teochew fried crayfish egg onions

teochew fried crayfish egg onions was one of 5 wonderful dishes i made for 7pax early birthday dinner for a very close RI bro on 14.7.2017. ^^

teochew fried crayfish egg onions

the teochew fried crayfish egg onions was really “pang”, fragrant with good wok hae.

crayfish from chinatown market

wife said some crayfish weren’t the freshest. i got those from chinatown market, no choice from the stall which i thought was not honest, but no choice, only crayfish that day.

still quite ok la…

teochew fried crayfish egg onions

i did the dish beforehand. fried with chili padi & chopped onions, cut spring onions & chopped garlic, softened the onions, then added 2 eggs, added some oyster sauce, fried fragrant & set aside.

then i fried the crayfish with cut chili padi, sliced ginger & chopped garlic, a little fish sauce, and set aside.

when serving, i heat up the egg onions, added the crayfish, stir-fried, the served.

a superb dish for the occasion!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients-

• 8 medium crayfish (16 halves)
• 2 chili padi
• 1 whole large onion (sliced)
• 1 stalk cut spring onions
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

Directions-

1. cut crayfish in halves with kitchen sears  (scissors)
2. fry chili padi & chopped onions, cut spring onions & chopped garlic, softened the onions, add 2 eggs, add some oyster sauce, fry fragrant & set aside.
3. fry the crayfish with cut chili padi, sliced ginger & chopped garlic, a little fish sauce, and set aside
4. when serving, i heat up the egg onions, added the crayfish, stir-fried, the served.

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?

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

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.

chicken biryani 

i did a wonderful butter chicken using dancing chef paste on 24.8.2017. 

continuing with my experimenting of indian dishes. made chicken biryani on 27.8.2017. ^^

chicken biryani cooked in rice cooker 

& the chicken biryani was even better, so super tasty! 🙂

ready gravy chicken biryani masala 

i used a ready gravy chicken biryani masala packet, 300g gravy with all the spices & onions etc.

chicken biryani

chicken biryani 

1. i deboned a chicken thigh quarter.
2. cleaned, drained, and marinated with the ready gravy.
3. then i washed & soaked one cup basmati rcie in 2 cups of chicken stock (or water is fine too. i happened to have stock).
4. after 1/2 hr, i fried 1 chopped red onion in 1 tbsp lard. then i brwoend 2 chopped shallots & removed them for garnishing.
5. i added the marinated chicken & fried for few minutes, then removed the 1/2 cooked chicken & placed it in the rice cooker.
6. i boiled the soaked rice in a pot to 1/2 cook the rice, then drain & added to rice to the rice cooker. no liquid as the gravy already had lots of liquid.
7. stirred & mix, added stalks of coriander & mint. & cooked the rice.
8. garnished with browned shallots

chicken biryani cooked in rice cooker 

the chicken biryani was superb, the best!

very tasty, and the rice were individual grained & nicely done not overcooked, not mushy.

estimation is difficult here. so a lot of agaklogy if i were to cook 1.5cups or 2 cups rice for my friends next.

chicken biryani cooked in rice cooker

chicken biryani cooked in rice cooker

anyhow for this evening, the biryani was just super delicious, better than the butter chicken even. shiok!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• quarter chicken (330g)
• ready gravy chicken biryani masala packet (300g)
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 3 shallots (sliced)
• 1 stalk coriander
• 1 stalk mint
• 1tbsp lard (in place of ghee. can use oil otherwise)
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 cups water

Directions:

1. i deboned a chicken thigh quarter.
2. cleaned, drained, and marinated with the ready gravy.
3. then i washed & soaked one cup basmati rcie in 2 cups of chicken stock (or water is fine too. i happened to have stock).
4. after 1/2 hr, i fried 1 chopped red onion in 1 tbsp lard. then i brwoend 2 chopped shallots & removed them for garnishing.
5. i added the marinated chicken & fried for few minutes, then removed the 1/2 cooked chicken & placed it in the rice cooker.
6. i boiled the soaked rice in a pot to 1/2 cook the rice, then drain & added to rice to the rice cooker. no liquid as the gravy already had lots of liquid.
7. stirred & mix, added stalks of coriander & mint. & cooked the rice.
8. garnished with browned shallots

butter chicken 

had excellent indian food at chat masala recently with some RI friends on 10.7.2017.

thought of making some indian dishes myself for my friends.

a friend mentioned on whatsapp chat that she tried out with dancing chef butter chicken mix. so i decided to get a packet myself & tried out butter chicken this evening on 24.8.2017. ^^

butter chicken 

it was quite an excellent dish.

i don’t know butter chicken & the herbs enough yet to discern if how authentic it was & whether some herbs taste were missing. but as a dish, it was very good tasting. very unhealthy too, lots of ghee (i used lard) & butter.

dancing chef butter chicken mix 

i followed the dancing chef recipe at the back of the packet-

1. clean drain chicken (i used 1./2 deboned chicken so about 500g+)
2. then marinate chicken pieces for 30mins
3. fry 1 whole chopped onion in ghee (i used lard) till soften
4. add chicken & 2 tbsp butter (30g) & stirfry
5. add 1/2cup  water, bring to boil, cover, simmer & reduce for 5mins. take out the other chicken pieces & cook the wings for another 5mins.
6. add  back the chicken pieces & add 3tbsp yogurt, 2tbsp whipped cream & 1 tsp sugar.
7. reduce and taste. add coriander & serve.

butter chicken 

chicken was tender & sweet, curry was tasty & creamy & silky smooth.

butter chicken 

simply heavenly!

butter chicken 

and very sinful i guess….haha!

butter chicken 

using the premix, making this dish was quite a breeze.

while a recipe using the individual herbs & spices was also not difficult, it requires much more effort to get the herbs & spices (some of which i will hardly use) for a dish i seldom cook.

so the premix made a lot of sense when with 10% the effort, the dish nevertheless tasted wonderful.

now i have to find out if i can make chicken biryani, rogan josh & kerala fish curry by using some premix, then i can put together an indian dinner for my friends…

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 chicken (deboned)
• 1 packet dancing chef butter chicken spice premix
• 1 large yellow onions (or 2 red onions)
• 1 tbsp ghee (or I use lard)
• 2tbsp butter
• 3tbsp plain yogurt
• 2tbsp whipping cream
• 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. clean drain chicken (i used 1./2 deboned chicken so about 500g+)
2. then marinate chicken pieces for 30mins
3. fry 1 whole chopped onion in ghee (i used lard) till soften
4. add chicken & 2 tbsp butter (30g) & stirfry
5. add 1/2cup  water, bring to boil, cover, simmer & reduce for 5mins. take out the other chicken pieces & cook the wings for another 5mins.
6. add  back the chicken pieces & add 3tbsp yogurt, 2tbsp whipped cream & 1 tsp sugar.
7. reduce and taste. add coriander & serve.

taujeon lime sauce song fish head 松鱼头

this taujeong lime sauce style of preparation for song fish head 松鱼头 was my own new creation. i tested it on tilapia fish on 21.8.2017. 

the sauce was very good.

basically i was trying to replicate the excellent dish of taujeon sharks cartilage at zai shun where my OPS friend bought 4pax lunch recently on 17.8.2017.

i chose  song fish head 松鱼头 because it has the most gelatinous texture, if it is possible to approximate the texture of gelatinous sharks cartilage. quite different i guess, haha!

larpok crispy lard

larpok crispy lard

i had some leftover pig fat in the freezer so i made some larpok crispy lard as topping for the song fish head 松鱼头. very easy to make & very nice too!

taujeon lime sauce song fish head 松鱼头

fish head was nice, all my OPS friend liked it.

one friend said maybe it was a bit sour. for myself i ok with this level of sourness.

how did it compare with my spicy black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头? one friend thought it was equally good but a different style & so quite a nice variation.

for myself & another friend, we both thought the spicy black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头 still best! 🙂

so black bean sauce song fish head 松鱼头 is what i will do the next time for this group. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 1/2 song fish head 松鱼头
• 5tbsp tau jeon
• 1/2 a large lime juice
• 1 tbsp mirin
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 stalk chopped spring onions
• 1-2 cut chili padi
• 2cm juliened ginger
• 3 tsp chopped garlic

Directions:

1. clean fish head with salt & wash thoroughly, put on colander to dry
2. put 5tbsp tau jeon in large bowl, add 1/2 large lime juic, 1tbsp mirin & pound. add 3tbsp olive oil & mix. spread on fish head.
3. add chili padi, juliened ginger, chopped spring onions & chopped garlic on top of fish head.
4. steam fish head for 13 mins in steamer or steam oven.

dongporou 东坡肉

first time i attempted dongporou 东坡肉 on 23.8.2017. ^^

i did this for 7pax dinner for my OPS buddies. 

dongporou 东坡肉

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

i found & followed one web recipe here.

dongporou 东坡肉

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.

dongporou 东坡肉

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.

dongporou 东坡肉

though my first time, the 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! ^^

all my OPS friends liked the dongporou 东坡肉. one 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?

