Dim Sum : Stuffed Fish Maw 点心-鱼漂卷

Dim Sum : Stuffed Fish Maw 点心-鱼漂卷

Recipe source :  My own. Replicating from what I had eaten at a dim sum restaurant

My family and I had a very satisfying dim sum treat last weekend. Service was very fast and efficient because the owner employed many extra youngsters to help cater to the weekend crowd. The food was good and reasonably priced. We tucked into the usual dim sum fare of chee cheong fun, siew mai, har gow and many other deep-fried varieties which I don't even know the names. 

Then, I spotted this fish maw dim sum stuffed with fish paste. I like the taste. As I turned it around to have a better look, I realised that the ingredients used were very simple. I made a mental note and told myself that this is something I can replicate with ease!

We made Yong Tofu on Saturday and there was extra fish paste for me to experiment with. I only made a very small sample in case it did not turn out well.  However, lady luck was with me, it was better than expected!  We are happy with this little experiment. 

Ingredients

1 piece dried fish maw ( 35g )
120g fish paste
1/2 a piece of dried mushroom, soak until soft and cut into very fine dices
1/2 stalk of parsley, finely chopped

Note :  it is not necessary to add seasoning because the fish paste already contains salt.

 

  A piece of dried fish maw

 

Instructions

1.  Soak fish maw until soft. Rinse under running tap and squeeze gently to prevent breaking.
2.  Boil a small pot of water and boil the soaked piece of fish maw for 5 to 10 minutes.
3.  Rinse again under running water to remove the odour. Make sure the odour is removed.
4.  Squeeze dry.
5.  Mix the fish paste with the chopped parsley and diced mushroom.
6.  Stuff the fish mixture into the hollow of the fish maw.
7.  Slice into thin pieces about 3/4 cm thick and place into small saucers.
8.  Steam  the stuffed fish maw pieces over boiling water for 15 minutes.
9.  Serve hot with chilli sauce. 

Leatherjacket fish Cooked In Fermented Soya Bean Paste 鸡肉鱼煮豆酱

Leatherjacket Fish Cooked In Fermented Soya Bean Paste 鸡肉鱼煮豆酱

Recipe source : My own

I still remember the time my late mother-in-law brought home an ugly looking fish. I have never seen that species before and I was sceptical that it was a fish at all, despite her assurance. The skin was greyish-black and it looked leathery. I watched in fascination as she removed the thick leathery skin to reveal a smooth and pinkish-white fish which looked very fresh. She just scored the fish and simply fried it in hot oil. I loved it at first bite! It had the fishy taste of fish yet it also tasted something like chicken. 

Over the years, SK and I varied the style of cooking this leatherjacket fish. By the way, the Teochews call it "thee-buoy-teck" whereas the Cantonese refer to it as "kai-yook-yee".

Today, SK is sharing our simple home-style cooking of the leatherjacket fish.

Ingredients

500g leatherjacket fish
20g parsley, cut into 4 cm sections
30g spring onions, cut into 4 cm sections
10g ginger, grated
10g garlic, chopped
40g fermented soya bean paste                            ) mix fermented soya bean paste
1 1/2 Chinese rice bowl of water                            ) and water together
2 tbsp cooking oil                                          
enough cooking oil to deep-fry the fish 

 Skinned leatherjackets

 A bottle of fermented soya bean paste

 Parsley

Spring onion

How To Deep-Fry Fish

1.  Use 1/2 tsp salt, rub over both palms. Then rub salt over the fish. This is to prevent the fish from sticking to the wok/frying pan.
2.  Heat a wok until red-hot. Add cooking oil for deep-frying and heat until the oil is very hot. Then reduce the fire to medium.
3.  Slide the fishes into hot oil and fry until golden-brown. Dish up and drain away excess oil.

Instructions

1.  In a wok heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil.
2.  Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. 
3.  Add in the mixture of fermented soay bean paste and water. Bring to the boil.
4.  Add in the deep-fried fishes and let boil for 1 minute.
5.  Add in spring onions and parsley and let it cook for 1/ 2 a minute.
6.  Dish up and serve.

I am linking this post to Alvin,  Chef and Sommelier

The ingredient for July is ginger

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up

 

The event is organised by Zoe, Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen, My Little Favourite DIY

Stir-Fried Frog's Thighs 姜葱田鸡

Stir-Fried Frog's Thighs 姜葱田鸡

Recipe source :  Adapted from B & P Butterfly Corn flour Book III

Ingredients

200g frog
40g ginger, cut into thin slices
20g spring onion, cut into sections of 4 cm
10g garlic, chopped
2 tbsp cooking oil

Marinade Ingredients

1 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp MSG
1 tbsp oil

Sauce Ingredients

1 tsp chicken powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp MSG (optional )
1/2 sugar
1 Chinese rice bowl of water

Mix everything together.

Instructions

1.  Marinate frog thighs with marinade ingredients for 10 minutes.
2.  Mix sauce ingredients and set  aside.
3.  Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil and stir-fry ginger slices, garlic and spring onion for 1/2 minute.
4.  Add frog thighs and continue to stir-fry for another 1/2 minute.
5.  Pour in sauce ingredients and let boil for 8 to10 minutes.
6.  Dish up and serve hot.

I am linking this post to Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

The ingredient for July is ginger

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up

 

The event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #2

Organised by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours

GL's Cooking : Barley & Gingko Dessert 腐竹白果薏米糖水

GL's Cooking :  Barley & Gingko Dessert  腐竹白果薏米糖水

This dessert is very popular and is easily available at food courts. Most  of the hawkers which I patronise do not always include gingko nuts, which is a disappointment to me as I love them. 

I came across an article some time ago that described this sweet dessert of bean curd sheets, barley and gingko as an energy booster and it also rejuvenates the human body. This claim, which I think may be true, considering the fact that soya milk and bean curd sheets contain protein, while ginkgo nuts contain protein, starch and minerals. Barley is rich in minerals as well. One thing is for sure, the Chinese believe this dessert cools down body heat and is good for the complexion, good especially for pregnant mums in an advanced stage of pregnancy! A note of caution though,  this dessert may be too "cooling" for mums in the early stages of pregnancy.  

GL added hard-boiled quail eggs to this sweet and delightful dessert.  It looks so good, it makes me want to prepare it right away!

Ingredients

1/2 cup barley pearls
600 ml unsweetened soya milk
600 ml water
10 gingko nuts, remove shells and membranes
5 quail eggs, hard boil the eggs and remove the shells
1 sheet bean curd skin, soak to soften and tear into small pieces
3 pieces rock sugar, or to taste

Method

1.  Wash barley pearls and boil together with water, gingko nuts and soya milk until the barley pearls have expanded and become slightly "fluffy".
2.  Add bean curd skin, quail eggs and rock sugar and continue to boil for a further 15 minutes.
3.  Ready to serve.

Sweet  temptation !

Mango Cendol

Mango Cendol

Recipe source :  Adapted from The Star Newspaper

Ingredients

1 sweet mango
100g green cendol
1 cup thick santan
1 cup boiled water to dilute the thick santan ( optional )
100g gula Melaka or palm sugar
50ml water
 a pinch of salt

 

 Store-bought green cendol

Mango cut into thin strips

Instructions

1.  Peel mango and slice it into thin strips.

2.  Boil gula Melaka with water until dissolved. Strain the syrup.

3.  Chill cendol, mango, gula Melaka syrup and thick santan. 

4.  To serve, just add 2 or 3 tbsp gula Melaka syrup into a glass, followed by thick syrup and green cendol.

5.  Top with mango strips. 

6.  Depending on individual taste, you can dilute the thick santan with boiled water.

7.  Optional to add ice shavings.

8.  Enough for 3 servings.

Seafood Vermicelli In Chicken Soup 清汤海鲜米粉

Seafood Vermicelli In Chicken Soup 清汤海鲜米粉

 

Recipe source :  My own

It  has been a long time since SK cooked this soupy bee hoon. If I'm not working, we tend to eat light during lunch because both of us are too lazy to cook. We either eat out or I make do with biscuits or bread to tide over until dinner time.

