Teochew Chilled Mullet on 16.3.2016

Posted on March 16, 2016 by chefquak

teochew chilled mullet 16.3.2016

bought some mullet when my china relatives were in singapore, and had leftovers in the freezer.

took one out today & made a chilled mullet for dinner on 16.3.2016. ^^

it was in the freezer for >1month but the gills were still red when i cleaned the fish today.

mullet is one of the fishes you do not ask the fish monger to prepare the fish. he would remove the scale & also the precious things in the belly.

teochew chilled mullet 16.3.2016

chilled mullet is too fishy for many…though teochews like myself swear by it…

teochew chilled mullet 16.3.2016

steamed 11mins in the steam oven (any steamer will do the same) with scale on, when cool put in the fridge for 1 hr..

the scales came out easily with the skin…if you remove the scales before steaming, you have hard time removing the skin when eating. it’s very difficult to tear with a pair of chopsticks.

the meat is indeed fishy but very sweet with the tau jeon 豆酱.

teochew chilled mullet 16.3.2016

the precious fish lungs, liver, fat etc, tasty, omega 3 ya??

teochew chilled mullet 16.3.2016

i removed the skin on the other side & turn over for the photo. 🙂

simple, easy to make, effortless really. & really enjoy leh!

c.h.e.f andy

Pork Collar with Cabbage – 2nd Community Lunch for Newgate Learning Hub on 12Mar2016

Posted on March 12, 2016 by chefquak

community lunch @ newgate learning hub of bathesda community church

this my 2nd community lunch dish for newgate learning hub on 12.3.2016. ^^

my 1st for newgate community lunch was on 27.2.2016. 🙂

pork collar with cabbage

as the dish is apportioned on each plate then serve to the residents, the main consideration was to have enough pieces to feed 80pax.

pork collar with cabbage

for this preparation, i used 1.4kg pork collar-

i had the pork collar in a 90degC oven for 2hrs
the slow braise made it more tender & flavourful & also easier to slice (i counted about 90+ slices)
i browned a bulb of peeled garlic cloves, added 1 cut chilli padi & about 2cm sliced ginger, then added 1.4kg cut cabbage, added chicken stock, cornflour, oyster sauce & reduced. added salt to taste. the cabbage was done just right, soft still crunchy & very tasty with the reduced stock.
fried the pork collar separately. this was a bit similar to 回锅肉, which means to cook the pork a second time by wok fry.
then i mixed the pork with the cabbage.

pork collar with cabbage

it was a good dish to add to the beehoon & kuay teow.

pork collar with cabbage

pork was tender & tasty from the 90degC slow braise.

pork collar with cabbage

& cabbage complemented well the meat dish. 🙂

pork collar with cabbage

tasting the dish is an important step in cooking. make sure that salt was to taste to bring out the flavours, pork & vegetables had the right texture etc.

pulut hitam

the octogenarian father of our friend who started this meaningful & beneficial community activity 4 yrs back contributed a pulut hitam dish every week. i tried the dish. it was very good, not too sweet. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Homemade Chirashi Don & Beef Don on 6Mar2016

Posted on March 10, 2016 by chefquak

homemade chirashi don

wife went on skiing trip with a friend at rusutsu hokkaido, and brought back some fresh sashimi.

we made a japanese don dinner this evening on 6.3.2016. ^^

chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

i used my usual chawanmushi 茶碗蒸 recipe. 🙂

2cups water. add 2tsp mirin, 2tsp light soy sauce, 1tsp sugar (basically to taste) & whisked with 3 eggs. steam for 15mins. & that’s it!

chawanmushi 茶碗蒸

i did not have prawns & decided not to use chicken breast. instead i marinated with fish sauce & white pepper some frozen hokkaido scallops (not sashimi grade) & also some cheap sutchi white fish fillet.

uni – sea urchin

the uni was super sweet, melt in the mouth, lingering..

hotate – scallops

hotate also very sweet & with the wonderful slight gummy texture, the best!

ikura – salmon roe

ikura slight salty…bursting with flavours…

atlantic surf clams

was surprised by the atlantic surf clams…the ones i remembered taking in singapore were the frozen kind, dry with little taste. these ones were tender & sweet. not in the league of uni & hotate though, for me.

angus beef ribeye medium rare

i did an angus ribeye using my recent oven method – this one 2 hrs at 60degC then chargrilled 1 minute on each side.

homemade chirashi don

the chirashi don was just wonderful & the beef too.

c.h.e.f andy

Klang Herbal Bakuteh 巴生肉骨茶 on 8Mar2016

Posted on March 9, 2016 by chefquak

herbal bakuteh

had a really wonderful JB trip with my RI friends yesterday, and especially enjoyed the bakuteh at shoon huat bakuteh 顺发肉骨茶 in Sentosa JB & roast duck from ya wang 鸭皇 opposite.

it was different from our singapore version peppery bakuteh, and just very mildly herbal & very tasty.

kee hiang klang 奇香巴生 bakuteh soup packet

i was looking for something simple to cook today on 8.3.2016.

found this kee hiang klang 奇香巴生 bakuteh soup base packet. i think my sis bought for me the last time.

it’s different from the usual cheap & good ILC packet i use.

kee hiang klang 奇香巴生 bakuteh soup packet

巴生肉骨茶, the klang herbal bakuteh is a different style, but i remembered previously, long time ago, i tried at race course road it was quite herbal which i didn’t really like.

herbal bakuteh

for this kee hiang klang packet, it was very mild in herbal taste, with avery mild sweetness on top of the meat sweetness. it was close to the shoon huat bakuteh 顺发肉骨茶, which i guess was a lot better so not making a comparison here.

herbal bakuteh

making it was easy-

just cut the ribs (for this time i used 500g frozen ribs from sheng shiong)
scald with boiling water to remove scum.
add packet with 1 bulb of peeled garlic cloves to 1litre+water & boil
add cleaned pork ribs & boil for 45mins (i like it with bite, if you like it really soft & falling off the bones, boil for 1 hr)
i remove the ribs & boiled 4 pieces of taupok (cut to 16strips) for 10-15mins so thye are soft enough to soak in the soup.

unlike ILC which is salty enough without adding salt, this one needs salt to bring out the flavour. just add to taste.

you can garnish with coriander or tang orh & add any toppings like liver, kidney, tau kee, small intestines, fish maw etc like in JB. for me i just added taupok.

very tasty soup & nice ribs. for me i still prefer ILC to this kee hiang klang 奇香巴生 bakuteh soup base, but if c/w the real thing at shoon huat bakuteh 顺发肉骨茶, then shoon huat is clearly better la.

c.h.e.f andy

Nonya Curry Chicken – 7th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 4Mar2016

Posted on March 4, 2016 by chefquak

nonya curry chicken

this morning i made nonya curry chicken. ^^

this my 7th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre (CSC).

