Tuesday, April 20, 2021

Porcini Risotto Recipe

Soak a handful of dried porcini in water for 30 minutes. After half an hour, strain the porcini and pour the porcini water into a pot and heat it up. This will be the base for the porcini stock.

Start by toasting 1 espresso cup of risotto grains for 1 portion in a sauce pan for a few minutes. Add the strained porcini and cook for a minute or so,

After the grains and porcini have been lightly toasted, add 3 ladles of boiling stock. Use hot stock so as not to bring down the temperature of the cooking process. Cook for exactly 13 minutes.

Sunday, April 18, 2021

Claypot Rice Recipe

The joy of claypot rice lies in the use of Chinese sausages and duck livers and the fat that is infused into basmati rice. 

The bread notes of basmati combined with cured meat fat, finished with a soya drizzle is just too good, and surprisingly so easy to do at home.

Soak 1 cup basmati rice for 1 hour, you can use short grain rice too but basmati is best for this. Then thoroughly oil your claypot to reduce sticking later.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Hougang 401 Nonya Mee Siam

Uncle has been making this delicious plate of mee siam since the 80s, and continues to diligently churn out this comforting and appetising breakfast classic daily.

A seemingly modest looking mee siam plate, but one spoonful is enough to convince. A perfect balance of sweet and savoury and spicy, it’s that delectable Assam broth that will have you coming back for more.

Good to see him finally getting a proper shiny signboard instead of handwritten signs. And despite a slight increase in pricing to $3.50, it’s worth forking out for this full of depth mee siam.

Friday, April 16, 2021

Traditional Hainanese Curry Rice Redhill Market

This is the brother of the well known Maxwell market curry rice, and he is currently operating at Redhill market.

While the Maxwell version has modernise it’s curry, this one still adheres to an old school taste. The curry is lighter and is not mixed with a soya gravy. Yet, it is still flavourful with an alluring curry fragrance.

His kong ba and pork chops are what we enjoy the most. The former is braised until tender and meat that can be easily pulled. The pork chops are dusted with soda crackers crumbs for that almost buttery tasting crust, and crispy too. 

Lunchbox Salmon Potato Salad Recipe - Lunchbox Series

Our next lunchbox recipe is a simple and very healthy one. This recipe for 2 persons.

Start by steaming 300g of chopped salmon for 15 minutes. Boil 1 chopped potato in water for around 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft. Strain the potatoes. 

Add the potatoes into your lunchbox. Add the steamed salmon. Squeeze half a lime for each portion into the salmon and potatoes. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and black pepper.

Thursday, April 15, 2021

Ah Wing's Wanton Mee Empress Market

One of the very best when it comes to wanton noodles. Despite the long queues, aunty here cooks each plate swiftly and plates it beautifully too, with uncle diligently taking orders.

Everything is excellently done here, from the well caramelised char siew, to the plump wantons with well seasoned and tasty fillings.

Though they use the more regular alkaline noodles, the dark soya sauce is well balanced with a nice savoury profile that goes well with the alkaline noodles and removes most of the “kee” taste.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Tenderloin With Nanyang Soy Salt Recipe

Tenderloin is our favorite cut of steak these days due to its thickness and tender texture. But you need to get a good quality beef to be able to enjoy to it’s fullest.

We are using a superb tenderloin from Five Founders that is grain fed and has a superb flavour and texture. Also we are using a special soy salt from Nanyang Soy Salt to season the beef.

Make sure your tenderloin steak is at room temperature before you cook it, and pat dry on both sides so that there is no excess moisture. Then, season liberally with sea salt or course salt, or in our case, the excellent soy salt. Do likewise with black pepper.

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Teochew Bak Kut Teh Pao Fan Recipe - One Pot Series

This combines our love for pao fan with one of our local classic dishes. We figured since we always have rice to go with a bowl of Bak Kut Teh soup, to mix the two in a pao fan format. 

First, toast 1 tsp of Sarawak white peppercorn seeds in a claypot for a few minutes. Until the seeds start to dance and jump about, and they will smell aromatic. 

Add 3 to 4 prime ribs and sear them for a few minutes on all sides. Once they have been properly seared, add enough water to fully cover the ribs.