Grilled Fish with Crispy Garlic

I have always loved crispy garlic but I never thought that my kids will like crispy garlic too. 

Made this simple dish, my kids just loved them (except for the youngest child). 

Grilled Fish with Crispy Garlic Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

Any white fish fillets - I used frozen tilapia fillet. 

Garlics

Oil

Spring onions / coriander for garnishing. 

Lee Kum Kee - Seasoned soy sauce for seafood. 

Preparation steps : 

1. Grill the fish until it is fully cook about 10 - 15 mins on high. 

2. Meanwhile finely chopped up the garlic as much garlic as you wish. 

3. Heat up oil in a wok/pan. Fried the garlic until golden brown. 

4. Remove fish from the oven, place on plate, pour 1 - 2 tbsp of seasoned soy sauce on the fish ( depending on the size of the fish), followed by the crispy garlic & add garnishing.

Bon appétit !!

Chin's notes:

1. Don't over fried the garlic as they will turn bitter.

2: I did not marinate the fish as I find that the seasoned soy sauce is quite tasty. 

3. Whole fish is also great for this dish. 

4. Alternatively you can steamed the whole fish / pan fried the fish fillet. 

Fortune Sacks that brings good fortunes

Fortune Sacks / Money Bags a popular dish during Chinese New Year that served is some restaurants. I made these from wanton skin and used the ingredients similar with Jiao zi with a slight different marinating ingredients.

Here is a video on how the sacks were prepared.
Link : http://youtu.be/yL2gUUjlmf4

Ingredients:
100g minced pork
10 medium size prawns
10 water chestnuts
2 dried mushrooms (soaked)
2 cloves garlic
thumb size ginger
2 stalks spring onions
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
pepper to taste

for wrapping :-
Wanton skins
Spring onions / Chinese chives

Squid in Dark Soy Sauce & Five Spice

One of my many childhood favourite dish. Normally my mom do not cook lunch / dinner but she has a few dishes that I love and this is one of them.

Added on 5th Feb 2015

Someone pointed that it could be baby octupus. I'll confirm my packing in the next purchase. :) 

Squids in Dark Soy Sauce & Five Spice Powder Recipe.

Ingredients :

400g squids cleaned

3 tbsp dark soy sauce 

1/8 tsp five spice powder

Some pepper, salt & sugar to taste. 

1 thumb size ginger - thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic - finely chopped

About 2 tbsp of cooking oil 

Preparation steps : 

1. Heat up oil in the pan / wok. Add the garlic & ginger, fry until fragrant. 

2. Add in the squids, give them a few good stir. Add dark soy sauce, five spice power, pepper, sugar, pepper & salt. Cover with a lid for a few mins. Occasionally stir the squids until all the squids are nicely browned & liquid reduced.

3. Dish out when squids are fully cooked.

4. Served with cooked steamed rice. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's notes:

1. This dish does not have much gravy. 

2. Add some chili flakes if you like them spicy.

3. Squids will release some liquid during the cooking process. 

Roasted Pork Belly - Siew Yoke

My friend SiewLee, shared this wonderful video on making roasted pork (siew yoke, in Cantonese) in Aug 2014. Since then I have always made my own siew yoke, they are yummy just like those you bought from the hawkers or at Chinatown. 

Here is the video link that she shared: 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LsrJ3GJLo5I

My interpretation 

Ingredients:

ShaoXing cooking wine

Five spice powder

ground pepper

sugar - optional but I find that the meat taste nicer after bake.

Coarse sea salts

white vinegar

1. Marinate the pork belly with shaoxing cooking wine, pepper, five spice powder & some sugar. 

2. Leave the pork belly with the skin facing up overnight in the fridge for at least 12 hrs.  Do not cover, this will allow the skin to dry for the crispy skin after bake.

3. On the next day, take it out & prick the skin with skewers or with the tip of the knife. Prick as many tiny holes as you can. Only on the surface do not pierce into the fats.

4. Rub some white vinegar on the skin. Wrap it up with aluminium foil with the skin expose. Coat a layer (about 0.5cm to 1cm thick) of sea salts on the skin.  This will also prevent burning on the skin.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C for 30 - 45 mins ( depending on the size of the meat). 

6. Remove the pork belly from the oven & remove the sea salt from the skin. Undo the aluminium wrap. Sit the pork belly on the rack, with the aluminium foil at the bottom to collect the oil from grilling. Change the oven mode to broil / crispy skin / grill mode. Put it back into the oven for 10 - 15 mins until skin is crispy. 

7. Once cooked, let the meat rest for 30 mins before serving.

8. Served with plum sauce / mustard sauce. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes:

1. During the grilling process, may need to cover the skin with aluminium foil if the heat is too strong.

2. Serve with your favourite mustard / plum sauce

3. My first bake in 14 Aug 2014 

My first bake of siew yoke

A little burnt on the side.

Coat with sea salts.

Braised Pork Belly

We love tender soft braised pork. I used my Tiger Thermal Pot to braise this dish. Cooked them around noon time and they are ready by dinner. I only need to stay at the stove for about 30mins.  Easy to prepare & still piping hot around dinner time. Perfect! 

Braised Pork Belly Recipe : 

Ingredients 

600g pork belly cut into bite sized. With the skin on each piece. 

1 tbsp sesame oil 

4 cloves of garlic - cut half with skin on

2" ginger - cut half with skin on 

10 pieces of lump cane sugar / 1 tbsp sugar to taste

1 tbsp light soy sauce 

3 tbsp dark soy sauce 

2 tbsp ShaoXing cooking wine

1/2 tsp five spice powder

Pepper to taste 

Water

Preparation steps : 

1. Marinate the pork belly with pepper, five spice powder & shaoxing cooking wine & set aside. 

2. Heat up sesame oil in a pot. Sauté the garlic & ginger until they are fragrant. Add in the pork & stir until there is no redness on the meat. 

3. Add in all the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Add water, just enough to cover the meat. 

4. Simmer until the pork belly is soft & tender. Alternatively, in a thermal pot, cook the meat for 25 minutes on high then transfer to the pot capsule. Leave it in the capsule for at least 3 hours. 

5. Served with cooked steamed rice. 

Bon appetite ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. I like to use lump cane sugar. If you like  it sweeter just add a little more sugar. Otherwise reduced the sugar. 

2. Can add a little more soy sauce if you like more salty. I normally won't use salt if I use soy sauce.