Chinese Style Steak

To the beefeaters

In Chinese cooking, beef is often treated with bicarbonate of soda as tenderiser. This, according to many food critics, is a bad practice and should be banned because it alters the texture of the meat. Strangely as it sounds, I actually quite like the texture of tenderised beef in Chinese cooking! Put it in another way, no one would love rough textured beef slices that are barely chewable, right? You may then ask, why don't you use wagu beef or angus beef then? it will be tender and juicy without needing any tenderiser. Well yes, but if I have a piece of wagu beef or angus beef, I would simply sear it on the sides, season with salt and pepper (perhaps a dash of brandy while frying) and eat. I would not have it the Chinese way and put it in a stir fry coz I feel this isn't well use of the excellent quality beef.

I was over the moon when I read the Rice with Silky Egg and Beef recipe in Annie Leong's book. She includes a secret method of marinating beef from a well known chef. Ever since, I have adapted this method for all my Chinese beef dishes...

Serves 3

Ingredients:

1. 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2. 1/2 teaspoon sugar
3. 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
4. 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
5. 120ml water
6. 1 egg
7. 2 teaspoons cornstarch
8. 2 tablespoons oil
9. 300g rib eye beef
10. 1 medium sized white onion
11. 2 tablespoons oil
12. 1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce
13. 3 tablespoons ketchup
14. 1 tablespoon white vinegar
15. 2 tablespons sugar
16. 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
17. 2 tablespoons water

Method:

• Slice the beef thinly. The beef will absorb the marinade better if the beef is frozen and then half-thawed.
• Place the beef into a bowl and add soy sauce, sugar, shaoxing wine and bicarb of soda (item 1-4). Use a pair of chopsticks to stir the beef briskly in one direction for 3 minutes. You can see the beef slices start sticking to each other.
• Add in the water (item 5), little by little, and continue to stir until the beef slices absorbs all the water.
• Add in the egg and stir again for 3 minutes.
• Add in the cornstarch (item 7) and stir. Then also add in the oil (item 8) to coat the beef slices.
• Cover the bowl in clingfilm and put it back to the fridge to marinate for at least 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, cut the onion (item 10) into big slices.
• Prepare the sauce in a small bowl by mixing Worcester sauce, ketchup, vinegar and sugar (items 12-15) together.
• Turn on high heat to heat the wok until it is smoking.
• Pour in the oil (item 11) and toss the onion until slightly golden in colour.
• Take out the onion.
• In the same wok, put in the beef slices and toss until the beef slices are 70% done. Take out the beef slices.
• Then put in the sauce and the onion back to the wok and toss for about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the sauce accordingly.
• Put the beef slices back to the wok and toss until the beef is fully cooked.
• If you feel that the sauce isn't thick enough, dissolve the cornstarch (item 16) with cold water (item 17) and put into the wok to thicken the sauce.

Scones

Ok. I am going to give yet another simple recipe! I would love to make something grander, but I have been studying quite a lot lately *cough* and there have been quite a lot of chores to do (as Y's parents are away) etc etc. I am, for the first time since I got here, pressed for time.

Y loves scones. I made quite a few scones before, using Annie Leong's recipe, but he didn't raise his eyebrows. But this time, he liked them so much that he took 5 scones to work for his nibble! This is an Aussie recipe and how did they come up with lemonade in scone making I don't really know. But I guess the carbonated water in the lemonade helps to bring air in the scone hence making it lighter and fluffier... And there is no excuse not making these scones because you don't even need a measuring cup! The most difficult step is step 3, but I managed it with no problem and so should you!

Ingredients:

1. 1 part double cream
2. 1 part lemonade (I used Schweppes Original Lemonade, you can also use Sprite and 7-up)
3. 3 parts self-raising flour
4. sugar (optional)

Note: what I mean is you use the same bowl/cup/mug/glass to measure all ingredients.

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180c.
• Mix doublecream and lemonade together.
• This is the most difficult step: DO NOT TRY TO TASTE THE DOUBLECREAM AND LEMONADE MIXTURE BECAUSE YOU WILL END UP DRINKING THEM ALL.
• Pour the doublecream and lemonade into the self-raising flour (and sugar, if using). Use a table knife to mix it very lightly. I basically just let them come together a bit without them really forming into a ball.
• Pour out the dough on a clean worktop and use a rolling pin (if you don't have a rolling pin, just use a beer bottle) to very lightly roll it to about 2.5 cm thickness. Remember don't press it down, because you will squeeze out the air. Just lightly roll it so the surface got evened out.
• Use a cookie cutter (if you don't have cookie cutter, just use a knife) to cut out the scones. Remember don't twist the cookie cutter when cutting out the scones, if you want to get a lovely crack on the sides (the lovely crack is later for you to cut up the scone easily and put in clotted cream and jam).
• You can brush some milk on top.
• Put in oven to bake for 15 - 20 minutes.
• Serve with clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Presto Pesto Pasta

How can something be so simple but good? I had, even for a moment, forgotten this is a vegetarian dish!

