Tiger vs Dragon

鼓油皇薑葱老虎蝦/龍蝦
Sauté Soya Tiger Prawn or Lobster

Ha哈蝦! I apply this recipe to either tiger prawn or lobster, as it well unveils the full potentials of both Tiger and Dragon!

serves 6-8

1 large local lobster or 
12 large tiger prawns, “live”

lots of spring onions, cut in 1&1/2cm long


1 large piece of good ginger, flattened then cut in thick slices

vegetable or canola oil


cornstarch

sea salt to season

sauce

4 tbsp soya sauce

2-3 tbsp water

a dash of sesame oil

2-3 tsp caster sugar, adjust to taste
pinch of white pepper

• Lobster – Wash and discard the gills. Chop into large bite chunks, shell attached.

• Tiger Prawns – Wash and drain. Cut out the legs and sharp edges on the head and tail. Discard any dark vain from the prawns, if any. Butterfly the prawns by cutting them half way through from head to tail from inner side of the body but keep remain attached as a whole.

• Sprinkle cornstarch thru a sieve over the pat-dried lobster / prawns.
• Heat up a big wok in high fire with a generous amount of oil. Sauté the lobster or prawns for 2 minutes on each side until the shells turn colored and the meat turned golden browned. 
• Stir in gingers and spring onions for about ½ a minute till the aroma drawn out, then pour in the prepared sauce and toss over the lobster or prawns until they are well coated.

Wrap it Up!

Pan-seared Scallops with Celeriac Purée

If you are looking for a light appetizer that could fulfill you with the sensational sweetness of seafood, these scallops served with nice and crisped pancetta complemented with the super creamy yet fluffy celeriac will surely pump up the total enjoyment of your taste buds.

serves 4

1-2 celeriac, peeled

4-6 fresh scallops

8 rashers of pancetta

handful of fresh thyme and rosemary

juice of 2 lemons

olive oil

sea salt and freshly grounded pepper

• Cut celeriac in chunks and cook in boiling salted water till tender, then drain. Put the celeriac in a food processor and whizz until really fine. Add in splash of olive oil and season to taste.
• Bash up some thyme and mix with olive oil. Rub over the scallops then wrap each scallop in a slice of pancetta. Secure each piece with a thyme / rosemary stick.
• In a hot non-stick pan with olive oil, add in a cube of demi-sel butter (optional), pan-sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side until the scallops are just cooked and its pancetta is nice and crisp. Season with pepper and sprinkle the remaining thyme in the pan and sear for another 10-20 secs.
• To serve, divide the celeriac onto plates and lay scallops on top. Deglaze the pan with lemon juice and a couple spoons of olive oil. Drizzle the dressing over the scallops and serve immediately

To prepare the fresh scallops: Insert a small sharp knife into the side of the shell to pry it open. This will set one side of the shell aside, then carefully slide the knife under the meat of the scallop to remove it from the shell. Discard the dark meat and the muscle along the edge of the scallop. Rinse scallops thoroughly under cold water and set aside.

Cheriann n Conran with Carbonara!

Spaghetti Carbonara

Who can wait to gobble down the homemade creamy carbonara…

8 ranches of bacon

4 eggs, beaten
50g parmesan, grated

300ml heavy cream

500g spaghetti

sea salt and pepper

• Cut bacon in strips. Pan-fry in hot pan until crisp and lightly browned. Set aside bacon on paper towel and reserve the pan.
• Mix beaten eggs with parmesan and cream then incorporate the bacons.
• Cook the spaghetti to a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes, then drain. Reserve some of the starchy water in case we need it for the sauce. Toss the hot spaghetti over the reserved pan to coat with the bacon bits.

• Remove the pan from heat, pour the sauce over the hot spaghetti in a large pot and stir quickly to thicken the sauce. Be sure the eggs are thickened but not scrambled.  
• If the sauce looked too watery, bring the pot back over medium fire and continue to stir quickly for not more than ½ a minute. Again bring the pot away from heat and continue to stir to a desired consistency. If the sauce turned out to be too thick, splash some reserved starchy spaghetti water to bring it to the right creamy texture.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Tips: It is important to stir the sauce over the pasta on and off the heat to avoid the eggs turned into scramble.