Today is an exception. My youngest is tired of eating "chap fan" everyday. SK, being the good father he is, cooked  this for a change.

Ingredients

1 litre  chicken stock
200g vermicelli
150g shrimps (shelled & with veins removed)
50g dried scallops ( wash and soak in half a bowl of water for 3 to 4 hours. Retain the water and add to the chicken stock)
100g choy sam
1 tsp salt

To prepare the choy sam

1.  In a pot add 1/2 litre of water. 
2.  Add in 1/2 tsp of lye water (kan sooi in Cantonese).
3.  Bring water to the boil and add in the choy sam and let boil for 2 minutes.
4.  Remove the choy sam and rinse under a running tap and set aside.

 

Choy sam

 

To prepare the vermicelli

1.  Add 1 litre of water to a pot. Bring it to the boil
2.  Add in vermicelli and stir until it turns soft.
3.  Drain off the water and set aside.

 Shelled shrimps

Dried scallops

Method

1.  In a pot, bring 1 litre of chicken stock to the boil
2.  Add in the soaked scallops together with the water used for soaking the scallops.
3.  Add in the shrimps.
4.  Let it boil for 3 minutes. Switch off the flame.
5.  Place the boiled vermicelli in a large bowl.
6.  Scoop up soup from the pot and add into the bowl of vermicelli.
7.  Add choy sam.
8.  Serve hot.
9.  Serves 2 to 3 adults.

Stir-Fried Fish Slices With Ginger & Spring Onion 西式姜葱鱼片

Stir-Fried Fish Slices With Ginger & Spring Onion 西式姜葱鱼片

Recipe source :  Adapted from a booklet by Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce

Ingredients

250g garoupa fish fillet, cut into slices
1 cup oil for deep frying
8 slices ginger
2 pips garlic, minced
1 sprig spring onion (cut into 6cm sections)

 

Marinade

1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cornstarch

Seasoning Ingredients

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp HP sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
100ml water
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cornstarch

Mix all ingredients together.

Instructions

1.  Marinate fish slices with marinade ingredients for 30 minutes.
2.  Heat oil and deep fry fish slices for 1 minute. Dish up, drain and set aside.
3.  Heat up 1 tbsp oil. Saute minced garlic, ginger and spring onion until aromatic.
4.  Add seasoning ingredients and deep-fried fish slices.
5.  Stir-fry to mix well.
6.  Dish up.

I am linking this post to Alvin of Chef and Sommelier

The ingredient for July is ginger

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up

 

The event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #2

Organised by Joyce from Kitchen Flavours

Kajang Satay 加影沙爹

Kajang Satay 加影沙爹

Kajang, a mid-sized town in Selangor is synonymous with satay (barbecued meat). A week ago while coming back from Puchong, we decided to make a detour to Kajang to sink our teeth into our favourite barbecued meat, Kajang satay. We ordered chicken and mutton but not beef as we don't eat beef. This satay establishment has been in business for a long time now. I remember back in the 70s it was already in business. 

The place is known as Restaurant Satay Malaysia, at 31, Jalan Semenyih. Travelling from K.L. through Cheras when you are about to reach Kajang town turn left at the traffic lights go further down a hundred meters or so, you can't miss the corner shop on the right-hand side of the road. 

Top left: Chicken satay.  Bottom: Ketupat (rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves) and of course the you-can't-do-without kuah (peanut sauce with chilli oil)

Fragrant and juicy chicken satay

Mouth-watering mutton satay, our family's favourite

Washing down the satay with coconut juice is just heavenly.

Tabebuia Pentaphylla a.k.a Malaysian Cherry Blossom

Tabebuia Pentaphylla a.k.a Malaysian Cherry Blossom

The tabebuia pentaphylla is locally referred to as the Malaysian cherry blossom. Of course, this is no Japanese cherry blossom but originated from Central and South America. From a distance they resemble the Japanese cherry blossom. There are two varieties of flowers found, the pink and white. The pink is better and is awesome I would say. Anyway, below are some of the trees in full bloom now and I just couldn't resist not snapping some pictures to be shared with you readers.