Fisherman's Pie

* in collaboration with Marigold for DAWN Sweetened Beverage Creamer

Main Ingredients (enough for 4 to 8 pax) :

• 300 gm fish fillet meat (cut to small cubes)(I used sea bass)(pre-marinade with pinch of salt)
• 20 pcs small to medium sized prawns (cleaned, de-shelled and deveined)(pre-marinade with pinch of salt)
• 1 to 1.5 cup frozen mixed vegetables (i.e. carrots, green peas, beans, corn)
• 1 brown onion (peeled and finely chopped)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)
• 5 russet potatoes (approx. 1 kg)(washed)
• 1 to 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• sprigs of thyme (for garnishing)
• tobiko (for garnishiing)(optional)

Seasonings for Mashed Potatoes 

• 4 to 5 tsp Marigold DAWN Sweetened Beverage Creamer (or to taste) mixed with 250 ml hot water
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp grounded pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tsp ikan bilis powder (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Seasonings for Fish & Vegetables 

• 2 to 3 tsp Marigold DAWN Sweetened Beverage Creamer (or to taste) mixed with 250 ml hot water
• 1 small pc anchovy fillet (smashed)(from canned anchovies)
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
• 1 tsp grounded pepper (or to taste)
• 1 tsp ikan bilis powder
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme 
• 2 tbsp mashed potatoes (for sauce thickening)

Method : 

1. Boil potatoes with skin on till softened. Remove potatoes from pot, remove skin and add all 'Mashed Potatoes Seasonings' and mash to your desired texture. Set aside.
2. Pre-heat oven to 180C.
3. Heat 1 tbsp butter in frying pan, saute onions and garlic till lightly fragrant and caramelised. 
4. Toss in frozen mixed vegetables. Quick stir fry.
5. Add all 'Fish & Vegetables Seasonings'. Allow to simmer and reduce to a thick gravy.
6. Turn off heat. Drain excess liquid and transfer ingredients to an oven safe casserole or greased baking pan. 
7. Add fish meats and prawns. Spread ingredients evenly. Leave a small portion of fish and prawns atop mashed potatoes if you prefer some crisp textures from the baked seafood. 
8. Sprinkle grated Cheddar cheese generously atop.
9. Use a spoon to spread a thick layer of mashed potatoes over the grated cheese.
10. Use a fork to score the mashed potatoes to achieve nice browning. 
11. Bake in oven for 20 minutes. Increase temp to 200C for another min. 10 minutes to achieve darker golden brown effect. Results may vary due to different oven size and makes. Please exercise own judgement by checking the oven.
12. Remove from oven when satisfied.
13. Garnish with thyme and tobiko. Serve whilst hot.

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Chicken & Pork Satay (Chicken Rice Paste Marinade)

* in collaboration with Dancing Chef for Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste

I do not know if anyone else encounter the same problem as me....as my parents age (they are very old now :)), their palate for food are becoming like children. In their case, strictly no spicy food now. They wouldn't even give their younger days' favourite curry a chance. It's definitely challenging for me to cook for the entire family nowadays. I have to be more creative in my rendition of traditional spicy dishes for the family. This Chicken & Pork Satay is one of which that I attempted using Dancing Chef's Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste. Not spicy and Yes!...different from tradition but I must say it's very easy and very palatable! I also made the Hainanese Chicken Rice Chili for my husband and myself. As I was writing this post....my family was feasting happily and heartily. Mother's Day is coming and we had an early mini celebration as my husband would be travelling for work...but Mother's Day/Father's Day or not...I'm always happy to cook for my parents and my love ones. These are the moments that I truly treasure.

#DancingChef

Ingredients for Satay Meats (yield about 30 sticks chicken & 30 sticks pork) :

• 1/2 packet Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste for Chicken
• 1/2 packet Dancing Chef Hainanese Chicken Rice Paste for Pork
• 800g boneless chicken thing meat (cleaned and cut to strips)
• 600g pork belly meat (cleaned and cut to strips)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar for chicken (or to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar for pork (or to taste)
• Cooking oil to grease the pan

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Use a food mallet to tenderise meats if necessary.
2. Add seasonings and meats into 2 bowls respectively (1 bowl for chicken and 1 bowl for pork)
3. Marinade all meats in chiller for 1 hour. 
4. Meanwhile, use a brush to oil bamboo skewers
5. Before cook, remove meats from chiller.
6. Skew all meats with bamboo sticks.
7. Turn on medium heat. Brush cooking oil to grease grill pan.
8. Grill meat skewers on grill pan. Brush oil onto meats occasionally until fully cooked and meat caramelised nicely.
9. Serve whilst hot with or without sauce(s).

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Golden Prawn Rolls with Mango Salsa 黄金香芒虾卷

* in collaboration with San Remo for Durum Wheat Semolina

Who doesn't like a prawns and mango combo? My husband loves these Golden Prawn Rolls with Mango Salsa 黄金香芒虾卷. He told me it feels a little like the Indian Prawn Vadai, but less the heavy spice flavours (he prefers it this way). The prawn heads and tails are also deep fried till golden crispy and can be eaten crackling. The prawn rolls goes well with the sweet and sour mango salsa with the added tanginess from the onions. 

Actually, I'd all along used semolina for fresh pasta making due to its coarse texture. I was pleasantly surprised when using San Remo Durum Wheat Semolina for this pastry skin as a smooth texture dough was achieved. And check out how well the pastry skin reacted to deep frying - with the beautiful 'bubbling' on the surface!   

WIN! Get a chance to WIN* $5,000 FairPrice Gift Vouchers if you purchase at least $3 worth of San Remo products in FairPrice between 5-30 April 2019! *Terms and conditions apply. Refer San Remo for more information!

#SanRemoSG #SanRemoPasta #SanRemo

Ingredients for Pastry Skin (enough for 4 to 8 pax as a side dish) :

• 200 gm San Remo Durum Wheat Semolina Flour
• 50 gm plain flour
• 1 large egg (beaten)
• water (beaten egg + water = 150 ml)

Seasoning Ingredients for Prawns :

• 10 pcs large prawns (de-shelled except for heads and tails)(deveined)
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ikan bilis powder

 Ingredients for Mango Salsa :

• 3 to 4 ripe mangoes (deseed and cut to small cubes) 
• 1 mid-sized onion (diced)
• a handful of finely chopped coriander
• 2 tbsp sugar (for caramelisation in pot)
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder (for caramelisation in pot)
• a dash of cayenne powder or paprika (optional)

Method :

1. Sieve San Remo Durum Wheat Semolina flour and plain flour into a large bowl.
2. Dig a well at the centre and fold in egg mixture (egg + water). Leave about 1/4 of egg mixture to be added at later part.
3. Knead with hands till dough is smooth and even. Add last 1/4 of egg mixture bit by bit and knead to desired texture. It's not necessary to use up all egg mixture so long as desired texture is attained.
4. When ready, cover dough with cling wrap and leave it to rest for about 1 hour.
5. Meanwhile, marinade prawns with all seasoning ingredients. Set aside
6. When ready to cook, divide dough into 10 equal pcs (approx. 25 gm each).
7. Flatten with a rolling pin. Use a round cutter (about 11 cm diameter) to cut pastry skin into same sized round shapes.
8. Brush a little egg wash on one side of pastry skin.
9. Roll one prawn into each pastry skin.
10. Heat cooking oil. Deep fry prawn rolls till light golden colour. 
11. Drain prawn rolls with paper towels. Set aside.
12. To prepare mango salsa, heat pot over stove. Add sugar and five spice powder into pot and allow to caramelise over heat. 
13. Fold in onions and mangoes and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
14. Fold in coriander and mix well.
15. Deep fry prawn rolls again just before serve.
16. Plate and top with mango salsa. Sprinkle a little cayenne powder or paprika.
17. Serve whilst hot.

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Salmon Otak-Otak 三文鱼窝咑

* in collaboration with the NEW Knorr SavorRich Chicken Concentrated Seasoning

Salmon need not be used only on western dishes. They can be applied to our South East Asian delights too. I can assure you that this Salmon Otak-Otak 三文鱼窝咑 is not in any way inferior, especially with the enhanced flavourings from Knorr SavorRich Chicken Concentrated Seasoning. With just 1 to 1.5 tbsp of which, I didn't have to use salt, fish sauce, pepper etc. 这么方便, 哪里找?

#KnorrSG, @Knorr Singapore

Ingredients (enough for 4 to 8 pax as a side dish) :

• 8 pcs banana leaves (trim to size of approx. 15 cm x 15 cm each)(cleaned and lightly treated over fire/flames so that leaves would not break when folded)
• bamboo picks (to fasten banana leaves into holding cups)
• 400 gm shredded salmon (or salmon fillet, cut into 4 pcs to fit into banana leaf cups)

Ingredients for Spicy Paste :

• 3 pcs red chilies (deseeded and sliced)
• 2 pcs chili padi (deseeded and sliced)
• 2 stalks lemon grass (thinly sliced)
• 5 cloves garlic (diced)
• 5 pcs candlenuts
• 1 large red onion (diced)
• 1-inch galangal (chopped)
• 1-inch tumeric (chopped)
• 8 pcs kaffir lime leaves (remove spine and finely chopped)

