wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions

made wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions  for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 29.9.2017. ^^

this my 42nd friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions

chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡 is an easy, tasty dish.

the chinese shaoxing wine & marinade bring out the sweet taste of chicken & if the texture is done right w/o overcooking the chicken, then it is a very delicious dish & easy to prepare too.

cut pieces of chicken thigh

cut pieces of chicken thigh

i used 2kg pack of frozen chicken thighs with a centre bone.

for the residents, i usually made boneless dishes, so i cut out the meat & left the centre thigh bone with some meat on.

also the residents now consistently number 130, so there must be enough pieces of meat to serve out.

wine chicken

my marinade recipe (this being 2kg of meat) –

• 4 tbsp chinese wine 花雕酒
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 heap tbsp corn flour

cornflour helps to made the chicken smooth, and also thickens the braising sauce a bit..

i marinade the chicken overnight in the fridge.

wine chicken

in the morning, i fry sliced ginger, then added chopped garlic & the chicken pieces to brown a bit, then added the marinade, covered the wok pan for about 4mins medium low fire.

wine chicken

wine chicken

i removed & drained the chicken, kept the sauce.

bottlegourd

bottlegourd

then i fried the bottlegourd with lots of chopped garlic, a bit of oyster sauce.

then added the sauce from the chicken, covered the wokpan and braised & reduced.

i added 1 tbsp of mala oil. not too much.

wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions

wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions

then i added back the chicken, off fire & tossed a bit.

judging the amount of sauces vs the amount of chicken & bottlegourd is a key. chicken gives out a lot of liquid even after draining. & flavours would be diluted if too much fluid.

wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions

the end result – a very tasty dish of wine chicken thighs with bottle gourd & onions.

c.h.e.f andy

braised chicken thighs with taupok

made braised chicken thighs with taupok for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 22.9.2017. ^^

this my 41st friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

braised chicken thighs with taupok

wasn’t sure what dishes to make for teban gardens this morning.

i had made diced pork for last 2 friday breakfasts. it was the easiest to do as no cutting, preparation required for the pork, just steam for 1.5hrs.

if i get fresh whole chicken , i would need 3 chickens and deboning 3 chickens is quite an effort.

anyhow i went to sheng shiong last evening past 10pm, and i decided on 2kg packet of deboned chicken legs/thighs.

braised chicken thighs

braised chicken thighs

i cut the boneless thighs into 10/12 pieces each, so i had about 120 pieces+

i washed with salt & drained in colander in fridge overnight.

Tai Hua chicken marinate (大华鲁鸡汁)

this morning, i added chicken fat, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 star anise, 4 cloves, 3cm cut ginger, & whole load of chopped garlic about 2tbsp (did not have whole garlic bulbs), 1 tbsp sugar.

then i added the chicken and fried under high heat, and added tai hwa braising sauce, covered & simmered.

the key is  simply NOT to overcook the chicken, so it is tender & tasty, well infused with the braising sauce.

then i dished out the chicken pieces into the aluminum carrier tray.

braised taupok

at sheng shiong last evening, i also bought 2 packets of hara taupok 豆腐皮.

i chose packets with 11 pieces (some only 10 pieces). this morning i cut each piece into 4 pieces, so i had=22×4=88 pieces…

so i used the very tasty braising sauce after braising the chicken thighs, and cooked the taupok strips till very soft & well infused…

braised chicken thighs

braised chicken thighs

so i had very tasty taupok, and a bouncy, succulent, braised chicken thigh.

a simple yet beautiful dish.

c.h.e.f andy

diced pork with cabbage

made diced pork with cabbage for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 15.9.2017. ^^

this my 40th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

diced pork with cabbage

returned from hong kong last evening 14.9.2017.

following on last friday’s dice pork dish, i went to sheng shion & bought 4packets=1.6kg of diced pork, and 1.1kg of cabbage.

