Pork Porridge

Every now and again, I have craving for a really simple yet satisfying bowl of pork porridge. Like a good bowl of chicken soup, rice porridge is one of those comfort food that most Asian families turn  to when we are feeling a little under the weather.

It really is so easy. You could cook porridge with leftover rice or you could cook it from scratch, either way, it takes less than 1 hour from preparation to serving. All you need is a little ginger, shallot and parsley for garnishing.

Pork Porridge Recipe 

Ingredients:
2 cups of cooked rice
or
1/2 cup of uncooked rice, soaked in hot water and a few drops of cooking oil for 15 min
50gm pork (minced or sliced)

Pork Marinade:
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp cornflour
Few drops of garlic oil (alternatively sesame oil)

Braised Pork Trotter

Braised Pork Trotter

Pork trotters are basically the feet of a pig. Chinese love serving trotters as a dish on its own rather than use it to make stock (We eat anything...). I'm very bias when it comes to choosing the right trotter for braising. I prefer the front trotters rather than the hind ones. I don't know why but meat on the hind seems coarser, less tender even after hours of braising.

Lucky for me, my neighbourhood butcher displays the whole pig and will only cut the sections up when customer request for a part. Now that's what you call fresh meat!

This particular recipe that I am sharing with you, belongs to my Granny. The seasonings are simple but all the flavours are in there ~ salty, sweet, spicy, sour! I personally go for the cucumber slices at the bottom of the dish first because of how they soak up all that lovely sticky braising sauce. Yumyum....

Braised Pork Trotter Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pork trotter, chopped into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 whole garlic, peeled
1 inch ginger, sliced
2-3 tomato, sectioned
2-3 dried chilli, soak & remove seed (optional)
1 litre of water

Seasoning:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
30g rock sugar
Salt & pepper to taste

Garnishing:
Chinese parsley
1 cucumber, sliced


Method:

1. Boil a pot of water and blanch the pork trotter chunks for 2 minutes to remove scum.
2. Heat up 2 tbsp cooking oil in wok. Fry ginger & garlic slices till fragrant and add pork trotter & dried chilli. Add dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sesame oil. Fry till fragrant.
3. Add water and bring to boil. then turn down to low heat and cover lid for 45 minutes. 
4. Add tomatoess and rock sugar. Cook for another 15-20 until the meat is tender. Lastly add salt & pepper to taste
5. For garnishing, place sliced cucumber on bottom of serving plate. Place pork trotter on top and garnish with parsley.  

Salted Egg Squid

Salted Egg Deepfried Squid

Like my previous entry, the Salted Egg Chicken, the Salted Egg Squid is appetizing and makes a great snack for parties.

This time, I used one of those curry flavoured fried chicken flour mix which actually gave me a lovely crisp and crunchy layer that is crucial when serving this dish. You don't want to serve soggy squid by the time it reaches your guests!

The other question I always get is how not to serve tough rubbery squid? I have a 20 second rule when it comes to cooking squid. Regardless of the size of the squid, how I cut it or what cooking method I use, I do not cook the squid for more than 20 seconds... unless of course your squid body is larger than your head  :)

So far, the squids I served, whether in salads, noodles or like this recipe, have been quite tender!

Salted Egg Squid Recipe

Ingredient:-

300gm squid

Any crispy fry batter ( spicy flavour if you like the ommph!)

or you could just use an egg dip followed by a seasoned (salt & pepper) flour dip
2 salted egg yolk

1 tbsp butter

A sprig of curry leaves

 Salt & sugar to taste

Method:

1. First, clean the squid thoroughly, ensuring that you remove the ink sac, cartilage, beak and eyes. Cut the squid into 1/2 inch thick rings for the body and 2 inches length for the tentacles.
2. Steam egg yolk for 10 minutes. Remove from steamer and mash immediately. Leave aside to cool. 
3. Heat up frying oil till smoking hot. Have your batter and cut squid ready. 
4. Drop the battered squid into the oil gentle and fry on high heat for 20 seconds. Remove and drain.
5. Melt butter in a separate wok on low heat (you don't want to burn the butter) add the mashed steamed egg yolk. Stirfry egg yolk until the mixture becomes bubbly. Add salt & sugar to taste. 
6. Finally, add curry leaves and fried squid. Give it a quick toss until all the squid pieces are coated with the mixture.

Braised Fish Head with Leek,Tofu & Roast Pork (Hong Siew Yu Tao)

 

I bought a 1.6 kilo fivefinger threadfin fish (Cantonese: Soon Fong Yu) that some might say has sweeter flesh than the ordinary threadfin (Cantonese: Mah Yau Yu). It sure is more expensive though! I was more than happy to purchase such a fresh specimen from my regular fishmonger as it is hard to come by. This fish is usually snapped up by restaurants. 

