Thousand Layer Pork Belly ( 梅菜扣肉 )

Luke Nguyen cooks this Chinese classic dish - Thousand Layer Pork in one of the episodes of Luke Nguyen’s Greater Mekong.    This dish is also known as "Mui Choy Khow Yoke. 

Ingredients:

800g pork belly
250g preserved mustard greens ("mui choy")
2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp light soy
1 tsp dark soy
hot water

Marinade: (mix all together)
3 tbsp light soy
1 tbsp thick caramel sauce (dark soy)
3 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp grated palm sugar
1 tsp pepper

• Marinate pork belly and leave it in the fridge, covered, for at least 1 hour (I marinated mine overnight).
• Soak preserved mustard greens for half an hour. Rinse and squeeze out the water.  Slice finely. 
• With a tablespoon of oil, saute garlic until aromatic.  Put in the preserved mustard greens and fry for about a minute.  Add in water, dark soy and light soy and bring it to the boil.  Then simmer for about 10 - 15 minutes under low heat. Set aside.
• Remove the pork from marinade and brush off the garlic and ginger from its surface.  Reserve the marinade.
• Heat a frying pan and add a tablespoon of oil.  Place the pork belly, skin-side down and fry until brown.  Turn over and brown the other side.
• Pour hot water into the pan, just enough to cover the pork.  Bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Remove the pork from the pan and cool before placing in the freezer, covered, for 1 hour. (I left mine in the fridge overnight)
• Slice the pork as thinly as possible (I sliced the pork into 5mm thick).
• Place the pork pieces into a bowl, skin-side down.  Top the pork with the preserved mustard greens.  Pour over the reserved marinade.
• Steam pork, covered, for about 1.5 hours or until soft.

Apple-Rhubarb Crumble

Ingredients:   (Serves 5)                                               

4 stalks rhubarb, cut into about 4 cm length

3 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp orange juice

Crumble:   

120g plain four

1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

100g butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup dessicated coconut

1 tsp mixed spice

 

• Cook rhubarb with orange juice and brown sugar until softened.  This will take about 15 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 170 deg C.
• Lightly greased ramekins with melted butter.  
• To make crumble:  Combine plain flour and brown sugar in a mixing bowl.  Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.  Add in the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate until required.
• Spoon rhubarb into ramekins and top with sliced apple.  
• Sprinkle crumble mixture over the rhubarb and apple and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the crumble is golden brown.  
• Serve warm with cream or vanilla ice-cream.

Spiral Curry Puffs

Ingredients: [Makes 24]

Fillings:
350g potatoes, cubed
2 big onions, cubed
4 tbsp curry paste (A1 brand)
curry leaves
salt and sugar to taste

• With 2 tbsp oil, fry onion until softened.  
• Then add in curry paste and curry leaves and potatoes.  Fry for a minute.  Add in water and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Season with salt and sugar.
• Cook until dry.  
• Dish out and set aside to cool.  

(A)  Water dough pastry:
400g plain flour
2 tbsp rice flour
200ml water
3 tbsp cooking oil
40g butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 egg white

• Using a dough hook, knead all the ingredients together until it forms a soft dough.  
• Cover dough and set aside to rest for about 30 minutes. 

(B)  Oil dough pastry:
200g plain flour
1 tbsp rice flour
100g shortening (or butter)

• Put flour in a mixing bowl.
• Rub chilled chopped butter into the flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Knead until a smooth dough is formed.
• Cover dough and set aside.

To form spiral pastry:

• Flatten water dough (A).
• Wrap oil dough (B) inside the water dough and roll out into a rectangular shape on a floured surface.
• Fold a third of the pastry into the centre, then fold the bottom third up over that.  Turn the dough 90 degrees and roll out again.  Repeat folding, rolling and turning twice more.  
• Then roll the dough into a long spiral rope (like a swiss roll) and let rest for about 20 minutes.
• Using a knife, cut the dough into 24 pieces (50g each)

To make the puffs:

• Use a rolling pin, roll out each disc
• Fill with fillings and crimp the edge.
• Heat enough oil in a wok/pan.  Deep fry the curry puffs over medium-high heat until golden brown. 

Baked Chicken, Chorizo & Cannellini Beans

 

Ingredients:

4 chicken drumsticks
1 Spanish chorizo (sausage), sliced thickly
1 can cannellini beans, drained
12 cherry tomatoes
2 medium size red onions, cut into wedges
1/4 cup white wine
2 tbsp olive oil
salt
black pepper
coriander leaves for garnishing

• Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
• Heat oil in a frying pan and fry chicken drumsticks until brown on all sides; sprinkle salt and black pepper onto the chicken.  Add in chorizo and onions and fry for about 2 minutes.  Pour in white wine and bring to the boil.  Set aside. 
• Pour the drained cannellini beans into an ovenproof casserole dish, then add in browned chicken drumsticks, chorizo, onions and cherry tomatoes. 
• Cover casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes.
• Uncover and bake for a further 15 - 20 minutes.
• Serve hot.