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

nonya curry chicken

i used my usual nonya curry chicken recipe here.

for this recipe, i don’t use curry powder but make the curry paste from scratch.

so last evening, i made the paste, deboned 2×1.5kg chicken, & boiled the bones of 1 chicken with 1 cut carrot, 1/2 cut radish in crockpot to make stock for this morning.

this morning i fried the cinnamon bark, star anise, clove & curry leaves in 2 tbsp oil, added the curry paste & fried till fragrant, then added the deboned chicken & coated them. then added 2 cups of chicken stock & covered, lowered fire & boiled for 10mins (20mins if not deboned). then i removed the chicken & boiled the cut taupok & potatoes for 15mins, till taupok was soft & soaked with curry but not falling apart, & potatoes broke in 2 when pressed with a fork – just right & not overcooked.

nonya curry chicken

it was a wonderful tasting dish, incredible aroma & taste.

yum yum!

taupok

love the taupok too, and the potatoes also very tasty, just don’t take much for the carbs la…

nonya curry chicken

of course the potatoes & taupok need not be cooked separately, but 2 chicken in a pot was quite a lot to manage & i wanted to make sure the chicken were tender & not overcooked, and likewise the taupok & potatoes, so easier to manage them separately la…

c.h.e.f andy

Valentine’s Dinner at Home on 14Feb2016

Posted on February 29, 2016 by chefquak

valentine’s day dinner at home

for this year’s valentine’s dinner, i had planned to do a small 2pax dinner for my wife on 14.2.2016. ^^

we usually do not go out on the actual day as most places ridiculously ex & quality of food & service not great vis a vis price.

this time, i got some IQF (individual quick freeze) frozen cooked lobsters from giant couple weeks before, so i would do a gordon ramsay grilled lobster. ^^

white cucumber gazpacho

we started with a white cucumber gazpacho with croutons.

it was very good, wonderful refreshing flavour of cucumber tempered with yogurt, red wine vinegar & olive oil. croutons were ok very crispy & moderate cheesy.

prawn pasta in spicy tomato sauce

prawn pasta in spicy tomato sauce was very good. very tasty & wonderful tomato taste.

pasta spicy tomato sauce

i used prawn stock, papa alfredo traditional italian pasta sauce & canned tomatoes, and reduced before tossing.

gordon ramsay grilled lobster

my gordon ramsay grilled lobster was the best.

gordon ramsay grilled lobster with chilli garlic butter

i spooned the chilli garlic butter marinade over the lobster & left it in the fridge for 3hrs.

gordon ramsay grilled lobster

lobster was very flavourful with the chilli garlic butter, brandy flaming & hot grill.

gordon ramsay grilled lobster

lobster was very good really, meat was bouncy & very tasty, even though it could not compare with live lobsters.

gordon ramsay grilled lobster＋prawn pasta in pink sauce

the tangy tomato pasta complemented the lobster perfectly. ^^

australian wagyu ribeye

my last course was the wagyu ribeye.

now i use the new method, rubbing the steak liberally with sea salt & pepper & placing in a 60degC oven for 2 hrs. that provided consistent medium rare interior & also did a bit of dry edging.

australian wagyu ribeye

after that just 1 min each side on a very hot pan. it was such a flavourful steak.

the evening was one to savour, excellent food & wine & music, spending time together.

c.h.e.f andy

Special Italian Dinner for My RI Buddies on 18Feb2016

Posted on February 19, 2016 by chefquak

#1 spanish omelette

made one of my best dinners for my RI buddies on 18.2.2016. ^^

i had wanted to do the dinner the following week as this week a close friend is traveling in wakayama, but wife is busy. she will be traveling the following weekend so we made it last evening.

it was a small group, just 3 friends. my jogging buddy came with his wife & son. they recommended a carpenter which did some really nice furniture for us. awesome! 🙂

tittot 疏园

they also brought a wine & beautiful gift. ^^

#1 spanish omelette

i did the spanish omelette very well this time, very tasty & nicely layered inside with potatoes & onions. a simple to do & great appetizer.

#2 cream of carrot soup on dinner table

the cream of carrots soup was wonderful this evening. i had lots f vegetables (red capsicum, celery, yellow onions, tomatoes) in addition to carrots & also added prawn head/shell stock. there was also brandy & thickened cream.

an excellent, very smooth & tasty soup. several friends had a second helping.

#3 squid ink spaghetti with squid

the squid-ink spaghetti was again par excellence!

#3 squid ink spaghetti with squid

distinct squid ink flavor, qq al dente pasta, succulent not chewy squid done just right, and nicely creamy with butter added when tossing. one of my best for this evening.

#4 prawn spaghetti in pink sauce

the prawn spaghetti too. i am doing it better these days.

recently i did a great pasta & steak lunch for my friends on 15.12.2015. ^^

#4 prawn spaghetti in pink sauce

a key to make tasty pasta is to ad good stock (chicken or vegetable) & reduced so its more tasty & intense, and of course al dente pasta

#5 roasted vegetables ratatouille

the roasted vegetables was my first. i had yellow onions, celery, red capsicum, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini, japanese cucumber, eggplants, sprinkled liberally with sea salt & coarse black pepper & 2 tbsp olive oil, then 250degC oven for 30mins.

#5 roasted vegetables ratatouille

it was very good. my friend’s wife commented “very sweet”.

#6 grilled chicken with thai yellow curry

my friend’s wife & son don’t take beef, so i had a last minute addition, grilled chicken thighs with thai yellow curry sauce.

#6 grilled chicken with thai yellow curry

this was something i recreated after busaba’s excellent grilled chicken green curry fried rice.

i served this numerous times including for 30+pax lunch for my duaghter’s party last year.

#7 grain-fed wagyu MBS4/5

recently i adapted a new steak preparation after a friend sent me a video.

this preparation involved put the steak ( iused a wagyu ribeye) in a 55/60degC oven for 2 to 3 hrs, then searing in high heat to produce the maillard reaction.

#7 grain-fed wagyu MBS4/5

i must say it consistently produced a very intense flavoured (“pang”) steak. it actually works better with a more marbled steak as the low temperature cooking helped to reduce some fat which flavours the meat & also has the effect of accelerated aging to produce more intense flavours.

#8 cut peaches

the peaches this evening were soft & sweet, very good!

#9 banoffee (banana toffee) pie

i made a banoffee pie. it was quite good, great combination of bananas with a very thin caramel layer over the biscuit base & freshly whipped cream on top.

this cake though is not my wife’s favourite nor mine either, but we had tiramisu too many times lately so i did this for a change.

eleven madison park – the cook book

a friend, owner of a top architect firm, dropped by for coffee & cake. he brought us a book – “eleven madison park – the cookbook”!

we all had a wonderful evening, nice chit chat & watching oldies on yotube – stylistics, bee gees, 3 degrees & also the recent ones – john legend, ed sheeran, sam smith..

c.h.e.f andy

Stir-fry Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onions – 6th Teban Gardens Community Meal on 19Feb2016

Posted on February 19, 2016 by chefquak

stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions

guess i can say this my first stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions also. but it’s just a common dish. i just have not cooked it this way before.

anyway cooking is just about making the food taste good (& looks good – generally not always if it looks good, more likely it will taste good).

this my 6th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre (CSC).

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions

i cut up 2 chicken. & marinated in 2 tbsp fish sauce & 2 tbsp light soy sauce in the fridge for 1 hr.

i also julienned 2-3cm of ginger, cut 1/2 large yellow onions, 1 cut chilli padi, and threw in some basil & fried in a tbsp butter + some oil.

stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions

when fragrant after few minutes, i added the cut chicken & fried.

stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions

the i added 1 cup of stock (chicken or vegetable stock), covered & boiled over medium/low fire for 10minutes.

i removed the breast meat & meat pieces w/o bones so they wouldn’t be overcooked, covered & cooked another 10mins.

stir-fry chicken with ginger & spring onions

then i added back the meats & the cut spring onions, and added 1 heap tbsp oyster sauce & 1 heap tbsp corn flour.

& reduced. the sauce should be just enough to coat the chicken pieces & not much more.

c.h.e.f andy

(My First) Ayam Pongteh – 5th Teban Gardens Community Meal on 12Feb2016

Posted on February 12, 2016 by chefquak

ayam pongteh

wasn’t sure what to cook for teban gardens community meal today.

this my 5th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre (CSC).

i first started doing a community meal dish for teban gardens CSC on 8.1.2016.

the centre was started in 2002 after much effort & challenge by our RI friend who is a pastor of pasir panjang hill brethren church (pphbc) which owns & runs the CSC.

ayam pongteh

my first 3 were pork dishes.

the last was the very popular red fermented bean curd cloud fungus mushroom chicken prepared by my helper.

so i thought maybe continue some chicken dishes.

also i wasn’t sure if there would be a breakfast today because of the chinese new year period. last evening i whatsapp R the centre executive director & she said they were having lo hei this morning to celebrate CNY.

they would still have bee hoon & porridge so if i do a chicken dish it would be fine.

ayam pongteh

i have never done an ayam (chicken) pongteh.

but i did my very first babi pongteh on 21nov2015.

so recipe would be just the same except that i substituted belly pork with cut chicken & also increased the quantity (this serving to 80-100pax).

ayam pongteh

so this time i used –

one-and-a-half 1.5kg chicken from sheng shiong
10 chopped shallots
4 cloves chopped garlic
3 flat tbsp tau jeon (to taste)
2 tbsp gula malaka (palm sugar)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce (to taste)
1 packet (10 pieces) taupok each cut to 4 strips
2 x 4″ russet potatoes cut to 12 – 14 pieces

i fried the chopped garlic & shallots in 2 tbsp oil to soften & bring out flavour. then added tau jeon, fried for a while & added palm sugar.

i marinated the cut chicken in 1 tbsp dark soy sauce. then added to pan, fried & coated chicken with the paste. then added 3 cups water, 1tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, the added 2 cut potatoes (about 12 pieces), boiled & covered.

i took out the chicken breast after 10mins & off the fire after 20mins.

i took out the sauce & added tau pok (i cut each square tau pok to 4 strips) to the sauce, let it soaked in the sauce & reduced. after tau pok achieved the right texture – soft & tasty but not falling apart, i added all back to the chicken.

ayam pongteh

i did this the night before, kept in covered pan in the fridge, & reheat over low fire the next morning.

ayam pongteh

obviously it would be better done on the same day.

anyway, the chicken was just excellent! so tasty & tender.

c.h.e.f andy

14pax Homecooked Dinner for my Primary School Classmates on 22Jan2016

Posted on February 4, 2016 by chefquak

the dishes

had a 14pax homecooked dinner for my primary school classmates on 22.1.2016. ^^

as i was saying in another post –

we were not in contact for a long time.

recently another classmate came visiting from the states, so i joined a few of them at din tai fung @ gem after lunch on a saturday as i already had a lunch appointment that day.

one thing led to another & a group came to my place today for a 14pax homecooked dinner. ^^

the dishes

weather was not so co-operative.

it was almost like thunderstorm at the time my guests were arriving.

this was the first time these friends came to my place.

a friend brought excellent cookies & pineapple tarts, so we had a good chat & munch on the cookies & spanish omelette before all arrived. 🙂

#1 pumpkin tofu salad

i had a pumpkin tofu salad. taste was quite ok but presentation this evening was not so good.

#2 spanish omelette

spanish omelette were also tasty. texture for 1 was slightly out & not firmed up enough.

teriyaki cod, char siew, miso belly pork

the char siew was a taste i liked.

#3 char siew

colour & burnt part looked good too.

#3 char siew

but perhaps it was not the sweeter honeyed taste that some preferred. anyway it was mostly finished.

#4 miso belly pork

many in the group didn’t take much belly pork so there was a bit more left.

overall i think i made a bit too much food, especially the pasta & risotto.

#5 teriyaki cod

most friends liked the teriyaki cod.

#5 teriyaki cod

the taste was good but i felt the cod was NOT the best. it was hard to tell as i bought from the same source, usually giant, sheng shiong or ntuc.

i felt that the cod itself was not so great this evening.

#6 lemon chicken (son’s recipe)

son made an excellent lemon chicken on christmas eve home dinner 2014 when he came back for christmas holidays.

so i whatsapped him for the recipe. 🙂

#6 beer can lemon chicken (son’s recipe)

& i used the beer can method to give a more rounded roasting w/o using the rotisserie.

#6 lemon chicken (son’s recipe)

& it came out beautifully. a friend who used to sell chicken rice, commented she liked the chicken most. ^^

#7 prawn linguine in pink sauce

the 2 pastas were very good at the time of cooking. very tasty, as good as it looked.

i did them well in advance, thinking of putting them in the oven at 40degC to keep warm.

#7 prawn linguine in pink sauce

it was a few hours ahead of dinner. i decided to heat them up again.

i felt that the end result was not so good, not the very al dente pasta i liked.