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. A large bunch of basil leaves (about 50 leaves)
2. 3 tablespoon of pine nuts
3. 1 garlic clove
4. 4 tablespoons of parmasean cheese, chopped coarsely
5. olive oil
6. 200g dried pasta (I used my all-time favourite linguine)

Method:

• Toast the pine nuts briefly in the oven. Take out to cool.
• Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain.
• Put basil leaves, toasted pine nuts, paramsean cheese and some olive oil in a food processor to whizz. You may want to whizz for longer if you want a smoother texture.
• Stir the pesto sauce with pasta. Serve. Or, pour the pesto sauce into a glass jar and cover with a layer of olive oil. Seal and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

Pistachio and Rose Meringues

Please bear with me while I am posting some more meringues! It was such a breeze to make but the result was deeply satisfying. This time, I added Y's no.1 favourite nut, pistachio and my favourite scent, rose to the meringue batter. According to Y, this is best eaten crumbled with pistachio gelato...

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1. 2 large egg whites
2. 100g caster sugar
3. 2 tablespoons finely processed pistachios
4. 3 drops rosewater
5. 3 dried rose buds
6. green food colouring (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 150c.
• Whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer on a low speed. Whisk until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed gradually to high and continue whisking the whites until stiff peaks form.
• Then add in the sugar gradually, one tablespoonful each time, into the whites until you have a glossy and stiff mixture. Add in rose water, pistchios and green food coloring (if using). Fold in lightly.
• On a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, spoon and shape the mixture to form 8 little meringues. Sprinkle dried rose petals on the meringues.
• Immediately, put them into oven and reduce the heat to 140c. Bake for 30 minutes.
  Turn off the heat in the oven and allow the meringue to dry out in the oven for a few hours or overnight.
  

Meringues, Meringues and More Meringues

I think the biggest realisation of living in the UK is that simplicity is a beauty in itself. I remember when I left Hong Kong, someone at work said to me, 'There is no way you can stand the boring life in the UK. You are definitely going back in a few years' time.' I have been here for about 8 months now and I am grateful that I enjoy my simple life here... Gone were the days I worked for 12 hours a day, gone were the days of unreasonable phonecalls from clients and gone were the days where I had to mind my every little step in the name of prudence...

To put forward my case that - simple is good, I offer you this simple but heavenly meringue with a crunchy shell and marshmallowly centre...

Serves 8

For Meringue Nests

Ingredients:

1. 2 large egg whites
2. 100g caster sugar
3. pink food colouring (optional)
   

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 150c.
• Whisk the egg whites using an electric mixer on a low speed. Whisk until the whites are foamy, then switch the speed gradually to high and continue whisking the whites until stiff peaks form.
• Then add in the sugar gradually, one tablespoonful each time, into the whites until you have a glossy and stiff mixture. Add in food coloring.
• On a baking sheet lined with baking parchment, spoon and shape the mixture to form 8 little nests.
• Immediately, put them into oven and reduce the heat to 140c. Bake for 30 minutes.
• Turn off the heat in the oven and allow the meringue to dry out in the oven for a few hours or overnight.

What to do with meringue:

1. Place Cadbury's Mini Eggs in the meringue (as pictured above).
2. Whip up some cream and mix it with the pulp of passionfruit/some raspberries and rest the mixture on the meringue.

3. Make Eton Mess by crumbling a meringue nest and mix it with strawberries and whipped cream and strawberry juice (by whizzing the strawberries in a food processor and sieve out the pulp and seeds). Or if you fancy a less known version of Eton Mess, mash up a banana with a few drops of lime juice and mess it up with cream and crumbled meringue...

Coconut and Pandan Pudding with Aduki Beans

This, I think, is the Chinese version of panna cotta. Strangely I've never got to like panna cotta, but I love this Chinese pud. Traditionally, it is made with yellow split peas ('ma dou')/aduki beans with coconut cream. I twisted it a little by adding pandan water, which complements coconut cream really well... Yum!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1. 35g Aduki beans
2. 60ml evaporated milk
3. 100g sugar
4. 130g coconut cream
5. 50g cornflour
6. 2 leaf gelatine
7. 3 pandan leaves
8. Water

Method:

• Soak the aduki beans for a few hours and boil them in water until soft. Drain.
• Cut the pandan leaves into small pieces and whizz them with some warm water in a food processor. Use a sieve to filter the pandan water into a bowl. Discard the leaves.
• Add warm water to the pandan water to make a total of 300ml of pandan water.
• In another bowl, soak the leaf gelatine with 100ml of cold water. When the gelatine leaves are softened, put the bowl over a pot of simmering water until the gelatine leaves are fully dissolved. Take out the bowl to let it cool a little.
• In another bowl, put in the coconut cream, evaporated milk and cornflour and mix well.
• In a pan over medium heat, dissolve sugar with pandan water.
• Then add in the cornflour mixture. Stir constantly until it comes to a boil. You will see the the mixture starts to thicken and turn gluey.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Add in the gelatine water and blend well. Also add in the aduki beans.
• Pour the mixture into ramekins. Let it cool completely and store in the fridge to set.

