To Cook
Combine the water and rock sugar in to a saucepan and cook under medium heat until the sugar has dissolved before letting it cool.
Beat the eggs before adding in the milk and the cooled syrup and mixing.
Pour the custard mixture through a fine sieve and in to ramekins or bowls that can be used to steam with.
Wrap each individual serving in cling film and place in to a steamer to steam for about 8 mins.
Once the custard has cooked, remove it from the steamer and let it cool and set for at least 15 mins.
Steam
Siu Mai
To Prep
In a large bowl, combine the pork and prawns with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and salt and pepper.
Place a teaspoon of the filling in to the centre of one of the wrappers and then bring in the sides and gently squeeze to set the shape.
To ensure that the siu mai stands, make sure that the bottom is relatively flat.
If desired, place some of the fish roe on to the top of the siu mai.
Repeat this process until there is no more filling left.
To Cook
Set up a steamer with enough water to cook all of the siu mai and line with baking paper to stop it from sticking to the steamer.
Steam the siu mai in batches for at least 8 minutes or until they are cooked through and then serve!
Blue Butterfly Pea Kuih Lapis
To Prep
Grease a 20cm square or round cake pan and place in a steamer. Set over a large pan or wok filled with 5cm of water.
To Cook
In a saucepan, add caster sugar, water and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil and then strain and set aside to cool completely.
In a large bowl, combine tapioca flour, rice flour, coconut milk and cooled pandan syrup, mixing well until smooth.
Pour out 1L of batter into a medium-sized bowl. Add 4 tsp of the butterfly blue pea flower extract and mix well. Set aside remaining batter.
Heat the steamer and pan over medium heat, and then pour 200ml of blue batter into the pan and steam for 8 mins. Add 200ml of white batter for the next layer and steam for another 8 minutes. Repeat the process, alternating between white and blue batter, stirring the batter before pouring the next layer.
Finishing on a white layer, add another 1 tsp of blue butterfly pea flower extract to the remaining blue batter. Pour a final layer and steam for 8 mins.
Leave Kuih Lapis to cool completely before turning out onto a plate.
Grease a knife before slicing into the Kuih Lapis, and serve.
Blue Butterfly Pea Seri Muka
To Prep
Grease a 20cm square or round cake tin and place in a steamer. Set over a large pan or wok filled with 5cm of water.
To Cook
In a mixing bowl, combine rice with coconut milk, water and salt. Pour into the cake tin and steam for 30 mins.
Turn off heat and leave the rice in the steamer for 10 mins. Drizzle blue butterfly pea flower extract onto the rice to create a marbled effect. Remove from the steamer and press the rice firmly to create a compressed rice base layer.
Combine all custard topping ingredients and stir over medium heat until it starts to thicken. Remove from heat.
Spread custard topping onto compressed rice base. Immediately steam for 30 minutes or until set.
Cool completely before slicing the Seri Muka to serve.
Pulut Tai Tai
To Prep
Grease a 20cm square baking tin. Sit it in a bamboo steamer on a pan or wok filled with 5cm of water.
To Cook
Mix rice with 150ml coconut milk, water and salt in a large bowl, and pour into the baking tin. Steam for 30 mins.
Using a pair of chopsticks to loosen the rice, stir in remaining coconut milk.
Turn off heat and leave the rice in the steamer for another 10 mins.
Drizzle butterfly pea flower extract onto the rice to create a marbled effect. Remove from the steamer and press the rice firmly to create a compressed rice base layer.
Set it aside to cool completely before cutting into pieces. Serve with kaya.
Chinese-style Barramundi
To Prep
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Cut the vegetables as instructed.
Remove the skin from the Barramundi fillets and set aside.
To Cook
Roll out a large piece of foil, big enough to fit all fillets.
Arrange the fillets in the centre of the foil and evenly top with the cut vegetables, garlic and ginger.
Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar and vegetable oil together and pour over the fish and vegetables.
Cover the ingredients with another large piece of foil, ensuring that all the edges are sealed.
Place the sealed ingredients in the oven for about 15 mins or until the fish would be just cooked through.
While the ingredients are in the oven, dry the leftover fish skin with a paper towel and season with salt.
Heat up a small saucepan with enough oil to deep fry the skin. Deep fry the fish skin until golden brown in colour.
Remove the fish from the oven and unwrap from the foil.
Arrange the fish meat, skin and vegetables to serve.
BBQ Pork Bun (Char Siu Bao)
To Make the Bun Dough
Sift the two types of flour together along with the icing sugar. Place the sifted flours and icing sugar together in a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.
