Ngoh Hiang

In the past, making "Ngoh Hiang - 五香" is always one of my family speciality dish. During festive occasion such as Chinese New Year  mum would make a huge quantity to distribute to the relatives or served it as one of the dish to those who visit us during New Year. This dish requires a list of ingredients such as prawns, minced meat, water chestnut, yam and most important the dried beancurd sheet for wrapping the ingredients. And for this Teochew style of Ngoh Hiang, yam(taro) is actually added to enhance the flavour and texture of this dish.is another important item for making Ngoh Hiang which is this "Five Spice Powder - 五香粉". This spice is blended with 5 different kinds of spices such as "Cinnamon", "Cloves", "Peppercorns" and etc. By adding this five spice powder, it will give the Ngoh Hiang its special fragrant and taste.






Ingredients:

1 Packet of Dried Beancurd Sheet - 豆腐皮
500g Minced Pork
300g Prawn, roughly diced
100g fish paste
1 Carrot, finely diced
10 Water Chestnuts, finely diced
1 onion, finely diced
100g of Yam, cut into small cubes
2 Eggs
2 Stalks of Spring Onion roughly diced
3 Tbsp of potatoes flour


Seasonings:
1 Tablespoon of Five Spice Powder
1 Tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Cooking Wine(花雕酒)
1/2 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon of Pepper

Method:


1. You can cook the diced yam either by microwave it on Medium High 5 minutes or steam it over the stove on medium heat for about 5 minutes till slightly soft to touch. Set it aside to cool off.

2. Next in a big pot or mixing bowl, add in the minced pork, diced prawns, fish paste, carrot, water chestnuts, cooked yam, onions, spring onion and eggs.
 

3. Mixed all the ingredients together with the above-mentioned seasonings preferably by hand to bind everything together. Final mixture should be sticky and dry.

4. Leave the combined ingredients in the fridge for about 1 hour for better flavor.

5. Use a damp cloth to slowly wipe off all the surface of the dried beancurd sheet to remove excess salt and oil on it so that the end products will not taste too salty.

6. Next fold the clean beancurd sheet into quarter rectangles, then cut each long rectangle into another 4 small equal rectangle .

7. Spoon meat mixture into each beancurd sheet and wrapped tightly like a spring roll, leaving the seam side facing down.

8. When the water boils, put in the steamer rack with the Ngoh Hiang and steam it over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.

9. After steaming leave them to cool off before freezing them for later consumption if you are not going to finished all of them in a day or two.

10. When the Ngoh Hiang is cooled, heat up a pot with suitable amount of oil, deep-fry the Ngoh Hiang on medium low heat till both side turn golden colour .

 

11. When it is slightly cooled off, slice them diagonally with a sharp knife into thick chunks.

Impt Note:

1. You need to use a damp cloth to wipe off the salt and oily surface from the dried beancurd skin before wrapped so as to reduce the salty taste of the Ngoh Hiang.

Braised chicken with black fungus

Ingredients:

• 5 pieces of  chicken tights
• 8 to 10 pieces of black fungus
• 4 to 5 slices ginger
• 1 stalk spring onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup water

 

Marinade:

• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• Sesame oil
• pepper, to taste

 

 

Method:

• De-bone the chicken tights meat and save the bones for soups. Cut up the meat into medium size.  Mix with marinade and set aside in fridge for 1-2 hrs.
• Soak black fungus in water until softened. Drain well. Trim the hard ends and cut into slices. Set aside.
• Heat sesame oil in a wok or frying pan over medium-high heat. Saute ginger  until fragrant. Add chicken meats and save the marinade for later use. Pan fry in a single layer until both sides are lightly brown.  Pour water and marinade over the meat. After cooking for a while. Add black fungus. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduced and thickened. Don’t ever overcooked the chicken. Dish up and garnish with green spring onion. Enjoy!

You can also replace with chicken wings and additional of carrots to give this dish a nice colour.