Happy with my purchase, I quickly walked over to the vege seller to grab a couple of other ingredients. Now you know how I decide what to cook everyday! I, basically, hunt for the freshest core ingredient in the market (which in this case is a fish) and while the fishmonger is busy cleaning and chopping up the poor fella, I'd be working out my dish!

I chose to braise the fish because it was not necessary for me to serve it hot. The way I braise the fish is also quite a Malaysian Chinese style, not likely to be found elsewhere. My guests were after all from overseas. A combination of leek, tofu and roast pork were chosen to accompany the lovely fish. Leek because it is fragrant, the famous Bentong fried tofu balls because they soak up all that braising sauce and roast pork to give the fish that shine and saltiness!

 

Soon Fong Yu - split and chopped into smaller pieces

Deepfried till golden brown

Braised with vegetable, tofu and roast pork

Savoury Glutinous Rice Dumpling (Zhong Zi)

Zhong Zi (26 June 2012)

I believe that every Chinese household has their own special 'zhong'. Mine is a reflection of the wonder times my mum and Grandma used to spend together, bustling around in the kitchen with the dumplings brimming in hot boiling pots and the floor spotted with specks of rice and beans...

There's nothing like homemade dumplings and my family's recipe is a very traditional one with pork filling, Chinese mushrooms and salted eggs. Over the years, we have only added mung beans and chestnuts to enhance the taste. I like to keep it this way for the moment, I like to be reminded of the women in my home...

Truly, there's no need for me to make other types of dumplings as family and friends tend to exchange their goodies during the festive season. I've had quite a fair bit this year with the Hokkien, Teochew, Nyonya and Hong Kong versions! By the way, all your lovely zhongs were excellent this year!!

Savoury Glutinous Rice Dumpling Recipe (Makes 35-40)

Ingredients:
1 kg glutinous rice (soaked for at least 4 hours)
160gm bamboo leaves (boiled till soft and clean)
45gm hemp/rattan strings/cooking strings. (hemp and rattan strings have to be boiled till soft)

Filling:
1 kg pork belly / streaky pork (cut into bite sizes)
300gm split yellow lentil beans (soaked)
100gm dried chestnuts (soaked and split into halves)
60gm dried Chinese mushrooms (soaked and marinade with 1 tsp 5-spice & 1 tsp pepper the day before)
20 salted egg yolks, halved (more if you like)
100gm dried shrimp (soaked, drained and minced) (optional)

Seasoning for glutinious rice:-
5 tbsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce (for colouring)
1 tbsp 5-spice powder
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Pork Marinade: (A day before)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp 5-spice powder
2 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt
3 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Day before: marinade pork and mushrooms. Night before: soak glutinious rice in water.
2. Preparation on the day: Boil bamboo leaves and strings. It should only take you about 15 minutes in a large pot covered with lid. Wash bamboo leaves and drain in a sieve. 
3. Soak lentil beans and chestnuts in water. When softened, drain and add 1/2 tsp 5-spice powder each and mix well.
4. Prepare seasoning for rice in a bowl. Heat up 5 tbsp of oil in wok and fry glutinious rice with seasoning until fragrant. Dish out and set aside. (Optional: You could fry the dried shrimps first before adding the rice)
5. All your ingredients should be within arm's reach now. 
6. Hang a bunch of strings where it is convenient for you to wrap and tie your dumpling.
7. Take 2 bamboo leaves and fold it into a cone shape. Place 1 tbsp of rice, add a little of each filling then top with another tbsp of rice. 
8. Fold the top of the cone over to cover the dumpling firmly before tying the dumpling with a string.
9. Boil two 1/2 pots of water. Once your dumplings are all ready, place them gently into the water. Make sure that every single dumpling is submerged in water. Boil dumplings for 3-4 hours.
10. Be sure to keep a hawk eye on your pots. Once the water in the pot has reduces, you will have to replenish it with boiling water.    
11. Once ready, remove dumplings and leave to drain and cool. 

Fried Long Bean Omelette

Fried Long Bean Omelette

I love having a simple fried long bean omelette with rice or plain porridge since I was a child. When Mum can't think of anything to cook or is rushing for time, eggs are always the best solution to feed a hungry bunch!

Fried Long Bean Omelette Recipe

Ingredients:

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup of thinly sliced long bean (more if you like)

1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce

Pepper

Method:

1. Heat 1 tsp of oil in pan. Fry long bean with sauce & pepper till it turns slightly darker green. Remove from pan.
2. Heat up 1/2 tbsp oil in the same pan. Pour egg mixture in and sprinkle the cooked long bean evenly on the egg. Leave on medium heat for 1/2 minute before flipping the egg over. Cook for another minute.
3. Ready to serve!