Category Archives: western & japanese

Braised Oxtail (Experimental First Attempt) on 6Nov2016

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oxtail-stew

braised oxtail

did my first braised oxtail today.

saw a few online recipe, decided to just mix & experiment a bit myself.

result???

pretty good actually, very tasty, tender, savoury..& veg were wonderful…

still cannot compare with the oxtail stew we had at the second FGS (For Goodness Sake) Charity Dinner made by the host’s helper.

hers different, had quite a bit more tomatoes, overall taste experience still better than mine.

oxtail-stew2

braised oxtail

so i just bought 3 large oxtail pieces from cold storage, 800g for S$20, promo price like S$26.90/kg.

washed with salt, then coat with 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp corn flour.

fried in olive oil to brown/colour, then removed from pan.

added olive oil to pan & fried chopped shallots, sliced ginger, chilli padi. then onions, garlic, then added carrot, celery, & spices. then added wine, water, mirin, sugar

then added back oxtail & placed in caserole in 180degC over 2hrs

oxtail-stew4

braised oxtail

can boil to reduce if too much liquid, & add cornflour to thicken if required (i didn’t)

oxtail-stew3

braised oxtail

oxtail was very tasty. so was the veg & gravy.

however i think my slow braised spanish beef ribs still better. thinking of doing this dish for a dinner on 29.11.2016, but maybe i will decide on the beef ribs instead. not sure yet.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 800g oxtail
  • 1 large carrot
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 1 large cut tomatoes
  • 1/2 large onion
  • 2 chopped shallots
  • 3 chopped garlic
  • 2cm slice ginger
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 2 cup water
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 3 tsp dry rosemary
  • 3 tsp dry parsley
  • 1 tsp dry red chilli powder
  • 1-2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp mirin

=================

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp corn flour
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Directions:

  1. wash with salt, coat with 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, 1 tbsp corn flour.
  2. fry in olive oil to brown/colour, then remove from pan.
  3. add olive oil to pan & fry chopped shallots, sliced ginger, chilli padi. then onions, garlic, then add carrot, celery, & spices. add wine, water, mirin, sugar
  4. then add back oxtail & placed in caserole in 180degC over 2hrs

Seafood Alio Olio on 7Aug2016

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seafood alio olio

seafood alio olio

did a very good seafood alio olio this evening on 7.8.2016. ^^

i have not done this for a really long time.

mainly because my helper does an excellent alio olio. she usually uses prawns & sliced chicken breast. on balance i think her best would still edge out my dish tonight.

still my seafood alio olio was very good tonight. 🙂

seafood alio olio

seafood alio olio

i browned the garlic cloves on medium fire. fantastic aroma…added cut chilli padi.

then added prawns & squid seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper.

then added chicken stock.

i removed the prawns & squid then reduced the stock. tasted it, was tasty & intense. i did not add white wine & sugar this evening.

then i added back the prawns & squid, off fire, added the spaghetti & tossed.

last, i added some butter, so the spaghetti & sauce mixed very well.

i topped it with some basil.

seafood alio olio

seafood alio olio

the result was a very tasty pasta.

daughter commented the sotong (squid) was excellent, just the perfect texture. so was the prawn!

& i like the spicy tinge from the chilli padi.

a simple dish & enough for 3pax on a sunday evening.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 200g spaghetti
  • 1 whole bulb of peeled garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 6 medium prawns
  • 1 whole medium squid
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce + 2 tsp white pepper (season prawns & sotong)
  • 300ml chicken stock

Directions:

  1. brown garlic cloves on medium fire. add cut chilli padi.
  2. add prawns & squid seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper. add chicken stock.
  3. remove prawns & squid and reduce stock.
  4. add back prawns & squid, off fire, add the spaghetti & toss.
  5. add some butter, so the spaghetti & sauce mix very well.
  6. top with some basil.

Gordon Ramsay’s Slow Roasted Belly Pork Experiment (Simply Delicious) on 6Aug2016

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Gordon Ramsay's slow roasted belly pork

Gordon Ramsay’s slow roasted belly pork

saw Gordon Ramsay’s slow roasted belly pork on youtube the other day.

decided to give it a try. very interesting! ^^

i used just 200g belly pork (instead of 2kg in the video), cut a smaller piece from 500g frozen belly pork bought at sheng shiong.

& didn’t have fresh whole fennel & host of other stuff, so used 1 small carrots + 1/4 corn.

din want to open a white wine so used red wine.

anyhow the belly pork turned out almost perfect – texture perfect & very tasty….

only thing is couldn’t produce the crackling skin…though it sounded crackling when ran with a knife, the skin was actually chewy & not edible. other the pork was excellent.

2 ways i thought i will adjust this, either reduce the time at 180degC then do 250degC for say 10 to 15mins, or just cut away the skin.

Gordon Ramsay's slow roasted belly pork

Gordon Ramsay’s slow roasted belly pork

so method was same but my ingredients quite different from Gordon Ramsay-

  • 200g pork belly (cross-scored the skin)
  • 1 small carrot cut into 2 or 3 pieces
  • 1/4 corn
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp fennel powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

fry the garlic, star anise, bay leaves, chilli padi in an oven proof mini wok. fry the carrot & corn & remove to allow space for the belly pork.

salt the skin & fry belly pork skin down. then stand the pork skin up held by the carrots & corn, & add –

  • 2-3tbsp red wine
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

then put 180degC oven for 1.5hrs.

as Gordon Ramsay mentioned the nicely flavoured braising liquid reduced & cooked the pork belly while the skin is cracked (but this part i couldn’t get right yet).

Gordon Ramsay's slow roasted belly pork

Gordon Ramsay’s slow roasted belly pork

the pork was delicious, just the perfect texture & wonderful flavours.

i will do it on a bigger 500g square slab later on when i have the numbers (of diners) to do. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 200g pork belly (cross-scored the skin)
  • 1 small carrot cut into 2 or 3 pieces
  • 1/4 corn
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 cut chilli padi
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp fennel powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2-3tbsp red wine
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Directions:

  1. fry garlic, star anise, bay leaves, chillli padi in an oven proof mini wok
  2. fry carrot & corn & remove to allow space for the belly pork.
  3. salt the skin & fry belly pork skin down. then stand the pork skin up held by the carrots & corn.add red wine & white wine vinegar.
  4. put 180degC oven for 1.5hrs.

Mock Kurobuta Pork Ribs – Simply Wonderful

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mock kurobuta pork ribs

mock kurobuta pork ribs

made a mock kurobuta pork ribs on 24.7.2016. ^^

kurobuta with pumpkin puree

kurobuta with pumpkin puree

had one of the best kurobuta prok ribs at foc just yesterday on 23.7.2016. ^^

excellent texture & taste. pumpkin puree wonderful too. 🙂

it was exactly what i expected. i had this a year before in aug2015 & was eyeing this dish to order.

pork ribs, seafood apella & garlic squid

pork ribs, seafood apella & garlic squid

i called my own concoction mock kurobuta becos i am using ordinary 500g prime ribs, the frozen ribs from sheng shiong.

& though i used frozen prime ribs, i think flavour & texture wise almost approximate the kurobuta ribs at foc, so it was in fact very good ribs. 🙂

mock kurobuta pork ribs

mock kurobuta pork ribs

in order to create the tender yet firm not old texture, i fine braised (slow low temperature braising) the ribs in a 95degC oven for 5hrs.

this turns collagen (tough connective tissues) to gelatine & flavours the meat, also it dissolves the fat & flavours the meat.

mock kurobuta pork ribs

mock kurobuta pork ribs

key considerations in any cooking are texture & taste.

i made an excellent fine braised pork ribs (best using spare ribs or pork soft bones).

this though was western flavour, so i needed to experiment a new marinade.

  1. for marinade, i added 2 tbsp red wine, 1 tbsp yuzu jelly, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp mustard, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 2 stalks chopped scallions.
  2. then i stir-fried 2 star anise, 2 bay leaves in a wok. then i added 1/2 sliced onions & caramelise, & added the marinade. then added coriander & off fire.
  3. then pan-charred/browned the ribs in some butter
  4. & placed in sealed oven dish i 95degC oven for 5hrs.
mock kurobuta pork ribs

mock kurobuta pork ribs

the flavour & colour were quite excellent straight from the oven.

but i wanted to char it a bit further. the blackened part were the marinade. while that did not affect the dish much it did not look as nice. so for next round if i decide to char it more i would wipe clean & dry the marinade.

c.h.e.f  andy

Ingredients:

  • 500g prime ribs (i used frozen prime ribs from sheng shiong)

marinade:

  • 2 tbsp red wine
  • 1 tbsp (flat) yuzu jelly
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tsp chopped garlic
  • 2 stalks chopped scallions
  • 2 star anise
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 yellow onions
  • 2 stalks coriander

Directions:

  1. scald pork in boiling water, clean & drain
  2. use a little butter – fry & charred pork ribs both sides. remove & put in oven dish
  3. for marinade, mix 2 tbsp red wine, 1 tbsp yuzu jelly, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp mustard, 2 tsp chopped garlic, 2 stalks chopped scallions. fry star anise & bay leaves. fry 1/2 yellow onions to caramelise. add marinade. then add coriander & off fire.
  4. add marinade over pork ribs in oven dish & spoon over the ribs. seal oven dish & place in 95degC oven for 5hrs.
  5. remove. wipe clean the ribs & sear/char ribs over high fire. serve with or w/o drained sauce.

Crayfish Pasta in Pink Sauce (Creamy Tomatoes)

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crayfish pasta in pink sauce

crayfish pasta in pink sauce 

had some unused crayfish leftover in the freezer from an earlier dinner. decided to do a crayfish pasta in pink sauce on 14.6.2016. ^^

pink sauce (creamy tomatoes)

pink sauce (creamy tomatoes) 

i follow quite a standard recipe perfected by wife. she still makes the best crayfish pasta! ^^

  1. i peeled & browned 1 whole bulb of garlic cloves in olive oil with wonderful aroma
  2. added 2 cut chilli padi & some fresh basil (optional)
  3. added 1/2 bottle papa alfredo traditional sauce (other brand pasta sauce will do also), & 1/2 can peeled tomatoes & fried a bit
  4. then added chicken stock, white wine, sugar & reduced.
  5. then added 6 tbsp thickened cream, and salt to taste.
  6. i added the 12 crayfish halves, covered till 1/2 cooked.
crayfish in pink sauce

crayfish in pink sauce 

that basically was it!

crayfish in pink sauce

crayfish in pink sauce 

later i just needed to reheat the sauce over few minutes w/o overcooking the crayfish. 🙂

crayfish pasta in pink sauce

crayfish pasta in pink sauce

crayfish pasta in pink sauce

crayfish pasta in pink sauce 

when serving, add some basil for garnishing & aromatic flavours.

spaghetti (al dente)

spaghetti (al dente) 

i made al dente spaghetti, set aside for each diner to pick the amount they needed then add the heated sauce & crayfish! 🙂

crayfish pasta in pink sauce

crayfish pasta in pink sauce 

the sauce was excellent, tasty with the crayfish & combining well with the pasta.

crab squid-ink linguine in pink sauce

Valentino’s crab squid-ink linguine in pink sauce 

my pink sauce is very less the very creamy pink sauce at Valentino’s!

i like Valentino’s pink sauce, but i also like my very less creamy concoction with very nice tomato flavours. maybe i will try a heavy cream pink sauce the next time to see if i can approximate valentino’s preparation. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Reverse Sear Pork Collar – Mock Kurobuta

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#6 mock kurobuta

mock kurobuta

recently i have been making quite excellent pan-charred steak using the reverse sear method. ^^

i have used the oven for various low temperature gentle braise. 🙂

most recently a fine braised pork ribs.

#6 mock kurobuta

mock kurobuta

for a recent home dinner for 5pax, i made a pan-charred pork collar using the reverse sear preparation.

i called it mock kurobuta.

kurobuta steak is quite expensive like between S$38/kg & S$55/kg at (say) mmmm.

i bought frozen pork collar from sheng shiong at S$9.95/kg.

a 400g piece & thicker cut (say) 3/4in works best.

pork collar is marbled (fatty streaks) but tough with connective tissues (collagen). so for it to become a tender juicy pork steak, the collagen has to be converted to flavourful gelatine.

i did this with the pork collar in a 90degC over for 4hrs. first scald the pork collar with boiling water & clean thoroughly to remove scums. then place in a small oven dish with cover brine consisting of salt, shaoxing wine, sugar, mirin to cover the meat at least halfway> so the meat will not dry out too much.

Smoked duck. mock kurobuta, spanish omelette

Smoked duck. mock kurobuta, spanish omelette

remove pork collar from oven & dry it with kitchen towels. then season with sea salt & black pepper.

for a mock kurobuta steak no seasoning is required & salt & pepper is applied only at the time for pan frying.

(for other preparations/dishes like say doublecooked pork 回锅肉 & fine braised pork ribs, i add star anise, cinnamon bark etc to the brine accordingly).

then fry in just little oil or butter at high fire on a smoking pan, about a minute each side to char the steak.

remember what gordon ramsay said “it’s simple mathematics – no colour no flavour”.

beef or pork steak has to be charred to produce the maillard reaction to create the flavours.

let the steak rest for 5 minutes then slice & serve.

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients:

  • 400g pork collar

brine

  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
  • 1 tbsp mirin
  • 2 tsp sugar

Directions:

  1. scald pork collar with boiling water. clean thoroughly to remove scums.
  2. place in a small oven dish with cover<and add the brine to cover the meat at least halfway>in 90degC oven for 4hrs.
  3. remove pork collar from oven. dry with kitchen towels. season with sea salt & black pepper.
  4. fry in just little oil or butter at high fire on a smoking pan, about a minute each side to char the steak.
  5. let steak rest for 5 minutes. slice & serve

 

Cooking the Perfect Steak – the Reverse Sear Method

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pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye on 12.6.2016

sometime ago, a friend shared a video on my facebook.

it’s about making the perfect steak by the reverse sear technique.

i have been doing that since.

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye on 12.6.2016

for this evening’s 3pax dinner i used a grain fed black angus ribeye i bought from QB Foods.

i had the vacuum packed ribeye for 3 hrs in a 60degC oven.

then i pan charred over high fire a minute on each side.

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye on 12.6.2016

it’s  called the reverse sear because the steak was prepared in the oven first to give a consistent medium rare (or medium) then seared to give a beautifully charred steak.

angus beef ribeye medium rare

angus beef ribeye medium rare

i had done it earlier on both angus ribeye.

australian wagyu ribeye

australian wagyu ribeye

& also wagyu ribeye.

australian wagyu ribeye

australian wagyu ribeye

for wagyu, i removed the vacuum pack & left it on a rack. this worked well for a marbled wagyu beef. the low temprature oven also gives accelerated dry aging to the fatty steak.

it does not work well for the angus ribeye as it becomes too dry, so i did the 3hrs in 60degC oven with the steak still in the vacuum pack.

if i remove the vacuum packaging & place on a rack then i increase oven temperature to 90degC & do it for only 1 hr.

& that produced a pretty similar result – an excellent steak!

c.h.e.f andy

 

Sunday Homecooked 3pax Dinner on 12Jun2016

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pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

wife & daughter decided to eat at home this evening made a quick dinner from leftover ingredients on 12.6.2016.

had a grain fed black angus ribeye in the chiller leftover from friday dinner for daughter’s friends. it was already prepared 3hrs in a 60degC oven, and placed in a ziploc bag in the chiller, so ready to pan fry.

三楼米粉

三楼米粉

i made a quick 三楼米粉. didn’t have any more chicken stock so boiled ikan bilis for dashi & alos used the leftover chinese cabbage. i also had chicken breast, prawns & squid.

三楼米粉

三楼米粉

the crisping of the outside can be improved but basically it was much like the ones we had at the zi char places, crisp outside, moist & tasty inside, infused with the stock that had been reduced. 🙂

long beans in nonya sauce

long beans in nonya sauce

made a fried long beans using the gimson nonya sauce.

long beans in nonya sauce

long beans in nonya sauce

quick easy & good every time.

long beans in nonya sauce

long beans in nonya sauce

a friend gave me another bottle of gimson nonya sauce recently. she bought it in malaysia. the flavours is quite unique. i tried the thaising nonya sauce, the only one i could find here, the taste was quite different.

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

was easy to cook the steak as it had already been prepared a consistent medium.

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

pan charred grain fed black angus ribeye

meat was tender & sweet, not as flavourful as wagyu but still very good steak.

c.h.e.f andy

A Memorable Belated 6-course Birthday Dinner for a Very Good Friend on 2May2016

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did a 6-course belated birthday dinner for a very good friend on 2.5.2016. ^^

friend & his wife both have their birthdays in apr, but he is ever so busy. great he could make it today. another common friend couple joined dinner so 6pax. 🙂

6-course birthday dinner

6-course birthday dinner

friend like seafood so i made mostly seafood this evening.

we had-

#1 gordon ramsay garlic chilli butter grilled lobster

#2 crab beehoon soup

#3 HK steamed red garoupa

#4 teochew fried egg onions crayfish

#5 claypot rice

#6 patissier’s double chocolate praline cake

gordon ramsay’s garlic chilli butter marinade was just excellent like last time. 🙂

i used a new bottle of remy martin but was unable to flame this time (not sure why? pan not hot enuf?) so i was worried the lobster might be overcooked (these were the frozen cooked lobster from cold storage).

everyone loved the very tasty lobster. i still felt my piece was slightly tough, but my friends were all ok with theirs. 🙂

today i added some sweet peas, 2 per person. very tasty.

#2 crab beehoon soup

#2 crab beehoon soup

the crab bee hoon soup was just superb this evening. better than what i did last time.

crabs were small today, just 250gx 2 crabs. they were very sweet & done just right not overcooked. i made sure of that la. 🙂

soup was intense & flavourful, crab, lobster, chicken stock with lots of chinese cabbage to balance the taste. thick bee hoon was just right too, not mushy.

still, i think it was no comparison with the very intense & flavourful crab bee hoo soup at uncle leong jurong east.

my OPS friends will be joining me for lunch at uncle leong jurong east this friday.

#3 HK steamed red garoupa

#3 HK steamed red garoupa

i did a HK steamed red garoupa.

as we were having quite many dishes, i did a very small one just 400g, which i bought from chinatown market the day before.

#3 HK steamed red garoupa

#3 HK steamed red garoupa

the HK steam method is so simple to do yet so tasty. you can feel the fragrance of the light soy sauce.

i did HK steamed red garoupa at a demo for teban gardens after the community meal on 29.4.2016.

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

the next seafood dish i did was a teochew-styled egg & yellow onion crayfish dish.

i softened the onions & added egg, fried separately then set aside.

then i fried the halved crayfish in butter in a very hot pan & added some oyster sauce . i then added some fish sauce. you could feel the aroma! 🙂

then i added back the egg onions & fried together.

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

friends liked the dish. my friend’s wife said meat was tender.

(crayfish meat is not as tender, springy, refine as lobster or prawns. & lobster & crayfish are quite easily overcooked).

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

#4 teochew egg & onion crayfish

the egg & onions were especially tasty as they absorbed the flavours of the crustaceans & also the wok hae.

#5 claypot rice

#5 claypot rice

i did my claypot rice.

its a very flavourful dish. you can feel the aroma around the room & when you lift the lid.

today it was not the best like what i did recently on 20.4.2016, so i would not claim it was better than new lucky….

still i still it was a very good claypot rice. certainly my chicken was very tender & flavourable much better than most claypot rice outside, even for the not best version i did today.