#8 cheese sausage pasta

same thing with the cheese sausage pasta.

#8 cheese sausage pasta

another thing was that i cooked just too much pasta.

#8 & #9 cheese sausage pasta & prawn linguine in pink sauce

should have trusted my first instinct & not added more pasta.

#10 seafood risotto

the seafood risotto was also far from my best.

a friend said she liked the risotto most because it had very intense flavours (i used a prawn heads/shell stock moderated with lots of vegetables).

seafood risotto modelled after monterosso miky

my seafood risotto modeled after monterosso miky – this how it should look like la..

still it was really a very far cry from my best seafood risotto, which should look & taste like this one above!

cut fruits

a friend pre-arranged to bring cut fruits.

excellent almond cookies, peanut cookies & pineapple tarts

another friend really bakes very well (& i suspect cooks very well too).

i really enjoyed his almond & peanut cookies & pineapple tarts.

pineapple tarts

the friend who brought the cut fruits also brought pineapple tarts. both were very good but i liked the first version.

the pineapple fillings were less “in the face” (some commented drier) but excellent pastry. i reasoned that i liked that better as it was more differentiated from commercial pineapple tarts & i liked the pastry bits more than the pineapple fillings.

it was a fun evening. think of it we knew each other for 50yrs+ since 1965 (from primary one)…for me it was from primary 2.

for the food, i was actually not so satisfied.

it was quite below my usual standard, and some dishes might not suit some friends. for my cooking philosophy, it is not important what dishes i cook, but it should be dishes that everybody enjoyed.

so in all my dinners, there were hardly leftover food. this evening some of my planning & food amounts were a bit out, but i will adjust in future dinners.

c.h.e.f andy

Relish Hong Kong Food Fun Moments on 20Jan2016

Posted on January 21, 2016 by chefquak

#1 samgyaetang 参鸡汤

6 of us had a lot of fun in hong kong 10-14.1.2016. ^^

weather was good to us except for rain on the first evening & second morning (so we had a leisurely dimsum breakfast at tao heung mongkok 稻香旺角).

great hikes & walks at cheung chau, dragon’s back, peak circle walk & lamma island, and we had excellent food at daipaidongs and the tao heung group restaurants, a fairer price restaurant chain.

our only bad & forgettable meal was when we kena waylaid into the wrong tai yun 泰源??(we think).

6 homecooked dishes + 1 dessert

so, coming back, naturally i went about recreating several great dishes we had in hong kong (see above menu).

6 homecooked dishes + 1 dessert

& here they are (above photo..the rice came later, not in photo).

#1 samgyaetang 参鸡汤

my chicken soup was very tasty (though maybe still not as intense as the wonderful glutinous stuffed chicken soup we had at tao hueng tsimshatsui) & chicken very tender as my friends noted.

i stuffed the chicken with 3 tbsp glutinous rice (soaked in water for 1 hr according to one internet samgyaetang recipe), 3 cloves garlic & 3 dried red dates, sliced ginger, 2 spring onions.

i boiled the small 1kg chicken with chicken stock i made the day before, added 3 more red dates & sliced ginger & spring onions, salt (to taste) & boiled medium for 45mins, then turned over medium low for 30mins.

seems that the glutinous rice in the recipe was too little, would have been better with more so texture of soup will be better. will try 1/2 cup next time.

#2 black bean sauce bittergourd with fake kurobuta回锅猪项肉豆屎苦瓜

we had black bean sauce bittergourd with kurobuta at the accidental find yue bo 鱼宝食馆.

it was very good. 🙂

i used a cheap marbled pork collar to fake the kurobuta. i put it in 90degC oven for 2 hrs to convert the tough connective tissues to flavourful gelatine, then added it to the black beans bittergourd dish like a double-cooked pork 回锅肉.

my friends liked this dish very much. firstly the bittergourd had the special flavour but not bitter as i brined it with sugar the day before & the black beans & slow braise made it very tender & tasty, and the pork collar was excellent, flavourful & tender.

#3 pork + liver sausage fried kailan 腊味芥兰

i had the pork + liver sausage fried kailan 腊味芥兰 for the first time at fu kee 富记粥品.

so i decided to buy some fairly good pork & liver sausage, steamed them & then fried & added chicken stock to bring out the 腊味 flavours then added the kailand stems & leaves & later oyster sauce & corflour the usual way.

i think my version was as good today maybe better than fu kee 富记粥品’s 腊味芥兰, very flavourful indeed.

#4 dried mustard leaves belly pork 梅菜扣肉

we did not have 梅菜扣肉 in hong kong. this my first try & in any case a good opportunity to get friends to try..it was very well done. ^^

i varied a 梅菜扣肉 recipe i read on internet.

i placed the belly pork in a 90degC oven for 2 hrs (together with my pork collar to save electricity), instead of boiling it in water for 35mins according to the recipe.

i then seared the skin & sides & added 1/2tbsp dark sauce to coat the belly pork. & sliced the belly pork when cool.

then i melted 1 tbsp sugar, added 1 tbsp oil & fried the 梅菜 & added 1/2cup chicken stock.

then i placed the 梅菜 on the sliced belly pork & placed in the steam oven for 75mins.

the 梅菜 was just perfect, texture, colour, taste, everything & the belly pork 扣肉excellent, so tender & tasty! ^^

#5 salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼

salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼 was another great dish we had at yue bo 鱼宝食馆.

the salted fish minced pork 咸鱼饼 was good, as usual.

today i experimented 1/2 on belly pork (which was sous vide at 90degC for 2hrs) & lean pork..turned out they tasted quite the same. my friends couldn’t really tell. me too. 🙂

#6 steamed minced garlic prawn rice 蒜蓉鲜虾蒸饭

the lotus leaf steamed minced garlic prawn rice 蒜蓉鲜虾蒸荷叶饭 was another great dish at yue bo 鱼宝食馆

#6 steamed minced garlic prawn rice 蒜蓉鲜虾蒸饭

this one though i had some difficulty getting it right!

i used chicken stock to cook the rice in the rice cooker.

then i added some soy sauce mix (similar to those used for fun cheong & also for adding to rice) & added to the cooked rice.

& i had lots of minced garlic.

still the taste was not comparable to the one prepared by yue bo 鱼宝食馆

#7 lotus seeds ginkyo nuts mango cheng chow 白果莲子芒果凉粉

& we also had wonderful dessert at Hoe Kee dessert 浩记甜品馆.

#7 lotus seeds ginkyo nuts mango cheng chow 白果莲子芒果凉粉

of course i won’t try to make the almond paste 杏仁糊，walnut paste 核桃糊, black sesame paste 芝麻糊 etc。

but lotus seeds mango cheng chow 莲子芒果凉粉is something i can do.

i cooked 1 packet of lotus seeds 莲子 & 1 packet of ginkyo nuts白果 with 4 tbsp brown sugar & reduced.

i let it lightly boiled for 1.5hrs to 2hrs, a friend brought the mangoes, so it was just an assembly of the 莲子白果 on the mangoes & cheng chow 凉粉.

lunch was a display of all the food we liked & enjoyed while in hong kong (except the 梅菜扣肉 dish). it was wonderful to be able to relish the fun food moments in hong kong.

c.h.e.f andy

A 9-course All-Vietnamese New Year Eve Dinner on 31Dec2015

Posted on January 4, 2016 by chefquak

all vietnamese dinner spread-serving table

had a wonderful family homecooked Vietnamese dinner on 31.12.2015 to round out 2015 & welcome the new year 2016! ^^

getting ready for dinner

we were in hoi an, hanoi & halong bay last week 21-27dec2015, having lots of tasty Vietnamese bites in local restaurants, in the streets & also jolly good fare on board indochina junk luxury cruise dragon legends 1.

all vietnamese dinner spread

so i did a 10-course dinner with 9 vietnamese dishes + tiramisu to relish the vietnamese fare & family moments we enjoyed together. we had 9pax including our helper, 3 children & their friends. 🙂

everyone enjoyed the food very much….we had a great evening…after dinner we watched star wars episodes 1 & 3, in my view both episodes were much better than episode 7 – the force awakens. 🙂

#1 bun cha – vietnamese chargrilled pork on beehoon

one defining vietnamese cuisine to be found anywhere is the streets, local eats & restaurants is bun cha, or vietnamese chargrilled pork (or meatballs) served with beehoon.

#1 bun cha – vietnamese chargrilled pork on beehoon

i did this very well this evening.

#1 vietnamese chargrilled pork for bun cha

my vietnamese chargrilled pork was exquisite this evening! ^^

#1 grilled prawns for bun cha

my daughter don’t like porky taste, so i did a grilled prawns for her. 🙂

aromatics – basil, mint, coriander & lime leaves

a very important ingredient for bun cha & many vietnamese dishes (like pho) is aromatics. for this evening i had basil, mint, coriander & lime leaves. 🙂

#1 bun cha – vietnamese chargrilled pork on beehoon

everyone loved the bun cha! 🙂

it’s as good as the bun cha we had at morning glory hoi an & at siagon baguette central mall singapore but we prefer grilled pork collar to meat balls.

about same as the bun cha at mrs pho.

#2 sotong salad

& i made a nice salad, using julienned carrots, daikon (radish), japanese cucumber.

for both bun cha & the sotong salad, a key ingredient is the mixing sauce, which i made with chicken stock, fish sauce, vinegar, a little sugar.

other than commonplace bun cha which is outright vietnamese, many of the “vietnamese” dishes we had were on the luxury cruise.

quite a few were actually chinese dishes & not particularly impressive.

several though had nice lemongrass & herb seasoning & aroma, plus the refreshing salads & very good egg spinach soup. don’t know how vietnamese they were, but i was aiming to reproduce these to relish our vietnam moments. ^^

#3 lemongrass BBQ snapper

my lemongrass BBQ snapper turned out beautifully, lightly yet distinctly lemongrass scented. quite exquisite. 🙂

#4 lemongrass BBQ chicken wings

the lemongrass BBQ chicken wing likewise was very tasty & different because of the lemongrass. & very tender inside the charred skin. 🙂

#5 flamed 1 hr 70degC sous vide flat squid

same with the squid. i only do slow braising for 1 hr in a 70degC oven & flamed it afterwards, and the taste & texture were both perfect. my children love this dish. 🙂

#5 thai yellow curry for flat squid

especially when served with the thai yellow curry, a variation of my grilled chicken thighs with thai yellow curry dip.

i created that after having a very nice grilled chicken green curry fried rice at busaba shoreditch london.

#6 dry wok prawns

my dry wok prawns has been consistently excellent. this time though it was not so successful.

reason is that lemongrass marinate in the chiller does not work. prawns needed to be ultra fresh so i should have just fried in lemongrass & ginger instead of marinating in the chiller.

#7 grilled pork ribs

grilled pork ribs was perfect in texture but seasoning a bit off today.

#8 the best egg spinach soup

my egg spinach soup was pure perfection. i used mixed chicken stock & fish stock becos they were there & need to be used. it was better than the very good soup we had on the dragon legend cruise.

#9 com chien – vietnamese fried rice

my com chien – vietnamese fried rice was passable. still tasty & rice not mushy & separate grains but somehow it was quite different from the excellent com chien we had on dragon legend cruise.

not sure why? their rice felt like baked rice & very tasty.

#10 tiramisu

tiramisu was good but the usual.

all vietnamese dinner spread

we had a marvellous dinner. great family time.

#1 beehoon, chragrilled pork & grilled prawns

for bun cha, i cooked beehoon al dente.

chargrilled pork collar was marinated in chiller for 2 days, then fried in butter on high heat.

#1 grilled prawns for bun cha

i had grilled prawns in place of pork for eldest daughter. 🙂

#1 aromatics – basil, mint, coriander & lime leaves

& lots of aromatics – basil, mint, coriander & lime leaves. 🙂

#1 aromatics – basil, mint, coriander & lime leaves

lots!

#1 & #8 browned shallots

& browned shallots which was also good for the soup. 🙂

#2 steamed squid for salad

#2 sotong salad

sotong was steamed & cut in rings & carrots, daikon (radish) & japanese cucumbers were julienned. plus sliced yellow onions.

#4 lemongrass BBQ snapper

i tried the lemongrass dry marinade on snapper as i wanted a fish with firmer meat. came out beautifully! 🙂

#5 & #6 lemongrass BBQ snapper+flamed sous vide squid

i used a flat squid which is thicker as i wanted that feel.

#5 flamed 1 hr 70degC sous vide flat squid

i “sous vide” it at 70degC for 1 hr in oven in lemongrass marinade in a sealed oven dish so it won’t dry out.

then i flamed with a kitchen torche & the result was simply perfect! excellent taste & texture! 🙂

#6 grilled pork ribs

i did my slow oven braising 90degC for 6hrs. texture was perfect but today the marinade was not that great!

#3 lemongrass BBQ chicken wings

chicken wings were great!

