To Cook
Heat oil in pot over medium heat. Put in onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in fish sauce and cook for 1 min.
Add in coconut milk and chilli, simmer on low heat for 5 mins. Throw in the squash and cook for 5 mins before adding the long beans, cooking for another 5 mins.
Finally, add in shrimps and cook for until pink, about 5 mins. Add salt to taste.
Serve hot over steamed rice.
Seafood
BBQ Mulberry Moreton Bay Bugs and Lychee Scallops
To Begin
Fire up the BBQ!
Cut the Bugs lengthways with a large sharp knife and clean insides.
Simmer berries with ABC Sweet Soy Sauce Kecap Manis, ginger, diced chilli and half of the sugar in a saucepan until marinade reduces and thickens. Keep some berries intact.
Pour marinade over flesh of bugs, filling the shell with any intact berries. Set the bugs in the fridge for at least one hour to cool.
Blend lychees and remaining sugar then sieve into a saucepan. Simmer until the sauce reduces. Let it cool, then add coriander and the sliced chillies.
Place bugs on grill and grill for 10 minutes.
Place scallops on grill, sprinkle over the spring onions and lemongrass and splash the Obento Rice Wine Vinegar over all the scallops. Grill for 4 minutes.
Auspicious Chinese New Year Pen Cai
To Prep
Soak and prepare all ingredients in advance and based on the time required.
The Broth
Heat the oil in a large heated pot over medium heat.
Add chopped garlic and saute until fragrant.
Add in chicken stock, mushroom, fish maw, cabbage, white radish and all other seasonings required for the broth.
Bring it to a boil over medium high heat then lower the fire to simmer for 30 mins.
Cooking and Blanching the Ingredients
Cook and blanch those ingredients that need to be cooked in the broth (Can be done in batches or add the ingredients that need to cook into the pot all at once and remove from the pot when done)
Estimated Time (Varies based on size): Prawns and Scallops about 3 mins, broccoli about 15 to 20 sec, Carrot about 2 to 3 mins, lobster tails about 3 mins
Remove cooked items from the broth and set aside for layering later. Turn off the heat of the broth while layering.
Ingredients that do not need to cook in broth: Roast pork, roast duck and fat choy
Layering the Auspicious Pot
Start with Napa Cabbage, dried beancurd skin, fish maw, fat choy and white radish.
Arrange mushroom, scallops, lobster tails, prawns, roast meats, broccoli, carrots, goji berries to fill the top layer.
Finishing and Thickening of Broth
Bring the broth back to boil.
Add Hua Tiao Wine and allow it to boil for a min.
Mix the corn flour and water in a small bowl
Slowly pour in the corn flour mixture into the boiling broth and stir while adding.
Ladle the broth over the pot of layered ingredients
Filipino Stuffed Prawn Rolls (Rellenong Hipon)
To Prep
Peel prawns and remove prawn heads, leaving the tail intact. Using a small knife, make an incision all the way down the centre of the prawn’s back, to remove and discard the vein.
Spread open the prawn until it lies flat, belly facing up. Make a small slit across on the belly close to the tail. This is to prevent the prawn from curling up when cooking. Set prawns aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine all other ingredients except for spring roll wrappers, stir well until ingredients are mixed thoroughly.
Place about 1/2 tsp of the meat mixture in the centre of the butterflied prawn, then close around filling by pressing the sides of the prawn flesh together.
Arrange triangle spring roll wrapper with pointed side facing up on working bench. Place a stuffed prawn in the middle of one spring roll wrapper, then fold right side of the wrapper over the stuffed prawn, and then fold the pointed side down. Then roll the wrapper tightly around the prawn, moistening the sides with a dap of water and pressing gently but firmly to seal it. Place the wrapped stuffed prawn on a platter, seam side down and cover with a moist paper towel to avoid from drying out.
To Cook
Heat about 5cm of oil in a deep pot or pan over medium heat. When oil is hot enough and not smoking yet, add in the stuffed prawn rolls, turning sides constantly until rolls are golden and cooked through.
Remove from pan and drain on a wire rack.
Filipino Vegetable and Prawn Fritters (Ukoy Na Togue)
To Make
Crack egg into a large mixing bowl and beat till fluffy. Then add cornstarch, flour, water, fish sauce, salt and pepper in the bowl with the beaten egg, and whisk all ingredients to combine thoroughly.
Next add in turmeric powder and continue stirring until fully dissolved. The batter should now be in a light orange colour.
Then add bean sprouts, carrots and shallots into the batter and gently stir so that all ingredients are well soaked in the batter.
Heat about 5cm deep of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Scoop a large spoonful of ukoy batter and place a prawn on the batter, gently pressing it down, then slide the batter into the pan and cook for about 3 minutes on each side.
When fritters are slightly browned and crispy, remove from heat and leave to drain on a wire rack. 2 – 3 large spoonfuls of ukoy batter with prawns can be done at one time in the same pan.
Repeat until all batter is cooked.
Korean Summer Bowl
To Begin
Combine sashimi dressing ingredients and toss in ahi tuna and salmon to coat.
Top oysters with 1 tsp lime juice, a dollop of kimchi mayonnaise and 1 tsp of fried shallots.
