Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients

Chicken
1 very fresh chicken (preferably free range)
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
6 slices fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, slightly bruised
2 shallots, chopped in a few pieces
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tsp salt

Chicken Stock
Chicken bones, such as whole chicken carcass, or a kilo of chicken wings or legs
3 pieces of ginger
2 shallots

Chicken Rice
3 cups long grain rice
2 tbsp chicken or pork fat (this tastes great, but peanut oil can be used instead)
2-3cm ginger, grated
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped very finely or grated
1-2 tsp salt (to taste)
3 ½ cups chicken stock according to rice instructions (or more, reserved from boiled chicken)
2 pandan leaves (optional)

Chilli Sauce
10 fresh red chillies, seeds removed
1-2 cloves garlic
5cm fresh ginger
2 tsp chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
Juice from kaffir limes to taste
Salt to taste

Ginger Sauce for Dipping
75g ginger
6 garlic cloves
½ tsp salt
2 tsp lime juice
2 tbsp chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)

Chicken Soup
Chicken stock (from the boiled chicken)
Chopped shallots or small amount of chopped cabbage

Method :-
Bring a pot of water to the boil, the pot being large enough to fit the whole chicken. While the water is heating, rub chicken inside with rice wine and soy sauce. Roughly chop three pieces of ginger, garlic and one shallot and then blend in a food processor. Place mixture inside chicken.

When the water boils, turn heat off and place the chicken, remaining three pieces of ginger and shallot in the water. Leave the chicken to stand in the water for one hour. After the first five minutes of standing, lift up the chicken, drain the water from the stomach cavity and put chicken back in the pot. Repeat this process two or three times during the cooking period to make sure the chicken cooks inside as well as outside.

After 30 minutes, turn on the heat to bring the water back to almost boiling point, then turn heat off. The chicken, never being allowed to boil, will be very tender and juicy. At the end of the hour, remove chicken and rub with remaining soy sauce combined with sesame oil and salt, and then cut into bite-sized pieces.

For chicken stock, add extra chicken bones or pieces, three slices of ginger and two shallots to the water in which the chicken was cooked. Boil for one to two hours until stock has a strong chicken flavour. Discard chicken bones/pieces and strain the stock through a muslin cloth.

For chicken rice, wash the rice and drain well (the more water in the rice, the less chicken flavour! Some recommend drying the rice in a tea towel). In a wok, fry chicken fat until oil is released and then add the ginger and garlic and fry well.

Remove from heat and discard the chicken fat and skin. Add the rice and salt and stir fry briskly for about 1-2 minutes. Transfer rice into an electric rice cooker or pot. Add in chicken stock and pandan leaves. Follow normal instructions for cooking rice.

For chilli sauce, roughly chop chillies, garlic and ginger and then blend in a food processor. Add chicken stock, lime juice and salt to taste. Will keep in covered container in the refrigerator for a few days, but is best served fresh.

For ginger sauce, roughly chop ginger and garlic and then blend in a food processor. Add chicken stock, lime juice and salt to taste.

For chicken soup, ladle a small amount of hot strained stock into serving bowls. Add finely chopped shallot. If serving with cabbage, you will need to cook the cabbage in the stock for a short while before serving.

Master Stock

Ingrediants :-
3 litres (6 pints) water
250 ml (9 fl oz) light soy sauce
500 ml (16 fl oz) Shao Xing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
200 g (7 oz) yellow rock sugar
40 g (11⁄2 oz) fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic
3 cardamom pods
2 cinnamon sticks
10 g (2 teaspoons) dried mandarin peel

Spices for bag
4 whole cloves
4 star anise
1 teaspoon sichuan pepper
1 teaspoon licorice root
1 teaspoon dried chilli
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Method :-
This Asian master stock is a key ingredient in my kitchen. Master stocks are essential for the red-braised dishes of China. The soy sauce gives a rich reddish-brown colour to any meat or poultry, while the Chinese wine, rock sugar and spices impart a unique flavour.

The master stock can be used over and over again and it will grow better and richer over time. However it is important to follow a few essential rules to prevent harmful bacteria growing. Only ever use a master stock to cook one type of meat – i.e. only chicken, or duck or pork. It is not a multi-purpose stock. After each use, bring the stock back to the boil, and then skim it and strain through a fine sieve into a clean sealable container. Allow it to cool completely before refrigerating or freezing.
Place all of the spices into a piece of muslin cloth and tie into a bag. Put the spice bag along with all of the other ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to the boil. Simmer gently for 10 –15 minutes to allow the spices to infuse. Allow the stock to cool completely before pouring into a clean container. Leave the aromatics in the stock overnight to intensify the flavours. Refrigerate or freeze until needed.