1.6kg diced pork for steaming in steam oven for 1.5hrs

had to wake up at 6am because i need to steam pork in steam oven for 1.5hrs so that it was very tender👍

cabbage

other than that preparation was easy.

cabbage

just fried chopped garlic & 1 cut chili padi in oil & add cabbage. added 1 tbsp oyster sauce

i drained some juice from the steamed pork & added to to the cabbage. covered the wok & cooked for 10 mins to cook the cabbage & reduce the stock. 🙂

set aside the cabbage.

diced pork double-cooked

then cooked the diced pork in the wok over high heat.

i added a bit of mala 麻辣 chili oil. just fried for 1-2minutes to char a bit of the pork.

later teban gardens staff told me the residents loved the pork especially the slight chili flavours. the mala 麻辣 chili oil added nice flavours to the dish.

c.h.e.f andy

diced pork with potatoes & onions

did a diced pork with potatoes & onions for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 8.9.2017. ^^

this my 39th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

diced pork with potatoes & onions 

i bought about 1kg diced pork from sheng shiong.

this are commonly used for sweet & sour pork咕噜肉。

diced pork 

i defrosted, washed clean with salt, then scalded with boiling water to remove scum & clean the pork.

then i left in strainer in fridge to dry.

diced pork 

next morning, i woke up at 6am & steamed the pork for 1hrs 20mins in the steam oven.

diced pork 

pork was very tender after steaming.

i fried the pork in oil (or butter) on high heat for 1 minute, stirring well. this is the 回锅肉double-cooked pork method, to have a tender texture & a nice slight external charring flavours.

i set the pork aside.

potatoes & onions 

next i fried sliced onions to soften & added chopped garlic.

potatoes & onions 

then i added small cubed potatoes.  & added some oysters sauce. also added the juice of the pork from the steamer after straining. & reduced.

important not to overcook the potatoes, so it breaks in the middle but still have the bite & not mushy.

diced pork with potatoes & onions 

the i added back the diced pot & stir-fry for short while, like 30secs.

diced pork with potatoes & onions 

then i transferred the completed dish to the aluminium carrier.

it was a tasty dish. the folks at teban gardens community service centre loved it. but this quantiy was not quite enough as the size at teban gardens have grown substantially, now about 130pax.

i will cook a bit more next round.

c.h.e.f andy

braised belly pork – kong bak 

i did a simple & fast braised belly pork (kong bak) and taupok for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 28.7.2017. ^^

this my 37th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

crowd of residents at teban gardens friday community breakfast 

the residents joining breakfast grew to almost 130.

when i first came in jan2016, there were like about 80 attendees for the breakfast.

braised belly pork – kong bak & taupok 

i bought about 1.6kg+ of belly pork and decided to make a simple & quick braised belly pork (kong bak) and taupok.

Tai Hua chicken marinate (大华鲁鸡汁) 

i used tai hua braising sauce to save time & effort.

braised belly pork – kong bak & taupok 

fried 2 cinnamon bark, 4 star anise, 2 cloves, 1 whole bulb of peeled garlic cloves in oil till fragrant.

then added the belly pork and browned all sides a little.

added 1/2 cup braising sauce, then 1 cup of water, and boiled & covered the wok pan.

then just braised for 2hrs, adding water as required, and checking the texture. i like it to be tender but with some bite, and not overdone so the lean parts are not old…

braised belly pork – kong bak & taupok 

the kong bak came on nicely. i removed & set aside.

2 packets taupok 

then i added 2 packets of hara taupok.

these were 12 to a packet & i cut eahc into 4 strips so i had 2x12x4=96strips..