Divide lettuce leaves, sliced mangoes, sliced avocados and pickled ginger between 4 bowls. Top with marinated sashimi slices and oyster. Serve.
Crab and Dried Scallop Soup
To Cook
When the shiitake mushrooms are softened, slice them thinly into strips. Also cut the bamboo shoots into strips.
Begin heating the chicken stock and water in a pot over medium high heat.
Add the dried scallops into the pot and boil for about 20 minutes.
Add sliced the shiitake mushroom, bamboo shoots and crab meat to the pot, quickly followed by the oyster sauce, abalone sauce, soy sauce and hua tiao wine. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the soup for about 5 minutes before adding in the cornstarch solution to thicken the soup.
Make the cornstarch solution simply by mixing the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir well, making sure there are no lumps in the solution.
Thoroughly mix in the cornstarch solution with the soup and it will gradually thicken.
Ladle the soup into individual serving bowls and garnish with some fresh coriander.
Optionally, you can mix in some black vinegar and/or blanched beansprouts with the soup.
Japanese Sake Steamed Clams
To Cook
Over medium high heat, add the sake and ginger to a large pan and allow to boil.
Add the clams and dried chilli to the pan and turn the heat up to high. Cover the pan with a lid and allow the clams to cook until they are done. The clams are done when they open up.
Remove the lid and sprinkle the black pepper and spring onions over the clams.
Serve hot together with the soup and some steamed rice.
Filipino Omelette with Mussels (Tortang Tahong)
To Cook
Pre heat oven to 180 degree Celsius.
In a bowl, crack eggs and add salt and pepper to taste, beat eggs with a fork until fluffy.
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat, add oil, shallots and garlic, saute until fragrant. Then throw in the chopped tomatoes, constantly stir frying, until tomatoes have softened.
Add in the pre-cooked mussels and cook for another minute, then add in oyster sauce. Stir through to combine all ingredients well. Next add in the beaten eggs and swirl the pan for the egg to go round the pan.
Add beaten eggs, swirling the pan to fully spread out the eggs and other ingredients. Then sprinkle the spring onions over the top of the eggs and let it allow it to cook until the eggs begin to set, approximately about 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove omelette from the pan and transfer on to a oven tray. Place omelette into the pre heated oven and let it cook until it is completely set, approximately for a further 10 minutes. Once set, transfer on to a serving plate to serve.
Fish Curry with Rice Vermicelli (Khanom Jeen Nam Ya)
For the fish
Gut and clean the fish thoroughly, then cut into medium sized pieces.
In a pot, bring water to boil, then add fish to boil for about 5-10 mins or until fully cooked. Drain the water and remove fish from the pot. Set aside to cool.
When the fish becomes cool enough to handle, remove the skin and begin to debone the fish. Set aside the flesh while removing it before gently mashing the meat with your fingers to a mince-like texture.
For the curry paste
Cut off the ends of the lemongrass and remove the outer few layers. Finely slice the lemongrass and turmeric (if using fresh turmeric).
Using pestle and mortar (or a food processor), add a pinch of salt to the lemongrass, turmeric, garlic, and peppercorns, and pound to a smooth paste for about 20 mins.
Then add shrimp paste and pound mixture for another 5 mins. Set aside.
For the curry
In a large pot or sauce pan, add coconut milk and curry paste. Cook over medium heat.
Stir the curry until all of the curry paste dissolves into the coconut milk. Add in the minced fish, fish balls (optional) and add salt to taste. Lastly, add in the kaffir lime leaves and continue cooking for another 5 mins.
Keep stirring and turn the heat down when it starts to boil. Avoid rapid boiling the curry as it will curdle and separate the coconut milk. Keep stirring gently for about 5 mins once it comes to a boil.
Taste test for flavour and add more salt if desired.
To serve
Prepare the rice vermicelli according to instructions on the packet.
In a shallow bowl, place a serve or 100g of noodles. Ladle curry over the noodles, including fish balls.
Garnish with fresh herbs and vegetables and a wedge of lime.
Korean Army Stew (Budae Jjigae)
To Cook
Assemble the main ingredients (except for instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese) in a shallow pot. Add the sauce in the middle. Pour the stock in the corner of the pot. Close the lid and boil it on medium high heat until the stock starts to boil (about 8 mins).
Add the remaining ingredients – instant ramen noodles, rice cakes, green onion and cheese on top of the pot and boil uncovered until the noodles are cooked (about 2 to 3 mins). Reduce the heat to low (if you’re cooking on a portable burner and sharing the food at the dining table).
Start dishing out soup, protein and vegetables onto your own soup bowl. Serve with steamed rice.
Sashimi Poke Bowl
To Cook
Combine the grated ginger, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil in a bowl
Remove skin from salmon. Cut salmon and tuna into bite-size cubes, and add to marinade mixture. This can be left to marinate for longer if desired, or just until everything else is prepped.
Put edamame beans into a bowl and add boiling water. Let it sit for 5 mins, then drain and add to pokē bowl.
Assemble bowl with rice as the base and all other ingredients as toppings.
Quantities can be adjusted as desired.