Salt-Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡

Salt-Baked Chicken 盐焗鸡

Concept source :  Y3K Magazine Issue 55, 7/8- 2010
Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

I followed the concept of using a non-stick pot to bake this salt-baked chicken after reading Y3K magazine. I like this concept because you do not have to stir-fry the coarse salt in a large wok until the salt are hot and popping, which can be very hazardous if the hot salt pellets land on you. Moreover, once the wok is used to fry the salt, it will be damaged as the large amount of salt corrodes cast-iron or aluminium woks.

I adjusted the basic recipe and came up with my own version to cater to my personal preference.  That is because I have tasted a few varieties of salt-baked chicken sold in various shops. The most famous being the Ipoh salt-baked chicken. 

The taste is simply scrumptious! The saltiness had seeped into the meat and it was subtly flavoured by the piece of danggui and red dates. Perfect! It caters perfectly to my family's taste. Everyone is happy ! We had a very satisfying dinner.

Ingredients

3 chicken whole legs
3 pieces danggui
6 red dates, pitted
1 tbsp shao hsing wine
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp sesame oil, for brushing the baking paper

Materials required

6 pieces of baking/wax paper , cut into rectangles of 30cm x 23cm
1 kg coarse salt
1 large piece of aluminium foil to line the non-stick pot

 Danggui and red dates

Line the non-stick pot with aluminium foil

Method

1.  Place the red dates and danggui into a small bowl. Add 2 tbsp of hot water. Set aside to cool. 
2.  Once cooled down, add in 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp shao shing wine.
3.  Line a non-stick pot with aluminium foil. 
4.  Fill the pot with coarse salt and heat on medium flame until the salt is hot. 
5.  While the salt is being heated, brush 1 piece of baking paper with sesame oil.
6.  Place 1 chicken whole leg onto the paper, brush with liquid from soaking the danggui and red dates. Then add in a piece of danggui and two red dates.
7.  Place another piece of baking paper under this sheet and wrap up the chicken whole leg. 
8.  Once the salt is heated through, remove half the amount of salt onto another container. Place the 3 pieces of wrapped chicken in the middle of the non-stick pot. Cover the wrapped chicken pieces with the salt  removed earlier and place lid on the pot.
9.  Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes. 
10. Carefully remove the layer of salt and remove the packages. 

Use double layers of baking paper to wrap the chicken thigh

I am linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #16  

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Apple & Carrot With Cabbage In Soup 苹果红萝卜菜干汤

Apple & Carrot With Cabbage In Soup 苹果红萝卜菜干汤

Recipe source :  Soups for all seasons cookbook

I often boil dried Chinese cabbage soup but this is the first time I added apple and carrot to it. The soup is appetising with a very slight tinge of sourish flavour, brought about by the addition of apple. I find it rather refreshing. 

Ingredients

2 apples
8 oz carrot                           ( I used 1 carrot )
5oz dried cabbage            ( I used 3 oz      )
10oz pork shin                    ( I used 350g    )
4 sweetened candy dates ( I used 2 candy dates )
1/4 dried tangerine peel
salt to taste
2000 ml water

Preparation for dried Chinese cabbage

1.  Bring a pot of water to boil. 
2.  Add in the dried Chinese cabbage and switch off flame. 
3.  Allow to cool before cleaning the leaves.
4.  Change water several times and open up the leaves carefully to remove grit and dirt.
5.  Rinse several times and cut into 4cm lengths. 

Method

1.  Cut and core apples. 
2.  Peel and cut carrot into chunks
3.  Wash pork. Scald in boiling water. 
4.  Bring 2000 ml water to boil. Put in all the ingredients (except salt ) and bring to boil again. Lower heat and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.
5.  Add salt to taste.

I am linking this to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for September 2014 is Apple

Hosted by Kit @ I-Lost In Austen

This 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 #16  

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Choc Chip Kuih Bahulu

Choc Chip Kuih Bahulu

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh ( The Star News paper 4/10/2005 )

There is a Malay lady near my office who sells oven fresh kuih bahulu. Her kuih bahulu are hot sellers. I often need to queue up to wait for her kuih bahulu. She sells the original ones as well and other varieties which look very colourful. But my favourite is her kuih bahulu with chocolate chips.

Since I have time during the weekends, I wanted to try my hands making it. I used Amy Beh's recipe, but I reduced the amount of sugar used and I added chocolate chips.

This is great for tea time over a cup of black coffee !

