Melting Wok

Mud Crabs aka Egg Crabs

Melting Wok — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:58:00 +0000

Wholely crab !!! Yes, I was quite "thankful" when I chanced upon a "tankful" of one of my favorite shellfish the other day - the "Mud Crab".

Though the name itself might be a put-off, I'm sure most seafood connoisseur will agree that the taste is a different story altogether.Don't mean to come off sounding sexist, but IMHO only the female mud crabs, also known as "egg crabs", are the ones that really make good eating. Haha.. go figure.

The mud crab is not as fleshy as the dungeness crab, so I always choose the heavy ones to get more flesh for my buck. Besides, the heavier they are, the fresher they are too.The mud crab is rarer than its cousins in the North American market, which is why it comes with a higher price tag here. Here in Los Angeles, it is around ten to fifteen dollars when its in season and can easily go above twenty dollars off-season.

So you can imagine my joy when I found a couple of "drop dead" gorgeous female mud crabs for only three dollars per pound at the market. Yes, I mean they had literally just "dropped dead" a couple of hours ago that's why they were so cheap. Lucky me:) Ooooo.. check out the orange eggs hidden under their shells, delicious aren't they ?

So tell me, what is your best crab recipe that I can use for these lovely ladies ?

First off, thank you kindly for all your equally tantalizing suggestions. I can't wait to try each and every one of them next time I have my crustacean guests over for dinner again :P

This time around, since they were DOA (dead on arrival), I'm just going to quickly whip something up with whatever I have sitting pretty in my fridge while they are still fresh. Finally, I can indulge in my own "roe" fantasy after drooling over these for days. Also, don't forget to hop over to Bee and Mae for more yummylicious crab recipes that's bound to rock your socks off !!

So, people, get your bib on, whip out your crab cracker, and let the crab fest begin! :)

Lemongrass And Pepper Crab Recipe

Ingredients :
2 medium sized egg crabs ( cleaned, claws removed and lightly cracked, torso cut in half )
1/2 stalk of fresh lemongrass ( cut )
2-3 dried bay leaves
2 shallots ( minced )
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tbsp fermented soy beans ( mashed )
3-4 dried chili pods ( optionally remove seeds for a milder taste )
cut green bell peppers
1 tbsp crushed black peppercorn
1 tbsp crushed white peppercorn
chinese rice wine ( OR other cooking wine )
salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Rub minced shallots, garlic, and ginger all over the crab torsos, and steam for 5 minutes. ( The claws need not included as they cooked easily. )
2) Saute lemongrass, bay leaves, soy beans, bell peppers, and chili pods in wok until fragrant.
3) Dump steamed crab parts and raw crab claws into wok. Dash in the crushed black and white peppercorn, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4) Splash in a generous amount of rice wine, and any crab "juice" leftover from the steaming. Add salt and sugar to taste.
5) Cover wok and let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Chicken Lollipop

Melting Wok — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 06:49:00 +0000

The votes are in! The "Bear"-ffalo Chicken Lollipops have a slight lead over the "Colt"-en Shrimp Fritters. However, due to popular request, it seems like I'll be going into overtime and fixing both of these delicious Super Bowl party treats. Okay, first to kick off is the Chicken Lollipop recipe. Remember when I made the Tea Eggs with Chicken Wings ? I only used the wing part and the drumettes I saved are perfect for this recipe. Anyway, someone was making fun of chinese cheese the other day and dared me to use some of that stinky yogurty chinese cheese to fry some chicken :P So, I did! I used the chinese red cheese, aka "nan roo" in mandarin, which means "fermented red beancurd". Yes, the westerners call it chinese cheese !!

"Chinese cheese" comes in different varieties. In the Cantonese Cuisine, the fermented red beancurd is used in braised pork recipes. My grandmother, who is of Hakka descent, used to marinate pork bellies with the fermented beancurd in a rich wine sauce to prepare her "wood ear fungi" pork recipe. I remember once or twice when I sneakily finished half a plate of the deep-fried pork before it even got braised, haha! In Taiwanese cuisine, the fermented white beancurd is commonly used in vegetable stir-fries. When the weather is cold, I occasionally like to curl up with a bowl of hot congee with some deep fried salted fish, a preserved century egg, and of course, a cube of the spicy version of the fermented white beancurd. A little nutritional fact i found out - fermented beancurd works just as well as yogurt or other forms of probiotic supplements to promote growth of friendly bacteria in the intestine.

So here it is, my Chicken Lollipops recipe with fermented red beancurd and a final touch of panko breading. I am sure this classic appetizer with a twist will be a welcomed guest to any party.

Chicken Lollipops Recipe

Ingredients :
5 chicken drumettes
1 tsp minced ginger
1 cube fermented red beancurd, mashed ( optional, all-purpose cajun seasoning is great too )
1 egg white
1 egg yolk
shaoxing wine ( OR other chinese cooking wine )
ground black pepper
salt and sugar to taste
cornflour
panko breadcrumbs

Method :

1) With a knife, pull and scrape the meat off the top to the bottom of the chicken drumette.
2) Marinate the chicken with minced ginger, mashed fermented red beancurd, egg white, black pepper, salt and sugar.
3) Set the chicken in the refrigerator and let it marinate for about 10 minutes.
4) Dip the chicken drumettes into the cornflour, then dip them into the egg yolk wash, and continue the same with the breadcrumbs.
( TIP : Quick chill in the freezer while the oil is heating up on the frying wok, to prevent breadcrumbs from falling off into the oil while frying )
5) Deep fry the chicken drumettes on medium-high heat until golden brown.

MemeMe !

Melting Wok — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 09:40:00 +0000

Okay, tagged and bagged... I guess I'm "it". Started by Lydia of The Perfect Pantry and to Stefanie from Cumin & Coriander, here it is then - 5 things I don't want people to know about me, as Stefanie so nicely put it - 5 things people don't know about me :

1. I haven't been blogging for long. But i must admit I was really into it when I just started out. You know, what with the debugging and the adding of bells and whistles and whatnot. I ended up spending monster sessions in front of the computer. The longest blogging session I spent non-stop was about 15 hours straight over the weekend. Yayyy! I have no life :)

2. Butterfingers... No, not the candy... ME! I once bought a crock pot and a blender in the same week and ended up breaking both of them the week after :(

3. The people from Egg-aholics Anonymous will probably be giving me a call after I admit this one. When I go grocery shopping and buy eggs, I open up two cartons and switch out the smaller ones and leave with a carton of the big ones :P

4. Anyone has a favorite childhood teddy bear that they still keep around ? Well, mine is a "Mickey Mouse" blankie. I've had it for over ten years and I really don't see us getting a "divorce" anytime soon :)

5. Last but not least, I don't snore in my sleep. Well, at least I've never heard it before, so I must not :)

Does it feel better clearing out those skeletons? Hmmm... I guess so. But definitely not as good as it feels passing the "skeleton-clearing" thingy along to 5 of my new found blogmates I must admit !

Without further ado, the nominees are:

1. Claude of 1001 recettes
2. Aria of passionate non chalance
3. Susan of food blogga
4. Asha of foodies hope
5. Paz of Adventures of Chef Paz

*runs away laughing maniacally* oh, your reward, how about some jumbo shrimp fritters ? :)

Savory Omelette

Melting Wok — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 15:29:00 +0000

Good morning sunshine !! This is a perfect breakfast / appetizer to get your morning in the swing. This Asian omelette recipe is easy to create, & simply scrumptious. Its a concoction of eggs, tamarind-based chili paste with whatever leftovers from my El Pollo Loco's lunch yesterday. So, with those few items to start out with, these omelette recipe became a reality in a jiff.

Waste no time in getting these Asian omelettes right to your waiting plates, they are as quick & perfect as it is - pan fried one side, steamed on the other, simply light & fluffy, moist & delicious. This may just become your new egg fix ! :)

Ingredients :
2 eggs
1 tbsp tamarind-based chili paste
( speed-blend some fresh red chilis, tamarind concentrate & a squeeze of lime juice )
chopped green onions
chopped cilantros
chopped jalapenos

Method :
1) Quick whisk all the ingredients.
2) Heat up the pan, splash in some oil.
3) Pour the mixture in, pan fry on high heat for a minute.
4) Flip it over, cook to a medium-low heat & "cover" the pan for 2 minutes.

Rice Noodle Rolls

Melting Wok — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 05:05:00 +0000

Two weeks of craving this Malaysian Style Chee Cheong Fun is a torture. Desperate needs call for desperate measures. I wasted no time at the Asian grocery market picking up a pack of rice noodle rolls and had a satisfying time with an easy rice noodle recipe. In Cantonese cuisine, rice noodle rolls are prepared by wrapping shrimp or BBQ pork in rice noodle sheets. Many times you will also see long and crunchy chinese dough cruellers wrapped in them as well, served at many Cantonese dimsum restaurants. In Vietnamese cuisine, rice noodle rolls, aka "bahn cuon", are served with crispy mungbean and shrimp fritters, crispy sweet potato strips, slices of pork meatloafs, bean sprouts with fish sauce. Rice noodle rolls are also call "lai cheong fun" in Hong Kong, which literally means pulled-intestinal-like-noodles, aptly named for their appearance. I love all variation of ways they are prepared and have tried them all. I am glad that they are widely available in Southern California so every once in a while, I can pick up a fresh pack and add my favorite sauce along with any ingredients I desire.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME : An embarrassing confession !! While preparing my rice noodle roll recipe, I had planned to mix in a particular shrimp paste that is used in the Malaysian style rice noodle roll Chee Cheong Fun, along with some sweet thick soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, hoisin sauce and a tad of sweet bean sauce. Unfortunately, I had hastily left the plastic can of shrimp paste in the microwave w-a-y too long, resulting in a complete "melt down" !! :P

I had no choice but to dig up the next best sauce for the rice noodle roll recipe. I remembered back to my childhood years tagging along with mom to the morning market and picking up breakfast from the hawker stalls after shopping. We would always hit my favorite rice noodle roll stall first and I would be drooling as I patiently ogled the rice noodle vendor picking up the rolls, dicing them up with a blunt rectangular knife, and drowning them in a delicious light curry sauce. I always requested mine with extra ingredients like fried beancurd patties and some other scrumptious fixings similar to those found in the Japanese dish "Oden". A generous sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds and I was good to go.

CONCLUSION : My memory of this long-lost curry style Malaysian Chee Cheong Fun, is once again, rekindled ! :)
TIP : If you aren't fixing the rice noodle rolls right away after you buy them, keep them at room temperature and microwave at medium-low for about 2 minutes when ready to use. Keep in mind not to over-nuke them as they will get all mushy.

Rice Noodle Rolls with Curry Gravy

Ingredients :
1 pack ( 1 lbs ) rice noodle rolls
fresh cut red chilis
fried shallots
toasted sesame seeds
chopped green onions
curry gravy (see below for recipe)

Method :
1) Cut the rice noodle rolls into cubes, then set aside.
2) Pour the curry gravy over the rice noodle rolls, and top off with fresh cut red chilis, fried shallots, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions.

Malaysian Chee Cheong Fun Curry Gravy Recipe

Ingredients :
curry powder
minced shallots
ground cardamon
chili paste
coconut cream or milk
palm sugar and salt to taste

Method :
1) Add ingredients to a small saucepan of boiling hot water and cook to a boil.

Superbowl Food Kickoffs !!

Melting Wok — Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:02:00 +0000

This year the Super Bowl kicks off at the Dolphin Stadium in South Florida February 4th. Whether it's the Bears or the Colts you are rooting for, I'm sure my fellow foodies will agree that the real winner is a "Super Bowl" of food that stand out from the usual fare of chips, dips and chili. While all the football fans out there are contemplating on who will win this year, I, on the other hand, will be contemplating on delivering a winning snack for this year's Super Bowl party. This year, I am going to stick with a simple party food recipe so I can be in the living room during game time joining in with the cheering and yelling, and most importantly, among the company of good buddies. I have narrowed down my "teams" to two favorites - the tempting "Colt"-en Shrimp Fritters vs. the equally alluring "Bear"-ffalo Chicken Lollipops. *grins* So, fellow foodies, which of these two teams do you think will be the winner of my Super Bowl party food this year ?

Tea Eggs With Chicken Wings

Melting Wok — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 01:39:00 +0000

Cleansing tea, one of my night time rituals before bedtime is to brew a cup of water with green tea leaves, to detox all the fatty foods I consumed during the day. Besides, I love a good cup of tea :) However, yesterday night, I accidentally broke the tea bag, and did not want the leaves to squirm all over my cup, hence, I decided to use these flavorful tea leaves to cook some chinese tea eggs.

When cooking with tea leaves, this leads me to one favorite recipe, eggs cooked in crockpot with chicken wings. I am not sure about the origin of this tea egg recipe, but mom had used tea leaves in her meat stews many times during my childhood, to coax us in consuming something cleansing by adding pieces of meat.

Tea eggs, one of the many flavors in chinese cuisine, is particularly famous in many Taiwananese cafes/ restaurants here in the US. This chinese tea egg recipe is prepared by slow cooking the eggs in their shell with tea leaves, some light spices, chinese cooking wine, and some soy. They are then peeled, and you can enjoy them over breakfast, as a snack or appetizer, OR eat them with hot steamed rice OR tossed in your leftover egg noodles with the stewed sauce.

This tea egg recipe cooked with chicken wings makes a great one-pot-meal, pungent flavors, refreshing and simply irresistable. Another great welcome dish that compliments the friendly weather here in Southern California.

Guys and gals, time to dig up your crockpot or claypot. First thing tomorrow morning, enjoy the aroma of tea leaves, sit back and relax, tea eggs for breakfast, and tea flavored soy chicken for dinner. Sounds good to me, how about you ?

Tea Eggs With Chicken Wings Recipe

Ingredients :
4 eggs
5 chicken wings
1 star anise seed
2 cloves
sliced ginger
1/4 a cinnamon bark ( optional )
5 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp thick sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp chinese rice wine
1 tbsp green tea leaves
2 pc rock sugar ( OR small crystalised sugar )
1/4 cup water
salt to taste

Method :
1) Put all the ingredients in the crockpot.
2) Set crockpot temperature to high, and slow cook for 2-4 hours, OR if crockpot settings on low, slow cook for 4-6 hours.

Deep Fried Belacan Chicken Wings

Melting Wok — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 10:31:00 +0000

My second post is long overdue. Has everyone survived their Xmas and New year's bloatings from all the food, booze, or something much more interesting ? *grins* I fired up the kitchen for some fried chicken just before all that, and ended up with a whole long week of fever, flu & everything else in between. *sob*

Major seasoning : Toasted shrimp paste made of fermented krills, also known as Belacan in Malaysia and Singapore, and Terasi Bakar to the Indonesians, where krills are mashed, buried for sometime, fried, toasted and pressed into squarish shaped block of cake. They are also sold in powdered form in jars.

Fried chicken inspires some heated debates. So, you'll likely have quite a few different approaches. We got the Spicy Cajuns, the Old fashioned Colonel's Chicken and much more. Bring them on ! I'll start with a confession, this recipe was born out of ethnic preference. Yes, my recipe is seasoned with some wonderfully-stinky Belacan. This recipe has became popular over the years after I left for the States and is much talked about until recently when I called home. Almost all fried food is associated with Belacan seasonings. Although I've to admit that I still need to learn the manner of frying to 100% crispyness and juicy in perfection. I'm quite ready now, I think, to make this recipe do justice to almost perfection - easy on the flouring, crispy on the outside, tender, juicy and tasty on the inside - bye bye to Popeyes, KFC, and say hello to my Jumbo Belacan Chicken Wings, Yayy !! :)

So, how do you like yours fried ?

Ingredients :
5 jumbo chicken wings ( cut into drumettes & wings )
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp belacan powder
1 tbsp ground dried shrimps
1 tbsp black pepper
salt & sugar to taste
1 egg white

Seasoned flour ( in a Zip-lock bag ) :
Cornflour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 tbsp belacan powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt & sugar

Method :
1) Pre-marinade the wings with all the "ingredients", except the egg white. (for at least 2 hours to overnight preferably.)
2) Place the wings in egg whites, set aside.
3) Place them in the pre-seasoned flour, shake and ready to fry.
4) Heat oil, fry wings in medium heat for 10-15 minutes OR until nicely browned.

Other Belacan recipes : Vegetable stir fry with belacan and seafood of your choice, Tomyum Soup broth using belacan, and marinating chicken with belacan for BBQ, deep frying or roasting.

Glass Noodles Stir Fry

Melting Wok — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 07:06:00 +0000

The age-old debate on who invented the noodles was finally settled when they found a 4,000-year-old bowl of noodles in China a couple of years back. Today, owls of noodles can be found all over the world in a variety of shapes and sizes. The more popular ones are the Chinese yellow noodles and rice vermicelli, the Italian spaghetti and macaroni, and the Japanese udon and soba to name a few. Speaking of noodles, can anyone enlighten me on how the phrase "using your noodle" came about to mean "using your brain"? :P

One particular noodle I haven't had in a while is the "glass noodle", named for it's translucent appearance when cooked. It is also called "bean thread" because it is made from mung bean, not to be mistaken with the rice vermicelli, which is quite similar uncooked. I haven't tried this noodle in a while because there were rumors of lead-poisoning surrounding it a few years ago. I'm glad the whole mess is finally cleared up so I can finally get to enjoy it once again.

Two of the more popular dishes associated with glass noodles recipes are the Szechuan style "Ants Climbing A Tree" and the Thai style "Pad Woon Sen". Both are stir fried but glass noodles also go great in soups or salads. The dish I'm preparing today is a simple quick stir fry recipe similar to the "Pad Woon Sen" but I'm going to kick it up a notch by adding a little unsalted fermented soy beans, which I prefer to the salted black beans because of its rich bean-ier flavor.

Ingredients :
2 bundles glass noodles
1 lbs sole fish fillet sliced
minced garlic
shredded ginger
5 asparagus thinly sliced
red bell pepper strips
1 tbsp fermented soy beans ( unsalted )
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
sesame oil
sugar to taste

Method :

1) Boil a pot of water, turn off the heat and soak the glass noodles for 3 minutes.
2) Rinse in cold, running tap water, and then set aside.
3) Marinade the fish fillets with some oyster sauce, fish sauce, and then set aside.
4) Saute 1/2 portion of both shredded ginger and minced garlic until fragrant, add in the pre-marinated the fish fillets and pan fry on both sides until browned, toss in the sliced asparagus, red bell pepper strips, continue stir fry for 1 minute, and then set aside.
5) Heat the wok or skillet to a smoky point, saute the fermented soy beans and the remaining shredded ginger and minced garlic until fragrant.
6) Quickly add the chilled glass noodles in and stir fry on high heat until the fermented soy beans flavors completely infused into the glass noodles.
7) Splash the soy sauce, cooking wine, sesame oil and sugar to taste and mix well.
8) Dish up and serve with the pan fried sole fish fillets.

Chayote Squash And Potato Indian Stir-Fry

Melting Wok — Sat, 20 Jan 2007 06:51:00 +0000

Chinese stir-fry recipes make use of garlic, ginger, and brown sauce, whereas Indian stir-fry recipes rely heavily on herbs and spices to develop a deep aromatic flavor and add a jolt of heat. When I have a craving for Indian cooking, two spices that are no stranger to my wok instantly come to mind - cumin and coriander seeds. They are the essential ingredients in most curry recipes, but they also pack a punch to any cooking, not to mention that nutty and peppery flavor which I enjoy so much. Instead of my ethnic preference for kaffir lime leaves or curry leaves which are prevalent in most Malaysian spicy foods, I'm going to use fenugreek leaves for a change this time. This Indian herb can be found in any Indian grocery market labeled as Kasuri Methi. I add the herb at the last stage of cooking to lend a light herb-y note alongside the rich cumin and coriander flavor.

I like using potatoes when cooking Indian food because they absorb the aromatic flavors of the herbs and spices well. But they can be a little heavy on the starch sometimes so I'm going to balance the equation with a lighter vegetable - the Chayote squash. This pear-shaped squash has about the same texture as a potato, but it has a lighter cucumber-y taste. In Cantonese cuisine, the Chayote squash is known as Hup Jeong Gua, which literally translates to "closed palms squash" because of its appearance. There are not many chayote squash recipes in Chinese cooking. But just as any other squash, they taste great in any stir-fry, deep fry, or soup recipe.

If you have got leftover roast chicken, like I did from my Hainan Chicken Rice, and some tortilla wraps, you can even improvise this Chayote Squash Stir-Fry recipe into an Indian-style Burrito.

Ingredients :
1 Chayote squash ( cubed )
1 large Russet potato ( cubed )
1 tsp minced ginger
Red bell pepper strips
2 tsp curry powder ( used to marinate the cubed chayote squash and potatoes )
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek leaves
salt and sugar to taste
water

Method :
1) Saute minced ginger, cumin seeds and coriander seeds until fragrant.
2) Pan fry the marinated potatoes until browned, add the marinated chayote squash in, mix well and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3) Add in the fenugreek leaves, continue stir frying for another 30 seconds.
4) Dash some water in, cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes OR until all fully cooked.

Masala Tumeric Squid With Coconut Cream

Melting Wok — Thu, 18 Jan 2007 02:09:00 +0000

Calamarrrrri ... I just love the way this fancy word for "squid" sounds, especially when I let the last syllable slowly roll off my tongue. With much anticipation from Rasa Malaysia, Claude and Schneier, I am more than happy to share my Masala Tumeric Squid recipe using my home made sambal paste. Yes, I'm spilling the beans. You would be surprised to discover that it is not as difficult as you think to diversify your taste buds. Something new, something old and something intoxicating.

