Addictive Ikan Kembong ( Chubb Mackerel) Masak Assam Pedas

Ingredients:

5 fresh Ikan Kembong (Chubb Mackerel)

1 large Sweet Yellow Onion (sliced thinly)

Assam Pedas Paste:

1 stalk lemongrass (use white portion)

3 cloves garlic

5 shallots

Half inch turmeric (kunyit)

8 to 10 dried chillies (soak in hot water for about 20 minutes and drain)

Half tablespoon Belacan (prawn paste)

Add all the ingredients into a blender to form a paste or in a mortar and pound the paste.

Set aside.

Method:

Cleaning the fish

Start the gutting process by slipping the tip of the knife into the vent and slicing upwards away from the fish, and away from the guts — toward the head.

Now complete the cut by forcing the knife through the bony portion that lies between the pelvic fins (the ones that are paired up on the belly of the fish) and on up to the base of the lower jaw.

Remove the guts by reaching in and grabbing them right at the base of the head.

Pinch that spot and pull the whole lot out.

Thereafter  scrape out the liver, which is attached to the backbone of the fish, and cut out what remains of the swim bladder, which is a whitish sac that also attaches itself to the cavity.

The fish gills will impart a bitter flavor to your fish so you will need to discard them.

Chubb Mackerel are small fish so its easier to rip them off.

Wash the gutted fish and its ready to cook.

Heat wok with some cooking oil and fry the sliced yellow onion.

Add the  assam paste and mix together.

Include one to two tablespoons of tamarind juice and a teaspoon of coarse sugar.

Blend the ingredients together to a boil.

Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly.

Transfer the cooked assam gravy and set aside.

Rub the Ikan Kembong with some sea salt.

Pan fry the Ikan Kembong until they are fully cooked and nice golden brown.

The fish is cooked once the meat turned opaque.

Transfer to a serving plate.

Add the assam pedas gravy on top of the fish.

Garnish with a generous amount of chopped cilantros and serve hot.

Recommendation:

Check out here for more interesting fish recipes.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-fish/

SG50 Jubilee Prawn Cocktail Salad

Introduction:

Celebrated  Singapore Golden  Jubilee SG 50  in style, simple and classic by serving Prawn Cocktail Salad while watching the repeat telecast of our 50th Anniversary National Day Parade Aug. 9, 2015.

Ingredients:

15 to 20 fresh sea prawns

Method:

Check out this link on “How to whip up home made coleslaw.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/whip-up-home-made-coleslaw/

It is best to keep the salad in the refrigerator about half to one hour before serving.

Rinse the fresh sea prawns.

Bring a large pot of sea salted water to boiling prawn.

Drop the prawns and bring back to the boil and leave it to simmer for another 3 minutes until the prawns have cooked through.

Lift out the prawns and leave it cool.

Peel the prawns completely by removing the vein and trail running down the back.

On a serving plate, add the desired amount of salad ingredients.

Place the steamed prawns either in the centre or surrounding the salad and served immediately.

Recommendation:

For more prawn dishes, check out this link.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-prawn/

Food Adventure @ Epicurean Market

Introduction:

The 3rd Annual Food  & Wine Fair was held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre from 14 to 16th August 2015.

An adventure discovering the world on a plate with  highlights from Gordon Ramsay’s Bread Street Kitchen. Other chef headliners included Tetsuya Wakuda (Waku Ghin), Justin Quek (Sky on 57) and Nancy Silverton (Queen of Brunch) from Osteria & Pizzeria Mozza.

Here are some of my family favourite signature dishes from these Celebrity Chefs.

Chef Tetsuya Wakuda  (Waku Ghin)

Ohmi Beef

Chef Gordon Ramsay (Bread Street Kitchen)

Potted Salt Beef Brisket, Grain Mustard, Picalilli, Caraway Crackers and Traditional Fish & Chips, Crushed Peas with Tartar Sauce

Chef Justin Quek (Sky on 57)

Wagyu Tri Tip

Chef Nancy Silverton, the co-owner of Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza.

Three days of palate-pleasing to taste signature dishes from the respective booths.

Recommendation:

Check out here for more food tasting experiences.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/food-tasting-expedition/

Garlic Chives with Prawns

Introduction:

Garlic chives aka Nira are soft and smell unique in their green long, thin and flat shape.

Often used in Korean cooking and usage is widely spread in Japan.

