Stewed chicken with Chinese sausage

Ingredients:
1/2 chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)
5 button mushrooms
1 pair Chinese sausage (soak with hot water, peel off the skin and sliced)
5 pips garlic (remove skin and leave it whole)
5 shallots (remove skin and leave it whole)
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water (add more if needed)
1 stalk spring onion (cut into sections)

Seasoning:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Dash of pepper

Methods:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, saute garlic and shallots until fragrant, then add in chicken and stir-fry well.
2. Add in Chinese sausage, button mushroom, water, seasoning and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and stew, stirring occasionally, add more water if needed and taste for correct seasoning.  If you prefer a more salty or tasty dish, sprinkle a bit of salt or else the seasonings should be enough.
4. Cook till the sauce is thick and chicken are cooked through, then add spring onion, mix well, dish up and serve.

Curried tamarind chicken

This chicken dish which I am going to share is a dish of '3-generations', so to speak! This simple home-cooked dish which was cooked by my late mum-in-law's mother many long years ago, was then brought down to her and finally I get to cook it in my home kitchen, what a blessing! Though this dish comprises of only few simple ingredients, but it takes me quite a while to master it well, especially when comes to strike a good balance to it's curried-sourish-sweet-salty taste and flavour.  

Ingredients:

2 chicken thigh

1 tbsp cooking oil

Marinade & Seasoning:

2 tbsp tamarind

1 cup water

1 tbsp curry powder (watch brand)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp salt 

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

Methods:

1. Clean chicken thigh and chop into bite-size pieces and put in a big bowl.
2. Mix the tamarind with 1 cup water to obtain juice.
3. Add all the marinade and seasoning ingredients into the chicken pieces, mix till well combined and leave aside till cooking.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add in the chicken pieces and the sauce, stir-fry, then put the lid on.
5. Open the lid to turn over the chicken from time to time till the chicken are cooked and the sauce has thicken. (Add a bit more water if the sauce is too dry and the chicken meat is not fully cooked yet.)
6. Dish on a platter and serve with rice.

Note:  I prefer to have some sauce with the chicken to eat with rice.  I remember when I was helping out with the cooking for my late mum-in-law, she always requested for 'dry' as that's her preference.  The taste of this dish is very appetizing and it's irresistible.   

Deep-fried prawns

Ingredients:
12 medium-size prawns
1/4 tsp chicken stock granules
1/4 tsp grounded pepper
Enough oil for deep-frying

Batter:
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
Dash of salt and pepper
1 tsp cooking oil
Water

Methods:

1. Peel prawns but with tails intact, deveined and season with grounded pepper and chicken stock granules for half hour.
2. Mix the dry batter ingredients together with water slowly, then add oil, stir till well combined, ensuring there is no lumps  The consistency of the batter should be slightly thick but will still flow from the spoon when tilted.
3. Heat up enough oil in a deep wok till medium heat.
4. Coat prawns with the batter and deep-fry till lightly brown, dish.  Repeat till all is done.
5. Increase the heat, then put all the fried prawns back into the hot oil and quick fry while stirring for 1 minute.
6. Dish, drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately.

Note:  (1) Deep-fried prawns must be served immediately to enjoy the crunchiness of the batter on the outside as well as the soft hot prawns on the inside.  If eaten cold the batter will be softer and the prawn's texture becomes harder and not to mention it won't be as tasty as eaten hot.  (2) Batter for frying prawns differs from one home-cook to another, but I still prefers my own 'Signature' style!

Stir-fried Chinese leek with roast pork and beancurd

Ingredients:
4 stalks Chinese leek
1/2 cup roast pork
1 piece beancurd
1 red chilli
1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/3 cup water (add more if needed)

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tbsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Dash of sesame oil
Dash of pepper

Methods:

1. Prepare leek by discarding the outer layer hard leaves, cut into sections wash and soak in water for a while, drain.
2. Cut roast pork into slightly thicker slices and red chilli into diamond shape.
3. Cut the beancurd into slightly thicker slices and pan-fry with a bit of oil, drain and put aside for later use.
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok, fry garlic in medium heat until fragrant, add roast pork and fry well, then add in leeks and stir till well combined.
5. Drizzle shao hsing wine, stir then add water and the remaining seasonings to cook over low heat for about 2 minutes.
6. Add beancurd and red chilli, stir well and cook for a further 3 minutes.
7. Dish and serve with fresh cooked rice.

Stir-fried arrowroot/nga gu with Chinese leek and sausage

This imported bulb-like tuber is only available in the market a month or two before the Lunar New Year.  Yesterday morning, as I was thinking what vegetables to buy and cook for dinner, then all of a sudden I saw this arrowroot or known as 'nga gu' in Chinese, and not having to give any second thought, I grab hold of some and there they are, waiting to be cooked in my home kitchen.  Come to think of it, they really comes in early this year!

I love cooking it with Chinese leek and sausages or even with slice pork or chicken meat. It is a simple dish but yummy.  Here's to share.....

Few simple ingredients:

• 4 bulbs nga gu (peel and sliced)
• 3 stalks Chinese leek (peel off the hard leaves and sliced)
• 2 Chinese sausages (soak with hot water, peel off the skin and sliced)

• 1 tbsp shallots (sliced)
• 1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp grounded pepper
• 1/4 cup of water 
• Cooking oil

Few simple steps to cook:

1. In a clean wok heat 3 tbsp oil till medium heat, arrange the nga gu slices in batches, turning over till both sides are lightly brown, dish and drain till all is complete.
2. With the left over oil saute shallots and garlic till fragrant, add in Chinese sausages and saute well.
3. Add in Chinese leek, give it a quick stir, then add in nga gu and after few stir, if the dish is too dry, sprinkle a bit of water over and add in oyster sauce.
4. When all are well combined add the rest of the water and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.
5. When the dish is almost dry sprinkle the pepper over give it another quick stir to mix and off the heat.
6. Dish and serve hot with rice.

Note:  This arrowroot also makes good and yummy home-made chips.  

Chillies fried chicken drumsticks

Fried chicken is one dish which I believe many would enjoy even if having to eat it often, especially children.  As a home-cook I will not always use the same ingredients for marinating the chicken, so as to have a different flavour, thus enhancing the taste of the fried chicken to give new boost to our taste buds from time to time.  Another point is that I will either use wings, drumsticks, thighs, mixed meat of the chicken, boneless chicken thigh, fried with special sauce to coat the fried chicken and many other styles of cooking it. It has always been exciting when comes to making a dish out of "CHICKEN."

What you need:

4 chicken drumstick

Marinade:

1 egg

2 tbsp corn flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

Seasoning (mix well)

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp chicken stock granules

1/2 tsp sugar

Chillies ingredients:

1  1/2 tbsp ginger (chopped)

1 tbsp red chilli (chopped)

1 1/2 tbsp spring onion (chopped)

3 bird's eye chillies (diced)

Methods:

1. Marinate the chicken drumstick with the marinade ingredients for at least half day in the fridge.  Turn over and rub the marinade onto the drumstick to let the ingredients seeps through it few times.
2. Put enough oil in a deep wok, deep fry the marinated chicken drumsticks in medium-low heat till golden and cooked.
3. Dish and drain on absorbent paper.
4. In a clean wok, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil, saute the chillies ingredients until fragrant, add in fried chicken and seasoning and stir till well combined. 
5. Dish and serve.

Stir-fried asparagus with prawns

Ingredients:
1 bundle asparagus
1/2 cup prawns (peeled and deveined)
3 pip garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 to 2 tbsp water

Seasoning:
1 tsp chicken stock granules

Methods:

1. Wash, cut into sections and peel off the woody outside part near to the stem end.
2. Put 1 tbsp cooking oil in a heated wok, saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in prawns, give it a quick stir, then add in asparagus and drizzle over seasoning and stir till well mixed.
4. Add in water and stir fry for a further one minute, then dish and serve.

Note: Both the prawns and asparagus doesn't take long to cook, thus we need to stir-fry it quickly to prevent from over-cooking the dish.  