Grandma's Pork Chop

To my Granny in heaven

Last Wednesday was my granny's birthday. Although she has been in heaven for more than 4 years now, I still have vivid memories of her. People often say 'the responsibility of parents is to teach; the responsibility of grannies is to spoil'. How true. My granny had spoilt me in numerous ways, many of which were to do with her food. She was a superb cook and her specialities were too many to name... drunken chicken, smoked fish, Shanghai style wonton and black sesame sweet dumplings... If only I had picked up some cooking skills from her...

My father especially like my granny's pork chop, which was a regular on our dinner table. This recipe may not appeal to some, as it is so simply cooked with soy sauce. But the smell of it is so comforting and reminds me of nothing but home.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1. 2 pork chop
2. 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
3. 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
4. 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
5. 1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
6. 1 tablespoon egg white
7. 2 teaspoon cornstarch
8. 100 ml water
9. 1 tablespoon oil
10. 2 garlic cloves
11. 1 spring onion, chopped roughly

Method:

• Use the back of the Chinese cleaver/meat hammer to pound the pork chop for at least 1 minute each side.
• Then in a bowl, place the pork chops with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and shaoxing wine. Flip the sides of the pork chop to absorb the sauce. Next, add in water. Use a chopstick to stir the pork chops in the bowl so that they start absorbing water.
• Add in the egg white, again stir well with pork chops.
• Then, add the cornflour to coat the meat.
• Lastly, add oil and cover the pork chop in the fridge to marinate for at least 3 hours. Better still, leave them overnight.
• When ready to cook, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok in high heat and toss garlic and spring onion for 1 minute.
• Put in the pork chops to the wok, retain the marinades.
• Cook each side for about 5 minutes. When each side is browned, add in some water to ensure the meat is cooked through.
• When the pork chops are cooked, add in the marinade to the wok and bring to a boil. Serve.

Peanut Butter Cake with Caramelised Nuts

To the girl who believes in God's providence

This cake was created upon request by a very close girlfriend who wanted to make a birthday cake for her friend who likes peanut butter, chocolate and nuts. Hence I created this recipe and invited my girlfriend to make this together last Saturday. After taking in lessons for the failure from the first attempt, our second attempt turned out beautifully (or to be precise, I left my girlfriend to attempt for the second time herself while I made our seafood feast - so the cake pictured was solely her work!). This combination worked perfectly- a moist fluffy peanut butter cake covered with chocolate icing and topped with crunchy sugared nuts.

Serves 4-6

For the peanut butter cake

1. 115g unsalted butter
2. 100g peanut butter
3. 260g caster sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 130g plain flour
6. 30g cornflour
7. 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
8. a pinch of salt
9. 150ml milk
10. 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the chocolate icing

1. 45g unsalted butter
2. 100g dark chocolate
3. 100g icing sugar
4. 2 teaspoons golden syrup
5. 75ml soured cream
6. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the caramelised nuts

1. 100g mixed nuts
2. 35g caster sugar
3. 10g water
4. 5g butter

Method:

• Grease two 6 inch round cake tins (with loose bottoms) and line with baking parchment.
• Preheat oven to 160c.
• Cream butter and peanut butter until well combined. Add in sugar and mix. Add one egg at a time and stir well after each addition. Add milk and vanilla extract and stir well.
• In another bowl, sieve in flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt.
• Combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
• Pour the batter into two cake tins.
• Bake for about 40 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
• Cool cake in tins on wire rack for 10 minutes and then turn out the cakes to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate icing by melting chocolate and butter in a bowl placed above a pan of simmering water (please make sure the water is not touching the base of the bowl). Let it cool for a while.
• Then, add golden syrup, sour cream and vanilla extract to the cooled chocolate mixture and stir well to combine.
• Sieve in icing sugar a little at a time and stir; check whether the icing is of your desired consistency and thickness. I found 100g of icing sugar to be more or less the right amount (I don’t want the icing turns rock-hard when cold).
• With serrated knife, cut each cake so that the top is level.
• Place one cake layer on a cake stand and spoon 1/3 mixture of the icing sugar on it, spreading evenly.
• Sit the other layer on top. Spoon another 1/3 of icing on the top and spread the rest to the sides of the cake.
• Lastly, make the caramelised nuts by heating water and sugar in a shallow pan in low heat until the sugar has melted and the mixture is bubbling.
• Add the nuts and turn off the heat. Make sure each nut is coated with the sugar mixture.
• Turn on the heat to medium and stir the coated nuts until you see the nuts turn golden brown and you hear slight noises from the nuts.
• Turn off the heat immediately and stir in butter. Take out the nuts and scatter and separate the nuts on a crumpled piece of foil. Let them cool.
• Top the cake with the caramelised nuts.