Chik's Crib

30 July 2019

Soy-Ginger Basted Chicken Recipe

Recipe July 30, 2019 0

Like a game of Bridge, it's not just the cards that you're dealt with, but also how you play the hand. Well, in this case, I've been dealt with bottles of hoisin sauce, sesame oil and all the ginger I want. I have heaps of brown sugar (Fun fact: I'm perpetually under the impression that I'd run out of brown sugar, until I buy yet another pack and then open up the cupboard, where packs of brown sugar lay stacked together accusingly like ...hello?)

These ingredients combine nicely into this sweet soy-based marinade. Pulling these babies out of the oven and seeing crispy edges of the chicken skin is a bonus, and being photogenic to boot isn't half-bad either. Actually, I've also became quite prolific at shamelessly sprinkling bits of greenery into all my dishes to spruce up the colours. Take a closer look: are those really spring onions, or have you been duped like how I was at the supermarket?

Like many a lazy student, I didn't fancy standing over a fire stirring up a meal, and back when I was living by myself and cooking for one, ovens were a life-saver. Reach home, throw just-marinaded meat into the oven just before going into the shower, and presto! A no-fuss hungry student's guide to life. Ovens make cooking so much simpler, and if you have the time, braising most meat for couple of hours in the oven seem to softens them up until fork-tender. Ovens are so useful, I was wondering why aren't they used in Chinese cuisine, until I realised that we do! There's that common denominator of using charcoal and firewood to roast food, and Asian ones are giant contraptions where roasted poultry, pork belly and char siew hang from metal hooks, or where dough-based food like buns or naan are stuck to the walls of the well-like structure. While Western designs can be made compact with the advent of electricity and moved into a kitchen, I guess design wise, Asian style ovens are impossible to downsize and to put in every household.

Soy-Ginger Basted Chicken
Adapted from DiningAndCooking

The combination of well-marinated chicken paired with a crispy just-broiled skin is simply unbeatable. The addition of crunchy spicy cashews brings texture to the dish.

I made a couple of batches over a few weeks, and tweaked the recipe with the Asian technique of pre-coating the chicken with corn starch to tenderise it. It tastes of Japanese influence, as the ingredient list of soy, ginger and sugar comes remarkably close to how one makes teriyaki sauce.

INGREDIENTS
=========
1kg boneless chicken thighs
2-3 tsp corn starch
2 tsp salt
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
50ml + 3 tablespoons soy sauce, separated
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (oyster sauce)
1 tablespoon cracked black pepp er

55g brown sugar (light or dark) or molasses
2cm ginger, peeled and minced

Spiced cashews, for garnishing

STEPS
=========
1. Preheat oven to 175C.
2. Season chicken thighs with corn starch and salt.
3. Combine sesame oil, 60ml soy sauce, hoisin sauce and black pepper. Immerse the chicken thighs into the soy sauce marinade. Keep refrigerated until ready to cook.
4. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger, and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
5. Arrange the chicken thighs skin-down on a roasting tray, and drizzle half of the ginger marinade over the chicken. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, then turn the chicken skin-side up and pour over the remaining half of the ginger marinade. Continue roasting for 12 minutes.
6. When chicken is almost fully cooked, transfer the chicken to the top rack, and broil for 1-2 minutes, until the skin is crispy.
7. Sprinkle generously with spicy cashews, if using.

02 June 2019

Cantonese Porridge

Singaporean food June 02, 2019 0

I couldn't remember exactly why - or when - we started eating porridge like this. Maybe my dad got tired of me picking stuff that I don't like out of my bowl, and relocating them into other people's porridge? Anyway, it was a stroke of genius, and this hands-on approach to cooking porridge made regular appearances at our table over the last couple of decades.

A vat of plain porridge rests in the corner, and each batch of porridge is cooked to order. A saucepan set over a portable stove sits at the centre of the table. Surrounding the butane stove are an assortment of uncooked meat: prawns and salmon, fish paste and liver, and pork. A couple of porridge-filled ladles goes into the saucepan, and you can add anything into your personalised bowl of porridge. Stir 'til cooked, take it off the flame, crack an egg in and presto! A bowl of steaming porridge filled with as much meat and seafood as you wanted, and - also very importantly - nothing you didn't want. It's a little like a steamboat, where people gather over a hot stove and cook communally.

