Twisted Fried Pretzels Recipe

Twisted Fried Pretzels

Twisted Fried Pretzels Recipe Ingredients:

600 gm all purpose flour

4 Tbsp rice flour

100 gm cooking oil

280 ml water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp Instant yeast

1 tsp double action baking powder

1/4 cup sesame seeds

Sugar syrup(optional):

1 cup coarse sugar

160 ml water

2 - 3 tbsps all purpose flour

Twisted Fried Pretzels Recipe Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the plaits together and rest for 20 mins
Cut dough into tiny pieces and using the pasta machine, roll the dough out flat at the thickest (no. 7) and repeat with the rest of the dough pieces.
Change to the fetucinne size cutter and cut rolled dough. Cut one strip to measure 10 inches or smaller and use it as a guide for the other strips.
To twist - Roll a strip to a round rope shape and press down one end , using the other hand, push rope forward so that it gets twisted, as twisted as possible. Let the 2 ends meet and then fold in half again. pinch the ends or thread one end into the loop of the other. If it has been twisted well, it will form a plait by itself.
Deep fry the twisted plaits in hot oil until golden brown.
If you like it to be sugar coated, cook the sugar and water till thick, almost crystalise and then add in the fried plaits, sieve flour onto the plaits and fry till sugar crystalised

Dish up, leave to cool.

Serves

Mooncakes Disney Characters

Mooncakes Disney Characters

Mooncakes - Ping Pei

Mooncakes - Ping PeiMooncakes - Ping PeiMooncakes - Ping Pei

Mooncakes - Ping Pei

Mooncakes Recipe

Preparation of Golden Syrup:

600 gm granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp lime/lemon juice or citric acid

70 ml (2 ozs) water

Boil the sugar with 1/2 cup of water, lime/lemon juice till golden brown over a slow fire. Then add in 70 ml(2 ozs) water before turning off the fire

Preparation of Pastry Skin:

350 gm - 500 gm all purpose bleached flour

230 gm golden syrup

110 ml oil

1 tbsp potassium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate/kan sui

Mix golden syrup, oil and kan sui together and let it sit for at least 1 hour.

Add in 350 gm flour and mix into a dough. Knead until dough does not stick and is pliable (getting the correct consistency is important - add more flour if the syrup if the dough is too hard and not binding or adjust with more flour if the dough is too runny. )

Rest dough for another 30 minutes before using

Preparation of Lotus Paste:

600 gm lotus seeds with skin and in halves

1 tbsp pottassium carbonate & sodium bicarbonate solution(kan sui)

500 gm sugar

2 cups of peanut oil

60 gm (2 ozs) toasted melon seeds(kua yan)

60 gm (2 ozs) toasted kernel of olive seeds(lam yan)

2 ozs maltose

2 heap dessert spoon wheat starch(tung mein fun) - add this to 1/2 cup of oil from the 3 cups

Boil 600 gm of lotus seeds with 1 tbsp pottassium carbonate & sodium bicarbonate solution(kan sui) for 10 minutes.(Test to see if skins can be removed easily). Cool the lotus seeds and remove the skins and cores.

Using the pressure cooker, steam the lotus seeds for 15 - 20 minutes.

Put the lotus seeds in the food processor and blend till smooth and pour into a large microwable bowl.

Put 1 cup of oil and 150 gm of sugar in a cooking pan and cook till sugar is golden brown. (This must be under a low fire otherwise the sugar will get burnt) When the sugar is golden brown, put in together with the blended lotus seeds and the rest of the sugar. Also add the maltose and another 1/2 cup of oil.

Cook on high for 10 minutes, stir, and continue cooking at 3 - 5 minutes, stir when time is up. Cook until paste is nearly done, then add in the remaining 1/2 cup of oil which has the wheat starch. Continue to cook until done (The lotus paste is ready when it is thick and does not stick when tested).Add in the melon seeds and kernels of olive seeds and let it cool before using.

Preparation of Red bean Paste:

600 gm red beans

700 gm sugar

2 cups peanut oil (1 cup of oil, add in a heaped tbsp of plain flour)

90 gm (3 ozs) plain flour

2 tbsp rose jam/sugar (optional)

Put red beans and enough of water to cover the beans in the pressure cooker, cook uncovered for 5 minutes and then drain.

Put back the drained beans and enough of water in the pressure cooker. Cover and cook on highest pressure for 30 minutes. Remove cover when there is no more pressure.