2 packets taupok

boiled the taupok in the sauce for 30mins or so, till the right texture.

braised belly pork – kong bak

as i have to leave the house by 8.15am to deliver the dish to teban gardens, it would be too late.

so for this breakfast dish i braised the kong bak the evening before & kept in a sealed holder in the fridge. & after taking it out the next morning from the fridge, i placed it int he steam oven & steamed for 15mins to give it the right moisture & texture before plating them in the aluminium carrier.

then i added the taupok on top & some braising sauce to keep warm & moist & covered with aluminium foil.

c.h.e.f  andy

braised sutchi fillet with leek & onions

i did a simple & fast braised sutchi fillet with leek & onions dish for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 21.7.2017. ^^

this my 36th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

braised sutchi fillet

this really a fast & good dish! ^^

i bought 2kg of frozen sutchi fillet from sheng shion & cleaned with salt & dried laid on kitchen towels in the fridge overnight.

i started at 7am to prepare the dish.

basically i just fried cut ginger & 2 chili padi till fragrant, then added chopped garlic. then added the sutchi fillet. lastly i added the braising sauce = 3 tbsp light soy sauce, 2tbsp olive oil & 2 tbsp mirin.

cooked fillet for about 6mins, test the taste & texture..

braised sutchi fillet

it was quite perfect, the nice flavour of light soy sauce & olive oil.

a firm & breaking out texture & excellent taste. ^^

braised sutchi fillet

i transfer to the aluminium foil carrier, then drained the sauce & used for frying the leek & onions.

leek & onions

a very nice vegetable dish on its own la…

leek texture was just right, not yet mushy, still with good bite, and very tasty with the sauce.

braised sutchi fillet with leek & onions

and so voila! dish ready..i tasted the fillet & leek, very good! 🙂

c.h.e.f andy

residents queueing & helping themselves to breakfast items

i did a simple & delectable prawn tofu dish for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 2.6.2017. ^^

this my 35th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

prawn tofu dish

it’s a easy dish to put together. and the end result was pretty & delectable.

residents queueing & helping themselves to breakfast items

however for a group of >100 residents (i was told the highest a few weeks ago was 126), i planned to do 10 tubes of egg tofu cut into 8 coin pieces=80 pieces altogether.

staff & volunteers serving the residents at teban gardens community breakfast

it would be too tedious to shallow fry, so i deepfried the egg tofu.

so i had to wake up at 6am to prepare the tofu. took maybe 20mins+ so i had time to let the tofu drained away the oil on kitchen towels.

1 kg shelled small prawns

one consideration in planning the dish for the residents = i usually do chicken & dory fish fillet & belly pork/collar as these have no bones or very few for the dory fillet.

of course belly pork/collar not so healthy. chicken i debone so it is quite hard work.

this the first time i try prawns. it is too difficult to shell prawns or ask my helper to do, so i ordered 1 kg IQF (individually quick freeze) small prawns from QBFood.

after defrosting & draining overnight (kept in fridge), i seasoned with fish sauce & white pepper.

deepfried egg tofu

i had done both deep & shallow fried egg tofu, so not much problem there.

deepfried egg tofu

& they looked so pleasing to the senses.

prawn tofu dish

just fry cut red onions, chilli, sliced ginger in oil high heat, then add chopped garlic.

after that off fire & add in chicken stock, bring to boil & crack 3 eggs, then “draw” with chopstick to spread the eggs.

prawn tofu dish

i did not want to overcook the prawns, so added tofu & then prawns & covered for few minutes.

added oysters sauce to taste.

then i mixed in the chopped spring onions.

prawn tofu dish

as a finale, i topped with cut spring onions & several twigs of coriander. voila!

i tried some prawns & tofu. just the right texture, and tofu was infused with the stock, very very tasty dish la…

c.h.e.f andy

wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

i did wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 19.5.2017. ^^

this my 34th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

i had done wine chicken for teban gardens community breakfast previously on 9.12.2016. today’s was similar but instead of celery i had taupol, onions & leek sides.

deboned chicken seasoned

deboned chicken seasoned

basically i used my chinese wine braised chicken 黄焖鸡 recipe here.

so i deboned 2 chicken the evening before, wake up early at 6am to marinate the chicken with (best to set aside for 1-2hrs) –

• 3tbsp fish sauce
• 2tbsp oyster sauce
• 2tbsp corn flour
• 2tbsp sesame oil
• 4tbsp shaoxing chine wine

then very hot wok, fry sliced ginger (3cm), 2 cut chilli padi, then add 1 tbsp chopped garlic in 1tbsp oil.

additionally i made intense chicken stock the evening before. cut a packet of 12x taupok to 4 slices each, then boil in stock for 1.2hr to infuse the stock flavours to the taupok.

in a separate wok, fry chicken (high heat), remove chicken & add wings first to the taupok (wings took a bit longer to cook). add another 4 tbsp shaoxing wine & cover (low heat) to cook the chicken.need about 8-10mins..

in the separate wok, fry the onions to soften then the leek. when leek is cooked just right (about 5mins) add to the chicken & taupok.

wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

the completed dish looked quite appealing.

and the chicken tasted tender & sweet.