But Calvin, you say, if we are cooking batches of porridge individually, could you really call it communal cooking? It's well-spotted, and I commend your reasoning ability. Now, as a reward, I would like it if you could close your browser, find another computer and then come back to this page. Preferably for more several times.

Extraverts would love how lively the whole affair is, while neurotics (oh no, could that be you?) can lose themselves in the activities of tending to the porridge. It's actually quite similar to the style of cooking at 牛花粥 restaurant in Guangzhou.

Communal-style Cantonese Porridge

Welcome to your new favourite way to eat porridge. OK, there isn't really a recipe for this, and you don't really need one. Plain porridge is cooked in a massive pot, while the other ingredients like prawn, minced/sliced pork and liver are marinated in soy sauce and tapioca starch.

1. When ready to start, start cooking the pork first, which would take longer to cook than other ingredients. Then add in seafood and pork liver and continue stirring, scrapping the bottom of the pot as you go along. Add a little hot water if the porridge turns too thick.

2. When the seafood is cooked, turn off the flame and break an egg into the porridge, Asian-porridge style. Mix well and add soy sauce and white pepper to taste. Top with sliced ginger and chopped spring onions. Serve immediately.

27 May 2019

Aviation Cocktail Recipe

Recipe May 27, 2019 0

The Aviation's not the most popular drink now, but in your grandfather's day, from London to New York, this gin-based cocktail was quite the hit.

In those times, gin was the upper-class alcohol of choice, paired with the exotic maraschino liqueur and crème de violette, made it a veritable who's who drink of the pre-prohibition era(?). The mystique of the ingredients contributed to the popularity of the drink, and even today, and even today, it's a rare liquor store that stocks crème de violette. The addition of the crème de violette gives this classic drink the shade of the evening sky. For the longest time, following the lead of most modern adaptations, I'd omitted the crème de violette, which resulted in an cloudy cocktail with a nonetheless appealingly floral taste.

Given the floral nature of the cocktail, I thought I could take a leaf (well, a flower) out of my heritage book and use butterfly pea flowers to develop the original violet shade. My family's was cultivating these flowers for the annual 端午节 festival, where we mark the occasion with traditional rice dumplings wrapped in large flat leaves. Butterfly pea flowers are a traditional food dye in Southeast Asia, and responsible for the blue rice found in Peranakan cuisine. Serendipitously, butterfly pea changes color with pH, and with lemon juice, turns it to just the right shade of violet.

Though, away from the romantic smoky ambiance of a 1920s bar of sturdy oak wood and people doing the Charleston (I'm on a Twenties Girl reread, can you tell?), I prefer my Aviation without the blue pea flower coloring. It's worth doing once for the experience, just to see if it works, and perhaps just once more for impressing visitors.

Aviation Cocktail
Adapted from the Tipsy Bartender
If you're not able to get the fresh flowers, dried blue pea flowers are available in Phoon Huat (Boon Lay). If you're from another country, check your local baking store or a well-stocked Asian store.

INGREDIENTS
=======
1.5 oz gin
.5 oz lemon juice
.5 oz maraschino liqueur
.5 oz crème de violette, if available

STEPS
=====
1. Add all ingredients into cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass.

Variations
Using blue pea flowers, steep a teaspoon's worth in 75ml (about a quarter cup) of just-boiled water. Let cool, discard the flowers and then freeze the liquid in an ice tray. When making the cocktail, replace 1-2 normal ice cubes with the blue pea ice. Shake well.

19 May 2019

Bulgogi Omelette Recipe

Recipe May 19, 2019 0

Authenticity's a common word when describing food, despite the increasing backlash towards the term. I've been guilty myself of looking for an 'authentic' restaurant especially when trying new cuisines or traveling to other destinations. Closer to home though, I have a newfound appreciation for fusion cuisine (hypocrisy is delicious, try some!)

I like dishes that blends aspects of different cuisines together. Cenk, who writes on Cafe Fernando, experiments with Turkish flavours in Western desserts, which does a good job showcasing local palates to the rest of the world. Melbourne has several restaurants shining a spotlight to Asian flavours, and usually to rave reviews.

Over the last few years, I've enjoyed my French omelettes stuffed with Korean pork bulgogi.
A French omelette has a creamy interior wrapped in a soft exterior envelope, and while the traditional pairings could be cheese or chives, I find that the seared meat goes well with the velvety omelette.

