Mediterranean Ayam Penyet

Almost true to the original preparation, the chicken was roasted to a perfect crispiness.  The addition of rosemary and cherry tomatoes brings up the mediterranean aroma.  This dish is perfect for a lazy day where cooking preparations are kept to a minimum.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg)
4 stalks rosemary, to be washed & patted dry
salt & ground black pepper to taste
500 g small potatoes, to be peeled
10 shallots, to be peeled and cut into wedges
300 g small courgettes, to be washed, dried & sliced
100 g cherry tomatoes, to be washed & halved
1 can (425 ml) large white beans, to be drained
olive oil

Method:
By using a sharp poultry shears, cut chicken along the centre back bone.  Wash and pat dry chicken. Then, cut the breast bone in order that the chicken lies flat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste on both sides.  Slight loosen the skin on the breast and leg areas.  Insert some plucked rosemary needles under the skin.  Rub all over with 1 tbsp olive oil and place chicken on a deep baking tray.  Season peeled potatoes with salt, pepper & a little olive oil and add to baking tray.

Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 190° C for 30 minutes.  Season cut vegetables with salt, pepper & 1 tbsp olive oil.  After 30 minutes of roasting, add seasoned vegetables and 2 stalks of rosemary to the baking tray.

Cook for a further 30 minutes before adding the drained white beans. Cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown in colour.

Once done, remove from oven and serve immediately.  Best eaten with ciabatta bread.

Bon Appetit!

Easter Eggs 2014

Just prepared some "coloured" eggs for the easter weekend.  I did not use any dyes or food colouring. Instead, I saved up onion skins and boiled them with a little vinegar. Recipe can be found here.

Happy Holidays!

Hot Cross Buns

Today is Good Friday (kindly note that we do not celebrate it), I baked these light & fluffy homemade buns for tea.  They are surprisingly easy to make and smell fragrant.  The following recipe yields 12 medium-sized buns and the ingredients many be halved to suit one's family.

Ingredients (yields 12 medium-sized buns):
600 g strong white bread flour or german flour type 550, to be sifted
55 g cold butter
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice, to be sifted
grated zest from one lemon
7 g dried yeast
80 g castor sugar
1 medium-size egg
325 to 330 ml fresh milk, to be gently warmed over low heat
100 g raisins
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp water
2-3 tbsp golden syrup or ahorn syrup for glaze, to be warmed gently

Method:
In a bowl, add flour, butter and mixed spice.  By using the tips of your fingers, rub butter into flour mixture to resemble breadcrumbs.  Add lemon zest, dried yeast and sugar.  Stir well.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.  Put on the kneading hook to your machine.  Add egg and knead for 1 minute before adding all the warm milk.  Knead over high speed for about 5 minutes or until the dough mixture leave the sides of the bowl.  Remove to a lightly greased (with butter) large bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave aside in a warm place for about 1 hour in order that the dough rises to double its volume.  In the meantime, add raisins to a sieve and run warm water over them. Drain and leave aside.

Transfer dough to a light floured worktop and knead in the raisins.  Return dough to mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave aside to rise for another 30 minutes.

Lightly grease a baking tray with butter.  Turn out dough on floured worktop and divide into 12 portions of about 106 g each.  Shape each portion into a ball and arrange on baking tray slightly apart. Cover with clean cloth and leave aside for another 45 minutes.

Preheat fan oven to a temperature of 200° C.  In a small bowl, mix together flour and water together to a smooth paste.  Transfer to a piping bag.  Cut the tip and pipe a cross on each bun.

Bake buns for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Once done, remove from oven and brush top with warm syrup immediately.

Serve warm or cold!  This is how the bun looks like when it is pulled apart.

Happy Baking!

Mee Goreng

A spicy dish of fried noodles which is popular in Singapore & Malaysia.  I added prawns and cuttlefish together with the usual mustard leaves and bean sprouts.  One may spice it up, just add more chillies to the recipe.

