my tofu prawns with minced pork sauce

my OPS friend bought 5pax lunch at sik bao sin on 5.7.2016.

sik bao sin’s tofu prawns

one dish we enjoyed much was the excellent prawn tofu.

so i made this prawn tofu dish for a 3pax lunch + durians soon afterwards on 4.8.2016 

fried tofu 

i used silken tofu as i wanted the soft & fine insides.

maybe will try the egg tofu next time.

tofu is soft & more tricky to cut & place on the pan. other than that it was quite straight forward.

oil, hot pan, then add the tofu, the sprinkle sea salt from dispenser. let it brown & turn over.

prawn with minced pork sauce

then i made a minced pork sauce & added the prawns.

10 medium prawns, 150g minced pork, lots of onions & garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, pepper.

prawn with minced pork fried tofu 

then it’s just putting 2 & 2 together.

looking at sik bao sin’s prawn tofu, actually they did not add minced pork. next time i will do it w/o minced pork. too many items, maybe better to just have prawns & tofu la!

c.h.e.f andy

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

was looking at a caramelised, tasty belly pork dish different from the usual kong bak.

i looked at a few internet recipes including nonya cooking, then explore a simple cooking method.

this i did, a tauyou bak 鲁腩肉 with leeks & onions for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 19.8.2016. ^^

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

again its about marinade/braising sauce & texture.

i prep the belly pork night before 6 hrs in a 90degC oven with braising sauce-

• 1.6kg belly pork
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp zhengjiang vinegar镇江香醋
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp shaoxing wine绍兴酒
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 heap tsp chopped garlic
• 2 cm sliced ginger
• 3 star anise
• 2 tsp five spice powder

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

in the morning, i cut the belly pork into 1cm slices, fried sliced ginger, chopped garlic & 1 star anise till fragrant, then added the cut belly pork.1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, medium low fire, fried to caramalise, then added back the braising sauce, covered & reduced.

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

the tauyou bak 鲁腩肉 was very tender & tasty.

at the community meal, one lady told me “吃了还想再吃-after eating she want to eat some more”. ^^

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

important thing is the braising sauce must be fragrant, flavourful.

the dark soy sauce is fragrant & help to caramelise. & the zhengjiang vinegar镇江香醋 too.

& reducing the braising sauce makes it a nice, slightly sticky, tasty belly pork dish.

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

6hrs oven sounds tedious, but actually very easy. just add braising sauce & leave in oven.

when cooled, put in fridge. easy to cut next morning.

& i drained the sauce. next morning easy to remove the thick layer of fat from top of the gelatinous sauce.

tauyou bak 鲁腩肉

quite a delectable dish.

c.h.e.f andy

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ingredients:

• 1.6kg belly pork

braising sauce (adjust accordingly if using lesser pork say 500g)

• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp zhengjiang vinegar镇江香醋
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp shaoxing wine绍兴酒
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 3 heap tsp chopped garlic
• 2 cm sliced ginger
• 3 star anise
• 2 tsp five spice powder

Directions:

1. mix braising sauce in a large bowl.
2. prep the belly pork night before 6 hrs in a 90degC oven with braising sauce
3. when cooled, remove pork, put in double ziploc bag in fridge. easy to cut next morning.
4. drain the sauce. next morning easy to remove the thick layer of fat from top of the gelatinous sauce.
5. cut belly pork into 1cm slices, fry sliced ginger, chopped garlic & 1 star anise till fragrant. add cut belly pork, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, medium low fire, fry to caramalise. add back braising sauce, cover & reduce.

chilli crab

i did chilli crab for the first time at a recent 9pax lunch on 7.6.2016.

quite useful to have a group of friends who are confident & relax to try your first time food.

i have done chilli crab sauce pasta previously, so i used the same recipe for sauce preparation.

crab is troublesome stuff, to eat, to buy (how to get live crabs same day as cooking lunch for 9pax?), and to prepare – kill, crack pincers etc.

lately (last one year) i have cooked lobster (some live) on a number of occasions & learned the “mercy killing” method, basically deep freeze!

i bought the fresh crabs (2 crabs 1.1kg @ S$31/kg) from chinatown market the day before & put in freezer.

on the day i was cooking i washed & cleaned crab thoroughly (easier to clean w/o a hole by chopsticks or knife in the crab), then opened crab & cracked pincers. very meaty, & no less fresh for freezing!

my chilli crab sauce was pretty ok except it was a bit sweet, no reference to calibrate i guess.

reduce the sweetness, it should be a pretty good standard crab. for me i also like it to be a bit spicier.

the recipe & directions (with adjustments) below.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1 crab (800g)

chilli crab sauce:

• 6 chopped shallots
• 3 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 in chopped ginger
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp garlic chilli sauce
• 2 chilli padi
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp flat sugar
• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 2 cup prawn stock
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup fresh coriander
• 3 cups prawn stock

Directions:

1. prepare prawn stock – fry prawn heads & shell in butter (or oil) till fragrant. add salt, a bit of oil, water & boil for 2-3hrs.
2. prepare the chilli crab sauce –
   • mix the ketchup, chilli sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, vinegar. lime juice in a large bowl.
   • finely chopped the shallots, ginger, garlic and chilli padi (or pulse till finely chopped in a food processor).
   • add oil to a large wok over medium heat. and fry the chopped shallots, ginger, garlic & chilli padi for few minutes.
   • stir in the prepared mix from the large bowl, reduce heat and simmer of 3 or 4 minutes.
   • add the prawn stock, bring to boil, turn off the fire and set aside to use when required.
3. prepare crab-
   • put in freezer for at least 1 hr.
   • wash & clean crab thoroughly (easier to clean w/o a hole by chopsticks or knife in the crab), then open crab & crack pincers. set aside.
4. when cooking, heat the sauce to boiling, add the crab, spoon some sauce over the crab, cover & simmer for 5 mins. crack an egg & stir in the sauce. serve & garnish with coriander.

crab beehoon

this my very first crab beehoon on 23.6.2016.

i do a great crab beehoon soup.

crab beehoon soup needs a lot of stock since it is a soup.

crab beehoon

i was doing a 12pax claypot rice + crabby dinner for my OPS primary school classmates on 23.6.2016.

quite difficult to crab beehoon soup to serve 12 la…so i did crab beehoon instead.

i bought 4x500g crabs at chinatown market @ S$30/kg for the 2 crab dishes.

i did not want to get the larger crabs (there was only 1 other option as the only larger crabs the women had were like 600-700g crabs) as it is easier to manage smaller crabs (cracking the pincers etc) & i thought 2x500g crabs were ok for 1 dish.

i precooked the crabs.

then when all guests arrived, just added beehoon into stock & braised (infused) & added the crab last.

crab beehoon

beehoon was super. everyone loved it. & crab was ok.

yi jia seafood’s crab beehoon – S$59

we had a 7pax lunch at yi jia seafood at macpherson recently on 21.6.2016 (above photo).

crab beehoon

i think my beehoon was as tasty & flavourful. my crab though pales in comparison.

my 2 crabs from chinatown (1kg) cost S$30. make me wonder if it is worthwhile to do this dish myself even if it is done well.

see below for the recipe & directions.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 2x500g crab (use 1 x larger crab 800g – 1kg for better results)
• 200g bee hoon
• 200g thinly sliced chinese cabbage
• 2 chopped chilli padi
• 3 cm sliced ginger
• 3 tsp chopped garlic
• 2 cups prawn stock
• 3 cups chicken stock
• coriander (for garnishing)

Directions (for stock):

1. prepare prawn stock – fry prawn heads & shell in butter (or oil) till fragrant. add salt, a bit of oil, water & boil for 2-3hrs.
2. prepare chicken stock – i debone 1 chicken & boil the chicken bones with cut carrots for 6hrs – very intense stock

Directions:

1. add chilli padi, ginger, chopped garlic. fry till fragrant.
2. add chinese cabbage & fry.
3. add prawn stock & chicken stock & boil the cabbage for 1hr. reduce stock to 2 cups.
4. cook crab in stock
5. put beehoon in water to soften. when ready to cook, boil stock. add beehoon, toss, turn fire to lowest & cover for 5 minutes. toss again. add cooked crab, cover briefly. garnish with coriander. voila!

claypot tanhoon prawns – 23.6.2016

i was motivated to make claypot tanhoon after the claypot alaskan crab tanhoon at ah yat seafood @ grandstand recently.

claypot tanhoon prawns – 23.6.2016

i decided on prawns to experiment the new dish.

did not want to waste expensive crabs until i get the dish right!

claypot tanhoon prawns – 17.6.2016

i did the dish twice.

first time was for a family dinner on 17.6.2016.

claypot tanhoon prawns – 17.6.2016

flavour was good. tanhoon was slightly overcooked.

claypot tanhoon prawns

second time was for a 12pax homecooked claypot rice + crabby dinner for my OPS primary school classmates on 23,6.2016.

that was near perfect la!

so flavourful & tasty the tanhoon, prawns good, can be improved though!

actually after i tried again ah yat’s claypot alaskan crab tanhoon again on 2.7.2016, i guess mine was a little less perfect…lol!!! 🙂

see recipe & directions below. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 500g deveined medium prawns with shell
• 100g sliced belly pork (optional)
• 150g tanhoon (3 bundles)
• 4 stalks coriander
• 1 chopped chilli padi
• 2 cm cut ginger pieces
• 1 bulb peeled garlic cloves
• 1.5 – 2tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup prawn stock
• 1 cup chicken stock

Directions (for stock):

1. prepare prawn stock – fry prawn heads & shell in butter (or oil) till fragrant. add salt, a bit of oil, water & boil for 2-3hrs.
2. prepare chicken stock – i debone 1 chicken & boil the chicken bones with cut carrots for 6hrs – very intense stock

Directions:

1. soften & brown garlic cloves in oil. add chilli padi, cut ginger, black pepper. fry till fragrant.
2. add sliced belly pork. add 2 stalks coriander.
3. add prawn stock & chicken stock & reduce by 1/3
4. marinate prawns with 2tsp fish sauce & white pepper. add prawns & cook in stock. remove prawns.
5. put tanhoon in water to soften. when ready to cook, boil stock. add tanhoon, toss, turn fire to lowest & cover the claypot for few minutes. toss again. add cooked prawns, cover briefly. voila!