As I have mentioned in my Shrimp Stir Fry with Curry Leaves recipe, tumeric spice is simply great. It adds much flavor to any spicy dish without the "spicy-hot"ness. When using tumeric spice in cooking, not only does it add that mild aromatic flavor to your food, it also helps in removing odors in raw seafood and meats. It is definitely the next best thing to ginger !!

In Thai and Malaysian cuisine, kaffir lime leaves is one of the few favorite herbs when cooking many hot curries, spicy dishes and chinese stir frys. This herb is not hot, but lends a light fragrant taste to any food. Unlike the tumeric spice, which require shorter cooking time, another delicate spice, garam masala, simply adds harmony to the taste of the food. One tip when using garam masala spice is to add it at the last stage of cooking. Because it is such a delicate spice, it will make your food a little bitter if added too early.

Here's my authentic Masala Tumeric Squid recipe, simmered in a light coconut cream with 1 herb, 2 aromatic spices, and a spicy touch of my sambal chili paste. Enjoy :)

Masala Tumeric Squid Recipe

Ingredients :
10 squid ( remove ink and eyes )
2-3 tbsp sambal chili paste
1/2 can coconut cream ( OR coconut milk )
10 kaffir lime leaves
2 tbsp tumeric spice ( use 1 tbsp of tumeric spice to marinate the squid )
minced ginger
minced shallots
salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Saute minced ginger, shallots, and kaffir lime leaves until fragrant.

2) Pan fry the marinated squid on both sides until slightly browned.

3) Add the sambal chili paste and stir fry for 2 minutes.

4) Add coconut cream, mix well, and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes OR until squid is tender.

Sambal Chili Paste Recipe

Ingredients :
10 red chilis ( deseeded )
0-2 dried red chilis ( deseeded )
1 in. galangal
1 tsp dried shrimps
1/4 can coconut cream
2 tsp tumeric spice
3 shallots
1 pc. garlic ( not the whole clove )
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp lemongrass powder
salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Blend all ingredients until slightly fine.
2) Heat some oil on the pan and saute the blended sambal chili until fragrant.
3) Turn to medium heat and let the sambal chili thicken.
4) Turn to low heat and allow to cook until a paste-like texture forms.

Hainan Chicken Rice

Melting Wok — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:21:00 +0000

For those who are attached to their rice dishes, I have yet another candidate that will not only satisfy your carbs cravings, it will take care of your protein cravings, all in one. The Hainan Chicken Rice is a chicken rice made popular in the Malaysia cuisine and Singapore cuisine, and it was brought in by the Hainanese immigrants of China. This chicken rice meal immediately evolved into the locals taste buds and became a pop-culture. The Hainan Chicken Rice recipe even made popular by the hawker stalls, street vendors, coffee shops, all the way to 5-star hotels.

There's a known notion that in the Malaysia and Singapore cuisine, rice dishes are mostly confined to their rich coconut rice and intense spicy dishes, but the Hainan Chicken Rice is one of the few recognised rice dishes that made headlines. A simple chicken rice recipe that is delicious when eaten with pieces of boiled OR roast chicken. If you like El Pollo Loco, Lucille's BBQ, or your favorite chicken griller/broiler, you will definitely love this, I guarantee !

The conventional way in preparing the Hainan Chicken Rice recipe is to boil the chicken, and the broth is used to cooked the rice, with a few added aromatic ingredients. Some would prefer the Roast Hainan Chicken, which is just roasted on a slow fire. I was craving for this chicken rice meal so badly that I went ahead and make a quick and easy Hainan Chicken Rice. Instead of the the conventional method, this broiled chicken recipe is plain, simple and easy. You ever wonder what's the best chicken rice recipe besides chicken fried rice when you've got leftover cooked white rice ? A few pieces of delicious broiled chicken and a couple bowls of scrumptious chicken-flavored rice, my Hainan Chicken recipe made happen on the open pan. I am a happy-chicken-lover !

A) Hainan Chicken

Ingredients :
1 whole chicken cut into 4 parts
3 oz. minced ginger
3 oz. minced shallots
1 oz. minced garlic
1 tsp chinese 5-spiced powder
4 oz. shaoxing hua tiao cooking wine ( OR other chinese cooking wine )
1 tbsp thick sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp honey OR maltose
sugar and salt to taste

Method :
1) Marinade the chicken with all the ingredients for 20 minutes, preferably 2 hours.
2) Pan fry the pre-marinated chicken pieces skin down until nicely browned, flip over and pan fry an additional 5 minutes.
3) Cover and broil chicken for 10 minutes OR until cooked.
4) Remove cover, do a taste-test for the juices on the pan, add salt and sugar to taste if neccessary.
4) Set chicken aside, let cool and cut the chicken into desired pieces.
5) Keep the sauce on the pan for later use.

B) Chicken Rice

Ingredients :
3 cups cooked white rice
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced shallots
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chicken base powder ( optional )
1/4 portion of the sauce from the broiled chicken
1 tbp sesame oil ( OR butter )
1 pc. screwpine leaf ( optional )
1 tbsp shaoxing hua tiao cooking wine ( OR other cooking wine )
4 oz water
salt to taste

Method :
1) Saute the ingredients until fragrant.
2) Add the cooked rice in, stir fry for 5 minutes.
3) Add water in, mix well, and cover wok or skillet.
4) Set to low heat and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes or until serving time.

C) Chicken Rice Sauce

The sauce you kept aside after broiling the chicken.

D) Chili Sauce

Ingredients :
5 fresh red chilis
2 oz. garlic
salt and sugar to taste
lime juice ( 1/2 a lime )

Method :
1) Blend all the ingredients, then squeeze the lime juice in and mix well.

E) Garnishing

cucumber OR tomato slice
chopped cilantros

Asian Mushrooms Stir Fry Beef

Melting Wok — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 03:52:00 +0000

Unlike the cremini or porcini mushroom, this particular Asian mushroom is exotic. I found is only available between winter and spring. I was ecstatic upon rediscovering this navel-like mushroom over the weekend. I spoke to this elderly man who was just as enthusiastic picking out the good ones and learn a thing or two. He suggested choosing the rounder looking ones and to prepare them for cooking by cutting off the root and the tip. After that, to peel and smash them with the palm of your hand. What suits the Asian mushroom recipe, I asked. He told me that in most Cantonese cuisine, the best recipe for these exotic mushrooms is cooking them in a soup, a simple mushroom stir fry with spicy pork, OR a "teppanyaki" (iron grilled) mushroom beef.

I must admit it does not have the shitake mushroom aroma that I prefer. It tastes more like waterchesnut but not as crunchy, but is definitely a far cry from the spongy-textured King Oyster Mushrooms. And yes, it does add a mild mushroom flavor to your cooking if that's what you are looking for.

In the Cantonese dialect, these exotic Asian mushrooms are known as "Chi Goo", which literally translates to "belly-button mushroom" or "navel mushroom". I may be mistaken but I have searched high & low for it's english name to no avail. If you have any information on it, please let me know.

Anyway, I have decided to experiment these exotic Asian mushrooms in a Mongolian style stir fry with my favorite part of beef and a strong hint of black pepper.

Ingredients :
6 exotic mushrooms peeled and sliced
1 lb. of sliced beef flap meat ( I prefer using beef flap meat because it cooks faster and is tender and flavorful )
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp mushroom soy sauce ( OR soy sauce )
green onion strips
white pepper
black pepper
sesame oil
sherry cooking wine ( OR other cooking wine )
cornstarch solution

Method :
1) Season the meat with white pepper, black pepper, oyster sauce & sesame oil, then set aside.
2) Heat wok, saute the green onions & mushroom till fragrant, add the seasoned beef, stir fry briskly until beef is slightly browned.
3) Splash in some mushroom soy sauce and cooking wine and continue stir frying until the sauce starts to bubble.
4) Stir in the cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce. Cover wok and let simmer for 2 minutes.

Steam Black Cod

Melting Wok — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:35:00 +0000

When it comes to fish, my favorite is the Black Cod because of it's unparalleled silky, rich flavor and delicate buttery texture, especially if it's procured live from the tank. The most famous Black Cod recipe is Chef Nobu's Black Cod with Miso. I would certainly like to try that sometime. But for today, I'll stick to the popular Cantonese cuisine old time Chinese favorite fish recipe - Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallions. One thing to remember when cooking black cod is to steam it WHOLE. In chinese tradition, it is a sign of prosperity, especially during Chinese New Year. Well, at least that's how mom taught me. Besides, I find that it's tastier when it's cooked bone-in.

The restaurants in Chinatown can easily charge over twenty dollars for this fish and the black cod they use is only slightly over a pound. Furthermore, they like to serve it the Teowchew cuisine's style, that is to steam the black cod with with "choy po", in cantonese, for preserved turnip, so it's a little too salty than I how I would prefer it. So I was thrilled when I stumbled upon a tankful of them at my local Asian grocery store, the Hawaii Supermarket, and Wham ! Bam ! Carpe Diem ! I went home happy with a two pound whopper for only twelve dollars.

Okay, on to the black cod recipe ...

Ingredients :
1 whole Black Cod
3-4 oz. shredded ginger
5-6 oz. shredded green onions
1 tbsp fried shallot oil
( Use the fried shallots available in small plastic containers from any Asian grocery store, soak 1 tbsp in 2 oz. cooking oil overnight OR microwave on high for 2 minutes )
3 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
( OR any cooking wine of your choice. You may even use cooking-Mirin or Sake for a more robust flavor )
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce OR a tbsp of unsalted whole soy beans available in glass jars. ie. Yeos Unsalted Soy Beans )
1 tbsp sesame oil
salt and sugar to taste
3-4 oz. water

Method :
1) Cut some slits across the body of the fish approximately an inch apart.
2) Rub the shallot oil, salt and sugar all over the fish and place it on the steaming tray.
3) Sprinkle the ginger and green onion over the fish, making sure some of them get into the slits.
4) Mix the wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, and water and splash it slowly all over the fish.
5) Bring a wok of water to boil. Place steamer stand in and the tray of fish over the stand.
6) Steam for approximately 10-12 minutes.(Seafood does not require long to cook). Stick a fork in the fish and pry slightly to check for doneness.