Ingredients (serves 4):
300 g fresh yellow noodles or cooked spaghetti
2 cakes firm tofu, to be halved and deep-fried until golden brown
300 g fresh or frozen prawns, to be thawed and deveined
2 medium-sized cuttlefish
200 g mustard greens
150 g bean sprouts
1 red tomato, to be cut into wedges
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and finely sliced
3 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely sliced
2 eggs
cooking oil

Blended Ingredients:
6-8 dried chillies, to be cut into lengths and soaked in hot water
4 shallots, to be peeled and sliced
4 pips garlic, to be peeled and sliced
1 tsp belacan (dried shrimp paste)

Sauce Ingredients:
2 tbsp soy sauce (kicap masin)
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp black soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Garnishing:
4 calamansi limes (limau kasturi), for garnishing
2 spring onions, to be cleaned and finely sliced, for garnishing
fried shallots

Method:
Cut one side of cuttlefish and open it up with the inside facing up.  Using a sharp knife, lightly make diamond cuts.  Then, cut into 3 cm strips and cut each strip into 3.

Wash clean mustard greens and cut into the lengths.  Lightly smash the stalks a bit. Clean and de-tailed the bean sprouts.

Heat wok over medium heat and add 2 tbsp cooking oil.  Stir-fry blended ingredients for about 5 to 10 minutes until the sambal and oil are separated.  Remove to a small bowl.  Slice cooked tofu into strips and leave aside.  In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and leave aside.

Heat a clean wok over medium/high heat.  Add 2 tbsp cooking oil and stir-fry sliced onion and garlic until fragrant.  Add prawns and squids.  Stir-fry for about 2 minutes.
Then, add tomato and mustard greens.  Stir-fry over high heat for about 1 minutes.

Add chilli paste and stir well.  Then, add the tofu strips, sauce ingredients and noodles.  Mix well and stir-fry over high heat for about 5 minutes.  Make a well in the centre and add 1 tbsp cooking oil.  Add eggs and scramble them until slightly brown in colour.  Mix all ingredients together.  Then, add bean sprouts and check seasoning.

Serve garnished with sliced spring onions, fried shallots, sliced green chillies (optional) and calamansi limes.  One may serve sliced cucumbers with tomato ketchup on the side.

Bon Appetit!

Ayam Pongteh

A classic nonya-style soyabean-based chicken stew with mushrooms and potatoes. An aromatic and savoury dish, popular in Singapore & Malaysia, which is normally served during festive season and celebrations.

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken i.e. whole chicken or chicken legs, to be skinned and cut into portions
200 g shallots, to be peeled and sliced (original recipe uses 500 g but I used less as my son hates them)
3 pips garlic, to be peeled and sliced (original recipe uses 100 g)
2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (taucheo)
2 tbsp thick soy sauce
5 pcs dried mushrooms, to be soaked until soft (to be left whole or sliced)
4 large potatoes, to be peeled and quartered
400 ml water
salt to taste
2 tsp palm sugar/brown sugar (optional)
5 tbsp cooking oil
a few sprigs of coriander leaves

Method:
Rub 1/2 tsp salt on chicken pieces and leave aside.  Pound shallots and garlic together.

In a pot, heat cooking oil.  Add pounded ingredients and stir-fry for about 12 to 15 minutes. Then, add soybean paste and stir-fry until fragrant.  Add chicken and mushrooms. Stir well.

Add enough water, thick soy sauce, palm sugar (if using) and potatoes.  Bring to a slight boil and put on lid. Cook for about 20 to 30 minutes or until both potatoes and chicken are tender. The gravy will get thicker due to the amount of shallots.  Check seasonings again.

Note:  I used only 200 g shallots and the gravy was not thick enough.  So, I added a mixture of 1 tbsp of cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp of water to thicken the gravy.  Just for information, Peranakans do not use any starch in their cooking and I am not a Peranakan.

Serve garnished with coriander leaves.

Bon Appetit!