#9 com chien – vietnamese fried rice

com chien much to be improved la. 🙂

the simplest dish is the hardest to make, as always an universal truth! 🙂

it’s a memorable evening with family, with the excitement of replicating some dishes we enjoyed in vietnam.

c.h.e.f andy

Beautiful Japanese Chashu (using the Miso Belly Pork Preparation)

Posted on December 20, 2015 by chefquak

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

did a very good chashu yesterday on 19.12.2015. ^^

used my new miso belly pork method, reduced 1 hr to 6hr at 90degC.

for the marinade, i used 1 tsp flat sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sake, 1 chilli padi, 1/2 red onions cut into 4, 2 tsp chopped garlic.

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

texture was perfect! very tender & retaining some bite. 🙂

the tender braising at lower temperature did the trick, & the gelatine released made the pork very flavourful.

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

to make it easier to cut, i still left it in the fridge overnight.

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

the belly pork cut quite prefectly. i put it back to the oven at 40degC to warm up for 1/2hr & longer..

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

looked good & tasted great.

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

quite ideal for japanese ramen, or a chashu don (on sushi rice).

chashu 6hrs in 90degC oven

it’s an easy dish to prepare. i am planning to do this together with miso belly pork for a larger group later, maybe start of 2016. shall see. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

ingredients :-

300g belly pork (this a small serving, my small oven dish can easily take 600g)
1 tsp flat sugar
2 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 chilli padi
1/2 red onions (or 2-3 shallots)
2 tbsp chopped garlic

Directions :-

scald belly pork with boiling water to remove scum & cleaned with running water
mixed sugar, mirin, sake, light soy sauce, chilli padi, red onions (or shallots) * chopped garlic in a large bowl
place belly pork on the side in the small oven dish & add marinade. should come up to between 1/2 & 2/3
place in 90degC over for 6 hrs. turn over pork at 3hrs.
leave in fridge overnight. cut into slices & warm up 1/2hr- in a 40degC oven.

(My First) Crab Beehoon Soup

Posted on December 11, 2015 by chefquak

crab beehoon soup

recently i had crab beehoon soup twice at uncle leong jurong east, excellent both times.

the taste was like lingering, most endearing, i decided to give it a try myself & did one myself on 11.12.2015.

i googled online recipes, & fashioned after crab bee hoon soup at foodmadewithlove.net, which itself was a variation of rasamalaysia.com’s crab beehoon recipe.

uncle leong jurong east’s crab beehoon soup

i set my sight on uncle leong’s crab beehoon soup. it is of course just an aim, not an expectation.

crab beehoon soup

happily as it turned out, my first crab beehoon soup was really quite good.

both my daughter (who already had dinner) & my wife loved the dish. broth was very tasty ( i feel not as intense as uncle leong’s but both wife & daughter said they were quite happy as it was).

the crab was very sweet & firm.

crabs from sheng shiong S$29.95per kg

i went to sheng shiong & bought 2 crabs at S$29.95/kg for S$30.55, so each crab was about 500g.

crabs from sheng shion S$29.95per kg

but daughter was eating out, so there were only wife & i for dinner. i decided to kill & put one crab in a ziploc bag & put in the freezer.

clean & prepare crab – 500g

the other crab was full of life so i kept it in water with some ice till about 5pm, then put in the freezer for 1/2hr, then kill & clean the crab, break the pincers & cut into pieces.

crab beehoon soup

the recipe was a lot simpler than i thought –

broth was actually quite easy to prepare. i fried 10 sliced ginger & 1 cut chilli padi in 2tbsp butter (30ml) in a claypot, then added 3cups stock (i used chicken veg stock).

(i added some chinese cabbage & boiled for 1/2hr, then added 1tbsp shaoxing wine 绍兴酒, 1tbsp fish sauce (to taste) & 1cup evaporated milk.

thick beehoon

when ready to serve, i added 1/2 packet of thick beehoon & the crab into the claypot, and boiled for about 8 to 10mins.

crab beehoon soup

it was a very enjoyable dish & so easy to prepare.

it’s a small crab, 500g c/w 1kg at uncle leong’s. crab meat was firm & very sweet today. overall a truly excellent dish.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

500g crab, cleaned and cut into pieces
1/2 packet thick beehoon
2 tbsp unsalted butter
10 slices peeled ginger
3 cups chicken vegetable stock
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp fish sauce (to taste)
white pepper
chinese cabbage or baby bok choy
2 stalk cut scallion & some coriander for garnishing

Directions :-

put crab in the freezer for 1/2hr, kill & clean the crab, break the pincers & cut into pieces.
fry 10 slice ginger & 1 cut chilli padi in 2tbsp butter (30ml) in a claypot
add 3cups stock (i used chicken veg stock)
add some chinese cabbage & boiled for 1/2hr. then add 1tbsp shaoxing wine 绍兴酒, 1tbsp fish sauce (to taste) & 1cup evaporated milk.
add 1/2 packet of thick beehoon & the crab, boil for about 8 to 10mins. garnish & serve.

清汤牛腩 Slow－braised Briskets in Clear Broth (1st Experiment)

Posted on November 30, 2015 by chefquak

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my first experiment on 清汤牛腩 using crockpot slow-braise (lazy man) method on 4.10.2015. ^^

friend’s 清汤牛腩 – my favourite

this was very much inspired by a friend who brought her excellent slow braised briskets清汤牛腩 for a recent homecooked 17-courses 16pax eat together a short while back on 17.8.2015.

for me that was gold standard. 🙂

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

one key point was buying the right briskets.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i used to buy from giant but the brisket cuts there did not have the thick collagen layer (the 胶)。

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

my friend taught me to buy from chinatown so when i was there to get fish & prawns etc i bought 1 kg from the 1st of the 2 stalls there. 🙂

daikon 白萝卜

recipe was simple & strait forward-

scald briskets to remove scum (i used about 700g only for experiment)

add 2/3 of a cut daikon & 5cm cut ginger (i also added 3 sprigs of spring onions & 1 small red onion)

cover with vegetable stock or water

place in cold crockpot on low & set meat thermometer to 90degC.

add salt to taste

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

theory is 90degC supposedly optimum temperature to convert connective tissues (collagen) to gelatine & give the brisket great favours & umami. ^^

i estimated 6hrs to 90degC but only reached 84degC at 10.5hrs.

part of the reason is the experiment, taking out the brisket, cutting & trying. if w/o interference should reach 90degC faster.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

brisket was quite tender & delicious.

the daikon (radish) also tender but firm, and soup is sweet with meat flavours.

slow braised briskets清汤牛腩

i let it reached 90degC then left it in crockpot overnight. it was more tender & tastier the next day.

this the first try, pretty tender & tasty 清汤牛腩. not quite my friend’s gold standard yet. will try a second time, make some adjustments & do an update then.

c.h.e.f andy

Macha Lava Cake (Second Experiment)

Posted on November 25, 2015 by chefquak

macha lava cake

experimented on a macha lava cake today on 25.11.2015. ^^

i used heytheresia’s macha lava cake recipe. 🙂

i tried a second time on 8.12.2015 & the results were much better, so i used the later batch of photos (& recipe). 🙂

i vary it a little = using 3 eggs, 100g white chocolate, 100g butter, NO sugar (instead of 6 tbsp), 2.5 tbsp flour instead of 4

macha lava cake

i still had problem removing it from the muffin tray, which means the top (bottom when tray was inverted) was not hardened enough.

there were lots of lava, & the taste was what i liked. ^^

it’s exactly the texture i like – not too doughy, very mildly sweet, good macha flavours, and a flowing, a bit less viscous lava, good cake texture too. 🙂

macha lava cake

it is a substantially different recipe from my usual chocolate lava cake.

here i followed heytheresia’s recipe & put the cake mixture in the freezer for 1 hr & then 11 mins in a preheated 200degC oven.

macha lava cake

looks i have to use individual cupcake holder instead of a 6-cup muffin tray.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

100g white chocolate
100g unsalted butter
1 tbsp flat brown sugar
pinch of salt (i used 1/2 tsp)
3 eggs
2.5tbsp all purpose flour sifted
1 tbsp macha powder

Directions :-

melt broken chocolate and butter 1mins 10secs in microwave
add macha powder & whisk
crack 3 eggs & whisk
add sugar, flour, salt & whisk
grease 6 cups muffin tray (or ramekins or cups) & pour in the cake mixture (recipe quantity is good for 6 cups muffin tray
place in freezer for 1 hr
then put in 200degC oven for between 10 & 15 mins (i did 11mins for 6 cups muffin tray)

(My First) Bread Pudding

Posted on November 22, 2015 by chefquak

bread pudding

seems to be doing many “my first” these couple days. ^^

reason is we are doing a RI friends eat-together at a friend’s house & maybe the theme is kampung spirit. it requires a bit of logistic planning eg packing food in aluminium serving dishes or tupperware etc, and hence the type of food best suited to be served to say 20pax and ferried by car with minimum transfers/heating up etc before serving.

hence i was testing out 2 other dishes these 2 days for the first time –

chicken rendang; &

babi pongteh

recently we had a gathering at another friend’s house & someone brought a bread pudding. that is a convenient party dish, no need to cut, just scoop out so easy to serve. 🙂

bread pudding

i decided to try out a bread pudding.

i looked at online recipes. i found a good recipe = best bread pudding with vanilla sauce at allrecipes & decided to follow it.

turned out that it is one of the easiest (maybe the easiest) dessert to do. 🙂

bread pudding

i cracked 3 eggs into a mixing bowl, added 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon; and whisked.

(my sugar totalled only 3 tbsp whereas the allrecipes had 1.5cups white sugar & 2 tbsp brown sugar – that’s like 8x the sugar i added)

bread pudding mixture

i then cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each, and added & combined with the liquids. added some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.

i pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.

transferred to oven dish

the i greased the bottom & sides of an oven dish (don’t have spray), and emptied the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish. 🙂

transferred to oven dish

i had the oven preheated to 180degC, and placed the oven dish for 50mins. it’s ready when a tooth pick of fork comes out cleanly after inserting into the pudding.

bread pudding

must say the result was quite wonderful.

bread pudding

although after it cooled the pudding sank & shrank, but taste wise it was quite perfect especially when served with vanilla ice cream, which my daughter bought & brought home.

it is really a very convenient party dessert, can serve many people, very easy to make & to transport. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

7 slices stale bread
some nuts & raisins (i used what i have available which are macadamia nuts & a dried cherry tomatoes).
3 eggs
3 cups milk
60ml butter
2 tbsp flat brown sugar
1 tbsp flat white sugar
1 tsp flat cinnamon powder
1 tsp vanilla essence

Directions :-

whisk in a mixing bowl 3 eggs, 3 cups milk, 60ml melted butter, 1 flat tbsp white sugar, 2 flat tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, & 1 flat tsp cinnamon.
cut 7 pieces of stale bread diagonally into 4 pieces each. add & combine with the liquids.
add some macadamia nuts & dried cherry tomatoes.
pulled a cling firm over the mixing bowl & leave it for 1/2hr for the bread to absorb the liquids.
grease the bottom & sides of an oven dish and transfer the bread pudding mixture into the oven dish.
bake for 50mins in a preheated 180degC oven.
serve with ice cream (i did not prepare the sauce this time)

(My First) Chicken Rendang

Posted on November 22, 2015 by chefquak

chicken rendang

first time i am cooking chicken rendang on 22.11.2015. ^^

actually first time i cooking any rendang.

chicken rendang

like the babi pongteh i did yesterday, i am thinking to do this for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. 🙂

my nonya curry chicken

i initially thought of doing my nonya curry chicken.

a friend is now doing the curry chicken, so i thought either to skip the chicken, OR to do a different style – a dry chicken rendang. 🙂

chicken rendang

i looked at some online recipes. the one i like best is by nonya cooking.

i mostly followed that with some minor variations.

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

i went to sheng shiong to get some ingredients like lemon grass, galangal & dessicated coconut.

dessicated coconut

i added about 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire.

kerisik

until golden brown=kerisik.

kerisik

set aside the kerisik.

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

i blended 12 dry chilli (soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 3 stalks lemon grass (white part).

frying the rempah

then i fried in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

i had earlier deboned 1.4kg chicken. i kept the 2 drum sticks for future use, and the legs & bones for soup.

fyring the chicken

i added the cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fried with the rempah to coat the chicken.

chicken rendang

i did for about 10mins.

chicken rendang

then i added 200ml coconut milk.

added the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins, adding salt & tasting. & tried the chicken that it was cooked & not overcooked.

then i added some cut kaffir lime leaves.

then reduced to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

chicken rendang

i did the final taste & added 1 tbsp fish sauce.

chicken rendang

overall, it was really quite an excellent dish.

it was intended for dinner to be eaten with rice. daughter & later wife came back & we finished more than 1/2 without any rice.

looks like we are going out for dimsum dinner instead.

daughter & wife thought the lemon grass could be reduced. otherwise quite perfect.

i did have a superb S$5 chicken rendang rice at kopi roti central with mei mei & my good dentist friend on 19.9.2015.

i think that one still better than mine la…just S$5!

