To Cook
To make the soup base, bring the kombu dashi, sake and mirin in a claypot, and bring to boil. Then turn heat down to medium and add in the warm soy milk. Allow it to simmer while stirring occasionally. Add in miso paste and grounded sesame seeds. Mix well to make sure miso is properly dissolved. Add salt to taste if necessary. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn off heat and set aside.
Peel the daikon and carrot using a vegetable peeler into long paper-thin form. Set aside.
Return the soup base to medium heat. Start placing the napa cabbage leaves first, then carefully arrange half portion of some of the prepared ingredients enoki mushrooms, shimeiji mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, white raddish and carrot. Becareful not to put too many ingredients into the pot to avoid from overflowing, the remaining ingredients can be saved for the next batch.
Next add in all the other vegetables – leek, shungiku, spring inions and the pork loin as well. Wait for the soup to come to a boil, then turn heat down to the lowest setting to keep it warm. The first batch of ingredients are now ready to be served.
Once the first batch of cooked ingredients is cleared from the pot, repeat the same with the remaining ingredients.
Vegetables
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.
Stir-Fried Cos Lettuce with Garlic
To Cook
Heat wok over high heat and swirl in the cooking oil.
Add the minced garlic, and sauté for about 5 secs.
Add the lettuce and stir-fry for about 30 secs.
Add in all the sauce ingredients, stir-fry for 30 secs, or until the lettuce is just tender and still bright green.
Transfer to a serving plate, drizzle the sesame oil and serve immediately.
Blended Kabocha Miso Soup
To Cook
Heat a large pot on medium, coat the bottom with oil. Add in the onion and squash, stir for 10 mins or until onion is translucent and fragrant and squash starts to soften.
Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Pour in the water and bring to boil over high heat.
Lower to simmer for about 10 mins, until the squash are tender.
Transfer to a blender in batches, blend roughly and return to pot.
Reheat the soup over medium heat until warm.
In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp miso paste with 1 tbsp hot water, add into the soup. Taste test and add more diluted miso paste if desired.
Ladle the soup into a serving bowl, top with fish (optional), coriander and cracked black pepper. Serve
Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork (Com Tam)
To Make Dipping Sauce
Place all dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix well until sugar is dissolved.
To Cook the Pork Chops
Tenderize the pork chops until even thickness.
Mix the remaining ingredients until well-combined. Coat the pork chops with the sauce and marinade for at least 1 hr or overnight.
Heat a grill or frying pan with oil. Grill the meat until done, about 1-2 mins on each side. Remove and set aside.
To Make the Meatloaf
Set 2 egg yolks aside, add the remaining eggs into a bowl and beat well.
Add the rest of the meatloaf ingredients and mix well.
Grease a square or loaf tin and place the mixture into the tin. Spread evenly and steam covered for 30 mins.
Spread reserved egg yolks on the top of the meatloaf and steam uncovered for 5 min. Remove and let cool before slicing.
To Serve
In a serving plate, place the broken rice, grilled pork chop, meatloaf slice, fried egg, shredded pork skin, cucumber slices and pickled carrot and radish slices. Garnish with sautéed spring onion and serve with dipping sauce.
Claypot Chicken with Bitter Melon
To Cook
In a clay pot, heat sesame oil and stir-fry soybean paste and fermented black beans for 30 secs or until fragrant.
Add in the garlic, ginger, chicken and bitter melon, stir-fry until the surface of the pork turn white.
Add in the sauce ingredients and simmer covered for 15 mins.
Season with soy sauce or salt to taste. Add the Shaoxing wine before removing from heat. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve hot.
Crispy Fried Yam Puff (Wu Kok)
To Prep
In a bowl, mix together pork, soy sauce and ginger. In another bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, oyster sauce, cooking wine, water, a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper. Mix well.
To Cook
In a pan, heat up oil over medium heat. Put in pork and cook, breaking the pork into pieces using your spatula. Once they are cooked, add shrimp and stir fry until pink. Pour in the bowl of sauce mixture and stir until well combined. Transfer to a bowl and mix in spring onions. Allow to cool then, refrigerate for at least 2 hrs to marinade.
Spread out yam pieces on a plate and steam over boiling water until softened, around 20 mins. Remove from steamer and mash them immediately into paste. Set aside.
Place wheat starch into a bowl and carefully stir in boiling water to form a rough dough. When the dough mixture has cooled down slightly to a very warm temperature, add mashed yam and mix well. Place in lard, baking soda, salt and sugar. Fold and knead the dough until smooth, removing any yam lumps at the end. Roll the dough into a ball and cut into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a log and cut into 6 equal pieces. Using your palm or rolling pin, flatten each dough and roll into a dumpling wrap. Fill each dumpling wrap with the marinated filling and fold the wrap into half-moon shaped dumpling.
In a wok, heat up enough oil for deep frying over high heat. To test if the oil is sufficiently hot, drop a piece of yam lump into the oil. If it stays at the bottom of the wok for a sec before floating to the top, the oil is ready. Gently put in pieces of yam dumplings into the wok of hot oil and fry until browned. The dumplings should also be covered with crispy nettings. Remove and drain off excess oil by placing the fried dumplings on paper towels. Serve immediately.
Braised Daikon with Minced Pork (Daikon no Soboro-an)
To Cook
In a pot, place the daikon and rice and add water to cover daikon. Bring to boil, cook for 10 mins or until the daikon is nearly cooked through. Drain well.
Rinse with cold water. Drain well.
In a frying pan, heat oil over medium heat, add mince and stir-fry to break the lumps, until the colour turns pale brown.
Add the daikon and stir, then mix in the rests of the ingredients, other than the cornflour solution. Cover the surface with a drop lid or a piece of aluminium foil with holes on it.
Turn the heat to low when it starts boiling. Cook for 10 mins.
Remove the drop lid and add the well-mixed cornflour solution.
Turn the heat off when the sauce is thickened and serve with spring onion garnish.
Kale Chips with Furikake Japanese Rice Seasoning
To Cook
Set the oven to 175°C.
Line your baking trays with baking paper.
Mix the kale leaves with some olive oil using your hands.
Spread the leaves onto the baking paper.
Once the oven has been preheated, bake the kale for approximately 10-15 mins.
The kale is ready when it is crispy. Remove from oven when done.
Sprinkle the seasoning to taste. Plate and serve.
Thai Rice Soup with Pork (Khao Tom Moo)
To Prep
Mix the minced pork with the soy sauce and a large pinch of black pepper. Combine well and form into meatballs.
To Cook
Boil the stock in a pot on high heat. Once the stock begins to boil add the pork and reduce the heat enough for the stock to be at a simmer.
Add the rice into the simmering stock and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the spring onions, celery and season with fish sauce, sugar and black pepper to taste.
Serve in individual bowls and garnish with chilli coriander and the Thai fried garlic.
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.
Fish Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade fish slices with soy sauce, ground pepper and sesame oil for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, place washed rice in a large pot, Add ginger 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.
Once the congee is ready, put in marinated fish slices and salt. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook for another 3 mins until fish is cooked.
Transfer to individual bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger, coriander and You Char Kway. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce. Add a dash of ground pepper if desired.