FRIED CRISPY CHICKEN WITH BBQ SAUCE

I was supposed to prepare this fried chicken during the Chinese New Year cos' this is a dish suitable for the new year celebration but due to time constraint, it has been put off till now.   In actual fact, this crispy chicken can either be roasted or deep fried.  I had tried using the oven but I didn't like the end result cos' the chicken skin was not evenly roasted and didn't look nice.

Crispy Roast Chicken [Using Oven Baked Method]

For my second attempt, I deep fry the chicken whole legs using the inner pot of my Thermal Cooker and I happy with the results.  It was very quick and the oil does not splutter. The chicken skin is so crispy and has a nice, even colour. The meat is succulent and not too salty, goes well with the BBQ sauce.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine [January 2001] - modified [My selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #3]

Ingredients

3 chicken whole legs with skin intact, fats removed

1 tsp malt sugar + 15 ml white vinegar [mix together]

1-2 tsp 5 spice powder + 1-2 tsp salt to taste [combine]

1. Pour boiling water over the chicken pieces to enable the skin to stretch.
2. Rub the malt sugar/vinegar mixture onto the skin part of the chicken pieces evenly.
3. Rub the herb/salt mix onto the meat part of the chicken [if using whole chicken, it is the stomach cavity].
4. Using a fan, dry the chicken skin for sometime until the skin dries up or sun dry if possible.
5. Deep fry the chicken pieces in medium hot oil until it turns golden brown.  To ensure the meat stays moist, using medium fire for deep frying.  I use the inner pot of the Thermal cooker and fry over low heat.
6. After the chicken is cooked, removed and cut into desired sizes.  Serve with BBQ sauce.

Ingredients for Sauce

60 ml light soy sauce

40 ml Worcester sauce

50 ml tomato sauce

100 gm sugar

1. To prepare the sauce, add all the sauce ingredients in a sauce pot, heat over medium heat until it starts to boil.  
2. Remove and cool before storing for later use.  The portion of sauce is enough to serve a whole chicken.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

NIAN GAO [LUNAR CHINESE NEW YEAR CAKE]

This is a scheduled post. 
I came across this Nian Gao recipe in one of my food magazines and is quite skeptical if it is a workable recipe. In the recipe, there is no water to mix with the glutinous flour except coconut milk. With the quantity given, it is impossible to obtain a sticky batter [thick consistency like condensed milk]. To play safe, I added 250 ml water together with the coconut milk to knead the flour into a rough dough before adding in the sugar. This way the sugar will melt easily when mix with the wet dough.

With this batter, it cooks within 3 hours instead of the usual 8-10 hours.  The dark brown sugar gives an intense brown colour to this cake.  It is aromatic with the coconut milk.  If you like to enjoy Nian Gao within hours, this is a good recipe to use.  

By the way, Nian Gao is a sticky sweet snack, was believed to be an offering to the Kitchen God [Taoist faith] on the 24th day of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, with the aim that his mouth will be stuck with the sticky cake, so that he can't badmouth the human family in front of the Jade Emperor.

Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #3] - Home Cooking Magazine [January 2001] with modifications 

Ingredients
[makes 5 pieces]
500 gm glutinous rice flour - sifted
250 ml water
250 ml thick coconut milk
200 gm dark brown sugar
100 gm sugar

1. Sift flour into a big bowl, add in water and coconut milk.  Mix into a rough dough.
2. Add in both sugars and mix until it becomes a thick batter and sugars are dissolved.
3. Bring water to boil in a steamer, wrap the cover with cloth to prevent water condensation.
4. Line steaming moulds with cling wrap or banana leaves.  Pour batter into moulds until the height you prefer.
5. Place in steamer and steam over high heat for 15 minutes, then reduce to medium low heat and simmer for a further 3 hours until batter is cooked through.
6. Remove from steamer to cool before removing from moulds.  Trim off the excess cling wrap.
   
   
   
   

Note:  This rice cake can be sliced into desired thickness and size to be fried with beaten eggs.  Coat sliced rice cake with egg, pan fry for a few minutes, turning once to ensure even coating.  Serve.

I'm submitting this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

KUIH PAITI/PIE TEE [TOP HATS]

What is Pie Tee aka Kuih Paiti or Top Hats? 

Answer from Wikipedia - " Pie Tee is a thin and crispy pastry tart shell kuih filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns. It is a popular Peranakan dish. The shells are made of flour. Similar to Popiah [spring rolls], the main filling is shredded Chinese turnips and carrots and  some other ingredients". 

For the Filling Recipe, please refer here.

I am sharing here the recipe for Pie Tee.

Recipe Source for my selected Cookbook for February 2016 – Nyonya Flavours [modified]

Ingredients

Batter Ingredients For Pastry Shells

180 gm rice flour

50 gm plain flour

50 gm cornflour

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 egg

350 ml water

500 ml or more oil for frying

1. Sieve all the 3 types of flour into a mixing bowl.  Add in salt and baking powder.
2. Lightly beat the egg and add in to sifted flour together with water.  Use a whisk to mix the batter well until smooth [the batter is watery].  Leave to stand for about 1 hour before use.
3. Heat Pie Tee mould in  oil over a low fire.  When hot, dip the mould into the batter to cover up to 2/3 of the mould or almost to the rim.
4. Deep fry in the oil until set.  Shake pastry shells off the mould and fry until golden brown.  Drain well on paper towels and cool before storing in air-tight containers.
5. Serve pie tee with pei tee filling, garlic chilli sauce and some fried crispy shallots.
   
   

Note: Keep well for at least a week. If shells have lost their crunch, toast them for a few minutes in a preheated oven.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 hosted by Yen from GoodyFoodies, Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe

and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

 

I'm submitting this post to Cookbook Countdown 2 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray

CNY 2016 - STEAMED RICE WITH CHINESE WAXED SAUSAGE

With this post, I am wishing all my Chinese visitors, blogger friends, acquaintances, relatives and friends 

"A VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR"

There are numerous versions of Chinese Waxed Meat/Sausage Steamed Rice commonly cooked during Chinese New Year when waxed meat [lap cheong, lap bak, liver sausages, waxed duck meat etc] are in abundance.  I, for one will cook this kind of steamed rice during this time of the year.

This is a delicious One Dish Meal which my family never says "NO" to it.  As it is a very meaty meal, I served it with a vegetable soup.

Recipe Source - My Kuali.com by Amy Beh

2 cups rice - washed

3 cups water

1 Chinese waxed sausage [lap cheong] - remove the wrapping and slice slantwise

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and sliced

100 gm shelled prawns - I omit

1 tsp each of sesame oil and oil

1 chicken thigh - sliced

Marinade - 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp sesame oil

Seasoning

2 tsp each of salt, sugar, light soy sauce and oyster sauce

some chopped spring onion

1. Put rice and water in an electric rice cooker and cook accordingly [I steamed rice in an electric steamer for 30 minutes and rest for 10 minutes].
2. Marinate chicken with marinade ingredients for at least 15 minutes.
3. Heat wok with oil and sesame oil.  Fry mushrooms and seasoning for 1 minutes.  Add seasoning then stir in prawns [if using]. I skipped this step, instead I heat up the seasoning with the oil for several minutes.  Set aside.
4. Fluff up the cooked rice.  Spread mushrooms, marinated chicken and lap cheong over rice.  Steam for 10-15 minutes.  If cooking in rice cooker [half time through cooking], spread mushrooms, chicken and lap cheong over rice.  Continue to cook until rice is done.  Drizzle seasoning sauce over rice.  Stand rice for 10 minutes before serving.
5. Drizzle over seasoning sauce.  Sprinkle with some chopped spring onions.  Serve hot.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 hosted by Yen from GoodyFoodies, Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe

and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

 

FISH MAW SOUP [NYONYA HU PIOH T'NG]

There are usually some leftover fish maw from CNY steamboat.  I used it to cook this yummy-licious, tasty soup with prawns and meatballs.

Good quality fish maw is rather expensive especially during festive season and we must not waste them.  Good quality ones will expand quite a lot and not soggy after cooking.  They are soft but chewy.  If you do happen to have these ingredient leftover from your CNY reunion steamboat, do keep them for this soup.

Recipe Source for my selected Cookbook for February 2016 – Nyonya Flavours [modified]

Ingredients

30 gm fish maw - soaked to soften and cut small pieces

a few slices of ginger

100 gm yambean or water chestnuts - sliced 1/2 cm thick

50 gm red carrot - sliced 1/2 cm thick

50 gm Chinese cabbage [I omit]

some fried crispy garlic

chopped coriander or spring onions

Seasoning

1 litre water

1/2 - 1 tsp salt to taste

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

Prawn Paste [mix together]

200 gm shelled prawns - finely chopped

1 tbsp tapioca flour

salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring water to boil in a pot.  Add in ginger and fish maw.  Allow to boil for 5-10 minutes until fish maw is soft.
2. Add in the yambean/water chestnuts and carrots [cabbage if using].  Season to taste.
3. Let ingredients cooked for a further 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked.
4. Scoop prawn paste into balls using a wet, metal teaspoon and drop them into the boiling soup.  Allow to cook fro 1-2 minutes.
5. Serve soup garnished with coriander or spring onions and some fried garlic.

This post is linked to Cook and Celebrate: Chinese New Year 2016 hosted by Yen from GoodyFoodies, Diana from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe

and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids

 

I'm submitting this post to Cookbook Countdown 2 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray