up. Store the shells in an air tight container to retain crispiness. The shells keep well for a week.

Kueh Pie Tee Filling

Cut turnip and carrot into thin strips.

Fry bacon until crispy and set aside. Using the fat released from frying bacon, fry shallots until golden brown and set aside. Fry dried shrimps until fragrant and set aside. Fry dried squid until fragrant and set aside. These will serve as toppings.

Using oil left from frying shallots/shrimps/squid, stir fry carrot and turnip until they are soft. Add water (around 200ml, from soaking shrimps and squid) and seasoning. Bring to boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the toppings. 

Assemble Kueh Pie Tee

To serve, stuff the filling into each shell. 

Lotus Seed Paste

莲蓉馅

If you have time, you should prepare your own lotus seed paste as there are no additives and preservatives. You can also adjust the sweetness to your liking. The paste can be used as filling in mooncakes or steamed buns. Below recipe is adapted from this blog. 

Ingredients (makes about 300g lotus paste):

100g dried white lotus seeds (without brown skin)

50g sugar (reduce to 30g if using corn syrup)

20g maltose

50g vegetable cooking oil

60g light corn syrup (optional)

Method:

1. Soak the dried lotus seeds in water for a few hours or overnight, then remove the core (green center, which is bitter).

2. Put the seeds in a pot and add sufficient water to cover the seeds. Bring to boil, then lower heat and simmer until the lotus seeds are soft. This takes about 30 minutes. Reserve 50ml of cooking water for step 3 below.

3. Drain and mash the seeds through a sieve while hot. Alternatively, use the blender to puree the seeds. Add the cooking water, one tablespoon at a time to the mashed/pureed lotus seed until you get a smooth texture.

3. Heat up the wok with 1/3 of the vegetable cooking oil. Transfer the mashed lotus paste to a wok, add sugar and maltose, and stir fry the paste over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes. 

4. Then add the remaining cooking oil in two batches, and continue to stir fry until incorporated. Finally, add the corn syrup (if using) and keep stir frying until the paste is easily foldable and does not stick to the wok. Remove from heat and leave to cool completely.

 

Steamed Bun (Lotus Leaf Shape)

荷叶包

This is the Chinese version of burger bun except that it is steamed and flat. Most people eat this bun with braised pork belly. 

Ingredients:

150g plain flour

30g wheat starch

1/2 tsp instant yeast

15g castor sugar

90g cold milk

4g cooking oil / pork lard

1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Cut parchment paper into small pieces of 10cm x 10cm. 

2. Prepare steamer and fill it up with sufficient water for steaming to last 15minutes.

3. Put all ingredients except oil into the mixing bowl and use dough scrapper to combine before using hand to knead into a dough. Cover the dough and rest for 10 minutes. Then add the oil and knead until the dough is soft, smooth and elastic, around 20 minutes. Form a ball and proof the dough (covered with cling wrap) for 15 minutes.

4. Punch down the dough and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 50g each and form a ball. Use a rolling pin to roll each dough into an oval shape. Position the rolling pin in the middle of the oval shape make an indentation. Then lightly brush some vegetable oil on the dough and fold it into half*. Place it on a piece of parchment/baking paper. Repeat this process for rest of the dough ball. Place the shaped buns in a steamer rack and proof for 20 minutes. 

5. Once 20 minutes is up, turn the heat on the steamer up. When steam comes out of the steamer, reduce heat to medium and continue to steam for another 10minutes. Do not open the steamer lid during steaming as the buns will collapse. Once steaming is done, do not open the lid immediately. Let the buns rest in the steam for 5 minutes. Remove the buns from the steamer.

6. The buns taste good even on their own. Re-steam for 5 minutes before serving if you like. 

* To make line design on the bun, use the dough scrapper and fork to make indentation.

Soft Dinner Rolls

 

Saw a packet of potato flakes at a bakery supply store and couldn't help but bought it as I've seen bread recipes using it. If you think potatoes are bland, they are not, especially when they are used to make bread - so flavourful! Below recipe is adapted from crazyforcrust.

Ingredients

370g bread flour

170ml fresh milk / oat milk

110ml warm water

1 egg

1 tsp yeast

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

40g unsalted butter

20g potato flakes

Method

1. Rehydrate the potato flakes with the warm water.  

2. Combine all ingredients, except butter and salt, in mixer and knead at medium speed for 3.5min until it comes together in a ball of dough.

3. Add butter and salt, and knead for another 3.5min until dough is smooth and elastic. The dough is sticky due to high hydration.

4. Do window pane test (for gluten development) and proof for 30-40min until double in size.

5. After 1st proofing, punch down the dough and divide into small pieces and shape them into balls to fit my 28cm x 5cm x 19cm pan. Rest the balls for 15 mins. After that, reshape into balls, cover and let it proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

6. 15mins before end of 2nd proofing, preheat oven to 180 deg cel. Bake the buns at 180 deg cel for 20mins.

Note: Can make burger buns using this recipe. Makes 10 buns of 75g each.

Hakka Yam Abacus Seeds

 客家算盘子

This dish is normally cooked during the Chinese New Year as the abacus shaped beads signify wealth and prosperity.