 

wine chicken with taupok, onions & leek

recently the residents attending the breakfast had increased, now it’s above 120.teban gardens catered a good breakfast of beehoon, porridge & you tiao, another resident cooked a dish of fried egg omelette so including my dish, there was quite enough food for everyone.

c.h.e.f andy

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

i did nonya steamed angkorli (sea bream) fillet with cloud fungus for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 21.4.2017. ^^

this my 33rd friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

teban gardens community service centre

recently, the residents coming for this friday community breakfast have been increasing.

the staff keeping attendance told me the high was 119 in a recent week. 🙂

teban gardens community service centre

today, the sky opened up & there was a huge downpour.

i had to reroute by commonwealth avenue west to jurong town hall road as i expected AYE to be jammed, when there was such heavy downpour.

teban gardens community service centre

i still got to teban gardens before 8.45am.

today the crowd was thinner but it looked to be close to 100 still. 🙂

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

my steamed angkorli dish today was the same preparation as what i did a fortnight ago.

gimson nonya sauce

except that i added gimson nonya sauce to the fish. ^^

that gave the dish an added tangy nonya sauce flavour.

the staff & residents all liked it.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

sheng shiong was still having promotion, but instead of S$6.60/kg, it was S$7.50/kg.

i bought 2 larger fish >3kg, and got the fishmonger to fillet the fish.

in total i estimated about 1.8kg of fillet for today to serve about 100pax.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

preparation was simple as before.

just added 1 tbsp(big heap) gimson nonya sauce, 2.5 tbsp light soya sauce, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp mirin.

then added the sliced ginger, cut chilli padi, chopped garlic, cut spring onions, and lastly the cloud fungus.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet (before steaming)

& voila the dish was done, steamed in steam oven for 17mins.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

i tasted the angkorli fillet.

texture was great, just cooked, not overly, and the nonya sauce was excellent.

nonya steamed angkorli fillet

it was a great variation form the usual hong kong steamed style, which was also very good, but it’s good to have a change.

always like the tanginess of nonya & thai chilli dishes.

c.h.e.f andy

diced pork cubes with veg

i did diced pork cubes with veg for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 10.3.2017. ^^

this my 31st friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

diced pork cubes steamed

the residents now attending friday breakfast consistently 100 or more.

the options for my dish are usually chicken, fish & pork. for the older folks here, i choose meats that are without bones – ie for fish only fillet, for chicken i debone it & for for pork i usually do belly pork or pork collar. they are more tasty but a bit more fatty so unhealthy. this time i tried pork cubes, which are leaner.

i got 2 packets of diced pork cubes from sheng shiong the evening before.

diced pork cubes

cleaned with salt then scalded with boiling water to remove scum & kept in colander in fridge overnight to dry a bit.

diced pork cubes

got up early this morning to prepare the marinade for steaming = 1tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp (or 1 heap tbsp) corn flour. corn flour important to make meat smooth.

put in steam oven (or ordinary steamer) for 1.5hrs.

this the same sauce recipe i used to make steamed pork ribs which are dimsum restaurant standard.

maybe i will do steamed pork ribs (soft bone should be ok) next round?

fried potatoes, carrots, onions

for the vegetables, i fried carrots & yellow onions (2 medium carrots, 1 large yellow onion) with chopped garlic & 1 cut chilli padi in 2 tbsp oil, few minutes then covered for about 15mins on low fire, to soften the carrots. taste to get the right texture.

fried potatoes, carrots, onions

then i added potatoes (3 cut potatoes), covered & cooked for another 10mins.

i added the sauce from the steamed diced pork, so no need to add any salt or fish sauce etc to the veg.

potatoes are just cooked when it breaks when pressed against the side of the wokpan, or using a chopstick or fork or spoon to break it. get the texture just right, not mushy.

diced pork cubes with veg

i added back the steamed diced pork cubes, mixed well & covered for a few mins.

diced pork cubes with veg

& basically, that’s done liao.

diced pork cubes with veg

so now just to plate the dish in the aluminium container.

diced pork cubes with veg

the staff & volunteers all liked the dish, and it seems the residents too. ^^

c.h.e.f andy

braised sutchi fillet 

i did braised sutchi fillet for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 3.3.2017. ^^

this my 30th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

braised sutchi fillet 

i used 12 fillets = 2x1kg packets of frozen sutchi fish plus 2 pieces from from a 3rd packet. each fillet can serve about 8pax, so 96pax.

it was a large quantity so i cooked in 2 batches.

normally i will steam the fish. however it is difficult to dry the fish in such quantities. & this suthi fillet releases a lot of water so will dilute the taste of the soy sauce.

i washed the fillet with salt to clean & remove the mud taste a bit. sutchi is cat fish so will still have mud taste.

then spread them out on a roasting rack & left them in the fridge overnight to dry a bit.

in the morning, i prepared quite a lot of chopped spring onions & sliced ginger, & cut 1 chilli padi. fried them in 4 tbsp olive oil.

then added 1/2 the fish = 6 large fillets. added 4 tbsp light soy sauce & 4 tbsp mirin, then boil, lower fire & cover to cook the fish & reduce the braising liquid, about 10mins.

then i removed the cooked fillets, reduced the liquid further & added the next batch of 6 fillets & repeated.

i removed the fillets & placedthem in an aluminium tray in a 50degC oven to keep warm, leaving the sauce/braising liquid in the wokpan.

when leaving for teban gardens, i heat the braising liquid & sppon some over the fillets, then covered with aluminium foil & brought it to teban gardens.

a simple dish to make. not quite my most preferred preparation, just a practical way to prepare in large quantities.

c.h.e.f andy

kongbak – braised belly pork

i did kongbak (braised belly pork) & taupok for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 17.2.2017. ^^

this my 29th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

Ros’ lontong

today the centre director, Ros, herself a marvellous cook, did a huge pot of lontong.

the kueh tupat & the ikan bilis chilli were supplied by another lady. Ros made the lontong gravy & sayur & tofu.

Ros’ lontong

it was excellent!

i try not to take breakfast & lunch if i can (unless there is lunch get togethers). today die die must take la…

Ros’ lontong

sayur & tofu just nice, and gravy was quite perfect. not east to make such a huge dish for so many people. banyak bagus!

kongbak – braised belly pork & taupok

i did my simple kongbak (braised belly pork) recipe, just adjust for the size of serving.

Tai Hua chicken marinate (大华鲁鸡汁)

using ready-made tai hua chicken marinade(大华鲁鸡汁) = kongbak made easy la!

kongbak – braised belly pork

today i was doing about 1.5kg belly pork.

so i used about 160ml (2/3 cup) of the tai hua chicken marinade(大华鲁鸡汁).

kongbak – braised belly pork

the recipe-

1. fry 1.5 bulbs of garlic cloves, 2 cinnamon bark, 4 star anise, & 3 cloves in 1 tbsp oil till fragrant ie nice aroma.
2. after washing with salt, scalding with boiling water to clean the pork, coat the pork with 2 tbsp sugar, place the pork in the wokpan, add tai hua braising sauce & let it coat the pork well on all sides for about 10mins. then add 2/3 cup water & cover.
3. so basically to infuse the pork with the braising sauce & to steam & cook the pork with cover on. for 2 hrs. watch over & add water as required. the key is to keep the sauce thick & flavour intense not diluting too much.

kongbak – braised belly pork

basically i tried the pork (use kitchen scissors to cut a bit to try) to my satisfaction in terms of texture – about 1.5hrs to 2hrs.

