Sizzling Egg Tofu

1 scallion

2 shiitake mushrooms

1 shallot

1 garlic clove

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 tbsp water

50g minced chicken 

1 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp shaoxing wine

1/4 tsp white pepper 

2 Japanese tofu

Oil

400 ml water

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 egg

scallions

Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes or until soft. Then, cut them into thin slices. Mince garlic and slice shallots. Cut scallions into length of ca. 4cm. Separate the leafy parts of the scallion from the root portion. In a bowl, mix corn flour with water. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix minced meat with soy sauce, white pepper, salt and 'Shaoxing' wine. Leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.

Use a knife to cut right through the package of tofu. Press the end of the package to allow the tofu to slide out. Then, cut them into slices of ca. 1.5cm thick.

Heat pan over medium temperature. Once the pan is hot, add enough oil to fry the tofu. When tofu slices are browned, turn them over to fry the other side. Leave aside. Note: Using a non-stick pan would be helpful to prevent the tofu from sticking to the pan.

Keep one tablespoon of oil used to fry tofu. Discard the rest. Add garlic, shallots and mushrooms to the pan. Sauté over medium heat until fragrant. Then, add minced meat. Continue sautéing for another minute.

Add scallions (root portion), water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and oyster sauce to the pan. Increase heat to maximum and bring gravy to boil. Once it begins boiling, add the rest of the scallions and pour in corn starch mixture. Stir until gravy thickens. Set aside.

Place the hot plate over medium to high heat. Pour a beaten egg onto the hot plate and immediately add the fried tofu slices. Pour the prepared gravy onto the hot plate. Optionally, garnish with scallions.

Asian Braised Short Ribs

INGREDIENTS

5 lb. bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces 

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce

1/2 c. water

1/4 c. light brown sugar

1/4 c. rice wine vinegar 

2 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. crush red pepper flakes (optional )

3 Carrots, medium, peeled and chopped into thirds

1 yellow onion, large, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges 

5 cloves garlic, crushed  

1 1/2 inch piece ginger, thinly sliced  

Toasted sesame seeds, for serving 

2 green onions, thinly sliced, for serving 

Cooked short grain white rice, for serving.

DIRECTIONS

1. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to slow cooker and pour off all but 3 tablespoons drippings from pot.
2. Meanwhile, whisk soy sauce, water, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes.
3. Add carrots and onions to pan, and cook, mixing occasionally until browned. Add garlic and ginger and brown until fragrant, 1 minute more. Remove from heat and deglaze with reserved soy sauce mixture, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom. Pour this mixture into the slow cooker. 
4. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 9 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. 
5. Garnish short ribs with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Spoon sauce over rice and serve.

STEAMED FISH

INGREDIENTS

• 1 live fish, about 1.5 lb. (0.6 kg) or less
• 2 inches (5 cm) ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
• 1 stalk scallion, cut into 2 inch length (5 cm), and then cut into thin silken threads
• Some cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or rice wine

• STEAMED FISH SOY SAUCE MIXTURE:

  • 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, or rice wine
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 3 dashes white pepper powder
  • 2 tablespoons rock sugar, grind into powder form or to taste

  • INSTRUCTIONS

    1. Clean the fish properly (remove scales, guts, gills, etc.) and pat dry. Blend the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
    2. Lay the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon shaoxing (or rice) wine on top of the fish. Top the fish with 1/2 of the cut ginger strips.
    3. Heat up a wok with enough water for steaming. Wait for the water to boil. As soon as it boils, place your fish inside the wok, propped up with a small inverted bowl or a couple of wooden blocks (meant for steaming). Cover your wok tightly and set your kitchen alarm for 8 minutes.
    4. As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok. Discard the fish water and ginger strips. Lay the remaining ginger strips on top of the fish.
    5. Heat up a pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, swirl around until it's hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Topped with scallions and cilantro leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.

French bread

My recipe for yesterday’s bake. I think it must be foolproof. My bread has never turned out like this before. 

French bread 

3 hours



Prep Time: 2 hours 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time:3 hours

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•

Ingredients

• 10 ounces all purpose flour (or bread flour) - (2 ¼ cups)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt , plus ½ teaspoon for sprinkling on top

• 1 tablespoon honey

• ½ tablespoon olive oil , plus 1 tablespoon for brushing over top.

• 6 fluid ounces warm water

• ½ teaspoon active dry yeast

Instructions

• Add the flour, salt, honey, olive oil, and water to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water to allow it to dissolve. 


• Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough comes together. Remove the paddle attachment and replace with a dough hook and continue mixing until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, 10 minutes. The dough can also be kneaded by hand.


• Remove the mixing bowl from the machine and cover it with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise to about twice its size, about 1 hour.


• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it 4-5 times to expel excess gas and redistribute the yeast. Cover with a dish towel and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.


• Shape the dough into a boule (round ball), an oval, or stretch the dough into a rectangle roughly 6x3 inches to form a baguette. If making a baguette, seal the ends by pinching down with the heel of your hand. Place the dough on a baking sheet and, cover with a dish towel and allow to rise for about an hour.


•

• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400° F (200°C). Using the tip of a sharp knife, make 1 largetff slash across the top of the bread loaf. Brush with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle ½ teaspoon kosher salt over the top. When the oven is ready, bake for 18-20 minutes.

Thai Grilled Green Mango

Ingredients

• 2 fresh Thai bird chiles or other small hot chiles, seeded and minced
• 1-1/2 Tbs. fish sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp. water
• 1 Tbs. very finely chopped lemongrass (peel away the outer layer and use only the bulbous part at the end)
• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• 3 to 4 green (unripe) mangos
• 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• About 8 mint leaves and 10 basil leaves, each stacked, rolled into a cylinder, and cut into thin strips. 

• 
  

  Preparation

  • In a small bowl. mix the chiles, fish sauce, water, lemongrass, and brown sugar. Pit each mango by holding it with the narrow side up and cutting through on each side of the large, flat, central pit to give you two big pitless pieces. With a sharp knife, peel these pieces and cut them into spears about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Peel the skin from the remaining pit section and cut the flesh near the pit into spears, if possible. (You can peel the mangos before slicing, but they become quite slippery.)
  • Pour the marinade over the mangos and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes but not more than 1 hour. Have ready a moderately hot fire. Grill the fruit to soften its texture, letting it brown slightly, about 2 minutes per side. When cooked, transfer it to a platter, pour any remaining marinade over the mangos, and sprinkle with the cilantro, mint, and basil. Serve warm as an appetizer

Spinach and turkey bacon quiche

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Gruyère, packed 
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water
• 2 slices turkey bacon microwave for 2.5 minutes and chopped. 

• INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about an inch apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don\"t worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set aside and turn oven down to 325°F.
  2. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
  4. Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven). Spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scatter the spinach and bacon evenly over cheese, breaking up the clumps as best you can. Pour the egg and cream mixture over top.
  5. Bake at 325°F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.

Gulai Nenas

 

Ingredients:
1 Pomfret, or other white-fleshed fish

(A) To grind:
1½ large onion
3 cloves garlic
1" fresh tumeric (OR 1 tsp tumeric powder)
3 fresh red chillies
a little belacan (toasted)

4 cups water
15-20 asam jawa (mixed with ¼ cup water)
1½ tsp salt 
3-4 Tbsp sugar
a few stalks daun kesum
1 pineapple, sliced

Method:

1. Add (A) to water, air asam & pineapple & boil.
2. Once boiling add fish, daun kesum, salt & sugar.
3. Remove once fish is cooked.