Salmon Fish Curry

I am not a professional cook. I'm just into quick, easy and delicious recipes. Today's recipe was taught by an Eurasian housewife years back and even after all these years, it still serves as a quick fix to my curry cravings. The salmon used in the curry are not the usual fillet but the belly strips which are sold separately. Known for its high fat content, the belly lends a creamy finish to the dish, which otherwise can only be achieved through using coconut milk. I love this dish with a bowl of rice but it actually tastes best with some prata, even if it's the frozen ready type.

Serves 2 -3

Ingredients:

3                             shallots, sliced
2 cloves                 garlic, minced
2 slices                  old ginger
2 tablespoons        cooking oil
300g                      salmon belly slices
2                            chilli padi, sliced
1/2 cube                fish bouillion cube
2 tablespoons        fish curry powder

Method:

Heat a wok with 2 tablespoons on medium heat and add in the minced garlic, sliced ginger and sliced shallots. Fry for about 2 minutes or until fragrant.

Mix the curry powder with some water until a thin paste is formed. Transfer the paste into the wok, and add in a few more tablespoons of water. Fry on low heat until a layer of oil forms on top of the paste, usually for about 5 minutes.

Pour in 500ml of water, mix well and bring the water to boil. Add in the salmon belly slices, bouillion cube and sliced chilli padi. Lower heat to low and simmer covered for about 10 minutes.

Cincalok Omelette

 

My brother has recently returned from a short getaway to Malacca, Malaysia with a bottle of cincalok - fermented small shrimp. Usually served as a condiment, the pungent salty pink little shrimps can also be fried with dishes. One of the easiest way to showcase that unique gorgeous flavour, is to fry it with an omelette. Absolutely delicious, if you ask me.

Ingredients:

2                              eggs
1/2                           white onion or 4 shallots, sliced
1                              red chilli or 2 small chilli padi (if you like it spicier), sliced
1 tablespoon            cincalok or more if you prefer
2 tablespoons          cooking oil

Method:

Heat a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the sliced onion and chilli and fry until it is fragrant.

Beat the eggs with the cincalok and add into the frying pan.

Fry each side of the omelette on high heat for about 30 seconds and serve.

Shark's Bone Cartilage Soup

 

I know the environmentalists are gonna frown at me but still, I have to admit that Shark's Bone Soup is one of my all time favourite soups, even more than the expensive shark's fin. Then again, I was never a fan of the ubiquitous shark's fin soup to begin with. Lest the common perception that this is another version of a shark's fin soup, you will be surpised to know that it has absolutely no shark's fin in it. All you get is a thick milky gelatinous soup that is packed with all the collagen extracted from the shark's bone after hours and hours of brewing. Don't ask me why I like this, I just enjoy that sticky aftertaste in my mouth, evidence of a collagen overload.

 

Ingredients:

 

1                        chicken carcasse, blanched

1 packet             pork shank, blanched

10                      chicken feet, blanched

1 thumbsized    Jin Hua ham, diced 

1 piece              dried tangerine peel

1 tablespoon     white peppercorn

5 pieces            large sharks soft bone

3 slices             old ginger 

1 tablespoon     wolfberries, rinsed

 

Method:

 

Place all ingredients except the wolfberries in a large stock pot and place in 4 litres of water. Bring to boil.

 

Lower heat and simmer for a good 4 hours covered, stirring constantly to ensure that the ingredients do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add in more water if required.

 

After 4 hours, what you should get is a thick milky gelatinous consistency. Add in the wolfberries and cook for another minute or so before serving.

 

 

Wasabi Mayo Prawn

 

Did I not mention that I have about 10kg of prawns in the refrigerator? After our yearly BBQ steamboat affair on New Year's Eve and the cereal prawn, I'm still left with more than a dozen numbers of giant-sized red legged prawns. And so, after several requests from my brother, I finally whipped up his favourite dish - Wasabi Mayo Prawns. I was taught the recipe by my Chinese chef back in the hotel years ago and I am pretty glad that my memory still serves me well.

 

Ingredients:

 

8                              large sized prawn, shelled and deveined

3 tablespoons          cornflour

1 tablespoon            wasabi

1 tablespoon            sweetened condensed milk

3 tablespoons          Japanese mayonnaise

1 tablespoon            lemon juice

 

Method:

 

Dry the cleaned prawns with a paper towel. Coat the prawns with cornflour and deep fry until cooked. Set aside.

 

Mix the remaining ingredients together and toss with the fried prawns.

 

 

 



Baked Rosemary Salmon with Lemon

I haven't had salmon for the longest time and decided that it was time to whip one up for the dining table. Warning: Do not EVER overcook your salmon. Please, do justice to that expensive piece of fillet.

I will always remember the words of my culinary lecturer back in school: the best cooked salmon is always half-cooked right in the middle. That's exactly what I did and the fillet turned out to be moist and juicy.

Olive oil is being used in this recipe but you can always substitute it with grapeseed oil, vegetable oil, etc. I had a nice bottle of rosemary infused grapeseed oil from Napa Valley and it was perfect for the dish.

Ingredients:

1                                salmon fillet
1/2                             lemon, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon              olive oil
1/2 tablespoon           rosemary, chopped
                                  sea salt

Method:

Place a couple of lemon slices on the baking tray. Top it up with the salmon fillet.

Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the salmon. Season with sea salt and sprinkle the chopped rosemary over it.

Top the salmon with the remaining lemon slices and bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes on 200 degrees celsius.

Chinese Peanut Congee

Have been feeling under the weather recently due to the lack of sleep and probably the lack of vitamins too. Nothing makes me feel better than a bowl of  comforting congee. I haven't been to the supermarket recently so the challenge is to cook up a bowl of flavoursome congee using only dried ingredients in the fridge.

Ingredients:

1 bowl                   rice
5 large                   dried oysters or 8 small/medium ones
5 large                   dried scallops or 8 small/medium ones
1/2 cup                  peanut
1 inch                    old ginger shredded

Method:

Rinse and soak the rice, dried oysters and dried scallops for 30minutes to 1 hour.

Rinse the peanuts and boil them in water while you soak the abovementioned ingredients.

Add all ingredients together with 1 litre of water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for another 2 hours, adding more water when necessary. Season with salt before serving.

Spanish Paella

After posting my previous entry on the Spanish orange chicken and watching an episode of travel TV programme on Spain, I couldn't resist the strong urge to experiment with a classic Spanish Paella. Unfortunately I couldn't get my hands on some saffron threads given the short time frame but the dish in my opinion, still tasted unbelievably good. I've reduced the portions significantly, however it's definitely better if you have more mouths to feed when attempting this recipe.

Serves 2 - 3

Ingredients:
1                                  chicken leg, boneless, cut into small cubes
6                                  large shrimp or 10 small shrimp, peeled or unpeeled depending on your preference
4                                  scallops or 1 squid, cut into smaller pieces
1                                  chorizo sausage, sliced
1 cup                            short-grain rice, rinsed and drained
2 cloves                        garlic, minced
1/2                               medium onion, chopped
1                                  red bell pepper, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons               olive oil
1/2 tablespoon             paprika
1 teaspoon                   dried oregano
1 teaspoon                   parsley
1                                  bay leaf
1 cup                           chicken stock or water with bouillion cube
1                                  lemon, cut into wedges
                                    salt
                                    black pepper

Method:

Place the cut chicken pieces into a resealable bag and add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1/2 tablespoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of oregano, salt, black pepper and mix well. Refrigerate for an hour.

Heat a big shallow pan on medium heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add in the sliced chorizo and fry until the oils from the sausage are released. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil behind in the pan.

Add the marinated chicken and fry for about 2 minutes. Remove and set aside, leaving the oil and juices behind.

Add in 2 cloves of minced garlic, the chopped onion and saute for a minute or until the onions are soft and translucent. Add in 1 teaspoon of parsley, the chopped red bell pepper and saute for another minute.

Mix in the rice and fry for another 3 minutes or until the rice are fully coated with the oil. Add in 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 bay leaf. Bring to boil.

Lower heat to simmer. Place the prepared chicken and chorizo on top of the rice. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add in the prawns and scallop or squid and cover for another 8 minutes or until the rice is moist and fluffy.

Increase the heat to its highest for about a minute. Let the dish stand covered for 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges. Enjoy.

Deonbokjuk (Abalone Porridge)

Commonly seen in Korean drama series, Deonbokjuk (abalone porridge) is a famous dish using freshly-shucked abalone from Jeju island. It is highly nourishing and is an ideal nutritional supplement for those recovering from sickness or simply when you are lacking in appetite. Short-grain rice is preferred but the usual Jasmine long-grain will do as well. This recipe calls for fresh abalone but since that's hardly available in Singapore, I've cooked mine using canned ones instead. I was being a little extravagant by using those gigantic Mexican canned abalone but you can easily replace it with half a can of mini abalone, you just got to ensure that you sliced them thinly as chunks of abalone flesh can be quite taxing on your jaw muscles.

Ingredients:

1 cup                  white rice
2 small                fresh abalone, chopped (or half can of abalone)
1 small                carrot, chopped finely
2 cloves              garlic, minced
2 tablespoons      sesame oil
1 stalk                 scallion, chopped
1 sheet                toasted seaweed, shredded
1/2 teaspoon       salt


Method:

Soak the rice in water for 3 hours or a minimum of 30 minutes. The longer you soak the rice, the finer the porridge. Strain and keep aside.

Heat a pot on medium heat with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add in the minced garlic and chopped carrot and stir-fry for a minute. Add in the abalone and stir-fry for another minute.

Mix in the pre-soaked rice and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in 5 cups of water and bring to boil.

Lower heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Season with salt and serve with the chopped scallion and seaweed.

Stir-Fried Asparagus and Scallop in XO Sauce

We had some gigantic hokkiado scallops at home and Mum suggested frying them with a newly bought bottle of XO sauce, and so I obliged. The trick to this tasty easy stir-fry is to make sure you fry with a wok using super high heat. The high heat seals in the flavour somehow and ensure you get crunchy delicious vegetables.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 clove              garlic, minced
3 slices              old ginger
10                     fresh scallops
1 packet           asparagus, cut into 3-inch long
1 packet           baby corn, cut into halves
1 small              carrot, sliced
1 teaspoon        sesame oil
1 teaspoon        cornflour
1 tablespoon     cooking oil
2 tablespoons   XO sauce
2 tablespoons   water
                        salt and white pepper to season

Method:

Marinate the scallops with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, salt, white pepper and 1 teaspoon of cornflour for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok with high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic, sliced ginger and fry till fragrant.

Add in 2 tablespoons of XO sauce, the prepared vegetables, 2 tablespoons of water and fry for a minute. Add in the scallops and fry on high heat for another 3 minutes or until the scallops are 80% cooked. Serve hot.

Chye Buey - Hokkien Leftover Stew

Chye Buey is the ideal dish to clean out all the food in the fridge left behind from the Lunar New Year celebrations. Roasted duck, roasted meat, roasted chicken, pig trotters, prawns, shellfish, you name it. This is a classic Hokkien stew and is made using three main ingredients: mustard vegetables, tamarind (assam) and dried chilli. The rest is up to your culinary imagination.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

2 cloves           garlic, minced
2 slices             old ginger
1 tablespoon    vegetable oil
4 slices             tamarind
8 pieces           dried chilli (more if you prefer it spicier)
3 bunch            mustard vegetable, washed and cut into smaller pieces
1 litre               water
500g                combination or variation of roasted duck, roasted meat, chicken, pig trotters, prawns

Method:

Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add in the minced garlic and sliced ginger and fry till fragrant. Add in the leftover ingredients and fry for a minute.

Add in 1 litre of water, 8 pieces of dried chilli, 4 tamarind slices and bring to boil. Add in the mustard vegetables and lower heat to simmer for 2 to 3hours. Serve with steamed rice or porridge.

Nigella's Roasted Seafood

All thanks to Nigella's Kitchen (one of my favourite cookbook), a chockfull of seafood goodness can now be yours. Easily. All you need is a little time, no fuss and no mess. The best part of the recipe: It uses up my leftover onions, potatoes and lemons.

Ingredients:

4            jumbo prawns
1            squid, sliced
200g      clams, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
2            potatoes, cut into 8 pieces with skin intact
1            onion, cut into 8 pieces
1            lemon, cut into 8 pieces
8            garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup  white wine
1 tbsp     parsley, chopped
              salt and pepper
1/4 cup  extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place the chopped onion, lemon, garlic cloves and potatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and roast in oven for 60 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and add in the clams, prawns and squid. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of white wine and season with salt and pepper. Return pan to oven and roast for another 15 minutes. When ready, sprinkle the chopped parsley and serve in the pan. Easy, isn't it?

Mum's Teochew Steamed Fish

I'm sure you are pretty much aware of my ongoing affair with steamed fish. This particular recipe from my mum is so good that I always finish up every last drop of its soup.  With the addition of silken tofu which you don't usually find in steamed fish, this dish has been in many instances, became the only course of food on my table.  I am confident that you will love this as much as I do.

Ingredients:

1 whole            fresh fish, gutted
1 block             silken tofu, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 head           salted mustard, soaked for 10 minutes and cut into smaller pieces
5 slices             old ginger
3                        preserved salted plum
1                        medium tomato, quartered


Method:

Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Place a piece of the ginger into the cavity of the fish. Place fish on a plate and scatter all the ingredients around and on top of the fish.

Steamed on high heat for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your fish.

Fiery Sambal Udang

Sambal Udang (Prawns with Sambal) is one of my favourite 5-minute dish when I need a quick fix or when I'm super hungry. All you need really, is a good bottle of sambal belachan. The bottled ones are a little lacking in flavour as compared to the homemade version but nonetheless still deliver the heat required. It is also a lot more convenient as its shelf life of a year ensures that you'll always have sambal belachan in the fridge whenever you need it.

One key ingredient in this dish is the usage of tamarind (also known as assam) that gives it a little tangy sour taste. This is often soaked in advance to obtain tamarind water but since we have only got 5 minutes to spare, I have opted to include the tamarind into the dish itself. A reminder though, to always remove it before serving.

Ingredients:

8             large prawns, deveined with head and tail in tact
1             garlic clove, minced
2             shallots, sliced
1 tbsp     sambal belachan
1 slice     dried tamarind (assam)
1 tbsp     vegetable oil
1/4 cup   water

Method:

Heat pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add in minced garlic and sliced shallots and fry till fragrant.

Add in 1 tablespoon of sambal belachan, fry slightly and add in the tamarind slice and water.

Add in the prawns and cook till they are pink and the sauce reduced. Remove the slice of tamarind from the pan and serve with a bowl of hot steaming rice.

Steamed Fish with Fermented Black Beans

Steaming is my kind of 'thing'. Especially when it comes to seafood. Friends are usually not surprised to see me gobble up an entire plate of steamed crab or steamed live prawns all by myself. I think steaming is the best way to enhance the natural sweetness and preserve that 'sea taste' of seafood. I love it even better when it is steamed with very little condiments. This dish however, is an exception, given how savoury and flavoursome the black bean sauce is. Alright, I am also trying to finish up that bottle of fermented black bean sauce sitting on that top shelf in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

1 whole            fresh fish 

1 tablespoon     black bean garlic sauce (Ok, I cheated with ready made ones from Lee Kum Kee)

2 cloves            garlic, finely chopped

2 slices              ginger, julienned

3 whole             shallot, finely chopped 

1 stalk               red chilli, sliced

1 stalk               spring onion, sliced 

1/2 tablespoon  vegetable oil

1 bunch             coriander  

Method:

Heat pan and add in 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add in the ginger, shallot and garlic and fry until fragrant. Lower heat to low fire, add in black bean sauce and mashed the beans.

Place fish on a plate for steaming. Top fish with the prepared sauce and sliced chilli. Steamed on high heat for 10 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked. Mum taught me that a fish is cooked when its eyes are totally popped out. 

Garnish with chopped spring onion, coriander and serve.