Deep-fried meatballs

Ingredients:
200g minced pork
2 tbsp red carrot (peel and chopped)
2 water chestnut (peel, chopped, squeeze and discard juice)
1 tbsp garlic (minced)

Seasoning:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp corn flour
Dash of grounded pepper
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1/2 egg
Dash of sesame oil
1 piece cream cracker biscuit (crushed)

Methods:

1. Put all the ingredients into a big bowl, add the seasoning and mix till well combined. Set aside for at least one hour.
2. Heat enough oil in a deep pot for deep-frying.
3. Use a spoon to scoop a portion of the meat ingredients and use our palm to shape into a ball of your preferred size.
4. Deep-fry in medium heat till golden in colour, dish and drain on absorbent paper to get rid of excess oil.
5. Serve hot on a bed of lettuce with either tomato or chillie sauce.

Note:  With the crushed cream cracker biscuit, chopped red carrot and water chestnut, these meatballs are more crunchier and the five-spice powder gives extra yummy flavour to the dish.

Sambal Prawns

Ingredients:
200g medium sized prawns (peeled with tail intact and deveined)
1/2 onion (shredded)
2 tbsp oil
1 1/2 tbsp water

Sambal:
1 tbsp shallots (finely chopped)
1 tbsp dried prawns (soaked and chopped)
1 tsp belacan (toasted and grinded into powder)
1/2 tbsp chilli powder

Seasoning:
Salt (to taste)
Dash of sugar (to taste)

Methods:

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a wok and saute the sambal ingredients until fragrant.
2. Add in seasoning and stir to mix well.
3. Add in shredded onion and stir fry until aromatic, then add prawns and give it a quick stir. Add in water and stir-fry till prawns are cooked.
4. Dish up and serve.

Note: In Chinese cooking there are many methods of cooking prawns.  Normally for me, I will decide what to cook, how to cook and what other ingredients to cook with depending on the size of the prawns.  It's a yummy dish to enjoy with a bowl of freshly cooked white rice. To those who love Fusion Food, I trust that this prawn dish will make a delicious topping for a plate of Spaghetti. 

Simple home-cooked soups

Soups are normally served as a dish in most meals of a Chinese family.  The important ingredients which forms the base of a soup is either pork ribs, chicken bones, chicken meat and or chicken feet.  These ingredients enhance the flavours of the soup and also provides the natural sweetness to it.  A soup dish need not always have to comprise of many ingredients, a simple soup can also taste yummy! 

The first soup which I would like to share is one which I believe is "Simple Yet Yummylicious" and is the favourite of many.

ABC soup

What you need: serves 3
8 chicken feet
3 chicken thigh
1 fresh corn (cut into pieces)
1 red carrot (peel, cut into chunks)
2 potato (peel, cut into chunks)
3 bowls of water (add more if needed during cooking)

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp chicken stock granules 
Salt (to taste)

Few simple steps to cook the soup:

1. Clean the chicken feet and thigh, blanch in boiling water and drain.
2. Boil water in a pot, when it starts to simmer put in the chicken feet, corn, red carrot and potato and when it comes to a big boil turn the heat to medium-low for about 10 minutes.
3. Add in the chicken thigh and continue to boil till the chicken feet is soft and the meat is cooked.
4. Add in seasoning, taste and when the soup comes to another boil, off the heat and serve hot.

Bitter gourd soup

Few simple ingredients: serves 1 only
1 small or 1/2 big bitter gourd (cut into big chunk)
1 whole chicken thigh
1/2 tbsp of kei chi (wash and put aside)
1 1/2 bowls of water (add more if needed during cooking)

Seasoning:
1 tsp of chicken stock granules
Salt (to taste)

Few simple steps:

1. Blanch the chicken thigh with boiling water and drain.
2. Heat the water in a pot and when near boiling put in the chicken thigh and bitter gourd.
3. When it comes to a boil turn the heat to low and let it boil till the chicken is cooked and the bitter gourd is soft.
4. Add in kei chi, seasoning and taste.
5. When the soup comes to another boil, off the heat and serve hot.

