Honey Chicken

Made this roast honey chicken for dinner last night.  Again my good friend Jo came to the rescue.  Easy to cook and am sure this dish will please any child as it is sweet.

Ingredients:  

2 chicken thighs (deboned)  -  cleaned and marinate with some salt and pepper,
                                                             sesame oil is optional
2 tabsp honey               )
1 tabsp oyster sauce     )     mix together  -  I added 1 tsp brandy


Method:

1)      Spread the chicken meat onto a baking tray with skin down.  Cover with a piece of foil.
         Roast the chicken for 1/2 hour at 200 deg C.  

2)      Remove the tray from oven and discard the liquid.  Put back the chicken thighs onto
         the tray this time with the skin facing up.   Spoon the honey/oyster sauce mixture on top of the
         chicken and roast another 15 mins.(without the foil)  and they should be ready!
          The chicken meat is tender, juicy and sweet. Do not roast it too long, otherwise the meat
          will be tough.
             

Mei Lum

This is a special dip for steamed chicken and my children love it.  Most people use cilli sauce but my family being of Kwongsi dialect would cook this for our steamed chicken especially on festive occasions.  As this is a traditional recipe, there is no exact measurement.

Ingredients:

1/2 bowl of chopped shallots
1/2 bowl of chopped garlic
1/2 bowl of young ginger (smash the peeled ginger with the back of the cleaver before chopping them into  
                                         smaller  pieces)
1 bowl of  chives (cut into small pieces)
5 tabsp of oil
half cup of water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of sesame oil

Method

1)     Heat up the wok on low fire  and put in the chopped ginger (without oil).
        Continue frying for about 8 mins.      Dish out.
2)     Heat up the oil and put in the garlic. Stir for awhile before adding in the shallots until fragrant.
         Add in chopped ginger and continue stirring to avoid the ingredient sticking to the wok.
3)     Pour in the chives and mix together.  Add in the water and cover the wok for about 5 mins.
        Lastly add in salt and it is ready.   Add in the sesame oil only when it is ready to serve.

Har Cheong Fried Chicken

Came across this 'har cheong' sauce in the supermarket and decided to try this recipe.  I added some cornflour but it didn't turn out crispy.  Needs some improvement on this.  If I make this recipe again, I will replace the garlic with shallots.

Ingredients

2 chicken thighs - cut into smaller pieces
1 tabsp of chopped garlic
1 1/2  tabsp of 'har cheong'
1  1/2 tabsp of sugar
some oil

Method

1)      Heat the oil in the wok.  Put in the garlic and fry for a while followed by the 'har cheong' on
         low fire.
2)     Continue frying the sauce for awhile.  Dish out.
3)     Marinate the chicken pieces with the sauce and sugar for at least an hour.
4)     Deep fry the chicken until cooked.

Red Bean Curd Chicken

Another simple way to cook this chicken wings.  All you have to do is to marinate the chicken wings
with a few cubes of red bean curd (lam yue) for a few hours or overnight.  Pan fry them on low fire until golden brown.  Cover the pan for 10 minutes so that the chicken wings won't be too dry.  Remove the cover and continue frying until done. 

They can be roasted in the oven too.  Put a piece of foil onto a baking tray and arrange the chicken wings on the tray.

5 chicken wings.  Cut into 2 and remove the tip.
3 pieces red bean curd (lam yue)

Chilli Chicken

Having done the chilli paste on Chinese New Year eve day, I did not have the chance to cook this chicken dish until last Friday.  It is indeed delicious. Thanks to the lady who is generous enough to share this recipe with us.

The chilli paste is very fragrant and my friend suggested that the paste can be used for steaming fish.  Just scoop enough of the chilli paste onto the fish and steam.

Chilli Paste

100 gm dried chilli  -   (soak in hot water and seeds taken out)  ]
7 big red onions   -  cut into small pices                                    ]
1 bowl of small onions                                                             ]   A
2 knobs of garlic                                                                      ]
10 perut limau leaves  -  cut into small pieces                            ]
6 stalks of serai  -  (use the white part only - cut )                     ]


1 tabsp sugar

1 cup or more oil
sugar to taste
1/2 cup soya sauce
salt to taste

Method:

1)    Put all  ingredients (A) into a blender  and add some water.  Blender together into a paste.
2)    Without heat, put oil, cilli paste and 1 tabsp sugar into wok.
3)    Tun on low heat and fry the ingredients until fragrant (about an hour).  Half way through, add in
       soya sauce, salt and more sugar to taste.
4)    Store in glass jars when cooled.  Can be kept in refrigerator until needed. 

Chilli Chicken

1/2  chicken chopped into small pieces (I find that using 2 big chicken thighs is better as the meat
                                                             is more tender)

1)     Fry chicken pieces on low heat to seal the juices (about 25mins until golden brown).  Add in a few   
        garlic pieces.  Dish out and set aside.
2)     Fry  about 4 heapful tabspoon of chilli paste or more for a while  and add in the chicken pieces. 
        You can add a bit of water if too dry. Continue frying until done.  Cover the chicken and off the fire.
        Enjoy!

 Note:    

Try using chicken fillet.  Cut the chicken fillet into small pieces and rub some cornflour into it.  This is
to keep the chicken fillet tender.

Claypot Yam Chicken

It has been quite a while I have not blogged as I have not been trying anything new. So this time I will put in this simple dish given by my friend Kem Fong.  It is quite easy to make and tasty too.