Ingredients

6 eggs
150g castor sugar
120g self-raising flour, sifted
120g plain flour, sifted
1/1 2 tsp baking powder
100g chocolate chips
2 tbsp corn oil for brushing

Method

1.  Beat castor sugar and eggs together in a mixer until white, for about 20 minutes.
2.  Fold in sifted flour, baking powder and plain flour. Mix well. 
3.  Add chocolate chips and stir to mix well.
4.  Heat a kuih bahulu mould in the oven until very hot. Brush with corn oil.
5.  Spoon batter with chocolate chips into the bahulu mould and bake at 200degree C for about 10 -12 minutes, or until golden.
6.  Remove the baked kuih bahulu with a skewer. 
7.  Brush the mould with corn oil again and repeat the process to spoon batter into the mould. 

I'm joining Best Recipes for Everyone September 2014 Event Theme: Chocolate Wonderland hosted by Fion of XuanHom's Mom

I am also linking this post to Cook-Your-Books #16  

hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Wine-Braised Chicken With Peanuts

Wine-Braised Chicken With Peanuts

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

Every now and then I crave for confinement food. I guess it could be because I love to eat the combination of ginger and wine. Both ginger and wine are two main ingredients abundantly used in Chinese confinement dishes. The wine is meant to strengthen and warm up the constitution of women's bodies after undergoing the rigours of childbirth, while ginger is widely known to get rid of the wind and dampness from the body. Old folks advised that black fungus helps to rid blood clots.

For ordinary people who are not in confinement but who wish to indulge in the rich foods of confinement women, bear in mind that the amount of ginger and wine have to be consumed in moderation. Otherwise there is bound to be side effects like headache, toothache or even a rise in blood pressure. On a personal level, I tend to cook this during the rainy season when  temperatures have turn way low or when I feel a bout of weaknesses enveloping me.

Therefore,  if I need a little prep-up or if I am cooking this dish just to assuage my craving, I have to reduce the amount of ginger and wine in my cooking. Furthermore, I have to use young ginger instead of old, matured ginger.

Ingredients

100g peanuts, soaked overnight     ( add more peanuts if you prefer more peanuts )
50g black fungus, soaked until soft and cut into pieces
50g kam cham, soaked until soft and squeeze dry
1/2 chicken, chopped into pieces
40g young ginger, shredded        ( used 100g matured ginger for ladies in real confinement)
1 bulb garlic, smashed
1 cup Stone's ginger wine            ( use 2 cups of this wine for ladies in confinement )
1.8 litres water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce

Method

1.  Boil peanuts with 1.8 litres over low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until peanuts are soft.
2.  Add in chicken, black fungus, kam cham and half the amount of wine.
3.  Let it come to a boil and reduce to medium flame and continue to cook for 25 minutes.
4.  Add in salt, soy sauce and sugar. 
5.  Add in the remaining wine. Stir to mix well. 
6.  Switch off flame.

Hakka Char Yoke 客家炸肉

Hakka Char Yoke 客家炸肉

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

This is a popular dish in our family gatherings even though we are not of Hakka descent. On most festive occasions when we visited my in-laws I would see this char yoke braising in a big pot on the old-fashioned charcoal stove. Even now I can remember my sister-in-law cutting the huge chunk of pork belly in preparation of this very delicious char yoke.

Large family gatherings are fewer and far between now that the old folks are no longer with us. At times I tend to reminiscent the bygone days. That's when I decided to cook this dish even though I do not have their recipe. It was not a problem since I had often helped my in-laws to prepare this dish. I just had to use my judgement to reduce the quantity of all ingredients used.

Ingredients

500g pork belly, cut into pieces
80g black fungus, soaked until soft and cut into pieces
1 egg, beaten
3 tbsp flour
3 cloves garlic
11/2 piece fermented Shanghai nam yee, mashed
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1.3 litres water
oil for deep-frying

 

Marinade

1/2 tsp salt
1/2 piece fermented Shanghai nam yee
1/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp soy sauce
dash of pepper
6 shallots, pounded to pulp to extract juice

 

Seasoning

2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar

Thickening Solution

2 tbsp cornflour
3 tbsp water

Method

1.  Marinate the pork pieces with the shallot juice and marinade ingredients for 4 hours.
2.  Add in the beaten egg and coat well with flour.
3.  Heat up enough oil to deep-fry the marinated pork pieces. Cool and set aside.
4.  Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil in a medium-sized pot.
5.  Add in the garlic cloves, black fungus, 1 1/2 pieces of nam yee and dark soya sauce. Continue to simmer over medium flame for about 30 minutes. If you like the black fungus softer, simmer longer. 
6.  After 30 minutes, add in the deep-fried pork pieces and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the pork is tender.
7.  Add in seasoning ingredients and thicken with cornflour. 

Singapore Noodle

Singapore Noodle

Recipe source :  here

Malaysian and Singaporean food are virtually the same. So much so that I find it difficult to draw the line between Malaysian and Singaporean recipes. So to be safe I chose a recipe which clearly stated the country of origin, "Singapore noodles". 

This is unlike the usual fare that I come across. This noodle dish has a spicy twist to it as curry powder was used. And this is the first time I used capsicum and snake beans to fry noodles! 

Tastes good!

Ingredients

125ml vegetable oil
100g snakebeans, cut into 3 cm lengths
250g shrimps, remove shells and keep the tails intact
1 red capsicum, thinly sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder, mixed with 2 tbsp water to form a paste
300g vermicelli or beehoon, soaked until soft and drained 
160g bean sprouts
60ml soy sauce

  

 Red capsicum

 Snakebeans

 Shrimps

Instructions

1.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok until hot. Fry snakebeans over high heat for about 5 minutes or until slightly charred. Remove and set aside .
2.  Add shrimps to pan-fry until they curled up and turned pink. Transfer them to the plate of snakebeans.
3.  Add 2 tbsp oil and stir-fry capsicum and onions together for 3 minutes or until tender. Transfer to the plate of snakebeans. 
4.  Reduce heat to medium and pour beaten eggs into wok to create a thin omelette. Remove and cut them into thin slices. Set aside.
5.   Add remaining oil to wok. Then add curry paste and bean sprouts, followed by beehoon. Use a pair of bamboo chopsticks to toss the beehoon. Add soy sauce and mix well. Then add the snakebeans, shrimps and capsicum. Stir-well and mix everything together.
6.  Add sliced omelette on top to garnish.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Singapore

Hosted by Grace Phua of Life Can Be Simple

Apple Puff 苹果酥

Apple Puff 苹果酥

Recipe source :  Adapted from Y3K Magazine, Issue No. 53, 3/4-2010

I love recipes from Y3K magazines. The recipes normally show step-by-step instructions which are easy to follow and the end results are almost always assured.

This apple puffs taste great even though I had reduced the amount of brown sugar and cinnamon powder by half.

Ingredients

1 packet puff pastry ( there are 10 pieces of neatly cut puff pastry )
2 apples, peeled and sliced into thin pieces

Mixed together :

50g brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

For glazing

Some melted butter

Apples, puff pastry and cinnamon powder

Method 

1.  The puff pastry comes neatly cut into squares. I just took it out from the freezer to thaw. 
2.  Place puff pastries onto greased baking tray.
3.  Glaze puff pastries with melted butter. Arrange apple slices on top. Glaze again with melted butter and sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon mixture on top. 
4.  Bake in a preheated oven at 200 degree C for about 15 to 20 minutes.
5.  Remove from oven and glaze with melted butter while still hot.

I am linking this to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for September 2014 is Apple

Hosted by Kit @ I-Lost In Austen

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

I am also linking this Cook-your-Book # 16 @ Kitchen Flavours

Stewed Chicken Feet 焖鸡脚

Stewed Chicken Feet 焖鸡脚

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh

This hearty stew is popular and well received in our family. The elders in my family love the chicken feet as they believe it strengthens the cartilage around their knees and joints, while black fungus is good for clearing clogged arteries. 

I won't dispute the goodness of the chicken feet and the black fungus but for this dish, I strongly go for its great taste! The combination of those herbs and spices boiled together created a truly wonderful aroma and flavour to the stew. 

I used both the fresh chicken feet and some pre-fried ones which can be bought from the wet market. This is to cater for the diverging taste preferences of the family members. Some like the puffed up skin of the chicken feet which had been deep-fried in hot oil.

Ingredients

10 pieces fresh chicken feet
10 pieces fried chicken feet
15 dried chillies, halved and seeded
50g black fungus, soaked and cut into pieces
40g ginger, smashed
2 whole garlic bulbs
3 pieces liquorice ( kam choe )
4 cm cinnamon
2 star anise
3/4 tsp white peppercorns, smashed
1 small piece of dried tangerine peel
2 litres water

Seasoning

2 Chinese soup spoon oyster sauce
2 Chinese soup spoon dark soy sauce
1 Chinese soup spoon soy sauce
1 tsp salt, or to taste

Thickening 

Combine 1 tbsp cornflour with 1 tbsp water

The herbs and spices :

Top left : star anise. Top middle : dried tangerine peel. Top right :  white peppercorns

Bottom left :  liquorice ( kam choe ). Bottom right : cinnamon bark

Dried chillies

Method

1.  Blanch chicken feet in boiling water for 10 seconds then dish up. Rinse the chicken feet and drain well.
2.  Bring 2 litres of water to a boil in a large pot. 
3.  Put in both types of chicken feet and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil again. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the chicken feet are tender.
4.  Thicken the sauce with thickening before dishing out to serve.