Ingredients:

Half packet of Nira (Garlic chives)

10 – 15  fresh big sea prawns (de shelled and deveined)

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon Superior Light Soy Sauce

Method:

Quick rinse the garlic chives and cut into 2 inch lengths.

Heat wok and add some olive oil.

Fry the minced garlic until slightly golden brown for about 2 mins.

Add the cut garlic chives and cook for about 3 minutes.

Add the prawns, pinch of salt and superior light soy sauce.

Mix all the ingredients and cook till prawns turned pink on both sides and garlic chives softened.

Taste the seasoning.

When done, turn off the heat and transfer the ingredients into a serving plate and served while hot.

Garnished with a generous amount of fried shallots for added fragrance.

Simple dish yet delectable.

Recommendation:

My family loved seafood, check out this link for more prawn recipes.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-prawn/

 

Roti Prata Sardine Puffs

Introduction:

Sardines are a nutrient-rich fish commonly served in cans, but for fresh sardines these small breed of oily fish within the herring family  are often grilled, pickled or even smoked.

Singapore celebrated 50 years of Independence on Aug. 9, 2015.

Here is one of the 6 award winning designs on limited edition  Ayam Brand Sardines cans celebrating SG50.

My Singapore Memory – Ayam Brand Can Design Competition.

The design reflecting the “little red dot”  island of Singapore hawker centres with delectable variety of local dishes reflecting the culture diversity and Singaporeans.

The print in red and white representing the main colour of our National Flag.

Ingredients:

One can Sardines with Tomato Sauce

1 medium size sweet yellow onion (sliced)

2 fresh red chillies (deseeded and chopped)

2 tablespoons  Tomato Sauce

1 packet frozen Roti Paratha (Onion)

1 beaten egg

Method:

Remove a packet of Roti Paratha from the freezer.

Remember not to defrost.

Do not leave the paratha too long at room temperature, it becomes sticky and hard to handle.

Peel off both sides of the plastic sheet and place the Paratha on a chopping board for one or two minutes to soften.

Divide  the Roti Paratha into halves or to your desired shape.

In a mixing bowl, add the can of sardines, sliced sweet onion, chopped red chillies together with the tomato sauce and mixed thoroughly.

Put a tablespoon of mixture in the centre of the Roti Paratha and fold.

Brush the beaten egg around the sides of the Roti Paratha and secure the edges with the tip of the fork.

Place a piece of baking paper on the oven tray and bake for about 25 minutes at 220 degrees C.

This temperature may vary from oven to oven, so look out not to over bake these sardine puffs.

Recommendation:

Check out this link for more breakfast delights.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/breakfast-delights/

Korean Style Chicken Feet – Spicy Chicken Feet (Dak-bal)

Introduction:

Phoenix Claws aka braised chicken feet.

A dish only for those who loved cartilage, skin and bones.

One of the tastiest dim sum dishes by transforming the least desirable part of the chicken into something edible and so palatable.

This three step process of frying, braising and simmering in sauce turning the chicken feet from tough and leathery into tender, gelatinous and flavourful packed dish.

Ingredients:

20 chicken feet

3 tablespoons Mirin

3 bowls home prepared chicken stock

6 slices large thin slices fresh ginger roots

5 to 8 pieces dried chillies (soaked and deseeded)

2 tablespoons Premium Oystrer Sauce

2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce

3 pieces star anise buds

1 cinnamon stick

2 tablespoons Korean chilli powder

Method:

Cleaned and trimmed the chicken feet.

Rub the raw chicken feet with sea salt and leave it in a bowl for about 15 minutes.

Rinse with tap water and leave it to drain in the colander.

Heat the wok with some cooking oil and fry the dried chicken feet until all parts are coated with the cooking oil.

Dry sear the chicken feet until they turn lightly brown.

Prepare a big basin of ice water and plunged these fried chicken feet for about one hour.

Thereafter drain and set aside.

Heat the pot with a some cooking oil and add the ginger slices.

Add the chicken feet and together with all the ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Cook and cover for about 15 minutes and uncover and simmer until the chicken feet are tender.

Tossed from time to time to coat these chicken feet as the sauce reduces.

Add more chicken stock if required and increase the seasoning according to your taste bud.

When done turn off the heat and reheat before serving.

