dongporou 东坡肉

today first time i attempted dongporou 东坡肉 on 23.8.2017.

bascially trying to replicate the dongporou 东坡肉 at zai shun where WT bought 4pax lunch recently on 17.8.2017. 🙂

dongporou 东坡肉

i found & followed one web recipe here.

tying the string for 9 cuts of belly pork kind of tedious.

i layered the claypot first with cabbage (my own improvisation), then spring onions, then sliced ginger. i had some leftover pig skin (from char siu 叉烧) i inserted to help hold up the pork belly pieces.

then i added 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp brown sugar, 4tbsp shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water. added the belly pork, skin down.

then cooked low fire for 1.5hrs. added water as required, and turned over belly pork at 1hr.

then took out belly pork & placed in a small holder & steamed for 1.5hrs, so in total 3hrs.

so dongporou 东坡肉 was quite good standard. the gelatinous parts were excellent. flavour was pretty ok…

i think can have more wine taste, so i am going to increase to 6tbsp shaoxing wine. the pigskin & cabbage were excellent – collateral goodness, haha! ^^

one friend FM rated it second after the egg bittergourd with salted egg. some lean parts still not tender enough after 3hrs lor…

not quite sure why need to cut the pork (& having to tie pork to hold it together) in the first place? to let the sauce & the steam reach the individual pieces?

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i think i will instead experiment using low temperature braising to render the whole 400g pork belly tender, then open steaming to add moisture & further tenderise the pork, then cut into small pieces (currently the steam could not reach the lean parts of the pork in the small holder)…so i intend to experiment/improvise..

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients –

• 400g belly pork
• 3 large cabbage leaves
• 2 stalks of spring onions cut about 8cm length
• 3cm thinly sliced ginger
• 2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1tbsp brown sugar
• 6tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. clean & wash belly pork with salt. scald with boiling water to remove scum (or boil in water for 2mins)
2. cut into 9 pieces & tie the string for 9 cuts of belly pork to hold pork in shape.
3. add 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp brown sugar, 6tbsp shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water. add the belly pork, skin down.
4. cook low fire for 1.5hrs. add water as required, turn over belly pork at 1hr.
5. take out belly pork & place in a small holder & steam for 1.5hrs, so in total 3hrs.

taujeon lime sauce angkorli fillet

taujeon lime sauce angkorli fillet was one of the 8 dishes i prepare for the RI makan group on 8.9.0217. ^^

i bought a large angkorli (seabream) from sheng shiong, got them to cut 1/2 with head, and fillet the 1/2fish tail to do 2 flavours for my friends.

taujeon lime sauce angkorli fillet

for the tail fillet, i pound 4 tbsp taujeon, and squeezed 1/2 large lime to give the tangy taste, added 1 tbsp light soy sauce for the flavour & 1 tbsp mirin.

i garnished with slice ginger, chopped spring onions, 2 tbsp garlic & cut chilli padi.

taujeon lime sauce angkorli fillet

this was intended to be zai shun steamed sharks cartilage preparation.

of course no comparison with zai shun, which was very good & consistent.

still it was a jolly good delicious dish, which my friends thoroughly enjoyed! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tail fillet of large 1.2kg angkorli (about 400g fillet)
• 4 tbsp taujeon
• squeeze juice of 1/2 large lime
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 2 cm ginger (sliced)
• chopped spring onions (one large stalk)
• 2 tbsp garlic
• 1 cut chilli padi

Directions:

1. clean/wash fish fillet with salt
2. pound 4 tbsp taujeon, and squeezed1/2 large lime to give the tangy taste, add 1 tbsp light soy sauce for the flavour & 1 tbsp mirin.
3. garnish with sliced ginger, chopped spring onions, 2 tbsp garlic & cut chilli padi.
4. steam for about 6-7 mins. test that fish is cooked.

braised whole hock & trotters 鲁元蹄和猪手

braised whole hock & trotters 鲁元蹄和猪手was one of the 8 dishes i prepare for the RI makan group on 8.9.0217. ^^

Tai Hua chicken marinate (大华鲁鸡汁)

for this evening i used a lazyman method – just using tai hua braising sauce, instead of preparing my own braising sauce.

 

the whole hock & trotters 鲁元蹄和猪手 were delicious, very gelatinous & lean meat was moist, not old & dry.

GCM commented that dish very good but pig skin could be softer. the pig skin pieces were the skin from char siew. i still have not found the method, but the standalone pig skin pieces dried up through the course of dinner & slightly toughened, whereas the hock skin was ok.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1 whole hock & trotters 鲁元蹄和猪手 (about 1kg+)
• 1/2 cup tai hua braising sauce (120ml)
• 1-2 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 3 cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 whole bulb peeled garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp flat five-spice powder
• 1 tbsp sugar

Directions:

1. fry 1-2 cinnamon stick, 4 star anise, 3 cloves, 3 bay leaves, 1 whole bulb peeled garlic cloves, 1tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp flat five-spice powder
2. add 1/2 cup (120ml) tai wah braising sauce for 2.5hrs to 3hrs. cover the wok so trotters are steamed while they braised. add water & turn the trotters.

