Aglio olio Scallops

Scallop Aglio olio

a simple but satisfying meal

Scallop Aglio olio

meal for 1 person

4 scallops, defrost, wipe dry & sprinkle with salt & pepper

1 small piece of butter

some olive oil

60g angel hair

2 Tbsp chopped garlic

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

some herbs, optional

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1. bring 1/2 pot of water to the boil

2. add some salt & oil

3. put in the angel hair to cook until softened, drained

4. heat up a non stick pan, add butter and olive oil

5. place the scallop, one by one into the melting butter, pressing in with your finger

6. leave it to sear for 1 min or 2, turn over and sear the other side

7. when done, remove from pan

8. to the same pan, fry the garlic with the olive oil until slightly brown

9. add the soften angel hair, stir fry, and add herbs, salt & pepper to taste

10. dish up when done, serve with pan seared scallop

SEA CUCUMBER DESSERT

Sea Cucumber
has long been used in Chinese Cooking,

Sea Cucumbers are expensive
and
it takes long time to prepare,
so they are mainly used in expensive dishes,
like braised sea cucumber,
sweet and sour sea cucumber
and
the famous Foochow Delicacy,
'Buddha Jump Over The Wall'

Recent discovery
is that Sea Cucumber is a good source of collagen.
so it has been introduced in many dishes.

Johanna Wong
recently introduced to us a tub of Sea Cucumber Tong Sui
which she bought from the local market!

It looks nice
and here I am with this simple recipe.

Sea Cucumber Tong Sui

1 small sea cucumber, soaked, softened and cleaned (cut into small pieces)

some wolfberries

some red dates

some dried longan

some white fungus (optional)

Method:

1) all ingredients into a double boiler, add enough water

2) double boil for 1-2 hours 

3) add rock sugar to taste

4) enjoy your collagen dessert

Note:

If you do not like the fishy smell of sea cucumber

you may like to add a few slices of old ginger 

SAMBAL HAEBEE - HAEBEE HIAM

Sambal Haebee

gives a finishing touch to whatever food that you are having.

I express my special thanks to my Facebook friend

Ding Mee Ling

from Sitiawan

for this Classic Nonya recipe

It may be time consuming to prepare

but it really worth the trouble.

Remember, never reduce the amount, you will regret cooking too little!

Ingredients:

500g dried shrimps, soaked & chopped 

600g shallots, peeled & sliced

1 bulb garlic, peeled & sliced

10-15g dried chilli, soaked & sliced

5-10 fresh chilli, big

5-10 chilli, spicy type
8 lemongrass, white part only

3" fresh turmeric

1" belacan

1 ball assam jawa. add water & squeeze out juice

10 limau perut leaves, torn 1/2 (optional if you do not have)

brown sugar & salt to taste

1. blend shallots, garlic, lemongrass all chillis, turmeric & belacan together

2. heat kuali and fry chopped dried shrimp until dry, remove

3. heat 2-3 cups oil in the kuali, add the blended ingredients & fry until fragrant 

4. when oil emerge from the chilli, add the fried dried shrimp

5. add limau perut leaves, if used

6. add assam jawa juice, brown sugar & salt to taste

7. leave to cool before storing in bottles

DIM SUM PRAWN ROLLS

Dim Sum

little plates of food
prepared with the thoughts of the one eating and

cooked with lots of patience and 
overflowing love

Not so much at a time

but in such small portions

that you keep wanting more after each serving

Among the many dishes

Fried Prawn Rolls 

is definitely one that many people love

I found this recipe in herfrozenwings blog:

here 

250g large prawns (shelled, de-veined & cut into 3s)

1 tsp sugar

60g fish paste

2 water chestnut (peeled & chopped)

1/2 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken powder

a little pepper & sesame oil

spring onions, chopped 

1 large sheet dry soya bean curd skin, cut into 9cmX12cm

oil for deep frying

1) marinate prawn pieces with sugar, leave aside for 20min

2) add the rest of the ingredients & leave for at least 30min

3) wrap fillings in bean curd skin, seal with beaten egg

4) twist both ends to lock in the filling

5) deep fry until golden

6) serve hot, very crispy

FOOCHOW FISH MAW SOUP - KOH LOU

福州酸甜魚鳔

When you talk about Foochow people
it will not be possible to leave out
Foochow Fish Maw Soup
A sweet and sour soup
served during 
Celebrations and Festivals

'Koh Lou', a Foochow name
 is a favourite  fish maw soup dish

among the Foochow
and also known
among other dialects

'Koh Lou' or Foochow Fish Maw soup is sweet, sour and spicy,

with a generous serving of thick orangy gravy.

So, it is usually served in a large soup bowl
signifies abundance and generosity

Foo Chow people like soupy dishes

 like 'Kor Ta Au' which is tau fu soup

'Tai Pin Lonn' , egg soup
and many more

They even braise their noodles after frying

hence the 'cha ju mian'

which is very popular in Sitiawan

'Lu mian' 

noodles cooked in thick black gravy

just to name another favourite soupy noodle

Fish Maw

Fish Maw
deep fried and ready to be soaked in water

1 piece fish maw, chopped, deep fried & soaked in water to soften
2 Tbsp minced meat

few slices carrots

spring onions, cut

1 bowl stock, chicken

1 Tbsp ginger juice, squeezed from shredded ginger

1 Tbsp oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 chilli, sliced

2 Tbsp tomato sauce

4 Tbsp chilli sauce

1 Tsp lemon juice or vinegar (optional)

1 tsp sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp cornstarch diluted in 2 tsp water

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) heat oil in kuali, fry garlic until fragrant

2) add minced meat, carrots & soften fish maw

3) add chicken stock & the rest of the seasoning

4) when boiling, turn fire to low & add beaten egg

5) if not thick enough, add cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water

6) enjoy hot

Notes:

1) the sweet, sour and spicy taste is individual. You can easily adjust 

     with sugar, vinegar , chilli sauce or chilli to your taste.

2) if you like sea cucumber, it can be added together with the fish maw
3) you can bake the fish maw on HIGH until slightly brown, instead of deep              frying the raw fish maw. Must keep an eye on it. Don't let it burn, expensive        you know...

DEEP FRIED CRISPY PRAWNS

To make the prawn straight when fried,

cut a few slashes on the inside of the prawns

Who doesn't like these crispy prawns?

If not for health reasons

who can resist?

10 Large prawns

2 Tbsp (heap) Self raising flour (+some for dipping)

1/2 Tbsp (heap) corn flour

pinch of baking soda (optional)

water

oil for deep frying

1/2 tsp sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Method:

1) remove shell from prawns but keep the tail, cleaned & deveined

2) marinate prawns with sugar, salt & pepper for 30min

3) combine dry ingredients 

4) slowly add water  to make a batter - slightly thicker than pancake batter

5) heat oil in kuali

6) lightly dust prawns in flour

7) dip into batter one at a time, then into the hot oil

8) deep fry until golden, drain

9) serve hot with chili sauce

Note: serve hot