Take a container and fill 3/4 of it with water. Place some cooked red beans in a sieve and place the sieve at the water surface of the container. Knead and sift the red beans. The food of the red beans will separate from the bean coats/shells and sink to the bottom of the container. Discard the bean coats and continue this process till all the red beans have been mashed and sifted.

Place this watery bean food in a muslin cloth sack or tea cloth and squeese out the water. Continue this process till the water from all bean food has been squeezed out.

Put drained bean food, 1 cup oil, sugar in a large microwable bowl and microwave on high for 10 minutes, stir and continue to cook on high 5 minutes at a time until nearly done. Add in the cup of oil that has the plain flour added in and continue to cook until ready. (time for cooking differs depending on how dry the bean food has been drained)

Add in the rose jam if using.

To assemble the mooncake:

Divide mooncake pastry to 35 -40g (big moulds)and 15g (small mooncake moulds). Knead each portion for a while and roll into a ball .

Divide mooncake paste to 120g (for big mooncake with yolks) and 30g (small mooncake), 140g (big mooncakes without yolks). Knead each portion a little and form each into a ball .

Lightly flour (using cake flour) your hands. Flatten a pastry dough to a 2.5-inch disk/circle. Press to make the edges thinner than the central part and place a ball of paste. Start pushing the paste against the dough . As you push the paste, the dough will start to enlarge. Press the centre of the paste lightly and place an egg yolk there(salted egg yolks should be cooked by addng in a tbsp of wine and steamed). Continue to wrap up the mooncake until the pastry fully cover the filling. Roll into a ball.

Lightly flour the mooncake. Place mooncake, seam side up, in mould. Flatten mooncake to conform to shape of mould . If using a wooden mould, bang upper, lower, left and right sides of mould to dislodge the mooncake. For plastic moulds, just bang slightly the sides of the mould and the mooncake will dislodge with ease.

Place cake on to a lined baking sheet (i use silpat/silicone baking liner). Repeat to shape remaining mooncakes.

Put the mooncakes in the middle of oven and turn on the broiler/grill/upper heat and broil for 5 minutes or until evenly brown. Remove mooncakes from oven and set aside for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and switch setting to oven 375 f convection.

In the meantime, prepare egg glaze.

Beat an egg slightly. Add 1 tsp oil and 1 tbsp water. Strain the egg mixture.

Brush with egg glaze . Stand for further 5 minutes before returning mooncakes to oven.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let is cool in the baking sheet before transfering to baking rack for further cooling.

Store for 2-3 days. Mooncakes will get set and the pastry skin will be shinny and soft and ready for serving.

Lotus Root Soup Recipe

Lotus Root Soup Recipe Ingredients:

1 lb lean pork ribs
1 section of lotus root - peel and cut into slices
8-10 dried pitted red dates
1 cup raw peanuts - wash and drain
1 piece of dried squid - wash
6 cups water
Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:

Wash pork ribs and have enough of water to cover the ribs.

Bring to the boil for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour away the water.

Wash the ribs with cold running water.

Put ribs back to pressure cooker and add 6 cups of water, sliced lotus root, drained raw peanuts, pitted red dates, washed dried squid and pressurise on high for 30 minutes.

Turn off heat and let the pressure go down before opening lid.

Remove lid and add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.


Serves

Chin Kiang Pork Ribs Recipe

This dish is named after the black vinegar which is distilled in Chin Kiang , Jiangsu Province in China and the meaning of the name is "Garrison (of the Yangzi) River" These ribs are traditionally braised for 45 minutes but using the pressure cooker, it only takes 10 minutes.

Chin Kiang Pork Ribs Recipe Ingredients:

2 lbs pork ribs(chopped into bite size)
1/2 cup of chinese celery(cut into 1 inch lengthwise)
1/2 big onion(wedged)
1 pcs of bay leaves

Gravy:

1 1/2 cups water
4 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp chin kiang vinegar
1 tbsp light soya suace
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp A1 sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 star anise.

Thickening:

1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water

Method:

Heat oil and brown the pork ribs. Leave aside.

Place the pork ribs and rest of the ingredients and gravy into the pressure cooker. Cover and bring pressure to high. Lower the heat to the lowest but maintain the high pressure. Cook for 10 minutes.

Release pressure immediately and remove cover.

Cook gravy until it thickens slightly, then further thicken with cornflour solution.

Dish out and serve.

Serves

Eight Treasure Rice Recipe

Eight Treasure Rice Recipe Ingredients:

2 cups long-grain white rice
3 cups glutinous rice
10 cups water
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 Chinese dried mushrooms, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, squeezed dry, stemmed, caps finely diced
2 dried Chinese sausages (lup cheong), diced
1 boneless chicken thigh, diced
1 tablespoon dried shrimp, soaked 20 minutes in warm water, drained
1/2 can lotus seeds(From a can of boiled lotus seeds)
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced bamboo shoots
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon five spice powder
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 scallions, chopped

Method:

Combine the rice and wash 3 times.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok until almost smoking. Stir-fry dried shrimp until fragrant, remove and set aside. Fry the Chinese sausages until fragrant, remove and set aside. Fry the diced chicken until brown and then add the mushrooms, onion, and bamboo shoots for 1-2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, five spice powder, sesame oil, and salt. Stir-fry to mix well, lastly add in the lotus seeds.

Cook the rice in the rice cooker with 10 cups of water and when it is done, add the stir-fried ingredients, mixing them through the rice. Cover and leave on warm for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

TO SERVE:

Stir the rice with chopsticks, adding the chopped scallions. Remove the rice from the pot and pack into a lightly oiled bowl, pressing in firmly.

(If preparing a day in advance, refrigerate in the bowl until just before needed.)

Steam the rice in the bowl for 10 minutes, and invert to serve.


Serves

Roast Belly Pork III

Although i am satisfied with the crackling in Roast Pork II, I had to try out a different way besides poking the skin. I had marinated 5 pieces of belly pork and it had been in the fridge to dry out since last night. i started the grill and scored the skin of one piece with a very sharp knife, like how you would score the diamond cut on the squid(see the first picture). I put the scored piece and the plain one for grilling. After 15 minutes of grilling with both top and bottom fire, i found that the scored piece had already started to crackled, while the plain one was just soft enough for poking. So, i started poking the softened skin with the craving fork and then returned it to the grill. This time with the top grill only for another 15 minutes. The scored piece was already crackling from the edges and looking good while the poked piece had no reaction at all. Turned on the grill for another 15 minutes and then only the poked piece was starting to crackle slightly while the scored piece is almost done crackling all over the skin. I sprinkled salt on to the skin 5 minutes before the time is up. The poked piece had to go another 2 rounds of 15 minutes before it totally crackled. To prove that scoring was the way to go, i scored the other 3 pieces and grilled the same way as the above and they were perfect(second picture). So, the conclusion to perfect crackling is SCORING THE SKIN and have the belly pork in 2 inches strips rather than one whole big piece.

Abacus Beads/Sueen Poon Chee

This traditional Hakka dish is eaten during festive celebrations such as Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival and the Mid-Autumn Festival for prosperity. sueen poon chee, or abacus seeds, are springy discs of yam, shaped after its namesake. For this dish, the ingredients cooked with this abacus seeds have to be very flavorful.

Ingredients:

1 lb taro, cleaned, peeled and thinly sliced(i used frozen ones, thaw and slice)

12 ozs tapioca starch

3 tbsp cooking oil

5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup dried shrimp, soak and coarsely chopped

11/4 cup shredded dried squid - soak

6 dried Chinese mushroom, soaked till soft and sliced

1/2 lb ground pork

1/4 lb chinese chives - cut into 1 inch in length

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp fish sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1/2 cup chicken stock

Method:

Steam taro until soft and mash.

Place the tapioca starch in a large mixing bowl and add hot taro paste to it, stirring it in well

When the taro and starch mixture has cooled , knead it to form a dough.

Pinch off enough dough to roll into a ball , 1 inch in diameter. Press the ball between your thumb and forefinger so that it is depressed in the middle and shaped like an abacus seed.

Repeat until dough is used up.

Fill a pot with water to the three-quarter mark and bring it to a boil.

Place abacus seeds in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent the seeds from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When cooked, the seeds will float to the top. Scoop out the cooked abacus seeds and leave them aside to drain.

To a hot wok, add 2 tbsp oil and fry the garlic till golden brown before adding dried shrimp, shredded dried squid and mushroom. Stir fry the mixture , then set aside.

Add the remaining tbsp oil to the hot wok and fry the ground pork until it is cooked and no more pink.

Add in the cooked garlic, dried shrimp, shredded dried squid, mushroom, abacus seeds and the seasonings.

Add in the chinese chives and stir briefly.

