Fish Congee/Yee Sang Chook

What do I eat for breakfast? This question arised in many a conversion with westerners.  Congee, of course, nothing beats a bowl of hot congee/chook on a cold winter's morning, besides warming the body, it takes the place of a beverage.  While we think of rice as belonging at the dinner table, in many parts of China and Asia, this nutritious staple is consumed three times daily, including for breakfast.

Nonetheless, there's more similarity between an asian and western breakfast than it would first appear. Many asians begin their day with a warm bowl of congee/chook, a watery rice gruel that bears marked resemblance to porridge.  Ah, porridge, for the longest ever, we in Malaysia, have associated the english term for congee/chook as porridge.  When my brother was hospitalized, we told our aussie sister-in-law to make him porridge and you guessed right - she made oatmeal porridge and then did we know that porridge and congee/chook are not the same.  To her, congee/chook is 'rice soup'.


Ingredients:  

For the congee/chook
1 cup jasmine rice
1/4 cup glutinous rice
1 tsp salt
1 small piece rock sugar
1 tbsp cooking oil.

Accompaniments:

1 lb fish fillet(any fish of your choice)
Fried Tung Fun
1 knob of ginger - peeled and juliened
Fried garlic
Spring onion/coriander - chopped
Soya sauce
Sesame oil
Pepper

Marinate for the fish fillet:

Shaoxing wine
Soya sauce
Sesame oil
White pepper
Ginger Juice


Method:

Put all the ingredients for the congee/chook in the pressure cooker and add enough water to come to half pot.  Close the lid and bring up the pressure to 15 lbs.  Pressurized for 10 minutes.  Turn off the heat. Release pressure before opening lid.

Turn heat on again and using a wire whisk, stir and whisk vigorously until congee/chook has thickened. Add cold water as you whisked to the consistency you like.

Fried Tung Fun

Fish Fillet - sliced thinly

Juliened ginger

Marinate the sliced fish fillets

Put marinated fish fillets at the bottom of a large bowl and pour hot congee over them.  Top with all the accompaniments and enjoy.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This hainanese chicken rice meal was eaten awhile ago and everytime i sat to write about it, my mind was blank and finger's frozen, fingers are on the keyboard but they were not moving.  It could be the cold that froze the fingers and i think the mind too. The fingers must have been saying - come on, i am ready but no text???????.  Hope i am thinking better this morning. 

Oh, i am supposed to write about Hainanese Chicken Rice - should i write about Hainanese, i think not cos this is a food blog and i am sure all would want to know about the chicken or the rice.  What so special about having a chicken meal nowadays, it is served practically daily but not so when i was growing up.  We only have chicken during festivals and a whole chicken would have to shared amongst our family of 3 adults and 7 children and festivals only come around 2 - 3 months apart.  The day of the festival, in the early morning, my mom would go to the wet market to get the chicken.  The chickens then were still very much alive and were housed in large bamboo baskets.  Mom had a friend, his name is Ah Kau(cantonese for dog or the number nine - we finally found out that he was the ninth in his family)who owned the chicken stall, as soon my  mom arrived, he would look into the baskets, looking for the fattest and most beautiful hen - no cockerel/rooster for the festivals.  He would reach for one and the first thing Uncle Ah Kau did was to feel the breast and commented that this was fat and meaty.  The next thing he would brush the feathers at the butt apart and showed to mom, i don't know what they were looking at but she nodded and seemed to agree with him.  I have now found out what they were looking at, the butt of course.  They were looking to see if the hen laid eggs before and that will show that it is too matured and the meat will not be as tender if it were to be prepared the one and only way/recipe - white steamed/poached.  We might not be given the priviledge of looking at the butt now in the supermarket but make sure that the chicken is 4 lbs/2 kg, then you can be assured of producing a very velvety, meaty chicken for Hainanese Chicken Rice.

This chicken rice meal we had for dinner was sponsored by my dear friend Ting Ting, who have a chicken coop enough to house more than 20 chickens.  She had reared them from chicks and now there are pullets, hens and roosters.  It is the roosters that get to be our dinners cos Ting Ting does not want to have anymore unpleasant complaints from her neighbor, she told her sons Hunter and August to observe the roosters and as soon as they start to crow, the rooster will be Ting Ting's dinner or her friends.

