RECIPE: MEATBALLS IN CHILLI AND PLUM SAUCE

Another take of meatballs with plum sauce.



Ingredients

500g meatballs
1 large onion – sliced 1 cm thick
2 carrots – sliced fine
Capsicum - sliced
3 cloves garlic – minced
2 tsp Galiko or John West brand freshly minced chilli *
1/3 cup of plum sauce *
2 tbsp light soy sauce *
2 tbsp oyster sauce *
2 tbsp water *
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine - optional
2 tbsp veg oil


Method

Mix * ingredients in a bowl or small jug. Set aside. Warm meatballs in a microwave.

Heat oil in wok and fry garlic until aromatic. Add in the carrots and capsicum and fry for 2 mins or until nearly cooked. Moisten with a few tbsp of water if needed.

Add in the meatballs and stir through the ingredients. Add in the blended * ingredients and mix well. Bring to a boil. Add in the sliced onions just before lifting. Serve hot with rice.

RECIPE: STIR FRIED CHICKEN WITH HONEY AND GINGER

This recipe is adapted from Kylie Kwong’s ‘Simple Chinese Cooking’. What I love about her cooking is her simple and quick recipes…..ideal for the working mother who, regardless of a hectic day at the office, still appreciates and demands good food. Here is an example of one. And the beauty of this dish is….all the preparation is done the night before!!!


Ingredients

800g boneless chicken thigh fillets – sliced into bite sized pieces
Oil for frying (peanut or canola works well)
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Marinade

¼ cup honey (see my GLOSSARY post on HONEY)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (my Muslim friends, you may substitute with chicken stock)
2 tbsp diced ginger
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese five spice powder (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FIVE SPICE POWDER)
½ tsp sesame oil


Method

Mix the chicken well with the marinade ingredients and leave to marinade for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Heat oil in a wok until simmering and fry half of the chicken for 2 mins. Lift and set aside and repeat with the next batch.

Whilst the second batch is still in the wok, return the first batch back into the wok, along with the 2 tbsp of light soy and cook for another 2 to 3 mins until the chicken is cooked and slightly caramelised.

Lift and serve with rice and side dish of vegetables such as STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE.

VG’s rating: 4.5 stars

RECIPE: STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSHROOMS AND OYSTER SAUCE

One of the easiest, tastiest…. and my favourite ways to cook pak choy.

Ingredients

2 bunches of pak choy – stalks and leaves separated
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion or shallot – sliced (optional)
Mushroom of choice - sliced
Fresh or dried chillies (optional)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
Few splashes of soy sauce
Few drops of sesame oil
Veg oil



Method

Heat oil in a wok and fry the garlic, onion and chillies for 30 secs.

Add in the mushrooms and pak choy stalks. Moisten with some soy sauce and cook for 1 minute. Add in the oyster sauce.

Next add in the pak choy leaves and cook for a further 1 min until the leaves are ‘wilted’. Check seasoning (I tend to add more soy sauce instead of using salt), a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve as part of a meal with rice.

RECIPE: CHICKEN IN CHILLI BLACK BEAN SAUCE

It is safe to say that this is one dish that you will find in most Chinese restaurant menus (minus the chillies). However, if you are anything like me, it is usually the one dish I do avoid when ordering as I always find it either too salty or gluggy and it makes me feel really thirsty after I have eaten it (maybe it is the added msg – though none of the restaurants would ever admit that they actually use it in their cooking!). Therefore, I prefer to make this at home and in my opinion, the addition of the sliced chillies actually gives it the extra edge. Don’t just take my word for it….try it for yourselves!


Ingredients

600g boneless chicken breast or thigh – sliced

Cooking oil such as peanut or canola oil
Thumb size ginger – sliced into matchsticks or minced
3 cloves garlic - minced
2 fresh red chillies such as serrano – sliced (you may also use dried chillies – use extra in this instance and tear into a few pieces each)
1 large onion - quartered
1 large carrots - sliced
1 medium capsicum – cut into cubes
2 tbsp CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS (coarsely chopped or mashed using the back of a spoon) or 2 to 3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee’s black bean sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on CHINESE FERMENTED BLACK BEANS)
1 tbsp (or to taste) light soy sauce
100 to 150ml chicken stock – I used 1/2 tsp of chicken stock powder diluted in water
Few drops sesame oil

Marinade

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp cornflour


Method

In a bowl, mix the chicken with the marinade and leave to marinade for 15 mins.

Heat a wok over high heat until it is hot. Add in the oil and when slightly smoking, add in half the chicken and cook, stirring continuously until nearly done (2 to 3 minutes). Lift onto a plate and repeat the process with the next batch.

Next, in the same wok (add some oil if required) add the ginger, garlic, chillies and carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Then add in the capsicum and black beans/sauce and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken. Add in the soy sauce. Mix well.Add in the stock. Bring the mixture to the boil and add in the onions.

Cook for 1 minute, stir in a few drops of sesame oil, lift and serve hot with rice.

Note

You can substitute the chicken with beef, prawns, squid or any firm white fish fillets. Make sure you adjust the cooking times to suit your meat/seafood.

You may also add vegetables such as snow peas, baby corn and cauliflower to the dish.

VG’s Rating: 4 stars

RECIPE: BEAN SPROUTS AND CHINESE CHIVES WITH PRAWNS

Bean sprouts (or ‘taugeh’ in Malay) are one of my favourite ‘vegetables’. It takes only minutes to cook and you can add almost anything to it. If there is any preparation associated to this dish, it is to do with ‘tailing’ the sprouts (ie pinching off the long dangling roots of the sprouts)….that is if you are fussy and if you can’t get ‘tailed’ sprouts. Regardless, of this required effort, I’d have this anytime!

In this instance, I stir fried the sprouts with some Garlic/Chinese chives and small prawns. Another good addition would be some tofu.

Ingredients

500g bean sprouts
1 bunch Garlic/Chinese chives – cut into 4 cm lengths
250g small prawns – peeled
2 cloves garlic – minced
1 small onion – sliced
1 fresh red chilli sliced or 2 to 3 dried chillies torn into pieces – optional
Few splashes of light soy sauce
Few drops of sesame oil (see my GLOSSARY post on SESAME)
Salt
Oil

Method

In a wok, heat some oil and sauté the garlic and onion for 10 secs. Add in the prawns and chillies and cook for 2 mins or until the prawns are nearly cooked.

Add in the sprouts and chives and toss to cover with all the ingredients. Add some soy sauce and cook for about 2 to 3 mins only. You want your bean sprouts to remain crunchy.

Add a few drops of sesame oil, mix well, lift and serve hot with rice and meat dishes such as my CHENGDU CHICKEN.

RECIPE: CHENGDU CHICKEN

I think I got this recipe from the net somewhere and I believe the original recipe calls for it to be served with spinach. Instead, I served my CHENGDU CHICKEN with BEANSPROUTS AND CHINESE CHIVES WITH PRAWNS.

The dish may seem complicated with the different spices and sauces used, but it is actually quite easy to make. Most of the work is in the preparation. In any instance, it tastes great….so it makes it all so worthwhile!


Ingredients

800g boneless skinless chicken breasts – cut into cubes

Marinade
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp sesame oil
2 to 3 tsp cornstarch

Sauce
2 tbsp Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar or rice vinegar (red rice vinegar if possible)
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch mixed in 2 tbsp water

Other Ingredients
2 spring onions – sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic - minced
½ thumb size ginger - minced
2 to 3 tbsp hot bean paste
1 tsp sesame oil or to taste
1 tsp freshly ground Szechuan pepper (see my GLOSSARY post on SZECHUAN PEPPER)
Vegetable or peanut oil

Method

Add the marinade ingredients to the cubed chicken, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for at least 20 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce. Combine the rice wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into the water. Set aside.

Heat a wok with sufficient oil to fry the chicken cubes. Stir the chicken continually to keep it from sticking to the wok. When the chicken changes colour and is nearly 80 per cent cooked, remove it from the wok. Leave about 2 tbsp of the oil in the wok.

Add the garlic, ginger and hot bean paste to the wok. Stir-fry briefly until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Add the chicken back into the wok and mix with the hot bean paste.

Make a well in the wok by pushing the chicken to the sides and add the sauce mixture in the middle. Give the cornstarch and water mixture a quick re-stir and mix it in the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken.

Now toss the chicken back into the centre, mixing it well with the sauce. Add in the green onion and sesame oil. Sprinkle the freshly ground Szechuan pepper over top. Lift and serve hot with stir fried vegetables and rice.

VG’s rating: 4 stars

RECIPE: MONGOLIAN BEEF

This is Kylie Kwong’s (a famous Australian Chinese Chef, if you are wondering) recipe. Really yummy and the results are better than any restaurants….where they add tons of onions to make up for the volume whilst having no substance. Not in this instance!

NB: I added chilli flakes to this dish. This is not in Kylie's recipe.


Ingredients

For the marinade:
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 garlic cloves - finely diced
½ tsp sesame oil

For the beef:
600g good quality beef - sliced thinly
1 head Chinese cabbage, finely shredded (I did not put any)
2 tsp sea salt
50ml vegetable oil
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp chilli flakes - optional
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp malt vinegar
½ tsp sesame oil
1 small carrot - peeled and finely sliced
1 small red capsicum - finely sliced
1 onion - sliced
1 chilli - sliced (optional)

Method

Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add in the beef and leave to marinate in fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the cabbage (if using) and salt into another bowl and mix well to combine. Leave to stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water and drain. Squeeze out any excess liquid with your hands.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a wok until the surface starts to shimmer slightly. Add half of the marinated beef and stir fry for 30 seconds. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set to one side.

Add the remaining oil to the wok and cook the remaining beef for 30 seconds before returning the reserved beef to the pan.

Add in the rice wine, hoisin and oyster sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and cook for a further 30 seconds.

Toss in the cabbage, carrot, onions and capsicum and stir-fry for a further one to two minutes. Add in the chilli flakes (optional).

Remove from the heat. Serve hot with rice and sliced chillies (optional).

RECIPE: RICE NOODLES IN CLEAR BROTH (KUEY TEOW TH’NG)

A popular hawker dish in South East Asia, good for a quick meal. This is the Malaysian/Singaporean version. You can basically make your stock from any meat or even seafood. The Chinese tend to use pork bones and the Malays would use beef or chicken bones. The choice is endless so is for the toppings.

I tend to think of this dish as a convalescing meal, like having chicken soup when you are ill. Since I have been ill, this has been one of the few meals that have enjoyed in the past few weeks. It is light yet nutritious.

Here is how I make my RICE NOODLES IN CLEAR BROTH.


Ingredients – serves 6 to 8

2 kg fresh flat rice noodles or kuey teow
1.5 kg pork ribs
2 chicken breasts
24 large green prawns – peeled but shells saved to make stock
3 litres water (for broth)
I packet fish balls
1 piece fish cake – sliced thinly
1 bunch Chinese greens such as choy sum or Chinese chives
250 gm bean sprouts - tailed
6-8 cloves garlic - smashed
4 spring onions – cut into 4 cm pieces
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
Salt to taste
Sesame oil
Fried shallots (available at Asian grocers and the Asian food aisle at supermarkets such as Woolies or Coles)


Method

In a pot, add water, pork ribs, prawn shells, salt, peppercorns, garlic and spring onions. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 to 45 mins, whilst removing any scum that may form. Strain and return the broth to the pot. Adjust seasoning and keep the broth on a low simmer.

Add the whole chicken breast fillets to the broth and poach till cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and slice thinly. Set aside.

Now repeat the process with the prawns. Set aside.

Again, strain the hot stock carefully through a sieve, preferably lined with a muslin or cheese cloth to obtain a clear broth. You don’t have to do this if you don’t mind a ‘cloudy’ broth. Wash the pot of any scum before pouring the hot strained broth into the pot. Bring to a boil again and then leave the broth to simmer. Put your fish balls in now.

Bring another pot, with plenty of water (I use an asparagus pot) to a boil.

Now assemble your serving bowls.

Using a noodle sieve (available at most oriental grocers), first put in the amount of noodles required, followed by the Chinese greens, bean sprouts and fish cake. Blanch these in the pot for two mins or until the water comes to the boil again. Remove from the water, shake off excess water and put into a serving bowl. Top with the sliced chicken and prawns.

Ladle sufficient quantity of broth to cover the ingredients, ensuring you add some fish balls that have been simmering in the broth. Add ½ tsp of sesame oil and a sprinkling of fried shallots to the top. Serve immediately with a side dish of DICED CHILLIES IN SOY SAUCE AND VINEGAR.

Repeat the process for the next person.

RECIPE: GOLDEN FRAGRANT (KAM HEONG) CRABS

I saw this recipe at my friend Hazila’s blog and I could not wait to try it as it looked delicious. And I was not disappointed! The dish is a fusion between a sambal and a curry and the addition of the oyster sauce, lemon grass and curry leaves gives it a totally different flavour and sensation.

I did change the weights of some ingredients to compensate for the extra crabs I was using and to tone down the ‘heat’ for my kids. The result – totally sensational!!! Thank you Hazila.

BTW, KAM HEONG is a Cantonese (a Chinese dialect) word and it literally translates to gold fragrant, which is synonymous to this dish.


Ingredients

4 crabs – cleaned and fried in oil till golden brown
* 200 gm shallots
* 1 large head of garlic
* 11 to 15 Serrano chillies - depending on how hot you want your dish
* Large handful dried shrimps - soaked in warm water to soften then drained
* Large handful dried red chillies – de-seeded and soaked in boiling water to soften. Drain before using
3 stalks lemongrass - thinly sliced
1 stalk torch ginger (bunga kantan) - thinly sliced (I didn’t use any as my grocer did not have any available)
2 tbsp of fish curry powder (I used Baba Brand)
2 tbsp oyster sauce (see my GLOSSARY post on OYSTER SAUCE)
2 stalks curry leaves
Salt and sugar to taste
100 to 200 ml water


Method

Blend all the * ingredients in a blender with minimal water. Fry the crabs and set aside.

Heat oil in a large wok and add the curry leaves. Fry for 10 secs and add the blended ingredients. Fry till fragrant and till paste has slightly thickened.

Add in the curry powder and oyster sauce. Fry till the oils seeps through the paste.

Add in the water, lemon grass and torch ginger if using. Gently simmer for 2 to 3 mins.

Next add in salt and sugar to taste, followed by the crabs. Mix well and cook until the crabs are heated through and fully cooked.

Serve hot with rice or crusty bread.

TIP: Cooking crabs tend to be messy especially if you have to deep fry them. I therefore find it easier and less messy to cook crabs outside on my BBQ's wok burner.

Also, do not use any good non stick pans or wok to cook your crabs as the crab claws could scrape the non stick off. I therefore use an old wok to cook them.

RECIPE: SILKEN TOFU AND CHAMPIGNON MUSHROOMS IN SPICY OYSTER SAUCE

I just love tofu although none of my family members share the passion. Not that it matters, I can eat a whole dish by myself! To give my tofu a slight edge, I like to combine it with some chillies. I find ‘bird’s eye’ chilli to be the best in this dish.

Ingredients

1 packet silken tofu – cut into 2 cm cubes and place in a colander to drain the excess liquid
2 cloves garlic – chopped finely
1 to 2 spring onions – sliced finely
2 shallots (I used the bulbs of salad onions this time)
6 to 8 bird’s eyes chillies – sliced finely
Champignon mushrooms – 1 used ½ of a large tin
2 to 3 tbsp oyster sauce (see my glossary post on OYSTER SAUCE)
1 to 2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp oriental sesame oil
2 tbsp veg oil

Method

In a wok, heat oil and sauté the garlic for 1 min. Add in the sliced mushrooms, fry for 30 secs, then add in the onions and chillies. Fry for 30 secs. Season with a few splashes of soy sauce.

Next add in the tofu and oyster sauce. Mix well, ensuring that you don’t ‘break’ the tofu in the process. Add in the remainder soy sauce and cook until the tofu is heated through. Before lifting, add in the spring onions and sesame oil. Lift and serve immediately with rice.

NB: This is a great meal for vegetarians. You can buy ‘vegetarian’ oyster sauce from most oriental grocers. Vegetarian oyster sauce is usually made from mushrooms. It is normally sold as Vegetarian oyster sauce, Mushroom oyster sauce or Vegetarian stir fry sauce. Lee Kum Kee makes a nice version of the sauce.

RECIPE: STEAMED GLUTINOUS RICE WITH MEAT (LOR MAI KAI)

A friend of mine (Teoh Moi See….where are you now, I wonder), when I was studying at Che Tom Secondary School in Sungei Petani, often used to bring in her grandmother’s Lor Mai Kai and share it with me. It was divine. I have never been able to capture the taste but my version, adapted from Amy Beh at STAR KUALI isn’t bad, if I may say so. I used Char Siew in my recipe and omitted the Lap Cheong (Chinese Sausage) because no one likes them (except me) in my house.