Steamed Eggs

Ingredients:

3 eggs
300ml water (or stock)
salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp garlic oil
1/2 tsp sesame oi
1 tbsp light soy sauce
spring onions, garnishing

• Gently beat the eggs, water, salt and pepper with a fork; careful not to over beat.
• Strain egg mixture through a sieve into a dish for steaming.  Cover the dish with a plate and place in a steamer and steam over low heat until the egg is set. 
• Remove from heat and drizzle with sesame and garlic oil and soy sauce. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Steamed Silken Tofu with Dried Shrimps

Ingredients:

1 block silken tofu
1/4 cup dried shrimps, washed and soaked till softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp oil
4 tbsp light soy sauce
dash of pepper
pinch of sugar
spring onion, chillies (optional)  for garnishing

• Remove tofu from packaging and transfer onto a dish.  Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes.
• Chopped or pound the dried shrimps in the mortar and pestle. 
• Heat oil in a frying pan and fry dried shrimps until golden. Add sugar and stir to combine.  Remove to a bowl; set aside.
• With the remaining oil, fry the garlic until fragrant. Pour garlic oil and dried shrimps over tofu with soy sauce.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and chillies.

Sambal Belacan

A must have spicy Malaysian condiment which goes well with fried noodles, fried rice, fish, etc. Everyone has his/her own version of Sambal Belacan.  A very simple recipe which called for chillies, belacan (shrimp paste), salt and sugar.  Before serving, a squeeze of lime/lemon juice is added into the sambal to give a little sourness. 

Ingredients: Adjust ingredients according to your taste.

large red chillies (or cayenne pepper)
bird's eye chillies
belacan (shrimp paste) - toasted
salt
sugar

oil

• Put all the ingredients in a food processor and blend into a rough paste. 
• Cook the paste with enough oil for about 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.  
• Store in a clean jar.  The sambal can be stored in the fridge for weeks. 

Marbled Egg-White Cake

Some time back, I've baked a  Yellow Butter Cake using just egg yolks and  now with a container full of egg whites sitting in my freezer for months, I've decided to try baking a cake with egg whites only.   This recipe has been adapted from here.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup egg whites
150g castor sugar
160g plain flour, sift
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
60g butter (melted and cooled)
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g dark chocolate, melted in the microwave

• Preheat oven to 160 deg C.  Grease a bundt pan and dust with flour.  Shake away excess flour.
• Beat egg whites until foamy and add in cream of tartar.  Continue whisking until soft peaks form.  Gradually add in sugar, beating until stiff and shiny.
• Gently fold in sifted flour and melted butter and vanilla extract.  Fold thoroughly.
• Pour half of the cake batter into a separate bowl and stir in melted chocolate.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan by alternating spoons of vanilla batter and chocolate batter.   Gently swirl together with a knife, taking care not to over mix.
• Bake for about 35 minutes or until cake is done.

Stir-fried Assorted Mushrooms

Ingredients:

200 King Oyster mushroom, sliced
150g Shimeji mushroom, cut of base parts and separate mushroom
100g button mushroom, halved or quartered
1 small carrot, sliced
3 cloves garlic
2 slices ginger
2 scallion, sliced
spring onion, for garnishing

Seasoning:
50ml water
1/2 tbsp white miso paste
1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
1 tsp oyster sauce (omit for vegetarian)
sugar, salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp sesame oil
cooking oil
1 tbsp water + 1/2 tbsp cornflour

• In a wok, heat oil and saute scallion, ginger and garlic until fragrant.  
• Add carrots and stir fry for a minute or two. Add in king oyster mushroom and cook for a minute; then add in shimeji and button mushrooms. 
• Stir in sesame oil and seasoning.  Cover and cook until tender.  
• Mix in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce.
• Serve hot.

Crispy Tofu with Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pack of fried tofu, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce
1/2 tbsp honey
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
1 medium size carrot, julienned
lemon juice
salt & pepper

• Heat a frying pan and fry the tofu pieces with a little oil. Season with salt and pepper and turn occasionally until golden brown and lightly crisp.  Transfer tofu pieces onto paper towel to absorb excess oil.
• In a bowl, combine the sweet chilli sauce and honey.
• Drizzle some lemon juice over the julienned apple to prevent apple from turning brown.  
• Place the tofu pieces on a serving plate with julienned apple and carrot.  Spoon chilli sauce over the tofu just before serving.  

 

Sambal Brinjal (Aubergine)

 

Ingredients:

2 brinjals
1 small tomato, cut into cubes
Thai basil leaves
1/4 cup water
1 tsp tamarind paste
salt & sugar, to taste
3 tbsp sambal dried shrimps

• Cut brinjals in half, lengthwise. Drizzle with oil.
• Grill brinjals on both sides until soft.  Peel the skin off when it is cool enough to handle.  With a fork, tear the brinjals into strips and place on a serving plate.  Set aside.
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the tomato until soft.  Add in sambal dried shrimps and water.  Season with salt and sugar if necessary.  Finally add in basil leaves. 
• Pour sambal over brinjals and serve hot.

Minced Pork + Potato Stew

A humble potato dish -  my all time favourite ...

Ingredients:

250g minced pork
2 large size potato, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
cooking oil

Marinade:
1 tbsp cornflour
ground white pepper
1 tbsp light soy (approx)
1 tsp sesame oil

Seasoning:
2 tsp dark soy sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
salt and sugar to taste
1 cup water
1 tsp cornflour


 Method:

• Marinate minced pork with sesame oil, cornflour, a dash of pepper and light soy.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute garlic until fragrant.  Add in the marinated minced pork and fry until cooked.  Set aside.
• Heat a little oil and brown the potato slices.  Pour in seasoning and bring to the boil.  Lower heat and simmer until potatoes are soft.  Then add in the minced meat and simmer again until meat is cooked.
• If desire, the sauce can be thicken slightly by adding cornflour mixture (cornflour + water).