Sweet Mung Bean & Taro Dessert

Melting Wok — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:19:00 +0000

I think my mom, my grandma or somebody along the family tree created this sweet treat. I use to enjoy these sweet mung bean dessert soup all year round. Back then, I like it cold. With the weather blues still surfing at my end, I will eat this warm. I'll pull out an all-week treat to serve my sweet tooth. Mom would make this with red beans, green beans, walnuts, peanuts, OR black sesame seeds. Often times, she would get creative with taro, yams OR any other high fiber source of dessert soups. This mung bean dessert recipe is a pure sweet sensation. Don't worry about bloating afterwards. Unlike kidney beans or some sorts, mung beans are relatively easy to digest :)

So, after reading OC Food Blog's review on those sinful eats, those Vietnamese/ Saigon sweet desserts came knocking on my not-so-subconscious-mind. I've decided to get my brand new Rival crockpot to use, count every mung bean I can find in my refrigerator and slow cooked some sweet mung bean dessert. To start out a good mung bean dessert recipe, I did not neglect my favorite sort of yammy craving - "taro", hmmm-so-yummy ! :) My last favorite ingredient to make this complete, mini tapioca pearls. This petite little things are almost translucent and bit doughy, reminds me of those green doughy floured strips in one of the many desserts Wandering Chopsticks manage to terrorised. I like it that way. I've also substitute regular sugar with rock sugar as this would deliver a smooth, creamy appeal to the dessert. Just like how you adore the scent of vanilla bean when baking, I like the scent of the screwpine leaf & loves how a couple of leaves does wonders to the flavor of this mung bean dessert recipe.

A quick snap this Monday morning, I creamed in a bowl OR two before I head out to a cheery, winter day ?:)

Ingredients :
1/2 a taro ( cut into small cubes )
1 can coconut milk
16 oz yellow mung beans
10 oz mini tapioca pearls
2 big pc. Rock sugar ( You can use tiny crystallised sugar for easy dissolve. )
2 pc. screwpine leaf
2 Qts water ( OR any amount that will cover the beans & taro in the crockpot )

Method :
1) Place the taro cubes, washed yellow mung beans, rock sugar, & water in the crockpot. Cook on high for a minimum 4 hours.
2) Add the coconut milk, mini tapioca pearls & cook for an additional 1 hour & then switch from cook to warm.

Shrimps Stir Fry With Curry Leaves : Spice it up !

Melting Wok — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 00:31:00 +0000

I like stir frys of all sorts. Chinese stir-frys have their added sauces and thickeners with some light aromatics, and on the other hand, Indian stir frys have their garam masalas and other delicate spices. Inspired by Rasa Malaysia's Butter Prawns, Malaysia style, I've decided to give this highly aromatic curry leaves a little personality of my own - Stir fry fresh water shrimps with tumeric spice, tamarind concentrate and curry leaves.

As the name suggests, the curry leaves actually smells like curry, BUT they are not an ingredient in curry powder, which is a multi spice blend. This fresh leaves are usually sold on the stem - strip the leaves and use them sparringly as they are highly aromatic. You can store the rest in a zip-lock bag and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks OR keep them in the freezer for up to 3 months or so. I chose to use tumeric because it lends a great flavor to any shellfish, it takes a shorter cooking time, and its a great warming spice for this cold winter day. Tamarind concentrate can be found in a plastic jar at any Asian grocery market in the cans/sauces aisle. Not only I can use this for any spicy-hot-and-sour soups, mixed in any kind of chili paste to call it my own, I can also make some refreshing tamarind juice with crushed ice when summer time comes. Blend in some tamaraind concentrate to this stir fry and you will develop a soury tangy flavor at its final taste.

Once again, I would like to thank Rasa Malaysia for inspiring me to use curry leaves to spice up this shrimp dish !! Do check out her Butter Prawns & my Masala Tumeric Squid With Coconut Cream featured there.

Ingredients :
6 fresh water shrimps ( OR other seafood of your choice, shell-on shrimps, peeled shrimps, etc )
3 stems curry leaves
2 tsp tamarind concentrate
tumeric powder ( use to season the shrimps, and set aside )
chopped garlic
sliced oinion
salt and sugar to taste

Method :
1) Heat 3 tbsp oil in the preheated pan, stir fry your aromatics - garlic, onions, curry leaves.
2) Add in the seasoned shrimps, pan fry on both sides until slightly browned.
3) Add the tamarind concentrate in, salt, and sugar to taste, tossing and turning, stirring constantly until all ingredients are well mixed for 1 minute.
4) Add a little water to prevent sticking onto the bottom of the pan, cover and simmer on low heat for another 2 minutes. Dish up and ready to serve.

Other uses : Stir fry curry leaves in cooking oil, keep the fragrant oil to "spice" up your salads, sandwiches, use them to marinade meats for BBQ, OR other stir frys..

Care to share your shrimp excursions today ? :)

Otak-Otak : An Asian Frittata

Melting Wok — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 12:38:00 +0000

Frittatas : All frittatas are made of loosely beaten eggs with a little milk, cream and flour. The dairy provides a bit of extra moisture and richness and keeps it light and fluffy. The flour bolsters the eggs setting and thickening properties and helps incorporate the added milk or cream. I can relate the frittatas to the Malaysia/Singapore's Otak Otak OR the Indonesian's Otah Otah. A frittata is somewhat made of mashed ingredients with the basics, and then pan fried OR baked that resembles a thick, huge omelette. Instead of frying the whole slab of mixture into the hot pan, I like to wrap them up in banana leafs and bake them in the oven. The banana leafs lend a light perfumey flavor to the the fish.

The added ingredients : There are no hard-and-fast rules for what's to put in your creation. Simple vegetables works, and sometimes meats ie. turkey, ham, cheese of some sorts, and leftover roast beef will do. I use mashed sole fillets as the essential ingredient to make up a good otak otak frittata.

Herbs used : I used chopped kaffir lime leaves, galangal, and lemongrass powder as they lend a fresh, subtle flavor note that wonderfully lights up this frittata. For the spices, I would also use a copious amount of tomyum paste and tumeric powder for seasoning.

Otak-Otak also describes "Grilled Fish Mousse wrapped OR rolled on a Banana Leaf".