Chill Out Ladies!

Lychee Martini

One of the favorite chill out drinks for ladies. Totally mesmerized by the perfume of seasonal lychees.

   

my buddie Anita said    
it was goooood!

150ml of quality vodka


60ml of lychee liqueur


splash of white vermouth


splash of lychee juice


fresh lychees

• Chill 2 martini glasses in freezer.
• In a cocktail mixer, put in a handful of ice cubes and all ingredients. 
• Shake until chilled, strain into the chilled martini glasses.
• Garnish with seeded lychees.

    

Chop Chop

Spiced Pork Chop


This is a Gordon Ramsey recipe n you could not imagine how these spices lift up the full flavor of the pork chops while not overpowering the sweetness of the meat. I think it works best with quality Iberico chops with bone as it could be served "à point". Balance off the spices with crushed sweet potatoes.

serves 4

4 pork loin chops with bone, about 300g each

(US or Iberico recommended)

Spices

½-1 tsp mild chilli powder

1 tsp sweet paprika

3 tbsp olive oil

A few thyme sprigs

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5-6 star anise, lightly smashed

1 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed    

• Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C.
• Mix the chilli powder, paprika, pinch salt and pepper with the olive oil. Add the thyme, garlic, star anise and coriander seeds. 
• Coat the chops with the spices and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes or in the fridge overnight.
• Sear the chops in a hot pan with a little olive oil until golden. Transfer to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 15 minutes until the meat is just firm when lightly pressed. 
• When cooked, leave the chops to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes.

Crushed Sweet Potatoes

3 large sweet potatoes, about 350g ( butternut squash recommended) Chicken stock, enough to cover the potatoes

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

bunch of sage leaves and coriander, roughly chopped

• Bring a pot of chicken stock to the boil. 
• Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1½ cm slices. Add to the chicken stock and cook for 7-8 minutes until almost tender when pierced with a skewer (they should be just slightly undercooked at this stage). Drain and refresh under running cold water. Dice the par-cooked potatoes and set aside.
• Sauté briefly the shallots and chopped garlic in a pan with hot oil until they start to caramelize, then tip in the sweet potatoes and toss to mix. Season lightly and cook and stir occasionally for 5-6 minutes. 
• Lightly crush the potatoes and finish with the chopped sage and coriander.

To serve, spoon the mash onto plates and place a pork chop on top. Drizzle juice of the pork chops on top and CHOP!

Tips: It is important to rest the meat for a few minutes before cutting it to have the full juicy tenderness of the meat.

Simply Divine for a Dinner Party!

Delmarva Crab Cakes

Homemade spiced, crisped while plumped Dungeness crab cakes! Totally Speechless!

serve 6 

Crab Cakes

2 large live Dungeness crabs (1 pound lump crabmeat)

½ cup bread crumbs

¼ cup mayonnaise

1 large egg, beaten

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 scallion, finely chopped

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp Delmarva seasoning

vegetable oil for deep-frying

Delmarva Seasoning 

(quantity of 3 tbsp)

2 tsp salt

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp celery seed

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp ground bay leaf

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp ground all spice

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cardamom

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Cucumber Tartar

 1 cup of cucumber cubes in small dice, peeled and seeded

pinch of sea salt

½ cup mayonnaise

1 scallion, finely chopped

2 tsp capers

1 tsp anchovy paste

• Steam the crabs as a whole for 20mins. Leave the crab cooled down then refrigerate for at least 2 -3 hours so the meat will stay firm and plump. Detach all crabmeat from the body, legs and claws as much and in big pieces as possible. Set aside.
• Mix bread crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, Dijon, scallion, Worcestershire sauce and Delmarva seasoning altogether in a bowl. Fold in the crabmeat and the roe (if preferred).
• With wet hands, form the crabmeat mixture into 3 inches wide and ¾ inch high crab cakes. Coat each crab cakes with extra bread crumbs.
• Deep-fry the crab cakes with ½ inche of vegetable oil by turning once until light golden colored. Place crab cakes onto paper towels to drain.