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 fresh belly pork simmered in boiling water for few minutes (to remove scum & also easier to cut belly pork..i cut 9 pieces for 7pax & didn’t want to eat too much belly pork, but 4 pieces would be better)

to lace the claypot-

• 2-3 large cabbage leaves
• 2 stalks spring onions cut into 3 sections
• 3-4cm sliced ginger
• & i added 6 garlic cloves to flavour the meat

braising sauce-

• 2tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1tbsp brown sugar (or what i did – 2tsp brown sugar & add 1 small piece rock honey sugar)
• 4tbsp shaoxing wine1/2 cup water
• Directions:

1. simme in boiling water for few minutes to remove scum & also easier to cut belly pork.
2. cut pork to 4 pieces.
3. use string to tie the cut belly pork
4. layer claypot with cabbage, spring onions, sliced ginger. add 6 cloves peeled garlic
5. put in a fitting pot (i used leftover pig skin (from char siu 叉烧) to help hold up the pork belly pieces in a small claypot
6. add 2tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1tbsp brown sugar, 4tbsp shaoxing wine, and 1/2 cup water.
7. add belly pork, skin down. cook low fire for 1.5hrs. add water as required, and turn over belly pork at 1hr.
8. take out belly pork & place in a small holder & steam for 1.5hrs, so in total 3hrs.

roast duck

i started cooking & inviting friends for dinners in mar2012. ^^

one year later i started my blog & made my very first post “I am NO Chef!” on 5.3.2013. at first it was on my cooking & dining out. later i added a travelogue for my travels.

i started with western dishes for simple reason. it is so easy to get cheap & very good hawker, zi char & chinese restaurant dishes, so cooking a good steak, lamb, cod, pasta etc western style & later japanese & “fusion” make a lot more sense than making braised duck & chicken rice 白斩鸡.

it was only later that i evolved my own recipes of braised duck, chicken rice 白斩鸡, curry chicken, claypot rice that i find it worthwhile (because they are good & replicable & easy to make) to make these dishes. in fact lately i made mostly these dishes for my dinner invites.

for this reason, there are dishes which i attempted but still don’t cook like sio bak (roast pork), hokkien mee, & hawker stall roast chicken. whereas my steak, lamb, pasta, miso cod etc would better many cafes & maybe equal some restaurants (not the plating & sides & sauces), it is meaningless to do cheap hawker dishes if i cannot do at least as good. of course i am not talking about elaborate fine dining dishes, sauces, foams, sous vide, confit etc. those are outside my league…

today i still think it is much harder to cook good chinese & asian hawker & restaurant dishes than western dishes. these dishes combines many ingredients & so complicated preparation eg a bakchomee vs a pasta, that unless i can make them easily & well, they are not worth doing.

of course views will change when you acquire the technique or method.

AND of course chinese roast duck is one such dishes. i never did a roast duck, so this was my very first attempt.

recently, i had delicious roast duck & best char siew at meng meng roast duck 阿明帝皇鸭 during our 10pax RI bro sutera mall makan, massage & karaoke trip (10 travelogue posts here). 

so that motivated me to try out first my own char siew & now my first time roast duck!^^

roast duck

i debated doing a whole roast 1.8kg duck from giant or 1/2 a 2.2kg duck from sheng shiong to experiment.

decided not to experiment & to roast a full 2.2kg duck from sheng shiong for the  10pax dinner for my RI bros on 15.8.2017. 

roast duck

i picked from 2 youtube recipes – here  and  here!

roast duck

so i cleaned & washed the duck thoroughly with salt (exfoliate), pat dry with kitchen towel, make a marinade & rubbed the marinade on the inside of the cavity & “stitched”. i did not have the longer bamboo skewer so i used what i have (toothpicks & lots of them). and they did a good job holding the marinade inside.

then i made a honey, rock sugar, white vinegar bath & baste the duck (holding vertically by neck) like 20times.

the i placed the duck on a roasting rack & left in the fridge for 2days to dry the skin (one of the youtube recipe suggested 4days! but 2 is fine for me).

on the day of dinner, i let the duck come to room temperature, pat dry further, and placed the rack in a 200degC oven (with circulation mode) for 1hr. did not know what to expect, but managed to turn the duck w/o tearing skin at 35mins.

at 1 hr i wanted the duck a bit more charred so i roasted for another 10mins.

roast duck

the duck turned out to be very good.

all my friends actually preferred the duck to my char siew.  anyhow for char siew, Meng Meng Roast Duck restaurant 阿明帝皇鸭 bar is just too high, and i am never going to meet that, so i am quite happy with the char siew i made. 🙂

my friends (& later my wife & children – i kept a drumstick quarter for them to try) said the duck was very flavourful. when i deboned the duck, i already knew the meat was tender & juicy, especially the parts near the bones, so i knew texture was good. & the taste & flavour was good too! only that i did not have any tong guai or herb flavours or tea smoked flavours. & the skin roasted, tasty, not tough, but also not the crispy skin of hawker stalls & restaurants.

it was not comparable of course with the delicious roast duck & best char siew at meng meng roast duck 阿明帝皇鸭 la!

still a very successful chinese roast duck, first time or not first time, anyhow i not sure second time will be better also la! lol! 🙂

i also made a simple sauce similar to the excellent sauce we had with london’s four seasons roast duck. 

& it’s very easy to make – 3 tbsp top quality dark sauce, 1 tbsp top quality light soy sauce, 1-2tbsp water, 1 tbsp sugar & mixed.

simple yet so very tasty sauce for both chicken & duck! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• one 2.2kg fresh duck

marinade (dry)

• 1/2 onion (sliced)
• 3cm ginger (sliced)
• 4tsp chopped garlic
• white stems of 2 stalks spring onion (small cuts)
• 3 star anise
• 1-2 cinnamon stick
• 3 bay leaves

marinade sauce

• 2 tbsp hoi sin sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp five spice powder
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp honey

bath for basting duck

• 3tbsp white vinegar
• 3tbsp honey
• 1tbsp hoi sin sauce
• 2cups water

Directions:

1. clean duck, exfoliate with salt & wash thoroughly, pat dry
2. fry marinade (dry) to bring out the aroma, then add to marinade (sauce).
3. marinade rub the inside cavity of the duck & stitch
4. boil 2cups water & add white vinegar, honey hoi sin sauce. i use a wide wok pan for easy basting.
5. hold duck by the neck & baste like 20 times, making sure cover every part of the duck including under the wings & drumsticks.
6. place on roasting rack, cool & put in the fridge to dry the skin for 2 days.
7. let duck come to room temperature, further pat dry, cover the wing tips & drumstick tips with aluminium foil, & put in 250degC oven for 1hr. turn duck at 35mins (optional – don’t turn if tearing the skin).
8. let rest for 10mins. debone & serve.

my best char siew 

did my best char siew today on 8aug2017.

i not very motivated on char siew & siew yoke as i tried them before & though they were ok, but not really fantastic & can always get good char siew & siew yoke outside (or get friends to make it haha!)

looking at previous photos, the char siew i did before was pretty ok i guess but just not enough to excite me.  

char siew & siew yoke 

recently 10pax RI bros went for overnight makan, massage & karaoke at sutera mall locality. 

we had the best char siew at meng meng roast duck 阿明帝皇鸭. the char siew was superb & literally glistening with charred fat!! ooooh, my favourite la!

my best char siew 

& next week i am cooking for 12pax friends, modelling some of the dishes in JB and sutera.

so i thought i have another go at char siew.

look at some online recipes, and decided to model after this video though they did not give recipe…a bit random..haha!

my best char siew

anyhow,

1. made my own marinade from what i have-1 tsp each of brown sugar, honey, char siew sauce, hoi sin sauce, oysters sauce, five-spice powder, ginger sauce (i lazy just used chopped ginger), soy sauce, fermented beancurd (fu yu), 1/2 tsp salt.
2. then prepare 250g belly pork, removed skin, washed with salt & scalded to remove scum; and marinate for 6hrs in fridge (overnight should be ok too)
3. then placed on rack, 25mins in 250degC oven…did a bit of basting..

my best char siew 

result was quite wonderful – texture, taste (marinade & well infused) & fat charring all excellent…glistening…

my best char siew

not sure if i can reproduce this for larger pieces…will try it on 600g piece for 12pax dinner next week la, and see how. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

• 250g belly pork, removed skin, washed with salt & scalded to remove scum

marinade (1 tsp each except salt)

• brown sugar
• honey
• light soy sauce
• char siew sauce
• hoi sin sauce
• oysters sauce
• five-spice powder
• ginger sauce (i lazy just used chopped ginger)
• fermented beancurd (fu yu)
• AND 1/2 tsp salt.

Directions:

1. combine to make marinade
2. marinade belly pork for 6hrs in fridge (or overnight)
3. then placed on rack, 25mins in 250degC oven…baste it a bit…

prawn capellini aglio olio

one RI bro said he would come by to get together before my UK trip tomorrow.. wanted to drive me out for lunch on 6.6.2017.

i find it takes more time & hassle to go out for lunch. so i did a quick capellini pasta with what i have…faster than eating out..more time to chit chat…

prawn capellini aglio olio

we had coffee after pasta & 功夫茶after coffee…chatted for a while till 2.30pm…as i have lots of personal admin to attend to before trip..

i had wanted to so a johnsonville beddar with cheddar cheese sausage spaghetti but there was no spaghetti, no chilli padi, no stock…

and no johnsonville..few packets my helpermust have cooked for my son this period 😀 so what’s left just garlic, olive oil, frozen small prawns, regular chilli, a bit of thai basil….

still a very tasty pasta in 10mins la…