Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Chinese Mustard (梅菜炆猪肉)

Without oil, fry the preserved vegetables until dry

Fry the meat until it turns opaque

Ingredients:
454g preserved chinese mustard (梅菜干)
630g pork belly, cut into pieces
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 big knob ginger, minced
2 dried chillies
1/2 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp cooking oil
water

Marinade for pork:
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tbsp light soy
3 tsp dark soy
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp pepper

• Marinate the pork belly for at least 2 hours.
• Wash the preserved chinese mustard thoroughly (to get rid of the sand) and soak for at least an hour, changing water every 20 minutes.  Drain and squeeze dry.  Cut into small pieces.
• Heat up a wok and fry the preserved vegetables (without oil) until dry.  Remove and set aside.
• Heat oil in the wok and saute minced shallots, garlic, ginger and dried chillies until aromatic. Add in marinated meat and fry until meat turns opaque.  Then toss in the preserved vegetables. Continue frying until well combined.  Add in sugar and enough water to cover the meat and vegetables.
• Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer for about one and a half hour or until everything has softened and sauce has reduced. 

Coconut Jam (Kaya)

Kaya literally means "rich" in Malay.  It certainly is an appropriate name for this rich, thick and silky smooth jam which is a blend of coconut cream, sugar and eggs with a hint of the pandan fragrance.  Caramelised sugar is added to give the jam a deep golden colour.

I love kaya on toast or in a cheese sandwich and also on crackers too.  What about you?

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover's Caramel Coconut Jam

Ingredients:

4 eggs (55g each)

250g caster sugar

350ml coconut milk

a few blades of pandan leaves

• To make the caramel, melt 100g of sugar in a pot over low fire.  Allow the sugar to dissolve completely and turn into a deep golden colour, swirling the pot as you go.  Remove from heat.
• In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and coconut milk.  Using a balloon whisk, stir until sugar dissolves.  Then add in eggs and whisk to combine.
• Strain coconut and egg mixture directly into the caramel.  Add in pandan leaves.
• Place the pot of kaya mixture on the double boiler under low heat.  The water should be just simmering with bubbles at the bottom of the saucepan. Use a silicon spatula to keep stirring the kaya until it starts to get thick and sticky.  (It took me 1 hour to get to the desired consistency).  The jam will thicken further once it is cooled).
• Remove kaya from heat.  Discard the pandan leaves.
• Fill in sterilised jars immediately and leave it to cool in the jar (with the lid off) before storing in the fridge.

Kahlua Sponge Cake

This moist and soft sponge cake which has been spiked with Kahlúa will definitely excite your taste buds but won't get you tipsy. Kahlúa is a coffee-flavoured liqueur which contains rum, corn syrup and vanilla bean and it has a sweet and vibrant taste.  

Ingredients:
(A)
75g plain flour
10g rice flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

(B)
5 egg whites (193g)
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
70g caster sugar

(C)
5 egg yolks (90g)
60g coconut oil
55g milk
30g (2 tbsp) Kahlua coffee liqueur
1 tsp vanilla extract

(D)
1/2 tsp dark cocoa powder

• Preheat oven to 140 deg C.
• Using an electric beater, whisk egg white until foamy.  Gradually add in sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks formed.  Set aside.
• Using the same beater, beat egg yolks, coconut oil, milk, Kahlua and vanilla extract until blended.  Then add in sifted flour and mix well to combine. 
• Add 1/3 of the meringue into the egg yolk batter and stir to combine.  Then lightly fold in the rest of the meringue.
• Pour batter into an 8" round pan with a removable base (do not grease or line the pan).  Bang the pan on the kitchen bench to remove large air bubbles.
• Sift cocoa powder into 2 tablespoon of batter.  Randomly drop teaspoonful of batter on the cake and using a chopstick, swirl a decorative pattern.
• Bake at 140 deg C for 30 min, then increase the temperature to 170 deg C and bake for another 30 min.
• After removing cake from the oven, drop the pan on the kitchen bench to prevent the cake from shrinking.
• Leave cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove cake from the pan.