EZCR#57 - 5 FLAVOUR SAUCE FRIED SALMON

This sauce tastes sweet, sourish and is fragrant, suitable for blanched or fried seafood [fish, squids and prawns]. It is easy to prepare and awesome serve with seafood and finely shredded cabbage.

Here, I have used sliced big onions but cabbage is a better choice cos' fresh onions affects the taste of the sauce.  This sauce is aromatic and tastes good.

Ingredients

2 pieces salmon blocks – cleaned

5 Flavour Sauce [Blend together]

1 stalk spring onion

1 red chilli

1 cm piece ginger

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp each light soy sauce, water and sesame oil

2 tbsp each black vinegar and tomato sauce

1. How To Prepare The Sauce – blend spring onion, chilli, ginger and garlic, then add in the remaining ingredients. Blend for a few seconds to combine. Set aside.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan, pan fry salmon pieces until cooked and brown.
3. Line serving platter with some shredded cabbage or onions. Place fried fish on top. Spread sauce on top of fish. Garnish with extra spring onions. Serve.
   

Note – soak finely shredded cabbage or onions in boiled cold water for 5 minutes. Drain before placing on serving platter.

CHICKEN CHOP WITH BLACK PEPPER HONEY SAUCE

One of the many recipes which I have tried from my selected cookbook for this month - 'Yum Yum Magazine No. 48'.

It is an easy and simple dish to prepare yet the result is awesome.  This is good - Crispy fried chicken chop with aromatic, spicy and sweet black pepper sauce.  It's good to eat on its own or with some salad or rice.

I bought 3 chicken drumsticks from the chicken vendor and he was so kind to remove the bones [chicken chop style] for me, thus making the preparation of this dish so much easier.
Recipe adapted from my selected cookbook for Cookbook Countdown Event #5 - Yum Yum Magazine No. 48

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces deboned chicken whole leg or drumstick

some bread crumbs

Marinade

1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 egg

dash of sesame oil and pepper

1 tbsp cornflour

Sauce [Mixed]

3 tbsp honey

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp ground black pepper [add more if you like it spicy]

2 tbsp water

dash of salt

1 tsp cornflour

1. Mix chicken with marinade and marinate for at least an hour.
2. Coat chicken with bread crumbs and deep fry in hot oil until golden brown.  Dish and drain.  Cut into pieces or keep whole and place on serving platter.
3. Bring combined sauce to boil until thick, pour over chicken chop.  Serve.
   
   
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #5 hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

EZCR#45 - FRIED SALMON WITH ONION GINGER COULIS

If you like something with a ‘hot’ taste but without any chillies used, this is a good option. The paste is aromatic, hot and tasted quite similar to the ginger/spring onion dipping sauce for white boiled chicken [Pak Cham Kai]. It is a thicker paste which can be served with fried fish fillets or fried chicken.

I made this paste to serve with pan fried salmon blocks. It’s good and a healthy paste which is not difficult to prepare. I’ll make another batch to serve it with fried chicken Maryland. Should be good too.

Ingredients for the Coulis

4 cloves garlic - chopped

2 cm piece ginger - chopped

1 stalk Chinese leeks or 2-3 stalks spring onions [or both] - cut

Salt to taste

Some chilli oil or olive oil

1. Blend ½ the above ingredients in a processor. Pan fry the remaining ½ portion with some oil until aromatic. Transfer to the processor and blend together with the other portion into a paste.
2. Remove and mix with some chilli oil and salt to taste. Set aside.

2 pieces salmon blocks

1. Heat a non-stick wok, pan fry salmon blocks with a bit of oil until brown and cooked.
2. Dish up and serve with onion ginger garlic coulis.
   
   
   
   

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

EZCR#42 - FRIED STREAKY PORK BELLY SALAD

I cooked this dish on the 6th day of Chinese New Year in my own kitchen. When my hubby saw this dish, he asked why I did not prepare this at his mother’s place. This year like in the past, we spent 6 days at my MIL’s place, preparing for CNY there. Even though we live in the same state, I never have the chance to spend CNY eve or CNY at my own house cos’ I have to do all the cooking for days at my MIL’s place. There isn’t time for me to be back home cos’ there is no other women folk in her house to help. 

