Chinese New Year Dish: Scallop & Wong Ngah Pak In Superior Stock 干贝上汤奶白

Chinese New Year Dish: Scallop & Wong Ngah Pak In Superior Stock 干贝上汤奶白

Recipe source :  Y3K Magazine Issue No. 40, 1/2 - 2008

This beautiful serving of dried scallops and Chinese cabbage is super delicious! It is very light and refreshing. You just need dried scallops, Chinese cabbage and broccoli. 

The scallop sauce tasted great with just the right consistency to coat the steamed vegetables and the shredded scallops.

The whole combination was absolutely superb!

Gong Xi Fa Cai !

Ingredients

80g broccoli, cut into florets
5 leaves of Chinese cabbage or wong ngah pak in Cantonese
30g dried scallops, soaked until soft and shred them
300ml superior chicken stock

Seasoning

1/2 tbsp Chinese wine
1/2 tbsp abalone sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
dash of dark soya sauce

Thickening

2 tbsp tapioca flour
2 tbsp water

Mix well to dissolve the tapioca flour

Method

1.  Bring half a pot of water to the boil. Add in some salt and oil. Scald broccoli and Chinese cabbage.
2.. Arrange broccoli in the centre of a plate. Roll up the leaves of the Chinese cabbage and arrange  them around the broccoli.
3.  Steam the platter of vegetables for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
4.  Heat up stock. Add in dried scallops and seasoning. Thicken with the tapioca solution. 
5.  Pour this scallop sauce over the plate of vegetables.

Arrange the vegetables and scallop shreds before spooning the sauce over

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies Jan/Feb 2015

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders 

and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

Please mention Cook and Celebrate: CNY 2015 in your post and link back to us, Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids. - See more at: http://www.bakeforhappykids.com/#sthash.GPYJr7yj.dpuf

I am also linking this post to Cook and Celebrate CNY : 2015
Orgainsed by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out , Zoe of Bake For happy Kids and 
Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe
  

Chinese New Year Dish : Fatt Thieu Cheong/Monk Jumped Over The Wall 佛跳墙

Chinese New Year Dish : Fatt Thieu Cheong/Monk Jumped Over The Wall 佛跳墙

Recipe source :  Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours (after listening to narration of a shop proprietor's basic instructions)

Fables had it that this soup was so fragrant that a monk jumped over a wall to trace and followed the wonderful aroma of this soup. The fable became a reality today in my home! The aroma that wafted from the steam oven was truly delicious as the soup was stewing. We all knew it would be great without having to taste it!

Finally I get to taste my own home-styled version of this much fabled "fatt thieu cheong". Thanks to the shop proprietor who persuaded me to buy these mini abalone way before shops started stocking up Chinese New Year goodies. 

Anyway, one of my children was back early for Chinese New Year and has to work during the festive season. So, we decided to celebrate with him first before he goes back to work. My family finds this very delicious. The dried baby abalone which had been soaked for 5 days until soft and then steamed for 3 hours tasted succulent and juicy. In fact we preferred this dried variety to the canned ones. Each springy bite is filled with the rich aroma and wholesome goodness of authentic abalone. Good! Really good!

Truly awesome to the last drop!

Note : the instruction to soak the dried abalone for 5 days until soft was taught by the shop proprietor who sold these abalone.

Ingredients

5 mini dried abalone
1/2 old chicken, quartered
40g dried fish maw(optional)
3 big dried scallops
5 red dates, pitted
1 tbsp wolf berries
6 slices pau-sum
3 pieces wai-san
4 dried mushrooms, soaked until soft
800ml water
2 slices old ginger
1 tbsp rice wine
salt  (optional )

Dried mini abalone

Mini abalone - after soaking for 5 days in the fridge

Dried scallops

Dried mushrooms

From left to right : wolfberries, pau-sum, red dates, wai-san

Method

1.  Soak dried abalone for 5 days until soft. Leave them in the refrigerator. Clean them properly before use.
2.  Soak fish maw until soft. Add 1 tsp vinegar into about 500ml water. Bring to a boil and boil the soaked fish maw to remove the fishy smell and the oily odour. Repeat process if the fishy smell is not removed after the first boiling. Alternatively you can leave out the fish maw if you find preparing it too troublesome because fish maw by itself has little taste.
3.  Place chicken, Chinese herbs and all the ingredients into a ceramic pot. Add in water. 
4.  Steam over high heat for 3 to 4 hours until the old chicken is tender.

Simply irresistible!

The mini abalones were succulent and juicy !

This is absolutely delicious!

The taste is just out-of-this-world!

No wonder there is so much hype about the monk jumping over the wall !

I am linking this post to My Treasured Recipes #5 - Chinese New Year Goodies Jan/Feb 2015

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders 

and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

I am also linking this post to Cook and Celebrate CNY : 2015

Orgainsed by Yen of Eat Your Heart Out , Zoe of Bake For happy Kids and 

Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe

  

Fried Vermicelli With Pumpkin 南瓜炒米粉

Fried Vermicelli With Pumpkin 南瓜炒米粉

Recipe source :  Adapted from Madame' Huang's Kitchen

Accordingly to Carolyn Phillips, this fried vermicelli with pumpkin is a Taiwanese Fall favourite. I was surprised that the pumpkin strips shown in the picture of her blog did not turn mushy after stir-frying. I wanted to test out whether the pumpkin strips will remain whole in my fried vermicelli! Well, the trick was not to overcook the pumpkin strips. 

The other thing I noticed was that Carolyn used lots of wine in her fried vermicelli. I love wine in cooking! So this recipe was definitely a "must-try"!

The result ? Well, the taste was equivalent to our local version of the Hokkien bee-hoon, albeit  with lots of pumpkin, meat and mushrooms and it was very nicely flavoured with wine!

Yummy! Try it for yourself!

Ingredients

300g pumpkin, cut into thin strips
20g dried scallops, soaked and shredded
5 black mushrooms, soaked and cut into thin slices
300g dried vermicelli, soaked until soft, then drain and set aside
2 green onions, cut into sections and separate the whites from greens
200g lean pork, cut into slices
5 tbsp cooking oil

Pumpkin

Dried mushrooms

Dried scallops

Pork

Vermicelli or bee-hoon

Marinade for pork

1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp tapioca flour
1 tsp Chinese cooking wine

Pork with marinade ingredients

Sliced mushrooms, shredded dried scallops and pumpkin strips

Seasonings

2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
200ml water
a dash of pepper

Method

1.  Marinate the sliced pork with the marinade ingredients and set aside for about 15 minutes.
2.. Heat wok until very hot and add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Saute the white parts of the spring onion.
3. Add in the marinated pork and stir-fry until the pork pieces turned whitish. Remove and set aside. 
4.  In the same wok, add in remaining cooking oil and stir-fry mushrooms, pumpkin and dried scallops.
5. Add in seasonings and water and allow to simmer for about 3 minutes. Then add in the fried pork slices and continue to simmer for further 2 minutes.
6. Add in vermicelli and using a pair of chopsticks,  mix the vermicelli to ensure it is evenly coated with gravy.
7. Continue stirring until almost dry. Switch off flame and dish-up. 
8. Garnish with spring onion. 

 

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for October 2014 is Pumpkin

Hosted by Eileen's Diary

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 My Treasured Recipes # 3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders and 

co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

Braised Pumpkin With Black Fungus 黑木耳焖南瓜

Braised Pumpkin With Black Fungus 黑木耳焖南瓜

Recipe source :  Y3K Magazine, Issue 59, 3/4-2011 

There is a lovely hue to pumpkin, bright and vibrant. The colour is so cheerful, I tend to think that it makes a dish look great. 

This is a simple stir-fry yet the taste was greatly enhanced with the addition of Chinese coriander and butter towards the end of cooking. 

Great dish!

Ingredients A

10g dried scallops, soaked and shredded       ( Original recipe used dried shrimps )
1 cup water ( water from soaking the dried scallops )
20g black fungus, soaked and cut into pieces
1 tbsp butter

Ingredients B

300g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
2 pips garlic, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
2 stalks Chinese coriander, cut into sections of 3cm
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp cooking oil
  

Black fungus, pumpkin and dried and scallops

Method

1.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok. Stir-fry chopped garlic and shallots until slightly browned.
2.  Add in pumpkin and fry until the pumpkin has caramelised around the edges.
3.  Add in black fungus and fry for another minute.
4.  Add in the shredded dried scallops and water. Add more water if it is too dry.
5.  Cover with lid and let it simmer until liquid is absorbed.
6.  Uncover and add in butter, salt and sugar. Add coriander. Mix well.
7.  Dish up and serve.

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for October 2014 is Pumpkin

Hosted by Eileen's Diary

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-Book #17

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

I am also linking this post to My Treasured Recipes # 3 - Taste of Autumn (Oct/Nov 2014)

Hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders and 

co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House

Pumpkin Mock Abacus Seeds 南瓜算盘子

Pumpkin Mock Abacus Seeds  南瓜算盘子

Recipe source :  Y3K Magazine - Catherine Chia's kitchen

These lovely "abacus seeds" look so pretty. They look like golden coins. This can be a meal on its own, very similar to a pasta or a noodle dish and it is truly filling. These pumpkin abacus seeds are imitations of yam abacus seeds which is a traditional dish of the Hakka community.   
This delicacy is not something easily available nor is it widely sold in restaurants, well, at least not around the vicinity where I stay.   

I like this pumpkin coins more than the yam version. On its own, the pumpkin coins are rather bland. Once you add in the other ingredients it becomes a great dish. The ingredients were well blended to complement each other. Every mouthful is bursting with the wonderfully combined flavours of fragrant and chewy cuttle fish, mixed with crunchy black fungus and bits of minced pork.

I am always very happy to share when I stumbled upon a great recipe.
This is one of the fabulous ones! 