There is also a vegetarian (SEE HERE) and pork free version (SEE HERE). Check it out.

I normally make around a dozen of these and freeze them for my lunches at work. Wrap in freezer bags to freeze and to serve, prick some holes with a fork and microwave or steam until warm.


Ingredients (makes 12 small chinese rice bowls)

6 cups uncooked glutinous rice (see Glossary post on GLUTINOUS RICE), rinsed and soaked for at least 4–5 hours or preferably overnight
200g chicken, chopped into bite-sized pieces
100g Char Siew (see recipe HERE)
4 Chinese mushrooms, soaked and sliced
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 cup light chicken stock

Seasoning
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp thick soy sauce
2 tsp Chinese cooking wine
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 tsp sugar or to taste
½ tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

Method
Drain soaked glutinous rice in a colander.

Heat sesame oil and fry ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add chicken, mushrooms and seasoning ingredients. Toss well to combine. Add glutinous rice to mix. Pour in stock and cook until water is absorbed into the rice.

Arrange a few sliced char siew into each deep bowl. Spoon glutinous rice into the bowl (making sure the chicken and mushrooms are evenly distributed at the bottom of the bowls) until almost full to the brim. Press slightly. Steam the filled bowls over a medium heat for 30–35 minutes or until rice is done. Turn out the rice and serve immediately with chilli sauce.

PS: I prefer to eat this with Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce (available at most Asian grocers in Canberra).

RECIPE: FRIED NOODLES WITH SEAFOOD IN XO SAUCE

This is one of Mr G and my favourite. If you can find hand made noodles, it makes the dish so much nicer. Also, don’t skimp on your XO sauce. This is one instance where the dearer the XO sauce, the tastier the meal.

FYI, XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce. It was developed in the 1980s in Hong Kong for Cantonese cuisine. The sauce is made of roughly chopped dried seafood, such as scallop, dried fish and shrimp that has been cooked with chilli, onion, garlic and oil. Once a prestigious concoction confined to gourmet seafood restaurants, XO sauce can now be found as a pre-made product on grocery stores shelves, produced by Asian food companies like LEE KUM KEE. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

Ingredients
500g fresh hand made noodles or egg noodles

2-3 cloves - garlic minced
200g assorted seafood – prawns, squid, firm fish pieces etc - marinated in 1 tbsp of light soy sauce and 1 tsp sesame oil

1-2 tbsp Chinese light soy sauce
2-3 tbsp Lee Kum Kee XO sauce
1-2 handfuls of bean sprouts - optional
3 spring onion – cut into 3 cm lengths2 tbsp veg oil

Method
If using egg noodles, wash the noodles in water several times to get rid of excess oil. Then, if using either noodles, quickly blanch the noodles in boiling water. Rinse with cold water, drain and set aside.

Heat oil, sauté garlic and seafood until nearly cooked. Add egg noodles, followed by XO sauce and soy sauce, stir-fry until the noodles are heated through. Add bean sprouts if using. Moisten with some chicken stock or water if required. You may need to adjust the sauces according to your taste. Stir through spring onions and serve whilst hot.

NB: I like eating this with 'dried chilli flakes in oil'. The ‘Hub Asian Supermarket’ in Canberra (Tuggeranong and Gungahlin) sells jars made by the owner and instead of vegetable oil, it is made with olive oil. Delicious.

RECIPE: STIR FRIED PAK CHOY WITH MUSTARD AND EGG

An easy stir fry to accompany any Asian style meal. You could add some diced/sliced meat such as chicken, pork or beef or seafood such as prawns or calamari. Just add your meat/seafood with the garlic and onion and follow the recipe.

Ingredients – serves 5 to 6
2 large bunches of pak choy – sliced thinly
1 onion – sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic – minced
1 egg
1 tbsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste
1 tbsp veg oil

Method
Heat oil in a wok and add in the mustard seeds, followed by the onion and garlic. Cook until the garlic is aromatic and the onion is translucent.

Add in the pak choy and mix well. When nearly cooked, add in the salt and break in the egg. Mix well, lift and serve.

RECIPE: SESAME PORK

A simple, easy and nutritious meal for all you working wives (in fact anyone) out there. Works well with rice or tossed with some Hokkien or flat rice noodles or even some spaghetti. Give it a try!

Ingredients – serves 5 to 6
750 gm pork – sliced thinly across the grain
2 tsp sesame oil
Peanut oil (or veg oil)
5 spring onions – sliced thinly at an angle
3 cloves garlic – smashed using the back of your knife and chopped coarsely
2 tsp finely grated ginger
3 large carrots – julienned
200 gm snake or French beans – cut into 3 to 4 cm lengths (blanch the beans for 1 min – this shortens the cooking process)
2 tbsp seame seeds – toasted lightly in the oven or using a frying pan

Sauce Ingredients – Mix together in a bowl the following:
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp teriyaki sauce
2 tsp corn flour
3 tbsp water

Method
Heat oil in a wok and fry the pork in batches (in shallow oil) until browned (around 3 mins per batch). Drain on paper towels.

In the same wok (does not matter if the wok has the pork juices in it – it adds to the flavour), add about 2 tbsp peanut oil (if required) and the sesame oil, and stir fry the spring onions, garlic and ginger for 1 min. Add in the carrots, fry until the carrots are half cooked and add in the beans. You may need to add about a few tbsp water to moisten the veg a bit (not too much). When the veg is nearly cooked (make sure the beans are still crunchy), add in the pork, stir well and heat through.

Next add in the sauce mixture, mix well and cook until the sauce thickens. Toss in the sesame seeds, mix well, lift and serve immediately with rice or medium of choice.

RECIPE: CHAR HOR FUN

I am back from my trip but unfortunately I have to go away again tomorrow; thankfully it is only a day trip, so I will be able to sleep in my own bed!

Anyway, before I left last week, I made Char Hor Fun, one of my favourite noodle dishes. To ensure a good result, only cook one or two serves at a time. This is how I make my Hor Fun.

Ingredients – Serves 2

2 large handfuls broad rice noodles

1 medium size chicken breasts - sliced into strips
Handful of beef – sliced into strips
6 large prawns

½ fish cake – sliced thinly

2 cups chicken stock

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 to 2 cups water
1 egg – lightly beaten

2 tbsp (or more) light soy sauce

2 tbsp oil

1 bunch choy sum – cut into 5 cm lengths
Salt to taste

Pepper to taste

Method

Put about 2 tbsp of oil into wok and stir fry 1/2 of the chopped garlic. Add noddles and coat with light soy sauce. (NOTE: How much soy sauce you want depends on your preference for the Hor Fun colour. If you like it dark, you can also add 1 tsp dark soy sauce.) Remove from wok unto a serving dish or individual plates.

Place the rest of the oil into wok and stir fry the rest of the garlic. Add the chicken stock and water and add the chicken breasts and beef. Poach until the meat is cooked. Next add in the prawns, fish cake and choy sum. Bring to a boil, stir in the egg, season with salt and pepper and quickly turn off the heat. Pour the gravy mixture over noodles. Serve immediately with sliced bird’s eye chillies in soy sauce or pickled green chillies.

RECIPE: HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE WITH CHAR SIEW (THE WORKS)

Imagine my surprise today when I came home from work and saw a poached chicken and homemade CHAR SIEW (Chinese barbeque pork) on the kitchen bench! Mr G decided to make chicken rice all by himself. I don’t know why I am surprised for he does help me when I do make the dish but it is more due to his initiative to make it on his own accord that caught me by surprised. Anyway, I did contribute a tiny little bit to the effort – I made the chilli sauce, cooked the rice and seasoned the soup ;)

The recipe that we use is from a book called ‘Singapore Food’ by Wendy Hutton (1979) and it’s been my bible for all my favourite Malaysian/Singaporean food. The poor book is looking thin from wear and it is one book that I don’t loan out; ever. My eldest daughter has even earmarked it as hers when I die! I hope that is not likely to happen any time soon….touch wood! Like all recipes, it makes a good base. It is up to the individual to alter some of the basics to suit their palate. For example, this household is very partial to garlic and chilli so we may change some recipes to reflect this.

Anyway, below are the recipes for HAINANESE CHICKEN Rice with CHAR SIEW.

PS: I would have loved some stir fried bean sprouts to go with it but Mr G said that the supermarket had not been replenished since the weekend trade. Bummer!

To serve Hainanese Chicken Rice:
On a plate, arrange the HAINANESE CHICKEN, CHAR SIEW (optional), CHICKEN FLAVOURED RICE and sliced cucumber. Serve with CHILLI GINGER SAUCE in individual sauce bowls, accompanied with CHICKEN SOUP. Nice with Chinese tea or a cold beer (during summer).

PS: My fingers are aching from typing today's posts!

RECIPE: HAINANESE CHICKEN

The chicken for this dish must be fresh. Although a very simple recipe, the results are excellent.

Ingredients – serves 5 to 6
1 whole chicken – about 1 kg
1 tbsp chinese rice wine
2 to 3 tbsp light soy sauce
Thumb size ginger – sliced thickly
2 to 3 cloves garlic – smashed using the back of a knife
2 spring onions – chopped
2 tsp seaeme oil
½ tsp salt

Method
Rub the inside of the chicken cavity with the rice wine and 1 tbsp of the soy sauce. Stuff the chicken with the ginger, garlic and spring onion. Secure the cavity with a toothpick.

Bring a large pot (enough to hold the chicken) of water to the boil, carefully put in the chicken and turn off the heat. Let stand for 1 hour.

After 5 mins of standing, lift up the chicken, drain the water from the stomach cavity and put the chicken back into the pot. Repeat this process another 2 to 3 times in the ‘standing’ hour. This makes sure that the chicken is cooked inside and outside.

After 30 mins in the ‘standing’ hour, turn on the heat and bring the water almost to a boiling point and turn off the heat again. The chicken, never being allowed to boil, will be very tender and juicy. At the end of the hour, remove the chicken on to a platter and rub with the remaining soy sauce and salt. Leave to stand for about 5 mins and then cut into bite sized pieces. Do not discard the HAINANESE CHICKEN COOKING STOCK. Use it to make the chicken RICE, SOUP and CHILLI GINGER SAUCE.

RECIPE: CHINESE BARBEQUE PORK (CHAR SIEW)

‘Char siew’ literally means ‘fork burn or fork roast’ after the traditional cooking method for the dish: long strips of seasoned boneless pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or over a fire.

The meat, typically a shoulder cut, is seasoned with a mixture of honey, five-spice powder, fermented tofu, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red food colouring (optional) and rice wine. These seasonings turn the exterior layer of meat dark red. (Source: WIKIPEDIA)

Char siew is typically consumed either in a bun, with noodles, or with rice. The accompaniments served with char siew are strongly influenced by regional variation.

There is a good step by step recipe HERE if you want to make it from scratch or you could use my recipe below. You could also use Lee Kum Kee premade Char Siew sauce to make the char siew. It is passable. Just follow the instructions on the jar.

The recipe I normally use is from my Wendy Hutton book, ‘Singapore Food’ and it is as follows.

Ingredients
1 kg pork fillet or boneless loin - in long piece
4 cloves garlic – crushed
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chinese rice wine
2 tsp tomato sauce
1 tsp chinese five spice powder
½ tsp powdered ginger
Red food colouring – optional

Method
Cut the pork lengthwise into strips about 4 cm thick. Combine all ingredients and marinade the pork for at least 2 hours, turning from time to time.

Put the pork on a greased rack set over a pan at least 4 cm of water and roast for about 45 mins to an hour at 230˚C, basting with the marinade every 10 to 15 mins. Allow to cool, cut into thin slices and use as a supplement to HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE, noodle dishes or stir fries.

RECIPE: CHICKEN FLAVOURED RICE (FOR HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE)

I used a Rice Cooker to make the rice. You can use a microwave or the stove top. Use the normal absorption method.

Ingredients
Long grain rice – I use 4 cups for 6 people
Hainanese Chicken cooking stock – 1 ½ cups of stock for every cup of rice
1 tsp chicken stock powder

Method
Wash the rice until the water runs clear. Measure out the stock water according to the amount of rice cooked. Add in the chicken stock powder. Mix well and start the rice cooker! That easy.

RECIPE: CHILLI GINGER SAUCE (FOR HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE)

Serve with Hainanese chicken rice or any other dish as desired such as fried chicken or spring rolls.

Ingredients
10 fresh red chillies
2 to 3 cloves garlic
5 cm fresh ginger
Sufficient Hainanese Chicken cooking stock (to ensure that the blades of your blender can rotate – about ¼ cup)
Juice from fresh lime – to taste
Salt – to taste

Method
Put all ingredients (except salt and lime) into a blender. Process. Add lime and salt to taste. Serve with the Hainanese Chicken Rice.