Shrimp Toast

Shrimp Toast

Ingredients:

250 g large Shrimps, peeled and deveined

1 small Onion, finely chopped

1/2 knob fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

pinch of Salt

dash of freshly Ground Pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro or basil, finely chopped

2 Egg Whites, separated

1 tbsp Corn Starch

White Sliced Bread, cut into triangles

½ cup fine Bread Crumbs

Oil for frying

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix-in the cornstarch and 1 egg white. Set aside.

Finely chop the Shrimps, and put in a medium bowl.

Add-in the onion, ginger, cilantro or basil, salt and pepper. Mix well.

Add-in the remaining egg white. Mix until well combined.

Place the breadcrumbs in a small bowl.

Brush the top of each bread (on one side) with the cornstarch mixture, and spread about 1/4” of shrimp mixture on top, and coat with breadcrumbs. (You may distribute the remaining cornstarch mixture to the top of each bread with shrimp mixture.)

Place in a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill up to 1 hour, if desired.

Pour enough oil to come 1 1/2” up the sides of a large skillet, and heat to 180°C.

Working in batches, add bread pieces to hot oil. Fry the shrimp toast side down; turning occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides.

Drain on paper towels.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Chicken Congee 雞粥 (Chinese Rice and Chicken Porridge)

Chicken Congee 雞粥 (Chinese Rice and Chicken Porridge)

Ingredients:

750g Chicken, cut into serving pieces

5 cups Water

1 1/2 tbsp Chinese Rice Wine

1 knob Fresh Ginger, jullienned

1 Scallion, halved crosswise and smashed

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 cup Long-grain Rice

Accompaniment:

Scallions, sliced thinly

Chili threads

Hard-boiled Eggs

Asian Sesame Oil

Black Pepper

Instructions:

In a large pot, bring chicken and water to a boil, skimming froth.

Add-in rice wine, ginger, scallion, and salt. Uncovered, cook at a bare simmer for 20 minutes, or until breast meat is just cooked through.

Trasfer 1 breast half, set aside; and continue cooking stock at a bare simmer for 1-2 hours. Skim froth as necessary.

Meanwhile, cool chicken breast long enough to remove skin and bones; returning skin and bones to stock.

Cool breast meat completely and tear into shreds. Set aside.

Pour stock into another large pot through a large sieve, and discard solids. (You should have about 3 cups: if less, just add water.)

Add-in rice. Bring to a boil and stir.

Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered until consistency of oatmeal, about 1 hour, stirring frequently during last 1/2 hour of cooking. (Congee will continue to thicken as it stands. thin with water if necessary.)

Season with salt. Place in a serving bowl, topped with chicken, hard-boiled eggs, scallions, and chili threads.

Serve with sesame oil and black pepper. Enjoy!!

Char Siu Bao 叉烧包 (Chinese Baked BBQ Buns)

Char Siu Bao 叉烧包 (Chinese Baked BBQ Buns)

Ingredients:

Buns:

2 1/4 tsp yeast

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup hot water

2 cups plain flour + lots for dusting

Filling:

400 g pork loin, cubed or 1/2 lb Char Siu pork, cut into small cubes

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1/3 cup water

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

1 cup water

oil

salt

Glaze and Topping:

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup honey

2 tbsp black/white sesame seeds

Instructions:

To make the buns:

In a large bowl, mix together hot water and sugar, continuously stir until dissolved.

Add-in yeast and mix until dissolved.

Mix-in oil and milk.

Add flour, mix thoroughly then knead in a floured board until it’s not sticky on the hands. 

When the dough is already smooth, thin, and elastic; Shape the dough into a smooth ball.

Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a cling wrap, and leave to rise in a draught-free place  for at least an hour or until double in size.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

To make the filling:

Add-in oil in a heated pan and sauté garlic; then add pork, stir fry pork for 3 minutes.

Add-in water, soy sauce, brown sugar and 5 spice powder. Bring to a boil and simmer in low heat for an hour or two, until the meat breaks apart, mixing occasionally to prevent burning, add additional water if needed.