Serve hot with tartar and some greens with vinaigrette.

Bonjour!

Super Runny Omelette
What could we possibly ask for more by pampering yourself with a wonderful happy breakfast on the weekends. If you like your omelette a bit runny, we are on the same page!

4 eggs

few rashes of bacon / pork sausages

brown button mushrooms, sliced

2 medium sized tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and diced

bunch of basils, roughly chopped

parmesan, grated

10g demi sel butter

olive oil

salt n pepper to season

2 slice of thick toasts

• Whisk eggs in a bowl. Season with pinch of salt.
• Pan-fry the bacons / sausages till lightly browned and crispy, on the outside (sausage).
• Skin, deseed and dice the tomatoes. In a separate pan over medium heat, tip in the diced tomatoes with splash of olive oil, pinch of salt and sugar. Cook for about 1 minute until the tomatoes are just soft then fold in the chopped basils. Set aside.
• Thickly slice the mushrooms. Sauté with 5g of butter and olive oil over a non-stick pan. Season with salt n pepper. Stir occasionally or shake the pan to flip the mushrooms to cook on both sides. Once the surface look glossy and brown, remove from fire and set aside.
• Meanwhile, grill the think toast with olive oil.
• In a non-stick medium heat pan, put in 5g of butter and a splash of olive oil. Without browning the butter, pour in the eggs and immediately shake the pan and use a spatula to slightly break n stir the eggs. When the eggs are set at the bottom but still runny in the body, take the pan off the heat.  Fold in the mushrooms, tomatoes with basils and a handful of grated parmesan and leave them cooked in the omelette over the heat for another 10-15 seconds. Off the fire and pour the omelette onto the plate while folding the omelette in half.

Serve immediately with a few rashes of bacons and a nice thick slice of grilled toast. What a wonderful beginning of a break!

What Life could be Expecting

Sweet N’ Sour Pork Ribs 
生炒排骨

Sweet and Sour - What life one could be expecting, but that is what made us an unforgettable one!
My mother-in-law taught me how to manage the crispy yet juicy deep-fried pork ribs. Her tips are soooo good that the dish became a zero failure. There is no need to crave for sweet n’ sour pork from restaurants anymore.

1lb pork ribs (一字排), cut in 1½ inch cubes n pat-dried
1 cup of corn starch

1 egg, beaten

½ pepper, yellow and orange, sliced in big diamond shape

½ pineapple, sliced in trunk

vegetable or canola oil for deep fry

pinch of sea salt and sugar to season

The Sauce

3tbsp white vinegar

3tbsp water

2tbsp ketchup

1/2 - 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

sugar (at your taste)

1tsp corn starch

• Marinate ribs with pinch of salt n sugar.
• Whisk 1 egg. Soak ribs in the egg wash briefly. Immediately coat the ribs with a thin layer of corn starch. You can do that by shaking the powder onto the ribs within a plastic bag so the powder will stay thin and evenly.
• Deep-fry the ribs in a good amount of canola oil until the oil is no longer bubbling.  Take the ribs out and set aside. At this point, the ribs should be cooked but not crispy enough. Leave the oil to cool down in the pot to prepare for the 2^nd frying process to follow.
• Meanwhile, stir fry the peppers. Add in pineapples. Remove from heat and set aside.
• After the frying oil came to a cooled down, reheat the oil in high fire. Once the oil is bubbling hot again, deep-fry the ribs once again until the color gets more golden and became crispy. Drain out the ribs and set aside.
• Prepare the mixed ketchup sauce in medium heat and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thicken a bit.
• Toss the ribs, peppers and pineapples into the ketchup sauce quickly until well blended. Serve immediately.

Tips from mother-in-law: 
The oil must come to a complete cooled down after the 1st round of deep-fry and reheat the oil for the 2nd round in order to attain full crunchiness even after blended in with the sauce.