You can store the balance of the chicken feet in the refrigerate in an air tight Lock and Lock container and reheat the next day before serving.

Garnished with generous amount of chopped scallions.

Recommendation:

You may wish to check out this link for more of chicken feet dishes.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-chicken-feet/

Crayfish Bee Hoon Soup

Preparation of the Stock for the Soup

Please refer to this link for details.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/2014/08/01/prawn-stock/

Preparation for crayfish

Clean and trim the crayfish.

Discard the head of the crayfish.

Using a sturdy kitchen shears or a pair of strong scissors, cut through the top of the shell and through the meat but stop just before the bottom of the tail.

Cut through the crayfish from head to tail to separate into two.

Steam the crayfish  until the shell turned red about 10 to  15 minutes depending on the size of the crayfish.

When cool, extract the crayfish  meat from the shell.

The meat inside the crayfish  will be firm, white and opaque.

Hold the crayfish  tail in one hand with the hard top shell up.

Using your thumbs and fingers, spread the cut top shell apart and loosen it from the meat.
By careful not to cut your fingers as the spikes are very sharp.

With your thumbs, separate the meat.

Method:

Soak bee hoon in water until softened.

Boil the bee hoon and rinse with tap water and drain in the colander.

Stir fry your desired vegetables with minced garlic and set aside to garnish with the soup.

Heat up the prawn stock to a boiling point.

Divide the cooked bee hoon into portion and add the stir fry vegetables and steamed crayfish.

Its optional you can also garnished the soup with fried shallots and diced red fresh chillies.

Removed the cooked crayfish shells before serving.

Recommendation:

Check out here for more crayfish dishes

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-crayfish/

Check out here for more lobsterlicious recipes

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/lobsterlicious/

Tauhu Goreng (Fried Beancurd Cakes)

Introduction:

Tauhu Goreng can be eaten as a meal itself or side dish.

Most importantly, the peanut sauce drizzled over the fried bean curd and selected choices of vegetables to go along with the dish.

To get the correct type of Tau Kwa is very important.

Ingredients:

4 pieces Pre-Fried Tau Kwa Extra Large Size

Small packet bean sprouts (blanched)

1 Japanese cucumber (Shredded)

Sauce Preparation:

Small bowl of roasted peanuts (crushed finely)

2 tablespoons tamarind pulp (soaked and drained for tamarind juice)

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons brown sugar

5 tablespoons home prepared chicken stock

1 teaspoon premium dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon sambal chilli paste

Method:

Place the pre fried tau kwa  on top of a few pieces of paper hand towel to absorb the water during thawing.  The drier the bean curd, the crispier the tauhu goreng.

Add some cooking oil into the non stick pan and pan fry the bean curd on all sides until each piece turned golden brown.

Cut the pan fried bean curd into bite sizes and set aside.

In a small sauce pot, combine all the sauce ingredients and simmer over low fire until a thick gravy is formed.

Place the cut bean curd on a serving plate with some shredded cucumber and blanched bean sprouts.

Drizzle a generous amount of gravy over the bean curd pieces and serve immediately.

You can garnished additional peanut over the dressing.

Recommendation:

How about preparing your own Lontong dish?

Check out here for details:

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/2015/01/16/lontong-served-with-serunding/

Food Tasting @ The Square Novotel Clarke Quay

For full details of the event,  click for my review:

http://sg.openrice.com/singapore/review/the-square-clarke-quay-district/85964?tc=sr2&con=rvw

Recommendation:

Check out here for my food tasting adventures.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/food-tasting-expedition/

Crispy Red Talapia in Special Sauce

Ingredients:

Large fresh Red Talapia

Method:

Clean the fish and butterfly the Red Talapia

Marinate the whole fish with Lawry’s Seasoned Salt.

Coat the entire fish with flour.

Deep fry the fish until both sides are nicely browned.

Drain the deep fried fish.

You can either serve the whole fish or sliced them into parts.

Serve with your own favourite sauce to complement the crispy fish.

I have specially prepared a home made sauce to go along with this dish.

(A secret recipe sauce)

Instead of serving the fish with plain white rice.

I have prepared this buttery pineapple rice.

A large piece of Red Tilapia with pineapple rice garnished with pineapple cubes and chopped scallions.

Recommendation:

Check out here for more of my fish dishes.

https://flofoodventure.wordpress.com/category/recipe-by-category-fish/