Dish out and sprinkle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

Snow Pea Shoots with Oyster Sauce

Snow Pea Shoots with Oyster Sauce

Snow Pea Shoots with Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb Snow Pea shoots - use only the young shoots - wash and drain

2 tbsp oyster sauce

3 - 4 tbsp garlic oil

Method:

Put drained snow pea shoots on to a large plate.

Pour the garlic oil over the snow pea shoots, cover with splatter cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes.

Remove splatter cover and add in oyster sauce.

Serve hot.

Snow Pea Shoots with Oyster Sauce

Serves

Steamed Pomfret in Teochew Style

This is the most popular recipe for steaming fish in the Teochew repertoire. The perfect combination of the ingredients create its very own flavors which enhanced the smoothness of the pomfret.

Steamed Pomfret in Teochew Style

Ingredients:

2 pomfret
1 tbsp ginger, shredded
1 stalk spring onions, shredded
1/4 lb lean pork- cut into strips, seasoned with salt, pepper and corn starch
2 dried shitake mushrooms (soak in warm water before slicing them up)

Topping:

1 tomato, cut into wedges
1/4 lb preserved green mustard-shredded
2 preserved sour plums - mash lightly

Seasoning for fish:

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp corn starch

Sauce:

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp sugar


Garnish: -

1 stalk spring onions, shredded
1 red chilli, shredded
a good big dash of sesame oil
.
Method:

1. Wash fish and pat dry. Make a few slits on each side of the fish. Rub lightly on the surface and inside of fish with salt, pepper and corn starch. Then stuff a few shreds of ginger and spring onions into the slits and fish stomach.

2. Heat up 1-2 tbsp oil. Add in the rest of the shredded ginger, pork and mushrooms and stir fry until fragrant.

3. Arrange fish on a steaming tray, arrange toppings over fish and pour mixture from (2) over the fish.

4. Steam over high heat for 12-15 minutes or until cooked.

Garnish with shredded spring onions and chilli.

Note: - when the eyes of the fish has popped out, this is an indication that the fish is cooked.

COUNTDOWN TO THANKSGIVING

3 MORE DAYS TO THANKSGIVING

The turkey should be defrosted - follow the instructions on how to brine, truss and then leave the turkey, uncovered for a vacation - cold drying in the fridge.While turkey is on vacation, the less fortunate relative - the neck, giblets etc will be taking a hot vacation - they are to be roasted for the gravy.The stuffing can be prepared today too or if it is too much, prepare the stuffing tomorrow.

Sweet Potato Balls

Sweet Potato Balls

Ingredients:

500g mashed sweet potatoes
200g glutinous rice flour
1 1/2 tbsp custard powder
3 1/2 tbsp castor sugar
1/2 cup sesame seeds
Enough Oil for deep frying


Method:

Combine mashed sweet potatoes, glutinous rice flour, custard powder and sugar with just enough water to form a smooth dough that is soft in texture but not sticky.(you might not need water if the mashed sweet potatoes is wet enough)

Divide dough into small, equal portions and roll into balls. Dip in water and coat with sesame seeds.

Deep-fry sweet potato balls till golden brown.

Dish out and drain well before serving

Serves

Radish/Daikon/Turnip/Law Pak Koh

"Law Pak' is in cantonese and in english it has been termed radish, daikon or turnip. This is a delicious savory Cake served in dim sum houses throughtout the year and most auspiciously, on Chinese New Year's Day as a symbol of prosperity and rising fortunes.

Ingredients:

500g radish(白萝卜)
15g tung min flour (澄面粉)
150g rice flour (粘米粉)
20g corn starch (太白粉)
500ml water
2 nos. shallots, sliced
40g dried shrimps
1-2 nos. chinese preserved sausages (腊肠)
4 nos. dried mushrooms
2 tbsp oil, for frying
A little oil for greasing

Seasoning;
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Pepper, to taste


Method:

Shred turnip. Set aside.

Clean and soak both dried shrimps and dried mushrooms until soften. Chop dried shrimps slightly. Cut mushrooms into small cubes.

Cut sausages into small cubes.

Grease a pan with some oil.

Place tung min flour, rice flour and corn starch in a mixing bowl. Pour water into flours and stir well.

Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a pan/wok and fry these ingredients by order ,remove and set aside, first the sausages , then the shallots, lastly dried shrimps. Without removing the dried shrimps, add in the mushrooms and then the shredded radish.

Season with the seasoning ingredients.

Pour the flour mixture into the pan. Cook until the mixture thickens.

Place the thick batter into the greased pan prepared earlier.

Steam at high fire for 1 hour.

Set aside. Slice when turnip cake is cool.