Orange Chiffon cake

Ingredients:

6 large eggs plus one additional egg white

225 grams   sifted cake flour

300 grams superfine white sugar (caster sugar)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons grated orange zest (outer orange skin)

120 ml vegetable, corn, canola, or safflower oil

180 ml freshly squeezed orange juice (2 - 3 large oranges)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)

 

Methods:

 

Separate the eggs while they are still cold. Place the egg yolks in one bowl and the whites (along with the extra egg white) in another. Cover with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes).
Preheat the oven to (170 degrees C) and have ready a 10 inch (25 cm) two piece ungreased tube pan.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or use a hand mixer) place the flour, sugar (minus 50 grams), baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Beat until combined. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the egg yolks, oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until smooth (about one minute). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

In a separate bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in the remaining (50 grams) of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.  With a large rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold the egg whites (in three additions) into the batter just until blended (being careful not to deflate the batter). 
 
Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan and bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. (When lightly pressed, the cake will spring back). Immediately upon removing the cake from the oven invert (turn upside down) the pan and place on a bottle or flat surface so it is suspended over the counter. Let the cake cool completely before removing from pan (about 1 - 1 1/2 hours).

To remove the cake from the pan, run a long metal spatula around the inside of the tube pan and center core. Invert onto a greased wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners sugar (powdered or icing). Serve with softly whipped cream (or ice cream) and fresh fruit.


Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.

Read more: http://www.joyofbaking.com/OrangeChiffonCake.html#ixzz2JF9qr1cM

Oven baked chicken wings

I usually get fresh chicken wings from the market as they taste different from frozen ones.

Ingredients:

1kg of chicken wings ( fresh ones)
(Wash n pat dry)

Marinate with :

Teriyaki sauce (3 tbsp)
Some black pepperSome paprika
Some garlic powder
1 tsp of soya sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil
Mix well and keep in fridge for 3hrs

Bake at 180~ 200 degrees in oven
I use grill mode to get this effect ;)

Lastly served with chilli and green limes

Home Made Lor Mee

Ingredients A

500g thick yellow/ hokkien noodles ( blanch and drain)

2 cups of bean sprouts ( blanch and drain)

First, prepare the stock.

Ingredients B

100 gm anchovies

2 pieces of large pork bones

2  chicken bones

 

 

300g of pork belly ( or pork muscles)

 

1 large onion

Methods :

1. Boil pork bones and chicken bones for 5 mins. Discard the water and set the pork bones and chicken bones aside.

2. Now boil a port of water. Place all ingredients into the pot when water is boiling. 

3. Continue boiling for 1 1/2 hours on low heat.

Step 2: Prepare  the stew

Ingredient C ( can be purchase from any wet market):

1 large star anise

4 cloves

1 cinnamon stick  

 

Ingredient D:

4 hard boiled eggs

 

200g of pork muscle or lean pork

1 bulb of garlic (separated but leave skin on)

1/2 tsp five spice powder

Seasonings:

4 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs dark soy sauce

2 tbs sesame oil

1.5 tbs rock sugar

0.5 tsp salt

Methods:

 

1. Heat a little oil in pot and stir fry ingredient C for 2 minutes. 

2. Add rock sugar and let it melt and caramelized.

3. Add pork and five spice powder, let pork brown a little then add the rest listed under Ingredient D.

4. Add the rest of the seasoning then add just enough water to cover.

5. Turn the heat down to a simmer when boiled

6. Let it cook for 1.5 hours.

7. Remove pork and eggs and keep the gravy.

8. Cut pork into thin slices and eggs into half.

 

Ingredients for garlic paste:

1 bulb of garlic

1 tbs white vinegar

2 tbs boiling water

1 tbs sugar

Instructions for garlic paste:

1. Remove garlic skin, then blend in a blender

 

2. Combine mushy garlic paste with white vinegar, boiling water and sugar. You can store and refrigerate the leftovers in a glass bottle for future use.

Ingredients for the Lor Mee gravy:

1. Combine stock and stew gravy.

2. Add soy sauce and dark soy sauce. Then let it come to a boil.

3. Pour the egg mixture into the soup, keep stirring the soup while you pour, we want the eggs to form tiny strands.

4. Add 1/4 cup water to potatoes  flour. Add just enough until achieved desired consistency. 

 

Time to assemble"

 

1. Place noodles and bean sprouts into a bowl.

 

2. Arrange all other ingredients like fish cakes, Ngo hiang, fish fillets, wantons,  egg, pork slices on top of the noodles

 

3. Pour the gravy over the ingredients.

 

4. Serve with sliced chillies, black vinegar and garlic paste!!

Some references taken from:http://ellyneverforgets.blogspot.sg/2012/10/lor-mee.html

Fried crabsticks

Ingredients:

2 packs of Okaido crabsticks

Method:

 

Unroll crab sticks & tear into strips. 