Combine the vinegar, lukewarm water and yeast together before pouring them slowly in to the middle of the flour well and mixing.
Add in the vegetable oil and knead the dough for about 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and smooth.
Cover the dough with a damp towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes and has doubled in size.
Dissolve baking powder in cold water and pour over the dough while kneading it until they are both well combined.
Divide the dough in to roughly 16 equally sized portions and roll out in to 3 inch circles.
To Make the Pork Filling
While the dough is rising, heat oil in a pan and saute the onions for about 2 minutes to soften them before adding in the char siu, sugar, oyster and soy sauce and sesame oil.
Stir the ingredients well until they are evenly mixed. If the dish isn’t red enough, you can choose to add 1 to 2 drops of red food colouring in to the filling.
Mix together the water and cornflour before adding them in to the pork filling and continuing to cook until the sauce has thickened to a gravy like consistency.
Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until the assembly of the buns.
To Make the Pork Buns
Place a heaped tablespoon of the pork filling in to the centre of one of the bun circles and wrap it in a circular pleat like manner. Continue until the bun has been sealed.
Place a small circle or square of baking paper on to the bottom of the bun to stop it from sticking to the steamer before placing them in to it.
Continue to fold the rest of the buns remembering to leave a gap in between each bun in the steamer.
Bring a saucepan or wok of water to a roiling bowl before placing the steamer on top. Steam the buns for about 12 minutes ensuring that the top of the steamer remains closed to trap all of the moisture.
After the buns have cooked, allow them to cool slightly before serving!
Shanghainese Shaomai with Sticky Rice
To Prepare Overnight
Soak the glutinous rice in cold water for about 8-10 hrs.
To Cook
Drain the water from the glutinous rice. Put baking paper or a similar substitute on a steamer and spread the glutinous rice over it. Steam for about 15-20 mins until it has fully cooked.
Remove the glutinous rice and cover with a wet cloth making it doesn’t get dry while it is cooling.
Heat up a wok or pan and add cooking oil. Once the pan is hot enough, add the pork until it has browned. Add soy sauce and stir. Add cooking wine and sugar. Cook for a few mins. Add enough water so that the meat is just covered. Add ginger. Add seasonings to taste.
Add the rice and sauce until the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and mix in scallions. Let it cool down by spreading it out.
Wrap the shaomai.
Once you’ve wrapped the desired amount of shaomais, steam it for 10 mins before removing to cool down.
Modern Fried Bok Choy Dumplings
To Prep
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or pan and stir-fry bok choy and shiitake mushrooms until fragrant. Set aside in a bowl to cool. Add mashed shrimp to the bok choy and shiitake mushrooms and combine with seasoning mix. Stir until the mixture has thickened.
Spread the mixture over bean curd skin. Cover with another piece of bean curd skin.
Steam bean curd skin over high heat for 5 mins until cooked. Set aside to cool then, cut into 6 pcs of dumplings.
Prepare the dipping sauce by mixing both ingredients together. Set aside.
Coat dumplings with batter. Heat oil to 180°C and fry until golden browned. Drain and serve with dipping sauce.
Steamed Tofu with Minced Pork
To Cook
In a bowl, mix the minced pork, mushrooms and carrots with marinade until combined well. Divide minced pork into 12 portions. Place 1 minced pork portion on top of a slice of tofu. Repeat with remaining minced pork portions and tofu.
Steam tofu with minced pork over high heat for 10 mins or until cooked through. Remove and pour away excess liquid.
Pour seasoning mix over steamed tofu. Sprinkle with chopped spring onions if desired. Serve.
Steamed Egg Bean Curd with Shrimp
To Cook
Mix mashed shrimp with marinade ingredients until well combined.
Sprinkle egg bean curd with a little corn starch. Spread mashed shrimp onto each egg bean curd.
Steam egg bean curd over high heat for 8 mins until cooked. Remove.
Pour hot oil and soy sauce over steamed bean curd and serve hot. Garnish with spring onions and red chillies.
Hot and Spicy Cabbage Rolls with Chinese Mushrooms and Minced Pork
To Cook
Place pork, water chestnuts and Chinese mushrooms in a bowl. Mix well with marinade and set aside for 10 mins.
Boil cabbage until soft then, submerge in cold water. Set aside.
Divide pork mixture into 8 equal portions. Wrap and enclose each portion in a cabbage leaf, then plate. Arrange carrot and lotus root slices in between each cabbage roll.
Prepare a steamer over high heat and steam the cabbage rolls for 15 mins.
In a saucepan, heat up seasoning mix ingredients and stir well. Drizzle the sauce over cabbage rolls and serve immediately.