Cake can be served as is or pan fried and best eaten with chilly sauce.


Serves

Cabbage Rolls

Cabbage Rolls

Ingredients:

200g chicken fillet/pork
4 Chinese dry mushrooms - soaked
25g carrot
8 cabbage leaves
1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
egg white from one egg
A little pepper

-

Method:

Mince chicken fillet/pork, dice Chinese dry mushrooms and chop fine the carrot .

Rinse cabbage, trim the stem and blanch until tender.

Chop the stem finely

Mix chicken/pork with vegetables, season and mix well to make the filling.

Fill each cabbage leaf with enough filling, and roll up.

Pour Chicken stock over rolls and steam for 15 minutes.

Serves

Pan-Fried Pau/Sang Cheen Pau

Pan-Fried Paus ready to eat - Bon Appetit

Ready for the pan

Ingredients:
A
2 cups bleached flour, remove 2 tbsps and replace with 2 tbsp wheat starch(tung mein fun)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lard/shortening
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 + cup water

For Frying

1 tbsp oil

1 cup water

1 tbsp bleached all-purpose flour

FILLING:

600 gm pork

4 stalks of spring onion

15 gm young ginger

50 gm shallots(sliced and fried till golden)

Seasoning:

1 1/8 tsp salt

1 ½ tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp soya sauce

2 tsp sugar

½ tsp msg

100 cc stock

BEFORE

AFTER

Method:

For pau:

Mix ingredients A together.

Knead until smooth and elastic.

Let it rise for 40 mins or until dough has double in size(to accelerate rising, put a pan of hot water on the lowest rack of oven and put bowl with dough on the rack above - cover bowl)

Cut into equal portions and line them in a row.

Cover with a slightly damp cloth.

Starting from the first portion, flatten into a disk with your hands and fold in the edges of dough into the center, pinch into a round ball and leave covered. Repeat with the second portion and so forth.

When portions are done, start with the first ball, cup with palm of your hand and roll ball on tabletop, in a circular motion. Repeat with the rest of the balls.

Starting from the first ball again, roll into a very thin circle before wrapping in filling. Repeat.

Let it rise for 20 minutes. (Paus are ready for steaming or pan-fried)

Heat a big non-stick skillet with 1 tbsp oil and place wrapped paus onto hot oil. Do not crowd - pau will expand during cooking.

Fry until the bottom of paus are browned.

Mix the flour to the water and add into skillet, cover with lid and cook until paus have risen and cooked.

Remove lid and cook until the water has evaporated and continue to fry until the bottom of paus are crispy.

Repeat this process with the remaining paus.

Serve immediately, the bottom of paus will not be crispy when left out for too long.

For Filling:

Chop pork till fine.

Chop spring onions and ginger until fine.

Mix ingredients for seasoning with pork.

Use the cake mixer and with the paddle beat pork until elastic.

Add in stock, spring onions and ginger.

Serves

Scallion Pancake

These pancakes freeze well, so when there are scallions in abundance, make some and when you feel like having a pancake, just remove from freezer and throw one on to a hot pan.

Ingredients:

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 cup hot water

1/2 cup room temperature water

Shortening for spreading

Scallions - cut fine

Salt to taste

Method:

Put 3 cups of flour in a big mixing bowl, make a well in the center and pour 1 cup hot water into it.

Using a wooden spoon or a chinese rolling pin, stir to mix and add in the room temperature water a little at a time, until no more loose flour is visible and a dough is formed.

Cover dough with a damp towel and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, knead dough until smooth and elastic. Leave dough covered to rest again for another 30 minutes.

After resting, flour the pastry board and roll out the dough as thinly as possible.

Spread softened shortening onto the rolled dough and sprinkle generously with salt, then the scallions.

Roll the dough up into a swiss roll.

Using your palm as a guide, pinch off a piece of rolled dough, the size of your palm and then pinch the ends to seal. Place one end on your palm, and press down the other end to make a disk. Line this disk to rest and proceed with the next piece. you should have 10 pieces or more if your palm is smaller.

Take the first disk and roll it to a very thin circle. If the dough is resisting, leave this to rest and continue with the next one and so forth. (pancake can be frozen for later serving)

Heat a frying pan with a little oil on medium high heat. Drop a piece of pancake in and as soon as the pancake gets set, flip it over. Fry until it is golden brown.

When pancake is done, using a chinese rolling pin, hold the pancake down about 1 - 2 inches from the edge, then using a spatula, push in the edge of pancake to the rolling pin. This will break up the pancake and makes it flaky.