#6 patissier's double chocoline praline

#6 patissier’s double chocolate praline

this is the first time i took patissier’s cake in a long, long while.

it’s a very expensive cake, and the 500g cake cost almost the same like a 1kg cake at cedele.

#6 patissier's double chocoline praline

#6 patissier’s double chocolate praline

but it was very good.

i enjoyed it. my friend said he had not taken cake for the last 10+ years & only taking this because i bought for him. ^^

i don’t meet this friend often. he is always busy. i enjoyed the dinner preparation & we had a really good time this evening. 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Vegetarian Dinner? + Some Meats on 12Apr2016

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wife have this meditation group.

she invited 2 friends for dinner on 12.4.2016. ^^

youngest daughter decided to join dinner so we have 5pax.

1 friend is a vegetarian so i thought i will cook a all vegetarian dinner-

wife wanted to add some meats. so i did –

  • a grilled smoked duck breast (my own concocted recipe so i called it Andy’s smoked duck breast…hehe..
  • a mock kurobuta (mock as in i used pork neck with the marbling & did a low temperature braise to get a tender texture)

my recent spanish omelette (egg, potato, yellow onion, light soy sauce, pepper) had been very good.

the vegetarian friend claimed it’s better than what he had in spain. not going there (on matter of discussion) but i think my spanish omelette was pretty good la…

the cream of carrots (carrots, red pepper, yellow onion, vegetable stock, thickened cream) was very smooth & sweet.

i used sweet corn for the first time for the vegetable stock. i thought the sweet corn sweetness a bit stand-out, but seemed that everyone liked it.

for the zucchini pasta, i followed my usual recipe with blended zucchini sauce, grilled zucchini.

also added cherry tomatoes & shave parmesan, & basil.

today though i overcooked the pasta a bit, so while it was not mushy, it did not quite have the good al dente. not good.

i bungled up on the hob controls this time….

funghi pasta (my usual recipe) was ok, al dente so the usual nice mushroom aroma & great taste. not not really my best delivery also.

Andy’s smoked duck breast was a new exciting culinary adventure for me. will make a separate recipe post. i tea smoked the duck breast, also in oven for 3 hrs at 60degC. then i used Gordon Ramsay’s cold pan method to render out the fat & create the crispy skin.

it was nicely pink & the taste was quite perfect too.

#6 mock kurobuta

#6 mock kurobuta

i call it mock kurobuta as i am using a cheap pork collar which has the fat marbling, in fact a frozen pork collar from sheng shiong at S$9.95/kg, so like S$3 for 300g.

i did low temperature braise in 90degC oven to make the meat tender & flavourful with gelatine.

#6 mock kurobuta

#6 mock kurobuta

it was very good actually. still looked a bit fatty, maybe i will try 5hrs or 6hrs to reduce the fat a bit.

Smoked duck. mock kurobuta, spanish omelette

Smoked duck. mock kurobuta, spanish omelette

both vegetarian & meat eaters have their fill la…

cooked & ucooked portugese chorizo

cooked & ucooked portugese chorizo

wife, i & the eldest daughter recently toured lisbon & porto so we brought back some portugese chorizo & cheese.

chorizo, cheese & grapes

chorizo, cheese & grapes

we did not have our port with us, so did with some whisky.

chorizo, cheese & grapes

chorizo, cheese & grapes

pretty ok, though it was still different. port was a much better complement to the chorizo prosciutto cheese experience we had in portugal.

pan-toasted japanese cheese

pan-toasted japanese cheese

wife was recently in hokkaido & had some toasted cheese there. she tried pan roasting, though it did not turn out the way she liked. i don’t really know how it should be like, but still the cheese was pretty good la…

dinner very enjoyable. wife was happy. daughter split early to study. we had great conversation, cheese, whisky, coffee…

c.h.e.f andy

Homemade Chirashi Don & Beef Don on 6Mar2016

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homemade chirashi don

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

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

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

uni – sea urchin

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

hotate - scallops

hotate – scallops

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

ikura - salmon roe

ikura – salmon roe

ikura slight salty…bursting with flavours…

atlantic surf clams

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

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

homemade chirashi don

the chirashi don was just wonderful & the beef too.

c.h.e.f andy

Valentine’s Dinner at Home on 14Feb2016

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valentine's day 2pax dinner

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

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 iin pink sauce

prawn pasta in spicy tomato sauce

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

pasta spicy tomato sauce

pasta spicy tomato sauce

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

my gordon ramsay grilled lobster was the best.

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

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

gordon ramsay grilled lobster

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

gordon ramsay grilled lobster＋prawn pasta in pink sauce

the tangy tomato pasta complemented the lobster perfectly. ^^

australian wagyu ribeye

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

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

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#1 spanish omelette

#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

tittot 疏园

they also brought a wine & beautiful gift. ^^

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

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.

the squid-ink spaghetti was again par excellence!

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.

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. ^^

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

#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

#5 roasted vegetables ratatouille

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

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

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

#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

#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

#8 cut peaches

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

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

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

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

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the dishes

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

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. 🙂

pumpkin tofu salad

#1 pumpkin tofu salad

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

spanish omelette

#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

teriyaki cod, char siew, miso belly pork

the char siew was a taste i liked.

char siew

#3 char siew

colour & burnt part looked good too.

char siew

#3 char siew

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

miso belly pork

#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.

teriyaki cod

#5 teriyaki cod

most friends liked the teriyaki cod.

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.

lemon chicken (son's recipe)

#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. 🙂

beer can lemon chicken (son's 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.

lemon chicken (son's recipe)

#6 lemon chicken (son’s recipe)

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

prawn linguine in pink sauce

#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.

prawn linguine in pink sauce

#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.

cheese sausage pasta

#8 cheese sausage pasta

same thing with the cheese sausage pasta.

sausage pasta

#8 cheese sausage pasta

another thing was that i cooked just too much pasta.

cheese sausage pasta & prawn linguine in pink sauce

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

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

seafood risotto

#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).

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

cut fruits

cut fruits

a friend pre-arranged to bring cut fruits.

excellent almond cookies, peanut cookies & pineapple tarts

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

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

Homegourmet Adventure 4-course Dinner on 15Nov2015

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had great fun discovery yesterday experimenting several “first” for a wonderful 4-course dinner on 15.11.2015. ^^

truly a homegourmet adventure. 🙂

all 4 dishes had some new elements-

  • prawn veloute was an accidental invention.
  • gazpacho was completely first attempt.
  • prawn capellini was a new preparation &
  • slow-braised pork collar was my second try on a new preparation

in a sense, my recent dinner at stellar at 1-altitude spurred my interest, not so much an inspiration (excepting the gazpacho at stellar which was really good!), as i thought the food was expensive & not value-for-money. i thought i could recreate something similar. ^^

first course was pan seared scallops in prawn vegetable veloute. 🙂

i did not do the pan-searing well this evening. still the scallops were very good, plump & tasty & very good texture, not really the standard of disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallops, nor the stellar’s scallops.

the prawn vegetable veloute though was an accidental discovery. it was just so good! ^^

intense yet very smooth, and very tasty, and just the right body & texture. this really is an excellent recipe & among the best soup i have made.

i would say for myself, though the scallop itself was not comparable to stellar’s, but the overall taste experience including the prawn veg veloute was better than stellar’s, but not comparable with disgruntled chef’s 100gourmet scallop dish (above photo).

my second dish was entirely new.

gazpacho not my favourite & i hardly take gazpacho by choice but stellar’s gazpacho was just so good!

so i googled online recipes & produced 2 gazpacho just like stellar’s – a red tomato gazpacho & a white cucumber gazpacho.

& the result of my first attempt was a really wonderful gazpacho. so refreshing, smooth, & you could really taste the coolness of the cucumber & also tangy tomatoes.

not quite the standard of stellar’s (above photo) for sure, but almost there.

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

still my own prawn capellini was a very tasty pasta.

i guess nothing so unusual, and may not be better than my usual seafood alio olio, but it was a different & drier style, adding butter like for my mentaiko pasta or squid-ink pasta.

king crab uni & sakuri ebi capellini

stellar’s king crab uni & sakura 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).

the slow braised pork collar in red wine sauce was my second attempt, it was as good as the first, and a really great recipe i created myself.

the pork was very flavourful & so tender yet not sinewy & falling apart like the usual braised meat texture.

i think this is really an excellent recipe. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

9pax Japanese Course Dinner on 28Sep2015

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#1 shabu pork on grated radish & japanese cucumber, miso belly pork, & kakuni (japanese braised belly pork)

#1 shabu pork on grated radish & japanese cucumber, miso belly pork, & kakuni (japanese braised belly pork)

trying out japanese dishes like chawanmushi & steak don recently & decided to do a full Japanese course dinner for my good friends, RI friends & spouses, on 28.9.2015.^^

daughter came home & joined dinner so we had 9pax.

it was very fun! haha! 🙂

we had a 6-course menu

#1 i decided on a shabu pork starter after looking at a shabu pork salad recipe on japanesecooking101.

just to be sure, i try out with shabu beef the day before & it was very good!

the grated daikon (radish) was a great idea. below that i had 4 julienned small japanese cucumber. very refreshing.

but the key is the sauce – just 1part sushi vinegar, 1 part mirin, 1 part tsuyu. this like the best sauce ever! haha! ^^

i also had miso belly pork. this done 12hrs in 85degC oven then browned on medium low fire in non-stick pan. very tasty dish.

i also had kakuni (japanese braised belly pork), and a friend brought kimchi. that made up the first dish. 🙂

#2 second dish was a chawanmushi. it was pretty ok but not as good as my first trial of the dish few days day.

quality was inconsistent. i had to steam 2 batches of 4 ramekins for 15mins at each go when friends were here. for one batch my phone timer stopped at 12m20s in between & i lost the timing.

#3 prawn bisque - not so great today

#3 prawn bisque – not so great today

#3 my third dish was a prawn bisque. while it is european & not a japanese dish, i had been to a few restaurants in kyoto & also osaka where they served western starter & soup as part of a japanese course meal.

prawn bisque was below my usual standards.

#3 prawn bisque - vegetabkes base

#3 prawn bisque – vegetabkes base

the method was ok. i had enough good mix of vegetable base to balance the prawn shells & heads stock.

#3 prawn bisque - not so great today

#3 prawn bisque – not so great today

i think i should have reduced the liquids further to get a more intense bisque.

#4 wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod

#4 wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod

#4 the wafu (和风) pasta, wafu (和风) braised eggplant & teriyaki cod was an excellent dish though. ^^

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions - pasta was really good!

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!

#4.1 this the first time i did a kind of “wafu (和风) pasta” other than mentaiko pasta. & the taste was wonderful!

i followed the recipe on japanesecooking101 here.

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions - pasta was really good!

#4.1 wafu (和风) pasta with streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions – pasta was really good!

simple ingredients – just streaky bacon, shimeji mushrooms & yellow onions. & the sauce again is the key – dashi (i used chicken/vegetable stock), mirin, tsuyu & a little sugar& reduced.

taste was just exquisite. it’s not better than most of my pastas which are also very good, but it’s good! 🙂

#4.2 teriyaki cod is one dish i cooked a number of times & always, invariably good.

this time i reduced the sugar & also a little less salty.

#5 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!

#4.1 wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants － this dish was simply excellent!

#4.1 the wafu 和风 (japanese braised) eggplants was simply excellent! this the first time i do a japanese braised eggplant. it’s so easy & the taste was just fantatsic!

again i got my recipe from japanesecooking101 here.

i still want to do the chinese version though (i like the ye shanghai one very much). don’t think much difference, probably just use oysters sauce instead.

#7 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly

#5 kakuni (japanese braised belly pork) don with miso salmon belly

#5 for the gohan course, i had a don.

the friend who brought kimchi doesn’t take beef, so i prepared kakuni, a japanese braised belly pork.

this time though i used a different braising method, a 6hr gentle slow braise in a crockpot from cold to 85degC (using meat thermometer). ^^

#5 wagyu ribeye & black angus ribeye steak don with miso salmon belly

#5 wagyu ribeye & black angus ribeye steak don with miso salmon belly

#5 for the other diners, i had a 400D grain-fed wagyu ribeye & a 150D grain-fed black angus ribeye. both were excellent!

and the japanese rice was perfect! so very tasty, one friend went to add rice & just ate the rice plain.

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 the miso salmon belly was very good too.

#5.1 miso salmon belly

#5.1 miso salmon belly

very tasty, just like eating in restuarants in japan.

i also had tamago. the shape & folding was a disaster & one could not even make out the lines, but taste was pretty ok & quite a good addition to the meaty don dish! 🙂

#6 i not very sure how i lost it. haha! 🙂

lava cake was the very first dessert i made, not sure where has all the lava gone.

anyway seems that everyone like the taste though….wait till they have my really lava ones..haha!

like this one! looking back at the records, it was during a dinner on 28.1.2013! 🙂

“shanghai” moon cake

a friend brought “shanghai” moon cake, one lotus paste, the other red beans.