Ingredients :
1.5 lbs sole fillet
1 tbsp rice flour
180 ml coconut milk
1 egg
1 tbsp tumeric powder
2/3 tbsp tomyum paste
1 tbsp chili paste
dash of minced dried shrimps
1 shallot minced
1 in ginger minced
1 in galangal minced
6 stems kaffir lime leafs chopped
dash of lemongrass powder
dash of fish granules
dash of belacan powder
sugar to taste

Methods :
1) Blend fish fillet into a paste-like texture.
2) Mix well all ingredients with the fish paste.
3) Cut the banana leafs into 6 in. long strips, then form circles & staple the bottom.
4) Fill the fish mixture into the banana leafs circles.
5) Spray some cooking spray onto a baking tray, place 4) onto the baking tray.
6) Bake at 375F for 15-20 minutes.

Have some fish frittatas & a Happy New Year !! :)

Egg Tofu Scallopini

Melting Wok — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 12:57:00 +0000

I'm a big fan of beancurd, also known as "tofu". You can find them in a various textures in any Asian grocery stores today. There is the run-of-the-mill firm white tofu for deep frying or stuffing with fillingss; the soft, silken ones for soups or stewing; the 5-spice and cured white ones for salads & stir frying; and last but not least, the thin sheet kind for wrapping deep fried vietnamese shrimp patties. Today, I am going to share my favorite kind with you - the Japanese Egg Tofu . These are vacuum- packed in plastic tubes, medium-soft textured, and the color is slightly off-white. It turns a mild shade of yellow when cooked and has an eggy taste to it as it melts in your mouth. For those living in the Los Angeles area, you can only find this delicious egg tofu at the Hawaii Supermarket in Monterey Park.

I have never lost my craving for egg tofu ever since I moved to the States, and it was pure joy when I rediscovered them. Mom used to buy them for me almost every other week at the wet markets back home. They come in chicken, shrimp, and egg flavor. Actually, you can even mold them by mashing regular tofu with eggs or other ingredients to your liking, steam them and store them in the fridge to pan fry or cook any way you want it later. Trust me, it is worth the hassle if you're a tofu lover like me and want to try a different style of preparation. The "99 Ranch" Asian grocery stores around Los Angeles also carry a similar kind. But they are simply plain white tofu in a tube, not the eggy kind that I have liked from young.

Without further ado, here is how I prepared my quick meal using egg tofu. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do :)

Ingredients :
2 tubes of egg tofu
10 peeled shrimp
handful of bay scallops
minced chicken breast ( OR any other meats )
chopped green onions
shaoxing wine ( OR any other cooking wine )
white pepper
sesame oil
1 tbsp Poloku seasoning ( is a all 100% mushroom & vegetable seasoning, you can substitute this with your choice of brown sauce, ie. oyster sauce )
salt to taste
cornstarch solution

Method :
1) Cut the tofu in one inch slices & pan fry both sides until lightly brown, then set aside.
2) Sautee the green onions, scallops, shrimp and minced meat.
3) Add a dash of white pepper, a splash of cooking wine, and a 10oz of water.
4) Mix in the mushroom seasoning, sesame oil, & salt to taste.
5) Stir in the cornstarch solution, cook to a boil, simmer for a minute or so.
6) Pour gravy over tofu.

And there you have it, a yummylicious dish of sizzling egg tofu on the wok. Optionally, you can also stir in an egg into the gravy as it is boiling for that extra OOMPH :P

Watercress Soup : No.1 Cleansing Soup

Melting Wok — Wed, 03 Jan 2007 19:45:00 +0000

There really is nothing like a big bowl of hot soup to drive away the "cold weather blues". Surfing the net for some ideas, I stumbled upon a certain Soup No. 5 "Viagra Soup". Haha ... I wonder if that's how they make the infamous pill from scratch. Using beef penis along with other chinese medicinal herbs like "dang shen" aka "tong-shen" and chinese yam "wai san" and whatnot. For my own anti-"chill pill", I thought I'd stick with the basics, the No. 1 "Cleansing Soup".

Infected by Simscooks's detox diet, I wasted no time in getting some watercress myself. I also rummaged through my fridge for some known anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory ingredients to enrich my watercress soup. I found some goji berries, figs & dried longan - ingredients that should provide the necessary nutrients to start my cleansing process after a week-long battle with the flu. Goji berries (wolfberries OR gogi berries), are raisin-like dried fruit which are evidently known to improve cell communication among other health promoting properties. Figs, yet another one of my sweet discoveries, are rich in fiber and healthy minerals. I don't particularly enjoy eating the figs, I just like the way just a couple of them can enhance a whole pot of soup with a mild sweet fruity flavor. As for the dried longan, I read somewhere that they are "brain food", which is good, for I am quite forgetful nowadays :( To further make up for my protein deprivation, I added a couple of chicken feet and meaty pork bones. Oh what the heck, let's get a little crazy and throw in another one of my favourite ingredients for any kind of soup .. fish balls :P

Final verdict : One beeeg bowl of a sweet, hearty, and "interior"-cleansing soup :)

Ingredients :
4 pcs. chicken feet
2 pcs. meaty pork bones
fishballs
figs
goji berries
dried longan
1 bunch watercress
salt to taste

Methods :
1) Dump all the ingredients (except the watercress and fish balls) in a soup pot and cook to a boil. The watercress turn soggy fast and the fish balls are pre-cooked so you can add them in later.
2) Let it simmer for at least 20 minutes in medium heat.
3) Add watercress and fish balls in and simmer for an additional 10 minutes before serving.