Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is a simple and delicate dish, not complicated but requires great patience and care when cooking.
It is basically a poached chicken dish and rice, sounds easy enough, how hard can it be right? wrong.
It needs the right amount of seasoning/flavouring and poached just long enough....oh and a good chicken! preferably an organic medium sized chicken.

Ingredients needed (serves 4):
1 whole (organic) chicken
1 large fresh ginger root, sliced
5 stalks of scallions/green onions
2 schallots
5-6 garlic cloves peeled
Coriander for garnishing
Light soy sauce
Shoaxingwine/ chinese cooking sherry
Sesame oil
1-2 tbsp coarse salt
cooking oil
Salt to taste
2 cups rice
Instructions:

To cook chicken

1. Clean a whole chicken. Cut excess fat and skin and put aside for later.
2. Rub coarse salt thoroughly on chicken skin. This will help exfoliate the skin surface,and helps a smooth silky appearance on chicken when cooked.
3. Clean inside of chicken and rub 1/2 teaspoon of salt on the inside surface. Also rub a dash of shaoxing, soy sauce and sesame oil inside.
4. Slice 2x2inch ginger root (no need for peeling) and stuff in chicken cavity along with garlic cloves and 3 stalks of scallions (chopped in half).
5. Put a large pot of water to boil and turn heat down and place chicken into pot, fully submerged, with breast side down. let chicken simmer and cook for 50 minutes on low heat. (do not let water boil as it might tear the chicken skin).
6. Then to keep skin crisp, carefully remove chicken from pot and immediately place into a large bowl of iced water.
7. Retain pot of water chicken was boiled in for broth/soup

To cook rice

1. Wash rice and rinse twice. drain.
2. Heat pan with a table spoon of cooking oil and render fat from excess chicken skin from earlier. oan fry 2 thinly sliced schallots then add in rice, half tsp of salt. Sitr fry rice grains for about a minute.
3. Transfer ingredients in pan into rice pot. Add 4 cups of chicken broth and 1 inch knob of ginger and add pandan (screwpine) leaves to boil - optional. 
4. When rice is cooked, fluff rice with a fork. 

To serve

1.  Use remaining chicken broth as soup-side dish by adding soup lettuce, sliced spring onion and a few dashes of white pepper.
2. For condiments, the dish is best served with a ginger and chilli sauce. For best results, blitz ginger in a mixer/blender and pan fry with a tbsp vegetable oil and half tsp salt. As for chilli sauce, blitz 2 fresh chillies, a tbsp of lime juice, 1 garlic clove, and 1/4 tsp salt and sugar.
3. To serve complete dish, garnish with some chopped spring onions and coriander leaves. Then pour 2 tablespoon of the hot chicken broth, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil onto chicken. Thinly sliced cucumber would complement the dish perfectly.

Prep Time : 30 min
Cooking Time : 1.5 hrs
Difficulty Level : easy

Steamed Glutinous Rice ('loh mai kai')

This is a delicious recipe for the above mentioned popular dimsum dish. I remember growing up with it over breakfast, lunch, tea and at the school cafeteria...
It's abit of work but i think it's well worth it. and surprisingly much easier to make than anticipated.
(recipe makes approx 4 servings)

Ingredients:

2 pcs chinese sausage 'lapcheong'
1tbsp finely chopped dried shrimps

(A)for filling
8 pcs shitake mushrooms (soaked till soft)
300-400g chicken fillet breast/thigh (sliced; bite size)
2-3 garlic cloves
2tbsp sesame oil
2tbsp light soysauce
1tbsp dark soysauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing/ cooking sherry
2 tsp sugar
2 dashes of pepper

(B)for glutinous rice
450g glutinous rice
water for soaking
1.5 cup of water
1 tbsp sesame oil
2tsp light soysauce
1tsp dark soysauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp chicken stock
1-2 tsp chinese five spice powder
2 tsp sugar
a dash of pepper

Directions:

Preparations for the night before :

• mix all ingredients for filling and refrigerate overnight.
• soak glutinous rice overnight with water just enough to cover about 1cm above rice. 

1. Drained water from soaked rice then add 1.5 cups of water with all other ingredients (B).
2. Steam rice for about 20-25 minutes then fluff rice with a fork:
3. Place 2 pcs of chinese sausage on the rice and continue steaming for another 20-30 minutes (or until rice is fully cooked). then slice sausage and leave rice aside to cool.
   
4. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil i a pan and fry dried shrimps until fragrant. Then add in marinated fillings and stir fry. Set filling aside.
5. To put dish together, prepare a small serving size bowl (since i did not have a stainless steel bowl i simply coated the bowl with aluminium foil) brush its inside with a little oil. Put together the fillings and sausage (approx 2 tbsps). Then add rice, followed by more fillings in between. I like this dish with more fillings than rice :)
6. To serve, i simply tilt the bowl over a plate and add some garlic chili sauce.

Prep time : (+overnight) and 1.5 hours

Difficulty level : Medium

Pan-fried (or steamed) chinese dumplings 'jiaozi'

Ahhh I've finally decided to make 'jiaozi' from scratch on my own, after years of savouring these lovelies from various restaurants across continents to authentic chinese kitchens in friends's home....I recall that one favourite restaurant I used to frequent in glen waverly's back in melbourne,yummers..

And so I decided to try put together various recipes I've gathered. so here goes:
(Recipe makes about 30 dumplings)

Ingredients for wrapper:
2cups wheat flour
2cups wheat starch
1cup tapioca starch
Dash of salt
Oil for brushing
3 cups of warm water
flour for working surface

Ingredients for filling:
400g minced pork
3-4 leaves of chinese cabbage (thinly sliced)
3 stalks spring/green onion (finely chopped)
2x2inches ginger piece (2/3 minced; 1/3 finely sliced for garnish)
2tbsp sesame oil
4tbsp soysauce
1tbsp cooking sherry/shaoxing
1tsp pepper
2tbsp cornstarch
Optional: soaked n diced chinese mushroom

Instructions for wrapper:

1. mix wheat flour and wheat starch, add pinch of salt, slowly add in warm water while stirring with a wooden spatula or chopsticks. mix it thoroughly then add tapioca starch (it will look and feel clumpy, dont worry). continue to knead dough as you brush/ dab light oil through out. You may add wheat flour for different consistencies.
2. pinch about 1inch of dough and roll it into a ball, then use a rolling pin to roll it into a sheet. I prefer just pressing and stretching the dough with my fingers (outwards from the center), ensuring wrapper sheet is thicker in the middle and thinner on the outer.

Instructions for filling:

1. finely slice chinese cabbage and soak in warm water, add a pinch of salt. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, then drained and squeeze excess water out of the cabbage (or use a straining muslin/ cheesecloth)
2. season minced pork with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sherry and cornstarch. then add ginger, green onions, chinese cabbage and mushrooms,. *mix well

Instructions for cooking:

1. add filling into center of sheet and fold sheet together and start pressing sheets together from the middle and gently outwards.
2. heat a non-stick pan on medium high heat, add 1tbsp of oil for frying. panfry dumpling for about 5 minutes, or until bottom is golden brown.
3. add boiling water to pan. cover the entire pan to about 1/2 cm deep of water, then cover pan with a lid. let it simmer for about 5-7 minutes until water is fully absorbed into dumplings.
4. alternatively: steam for 10 minutes.
5. serve dumplings with garlic chili sauce or soysauce with vinegar and shreddd ginger for garnish.

Cooking time: 2 hours
Difficulty level: medium

Baked dumplings

  

So I've made these several times over parties and I'd like to share the recipe (as promised).

I love dumplings. They are great savoury snacks and so versatile (you can bake them, pan fry them, deep fry, steam; you could use whatever fillings to your liking)

This recipe a really simple to make, delicious and healthy- because it's baked, not deep-fried like you get them at the restaurant.

Here are the ingredients you need (makes about 6 servings/ 40 - 50 pieces):

For wrapping the dumplings I used these wonton pastry you could get from the asian grocer

 

For the filling:

500g minced beef (or pork)

2x2 inches of ginger - finely diced

5 garlic cloves - finely diced

2x shallots OR 3 stalks of green/spring onions -  finely chopped

1x red chilli (optional) - finely chopped

8-10 x medium-large shitake mushrooms (pre-soaked until soft) - diced

2-3 stalks of asian coriander/ cilantro - finely chopped

1 egg

To add a little crunch you could also add finely diced carrots/ water chestnuts

oil for frying and brushing

sesame oil

soya sauce

cooking sherry /optional

pepper

woicester sauce / oyster sauce

 Instructions:

1. Marinate minced meat with 4 tbsp soysauce, 2 tbsp sherry, 1.5 tbsp oyster/woicester sauce, 3 tbsp of sesame oil, couple dashes of pepper. mix well and let it sit for 10 minutes
2. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp oil in frying pan on medium heat. Add ginger and stir fry until golden crispy / you smell the aroma. Then add in garlic, onions and chili. Stir until fragrant. Then add into meat
3. Mix in the cilantro/coriander and mushrooms. Mix everything well then add an egg and continue mixing (the egg will hold the meat together to ensure it doesnt fall apart when baked)
4. At this point I would pan fry a tiny bit of the meat mixture and taste it to see if it is under seasoned. Then adjust seasoning accordingly.
5. Start wrapping the dumplings in the wonton pastry by placing meat fillings at the center of the sheets and bring all corners together, give it a twirl around the top like you would do with a christmas gift bag, gently squeeze the together and open the ends downwards so it'll resemble flower petals.
6. Place dumplings on baking paper and brush them with a little oil. Bake them in preheated oven at 200 Celcius for 10-12 minutes.
7. Serve.

