To Cook
Add the oil to a saucepan and heat the oil to 160 degrees Celsius.
Place a batch of 5 to 10 chips in to the oil using a slotted spoon and stir them gently.
Once the chips have expanded and have risen to the top, quickly remove them from the oil before they begin to burn.
Transfer the chips on to a plate with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
When the chips have cooled down slightly, transfer them in to a bowl and serve.
Seafood
Quick and Easy Homemade XO Sauce
To Cook
Heat cooking oil in a wok on high heat. Lower heat and add shallots, stir-fry until fragrant.
Add the remaining ingredients and seasonings, stir-fry over low heat until well mixed.
Remove from heat and let cool. Store in a clean jar for future use.
Singapore White Bee Hoon
To Prep
Marinade the squid and prawns with the marinade ingredients for 10 mins.
To Cook
In a stock pot, add the chicken carcasses, chicken feet, soybeans, rock sugar and water, bring to simmer. Add the stir-fried prawn heads and shells, bring to boil then simmer covered for 4 hrs, removing floating scum from time to time. Set aside.
In a wok, heat 1 tbsp oil and sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add the rice vermicelli and fry for 1-2 mins. Remove and set aside.
Clean the wok, heat 2 tbsp oil and scramble the eggs. Add 800ml of the stock then the clams, prawns and squid. Cook covered until clams open partially, about 2 mins.
Add in the fish sauce, salt and white pepper, then add in the rice vermicelli and mix well. Let simmer for 3 mins.
Add the choy sum and simmer for 1 min. Add seasonings to taste, serve hot.
Vietnamese Style Tom Yum Hot Pot (Lau Thai)
To Cook
Start by preparing the soup. Place all the ingredients of the soup into the hot pot, mix well and bring to a boil. Turn heat off and set aside.
Next, combine all the dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
Place hot pot on the dining table and turn heat on to bring to a boil. Prepare and arrange all the other ingredients around the hot pot. One hot pot starts to boil, place a little of every ingredient in to the cook. Cover pot with lid and allow to boil, this is to ensure all ingredients are cooked.
Remove lid, turn heat down and eat fresh from the hot pot with some soup base and the dipping sauce.
Vietnamese Seafood Hot Pot (Lau Do Bien)
To Cook
Prepare all fresh ingredients on separate platters around the dining table. Place electric hot pot or hot pot over induction hob in the middle of the dining table.
Prepare dipping sauce by adding sliced chillies into light soy sauce in a small platter.
Combine the stock, salt, sugar and fish sauce in a large pot and bring to boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the stock into the electric hot pot or a hot pot over induction hob. Turn heat on and allow stock to boil again. Once boiling, add in fresh ingredients according to preference, in batches to avoid overflowing. Place lid back on and allow to simmer.
More stock may be added as and when needed.
Mala Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot
To Cook
Gather all dried spices ingredients and cook with butter on low heat in a pan for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover with lid and allow to cook for another 15 minutes. Strain butter into a mixing bowl and set aside.
Return the strained spices back to the pan. Add in Shaoxing wine and bring to boil over medium heat, then cover with lid and turn heat down to low and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. to the saucepan and add the wine. Turn heat off and set the pan aside, leaving the spices and wine in the pan.
In a separate pan, heat the strained spiced butter, add in minced ginger. Saute for about 5 minutes before adding in the chopped spring onions and minced garlic. Saute until fragrant then add in the cut dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes and add the chilli bean paste. Allow to cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes. Then gently strain the pan of Shaoxing wine into this chilli bean pot and discard the cooked dried spices. Add the rock sugar and allow the pot to cook for a further 30 minutes. The Sichuan spicy hot pot paste is completed here.
Prepare all of the fresh ingredients and plate them around the dining table.
Prepare the an electric hot pot or a hot pot over induction cook top, and place in the middle of the dining table. Turn heat on and add in the chicken stock. Scoop out half of the prepared Sichuan spicy hot pot paste and add to the chicken stock. Then add in the dried shitake mushrooms and dried chillies. Cover with lid and allow to boil. Once boiling, turn heat down, remove lid and add in any of the fresh ingredients, in batches. Cover the pot again with lid and bring it to a boil again. The ingredients should be cooked now and ready to be served. Add water when required as the hot pot will evaporate from cooking overtime.
Prawn Beancurd Skin Rolls (Fu Pei Guen)
To Prep
Roughly chop half of the prawns into chunks. Use a food processor to process remaining prawns into a paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine both with ginger, chicken stock powder, salt, egg white, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and sesame oil. Cover in cling film and set aside.
Unfold dried beancurd skin and cut into 16 pieces. Place a damp cloth over dried beancurd skin pieces to soften. Place a spoonful of prawn mixture onto one end of softened beancurd skin. Roll up and seal end with cornflour and water mixture.
To Cook
Heat up oil over medium heat to deep fry. Once oil has come to temperature, carefully place rolls into hot oil and fry each side 2-3 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.
Allow to cool slightly, then serve with mayonnaise and sweet chilli sauce.
Sesame Prawn Toast
To Prep
Roughly chop half of the prawns into chunks. Use a food processor to process remaining prawns into a paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine both with ginger, chicken stock powder, salt, egg white, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and sesame oil. Cover in cling film and set aside.
Remove crusts from slices of bread, and then cut diagonally into 4 triangles. Spread a spoonful of prawn mixture onto each triangle, and then coat prawn side with sesame seeds.
To Cook
Heat up oil over medium heat to deep fry. Once oil has come to temperature, carefully place sesame prawn toast into the hot oil prawn side down and fry until prawns have cooked. Turn over and cook bread side until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.
Cool slightly, and then serve.
Prawn and Ginger Dumplings
To Prep
Roughly chop half of the prawns into chunks. Use a food processor to process remaining prawns into a paste. In a large mixing bowl, combine both with ginger, chicken stock powder, salt, egg white, Shaoxing wine, cornflour and sesame oil.
Place a small spoonful of prawn mixture in the centre of the dumpling wrapper. Brush water on one side of the dumpling wrapper, and then fold the other side up but do not seal. Working from left to right, make small pleats on side closest to you until both sides have joined, and then pinch together to seal the top.
To Cook
Steam dumplings for 6 mins, and then serve immediately.
Dried Scallops and Minced Pork Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade minced pork with soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
Place washed rice in a large pot. Add soaked scallops and water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and tilt the lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 mins. If congee becomes too thick at any point, add in ½ cup water and stir to dilute.
Using clean hands, drop in marinated minced pork bit by bit to break into small chunks. Add salt and continue to simmer for 5-10 mins until minced pork is cooked.
Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger and fried shallots. Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce according to taste. Add a dash of ground white pepper if desired.
Chinese Shark Fin Melon Soup
To Cook
First prepare the pork by adding to vigorously boiling water for 10 minutes, then discard the boiling water. Then remove any impurities from the pork.
In a large pot, add the blanched pork, shark fin melon, red dates, dried scallops and dried mussels to 2L of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about an hour.
Add the goji berries to the soup and allow to simmer for at least another hour.
Season with salt to taste. Turn the heat back up and bring the soup to a boil before turning off the heat. Serve hot.
Chinese Radish Soup
To Cook
First prepare the pork by adding to vigorously boiling water for 10 minutes, then discard the boiling water. Then remove any impurities from the pork.
In a large pot, add the blanched pork, cut white radishes, carrots, red dates and dried scallops to 2L of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about an hour.
Add the dried cuttlefish to the soup and allow to simmer for another hour.
Season with salt to taste. Turn the heat back up and bring the soup to a boil before turning off the heat. Serve hot.