Easy Deep Fried Soft Shell Crabs 简易油炸软壳蟹

*in collaboration with Dancing Chef for Thai Seafood Sauce

We Chinese consume various foods for different symbolic and auspicious meanings. This' especially so during the Chinese New Year (CNY) period. Now that we're fast approaching this year's CNY, I've cooked this Easy Deep Fried Soft Shell Crabs 简易油炸软壳蟹 to wish all my friends and loved ones 事业, 人气, 运气都像蟹一样, 一煮就红! 气势如虹 in the new year! 

To make the dish more flavourful, I've used Dancing Chef™’s Thai Seafood Sauce to make an easy gravy/dipping sauce to go with the deep fried soft shell crabs. We like it!

Dancing Chef™ Chinese New Year Promotion

Dancing Chef™ Paste 100g and Suki Sauce 230g : 3 for S$7.85 (UP: S$2.85) are available at all major supermarkets from 1 January 2018 to 28 February 2018. 

Ingredients :

• 5 pcs mid-sized soft shell crabs
• 1 tbsp Dancing Chef Thai Seafood Sauce
• 70 gm bread crumbs 
• 6 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 beaten egg
• cooking oil for deep frying
• spring onions (for garnishing)(optional)
• sliced green chili (for garnishing)(optional)
• sliced chili padi (for garnishing)(optional)

Gravy / Dipping Sauce :

• 1 packet Dancing Chef Thai Seafood Sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 80ml water

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Pat dry soft shell crabs with paper towels.
2. Prep 3 trays to coat/dip soft shell crabs for deep frying. Tray 1 - Tapioca flour, baking soda, salt, sugar. Mix well. Tray 2 - Beaten egg, 1 tbsp Dancing Chef Thai Seafood Sauce. Mix well. Tray 3 - Bread crumbs
3. When ready to cook, heat cooking oil in saucepan/wok at medium heat.
4. Coat/dip soft shell crabs in the sequence of Tray 1, Tray 2 and Tray 3.
5. Deep fry at medium heat till coated soft shell crabs turn golden brown. 
6. Remove ingredients from hot cooking oil and leave to rest on a plate lined with paper towel.
7. Meanwhile, combine all gravy/dipping sauce ingredients in a pan and bring to boil. 
8. Plate, garnish and drizzle gravy/sauce over soft shell crabs when served.

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Chicken Gyoza in Creamy Thai Stock 泰式椰香金元宝

*in collaboration with CP and Emporium Shokuhin

Gyoza looks exactly like Chinese Ingots (元宝). Who doesn't want lots of 元宝 in the New Year? I want lots and lots of gold ingots!! This Chicken Gyoza in Creamy Thai Stock 泰式椰香金元宝 is so easy to make that it requires only Step 1-2-3 to create the symbolic meaning for our New Year! I air fried the gyoza first for the fragrance and crispiness. And dip them into the Thai coconut cream stock for the flavours. New approach but the texture and flavours work well for my family!

CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton and CP Chicken Gyoza are available at Emporium Shokuhin. Enjoy 50% OFF CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton and Chicken Broth when you shop online at cpshopz.sg. Promotion starts from 1st Feb 2018.

Ingredients  :

Dumplings

• 1 packet CP Chicken Gyoza (about 18 pcs)

Creamy Thai Stock

• 1 packet CP wonton soup seasoning (c/w CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton packaging)
• 200 ml water
• 50ml coconut cream
• 1 tbsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 3 chili padi (sliced)
• 1/2 stalk coriander (finely chopped)
• 1 green chili (sliced)(optional)

Garnishing

• 1/2 carrot (peeled, thinly sliced and cut to flower shape)
• 1 baby red radish (thinly sliced)(optional)
• 1 stalk coriander

Method : 

1. Combine carrot slices and all creamy Thai stock ingredients and seasonings in a saucepan and bring to boil. Set aside.
2. Heat dumplings/Jumbo shrimp wontons as per packet instructions. Deep fry, air fry or bake (I air fried at 200C for 10 mins).
3. When ready, assemble all in serving plate, garnish and serve. 

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Jumbo Shrimp Wonton with Thai Salad & Spicy Dressing 欢乐嘻哈大团圆

*in collaboration with CP and Emporium Shokuhin

Wonton in my family denotes 团团圆圆 and we always have wontons or dumplings during Chinese New Year. This year would be no exception. Instead of the normal dumpling soup, I've attempted something more colourful, auspicious and cheerful for the CNY by accompanying with Thai vegetables salad and spicy dressing. For this Jumbo Shrimp Wonton with Thai Salad & Spicy Dressing 欢乐嘻哈大团圆, the dressing's easily prepared by using the seasonings that c/w CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton packaging + a few other simple ingredients. It's an explosion of flavours (spicy, sour, salty, sweet) that goes very well with the dumplings! With the already cooked dumplings, the dish cannot be any easier!

CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton and CP Chicken Gyoza are available at Emporium Shokuhin. Enjoy 50% OFF CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton and Chicken Broth when you shop online at cpshopz.sg. Promotion starts from 1st Feb 2018.

