Hainanese chicken rice to celebrate 2012

2012 is the year of the Water Dragon, the mightiest of all signs and as a Dragon girl myself I'd like to share this recipe with you to celebrate the new year! 

Hainanese Chicken Rice is a dish of Chinese origin based on a well-known Hainanese dish called Wenchang chicken. However, as time passed, modifications were made to the recipe to suit the preferences of the locals.

Right, here's what you need for a mouth watering super-exotic dish:

For the rice
3 cups long grain rice
2 tablespoons chicken fat , with skin (I know its terribly fattening but it makes the rice taste incredibly nice)
2 tablespoons water
2 -3 cm ginger , grated
3 -4 garlic cloves , grated or mashed
1 -2 teaspoon salt (to taste)
3 1/2 cups chicken stock , according to rice package instructions (or more, reserved from chicken that you will boil)

for the chicken
1 whole chicken preferably organic
water , enough for boiling chicken
chicken stock
1 piece thumb sized ginger , smashed
a few scallions to stuff the cavity of the chicken

Ginger sauce for dipping
75 g ginger
6 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lime juice
2 tablespoons chicken stock (again stock from the boiled chicken)
Sauce for chicken
1 tablespoon garlic oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons light soya sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (to taste)
3 tablespoons chicken broth (from boiled chicken)

First of all wash the rice then place it on to a tea towel or colander to dry. Then, prepare the chicken.Bring enough water to boil in a large pot. Stuff the chicken cavity with fresh scallions and ginger pieces. Once boil, add in the stock and dip the stuffed chicken a few times in the boiling water. This trick will tighten the skin and prevent it from breaking it. Submerge the chicken in water breast down, making sure the water level just covers the extremity of the chicken: you want your chicken to poach slowly, not to boil! Lower the heat and cook chicken for about 20 - 25 minutes, uncovered. It is very important to boil the chicken very slowly over low flame.Turn of flame and cover the pot. Allow the chicken to steep inside for another 20-25 minutes. Remove chicken and immerse it into a basin of cold water for 5-6 minutes.Take chicken out and drain in a colander to drip dry before cutting it into serving pieces.

While the chicken is drip drying, prepare the rice.Heat up wok and add in the chicken fat and water.Bring to a low simmering boil until oil is released from the fat. Add in the ginger and garlic and fry well (without burning the garlic) Remove and discard the chicken fat and skin. Add in the rice that has been dried and salt and stir fry briskly about 1 - 2 minutes.Transfer rice into an electric rice cooker or pot. Add in the chicken broth from the boiled chicken together with the screwpine leaves if using. If cooking in a pot, cook over low flame stirring occasionally so as not to let the bottom of the rice burn.Boil until rice is cook.

While the rice is cooking, you can prepare the chilli garlic sauce. Just add all ingredients into a blender or food processor, and give it a good whizz, until ingredients are well blended. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or sugar to taste.The chili garlic sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days only.

To prepare the ginger sauce is the same.give the ingredients a good whiz in the blender.What gives the extra oomph for the sauces is the stock from the chicken broth -- so, do not omit this ingredient.

Lastly combine all the ingredients for the chicken sauce and pour it all over the cut up chicken. You can add more soya sauce and chicken broth to the chicken if you prefer. Just adjust the taste of the sauce with soya sauce and chicken broth.If you do not have garlic oil,you can fry a few cloves of garlic in oil for few minutes then take out oil and garlic pour it into a jar, and let the garlic steep inside the oil.

Finally, garnish the chicken with the coriander leaves, spring onions and cucumbers.










Enjoy meal with the rice and dipping sauces!

stuffed chicken: a last minute deal

presentation could have been better, but my roast was a success!

Right. I’ve got a whole bird, some veggies, dry fruit and breadcrumbs. Perhaps if I go through my pantry I will find some sauces for the glazing and I will make another scrumptious dinner out of leftovers, basically! So here’s what I have on my table so far.

ooooh curries!

Making Massaman Curry and lentil dahl (my style) 

Ooooh curries! There’s nothing better that that fragrant smell of spices in the kitchen. I tend to prefer thai-style curries to Indian ones because are more delicate and a touch sweeter, and, I am totally in love with that final touch of toasted cashews and fresh coriander right before serving a meal. Pure bliss.

Today I am making some slight variations to the recipe. I have run out of coriander so I am using basil leaves from my plant, and I have some bok choy leftovers as well: I am sweating the chunky bits together with the aromatic ginger, the onions and chillies and will be adding the softer leaves toward the end of cooking time. Whatever variations I make to curries, my kitchen always smell lovely! Right, here’s my ingredients list:

my summer fish pie

 Inspired by a Jamie Oliver lighter version of the fish pie, I decided to experiment in the kitchen today. Did not know what to expect since this was my very first attempt to bake a savoury pie with no puff pastry, but judging by mr D’s face I’d say the experiment went well!   From the originally recipe I preferred to ditch the onions (I believe it overwhelms the fish’s flavour), and double cream (too many calories!)  And since I had some vegetarian curry leftovers I soaked the fish in that rather than the milk. Feeling inspired? Here’s my recipe for 4-6 serves. I like to cook in bulk so I can stack the freezer for those lazy days…

Tempura king prawns with sweet chili & lime dipping sauce

There's something so sexy about pulling something warm out of the kitchen. Especially on a first date. Stilettos and frilly apron optional....

Ingredients (makes 25 praws)
vegetable oil for deep frying
25 king prawns, peeled with shells intact and deveined

For the tempura batter:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups ice soda water (seltzer)
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
salt and white pepper
For the dipping sauce :
fresh coriander
1 cup sweet-chili thai sauce
1 fresh lime (juice)

Using cold water (about 40F) is a must. This keeps the batter from becoming sticky.
Sticky batter results in oily tempura!

Beat the egg and mix with water gradually and stir possibly using chopsticks.
Add flour, stir briefly; that is well enough to coat but leave the lumps and bumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip prawns into the batter and deep fry (max 3 at a time) until they turn curl and golden. To fry, use a large pan with a half-inch oil (or more if necessary) and heat on high.
Drain on paper towels.

Magic touch :
serve the prawns on a platter folded by banana leaves (normally available in Asian grocery stores)

Pasta Sfoglia Ripiena (Stuffed puff pastry)

Easy, quick and perfect for the "carnivorous". It can be served with some crunchy steamed vegetable on a side or with mash potatos.
Ingredients:

2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
1 Kg ground seasoned italian sausage

olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup ground Provola (or gouda cheese)

1 cup ragout sauce (your own recipe)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees celsius.

Golden the onion in olive oil and stir fry with the sausage, adjusting with salt and pepper.

Add ragout sauce, let the mix thicken, cool down and set aside.

Unroll the lower layer of pastry out on a baking tray (usually pastry comes interleaved with plastic, which I leave on as baking sheet.)*

Spread ground sausage mixture on pastry to form a flat rectangle, then sprinkle the ground provola cheese on top, leaving some room for the folding edges of pastry.

Unroll the upper layer of pastry and place on top of the ground sausage mixture.

Trim and seal edges carefully.

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.

Let cool and cut in large squared portions. Best served warm

* Beware that puff pastry needs to be kept refrigerated and unrolled chilled. By doing so, you will prevent excessive softening of the texture.