“shanghai” moon cake

so pretty, and very good moon cake too, mainly because the lotus paste was not so sweet like most moon cakes are, and the pastry, with some addition of nuts, was excellent! 🙂

ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!

ondeh ondeh – everyone loved it!

amelyn brought ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!3 amelyn brought ondeh ondeh - everyone loved it!2

one friend brought ondeh ondeh. everuone loved it!

chong lee brought rose champagne chong loong brought white wine leck san brought choya umeshu

some friends brought rose sparkling wine & white wine too.

lisa's whiskies lisa's whiskies2 lisa's whiskies3

& wife offered up her whisky collection. 🙂

very fun enjoyable evening with friends.

c.h.e.f andy

17 Courses of Delectable Dishes for 16pax Homecooked Dinner on 26Aug2015

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#1 friend's 清汤牛腩 - my favourite

#1 friend’s 清汤牛腩 – my favourite

had an exciting evening with my friends on 26.8.2015. ^^

we had 16pax. i planned to serve asian dishes mainly buffet style, and a pasta, beef & lamb dish during the course of dinner. 🙂

a friend brought 清汤牛腩. it was my favourite for the evening. i had a good beef brisket noodles at imperial treasure nanbei few days back on 23.8.2015, one of the few authentic ones. still, that was a bit more beefy. i personally prefer this 清汤牛腩 style. sometimes homecook is the best! ^^

my wife could not join dinner this evening. she organised the quinoa pumpkin tofu salad for me & i mixed in the rockets when serving (so that rockets would not be soggy).

everyone loved the salad. 🙂

i did the spanish omelette. did not do this a the longest time & recently revived it when i served a 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8px for my niece’s birthday.

this was a very popular dish among my diners.

i recently tried out a new preparation for cooking char siew & maybe found the right combination to reproduce easily very flavourful & tender, moist char siew. it is also easy to do, just put on a rack in a preheated oven for 20mins.

& it worked well, very tasty, well charred & quite tender inside. the ends were a bit harder than what i made previously because this roll of pork collar was thinner, so need to adjust the timing say to 18mins for thinner rolls.

i made a  ter kar tan 猪脚冻. it was a bit meaty & not as good as my head cheese terrine 猪头冻, but still a friend who cooked this also thought it was very good. i think the taste was good, i should use either pig’s head meat or a lot of pig skin as pig’s trotter is overly meaty & heavy. & the colour should be lighter, means less or no dark sauce.

my chicken ballotine was very good today, mostly finished.

the thai yellow curry grilled chicken thighs were very good.

there was a bit left though, and when i heat the curry sauce in the microwave & applied it to the cold chicken the next day, for me it was still excellent. 🙂

the thai red curry sotong (squid) was just as lovely. it’s a bit spicier & very good with the rice.

i did the vietnamese chargrilled pork collar w/o the beehoon, just with pickled carrots & peanuts. i tried it after cooking. it was very tasty. i think it was just as good as what i had at mrs pho recently. i think better actually.

but for this evening, maybe there were too much food, it was only 1/2 taken.

#10 braised belly pork & bits of some unused trotter

#10 braised belly pork & bits of some unused trotter

the braised belly pork was done together with the ter kar tan 猪脚冻, so it was just a small portion. the braise was very tasty & the texture of the belly pork was superb by those who take belly pork. nothing was left.

#1 friend's 清汤牛腩 - my favourite

#1 friend’s 清汤牛腩 – my favourite

the friend made 3kg of beef briskets & tendons. so i guess we did have a lot of food.

i am not complaining as this was my favourite dish for the evening. 🙂

#1 friend's 清汤牛腩 - my favourite

#1 friend’s 清汤牛腩 – my favourite

there was some leftover, so i ate the next day & enjoyed it just as much.

#11 helper's spicy black bean sauce pork ribs

#11 helper’s spicy black bean sauce pork ribs

my helper made the spicy black beans pork ribs. it was braised in the pan & then steamed in the steam oven. very tender & great sauce & flavours. it’s one of my perennial favourites. not much left afterwards.

#12 helper's sambal sauce seabass - this everyone's favourite

#12 helper’s sambal sauce seabass – this everyone’s favourite

my helper’s sambal sauce seabass was another dish that was everyone’s favourite. seabass has a slight mud taste & powdery texture, but with the sambal sauce, it was a very appetizing dish. nothing left.

#13 helper's blanched hk kailan with shitake

#13 helper’s blanched hk kailan with shitake

likewise the blanched hk kailan with shitake.

it was time for the pasta, beef & lamb dishes. my friends were all very full so we decided to forgo the pink sauce prawn pasta dish.

my tagliata was just simply fabulous. it was sooooo much better than the ones we had the other evening at the zafferano wine dinner, and haha i will say it again!^^ all my friends at zafferano were here this evening anyway. 🙂

& the pistachio crusted rack of lamb. everyone just loved it! those who eat lamb anyway.

actually we had the lamb at foc the next, and that lamb was a bit more tender than mine, but my lamb was a lot tastier. 🙂 also my pistachio crust was so good it was all mobbed up!

#16 queenie brought chempedak cake from singapore swimming club - very nice

#16 another friend brought chempedak cake from singapore swimming club – very nice

another friend brought a chempedak cake. i like the intense chempedak flavour. it’s a cake i like but won’t take often.

the banoffee (banana toffee) cake was a bit of a failure. the whipping cream was frozen & i heat it up just so lightly, a cardinal sin of laziness. should have just waited for it to get back to room temperature. it did not whipped well & caked up when set.

fortunately the cake itself was quite excellent & many friends liked it. it is indeed a very good combination of texture & taste, banana & toffee. i used very small amount of caramel so it was not too sweet.

it was a very fun get-together. i enjoyed doing all the dishes, and i also had my friend’s excellent beef briskets & my helper’s nice dishes.

c.h.e.f andy

10-course Homecooked Vegetarian Dinner for 8pax on 17Aug2015

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made a 10-course vegetarian dinner for 8pax on 17.8.2015. ^^

it was a belated birthday for my niece who is a buddhist & vegetarian. it’s also the first time i planned & executed vegetarian dishes. 🙂

my niece & her husband are ovo-lacto vegetarians, which means they can take eggs & dairy products like milk, butter & cheese. they are also not strict vegetarians, but they will abstain & avoid meats if they can, and take only the vegetables if it comes with the meat. i like the practical, unassuming, unimposing approach.

but i wanted to do a all-vegtarian course dinner for them. for me that was quite exciting & fun to do. 🙂

for me, my interest was not about mock meats or fusion, just to make something that taste good & look good. & if they are not the usual run-of-the-mill chinese stir-fried vegetables and incorporates some non-chinese styles or good matching of taste, texture or presentation, then so much the better! 🙂

#1 first course was a spanish omelette. it’s a really simple dish.  just 2 eggs, 1.5 sliced large potatoes & 1/2 sliced yellow onions. the ingredients were already vegetarian. i just have to light soy sauce instead of fish sauce for the egg. this dish is also perfect as a tapas, a small bite, for a multi-course meal, so quite nicely each had a good slice of omelette.