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

800g cut chicken
30g dessicated coconut
1 heap tsp salt
1 tbsp fish sauce
6 kaffir lime leaves

for rempah paste –

12 red chilli seeded (i used 12 quite old dry chilli so colour not red enuf!)
3cm ginger
4cm galangal
2 stalks lemon grass (white part) – (i used 3 will reduce next time)
7 shallots
3 clove garlic

Directions :-

fry 30g dessicated coconut and fried under medium to low fire to lightly golden brown (kerisik). set aside.
blend 12 red chilli (or dry chilli soaked in hot water & seeded), 4cm galangal, 3cm ginger, 7 shallots, 3garlic cloves, and 2 stalks lemon grass (white part) for rempah paste.
fry in 3 tbsp oil till the rempah is fragrant.
add cut chicken breast meat & 2 wings & fry with the rempah to coat the chicken. fry for 10mins.
add 200ml coconut milk. add the kerisik and cooked for another 20mins (add some water & cover), adding salt & tasting. try chicken, to see that it is cooked & not overcooked.
add some cut kaffir lime leaves. then reduce to a drier, very fragrant chicken rendang dish.

(My First) Babi Pongteh

Posted on November 21, 2015 by chefquak

babi pongteh

did my first babi pongteh today on 21.11.2015. resonably satisfied. ^^

babi pongteh

sauce was wonderful! tau jeon & gula melaka really did the trick! 🙂

texture was gelatinous (“ga ga” in teochew), still have good bite, not falling apart. 🙂

i used only 400g belly pork. was supposed to braise for 2 to 2.5hrs, but at 1.5hrs, already softened & gelatinous, so i took out the pork, added the taupok & reduced. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

for recipe, i referenced (followed quite closely actually) –

annielicious’ babi pongteh recipe;

mummymoo’s babi pongteh recipe.

for my first attempt, i did not add potatoes. & since i used 400g instead of 800g for experimentation, i 1/2 the recipe. anyway i always taste (ie drk sauce, light sauce etc to taste, in this case i did not add salt) but the recipe quantities provided were quite accurate actually. 🙂

seasoned 0.5 tbsp dark sauce

i blanched 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook).

i marinated with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.

i had 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.

browning shallots then garlic

i fried 5 chopped shallots till translucent, added 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.

added tau jeon

i added a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.

coating & stir-fry

i added the belly pork & stir-fry a bit. then i added 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce.

coating & stir-fry

& coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.

then added 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.

slow braising 1.5hrs

transferred to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W.

i set timer at 2hrs but tried the pork at 1.5hrs & the texture was what i liked, tender & gelatinous, with bite not falling apart. 🙂

i took out the belly pork & put the sauce back to the wok, added cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduced, about 10mins. 🙂

babi pongteh

when serving, garnish with coriander. 🙂

mushrooms were very tasty infused with the sauce, just like the belly pork.

so was the tau pok.

babi pongteh

i did not add salt throughout as the taste was just good for me. 🙂

for this experiment i did not add potatoes.

i am planning to include this dish for a RI eat-together at a friend’s house on 3.12.2015. ^^

it is more than passable. i will see if i can improve a little.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

400g belly pork
5 chopped shallots
2 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp dark soy suace
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp tau jeon
1 tbsp gula melaka (palm sugar)
5 chinese dried mushrooms
coriander for garnishing
2 cups water (include mushroom water)

Directions :-

blanch 400g belly pork & cut into large pieces (i think if pieces were too small they may dry out & overcook). marinate with 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & set aside.
soak 5 chinese dried mushrooms in hot water overnight.
fry 5 chopped shallots till translucent, add 2 tsp chopped garlic & lightly browned.
add a tbsp tau jeon & fried till fragrant, medium fire.
add belly pork & stir-fry a bit. add 1/2 tbsp dark sauce & 1 tbsp light soy sauce, & coat the belly pork & stir-fry a while longer.
add 5 mushrooms & the mushroom water (less the sediments) & deglazed.
transfer to pot, added water to cover, brought to boil & placed on an induction heater at low 100W. set timer at 1.5hrs.
take out the belly pork & put the sauce back to wok, add cut taupok trips (4pieces taupok) & reduce, about 10mins. garnish with coriander.

Prawn Capellini Alio Olio

Posted on November 20, 2015 by chefquak

prawn capellini

prawn capellini was done alio olio style. i also did not have uni & ikura (nor mentaiko).

prawn capellini

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and no better than my regular seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

stellar’s king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

didn’t have the top ingredients of stellar’s king crab, uni, ikura & sakura ebi pasta (above photo).

but just the taste of the pasta alone, i think mine was just as good though differernt (w/o the unique salty uni & ikura flavours).

we had this for our homegourmet adventure 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015.^^

prawn capellini

i prepared the usual browned garlic in olive oil with nice aroma. added cut chilli padi, then white wine, 1 tsp sugar & prawn stock & reduced.

for the prawns, i used my dry wok prawns method to produce a very tasty prawn with great texture, then cut them into small pieces & left a few whole prawns.

then i off the fire, added butter & tossed the capellini.

prawn capellini

it was a simple & easy dish to prepare.

the pasta was al dente & very tasty. i did not have basil to garnish this evening, so i guess it is a shorthand & slightly different style from my usual seafood spaghetti alio olio.

c.h.e.f andy

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Category Archives: Recipes

Teochew Chilled Mullet on 16.3.2016

Pork Collar with Cabbage – 2nd Community Lunch for Newgate Learning Hub on 12Mar2016

Homemade Chirashi Don & Beef Don on 6Mar2016

Klang Herbal Bakuteh 巴生肉骨茶 on 8Mar2016

Nonya Curry Chicken – 7th Teban Gardens Community Breakfast on 4Mar2016

Valentine’s Dinner at Home on 14Feb2016

Special Italian Dinner for My RI Buddies on 18Feb2016

Stir-fry Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onions – 6th Teban Gardens Community Meal on 19Feb2016

(My First) Ayam Pongteh – 5th Teban Gardens Community Meal on 12Feb2016

14pax Homecooked Dinner for my Primary School Classmates on 22Jan2016

Relish Hong Kong Food Fun Moments on 20Jan2016

A 9-course All-Vietnamese New Year Eve Dinner on 31Dec2015

Beautiful Japanese Chashu (using the Miso Belly Pork Preparation)

(My First) Crab Beehoon Soup

清汤牛腩 Slow－braised Briskets in Clear Broth (1st Experiment)

Macha Lava Cake (Second Experiment)

(My First) Bread Pudding

(My First) Chicken Rendang

(My First) Babi Pongteh

Prawn Capellini Alio Olio

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