To Cook
Heat oil on high for 2 mins and add in Sichuan peppercorns, bay leaves, star anise and cinnamon stick. Then turn the heat down to medium-low.
Making sure the bubbling around the spices is constant by controlling the heat by turning it up and down. Keep frying the spices for 30 mins and making sure they don’t get burnt.
Meanwhile, prepare the crushed chilli flakes in a heat proof bowl. Place a metal mesh strainer on top of the bowl.
After 30 mins, the spices should be darker in color but not black which means it is burnt this would reduce the quality of the oil. Turn the heat off and let the oil cool for 5 mins.
Once the oil is cooled, slowly pour over the crushed chilli flakes with the mesh capturing all the spices. Stir and add salt to taste.
Once the chilli oil is completely cooled down, store in jar for use at any time.
Deep-Fry
Katsu Curry Don
To Cook
Pound the pork cutlets with a meat tenderizer, season with salt and pepper. Lightly coat them with the flour, dip in the beaten egg and then coat with the breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan to 180°C. Deep fry the meat until golden and cooked through. Set aside on wire rack.
Heat the 1 tbsp of oil in a large saucepan, fry the onion and carrot over a medium heat until softened. Add the water, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins. Remove from the heat then add the curry roux, in pieces, stir until completely dissolved. Simmer gently for another 5 mins, stirring constantly.
Slice the meat and serve with the curry sauce drizzled over the cooked rice.
Thai Spicy Stir-Fried Crispy Pork Belly with Beans
To Prep
Place the whole piece of pork belly in boiling water and simmer until tender (around 50 minutes). Pierce the skin with a fork. Rub the skin with baking soda then follow by half of the salt and pour white vinegar all over the skin. Use the remaining salt rub the meat.
Allow to cool. In a deep pan or pot, place the pork skin side down in cold oil and turn to high heat. Fry until skin puffs up. Then, place the meat side down and continue frying until golden brown.
Allow to cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces. Discard all but 1 tbsp oil.
Blanch beans in boiling water until tender, then refresh in ice-cold water. Drain and set aside.
To Cook
Heat the reserved oil over low heat. Add red curry paste and stir-fry until fragrant. Add water and palm sugar. Stir over low heat until the palm sugar has dissolved. Then, add pork, beans and kaffir lime leaves. Stir through and dish out. Serve.
Tips
When piercing the pork belly’s skin, the more you pierce, the more the skin will puff up.
Once the pork belly has cooled down, place it in an oven at 140°C for 20 mins. Remove and allow to cool again before deep frying. This will help remove moisture from the skin, allowing it to puff up easier.
South Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Cha Gio)
To Prep
To pickle the vegetables, combine all the Pickled Vegetables ingredients and set aside
To make the dipping sauce, pound garlic and chillies with sugar. Combine all dipping sauce ingredients and stir until the sugar dissolves.
Wet bean vermicelli under the tap, drain and set aside.
Remove wood ear fungus from water and chop them up finely.
Place all main ingredients in a bowl and mix well, in one direction.
Place the spring roll pastry on the bench with one corner pointing at you and one corner pointing away from you.
Add a tablespoonful of the filling on the pastry in the corner closest to you. Bring the pastry over the filling and roll it tightly to enclose the filling. Bring in the two sides to meet in the middle. Dab a little bit of paste on the end and roll the spring roll to the end.
To Cook
Heat oil to 180°C. Deep fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Serve wrapped with lettuce and herbs, dipped in a Vietnamese dipping sauce and side of pickled vegetables.
Tips
Spring rolls can be made in advance and kept frozen until required. To be cooked frozen in hot oil at 190°C.
Vietnamese dipping sauce can be prepared in bulk and kept refrigerated for up to three weeks if cool boiled water is used.
Shallot Oil
To Cook
Heat oil in a small sauce pan on high for 1 min.
Add in the sliced onion and turn down the heat to medium. Stir occasionally to cook the onion evenly.
Keep frying the onion until they turn crispy dark brown but not burnt.
Once the onion is done, remove from oil to cook down. Transfer oil onto a heat proof container.
Use when needed.
Garlic Oil
To Cook
Heat oil up in a sauce pan on high heat.
After 1 min, add the chopped garlic in and turn down the heat to low-medium. Stir garlic occasionally and keep on checking the heat to make sure garlic is bubbling. Continue to fry until garlic turn golden brown.
When it is ready, remove from heat and transfer into a heat proof container to cool.
Used when needed.
Tip
Even though the garlic oil is removed from heat, it will continue to brown (cook) in hot oil. Depending on desired texture and flavour, garlic can be removed from the heat earlier.