Difficulty level: Medium

Prep time: 1 hour

Braised Pork(belly) with fermented beanpaste and ginger

This is a very simple dish to make. throw everything together - marinade - simmer - serve!

 
Ingredients:


400g pork belly (cut into 1/2 inch chunks)
2 whole garlic, washed and not peeled
3 large thumbsized ginger, pounded
1tbspn five spice powder (can be found in most asian stores)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1tbspn dark soysauce
1.5 tbsp fermented bean paste/ taucu (found in most asian stores)
1tspn sugar
dash of salt to taste
coriander& red chili for garnishing


Instructions:

1. mix all ingredients and spices with meat, let marinade sit for at least 30 minutes
2. heat wok/ pan then add meat marinade into pot on semi high heat. stir until you start to see oil ('released' from pork lards)
3. add enough water to cover meat. Let it boil and simmer over medium heat until water slowly evaporates and you get a thick gravy.

Careful to ensure that you stir dish from time to time to avoid caramelised gravy at the bottom.
After simmering for about 2 hours meat should be tender and delicious to serve with rice. Add garnishing to your liking

Difficulty level:     Easy
Time to prepare:  5 minutes
Time to cook :     1-2 hours

Sticky-date Pudding

I think I first tried sticky date pudding back in Melbourne, Australia when dear Aunty Thina made some really lovely ones over her christmas lunch. I LOVED IT! I still remember how awesome it tasted with her home made toffee sauce, it just melts in your mouth.... This is a version I found online...rather than the overly sweet toffee sauce, I prefer it with vanilla ice cream=)
A little different from Aunty Thina's, certainly not nearly as good as her version, but good enough me thinks ;) it's 'momsfillibaba'.....

Here's what you'll need:
2 cups of roughly diced pitted dates (I bought mine from a regular middle eastern grocer, they are delish!)
125g butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1.5 cups boiling water
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
Self raising flour mixture (I used 2 cups wheat flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 0.5 tsp salt)
3 eggs

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees celcius.
   
2. Roughly dice the pitted dates and place it in a bowl. Add in bicarbonate soda and then the boiling water. Let mixture sit for about 30 minutes (this would allow dates to soften, and turn into almost paste-like consistency)
3. In a cake mixer, beat butter and sugar until thoroughly mixed and then add in vanilla essence and the eggs one by one.
4. Slowly fold in the flour mixture and continue mixing until smooth. Then gradually fold in the dates from (1) and mix well.
   
5. Prepare a 20 or 25'' baking pan. Lightly grease with butter on the base and sides, then dust a little and shake off access flour.
   
6. With a ladle, transfer pudding mixture from (4) into the baking pan. Place pan into oven and bake for about 40-45 minutes (or check with a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake to test if it's cook or not. If it comes out clean then your pudding is ready to serve)

I love mine served warm and topped with a medium scoop of vanilla ice cream...YUMMERss..

Prep time: 1.5 hours

Difficulty: Moderate

Oven-baked Pandan Wrapped Chicken

Here's a simple way to make light, simple and tasty bites. I believe it's Thai origin, and it is yummier deep fried, but i prefer mine oven baked. It works with either chicken breast or tender chicken thighs.

Here's what you'll need:
Chicken meat, I used two large chicken breast pieces (cut into 1-1.5 inch cubes)
pandan leaves
3 inches ginger (grated and squeezed for juice)
1-2 dashes of soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
a dash of sesame oil
2-3 dashes of white pepper powder
3 tbsp of sugar (you may also use honey)

Instructions:

1. Marinate chicken pieces in all ingredients for at least an hour or two.
2. Starting on one end of the pandan leaf, start rolling in the chicken piece. Hold the wrap with a toothpick.
3. In a preheated oven, bake chicken pieces at approx 200 deg. celcius, for 20-25 minutes (until golden brown).
4. serve on its own or preferred dipping sauce
   

Prep + cook time: 1 hour

Difficulty level : easy- moderate