Chicken with salted mustard soup

Ingredients: serves 3
some chicken bones
3 chicken thigh
1/2 portion of salted mustard
2 tomato (halved)
4 dried mushrooms (wash and soaked)
4 slices  ginger (peeled)
2 salted plum with 1 tbsp of the sauce
3 bowls of water (add more if needed when cooking)

Seasoning:
Salt and msg (to taste)

Methods:

1. Blanch chicken bones and thigh with boiling water, drain and put aside.
2. Wash the salted mustard, cut into pieces and soak in water for an hour to get rid of the saltiness, and drain.
3. Heat water in a pot and put the chicken bones to boil in medium heat for about 20 minutes, then discard bones.
4. Add in salted mustard, sliced ginger and dried mushrooms and simmer in medium heat for about fifteen minutes, then add in chicken thigh and salted plum with the sauce and continue to simmer till chicken thigh is cooked.
5. Add in tomato, seasoning, give it a taste and let it boil for another 1 minute.
6. Off the heat and serve hot.

Note:  I prefer using chicken bones, feet and chicken meat to boil soup because I am only cooking for three.  If you prefer pork ribs, just replace it with the chicken.  For the bitter gourd soup, as I am the only person in the house that eat this vege, so I am only cooking one portion or serving for myself.

Beetroot Fried Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup minced pork
1/3 cup beetroot (diced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 onion (diced)
1/4 cup long beans (diced)
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Marinade:
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
Drizzle of sesame oil
1/2 tsp corn flour
Dash of ground pepper

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
Salt and pepper to taste

Methods:

1. Marinate the minced pork with marinade ingredients for  1/2 hour.
2. Heat oil in a wok, saute onion, then garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in marinated minced pork, stir fry then add beetroot and cook for a minute, add in long beans and continue to fry for a further 1 minute.
4. Add in rice and seasoning, stir till well combined and taste for the correct seasoning.
5. Dish and serve warm.

Note:  Beetroot contains lots of exceptional nutritional value and I enjoy the yummy taste with fried rice as much as soups.

Ondeh-Ondeh

This appetizing dessert or commonly known as 'local kuih' is popular among the Chinese. These beautiful green coloured balls coated with a thick layer of grounded coconut goes well with the sweetness and tastiness of the gula melaka on the inside.  It's something which we can't resist, can you??

Few simple ingredients:

• 250gm glutinuous rice flour

• 8 pieces pandan leaves - blend to obtain thick juice for the green colouring and flavour

• 1/2 grounded coconut - squeeze to get 7 1/2 oz. thick coconut milk and combine with the pandan juice

• Gula Melaka - cut or grated into smaller pieces

• 3 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cups grounded coconut (without skin, specially used for making kuih)
• pinch of salt

Few simple steps to make and serve the dessert or kuih:

• Add the coconut milk which is combined with the pandan juice to the glutinuous rice flour, mix well, then add in 3 tbsp cooking oil and knead to form a dough.

• Pinch a bit of the dough, roll into a ball, size of a twenty sen coin, flatten it with your fingers till slightly thin but not too thin as the dough will expand during boiling and the gula melaka will flow out. Wrap with a bit of gula melaka and roll into a ball and put aside till all is done.

• Prepare a pot of water and bring to a boil, then boil the above in batches till they floats to the surface.  A further 1 minute allowance can be given to allow the gula melaka to melt well.
• Dish up with a slotted lifting spatula to enable the water to drip off.
• Roll the cooked dough onto the grounded coconut sprinkled with a pinch of salt till well coated and put on a serving plate.

• Complete the process till all is done and it's time to EAT and ENJOY!

Note:  The size of the onde-onde is according to your own preference.  I prefer to make it smaller as it is easier to eat and I can put the whole piece direct into the mouth without having to bite it and the grounded coconut won't drop all over.

Chillies Fried Chicken

Ingredients:
2 chicken thigh (cut into pieces)
1 tbsp garlic (chopped)
4 dried chillies (cut into pieces)
Enough oil (for deep frying)

Marinade:
1 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tsp grounded pepper
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corm flour

Seasoning:
3 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp water

Methods:

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinade ingredients for at least an hour.
2. Heat enough oil in a wok, deep-fry chicken pieces in batches till golden brown, dish and drain.
3. In a clean wok add 2 tbsp oil and saute chopped garlic and dried chillies until fragrant.  
4. Add seasoning and stir well to mix, then add fried chicken pieces and mix well to ensure that the chicken are evenly coated with the seasoning sauce.
5. Dish up and serve.

Note:  This savoury chicken dish is appetizing and suits best those who loves a dish which is spicy, sour and sweet. 

Fried boneless chicken with fermented red bean curd

Ingredients:
2 chicken thigh meat

Marinade:
1 piece fermented red bean curd
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp corn flour
1 egg
dash of salt
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp five spice powder

Methods:

1. Debone the chicken thigh, rinse, drain and cut into even sized pieces and put in a bowl.
2. Mix well all the marinade ingredients, add to the chicken meat, give it a good mix and let it stand for at least 2 hours.
3. Heat enough oil in a wok, using medium heat fry the chicken in batches until golden.
4. Dish, drain on kitchen towel to get rid of excess oil and serve hot.

Note:  This tasty chicken dish is not crispy like the usual fried chicken.  It can also be replace with pork ribs or pork belly.  I've tried using pork tenderloin and it works well too - the meat is tender and full of flavour.

Japanese Tofu with prawns and vege

Ingredients:
1 packet Japanese Tofu
a handful of green peas
8 pieces prawns (peeled)
1/4 cup button mushrooms (halved)
some red carrot (sliced)
1 packet  young corn (halved)
1/4 cup chicken thigh meat (sliced)
1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
4 slices ginger
100ml water (add more if needed)

Marinade:
1 tsp light soy sauce
Dash of corn flour

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
Salt (to taste)

For thickening:
1/2 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp water

Methods:

1. Cut the Japanese Tofu into medium thick slices, medium fried in oil until golden brown, dish and put aside for later use.
2. Marinate the chicken thigh meat with light soy sauce and corn flour.
3. Blanch the green peas in boiling water and drain.
4. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a wok, saute chopped garlic and sliced ginger until fragrant.
5. Add in chicken meat, red carrot, young corns and stir fry to mix well, then add in prawns and  button mushrooms, and stir fry briskly.
6. Add in water, seasoning, tofu and let it come to a boil for about 3 minutes.
7. Lastly, add in the green peas and give it a quick stir.
8. Thicken with corn flour water and once it come to another boil remove from heat and serve hot.

Chocolate button cookies

This easy-baked  chocolate cookies sure comes in handy for a relaxing afternoon tea, especially chocolate lovers.  It is crunchy on the sides and slightly soft 'cake-like' texture in the middle with generous chocolate button both the inside and outside.  A cup of coffee or milk goes well with this 'simple yet yummylicious' cookies which is best served warm!  ~ ENJOY ~

Ingredients:

4 1/4 ounce flour

4 1/4 ounce bread flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

5 ounce unsalted butter

4 ounce light brown sugar

3 ounce granulated sugar

1 large egg

200gm chocolate button (can add more if desired)

Fine salt, for sprinkling over cookie dough before baking

Methods:

1. Sift flour, bread flour, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl, add salt and mix well with a wooden spoon, set aside for later use.
2. Beat butter, light brown sugar and granulated sugar till very light.
3. Add egg and beat till well mixed.
4. Mix the flour ingredients slowly into the beaten mixture and stir well till well combined.
5. Add chocolate button into the mixture and incorporate by stirring without breaking them and ensuring that they are evenly spread out into the dough.
6. Place dough in an air tight container and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
7. When ready to bake prepare a baking tray topped with a piece of baking paper.
8. Preheat the oven to 160 degree Celsius.
9. Scoop the dough with a spoon and mold with our hands and fingers into the size of a golf ball, flatten it, sprinkle a bit of fine salt over the top and place on the baking paper.
10. Place only six dough at one time as the cookies will rise and spread out when baking.
11. Bake for about 20 minutes till golden brown but still soft.
12. Take out from the oven, transfer the baking paper onto a wire rack and let it cool down slightly and then take out cookies from the baking paper and put on another rack to let it cool down a bit more.
13. Continue baking the remaining cookie dough.

Bacon Liempo (Pinoy Version)

As I was viewing through a list of Filipino food online I came across one which I simply couldn't help trying it out. It's a dish once tried and will be listed in our home-cooked menu.  This Pinoy version of bacon is salty, chewy, garlicky and most of all YUMMY!  Hope you will all give it a try too!

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork belly with skin
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp ground pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup minced garlic
oil for frying

Methods:

1. In a bowl mix together water, vinegar, pepper, salt and minced garlic.  Stir till all the ingredients are well mixed and salt dissolved, then set aside.
2. Wash and cut the pork belly into desired thin slices.
3. Put the pork slices in a container and pour in the marinade mixture.
4. Use fingers to rub the marinade onto the pork slices, sort of massage it to ensure that the marinade seeps through the meat.  Then arrange the meat lengthwise in the container, cover and marinade overnight in the refrigerator.
5. When ready to cook, pour the marinated ingredients into a colander to let it drip dry, pat dry with kitchen paper to get rid of excess liquid.
6. Heat enough oil in a large pan, arrange marinated pork evenly over it and fry in medium heat, turning over till both sides are brown and crunchy at the edges.
7. Put on kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil.
8. Serve with hot rice and other dishes.

Note: Use bacon slice for a more "curly" bacon look.  It is thinner and cooks even more quickly to a crisp just like regular bacon.  Will be trying using this bacon slice soon....

Fish Ball and Fish Cake

Mackerel makes great fish ball as well as fish cake.  We need to pick the fish with flat and spotted body  so as to produce good texture fish ball or fish cake, or in simple term the fish ball will be springy and bouncy!

Home made fish ball and fish cake are 100% pure as compared to those commercially produced ones which adds lots of MSG, flour and other seasonings. Thus, I will normally make my own if I intend to cook any dish which requires fish ball, rather than buying the ready made ones from the wet market.

How to go about?

1. Buy one whole mackerel with the tips as mentioned above.  I will ask the seller to slaughter for me and discard the head if I intend to make it on the day itself, or otherwise I will do it myself.
2. Use a sharp knife slice the flesh on one side, starting from the tail through the middle bones until the other end, then turn over and slice the other side.
3. Use a tablespoon to scrap the fish meat, always starts from the tail and moving towards the other end.  There are also some meat attaching to the middle bones, so scrap that as well.  Put all the meat into a large bowl.
4. When all is done, sprinkle about 1 tsp of salt onto the meat, use our hand to mix them well.
5. Add one egg white, give it a quick mix and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour.
6. To make a springy and bouncy fish ball or fish cake, the fish meat have to be pounded and for some so called 'old-fashioned' home-cooked they will slam the meat onto the side of the bowl till it gets to that texture.  It is indeed tedious work!  For me, I am using my mum-in-law's method which is much simpler, putting the fish meat into a clean plastic bag, then using my right hand to hold the opening tightly and at the same time using my palms to push the plastic bag with fish meat inside onto a flat surface, repeating till I obtain the correct texture.  Then I'll scoop out the fish paste into a bowl and it is ready for use.

To make fish cake:

1. Using wet hands, take a portion of the fish paste and mold the fish paste into round shape with the thickness of your preference, but it should not be too thick.
2. Medium fried the fish cake in a deep wok using medium heat, turning over at least once till lightly brown and cooked.
3. Lift out and put on kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil and it's ready for use or can be eaten as it is.
4. To keep, put in freezer and taken out to de-froze before using.

To make fish balls:

1. Using wet hands, put a portion of the fish paste on our left palm, squeeze and let the paste comes out from between our thumb and second finger, and use a spoon with our right hand to scoop our the fish ball and put it in a bowl with some water to prevent it from sticking to each other. Repeat till done.

2. The fish ball can be directly use for cooking soup or if you intend to make more and keep for later use, then boil the fish ball in boiling water till it floats, lift it out, drain, cool and keep in air tight container in freezer.  

Note:  Though making fish ball and fish cake is a tedious task, but it's worth the effort. Watching my family munching happily these delicious and healthy fish balls or fish cake brings me the real feeling of self-satisfaction! 

  

Baked Lemon Chicken

Ingredient:
1 whole chicken thigh with drumstick

Marinade:
1/2 lemon juice
2 tbsp fish sauce
3  tbsp honey (the amount of honey is based on own preference)
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 pip garlic (peeled and crushed)
1 lemongrass (crushed)
1 tbsp tumeric powder

Methods:

1. Clean and pat dry the chicken thigh with drumstick.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients till well combined in a bowl.
3. Put the chicken in a plastic zip lock bag and pour the marinade over, press the outside of the plastic bag lightly to ensure that the marinade spreads evenly over the chicken.  Marinate overnight in the fridge.
4. Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius.  Put chicken in a baking tray with the crushed garlic, lemongrass and marinade sauce over the chicken to bake in an Aspen Convention Oven with the skin side up.
5. In between baking, use the leftover sauce to glaze chicken.
6. When the skin side of the chicken has lightly browned, turn over the chicken, glaze more sauce and continue to bake till chicken is cooked through.
7. Place the chicken on a serving plate with the golden baked garlic and drizzle some sauce from the baking tray over and serve with chili sauce.

Note: The sourish flavour of this dish is appetizing to those who loves lemon. It's up to individual to balance the taste of the sauce as each person's taste-buds differs. "Let's enjoy" 

Stuffed Chicken Wings

Chicken wings are the most popular part of a chicken and it's easy to cook.  It is popularly used for barbecuing when having garden functions in the home; pan-fried; stewed; stir-fried and deep-fried.  

In my earlier blog I shared my home-cooked Chicken Boxing.  With the leftover of the mid-joint and wing tip from cooking the chicken boxing I then decided to cook another dish out of these chicken wings - Stuffed Chicken Wings!

This is what you need:

1. Chicken wings, deboned (mid-joint and wing tip) - not in the picture
2. 1/3 cup minced pork
3. 1/4 cup thinly sliced red carrot
4. 1/4 cup sliced prawns
5. 1/2 tbsp chopped spring onion (green part)

Few simple steps:

• Mix all these ingredients in a large bowl with 1/2 tbsp of fish sauce, 1/2 tsp of grounded pepper, 1/2 tbsp of corn flour,  and 1 egg white (beaten) till the mixture is firmed and place in the fridge for later use.

• Just before cooking, stuffed the chicken wings with the mixture and place on a plate.
• Place on separate plate some corn flour for dusting, a lightly beaten egg white for dipping and white sesame seeds for sprinkling.
• Heat enough oil in a deep wok for deep-frying the stuffed chicken wings.
• Lightly coat the chicken wings with corn flour, dip into egg white and sprinkle with sesame seed, and deep-fry in medium heat till golden brown and cooked through. 
• Arrange on a serving plate and serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce needs to be prepared much earlier to let the garlic and chili sips through well with the sauce and sugar. 

In a bowl mix together: 

• 1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 3 chili padi (chopped)
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 small lime (extract juice)
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sugar (add more if necessary, to taste)

Sambal stuffed fish

Ikan Kembong or in English known as Mackerel or Chubb Mackerel can just be marinated with a little bit of salt for half an hour, then wash off and pat dry with kitchen towel and medium fried in hot oil.  With a little more effort I decided to prepare some sambal to go along with the fried fish and it's really YUMMY!

Ingredients:
3 pieces fish
1 tsp salt
Corn flour (for dusting)

Sambal: (for stuffing)
1/2 cup dried chilies (soaked)
1/3 cup shallots (peeled)
1/4 cup garlic (peeled)
1/3 cup dried shrimps (soaked)
1 inch belacan (sliced)
salt and sugar to taste

Methods:

1. Clean the fish, cut deep slits on the back sides of the fish, rub with salt and put aside.
2. For the sambal, blend all ingredients, except salt and sugar with a bit of oil.  The portion of this sambal is more than what is needed as I intend to use it to cook other dishes. Furthermore, it is difficult to blend small amount in a blender.  Scoop the blended ingredients out of the blender into a bowl.
3. In a clean wok, put about 5 tbsp oil, pour in the sambal mixture and fry using medium heat till fragrant and oil separates, off the heat and put in a bowl. The excess sambal when cool is to be kept in air tight container in the fridge.
4. Scoop about 3 tbsp of fried sambal in a small bowl, mix with a bit of salt and sugar and taste for correct seasoning, put aside for stuffing fish.
5. Dust the fish with some corn flour, and medium fried in heated oil till both sides are golden brown, lift out and place them on a plate.
6. When the fish is slightly cool, spread sambal into the slits of the fish and serve with extra sambal on the sides if you prefer more sambal.