#2 wife’s quinoa pumpkin tofu salad is always a great accompaniment for my dinners. the pumpkin & tofu with rockets made a very good salad on its own (wife made this after a lunch at marmalade some years back), and addition of quinoa gave it more texture & some savoury touch. 🙂

#3 shallow fried silken tofu in spinach veloute.

i created this dish (flamed squid in spinach veloute) from looking at a photo (w/o the chance to taste the dish) at porthminster cafe at st ives in cornwall, england. it was an excellent dish & i served it at 12-course dinner for 12pax 2 weeks ago.

this time for vegetarian dish i replaced the squid by a shallow fried silken tofu, so that the texture was crispy outside & soft inside. not a flamed (torched) squid but still very nice! 🙂

#4 for soup, i made a cream of carrot soup. this was tasty & smooth & very popular & everyone had a second helping & finished all the soup.

i used 1.5 large carrots, but also 1 red pepper, 1 stalk leek, 1 small yellow onions & vegetable stock which i prepared the night before. & about 4 tablespoon of cream. its a similar recipe for all my creamy soup.

#5 this the first time i attempted spaghetti alla nerano (zucchini pasta). we first tried this in fresco & cummino in milan & this was 1 of the best vegetarian pasta i had, though i like funghi pasta equally. 🙂

i followed an internet recipe, & blended 1/2 yellow zucchini with some onions after softening them in olive oil. i added some butter when tossing the pasta to give it more body.

it was a very good pasta, al dente & tasty. everyone liked it. son said more parmesan shavings would be good. i think overall it can be improved. for now i would prefer my fungi pasta over this, maybe just slightly.

#6 steamed egg plant with peas & onion sauce

my sis & i had a nice daipaidong 大排档 dinner at 富记大排档tai wai where they served an entire steamed eggplant in minced meat & onion sauce. i had recreated this & made a much better tasting one by adding oyster sauce to balance off the tomato sauce.

for the vegetarian take, i cannot use oyster sauce so only light soy sauce + tsuyu sauce, and i replaced the minced meat with frozen peas i bought from sheng shiong.

the presentation can be improved. the key to this dish is the texture of the eggplant, which has to be just cooked & not mushy. i cut it with kitchen sears (scissors) & if it were mushy it would not hold up. 🙂 the pea onions sauce with corn flour was pretty tasty too.

#7 the egg fried rice was basic, no “wow” dish, but it was good accompaniment for the last 3 dishes – steamed egg plant, thai red curry & the brocoli with cauliflower.

it had good “wok hae”, individually rice grains “tioc tioc” we say in teochew, quite good la. 🙂

#8 the thai red curry vegetables was a variation of my thai red curry sotong (squid) which i served for the 30+pax lunch party for my daughter last month.

i just replaced the sotong by vegetables. i had potato, egg plant, onions, yellow pepper, tomato. for me, a non vegetarian, it was no comparison with the red curry sotong of course but still an excellenty flavoured curry dish.

#9 brocoli with cauliflower

#9 brocoli with cauliflower

#9 the 3rd dish to be eaten with the egg fried rice was brocoli with cauliflower. i actually asked if the guys wanted eat or they were full..haha! ^^

#9 brocoli with cauliflower

#9 brocoli with cauliflower

my wife, daughter, everyone wanted it. my son said there is no discussion. 🙂

#10 i made a banoffee (banana toffee) cake for dessert. we have been having tiramisu & tofu cheese cake so i wanted a change from usual.

it was a really nice cake. a great combination of flavours – very nice biscuit base, a thin tasty layer of caramel so not too sweet & nice whipped cream topped with chocolate shavings.

D-24 durian...also had 2x maoshanwang durians (forgot to take photo)

D-24 durian…also had 2x maoshanwang durians (forgot to take photo)

and we had D-24 & maoshanwang 猫山王 durians!

D-24 durian...also had 2x maoshanwang durians (forgot to take photo)

D-24 durian…also had 2x maoshanwang durians (forgot to take photo)

an excellent finish to the 10-course vegetarian dinner. i forgot to take photos of the maoshanwang durians though. ate too fast! haha! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

Really Fun 12pax Homegourmet Dinner on 5Aug2015

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had a very enjoyable dinner last evening. ^^

i prepared a 12-course dinner for my friends. every dish was good…

this mostly the pulau ubin durian picking group.
https://chefquak.com/2015/07/19/durian-picking-adventure-pulau-ubin-on-21jun2015/

wife & youngest daughter (who just finished her last paper in the morning) joined the dinner. 🙂

#1 wife prepared a nice quinoa pumpkin tofu salad for me. ^^

quinoa gave it a bit of texture & also savoury, some sweetnes from the agave nectar. a very nice salad.

#2 made a nice chicken ballotine. this time i steamed for 11mins, so not overcooked. maybe even 10mins will do. nice tender chicken, & the bacon & onions, spinach made it quite tasty. 🙂

#3 oven roasted kurobuta medium rare

#3 oven roasted kurobuta medium rare

#3 was experimenting on the kurobuta.

used the vietnamese pork collar marinade. 2days in chiller. browned over high heat in butter then 18mins in a preheated 250degC oven!

texture was marvelous. the marinade flavours pretty good. & the colour a very pretty pink medium rare. it is pork though so some friends might be a little worried, but restaurants like salta parilla also served kurobuta steak medium rare.

#4 my headcheese terrine was just superb.

i varied my usual pig trotters braising sauce recipe & added 1 cup of red wine. i used the slow crockpot roast method (starting from cold on low heat) for the 1/2head+hear i bought from sheng shiong, and texture was perfect in about 6 hrs.

#5 pig's ear ragout served on toast3 #5 pig's ear ragout served on toast

#5 for the pig’s ear ragout, i took out the ear & minced/chopped it, took out some sauce & heat the minced pig’s ear & reduced the sauce.

this was an excellent dish we had at dinner by heston blumenthal in london. i did not have the recipe so this is my very own concoction!^^

#6 one of my most impressive dish this evening was the flamed squid in spinach veloute.^^

i softened yellow onions, green pepper, leek & lastly spinach leaves in a pan & blend it with olive oil, chicken (or veg) stock & salt & pepper to taste. i added 1 teaspoon of tsuyu sauce.

i first did this for my anniversary dinner after our recent cornwall trip. we had a great lunch at porthminster cafe in st ives & saw a photo of the dish. i did not have the recipe so i concocted my own.

#7 shellfish bisque

#7 shellfish bisque

#7 shellfish bisque was excellent too! ^^ very intense, smooth & flavourful & excellent brandy flavours.

it’s similar to my lobster bisque. i had a vegetable base to balance the intense stock from prawn shells & heads. i used carrots, onion, leek, red pepper, & the leftover spinach stems.

#8 tagliata di manzo is my regular dish. i had 100D grain-fed black angus striploin this time.

i had ribeye recently for my daughter’s 30pax home party which was better, but striploin done medium rare was still very good. 🙂

#9 for the second main, i did a pistachio crusted lamb.

i don’t do this often. lamb rack is very expensive. i bought the cheaper ones which were still frenched but with caps on. the denuded ones were too expensive. so i had to cut away like a ton of fat, a bit tedious.

anyway, the pistachio rack of lamb was really excellent, no strong gamey taste, nicely medium rare to medium & excellent with the pistachios.^^

#10 for the pastas, i made a funghi linguine. it was good but my wife & daughter told me it was not as good as the one i did for my daughter’s recent party.

#11 prawn spaghetti in pinck sauce (creamy tomatoes)

#11 prawn spaghetti in pinck sauce (creamy tomatoes)

#11 they thought the prawn spaghetti in pink sauce was the best. and yes, it was very tasty & flavourful.

crayfish pasta was a dish which my wife does very well. and i am just trying to model after, using small prawns instead of crayfish.

#12 for dessert, i did a banoffee (banana toffee) cake.

it was very good. i put about 1/3 of the caramel i made after heating a can on condensed milk for 4hrs, and lots of bananas. so it was not too sweet & an excellent combination of flavours & texture. 🙂

very expensive

very expensive “black gold”durians – 2x price of maoshanwang!

a friend brought very expensive “black gold” durians.

it’s like 2x maoshanwang 猫山王 prices, so the 3 durians he brought probably cost $200!

very expensive

very expensive “black gold”durians – 2x price of maoshanwang!

it was super nice, very creamy, small seeds & bitter. better be! at such astronomical prices…

mangoesteen

mangoesteen

& mangosteens too, very good ones. 🙂

another friend brought an entire box 15kg of mangoesteens! i managed to get the guys to bring back so i probably kept about 3 to 4 kg.

my very good friend who took the nice photos brought a sparkling wine. and some friends brought fruits.

konyaku jelly

konyaku jelly

another friend brought konyaku jelly.

oat shortbread - it was really good!

oat shortbread – it was really good!

& a personal gift for me – a very nice oat shortbread! ^^

very fun evening with good friends, and the food turning out very well too! haha! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

Scrumptious Homecooked Lunch for 30+pax on 25Jul2015

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youngest daughter was celebrating an important occasion & invited 30 friends to the house on 25.7.2015.^^

we had a really wonderfully scrumptious family-cooked lunch for her friends.

we did 13 delectable dishes!^^

& her friend made a professional pastry chef standard 2-tier cake. 🙂

wife's PIMMS

wife’s PIMMS cocktail

wife also made a PIMMS cocktail!^^

wife's PIMMS

wife’s PIMMS cocktail

i cannot hold liquor but i liked it very much & took maybe 5 or 6 cups & a bit drunk afterwards. 🙂

#1 wife made a lovely pumpkin tofu salad, something she picked up from marmalade after dining there. 🙂

#2 i did a vietnamese chargrilled pork cold beehoon. 🙂

we recently had this dish at mrs pho. i would think that my version was just as good. 🙂

#3 & i made a chicken ballotine.

#3 i steamed the first batch of 2 for 15mins. it was slight overdone.

the second batch i reduced to 12mins. & this was quite perfect! tender, juicy, flavourful.^^

helper's chicken nuggets

#4 helper’s chicken nuggets

#4 my helper did the chicken nuggets. pretty good too. 🙂

helper's deepfried chicken wings

#5 helper’s deepfried chicken wings

#5 & her chicken wings are a perennial favourite. 🙂

#6 i did a thai red curry sotong.

this the first time i cooked this dish. i fried in butter the sotong (squid) like i did for my flamed squid in spinanch veloute, but w/o flaming it (too tedious for quantity for 30+pax!). i tasted the sotong & it was excellent. i made the red curry gravy using the dancing chef’s ready mix with some cut yellow onions. the curry was just superb, so the combination was just crazy, a clear winner!^^

#7 for the chicken thigh, i pan-grilled on a very hot stainless steel pan. it was perfect, and daughters’ friends walloped the 6 pieces of deboned thighs from 3 chicken in double quick time. 🙂

unlike the red curry dish, for this yellow curry, i made it as a sauce similar to busaba’s to-die-for grilled chicken green curry fried rice.^^

there was actually an egg fried rice dish (which was also pretty good) to accompany the thai chicken & sotong curries but i did not have a photo.

#8 wife made an excellent creamy tomato pasta. she usually use crayfish from chinatown & for me it’s the best pasta ever.

this time, we could not get crayfish at chinatown so she used large prawns as proxy. 🙂

helper's sausage pasta

#9 helper’s sausage pasta

#9 & my helper made her crowd favourite cheese sausage spaghetti.

the whole family like this & all my children’s friends who came to the house previously all enjoyed this pasta by my helper. 🙂

#10 i made an excellent squid ink spaghetti this time, no errors, no horrors, no misses, simply fabulous, par excellence!

very nicely creamy, i added butter (only when tossing with fire off! – you don’t want to boil the butter).^^

& fantastic colour, al dente pasta & irresistible squid ink flavour with wonderful chicken stock & squid.

#11 & the tagliata di manzo had my daughter’s friends swooning & asking for more.

in the end i cooked a second portion, total 4x300g = 1.2kg of 150D grain-fed black angus ribeye.

birthday cake

birthday cake

daughter’s friend made her a totally professional pastry chef standard 2-tier cake.

birthday cake

birthday cake

plus lemon tarts & also cup cakes. every cake item was just fabulous! 🙂

#12 i made my usual tiramisu.

it was as good as ever. daughter’s friends finished an entire tub. ^^ i had a spare tub though. there was too much cake already so we saved that.

& my daughter arranged a photo booth which was a lot of fun, & her friends came in all kinds of costumes.

the photo booth guy just finished national service & is going to london for further studies. that’s what young people do a lot these days, with internet & social media offering excellent reach, connectivity & empowerment! 🙂

what a simply incredible, most enjoyable & memorable occasion to be savoured.

c.h.e.f andy