bharta

bharta was another unrehearsed first attempt for me.

i did bharta as one of 7 indian dishes i did for the recent 10pax dinner for my friends on 19.9.2017.^^

literally watching & rewatching the “Baingan Bartha – By Vahchef @ Vahrehvah.com” video while i cook, & reproducing it.

like i told my friends – didn’t know what it was before cooking & didn’t know what it was after cooking.

i just followed Vahchef @ Vahrehvah.com” video –

1. coat with oil, sprinkle sea salt & roast 1 medium egg plant (300g dutch eggplant) in 250degC oven for 25mins. remove skin & roughly chop eggplant.
2. fry 2 tsp cumin seeds in 1 tbsp oil
3. add 1/2 tsp chopped ginger, 2 tsp chopped garlic & 1 medium chopped onion.
4. add 3 cut green chili, and 2 cut tomatoes
5. add roughly chopped egg plant
6. add 1 tsp garam masala & 1/2 tsp tumeric

bharta

anyhow the amazing thing with recipes is that for the most part theseattempts turn out quite perfectly, and it did this evening.

the bharta was a favourite dish & S who is vegetarian and arrive later nearer 9pm (we kept the vegetarian briyani & lots of bharta for him) liked it a lot too.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 300g medium dutch eggplant
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 medium chopped onion.
• 3 cut green chili
• 2 cut tomatoes
• tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp tumeric

Directions:

1. coat with oil, sprinkle sea salt & roast 1 medium egg plant (300g dutch eggplant) in 250degC oven for 25mins. remove skin & roughly chop eggplant.
2. fry 2 tsp cumin seeds in 1 tbsp oil
3. add 1/2 tsp chopped ginger, 2 tsp chopped garlic & 1 medium chopped onion.
4. add 3 cut green chili, and 2 cut tomatoes
5. add roughly chopped egg plant
6. add 1 tsp garam masala & 1/2 tsp tumeric

fish masala 

i did fish masala as one of 7 indian dishes i did for the recent 10pax dinner for my friends on 19.9.2017.^^

the fish masala was my first attempt!

i was not entirely sure which fish to use. i had angkorli & seabass as back up but decided to go to chinatown complex this morning, and i managed to get a good cut of batang fish (ikan tenggiri or spanish mackerel). 4 nice cuts for S$10!

fish masala 

there wasn’t much in the preparation.

i fried the fish in oil to brown it & made it firmer for the masala.

i fried chopped onions in ghee, then added the house brand ready gravy & intense chicken stock & reduced. (very important to reduce correctly to make a tasty gravy, not diluted flavorus).

then i added the fish, covered & cooked for short while.

fish masala

the texture was firm, fish was fresh & tasty, & the gravy was excellent!

this another dish many of my friends liked a lot.. 🙂

& so easy to prepare, no effort nor much skill required. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 500g batang fish (ikan tenggiri or spanish mackerel)
• 1x house brand fish curry masala
• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 tbsp ghee
• chicken stock

Directions:

1. wash & clean fish with salt. fry fish in oil to brown it & made it firmer for the masala.
2. fry chopped onions in ghee, add house brand ready gravy & intense chicken stock & reduced. (very important to reduce correctly to make a tasty gravy, not diluted flavorus).
3. add fish, covered & cooked for short while.

mutton masala 

made an excellent, really delicious mutton masala for my friends on 19.9.2017. ^^

& this was my first attempt.

it was kind of strange and truly fortuitous1 🙂

my friend V had given me a bottle of rogan josh, seems that it was only available in JB, not singapore.

i was doing a 10pax indian dinner for my friends on 19.9.2017.^^ 

as i had only one bottle, i could no try out. in any case i took it out from the kitchen cupboard and put in my room so i can access it anytime & wouldn’t need to look for it when i need it. but on the day of the dinner, it vanished into thin air. i still cannot locate it! how odd is that?

anyway, i resolve to cook mutton masala istead using house brand ready gravy, but as a result i did not try out the methods to make the mutton tender, so it became a blind experiment!

as fortune would have it, the mutton masala was hands down the best dishes by my friends!

a strange turn of events indeed! when V brought ghee & naans during lunch hour, i was deciding whether to replace the mutton with pork….

mutton masala 

 

the mutton i bought from ntuc fairprice finest – S$8 frozen mutton cubes. i cleaned with salt & also scalded with boiling water to remove scum & smell.

i had wanted to use the slow braising technique to produce a tender mutton. the theory is 90degC is the optimal temperature to break down collagen (tough connective tissues) to gelatine, making it both tender as well as flavourful at the same time.

i had done that before for lamb shoulders successfully in 90degC oven for 6hrs.

and it was a beautiful fusion curry miso lamb dish,

inspired by the mid-eastern cuisine – i had my best lamb with my son at honey & co london on 22.8.2014.

i was a bit uncertain this time so reduced to 4hrs. but the mutton was tough. i did another 4hrs to no much effect (i think a continuous 6hrs would be the correct preparation).

one way to tenderise was to put in the steam oven for 1.5hrs.  i was not confident i could rescue the mutton, so thought of replacing with pork.