Deep fry till golden. 

Sieve and cool on kitchen paper before storing in air-tight containers.

Cornflakes cookies

Ingredients

100g unsalted butter, soften
100g castor sugar
1 egg
175g self raising flour
Cornflakes, crushed.

Method
Cream butter n sugar till well mixed.
Add in the egg n mix well.
Add in the flour mix well.
Use a tsp to scoop the mixture n roll into the crushed cornflakes.
Use your hand to squeeze it lightly into a ball.
Place on a baking tray, use a fork to press it down bake in preheat oven at 160 for 15-20 mins or till brown.

Recipe adapted from Munch ministry - Molly Tay Shifu!

Golden pineapple balls

Ingredients:(approx 62-65pcs)

230g Butter (SCS salted butter) - thawed for 15mins before beating.
35g Castor sugar
1tsp Icing sugar
2 Egg yolks (33-35g)
1tsp Vanilla
340g Top flour
25g Full cream milk
500 Pineapple filling
1 no Beaten egg for egg wash (remove 1 tbsp of white & add 2 drops of oil)
100g of cream cheese

Method:

Preheat oven at 170-180 C. Line the baking tray.
1. Beat butter, sugar, cream cheese, icing sugar & vanilla for 2 to 3 mins.
2. Add in egg yolks till well mix.
3. Add in sifted flour & milk powder by using a spatular. (do not overmix)
4. Divide the pineapple filling into 6g balls.
5. Split the dough into 8g and wrap the filling.
6. Egg wash & bake on the line tray at 170-180C for 20 mins.
 Original recipe from :http://wensdelight.blogspot.sg/2011/01/golden-pineapple-balls.html

Osmanthus Cookies

Original recipe from :
http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2011/01/osmanthus-cookies.html?m=1


Ingredients:180 gram unsalted butter – room temperature
140 gram icing sugar
1 egg yolk
260 gram flour
40 gram cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4-5 tbsp dried Osmanthus flowers
1 egg – for egg wash

 

1. Sieve flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt together. Set it aside. Get ready a sheet pan and line it with parchment paper.

2. Beat sugar and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the egg yolk and continue to beat until combined. Add in the osmanthus flowers. Mix well.

3. Lower down the speed of the mixer and slowly add in the flour mixture until the dough comes together.

4. Transfer the dough to a work surface that is lightly floured, roll out the dough to about 20g each and use a mooncake plunger to create desired shapes and transfer it to the baking sheet. Or you can use any flower cutters too.

5. Bake the cookies for about 6 minutes  at 180 degrees and then brush the top of the cookies with egg wash and bake until the edges are lightly brown.
 
6.Transfer to cooling rack and store in an airtight container when it is cool.

Note: If the dough is too soft, wrap it up and let it rest in the fridge for an hour before rolling it out.

Melt in your mouth Rose pineapples tarts

Original recipe adapted from below:

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.sg/2012/01/pineapple-rolls-nastar-happy-lunar-new.html?utm_source=BP_recent&m=1

 

 

 

Ingredients :

350g butter ( SCS butter)
100g condensed milk (I use Milkmate brand)
510g plain flour
2 egg yolks

2 egg yolks, for egg wash

700g Pineapple filling (I am using Ailin Sarawak pineapple fillings)

Method
1. Cream butter and condensed milk till light.

2. Add in egg yolk one at a time, and beat until combine.

3. Mix in flour, mix till become a soft and not sticky dough.

4. Divide dough into round balls about 9g-10g each and pineapple about 7g-8g each

5. Flatten the dough and place the pineapple ball in the center of the dough. Wrap around and make sure the dough cover all the pineapple fillings

6. Use a crimper to make the rose shapehttp://esjoie.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/how-to-do-rose-pineapple-tarts/

7. Bake on high heat for 6 mins at about 180 degrees

8. Take out and egg wash the tarts and bake for another 9 mins till  golden brown.

9. Cool on wire racks before storing.