Claypot Yam Chicken

Some chicken pieces -  rub in a bit of salt. (1/3 of a chicken)
Yam - cut into pieces  (1/3 of a yam)
1 tsp of dried shrimps  - washed
2 stalks spring onions - wash and cut into 2 " length
3 clove garlic - diced
2 cubes red bean curd (lam yue) - mashed and add into a bowl of water
A bit of Shao Shing wine (optional)

Method:

1)    Heat up 2 tabsp of oil in the claypot and fry the yam pieces.  Dish out.
2)    Put in the garlic for while followed by the  chicken pieces.  Let chicken turn brown a bit in the claypot. 
3)    Add in the dried shrimps and stir together with the chicken for a few minutes.
       Put in the wine if you are using.
4)    Place the yam pieces on top of  the chicken and pour the red bean curd liquid into the claypot.  Cover
       and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes or until done.  Lastly add in the spring onions and put back
       cover.  Off the fire.

Stewed Seacucumber with Chicken and Mushrooms

                                                                     Frozen Seacucumber

This post has been sitting in my draft box for so long.  I have forgotten to take a photo of the original dish and hence have to use this  plate of braised chicken mushroom as the preparation is the same.  The only ingredient missing in this plate is the seacucumber.  If you are not using seacucumber, just omit the part for preparation of the seacucumber.  I made the mistake of heating up the dish too many times that most of my seacucumber have disintegrated into the sauce leaving behind a few pieces only.

Finally I am forced to cook this frozen sea cucumber  that has been in the freezer for months.  TNB is replacing some electrical wires in our street, hence there was no electricity supply from 10am to 7pm on that day.  So I have to get rid of some food from the freezer just in case.    I even took some frozen stuff to put in the office fridge.

Not knowing how to go about it, I asked my good friend Josephine who is an excellent cook for advice.  The result came out well and I am pleased.   I used about 30 mushrooms as some of the cooked ones can be taken out and stored in the fridge separately to be used for other dishes.  Can be kept for a week or so in the fridge or longer in the freezer.    I should have taken some photos during the preparation but totally forgotten about it as I had to rush out for my morning line dance routine.

Claypot Sea cucumber with Mushrooms and Chicken

Sea cucumber  - (Blanched in a pot of water with some spring onions and ginger for about 10 mins.)

1/2 chicken  -     (Cut into small pieces and marinate with a tsp of sesame oil, salt, pepper, oyster sauce and cornflour for an hour)

Dried Chinese Mushrooms -  (Soak them in water until soft.   Cut away the stems and discard.  Wash the mushrooms and squeeze out the water.

[ Mix  and rub the mushrooms with  some  tapioca flour (cheong fun).  Leave for 10 mins. if you have the time.  Wash again the mushrooms. ] Optional. 

Soak the mushrooms again with a tablespoon or 2 of sugar and set aside for a few hours or  can be done overnight.  Wash them again and squeeze out the water and they are ready for cooking.

5 shallots and 1 whole garlic -  (diced)

1 piece of ginger - 2" long cut into 2 and give them a smash with the knife.

1 tabsp soya sauce

4-5 tabsp oyster sauce

sugar to taste (2 tsp)

Method

1)   Heat 4 tabsp. of oil into the claypot and put in the 

      garlic and onions.  Saute until fragrant.  Put in 

      ginger.   Add in the mushrooms and  fry for a while.

      Add in the soya sauce, oyster sauce and sugar and

      continue to saute them.  Add more than enough

      water to cover the mushrooms. 

      Lower the heat and cook for at least 45 mins. or
      until soft.

      Make sure the water doesn't dry up.

2)   Remove the cover and add in the marinated chicken

      pieces.  Stir well and cook for 10 minutes.  Taste to 

      check the sauce.

3)   Dish out the cut sea cucumber and add into the pot

      of mushrooms for about 10 mins. and it is ready.

Note:  Do not boil the sea cucumber for too long, other

          wise, they will disintegrate into the sauce. 

Steamed Chicken with Mince Pork

This is one dish I made during the Chinese New Year. It was delicious especially the soup and the minced meat inside the chicken.   A recipe from a friend's mum-in-law who is a Hakka. Though  it takes some time to prepare , it was well worth the effort.   No exact measurements of ingredients.  Every thing is estimated.

This is how I do it if I want to make half a chicken only.  To take out the oil from the chicken soup, put
the whole plate in the fridge for an hour or so.  The oil will harden and can be taken out with a spoon easily.

Here is the recipe.

Steamed Chicken with Mince Pork

1 whole chicken

2 Chinese Mushrooms - soaked and cut into small pieces
Tong Kwai (Angelica) - 3 slices or more depending how strong the taste you want. Soak for a while to
                                     soften.
Some green peas
Some Kei Chi (medlar, wolfberries)  - optional

Mince Pork - marinate with a bit soya sauce, Shao Shing wine, oyster sauce, pepper, pince of sugar,
                     sesame oil and half tsp of cornflour.

Method.

1)   Clean the chicken and pat dry with towel. Rub some salt, Shao Shing wine and a little bit of dark soya
       sauce all over the chicken.  Set aside.

2)   Chop the tong kwai pieces and add  into the mince pork.  Add in the mushrooms and green peas.  I
       added in kei chi  instead.
      
3)   Stuff the mince meat into the chicken and seal the opening with a wooden skewer.

4)   Heat 3/4 cup of oil in a wok.  Put in the whole chicken to brown the skin. Cover the wok to prevent
      the splattering  oil.  Turn the chicken to brown the other side. Take chicken out and put into a deep plate.
      Discard the oil.     

5)   Steam the chicken  for 2 hours.  I  put the cooked chicken into the fridge for the oil to  
      harden on top.  It is easier to take away the oil in this way.  Steam the chicken again for a while and
      enjoy.