Satay Beef

Ingrediants :-
750 g rump steak
2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground fennel
Finely grated rind of half lemon
1 ½ tsp salt I tsp sugar 4 tsp thick coconut milk

Method :-

1. Cut beef into small cubes, about 2 cm. Combine turmeric, cumin, fennel, lemon rind, salt, sugar and coconut milk in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.
2. Add beef and mix well, cover and leave to marinate for at least 2hrs.
3. Thread on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in cold water for a few hours, putting about 5 pieces on the end of each skewer and
4. leaving at least half the skewer uncovered. Grill until beef is well done and crisp and brown on all sides.

Sang Choy Bao

Ingredient
Iceberg Lettuce
Carrot
Celery
Onion
Shitake Mushroom
Beans
Bok Choy
Ginger
Garlic
Chinese Shallots
Chilli
Soy

Method
1. Fry Ginger garlic and Onion
2. Followed by Beans, celery, Mushroom
3. Add in some sugar
4. Shao Xing Wine
5. Oyster Sauce
6. Light Soy for flavour and some sesame oil
7. Add in Bok Choy, Carrot, Shallot

Steam chicken with hot and sour sauce

Ingredient :-
Dressing
Brown Sugar
Garlic
Coriander
Ginger
Spring Onion
Chilli

Light Soy
Black Vinegar
Sesame oil

1 tbsp of boiling peanut oil
Steam chicken

Method :-
1. Mix all the dressings together and score with peanut oil
2. drizzle over steam chicken

Braised Yee Mee

Ingredients:
2 pieces dried yee mee noodles
1 piece chicken breast, sliced (season with a bit of oyster sauce and dash of pepper)
10 shrimps – peeled and deveined
some mustard greens/cabbage or baby bak choy
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 cups of chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste


Method :
1. Heat up wok on high. Add about 2 tbsp spoon o f oil and add in the garlic. Stir fry until lightly brown.
2. Add in the chicken, stir-fry until it changes color. Add in chicken stock and all the seasonings. Bring it up to boil. Add in the yee mee and continue to cook until the gravy thickens. This should take about 3-4 minutes.
3. Then add in the vegetables and shrimps. Continue to cook until noodles soften and check seasonings. Serve warm.

Fish Stock

Ingredients
A
Fish Carcass
white onion
ginger
garlic
chinese shallots
white pepper corn
coriander

B
White sugar
vinegar
gibger
oyster mushroom
bok choy
coriander
chilli
white fish fillet

Method
1. Put all A ingredients into water
2. Bring to boil
3. Skim impurities
4. Bring to a boil for 30 mins
5. Strain it through muslin cloth
6. Put b into pot. and serve with A

Porridge

Ingredients
I cup rice (long, medium or short grain)
6 cups water

Method
1.Wash rice until water is reasonable clear, drain
2.Boil water, add rice
3.Stir as you bring the rice to the boil again
4.Simmer on a very low heat for 20 minutes, (do not cover). The last 5 minutes may need an occasional stir to prevent sticking
5.Turn heat off. Stir to equalize heat
6.Put lid on pot and let rest for 10 minutes
7.Serve with accompaniments

Kumquat tea

Tasty, tangy drink that may be helpful in fighting cold or flu symptoms.


Ingredients
10 kumquats
1 litre (1 qt) water
Honey or rock sugar (optional)

Method
1.Wash kumquats well – do not peel.
2.Slice into halves.
3.By hand, squeeze most of juice from each piece into pot, then toss fruit in.
4.Pour boiling water into pot, cover and steep for a few minutes. Serve.

Dom chicken

Ingredients
2 large chicken thighs (I leave the skin on, but trim the excess fats around it)
3 tbsp DOM (D.O.M) Benedictine liquor (法国廊酒)
1 tbsp ginger juice (grate the ginger, take the ginger pulp and squeeze out the juice)
5 tbsp water/stock (I use clear chinese soup which I cooked that day)
1 tbsp wolfberries
10 red dates
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 10 shitake mushrooms, stems removed and then sliced thinly
- spring onions, sliced thinly to wispy strips (to garnish, optional)

Directions
1. Place the chicken thighs into a wide and deep plate. Line the bottom of the vessel with sliced mushrooms, reserving some to top the chicken.
2. Add in ginger juice, D.O.M, water/stock, sesame oil, wolfberries, red dates and the rest of the sliced mushrooms.
3. Cover the vessel with a lid or seal tightly with aluminium foil and cook the chicken on high heat until the water at the steamer is boiling.
4. Lower down the heat and continue to cook for about 40-50 minutes.
5. Season the soup with some salt if you like. I didn’t do that since I am using Chinese soup for the stock. Use a spoon to drizzle some soup onto the chicken. Garnish with spring onions. Serve with warm rice.

Notes:
- The original recipe calls for the chicken to be double boiled. If you prefer this method, place the chicken and ingredients in the double boiler pot and filled the outer pot with water (not covering more than half of the inner pot)). After cooking, arrange the contents into a bowl/plate.
- Whether you steam or double boil, the important thing is to seal the vessel you are using so as not to lose the aroma and soup due to evaporation.
- To test if the chicken is cooked, insert a fork in the thigh area. If clear liquid (no blood) runs out, it is cooked.

Noodle soup

Ingredients
500 ml chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 star anais
ginger
soy
udon noodles
Shitaki Mushroom

Steamed Fish Chinese Style

Ingredients:

1 live fish (about 1.5 lb or less)
2 inches ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 stalk scallion (cut into 2-inch length, and then cut into thin silken threads)
Some cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine or rice wine

Steamed Fish Soy Sauce Mixture:

4 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons shaoxing wine or rice wine
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
3 dashes white pepper powder
2 tablespoons rock sugar (grind into powder form) or to taste

Method:

Clean the fish properly (remove scales, guts, gills, etc.) and pat dry. Blend the soy sauce mixture in a small bowl and set aside.

Lay the fish on a plate and drizzle 1 tablespoon shaoxing (or rice) wine on top of the fish. Top the fish with 1/2 of the cut ginger strips.

Heat up a wok with enough water for steaming. Wait for the water to boil. As soon as it boils, place your fish inside the wok, propped up with a small inverted bowl or a couple of wooden blocks (meant for steaming). Cover your wok tightly and set your kitchen alarm for 8 minutes.

As soon as the fish is done steaming, transfer it out from the wok. Discard the fish water and ginger strips. Lay the remaining ginger strips on top of the fish.

Heat up a pan over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, swirl around until it’s hot. Pour the hot oil over the steamed fish. Put the pan back onto the stove, add the soy sauce mixture and stir well. As soon as the sauce bubbles up and boils, pour the soy sauce over the fish. Topped with scallions and cilantro leaves and serve the steamed fish immediately with white rice.

Peking Duck Pancake

Ingredients
1/2 cup plain flour
2 tablespoons cornflour
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 Peking duck (see note)
6 green onions, washed
1/2 cup hoisin sauce

Method
Combine flour, cornflour, water, milk, eggs and half the butter in a food processor. Process until batter is smooth. Pour into a jug. Cover and stand for 15 minutes.

Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Brush with remaining butter. Pour a tablespoonful of batter into frying pan. Spread to form a thin pancake, about 16cm in diameter. Cook for 2 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter.

Remove skin and meat from duck. Thinly slice both skin and meat. Cut onions into 10cm lengths.

Place some duck skin and meat, 2 pieces of onion and 1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce onto each pancake. Roll up. Serve.

roast duck marinate

Ingredients
4 tbsp honey
4 tbsp five spice powder
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method
Mix all ingredients to form marinate for meat

Braised Mushroom with Tofu

Ingredients:
1 box firm tofu or 1 block bean curd
1/4 pound groud pork
5 shitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water for 20-30 minutes)
1 stalk scallion (chopped)
1 tablespoon sweet dark soy sauce (ABC Kecap Manis)
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons water + 1 teaspoon corn starch
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic (finely hopped)
A dash of white pepper

Method:
Cut the bean curd into pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Heat up your wok or deep fryer and add oil. Deep fry the bean curd until light to golden brown, dish out and drain with paper towels. Set aside.

Heat up the claypot and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the chopped garlic until aromatic and toss in the ground pork, do a quick stir before adding the mushrooms and the fried bean curd. Add all seasonings and water and cover the claypot with its cover. Lower the heat to low and let it braise for 15 minutes. Before serving, add in the corn starch mixture to thicken the sauce. Toss in the chopped scallion and serve immediately.

Szechuan eggplant

Ingredients
1 eggplant
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 tsp chilli paste
spring onion chopped
2 tsp chilli oil
chicken stock
sugar, vinegar, salt, chicken powder, soya sauce for seasoning

Method :-
1. cut eggplant into strips
2. fry in oil till soft and strain
3. add oil, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp ginger, 2 tsp chilli paste, 3 tsp spring onion, 3 tsp oil, 2 ladles of chicken stock
4. increase temperature
5. add in fried egg plant and let simmer
6. add in 5 tsp sugar, 3 tsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp chicken powder, 1 tsp soya sauce
7. cook and simmer for 2 mins
8. Stir in corn flour water
9. serve

Mapo Tofu

Ingredients :-
Firm Tofu
1 tsp chilli bean paste
1 tsp bean paste
200 ml chicken stock
mince beef
chilli oil
leek
salt, sugar, dark soya sauce, corn starch

Method :-
1. cut bean curd and place in boiling water for 20 sec and strain
2. add in ginger, garlic, 1 tso chilli bean paste, black bean paste, 1/2 tsp chilli powder
3. Add in mince beef
4. Add in 200 ml chicken stock
5. add in bean curd cubes
6. add in chilli oil, salt and sugar and dark soya sauce to season
7. Add in corn starch
8. Add in green part of leek
9. put on plate
10. sprinkle szechuan pepper corn powder on top

Twice Cooked Pork

Ingredients :
Pork
spring onion
ginger

1 tsp chilli bean paste
1 tsp black bean sauce
hoisin sauce
chilli flakes
Leek
1 tsp chilli powder
chicken powder
chilli oil

sugar
shao xing wine
dark soya sauce
salt

Method :-
1. boil pork, spring onion and ginger for 30 mins
2. cut into thin slices
3. add oil in pan
4. Fry pork slices. Leave aside to cool
5. heat oil and fry chilli bean paste, black bean sauce, chilli powder
6. add in pork and stir fry
7. Add in shao xing wine, dark soya sauce, white part of leek and stir fry
8. add in some sugar, chicken powder, green part of leek
9. add in chilli oil (80 gms)
10. serve

Sweet and sour pork

Ingredients (serves 4)
1/2 cup (70g) cornflour
1/3 cup (50g) plain flour
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 tbs water
500g pork scotch fillet, cut into 1.5cm pieces
Oil, to fry
Steamed rice, shallots and coriander leaves, to serve
Sweet & sour sauce
1 tbs peanut oil
1 green capsicum, chopped
1 carrot, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar
1/2 cup (125ml) white vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs cornflour
425g can pineapple pieces in natural juices, drained

Method
1. For the sauce, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the capsicum, carrot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and 1 cup (250ml) water until sugar dissolves. Combine the cornflour and 2 tbs water. Add to the pan and whisk until it comes to the boil. Simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in the pineapple. Set aside.

2. Combine the cornflour, plain flour, salt, eggs and 2 tbs water. Coat half the pork in the batter. Carefully deep fry in hot oil for 3-4 minutes until golden. Repeat.

3. Combine pork and sauce. Serve with rice, shallots and coriander.

Eggplant with mince meat in chilli bean paste

Ingredients :-
3 eggplants
salt
2 garlic cloves
1 knob ginger, peeled
8 spring onions
peanut oil (or vegetable oil) for shallow frying
300g pork mince
2 tbsp chilli bean paste
4 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (or substitute dry sherry)
1 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water

Method :-
1. Slice eggplants into short, thin strips and scatter with salt, then leave in a colander for 30-40 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. In a mortar and pestle (or food processor), crush garlic, ginger and four spring onions to a paste. Slice the other spring onions into 5cm lengths. Set aside.

3. Heat a wok with a cup of oil and when hot, fry the eggplants until golden brown - it's best to do this in two batches. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain on kitchen paper and discard oil.

4. Heat the wok with a few tablespoons of fresh oil and add the garlic paste and pork mince. Stir-fry for 5 minutes on high until the pork is cooked, then add all the remaining ingredients, including the sliced spring onions. Cook for a few minutes until they have softened and the flavours have melded together.

5. Stir in the eggplant, check the seasoning (if a little salty add more water) and serve.

Serves 4