chap chai (cabbage+long beans+taupok+tanhoon) – 18.6.2016

a simple dish of chap chai can be so good!

i made this 3 times recently-

1. homecooked 12pax dinner for friends on 9.5.2016
2. RI FGS (For Goodness Sake) Charity Dinner on 20.5.2016 &
3. most recently, my 7th community lunch dish for bathesda community’s newgate learning lab (bread of life). ^^

it was really so easy to make & so nice to savour! 🙂

chap chai (cabbage+long beans+taupok+tanhoon) – 18.6.2016

i fried chopped garlic & 1 cut chilli padi in 2tbsp oil then added cut cabbage & long beans.

fried for a while then added fish sauce & oyster sauce, just turning over the pieces at the bottom of the wok. about 5 mins.

then i added 3 cups (720ml) of chicken stock, and added cut taupok slices, brought to boil, turned to medium fire & covered for about 20mins for veg & taupok to soften & to reduce the stock.

then added tan hoon, tossed & off the fire.

it’s that easy!

chap chai – 20.5.2016 

chap chai – 20.5.2016 

i did chap chai for the 1st RI FGS (For Goodness Sake) Charity Dinner on 20.5.2016 as well. a very popular dish. ^^

chap chai was good sweet & tasty – 9.5.2016

likewise  for a recent homecooked 12pax dinner for friends on 9.5.2016.

a very enjoyable lunch. chap chai was very good. cabbage sweetness + taupok yellow bean sweetness + chicken stock sweetness & reduced. & tanhoon gave some additional texture.

So, doesn’t require much to make a wonderful dish la…

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cabbage 500g
• 6 – 8 long beans cut to 2-3cm length
• 5 taupoks cut into 20 strips
• 1 cut chilli padi
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• tanhoon 1 bunch
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• fish sauce (to taste)
• 3 cups chicken stock

Directions:

1. fry chopped garlic & 1 cut chilli padi in 2tbsp oil. add cut cabbage & long beans.
2. fry for a while then add fish sauce & oyster sauce, just turning over the pieces at the bottom of the wok. about 5 mins.
3. add 3 cups (720ml) of chicken stock, add cut taupok slices, bring to boil, turn to medium fire & cover for about 20mins for veg & taupok to soften & to reduce the stock.
4. then add tan hoon, toss & off the fire.

HK steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头

bought a song fish head 松鱼头 from sheng shiong for S$8.90.

song fish head 松鱼头 is a very common dish in zo chars & restaurants.

many styles of preparation, HK steamed 港蒸 & spicy bean sauce (my favourite) are the 2 most common. also there is si chuan 剁椒 etc….

i yet to learn/find out about the spicy sauce but HK steamed 港蒸 is real easy stuff.

in fact, i pickedHK steamed 港蒸 when i was asked to give a cooking demo at teban gardens community centre on 29.4.2016 because it is a very easy practical dish that anyone can do at home, whether on a cheap fish like zutchu fillet or more expensive fish like red garoupa. 

HK steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头

see, meat so tender just nice not overdone.

& the light soy sauce brings out the sweetness of the fish.

HK steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头

not much of a recipe really.

just clean fish head in salt water, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin & 2.5 – 3 tbsp light soy sauce.

add 2 cut chilli padi, 1 – 2 cm thinly sliced ginger, and garnish with spring onions ( i did not have it in the fridge).

HK steamed song fish head 港蒸松鱼头

pating & this song fish head 松鱼头 are among the dishes i like (i kind of like all fish all preparations) but don’t eat often.

they are more fishy, and wife doesn’t really like so i don’t eat often. also not particularly favourites of many friends. so must gather those who really like this fish then enjoy together. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• song fish head 松鱼头 (1/2)
• 2 tbsp olive oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2.5 – 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 cut chilli padi
• 1 – 2 cm thinly sliced ginger
• 2 stalks spring onions (white part chopped, green part cut 3cm length)

Directions:

1. clean fish head in salt water
2. place on steaming tray. add 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin & 2.5 – 3 tbsp light soy sauce.
3. add 2 cut chilli padi, 1 – 2 cm thinly sliced ginger, chopped spring onions. and garnish with spring onions

fine braised pork ribs

experimented on a pork rib dish on 23.5.2016. i created my own recipe. ^^

wanting to reproduce a very good pork ribs i had at OPS potluck malan & chill on 21.5.2016. 🙂

fine braised pork ribs

i can use the oven to produce very tender belly pork & pork collar so it would be much the same for pork ribs.

so just need to experiment on the marinade, which i created a recipe (below) of my own.

i fried 2 star anise & ginger in 1 tbsp oil till fragrant. added pork ribs & browned a bit high fire
then added marinade & coat. placed in 95degC oven for 5hrs

fine braised pork ribs

the result was very good!

pork rib had excellent texture, very fine braise, very tender still retaining bite & not falling apart..& very tasty… 🙂