My MIL does all the shopping/marketing, while I do all the food preparation and cooking with whatever she bought for many meals.  So my response to my hubby's query is ‘The main ingredient [streaky pork belly] isn’t available at your mum’s place'.

At times, it is rather impossible to cook what you wish to if the shopping/marketing is done by another especially when you can’t even plan a menu. I just need to wait for instructions from my MIL what she wants me to prepare and sometimes the ingredients needed aren’t sufficient too.  So you need to improvise and make use of what you have in hand and also to avoid wastage.  I never like to waste food ingredients.

You may be wondering why I didn’t do the marketing since I’m doing the cooking. This is not allowed, she loves to buy. If both of us does the marketing, then there will be excess and wastage in the end.

Back to this dish, it is very easy to cook yet it is so presentable, tasty and delicious. The sauce is sour, savoury and spicy while the fried pork is crispy, tasty and aromatic.  Both blends very well.  You may increase the sauce portion if you prefer more sauce.

Ingredients

300 gm streaky pork belly – cut into 3 inch length pieces

Some salad leaves

Some sliced tomatoes

Some toasted sesame seeds

Sauce [combined]

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar

1-2 tbsp chilli sauce [more if you like it spicy]

1. Marinate streaky pork belly with some light soy sauce, wine and mirin [can replace with some vinegar and sugar].
2. Heat a non-stick wok without oil, fry pork belly pieces [in single layer] until oil oozes out and crispy on both sides.
3. Line serving platter with salad leaves and tomatoes [ you can add canned peaches and blanched broccoli florets].
4. Place fried crispy pork slices on top of salad, drizzle sauce over meat and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.
5. Serve immediately.
   
   
   
   

BAKED BBQ CHICKEN

This is a lovely BBQ chicken recipe. The original recipe uses 10 chicken wings but here I used 3 pieces chicken whole legs, roasted to serve with mashed potatoes and mayo flavoured salad.

These can be served as snack with home-made garlic chilli sauce. This recipe is a keeper and I will definitely use it for BBQ chicken wings next time for family and friends' gatherings.  The marinade is definitely suitable for barbecue.

The chicken meat is succulent, so so tasty and fragrant. Yummylicious!

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine [modified]

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces chicken whole legs [with or without skin] - fats removed

Marinade [combined]

3 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp each of light soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice

1/4-1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tbsp 5 spice powder

1 tsp pepper

1. Mix marinade with chicken pieces and season for at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Arrange chicken pieces on a baking tray lined with foil.  
3. Bake chicken in preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 20 minutes.  Switch oven to grill function and continue to bake for another 5-10 minutes or until chicken pieces are slightly charred and cooked through.
4. Remove from oven and serve with garlic chilli sauce.

Garlic Chilli Sauce for BBQ Chicken

[blended together all ingredients]

100 gm red chilli - cut small pieces

20 gm chilli padi - cut

20 gm garlic - peeled

80 ml rice vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

a pinch of salt

1. Blend all ingredients in a processor.
2. Serve with BBQ chicken whole legs/wings or any roasted/fried chicken.
   
   
   

How To Prepare Mashed Potatoes [Steaming Method]

600 gm potatoes - peeled and cubed

salt and pepper to taste

1 big onion - peeled and finely chopped

some chopped spring onions or coriander leaves

a dollop of butter

Steam potatoes until soft in an electric steamer [about 30 minutes].

Remove from steamer, mash potatoes while still hot.

Mix in all the remaining ingredients. 

Serve immediately with roasted chicken.

How To Prepare Mayo Cabbage Salad

Some shredded cabbage

Some shredded carrots

Some shredded green apple mixed with some lemon juice

3-4 tbsp mayonaise and 1 tbsp plain yoghurt

• Mix all the ingredients well and chill in the fridge until serving time.

Click here to see more Roast Meat Recipes

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #29 [December 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours