(My First) Bread Pudding

bread pudding

bread pudding

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

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

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

  1. chicken rendang; &
  2. babi pongteh

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

bread pudding

bread pudding

i decided to try out a bread pudding.

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

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

bread pudding

bread pudding

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

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

bread pudding mixture

bread pudding mixture

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

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

transferred to oven dish

transferred to oven dish

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

transferred to oven dish

transferred to oven dish

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

bread pudding

bread pudding

must say the result was quite wonderful.

bread pudding

bread pudding

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

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

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

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

Directions :-

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

(My First) Chicken Rendang

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

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

actually first time i cooking any rendang.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

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

i initially thought of doing my nonya curry chicken.

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

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

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

i mostly followed that with some minor variations.

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

lemon grass, dessicated coconut, galangal

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

dessicated coconut

dessicated coconut

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

kerisik

kerisik

until golden brown=kerisik.

kerisik

kerisik

set aside the kerisik.

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

blended chilli, ginger, galangal, lemon grass etc

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

frying the rempah

frying the rempah

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

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

deboned chicken pieces, about 800g

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

fyring the chicken

fyring the chicken

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

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

i did for about 10mins.

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

then i added 200ml coconut milk.

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

then i added some cut kaffir lime leaves.

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

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

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

chicken rendang

chicken rendang

overall, it was really quite an excellent dish.

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

looks like we are going out for dimsum dinner instead.

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

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

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

c.h.e.f andy

Ingredients :-

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

for rempah paste –

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

Directions :-

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