Ingredients:

1 yam (peeled and cut into thin slices) - 1kg yam can make about 800g abacus seeds (for 4 pax)

tapioca flour (33% of weight of peeled yam)

hot water (20% of weight of peeled yam)

Method:

1. In a wok or steamer, steam the yam for 30 minutes until very soft (when pressed with a fork). Remove from steamer and mash it with a fork (or press the steamed yam through a sieve). Add a bit of salt and tapioca flour and hot water (if using) to the mashed yam and knead till you get a soft and smooth dough that does not stick to your hand. Note: More tapioca flour, the more bouncy (QQ) the abacus seeds will be BUT lesser yam taste.

2. Roll the yam dough into logs of about 2cam in diameter and cut them into equal pieces of about 1cm thickness. Roll each piece into a ball and press the centre gently with your thumb/index finger to create a depression (to look like the abacus seed on an abacus). Repeat with the rest of the dough.

3. Fill the wok/pot with water, add a dash of cooking oil and bring to a boil. Prepare a separate pot of ice cold water. Place the abacus seeds into the boiling water and stir to ensure they do not stick to the bottom of wok/pot. Cook the abacus seeds for a few minutes. When they float to the top, scoop them out and plunge them into the cold water for 5 minutes. Then drain and set aside the abacus seeds. Drizzle a bit of oil over the seeds to prevent them sticking to one another. Freeze the seeds in a ziplock bag if not you are not consuming on the same day.

4. To stir fry the abacus seeds, prepare these ingredients ahead:

600g abacus seeds

5 shallots, sliced thinly (to make fried shallots)

5 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

100g dried shrimp, soaked in water

30g dried cuttlefish, soaked in water and cut into strips

40g mushrooms, soaked in water and cut into strips

40g black fungus, soaked and cut into stripes

200g lean pork, cut into strips or minced pork

some red chilli, cut into small pieces

Seasonings

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

dashes of pepper

2 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

water from soaking dried shrimps, cuttle fish and mushrooms

Method

1. Heat cooking oil in a wok, fry sliced shallots until golden brown. Remove from wok and set aside.

2. In same wok, sauté shallots, garlic, dried shrimp and dried cuttle fish till fragrant.

3. Add in mushrooms, black fungus, pork, and mix well.

4. Add in abacus seeds and seasonings. Add water if necessary. Mix well.

5. Garnish with fried shallots, spring onions and sliced red chilli, and serve warm.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken Roulade

 

This is a French dish called poulet farci but more commonly known as Chicken Roulade. Roulade is a french word for 'roll-up'. There are a variety of recipes out there in internet, some stuffed the chicken with fillings like bacon, cheese and spinach, while a few wrap the chicken in bacon. Cooking method differs widely too, with some baking the roulade and others poaching followed by pan searing the roulade. I think my recipe below is the simplest method to make roulades. You can customise by adding fillings if you like.

Ingredients:

2 pieces chicken thigh (deboned) 

Seasoning: 1/4 tsp salt, dashes of freshly ground pepper, 1/4 tsp thyme, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp paprika

8 pieces of smoked bacon

Method:

1. Season chicken thigh.

2. On a baking sheet, lay bacon strips across the sheet. Place the chicken thigh one end of the bacon strips, tuck the chicken thigh and roll it up using the baking sheet as tightly as possible. Then wrap the roulade using aluminum foil.

3. Boil a pot of water and add the roulades. Poach for 30 mins over medium high heat. Turn the roulades around for even poaching. After poaching, drain the liquid and set aside the roulades to cool.

4. Once cooled, remove the aluminum foil and baking sheet gently. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken roulades and sear all sides until brown and aromatic.

5. Transfer to serving plate and rest 10 minutes. Then cut up the roulades into thick slices and serve!

Miso Pork Noodle

 

What can you cook at home for one person? This is what I whipped up today- miso pork soup, inspired by dailydelicious. Simple meal but still delicious. 

Ingredients:

200g minced pork

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced ginger

dashes of white pepper powder

1/2 tsp chilli paste (add more if you like it to be spicier)

1/2 tablespoon miso paste 

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 Japanese dashi (Japanese soup stock) packet (refer to Just one cookbook for good writeup on dashi)

2 tablespoon Japanese sesame dressing

200ml water

50ml milk

160g dried pumpkin noodles or any noodles you prefer.

Method:

1. Put water and dashi packet in a small pot and bring to a boil. Then, lower stove heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Shake the dashi packet a few times to release the flavours from the packet. Set aside.

2. Heat up wok with cooking oil. Stir fry garlic and ginger under medium heat until fragrant. Add minced pork followed by white pepper powder and stir fry under high heat until pork is cooked through. Then, reduce the heat to low and push the pork to the side of the wok. Put chilli paste, miso paste and sugar into wok, and stir fry for a minute under low heat. After one minute, mix in the pork and stir fry under medium heat.

3. While cooking the pork, cook the noodles as per package instructions. Transfer the noodles to serving bowl.

4. Bring the soup to a boil and ladle into the serving bowl. Then add the pork, top with scallions, a few drops of chilli oil and toasted white sesame seeds. Enjoy!