Ingredients  :

Dumplings

• 1 box CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton (8 pcs)

Dressing/Sauce

• 1 packet CP wonton soup seasoning (c/w CP Jumbo Shrimp Wonton packaging)
• 200 ml water
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 green chili (sliced)
• 3 chili padi (sliced)
• 1/2 stalk coriander (finely chopped)
• toasted sesame (optional)

Salad

• 2 mid-sized onions (julienned)
• 1 carrot (peeled and shredded)
• 1 Japanese cucumber (shredded)
• 1 yellow capsicum (shredded)
• 1 thumb size ginger (peeled and shredded)
• 1 stalk coriander (finely chopped)
• 5 pcs red baby radish (thinly sliced)(optional)
• 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (or any other preferred nuts)(optional)
• can add shredded mangoes (which I did not have at home)

Method : 

1. Combine all dressing/sauce ingredients and seasonings in a saucepan and bring to boil. Set aside in a small bowl or ramekin.
2. Combine and toss all salad ingredients with a little dressing/sauce. Set aside.
3. Heat dumplings/Jumbo shrimp wontons as per packet instructions. Boil or steam. 
4. When ready, assemble all in serving plate, garnish and serve. 

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Creamy Tom Yum Seafood Gnocchi 冬炎海鲜马铃薯丸子

*in collaboration with Casa Rinaldi for gnocchi

Gnocchi is a type of traditional Italian pasta. Literally, they're small dumplings that's primarily made up of potatoes, semolina or flour. It's a staple for many places in Europe for the longest time. I remember watching MasterChefs series on TV and always marvel at the contestants' abilities to make their own gnocchi. I had always wanted to try it. Casa Rinaldi has made it so easy and convenient now by introducing the packet ones to Singapore. All we have to do is to boil it for short few minutes and the gnocchi could be served with any sauce and cooked ingredients. One may of course pan fry or deep fry the gnocchi for a different feel too! Do you believe that cooking gnocchi is actually easier than cooking rice? When I was given an opportunity to try out Casa Rinaldi's gnocchi, my immediate thought was to pair them with something Asian to make it uniquely ours. So, this Creamy Tom Yum Seafood Gnocchi 冬炎海鲜马铃薯丸子is really one successful cooking experiment to marry something from the East and West. And I did it without using any store bought Tom Yum paste!

My husband fell in love with this dish (and in particular the gnocchi) immediately. He told me it's a perfect combo. How can I not be happy? Seeing him finishing everything up in his bowl in content is just worth all my time and efforts.... 

Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi is available exclusively at NTUC finest under the pasta section. (Retail price at $9.50 per pack). Don't miss out Casa Rinaldi giveaway at http://bit.ly/2f9PfwJ

Ingredients (enough for 2 pax) :

• 300 gm Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi (available at NTUC Finest)
• 8 pcs prawns (with head and shells)
• 1 pc cuttlefish (cleaned and sliced)
• 200 gm white or brown clams (optional)
• 4 large pcs oyster mushrooms or 8 to 10 shitake mushrooms (sliced)
• 1 tomato (cut to wedges) or 8 cherry tomatoes
• 4 pcs baby corn
• 500 ml home brewed frozen prawn heads stock (Click here : Prawn Heads Stock Base 虾头浓汤底 for recipe ) or use store bought seafood stock.    
• 3 stalks lemon grass (pressed and chopped)
• 2 pcs thumb size galangal (peel and sliced)
• 10 pcs kaffir lime leaves 
• 1 large onion (peeled and sliced)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled and pressed)
• 2 to 3 chili padi or bird's eye chili (sliced)
• 1 red chili (sliced and deseed; do not deseed if you prefer very hot and spicy)
• 4 to 5 tbsp fish sauce (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup lime juice (from about 2 Thai green limes)(or to taste)
• 2 tbsp Thai chili paste
• 1 to 2 tbsp gula melaka/palm sugar (or to taste)(it's alright to use white sugar)
• a handful of coriander (chopped for garnishing)
• +/-150 ml coconut cream (depending on your desired thickness)
• a dash of paprika
• cooking oil

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon) 

Method :

1. Heat a little cooking oil in pot and lightly stir fry all aromatics ingredients (i.e. galangal, onions, lemon grass, garlic) in soup pot at medium heat.
2. Toss in mushrooms and baby corns to give it a quick stir fry. 
3. Add frozen prawn heads stock into the pot. Allow frozen stock to be simmered and melted in the pot. Wait till boiled.
4. Add fish sauce into soup. 
5. Add sliced chillies and kaffir lime leaves into soup. Do note to tear the leaves, not cut. You would feel a distinctive difference in fragrance by tearing instead of cutting the leaves.
6. Add Thai chili paste and gula melaka/palm sugar.
7. Stir and taste test to your satisfaction. By now, you should be able to achieve the tom yum taste less the sourness from the lime juice.
8. Cover lid and simmer for 10 minutes at medium heat.
9. After 10 minutes, turn to low heat. Remove lid and slowly fold in prawns, squid, clams, tomatoes in sequence. Fold in each ingredient at 30 seconds interval.
10. Poach gnocchi in the tom yum soup with the assistance of a strainer till boiled (so that gnocchi will not be lost in the pot). It'll only take about 2 minutes. Gnocchi will turn mushy if over cooked.
11. Remove gnocchi and set aside when cooked.
12. Seafood will also take about 2 to 3 minutes till cooked. Do not overcook seafood.
13. Prawns may emit foam whilst boiling. Skim the foam off the top.
14. Fold in coconut cream and stir well.
15. Turn off heat.
16. Fold in lime juice. 
17. Stir and taste test to your satisfaction. Some like it more sour, some like it more spicy, some like it more salty. You may adjust lime juice, chili, fish sauce and sugar in accordance to your preference.
18. Dish out. Plate ingredients and creamy soup with cooked gnocchi.
19. Garnish with chopped coriander and a dash of paprika before serve.
20. Serve whilst hot.

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