kongbak – braised belly pork

pork was excellent. all the teban gardens staff & several residents commented very tender & flavourful.

kongbak – braised belly pork

texture was gelatinous for the fat & skin & soft & tender for the lean meat.

braised taupok

i added 2packets x 10 taupok (cut into 4 strips per taupok=80 pieces) to fully utilise the braising sauce.

kongbak – braised belly pork & taupok

i added the taupok, and added water & covered & cooked about about 40mins. the taupok was tasty & well infused with the very “pang” sauce.

easy to do & a great, enjoyable dish for teban gardens folks! ^^

c.h.e.f andy

107pax for teban garden community breakfast

my helper made a breaded fish fritters for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 10.2.2017. ^^

so i didn’t have to do anything today, just the delivery man la… 🙂

today there was a huge crowd. i was told 107pax. 🙂

breaded dory fritters 

this my 28th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre. this time made by my filipino helper.

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.

breaded dory fritters 

my helper cut & marinated the dory fillets overnight in the fridge.

this morning she got up early to fry the fritters.

this time i had a good sleep till 8.03am. usually i leave by 8.15am so deliver the dish about 8.35am – 8.40am at teban gardens.

breaded dory fritters 

i did not try today, but all the helpers said it was excellent.

breaded dory fritters

anyway we had it at home several times prepared by our helper so i was confident it would be good la….

107pax for teban garden community breakfast 

the crowd is getting bigger by the day.

& they all start early to queue for the food.

used to be starting at 9am now they start queueing at 8.40am.

one resident demonstrates making dumpling 饺子 

today the centre director, herself an excellent chef who also cooks on occasions for the community breakfast, arranged a dumpling 饺子 demo by a resident who had before owned a eating stall in china.

one resident demonstrates making dumpling 饺子 

here he is doing the demo.

the dough was freshly made.

one resident demonstrates making dumpling 饺子

he did the kneading & cutting the small doughs.

others trying their hands in making dumplings 

the centre director had a trial run the day before so she was completely familiar & explaining the process to the group.

others trying their hands in making dumplings 

and many were keen to try wrapping the dumpling 饺子 themselves.

others trying their hands in making dumplings

there were 3 different types of fillings馅＝minced pork & chives, minced pork & chinese white cabbage, and chives with tiny cut tofu etc.

she told me the dumpling 饺子 were very good. i couldn’t stay to try.

it was an excellent morning. great community interaction & meaningful time for the centre staff & volunteers. & of course, many thanks to my helper also.

c.h.e.f andy

braised & steamed chicken with stir-fry leeks & onions

i did a braised & steamed chicken with stir-fry leeks & onions for teban gardens community breakfast this morning on 3.2.2017. ^^

today is the seventh day of lunar new year, 初七人日 & 立春 . didn’t realise this but there is a chinese legend 7 days of creation…

braised & steamed chicken 

this my 27th friday breakfast community meal at teban gardens community service centre.

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.

braised & steamed chicken 

i used my braised & steamed method using intense chicken stock to braise & infuse flavours to the chicken. 

braised & steamed chicken

i had to do this around midnight as there is no time to do in the morning. need to do cook each of the 2 chickens one at a time. 35mis then off fire & keep 1/2hr in the wokpan.

stir-fry leeks & onions

the next morning i cooked the onions & leeks.

stir-fry leeks & onions

fry onions with chilli padi, ginger & chopped garlic forst then add the leek. add some oyster sauce. cover & cook for 10mins. taste the dish to get the right texture for the leek, soft enough, tasty & not overly cooked.

transfer to aluminium tray for transportation to teban gardens.

braised & steamed chicken with stir-fry leeks & onions

then i deboned the 2 chickens, and topped the leeks & onions in the aluminium tray.

braised & steamed chicken with stir-fry leeks & onions

probably not my best chicken but still very tasty & tender & sweet vegetables.

a friend sent some photos of the teban garden folks afterwards. looks like they are quite enjoying the dish.

c.h.e.f andy