Sambal Prawns

Ingredients:
800g prawns, shelled and deveined
2 tbsp cooking oil
prawn stock (See note)
1 tsp sugar
salt, to taste
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 - 2 tbsp lime juice, to taste
a few sprigs of Vietnamese coriander (daun kesum) 

Grind into paste:
1 big red onion
3 - 4 bird's eye chillies
1 large long sweet red capsicum

• Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan.  Add in paste and stir fry until aromatic.
• Add in prawns and stir fry until half cooked.
• Pour in enough water to cover the prawns.  Add in sugar, salt, fish sauce, lime juice and daun kesum.  Simmer until prawns are just cooked.
• Dish out and serve hot with rice.

Note:

• With a little oil, stir fry 2 slices of ginger and 2 cloves of garlic (smashed) and all the prawns' heads and shells until they turned red.  Using a spatula, press into the heads to get the maximum flavour.  
• Add in water (just enough to cover the prawns' heads & shells).  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Strain the stock.

Braised Glass Noodles With Prawns

[4 -5 servings]

(A)
800g prawns

(B): Marinade
3 coriander roots, chopped finely
6 cloves garlic, minced (38g)
15g ginger, minced
1 chilli, chopped finely
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp oil

(C)
400g glass noodles
20g ginger slices
20g garlic slices
1 chilli, sliced (optional)
1 tbsp oil

(D) Sauce:  (Adjust to suit your taste)
4 cups of water (or prawn/chicken stock)
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp sugar
pepper & salt to taste
1 tsp sesame oil

(E)
coriander leaves or spring onion to garnish

• Clean prawns by removing the heads and cutting off all the legs (leaving the shells on).  Using a sharp paring knife, make a slit along the back of the prawns and remove the vein. Set aside. 
• In a bowl, mix together ingredients (B). Heat 3 tbsp oil in a small pot until hot, then pour into the paste, stir to combine. Pour half of the mixture over the prawns and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
• Soak glass noodles in cold water for about 20 minutes.  Drained and set aside.
• Heat a little oil in a frying pan (or saucepan).  Fry the marinated prawns until half cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• In the same pan, add in 1/2 tbsp oil fry sliced ginger and garlic until aromatic.  
• Add in noodles and pour in the sauce.  then place the prawns on top of the noodles and spoon the remaining (B) mixture over the prawns.  Cover the pan and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the noodles turn transparent.  Add more water/stock if necessary.  Turn off fire when all the liquid has been absorbed by the noodles.  Drizzle sesame oil over and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot.

Green Bean Vermicelli (or Glass Noodles)

B:  Marinade

Marinate prawns

Myulchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)

My Korean friend Clara introduced me to this appetising dish (sweet, salty, spicy and sticky)  which I later discovered that it is called Myulchi Bokkeum.  Myulchi means dried anchovy in Korean and Bokkeum means stir-fried.  It  is one of the basic  side dishes which is usually served with plain white rice.  Personally I like it as a filling for my sushi. 

Ingredients:

130g dried small anchovies  (* I used dried whitebaits)
2 - 3 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp sesame oil
20g garlic, minced
20g shallots, minced
2 tsp sesame seeds - lightly toasted

Sauce:  (mix all together)

2 tbsp brown sugar
2 ½ tbsp gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
1 ½ tbsp corn syrup
2 tbsp warm water
½ tsp soy sauce

• Wash and rinsed anchovies.
• Fry the anchovies until dry, then add enough oil to stir fry until slightly crispy.  Dish out and set aside.
• Add in about 1 tbsp oil, and saute minced shallots and ginger until fragrant.  Then pour in sauce and bring to the boil.  Simmer until slightly thickened.
• Add in fried anchovies and stir to combine.  Finally add in sesame oil and sesame seed.  Mix well. 

Tuna Salad

,

Canned tuna with boiled potato, green beans, soft-boiled egg, mushroom and tomato drizzled with the tuna oil, cracked pepper and olive oil.

Mango, Pineapple & Prawn Salad

Ingredients:

pineapple chunks
mango cubes
cucumber slices
cherry tomatos - halved
fresh coriander (or mint leaves)
basil
cooked prawns - chilled


Dressing: 

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated palm sugar
1 tbsp pineapple juice

• Add dressing to the prawns and salad and toss well.

Tomato Fish

Ingredients:

550g firm white boneless fish fillets, cut into pieces
2 tomatoes, sliced thickly
5 cherry tomatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 stalk spring onion, sliced diagonally
plain flour, for dusting
olive oil

Sauce: Combine together -

2 tbsp sweet chili sauce
3 tbsp tomato sauce
4 tbsp water
1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp sugar


Method:


Pat the fish dry with paper towel. Sprinkle pepper and salt and dust fish with flour, shaking off any excess.
Heat oil in a pan. Pan fry the fish on both sides until cook. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen paper towel. Transfer on to a plate.
Using one tablespoon of oil in the pan, saute onions, garlic and ginger until aromatic.
Add tomatoes and pour in the sauce. Bring to the boil.
Pour over fish and garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately.