To Cook
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, add bamboo fungus. Boil for 2-3 mins, drain well and set aside.
Carefully place egg tofu on a heat-proof dish, sprinkle salt evenly and wrap dish with plastic food wrap. Steam egg tofu for 5 mins.
Remove the dish from steamer, then remove plastic food wrap and drain away water in the dish. Decorate the plate of egg tofu with blanched broccoli and set aside.
In a saucepan, add chicken broth, chicken powder and oyster sauce. Bring the chicken broth to the boil, add cooked bamboo fungus. Simmer for 1-2 mins. Slowly add desired amount of thickener, constantly stirring.
Remove bamboo fungus and arrange on top of egg tofu.
Garnish silken egg tofu with crab roe and serve with steamed Jasmine rice.
Seafood
Stir-Fried Rice Cake with Seafood
To Cook
Toss prawns in corn flour with a pinch of salt.
Cook the rice cake in hot water until soft. Rinse in cold water.
Heat wok with 2 tbsp vegetable oil. Stir-fry the rice cake for 2-3 mins. Set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok and stir-fry the onion, scallops, prawn, mushroom, red capsicum and spring onion with seasoning mix.
Add in rice cake and stir well to serve.
Pork Dumplings with Prawn and Chives
To Prep
Add marinade to pork and mix in a clockwise direction. Set aside for 30 mins.
Add marinade into chopped prawn meat and mix in clockwise direction. Set aside for 30 mins.
Add marinade into finely chopped chives and mix well. Set aside.
Combine pork, prawn and chives in a large bowl. Add salt and mix well in a clockwise direction.
Spoon 1 tbsp dumpling filling on dumpling skin and fold in the edges to seal.
To Cook
Bring half a pot of water to the boil. Add dumplings and cook until they float to the surface. Add some cold water and continue to boil dumplings until they float again to ensure they are cooked inside.
Drain well. Serve this hot Pork dumplings with prawn and chives with dumpling sauce and pickled ginger.
Grilled Prawns with Tamarind Sauce
For Tamarind Sauce
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Place over medium low heat until boiling, keep stirring. Simmer for further few minutes until the sauce thickens. Set aside.
To Cook
Clean the whole prawns, cut at the back from head to tail and devein.
Grill the prawns for few minutes, or only just cooked.
Arrange the prawns in a serving plate.
Pour the tamarind sauce over the prawns.
Garnish with fried shallot and dried chilli.
Stir-fried Squid, Snow Peas and Chinese Celery
To Prep
Clean and cut open the squid, and score the inside in a criss-cross pattern (this prevents it from becoming tough during cooking). Cut into 5cm pieces; marinate with salt, sugar and corn flour.
To Cook
Stir-fry the squid pieces in the wok until the sides curl up (for approximately 4 mins). Set aside.
Heat the remaining oil in the wok and fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add the celery and snow peas and stir-fry for 5 mins. Return the squid to the wok, add salt to taste. Add the spring onions; stir-fry for a further 2 mins and serve.
Glass Noodle Salad
For Seasoning Sauce
Combine coriander root, garlic and chilli finely pound. Transfer to small saucepan, adding vinegar and sugar, mix well before placing over low heat, keep boiling and slightly thickened.
Remove from heat and add lime juice, mix well.
To Cook
Combine pork fillet, prawns and onion in a mixing bowl, adding 2 tbsp seasoning sauce, gently mix through.
Add glass noodle and 4 tbsp seasoning sauce, mix well. Combine tomatoes, celery leaves and the remaining seasoning sauce, gently mix well.
Serve in a serving plate, top with dried prawns.
Hint : To prepare glass noodle, just rinse with water and drain, before boiling over high heat for 3 mins and remove, drained and soak immediately in very cold water, until completely cool down, and drain.
Red Curry with Prawns and Pineapple
To Cook
Stir-fry curry paste in heated oil over low heat until fragrant. Slowly pour coconut milk and stir fry until oil appears
Transfer the curry mixture to a saucepan and place over medium heat, adding light coconut milk until boiling. Combine pineapple, fish sauce, palm sugar and tamarind puree, stir well. Bring to the boil
Add kaffir lime and prawns gently stir through, return to the boil. Remove from heat when the prawns are cooked.
Tom Yum Soup with Prawns
To Cook
In a sauce pan, bring water to the boil over medium heat.
Boil the prawns’ heads and peels for 2 mins and remove. Use only the stock.
Bring the stock to the boil, adding lemongrass for half a minute, then add mushroom, prawns, kaffir lime, fish sauce, lime juice and chilli.
Remove from heat and serve in soup bowls. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Seafood San Choy Bow
To Prep
Cut the prawns in to small chunks and add them to a mixing bowl along with the marinade ingredients.
Add the shiitake mushrooms, carrots and water chestnuts in to the mixing bowl and let marinate for about 15 minutes.
To make the lettuce cups, remove the outer layer of the lettuce and cut out the stem of the lettuce.
Remove the leaves of the lettuce and trim them in to cup shapes with enough space to put the fillings in to them.
Store the trimmed leaves in a large bowl of cold water and keep cool until they are served.
To Cook
In a large pan or wok, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute the garlic and green onions until fragrant.
Add the marinated prawn mixture in to the pan and stir-fry until the prawn has cooked through.
Add in the Shaoxing wine and cook until almost all of the liquid has evaporated.
Add in the oyster and soy sauce and stir until well combined before adding the cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp of cold water.
Stir the cornflour mixture until the sauce begins to boil and thicken before removing from the pan.
To serve, place a couple of the lettuce leaves on to a plate and fill with the prawn filling.
Pad Thai with Prawns
To Cook
Blanch prawns in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan, add chopped onions and stir-fry on low heat until fragrant. Add Pad Thai noodles and stir-fry until softened, some water can be added.
Add Pad Thai Paste and stir to mix. Push the mixture to one side of the pan. Add 1 tbsp of oil, bring to medium heat and add the eggs.
Wait for 1 min for the eggs to set, then add the prawns; stir-fry until everything is well mixed in the pan.
Add beansprouts and Chinese leek and stir through before removing from heat. Garnish with ground roasted peanut before serving.
Indonesian Stir-Fry Seafood Noodle (Bakmi Goreng)
To Cook
Place noodles in a deep bowl and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 2-3 mins until separated. Drain and set aside.
Heat 1 tbsp oil, pour in eggs to make an omelette. When cooked, slice and set aside.
In a bowl, mix together chilli sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil.
Heat remaining oil. Add garlic, stir-fry until fragrant. Add prawns and squid. Cook for 2 mins, or until prawns turn pink and squid curled up.
Add the bowl of mixed sauces, and then the mushrooms, cook for 2 mins.
Add the noodles and toss to coat the noodles in the sauce, ensuring all ingredients are well coated. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with sliced omelette and spring onion. Serve.
Tips
For any successful stir-fry, have all the ingredients prepared and sauces on ‘stand-by’. As food is cooked on high heat, the order of adding the raw ingredients into the hot pan is important so as not to undercook, nor overcook them.
For a vegetarian option, replace seafood with a variety of fresh mushrooms like oyster, brown, white, chanterelle and enoki to give both flavour and texture to the dish.
Chinese families often fry a bowl of finely chopped garlic in a cup of oil, until golden brown. Store in a jar, and drizzle over food as a finishing touch to dishes as you would with extra virgin olive oil. Or use this fragrant oil to fry your eggs.
Tempura with Wasabi Tartar Sauce
To Cook
Add tempura batter mix to cold water and whisk through, do not over mix. Coat your choice of ingredient in the batter and deep fry in hot oil (150˚C -180˚C) until golden brown.
Mix wasabi paste, mayonnaise, capers, gherkins and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve with assorted tempura, fish and chips or use as a dipping sauce.