Once meat has broken down, add hoisin sauce then thicken it with cornstarch mixture,  simmer further until sauce thickens.

Season with salt. Set aside to cool.

When the dough is ready, Press a finger into the dough. If indentation remains, the dough has properly risen.

Knock back the dough by punching it gently.

Remove from container then knead again on a floured board for roughly 3 minutes, divide into 6-8 balls.

Flatten each ball and place 2 spoonful of the meat mixture, gather all sides and press to seal.

Place on a well-greased baking pan with seal on the bottom side.

Repeat with the remaining dough.

Cover and set aside filled buns, and let it rise for 15 minutes then bake in a 200ºC preheated oven for 12 minutes.

Remove from oven then brush top with beaten eggs, put back in oven then bake for again 3 minutes.

Remove from oven again then brush top with honey and sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake again for 3 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush again with honey; then bake again for 5 minutes.

Serve and Enjoy!!

Note:

Best served hot or warm.

Can be kept for 2 to 3 days in airtight container in the refrigerator, re-heat in the oven or microwave before serving.

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(Homemade) Chinese Five Spice Powder

Ingredients:
1 tsp ground Szechwan pepper
1 tsp ground star anise
1 1/4 tsp ground fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Instructions:
Combine and Mix all ingredients well in small airtight container. Store in a cool, dry place.

Note:
Use five-spice powder sparingly, as it can be quite pungent.
If desired, you can substitute black peppercorns for the Szechuan peppercorn.

Pork Steamed Rice

Pork Steamed Rice

Ingredients: 

500 g Pork Tenderloin, cut into bite-size pieces

10 pcs Shrimp, peeled

1/4 cup fresh Green Peas

1 small Onion, chopped

3 cloves Garlic, crushed

2 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 tbsp Cornstarch, dissolved in a half cup of cold water

1 1/2 cups Pork Broth

Steamed Rice
1 red chili pepper, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

Pour oil in a hot pan, and sauté onions and garlic for about 1 minute.

Add pork, and mix until the pork’s fat starts to ooze out.

Add shrimp, and sauté for 3 minutes. Then, add 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.

Adjust heat to medium and stir.

Add pork broth, and let the mixture boil for 10 minutes.

Add 2 teaspooons of worcestershire sauce.

Add-in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce. Stir continuously. Then, add the fresh green peas. Add chili pepper for spice.

Bring to boil for about 5 more minutes and turn off heat.

Serve simmered Pok Sauce on top of a bowl of Steamed Rice.

Shrimp and Pork Siomai

Shrimp and Pork Siomai

Ingredients:

1 kg Lean ground Pork or 1 kg Prawns/Shrimps, peeled

1/3 cup water chestnuts or turnips, chopped

1/3 cup carrots, chopped

1 large onion, minced

bunch of spring onions

1 egg

5 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 tsp salt

100 pcs small wanton or siomai wrapper

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients for the filling in a bowl.

Spoon 1 tablespoon of mixture into each wrapper.

Fold and seal.

Meanwhile, boil water and brush steamer with oil.

When the water gets to a rolling boil, Arrange the siomai in the steamer, and steam for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Chili Sauce.

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(Homemade) Wanton or Siomai Wrapper

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 tbsp vegetable or corn oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions:

Beat egg and mix with flour till free of lumps.

Bring water, cooking oil and salt to a boil, then pour in flour.

Remove from heat and beat until mixture forms a ball.

Divide the dough into 1 1/4 -inch balls.

Roll each ball on a floured board until paper thin.

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(Homemade) Chili Sauce for Siomai

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of garlic, finely minced
1/2 cup of chili oil
1/4 cup of dark soy sauce

Instructions:
In a medium heat saucepan, saute the garlic in chili oil until aromatic.
*Make sure not to burn the garlic by lowering the heat.
Pour-in the soy sauce, and sauté until garlic changes its color.
Turn off heat.

Note:
This is well served with soy sauce and lime. If you need the sauce to be a little hotter, add some chopped thai red chillies while you sauté the garlic in chili oil.