Below is good read and good to know:

Chick: A hatchling


Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?) Yeem Kai

Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.

Hen: A female chicken over one year of age

Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age

I will not write about the rice now of which the preparation is also very important cos i am into something which i promise you will be a good thing.  Look for the good thing in my coming posts, pray that i don't get writer's block.

Ingredients:

Chicken - more than 4 lbs (if you are lucky, Ting Ting's rooster will crow)
Jasmine Rice
Sides - cucumber and tomatoes
Sauces - chopped garlic, special homemade chilly sauce, oyster sauce with fragrant oil or black sauce.

Method:

The way to prepare and recipe is here

Serves

Potato Top Pie

This is a casserole lined with cooked meat and vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes, and baked.  You guessed right, Black Friday's lunch, leftover turkey and vegetables and of course leftover mashed potatoes. I dressed it up with more mixed vegetables and to give it another level, some diced cooked Brats were added.  What a lovely way to present your leftovers?  Don't mentioned that they are leftovers and no one will know, cos the casserole  tasted so much better than it looked.

Ingredients

2 cups diced cooked turkey
2 cups diced cooked brats
1 onion chopped
1-2 cups mixed vegetables(leftover or otherwise)
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup stock/water
2 tbsp butter/cooking oil
Salt, pepper, other seasonings of choice

Leftover mashed potatoes or

1 1/2 - 2 lbs potatoes (3 big ones)
4 tbsp butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup milk/water/stock

1 egg for glazing

Method

1 Peel and quarter potatoes, start with cold water and boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes).

2 While the potatoes are cooking, melt 2 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick)/oil  in large frying pan.

3 Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat .  Add in 1 tbsp flour and saute until cooked. If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put carrots in with the onions, then add corn or peas either at the end of the cooking of the onions and carrots, or if using leftovers - add every ingredients in including the cooked meats.  Add in 1/2 cup stock/water and cook until thickened.  Season accordingly and put into a baking dish..

4 Mash potatoes in bowl with 4 tbsps butter amd milk, season to taste.

5 Distribute mashed potatoes on top of cooked meat and vegetables.. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well. Glaze with beatened egg.
6 Cook in microwave oven  on high for 2 - 3 minutes until bubbling.

7. Broil for last few minutes to brown.

8 Serve hot..

Serves

Rustic Chicken Liver Pâté with Pistachios

 

With the leftover turkey and sides recycled, there is still the turkey livers to be made into something and found this recipe which is very interesting.  While classic pâtés are creamy smooth, this version is dubbed “rustic” because of the several added ingredients that give the pâté texture and crunch as well as a wonderful complexity of flavors. Everyone fell in love with this variation,  like as though Cupid had double shot his arrow..

Ingredients:

•3 Tbsp olive oil
•1 celery stalk, finely chopped
•2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
•8 oz chicken livers - cut into small slices
•1 tsp chopped fresh sage
•1/4 cup marsala (or sherry or Madeira)
•2 anchovy filets, drained and coarsely chopped
•1 Tbsp capers, drained
•1/4 cup shelled pistachios plus 2 Tbsp chopped for garnish
•Freshly ground pepper

Method:


1.Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the celery and garlic and cook until fragrant.
2.Turn the flame up to high and add the chicken livers. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the livers are crisp outside but still a bit pink inside.

3.Stir in the sage and deglaze briefly with the marsala. Transfer all to the bowl of your food processor.

4.Add the anchovies, capers and whole pistachios. Process until fairly smooth, but not puréed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. The anchovies are salty enough that you should not need to add more salt.

5.Transfer to your serving dish and serve warm or at room temperature. Serve with thin slices of toasted baguette or crackers.  It can be dressed up by using it to fill individual endive leaves.