Ingredients A

600g pumpkin
300g tapioca flour
1 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients B

1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced shallot
1 tbsp dried shrimps ( soaked, drained and diced )              ( I used dried scallop )
100g minced chicken meat /pork
2 mushrooms ( soaked, drained and diced )
20g black fungus ( soaked and shredded )
50g dried cuttlefish shreds ( soaked )

Seasonings

2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Garnishing

1 stalk Chinese parsley  )
1 stalk spring onion         )  all diced
1 fresh red chilli               )

Top left : diced mushrooms. Top right :  dried scallops

Bottom left :  shredded black fungus.Bottom right : Cuttlefish filaments

Minced pork

Method

1.  Peel pumpkin, cut into pieces. Steam tilled cooked and soft, drain off excess water. Add in tapioca flour and oil. Knead into a dough. Do it while the pumpkin is still hot.
2.  Pinch about 5g to 10g of dough and shape into rounds and use a finger to make a dented impression into the centre. ( To make them look like abacus seeds )
3.  Boil the pumpkin seeds in hot water till they float to the surface. Remove them with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a basin of cold water briefly. Drain away the water. Set aside. 
4.  Heat a wok with 2 tbsp oil. Saute the chopped garlic and shallots. Add in the diced mushrooms, black fungus, minced pork, dried scallops and the cuttlefish filaments. Stir-fry to mix everything together.
5.  Add in the seasoning ingredients and the par-boiled pumpkin seeds.
6.  Mix well, dish up and garnish. 

 Pumpkin seeds which has been par-boiled and drained in a colander

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for October 2014 is Pumpkin

Hosted by Eileen's Diary

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-Book #17

Hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Steamed Black Chicken And Dried Fig Soup

Steamed Black Chicken And Dried Fig Soup

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours


Black chicken is believed by the Chinese to be "poh" that is, it can boost your energy level.. When it is combined with Chinese herbs, dried scallops and mushrooms a tasty and nutritious soup is brewed. 

Try to remove as much fat as possible from the chicken before steaming. Otherwise the soup will be very oily.  

SK and I like this soup . We find it  tasty and naturally sweet. But  then the old saying  "one man's meat is another man's poison" holds true. My youngest son, YS, refused to eat the black chicken. To him the black chicken is yucky!

Ingredients

1kg black chicken
20g Solomon's seal      ( yook chook in Cantonese )
30g dried figs

20g dried mushrooms

1 tsp wolf berries
4 medium-sized dried scallops ( 20g )
2 slices ginger
1 tsp salt
1.2 litres water

 

Method

1. Chop off the head and feet of the black chicken. Cut the black chicken into halves.

2.  Soak dried mushrooms until soft. Remove the stems.
3.  Place the chicken pieces into a large casserole. make sure the casserole has a tight-fitting lid.

4.  Add in Solomon's seal, dried figs, mushrooms, wolf berries, ginger slices and dried scallops into the casserole.

5.  Pour water into the casserole and cover it.

6.  Steam over boiling water for 2 1/2 hours.

7.  Remove the casserole and add in salt. Stir to mix well.

Chawan Mushi

Chawan Mushi

Recipe source :  Adapted from The Miele Workshop

Chawan mushi, a Japanese steamed egg dish which I learnt from the Miele Workshop

I have prepared this before on my own but it was not as smooth as this recipe. This time round I kept to Chef Amy Beh's instructions carefully and the result was six wonderful cups of soft and silky smooth chawan mushi.

Very smooth and tasty!

 

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp mirin (a type of Japanese cooking wine)
some fresh mushrooms  (shimeji mushrooms)
30g dried scallops, soaked until soft
some chopped spring onions (optional) 

 Dried scallops

Fresh buna shimeji mushrooms

Method

1.  Beat eggs in a large bowl.
2.  Mix eggs with stock. Strain the egg mixture and set aside.
3.  Put some dried scallops, which have been soaked into teacups ( about 8 to 10 teacups or ramekins)
4.  Add in a few pieces of fresh mushrooms which has been cut into sections.
5.  Pour egg mixture into the teacups until almost full.
6.  Arrange teacups into a steaming tray.
7.  Cover the teacups with aluminium foil.
8.  Steam at 85 degree C for 20 to 25 minutes.
9.  Top with chopped spring onions (optional)

 

Very smooth and tasty!

Peanut & Pork Congee 花生猪肉粥

Peanut & Pork Congee 花生猪肉粥

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours


Congee is a very good choice for Chinese breakfast. It is easy to prepare and can be very tasty if boiled to perfection, even with very simple ingredients. 

This is one of our family's favourites. 

Ingredients

150g peanuts, soaked overnight
200g rice, washed and soaked in water and freeze it overnight. See preparation for rice
100g dried scallops
400g pork, cut into slices
3 century eggs, cut into quarters
2 litres water
2 tsp salt, or to taste
dash of pepper
sesame oil

Method

1.  Boil soaked peanuts with 2 litres of water for 45 minutes or until slightly softened.
2.  Add in frozen rice and dried scallops. Continue to boil until the rice grains have broken and turn to congee.
3.  Add pork slices and boil for a further 2 minutes over high heat.
4.  Add in century eggs and salt to taste.
5.  Mix well.
6.  Serve in individual bowls with a dash of pepper and sesame oil.