Seasoning Ingredients :

• 1 tbsp Knorr SavoRich Chicken Concentrated Seasoning (or to taste)
• 1/2 to 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• Juice from 1 Thai green lime
• 100 gm coconut cream
• 2 beaten eggs

Method :

1. Make 4 banana leaf cups (using 2 pcs of banana leaves each). Fasten cups with bamboo picks.
2. Blend all Spicy Paste ingredients with food processor then combine all seasoning ingredients. Mix well.
3. Spoon in 1 to 2 tbsp spicy mixture to the base of each banana leaf cup. 
4. Place 100 gm shredded salmon into each banana leaf cup. 
5. Spoon in the remainder spicy mixture till the salmon in all 4 banana leaf cups have just been nicely covered. 
6. Send all 4 cups to steam for about 15 minutes. 
7. Serve whilst hot. If you prefer your otak-otak to have the smokey banana leaf fragrance like me, further bake the otak-otak in an oven for another 10 minutes at 160C before serve.

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Coconut & Prawn Bisque 椰汁鲜虾浓汤

[Freshness Recognition Cooking Contest] by RedMart

As regular customer of RedMart, I'm excited to take part in this contest! This time, I wanted to try something different by breaking away from the South East Asian's tradition of cooking chicken with coconut. And neither did I want a spicy tong yum/curry dish. My efforts to create this fusion dish pays off when the last bit of this Coconut & Prawn Bisque 椰汁鲜虾浓汤 has been slurped up from the dining table. 

Fresh coconut water + fresh prawns simply spell natural FRESHNESS! The coconut water has made the broth so refreshing with a light tinge of coconut flavour (not overpowering and not rich/heavy like coconut milk/cream). Try to imagine the coconut meat turning out smooth and tender like tofu (豆腐花)! The prawn broth's also thickened naturally (without cream) by the prawn pastes that's rendered from the prawn heads and shells. Plus, the smokey grilled tiger prawns and broccoli provided the layering of flavours when dipped into the broth. All in

all....it's so easy to cook and everybody loves it! This' a keeper for my family!

#RedMart #freshnessrecognition @RedMartCom

Ingredients :

• 10 to 12 pics fresh Tiger Prawns (I used "Serve" tiger prawns by Hai Sia. Available at RedMart)
• 2 to 3 fresh coconuts (subject to sizes)(pre-cut at the top)(young coconuts preferred)
• a handful of scallops (optional)
• few florets of broccoli
• 1 brown/yellow onion (sliced)
• 5 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1 stalk lemongrass (pressed and chopped to 4 sticks)
• 1 tsp ikan bilis powder (or to taste)
• 6 tbsp tomato paste (preferably with tomato chunks)(or to taste)
• salt (to taste)
• dollop of butter
• 4 to 6 tbsp cooking oil (to render prawn oil)

Method :

1. Trim whiskers and tips of tiger prawns. Devein. 
2. Remove heads and shells for half portion of tiger prawns. Keep the heads and shells aside.  
3. Marinade all tiger prawns with a little salt. Set aside.
4. Pry open top part of coconut and transfer coconut water to a different bowl. Set aside. Do not discard coconut husks.
5. Render simple prawn oil by quick stir frying prawn heads/shells and a little sliced onions in cooking oil till aromatic. 
6. Strain prawn oil into a saucepan. Quick stir fry onions, garlic and lemongrass till aromatic. 
7. Fold in tomato paste, coconut water and seasonings. 
8. Stir evenly and turn off heat once mixture starts to bubble.
9. Transfer mixture (together with aromatics) into coconut husks. Do not fill to the brim. Leave a little space allowance for prawns and scallops.
10. Double boil or steam coconut husks with mixtures for 1.5 hour.
11. Towards the last 15 minutes of double boiling/steaming, skewer the other 5 to 6 pcs of prawns (with heads and shells), broccoli florets and scallops.
12. Add dollop of butter and grill skewers on stove or in oven for that smokey touch.
13. At the end of 1.5 hours, add balance scallops and the de-shelled prawns into coconut husks. Continue double boil or steam for another 10 to 15 minutes (or till seafood are just cooked). 
14. Serve entire coconut (with broth and ingredients) hot together with skewered prawns. Drizzle a little prawn oil over the skewers. This would allow layering of flavours to our palate when dipped into bisque.
15. The bisque should be slightly thickened by the pastes rendered from the prawn heads and shells. Yet, the entire dish would taste and spell natural freshness! 

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