Serve hot.

Alternatively:

you could divide down into 10 portions and roll 1 portion at a time, spread with shortening, salt and scallions.

Roll up like a swiss roll, then coil it up and tuck the ends in. Rest, then roll into thin circle.(pancakes can be frozen for later serving)

Fry as above

Serves

Wan Pin Kou

It snowed so badly yesterday and today and i am snowed in. I made this as the whiteness of this snack sort of resembled the snow. This is a very traditional snack of yesteryears. It used to be in a rectangular cut shaped snack packed in pink paper and i wonder if it is still so. There is no flavorings or colorings whatsoever, just sweet and white, that is why it is packed in pink paper cos chinese associates white with death. I think this snack looks more appealing with patterns and a filling to enhance the taste. It is easy and fun to make but has to be consumed when freshly made as it will get hardened fast in high altitude, even in air-tight containers, perhaps it is better at sea-level places.

Ingredients:

Cookie:

100 gm. Koh fun (cooked glutinous rice flour)

80 gm. icing sugar

20 gm. Crisco shortening

1/4 tsp. Vanillin powder

30 - 40 gm. cold water

Filling:

Hawflakes/Chopped roasted peanuts/Pineapple Jam

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the cookie together - it should look like breadcrumbs, add more water if you have to.

Fill mould with some koh fun mixture, place some filling on top then fill mould with more koh fun mixture

Press hard to have a very vivid pattern, remove excess if there is any and knock it to remove.

This cookie/snack is ready for serving.

Enjoy

Serves

Hainanese Chicken Rice

This hainanese chicken rice meal was eaten awhile ago and everytime i sat to write about it, my mind was blank and finger's frozen, fingers are on the keyboard but they were not moving. It could be the cold that froze the fingers and i think the mind too. The fingers must have been saying - come on, i am ready but no text???????. Hope i am thinking better this morning.

Oh, i am supposed to write about Hainanese Chicken Rice - should i write about Hainanese, i think not cos this is a food blog and i am sure all would want to know about the chicken or the rice. What so special about having a chicken meal nowadays, it is served practically daily but not so when i was growing up. We only have chicken during festivals and a whole chicken would have to shared amongst our family of 3 adults and 7 children and festivals only come around 2 - 3 months apart. The day of the festival, in the early morning, my mom would go to the wet market to get the chicken. The chickens then were still very much alive and were housed in large bamboo baskets. Mom had a friend, his name is Ah Kau(cantonese for dog or the number nine - we finally found out that he was the ninth in his family)who owned the chicken stall, as soon my mom arrived, he would look into the baskets, looking for the fattest and most beautiful hen - no cockerel/rooster for the festivals. He would reach for one and the first thing Uncle Ah Kau did was to feel the breast and commented that this was fat and meaty. The next thing he would brush the feathers at the butt apart and showed to mom, i don't know what they were looking at but she nodded and seemed to agree with him. I have now found out what they were looking at, the butt of course. They were looking to see if the hen laid eggs before and that will show that it is too matured and the meat will not be as tender if it were to be prepared the one and only way/recipe - white steamed/poached. We might not be given the priviledge of looking at the butt now in the supermarket but make sure that the chicken is 4 lbs/2 kg, then you can be assured of producing a very velvety, meaty chicken for Hainanese Chicken Rice.

This chicken rice meal we had for dinner was sponsored by my dear friend Ting Ting, who have a chicken coop enough to house more than 20 chickens. She had reared them from chicks and now there are pullets, hens and roosters. It is the roosters that get to be our dinners cos Ting Ting does not want to have anymore unpleasant complaints from her neighbor, she told her sons Hunter and August to observe the roosters and as soon as they start to crow, the rooster will be Ting Ting's dinner or her friends.

Below is good read and good to know:

Chick: A hatchling


Capon: A castrated male used for meat. (How much could that yield?) Yeem Kai

Pullet: A female chicken under one year old.

Hen: A female chicken over one year of age

Rooster: A male chicken over one year of age

I will not write about the rice now of which the preparation is also very important cos i am into something which i promise you will be a good thing. Look for the good thing in my coming posts, pray that i don't get writer's block.

Ingredients:

Chicken - more than 4 lbs (if you are lucky, Ting Ting's rooster will crow)
Jasmine Rice
Sides - cucumber and tomatoes
Sauces - chopped garlic, special homemade chilly sauce, oyster sauce with fragrant oil or black sauce.

Serves