French omelettes can be finicky. You do need a perfect non-stick frying pan to make one, and a trip to a nearby IKEA would sort that out quite nicely. I've done extensive research (ie read an article), and it seems that purchasing and replacing inexpensive nonstick pans are a better option than springing for the expensive cousins, which still doesn't last long. The Kavalkad is quite a good price; so, why not? Get the budget-friendly saucepan for less a tenner, and treat yourself to a nice soft-serve on the way out.

Bulgogi Omelette Recipe
Bulgogi recipe adapted from The Good Fork Cookbook
I've used four eggs here, but there's no reason not to make a larger omelette, à la omurice, and as R pointed out, would have looked more photogenic as well. Have you made a French omelette before? Well, check out Jacques Pepin making one anyway; his is sheer poetry in motion.

Ingredients
========
(For the Bulgogi)
120ml light soy sauce
60g sugar
50g onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp black pepper

1 kg pork slices (the variety used for steamboat)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced

(For the Omelette)
4 large eggs
White sesame seed, for garnishing
Spring onion, chopped, for garnishing

Steps
========
1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade together. Add the pork and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. In a large skillet, stir-fry the pork until cooked thoroughly. Set aside. Cook the onion slices in the same pan until soft, and set aside.
3. Make a French omelette. Slice lengthwise and stuff with bulgogi, about 100g. Top with onions and garnish with sesame seed and spring onion, if using. Discard the leftover pork slices*.
4. Serve immediately.

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* please don't do this

07 May 2019

Red Spice Road's Lamb Ribs

Thai food May 07, 2019 0

Years ago, back when I was living in Australia, Miss XS and I went to Red Spice Road, one of the hottest 'it' restaurants of that year. Melbourne has a big Asian population, and likely because of its close proximity to many Southeast Asian countries, a lot of Asian ingredients have been adopted there. When we were there, Asian-Australian fusion was enjoying a surge in popularity, with restaurants like Chin Chin and Red Spice Road commandeering long waiting times.

Many of these places play on traditional Southeast Asian spices and condiments, and combines the zippy profile of Asian spices in classical Western cooking, bringing established dishes toward a modern direction. It was lovely, to say the least.

We were enchanted by these lamb ribs, even Miss XS, who thinks most lamb dishes are too overpowering, loved the dish. We kept telling ourselves we'll be back, but like most things in life, things don't work out quite like planned. Years passed, and one day and another continent away, while browsing at the new library in Vivocity, I serendipitously came across this Red Spice Road Cookbook. What luck! I spent the last few months intermittently cooking my way through the recipes, until I at last plucked up the courage to attempt these lamb ribs. They're one of the most expensive cuts that I've handled, I had a bit of a sticker shock when I reached the cashier. But these were indeed as incredible as I'd remembered them. The soy-flavoured gravy was simply incredible, and was perfect when drizzled over rice.

Red Spice Road's Lamb Ribs
Adapted from The Red Spice Road Cookbook
I don't usually post recipes up after just one attempt, but this recipe was simply quite irresistible. For people who don't take lamb, I should think that this would work great with pork as well, perhaps in a meaty cut like pork shoulders.

INGREDIENTS
======
Lamb
1kg lamb ribs
150ml light soy sauce
100ml sweet soy sauce
650ml chicken stock
150ml water
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped roughly
2cm ginger, peeled and chopped roughly

Flour Mix
125g cornflour
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds

Vegetable oil for browning and deep frying

For Serving
Pinch of chilli flakes
Pinch of salt
1 large red chilli, sliced
1 spring onion, chopped
1 pinch coriander leaves

STEPS
======
1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a roasting tray set over a stove, heat a little oil. Add the lamb and brown the lamb on each side.
3. Add stock and both types of soy sauce. Add garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the mixture starts to boil. Turn off the flame, cover the roasting tray with aluminium foil and transfer to the oven. Cook for 3 1/2 hours.
4. Remove the ribs from the sauce. Let them cool separately to prevent overcooking the ribs.
5. When ready to coat the lamb, cut the lamb into individual ribs. Combine all ingredients of the flour mix together, and coat the ribs well.
6. In a large saucepan, heat vegetable oil until just about smoking. Add the ribs in small batches and cook for about 2 1/2 minutes. Transfer the ribs to a large bowl lined with kitchen towel.
7. Arrange ribs on a plate. Top with chilli flakes, salt, sliced chilli, spring onion and coriander, if using.