Chinese Barbecue Pork (Cha Siew)

CHINESE BARBECUE PORK (CHA SIEW)

(Serves 6)

1.2 kg belly or shoulder pork

sugar, salt and pepper

oil for shallow frying

This is a very simple recipe that it is NOT about the recipe but the method in cooking this dish. The meat is cooked in a pot and the result is a golden, sticky and tender caramelized pork strips.

1. Cut pork into 1" strips as shown below and marinade pork with sugar, salt and pepper.  Allow about 1 tablespoon to sugar per strip of pork while salt and pepper  about 1 teaspoon each.  Leave to marinade in the fridge for at least 3 hours.

2.  Heat a heavy-based pan and pour in oil to come up to about 1/2" from the base of the pot.  When oil is just hot,  arrange strips of the marinated pork in a single layer in the pot. Add in half of the marinade Reduce fire  to a minimum and cover.

3. After about 35-40 minutes, the sugar would just began to start to caramelized. Add in the remaining marinade.

4.  Once the underside has started to get  brown, turn over to cook the otherside, covered.  After another 15-20 minutes, the meat would have turned a golden brown.

5.  Remove and drain. Cool slightly before cutting into bite size pieces.

Note:  You can substitute pork with boneless chicken whole leg (leave whole).  Cooking time should be reduced by half by allowing to cook in medium-high fire so as the sugar can be caramelized faster and chicken requires shorter cooking time.  

BANANA & PEACH CRUMBLE

(Serves 8-10)

This recipe is not your usual fruit crumble recipe. This crumble mixture has a cookie texture which makes it more 'short' or buttery that my family likes.  You can also add about 3-4 tablespoons of rolled oats to the crumble mixture for more bite.

1 large canned peaches in slices, drained

3-4 large bananas

2 tbspn lemon juice

grated rind from 1 lemon

few dashes of cinnamon powder

Crumble mixture:

160g g butter, chopped
1.5 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup soft brown sugar

1 cup chopped nuts (almond or walnut)

1.  Using a 8"square glass pan (I use Pyrex), place sliced peaches at the base of pan.

2.  Peel bananas and slice thickly (about 1/4") and place these on top of the peaches.

3.  Pour in lemon juices and sprinkle on rind and cinnamon powder.

4.  In a mixing bowl, rub in chopped butter into flour and stir in brown sugar.  You can also do this very quickly in a food processor; just put the crumble mixture into the food processing machine and process until just combined.

5.  Spread crumble mixture evenly on top of the fruits.  Top with chopped nuts.

6.  Bake it preheated oven in moderate temperature (180 deg C) for about 30-40 minutes or until brown.

7.  Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream.

AYAM GORENG BEREMPAH

Some of you who has been following my food blog and has read the articles from the beginning, I wrote about meal planning. At most times, I have already planned my menu for the week the minute I bought my fresh food from the market.
Marinated meat can be kept in the fridge in the chiller section for as long as 4 days.  Make sure that your fridge is not overcrowded otherwise it is difficult for your fridge to maintain the right temperature or not cold enough.

AYAM GORENG BEREMPAH

(Serves 4-5)

3 chicken whole leg 

marinade:

5 cm young galangal

3 cm  fresh turmeric root

2 shallots

2 garlic

salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash chicken whole-leg and cut a score each at the thigh and drumstick.  You can choose to skin the chicken if you like.

2.  Pound or process the marinating ingredients and stir in salt and pepper into the paste.

3.  Rub chicken with the marinating paste. Put into a container, covered and keep in fridge until ready to cook. It can keep for at least 4 days in the chiller section of the fridge.

4.  Heat enough oil to cover at least half the chicken in a wok for deep frying. I like to use a cast iron wok or alternatively you can use a deep fryer.

5.  When oil is hot enough, put in the chicken together with all the marinade. Turn fire to medium  and cover with a wok cover.

6.  Fry until chicken is brown on the underside and turnover to fry the otherside. Cover and fry further until chicken turns a rich golden brown colour.  The marinade added together when deep frying gives the chicken a nice rich colour and makes it more flavourful.  Covering the wok with a wok cover when frying creates a certain pressure in the wok and assists in cooking the chicken faster without drying out too fast, resulting in a juicier fried chicken.

7.   Serve fried chicken hot. 

Grilled Lamb Chops In Honey Mustard Marinade

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS IN HONEY MUSTARD MARINADE

(Serves 4)

8 pcs Lamb shoulder or leg chops

Marinade:

2 tbsp prepared mustard

5 tbspn Lea & Perrin Sauce

1 tbspn honey

1 tbspn mixed herbs

salt

black pepper

Mint Sauce for serving

Method:

1.  In a small mixing bowl, mix marinade ingredients evenly. Coat lamb chops with the marinade and put in fridge for about 4-5 hours or overnight.

