Monday, 25 August 2008
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Siu Yoke - Roasted Pork Belly
My Singaporean friend and her Belgian husband were in London for a holiday. Invited them to dinner and these are some of the dishes that I cooked for them last Wednesday. As it was a weekday, there was no time to make dessert!
I have modified the Siew Yoke recipe from Hungry Bear's recipe.
Siew Yoke – Roast Pork
Blanch the belly pork in boiling water for about 20 minutes, immersing the pork completely.
After the 20 minutes is up, drain the pork in a colander.
Stab skin with a fork or skewer, literally on every part of the skin, do not be afraid of overdoing it. This is very important as it helps the skin to blister without the need in over salting the skin.
Rub good quality salt on the skin. Then rub a mixture of 5 spiced powder and freshly ground white pepper all over except the skin.
Place pork skin side up on a rack on a roasting tray. Then place in oven at 220 deg C. Roast for about 45 minutes, depending on your oven.
The switch oven to grill mode at about 150 deg C and place skin as close to the grill as possible. You have to watch carefully as the skin blisters very quickly under the grill – about 5 – 10 mins is more than enough!
Rest the meat for at least ten minutes before cutting.
Enjoy
Babi Assam (Pork in Tamarind Sauce)
Ingredients:
1 Kg pork belly – cut into thick slices
(A)
4 candlenuts )
80 gm shallots or 1 big onion ) grind together
1 tbsp shrimp paste )
2 tbsp tau cheo (preserved salted soy beans, ground)
30 gm tamarind – squeezed in 200 ml water and strained
1 tbsp sugar
salt
4 green chillies –slit lengthwise
Method:
1. Heat oil in wok and fry ground ingredients A until fragrant and coloured. Add preserved soy beans and stir over low heat for 5 mins.
2. Add in pork slices and tamarind water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour till pork is tender. About ½ hour into simmer, add green chillies. (if gravy is low while pork is simmering, add a little more water). Add sugar and salt and adjust seasoning.
Serve hot with rice.
I have modified the Siew Yoke recipe from Hungry Bear's recipe.
Siew Yoke – Roast Pork
Blanch the belly pork in boiling water for about 20 minutes, immersing the pork completely.
After the 20 minutes is up, drain the pork in a colander.
Stab skin with a fork or skewer, literally on every part of the skin, do not be afraid of overdoing it. This is very important as it helps the skin to blister without the need in over salting the skin.
Rub good quality salt on the skin. Then rub a mixture of 5 spiced powder and freshly ground white pepper all over except the skin.
Place pork skin side up on a rack on a roasting tray. Then place in oven at 220 deg C. Roast for about 45 minutes, depending on your oven.
The switch oven to grill mode at about 150 deg C and place skin as close to the grill as possible. You have to watch carefully as the skin blisters very quickly under the grill – about 5 – 10 mins is more than enough!
Rest the meat for at least ten minutes before cutting.
Enjoy
Babi Assam (Pork in Tamarind Sauce)
Ingredients:
1 Kg pork belly – cut into thick slices
(A)
4 candlenuts )
80 gm shallots or 1 big onion ) grind together
1 tbsp shrimp paste )
2 tbsp tau cheo (preserved salted soy beans, ground)
30 gm tamarind – squeezed in 200 ml water and strained
1 tbsp sugar
salt
4 green chillies –slit lengthwise
Method:
1. Heat oil in wok and fry ground ingredients A until fragrant and coloured. Add preserved soy beans and stir over low heat for 5 mins.
2. Add in pork slices and tamarind water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour till pork is tender. About ½ hour into simmer, add green chillies. (if gravy is low while pork is simmering, add a little more water). Add sugar and salt and adjust seasoning.
Serve hot with rice.
Tuesday, 19 August 2008
Macarons
Just sharing with you what my dd likes. Have been baking these every Sunday for the past few Sundays. She cannot get enough of them.I have tried a few different ways of making them. The easiest way I find (to me, that is) to do it is simply to whip up the egg whites till semi stiff, after which you add the sugar and whip till you get stiff peaks. Then fold the almond and icing sugar to this and put into a piping bag and pipe onto a baking tray which has been lined with parchment paper. Tried leaving for 1/2 hour for skin to form and tried baking straight away. Either way "feet" still formed, so now I take the easy way and bake straight away.
Ingredients:
125 gms almond powder/meal
225 gms icing sugar (sifted)
110 gms egg white (approximately 3 eggs)
30 gms caster sugar
Method:
1. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg white till almost stiff and add caster sugar. Beat till you get semi stiff peaks.
3. Fold in sifted icing sugar and almond powder to the beaten egg whites.
4. Put egg white mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the prepared baking tray. Pipe into circles of around 1 1/2 to 2 inches.
5. Bake at 160 deg C for about 15 mins.
6. Once done, remove from oven and peel off parchment sheet and leave to cool.
7. When the macarons are cool, add in filling of choice and sandwich together.
Note: if base is still quite soft after 15 mins, turn off oven and leave macarons in oven and the bottoms will firm up.
The other thing that she likes is Eaton Mess. This is a very easy dessert to make. Whip some cream in a mixing bowl, then crush some store bought meringue. Lastly add chopped strawberries or raspberries. Voila! I know it looks a mess (hence the name) but it tastes absolutely delicious.
Ingredients:
125 gms almond powder/meal
225 gms icing sugar (sifted)
110 gms egg white (approximately 3 eggs)
30 gms caster sugar
Method:
1. Line baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Beat egg white till almost stiff and add caster sugar. Beat till you get semi stiff peaks.
3. Fold in sifted icing sugar and almond powder to the beaten egg whites.
4. Put egg white mixture into a piping bag and pipe onto the prepared baking tray. Pipe into circles of around 1 1/2 to 2 inches.
5. Bake at 160 deg C for about 15 mins.
6. Once done, remove from oven and peel off parchment sheet and leave to cool.
7. When the macarons are cool, add in filling of choice and sandwich together.
Note: if base is still quite soft after 15 mins, turn off oven and leave macarons in oven and the bottoms will firm up.
The other thing that she likes is Eaton Mess. This is a very easy dessert to make. Whip some cream in a mixing bowl, then crush some store bought meringue. Lastly add chopped strawberries or raspberries. Voila! I know it looks a mess (hence the name) but it tastes absolutely delicious.
Tahu Goreng
I have always wanted to make Tahu Telor but have never managed to get it right like how they do it at Sanur's. Finally came across Zu's recipe and my goodness - it tastes almost like Sanur's. Thank you very much Zu! Muack!
Mee Siam
Last minute request by dd. She wanted it for dinner last Saturday. Luckily had all the ingredients!
Mee Siam
This is my mother’s recipe which has been enjoyed by so many people. My mum cooks this for the church canteen once a month and it is so well received that it is also sold out before the last mass is over!
Here is my mum’s recipe. (She bases it on a bowl method)
Ingredients:
Gravy
½ bowl shallots or onions (finely ground) – After grinding, leave it in a sieve to remove excess water
Knob of belachan – to grind together with shallots above
½ bowl of taucheo (ground)
Half a fist full of tamarind paste – add 1 cup water
Chilli paste – depending on your heat tolerance (she uses the ready made ones that you can get from the market) – for me, since I am unable to get ready made paste, I make my own by soaking dried chilles in hot water till soft and grinding them. (make extra to keep in freezer)
Noodles
1 pack of bee hoon (rice vermicelli) – soaked in hot water till soft
Handful of beansprouts
300 gms fresh prawns
Garnish:
Hardboiled eggs
Tau kua
Chinese chives – chopped
Sambal for the mee siam:
Chilli paste
sugar
Method:
1.Heat fry pan and dry fry the pounded onions for a few mins. Move to one side and add oil and when the oil is hot, fry the onions for about 5 mins, then add the ground taucheo and 2 – 3 tbsp of chilli paste (according to your heat level). Fry the rempah till fragrant. Remove from heat.
2.Heat wok and add oil. When oil is hot, add about 2 tbsp of prepared rempah and softened beehoon. If beehoon looks too dry, sprinkle some water to moisten, then add beansprouts and fry for a few more mins. Leave aside.
3.In a saucepan, add tamarind water and bring to boil. Whilst it is coming to the boil, add in prepared rempah. When the gravy is hot, add sugar and a little salt to taste. If gravy is not enough, add more tamarind water or just water. Season to taste accordingly.
Lastly, add the prawns and simmer for a few mins.
4.To make sambal chilli, add oil to a fry pan and when hot, fry the chilli paste for a few mins and then add sugar to taste.
5.To serve, dish the prepared beehoon into a bowl. Pour gravy over and then add garnishing
Mee Siam
This is my mother’s recipe which has been enjoyed by so many people. My mum cooks this for the church canteen once a month and it is so well received that it is also sold out before the last mass is over!
Here is my mum’s recipe. (She bases it on a bowl method)
Ingredients:
Gravy
½ bowl shallots or onions (finely ground) – After grinding, leave it in a sieve to remove excess water
Knob of belachan – to grind together with shallots above
½ bowl of taucheo (ground)
Half a fist full of tamarind paste – add 1 cup water
Chilli paste – depending on your heat tolerance (she uses the ready made ones that you can get from the market) – for me, since I am unable to get ready made paste, I make my own by soaking dried chilles in hot water till soft and grinding them. (make extra to keep in freezer)
Noodles
1 pack of bee hoon (rice vermicelli) – soaked in hot water till soft
Handful of beansprouts
300 gms fresh prawns
Garnish:
Hardboiled eggs
Tau kua
Chinese chives – chopped
Sambal for the mee siam:
Chilli paste
sugar
Method:
1.Heat fry pan and dry fry the pounded onions for a few mins. Move to one side and add oil and when the oil is hot, fry the onions for about 5 mins, then add the ground taucheo and 2 – 3 tbsp of chilli paste (according to your heat level). Fry the rempah till fragrant. Remove from heat.
2.Heat wok and add oil. When oil is hot, add about 2 tbsp of prepared rempah and softened beehoon. If beehoon looks too dry, sprinkle some water to moisten, then add beansprouts and fry for a few more mins. Leave aside.
3.In a saucepan, add tamarind water and bring to boil. Whilst it is coming to the boil, add in prepared rempah. When the gravy is hot, add sugar and a little salt to taste. If gravy is not enough, add more tamarind water or just water. Season to taste accordingly.
Lastly, add the prawns and simmer for a few mins.
4.To make sambal chilli, add oil to a fry pan and when hot, fry the chilli paste for a few mins and then add sugar to taste.
5.To serve, dish the prepared beehoon into a bowl. Pour gravy over and then add garnishing
Monday, 18 August 2008
Weather in London
Oh dear, I just realised that this blog was created somewhere near the end of last month, and I have been too lazy to type recipes for what I have made so far.
Will have to get my act together. Promise!
It's now almost the end of August and it's been a horrible summer so far. Temperature has only been 21 or 22 degs C on average and no sun. We need some sun and some blue skies!
Will have to get my act together. Promise!
It's now almost the end of August and it's been a horrible summer so far. Temperature has only been 21 or 22 degs C on average and no sun. We need some sun and some blue skies!
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