Sweet Potato Balls
To Prep
Place the sweet potatoes in to a steamer and steam for 10 mins or until they become soft.
Transfer the potatoes in to a large bowl and mash them in to a puree.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar and baking powder and mix well. Add this mixture in to the bowl with the sweet potatoes and mix with a spatula until a soft dough begins to form.
The dough should be soft but not sticky; if the dough is too sticky then add a bit more white rice flour.
Pinch off enough dough to form a small ball about an inch in diameter and set aside. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
To Cook
Heat up enough oil to fry the sweet potatoes over a medium heat. Fry the balls in batches for about 3 to 4 mins or until the balls have turned golden brown.
The balls will have cooked through when they are floating. Remove the cooked balls from the oil and let drain to remove the excess oil. Repeat the cooking process until all of the balls have cooked.
Serve while hot and enjoy!
Chicken Karaage Bowl
To Prep
In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, soy sauce, sake, egg, ginger and garlic cloves and mix well. Allow to marinate for approximately 30 mins.
To Cook
Heat up a pot of oil over medium heat until it reaches 180°C.
Transfer the marinated chicken into the bowl of potato starch in batches depending on the size of the pot.
Remove the excess starch from the chicken and then fry in the oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels to remove remaining oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
To Serve
In a bowl, combine your desired amount of rice and furikake together and mix till well combined. Top the rice bowl with the karaage, edamame, tsukemono and an onsen egg.
Soft Shell Crab Som Tum
To Prep
In a mixing bowl, combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, tamarind juice and lime juice and mix until the sugar has dissolved.
Using a pestle and mortar, mash the chilli, garlic and shrimps together until the shrimps break in to smaller pieces. Add them in to the mixing bowl and mix well.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the snake beans, shredded papaya, tomatoes, carrots and dressing together. Mix well before adding in the dressing and then mixing again.
In another bowl, pour enough flour to coat the crabs. Season the flour and mix well before coating the crabs and setting aside.
To Cook
Heat enough oil to fry the crabs with in a pot over a medium-high heat. Cook the crabs until they are golden and crunchy.
When the crabs have cooked, remove them from the oil and let drain over paper towels.
To Serve
Plate the salad and place the deep fried crabs above it. Garnish with more crushed cashew nuts and more chilli.
Mini Potato Korokke
To Prep
Place sliced potatoes in a pot and fill with water. Bring to the boil, then cook over medium heat for 10 mins, or until tender. Drain, then place in a large mixing bowl. Mash until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Place in the fridge for at least 1-2 hrs, or until completely cooled.
Fit a piping bag or zip-lock bag with a round piping tip. Place the mayonnaise into the bag, then place in the fridge until needed.
To Cook
Once potatoes have cooled, roll them into bite-sized balls and place on a plate.
Add the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls.
Dip the potato balls into the flour, followed by the egg, then the panko breadcrumbs. Place onto a plate. Repeat with remaining potato, adding more flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs if needed.
Heat oil in a deep fryer or pot to 180°C. In batches of 5-6, cook the korokke for 2 mins, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
Allow korokke to cool slightly before piping with mayonnaise. Top with tobiko and microherbs, then serve.
Wonton Crisps with Salmon
To Prep
Slice the salmon into small cubes, removing any bones as necessary. In a bowl, combine the salmon, soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin. Place in the fridge and allow to marinate for 30 mins.
Fit a piping bag or zip-lock bag with a round piping tip. Place the mayonnaise into the bag, then place in the fridge until needed.
To Cook
Use a round cutter to cut round pieces from the wonton wrappers. Heat oil in a pan to 180°C. Cook wonton wrappers for 10-20 secs on each side, or until golden and crisp. Allow to drain on paper towel.
To serve, place the wonton crisps on a serving platter or board. Top with marinated salmon, then sprinkle over sesame seeds. Pipe a dollop of mayonnaise. Garnish with microherbs, then serve.
Crispy Panko Prawns (Ebi Fry)
To Prep
Using a small paring knife, make some small cuts along the underside of the prawn, being careful not to slice all the way through. Place the prawn on your working surface then press down to flatten it.
To Cook
Place the flour, eggs and panko breadcrumbs into 3 separate bowls.
Holding the tail, dip the prawn in the flour, followed by the egg, then the panko breadcrumbs. Place on a plate.
Heat oil in a pot to 180°C. Deep fry the prawns in batches for 1-2 mins, or until golden brown and cooked through.
In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise and yuzu juice. Taste and add more if desired.
Serve ebi fry with yuzu mayonnaise and shredded cabbage.