6. Garnish with the chopped pistachios.

Confession:

I did not have all the ingredients mentioned above so i have to improvise.  I used 1/2 tsp ground sage as i did not have fresh ones.  I had some Riesling leftover from Thanksgiving, so it was used instead of marsala  I thought i have a can of anchovy but after looking high and low and could not find it,  forget about looking, think fast - ok got it  - i used a tiny piece of salted threadfish in oil (malaysian salt fish/hum yee).  All these subs must be alright as not only me but everyone who tasted it, gave a thumb-up.

Serves

Palmiers

A quick cookie, something simple, yet flashy, with very little work on my part, but not so quick if you are to make the pastry from scratch but i guarantee a quick rendezvous in the kitchen with near instant cookie gratification. This cookie conundrum is the PALMIER, or elephant ear cookie, or little hearts which is a French Classic.

This cookie, due to its simplicity, pairs well with many other desserts or after dinner espresso, coffee, and tea. What a very fragrant way to end a meal!  A simple addition of spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon, cardamom or vanilla sugar together with nut powder, is a good variation. The palmier can also be reworked into a great savory "appetizer" if you want; instead of using sugar, nut powder and spices, replace the sugar with grated Parmesan and roll into it a very thin layer of pesto.

Ingredients:

Lots of granulated sugar


Puff pastry or Pastry Dough for Apple Turnovers

Parchment Paper or a Silpat baking mat
Method:

Preheat the oven to 425f.

Sprinkle half of the sugar on a cutting board. Unfold the puff pastry and press it down into the sugar. Sprinkle the other half of the sugar on top of the puff pastry and spread it around with your fingers, brushing off the sugar that doesn’t stick to the pastry.

Fold the sides of the puff pastry in to the center. Fold the pastry again so there are four layers. Using a sharp knife, cut the pastry across the short side into 1 inch slices. For the best results cut straight down, not back-and-forth like with bread or steak.

To bake, take the sliced pieces and place them cut side down on the baking sheet. Unfold them slightly and pinch the center bottom so as to form a V shaped cookie  Bake until the tops are slightly golden (about 7 minutes) and remove from the oven. Flip them over and put back in the oven another 4 or 5 minutes or so - until the tops and sides are nicely browned  and the sugar has caramelized.

 Remove and let cool, then eat!

Serves

Conch, Dried Scallops, Mushrooms Herbal Soup

CONCH (pronounced 'konk') is a common name for certain large marine snails. Conch meat has a mild, sweet clam-like flavor, and the sliced dried conch meat is exceptionally delicious in soups.  The meat will taste like abalone after it has been cooked for a long period of time.

DRIED SCALLOPS or Conpoy is a type of dried seafood product made from the adductor muscle of scallops Conpoy is a loanword from the Cantonese pronunciation of gonbui (乾貝, Cantonese: gon1bui³; Mandarin: gān bèi ; Hakka:gorn boy), which literally means "dried shell(fish)".Its taste is rich and umami due to its high content of various free amino acids, such as glycine, alanine, and glutamic acid. It is also rich in nucleic acids such as inosinic acid, amino acid byproducts such as taurine, and minerals, such as calcium and zinc.

 MONKEY HEAD MUSHROOM is called hóu tóu gū.in Chinese, in Japanese it is called yamabushitake and in Vietnamese it is called nấm đầu khỉ.  In traditional Chinese medicine this mushroom has long been considered a medicinal mushroom and a study on rats in 2005 showed that some compounds in the mushroom, like threitol, D-arabinitol, and palmitic acid may have antioxidant effects, may regulate blood lipid levels and may reduce blood glucose levels. 


DRIED SHITAKE MUSHROOMS  have a wonderful smoky flavor and a meaty texture. They are one of the most culinarily versatile mushrooms for their economical price.Shiitake are not only a delicious addition to just about any recipe, they are also a healthy one. These mushrooms are not only a source of high quality protein because they contain all essential amino acids, but shiitake also are a good source of minerals and vitamins. Having high fiber and few calories makes these mushrooms a close to perfect food! All these dietary attributes are part of the reason the shiitake mushrooms has long been a symbol of longevity in China. In fact, a growing body of evidence show that the health benefits of eating shiitake do not end at the mushroom's nutritional benefits.