everyone was glad i did not! AG & LS told me it sounded like a horror story when i suggested that.

mutton masala 

anyhow the mutton turned out beautifully. texture was perfect, the tough connective issues are now tender & flavourful, good lamb flavours no foul taste.

i had said in the whatsapp chat that i was confident of the taste, as it was just the reliable house brand ready gravy. only uncertainty was the texture.

but it turned out perfectly. the connective tissues were tender & tasty, and in fact CL said he specially liked that part.

next time i will do 90degC oven for 6hrs. that should do it, and if necessary i will also do the 1.5hrs steam oven step.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 500g frozen mutton cubes
• 1 packet house brand ready gravy
• 1 medium onion (chopped)
• 1 tbsp ghee

Directions:

1. clean mutton with salt & scald with boiling water to remove scums & smell
2. placed mutton in sealed oven dish covered with water in 90degC oven for 6hrs. 90degC is the optimal temperature to break down collagen (tough connective tissues) to gelatine, making it both tender as well as flavourful at the same time.
3. fry chopped onion in ghee till soften. add house brand ready gravy. add intense chicken stock & reduce. add mutton cubes to the gravy.

white beehoon白米粉

made the best tasting white beehoon (WBH) from leftover chicken stock i used to make claypot tanhoon prawns last evening..

very tasty WBH indeed & so easy to make just need very tasty intense stock & braise 焖, same as cooking tanhoon prawns, yee meen etc

i made good WBH couple of times previously-

1.  white beehoon for family dinner on 17.6.2016.
2. and also a very tasty WBH a 12pax dinner for my OPS buddies on 23.6.2016.

white beehoon白米粉

for this evening though, i made a much more intense stock.

i made sure the prawns & squid were done just right, so that they were plump, juicy, bouncy. brought out the really fresh, sweet taste of the prawns & squid.

white beehoon白米粉

the dish is easy preparation in terms of ingredients & easy steps, so not much effort in preparation.

it is though a bit difficult to adjust the amount of stock, amount of beehoon & the cooking time.

so too much stock, maybe stock not intense enough ie not reduced enough, so bee hoon would be wet. if you try to reduce, then the bee hoon gets overcooked.

too much bee hoon, and the very tasty intense stock is diluted & the overall taste of the dish is diminished.

so it has to be the right amount of intense stock & right amount of bee hoon, then the bee hoon is well infused & very tasty, the bee hoon is moist & not “flooded”, and the bee hoon texture is al dente, not mushy & overcooked.

white beehoon白米粉

for this evening it was quite perfect.

white beehoon白米粉

i had about 300ml intense reduced stock, and 2 rolls of bee hoon soaked in cold water for 1hr.

this time i did not have cabbage, so just a little sliced ginger, cut chili padi & chopped garlic fried in a hot pan, added intense chicken stock & added 1 tbsp oyster sauce.

the prawns & squid were marinated with fish sauce & white pepper for 1hr.

when stock is boiling, i added bee hoon & prawns, tossed a bit, then added squid, tossed a bit more, then off fire. i  covered & let the beehoon infused the stock a bit longer & tossed another time. i tasted the bee hoon & it was perfect, so ready to plate it & serve.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 2 rolls of bee hoon
• 15 medium prawns (about 400g)
• 1 medium squid chequered cut
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 cm sliced ginger
• 1 cut chili padi
• 300ml intense chicken stock

Directions:

1. soak 2 rolls of bee hoon soaked in cold water for 1hr. have 300ml intense chicken stock ready for use.
2. fry a little sliced ginger, cut chili padi & chopped garlic fried in a hot pan, add intense chicken stock & add 1 tbsp oyster sauce.
3. marinate the prawns & squid with fish sauce & white pepper for 1hr or longer.
4. when stock is boiling, add bee hoon & prawns, toss a bit, then add squid, tosse a bit more, then off fire. cover wokpan & let the beehoon infused the stock a bit longer & toss another time.check the taste the bee hoon & add salt if required). for me i did not need to. the texture, liquid, and taste were just perfect, so ready to plate it & serve..

delicious prawn masala

made really delicious prawn masala this evening using house brand fish masala ready gravy on 4.9.2017. ^^

i doing an indian cuisine dinner for my RI friends & thinking what dishes to do in addition to the 2 very nice dishes i tried –

1. chicken briyani &
2. butter chicken

wife & 2 children eating at home, so i prepared 4pax family indian dinner this evening-

1. chicken biryani
2. butter chicken
3. prawn masala

all dishes very nice. wife & children liked all the dishes.

prawn masala first time  for me no rehearsal turned out very nice…

house brand fish curry masala ready gravy

basically  i used house brand ready gravy so nothing to do…just made sure prawns done bouncy, juicy, succulent not overcooked

likewise for the butter chicken & briyani dishes.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 15 medium prawns (400g)
• 1 packet house brand fish masala ready gravy
• 1 medium onions (chopped)
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp ghee (i used lard)

Directions:

1. fried chopped onions in 2tbsp ghee or lard to soften.
2. add 2 tsp chopped garlic
3. add house brand ready gravy & bring to boil
4. add prawns (marinated with fish sauce & white pepper). add 50ml water if required.