2.  Set your oven to Grill mode.

3.  Arrange marinated lamb chops onto a wire rack in a single layer. Grill lamb chops for 20 minutes.  Turn chops over and grill for a further 5 minutes.

4.  Serve accompanied with mint sauce.

Variation: You can also use boneless lamb shoulder. Just double or triple the marinade recipe and allow a much longer grilling time. Having the cooked meat a little pink on the inside is fine but not bloody.

Hakka Braised Duck in Red Bean Curd

HAKKA BRAISED DUCK IN RED BEAN CURD

2 Kg whole duck, cleaned 

Marinade:

2 pcs red bean curd + 1 tbspn sauce

3 tbsp light soya sauce

4 shallots, minced

4 cloves garlic,minced

200 ml Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce
1/2 tspn 5-spice powder

1.5 tbspn thick dark soya sauce

3 tbspn sugar

2 whole star anise

2-3 cups water

Oil for deep frying

Coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

1.  Wash and pat dry duck inside out. Reserve the feet, gizzard, liver and heart.

2.  Mash and mix marinade ingredients in a small bowl and rub in the marinade onto duck's skin, the inside of the cavity and the gizzard, liver and heart.  Leave to marinade in fridge for about 3 hours.

 3.  Heat enough oil in a wok to cover at least half the duck for deep frying and browning. 

4.  Drain the duck of the marinade and reserve the marinade. Deep fry the duck until skin is golden brown.  Remove duck from oil and drain.

5.  Leave about 3 tbsp of cooking oil in the same wok and fry minced shallots, garlic and star anise until onions and garlic are brown.  Stir in reserve marinade, oyster sauce, 5-spice powder, dark soya sauce, sugar and water. Bring to boil and add in the duck and the fried innards.

6.  Reduce fire to a minimum and leave to braise duck until just tender, about 45 minutes. Test by poking a blunt chopstick into the thickest part of the duck. If it goes in easily, the duck is ready.

7.  Remove duck and innards from the wok. Bring fire to a maximum and continue to boil sauce to reduce to a thick and glossy sauce. Check taste and adjust to your preference.

8.  Cool duck before chopping into bite size pieces, arranged decoratively on a serving platter. Top with sauce just before serving and garnish with coriander leaves.

Nyonya Vegetable Acar (Nyonya Spicy Vegetables Pickles)

NYONYA VEGETABLE ACAR

(NYONYA SPICY VEGETABLE PICKLE)

Serves 6-8

For the vegetables:

1 large cucumber

1 medium cabbage

1 large carrot, peeled

200 gm long beans

2 red chillies

2 green chillies

2 tspn salt

Hot boiling water

Grounded ingredients:

15 dried chilies, seeded and soaked in cold water overnight

4 red chilies, seeded and chopped

10 shallots, peeled

5 cloves garlic

3 cm fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced

3 cm fresh galangal, peeled and sliced

4 candlenuts

Pickling liquid:

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tspn salt

Grounded, toasted peanuts or toasted sesame

seeds for garnishing

1  Cut cucumber into 4 lengths.  Cut out center core to remove seeds and then into strips of about 3 mm thickness.  Cut carrot into the same length as the cucumber.Slice each length into 3 mm thickness and then julienne. Toss sliced cucumber and carrot with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Leave aside.

2  Separate leaves of cabbage and cut leach leave into quarters. Cut long beans into 1 inch length.  Scald cabbage and long beans in hot boiling water and drain.

3  Using a tea towel, wrap a handful of sliced cucumber and carrot and squeeze out water.  Do the same with the scalded cabbage pieces and long beans. Put out to dry in the sun on a bamboo tray for about 1 to 2 hours.

4  Remove seeds from chilies. Half, lengthwise and slice at a slant into 1 inch length.  Put out to dry in the sun with the rest of the prepared vegetables.

5  Heat oil in a wok.  Fry blended ingredients in medium fire until fragrant, about 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly.

6  Add in vinegar, sugar and salt.  Bring to boil and stir until sugar melts.

7  Off the fire and stir in dried vegetables and mix well.  Is using toasted sesame seeds, you can stir them in now.  If using grounded, toasted peanuts, its best added just before serving.

8  Leave vegetables to pickle for at least 4-5 hours or overnight before serving.