STRAW MUSHROOM gets its name from being cultivated on straw that has been used on a paddy. They are also known as paddy-straw mushrooms and grass mushrooms Straw mushrooms are cold in nature and is especially good for summer, they clears Heat, benefits "Yin" energy and promotes the production of body fluid. They contain protein, fat, iron, zinc, various amino acids and large amount of vitamin C. They have healing function for hypertension patients and those with high blood cholesterol level. They have been used as an auxiliary treatment for cancer and diabetes patients.


WOLFBERRY is the most commonly used English name, while gǒuqǐ (枸杞) is the Chinese name,  has been used in China for thousand of years.  Wolfberry was considered as Yin and its health benefits, include strengthening the eyes, liver and kidney and nourishing the blood. Chinese people have been using wolfberry to make tea, soup, stew and wine or chewed them like raisins.


YUK CHUK akaYu Zhu (Solomon's Seal Rhizome, Polygonatum) nourishes Lung and Stomach Yin, Moistens Dryness, Treats dry cough, dry throat, irritability, and thirst. Also for cough with scanty, sticky sputum or chronic respiratory disorders with a consumptive cough.

The above ingredients are used to make a pot of nutritional soup.

Ingredients:

Dried Conch
Dried Scallops
Monkey Head Mushrooms
Dried Straw Mushrooms
Dried Shitake Mushrooms
Wolfberry
Yuk Chuk
1 whole chicken - cut into 8 - 10 pieces

Method:

Soak the dried conch, dried scallops until they are reconstituted.

Soak all the mushrooms.
Put chicken pieces in a pot and cover with enough water to cover the chicken pieces, bring to the boil and continue to boil until all the scums float to the top.  Turn off heat and discard the scumpy water and wash the chicken pieces with cold water.

Return clean chicken pieces to the pressure cooker, add in the reconstituted conch, scallops, mushrooms, wolfberries, yuk chuk and enough water to cover the ingredients.  Close the lid of pressure cooker and when pressure builds up to 15 lb, reduce heat to maintain pressure for 45 minutes.

Release pressure before opening lid of pressure cooker.

Adding more hot water(according to how many servings you need) to the soup and bring back to the boil.

Using a gravy separator, remove the oil from the soup.

Serve soup while it is hot.

Baklava

Before our friend, Issa, relocate to Dubai, he used to be the authority on middle eastern cuisine to my family and he would make us the best Baklava.  Now that Issa is not here to supply us with Baklava, i have to make it myself.  There are so many versions and recipes and i decided to try this recipe from Athensfoods.com - Courtesy of Chef Dino Lubbat, Dinotto Ristorante, Chicago.  This recipe produced a very good baklava and definitely a keeper. 



Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds walnuts, chopped (i used an assortment of pistachio, walnuts and almonds)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Zest of 1 lemon
40 sheets Athens® Fillo Dough (9" x 14"), thawed
Cooking Spray (i used 1 cup of melted butter)

Method:


In a medium bowl, combine walnuts, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest.

Lightly spray a 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray.

Place 20 sheets of fillo on the bottom of the pan, lightly spraying each sheet with cooking spray as you place in the pan.

Cover with 1/2 of the walnut(nuts) mixture.

Layer 5 more fillo sheets on top, lightly spraying each sheet.

Spread the remaining half of the walnut(nuts) mixture over the fillo and cover with another 15 lightly sprayed fillo sheets.

With a sharp knife, score fillo into 1 1/2" diamonds or squares. Lightly spray the top with cooking spray so it bakes golden brown.(i sprinkle very lightly with water to prevent curling)

Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Cool slightly and pour warm syrup (recipe below) evenly over baklava. (i mix 1 cup honey, 2 cups corn syrup and 1 tbsp orange blossom water and pour over the baklava as soon as it comes out of the oven)

Cool completely, cut and serve.

Tips

•Use butter flavored cooking spray, if desired.

•Instead of cooking spray, brush fillo with 1 cup melted butter, if desired.

•Serve à la mode with a scoop of ice cream, or drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Yield: 30 to 40 small pieces

SYRUP

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 cup honey
1 lemon peel
Bring all ingredients to a boil.

Simmer for 10 minutes.

Strain and cool slightly.

Serves