Monday, January 25, 2021

BAKED PORTUGUESE CHICKEN AND RICE

A dish invented in Hong Kong and served in many chachanteng.

焗葡國雞飯
['Guk pou gwok gai faan']
BAKED PORTUGUESE CHICKEN AND RICE


Marinate about half a pound of chicken chunks in a little rice wine, soy sauce, ginger, and corn starch. Then brown them in a skillet with a few chunks of fatty sausage (linguiça or chorizo, your choice). Layer it on top of scallion & egg-fried rice in a casserole, add cooked potato wedges, pour a mild coconut curry sauce over, add a sprinkle of grated cheese, and brown it under the broiler. A slight excess of the coconut curry sauce is recommended.

Serve with hot sauce on the side.


Some people cook chopped bell peppers along with the chicken.


From this post: HALF BAKED PORTUGUESE COOT


HAKKA STYLE PORK BELLY WITH PLUM VEGETABLE

客家式梅菜扣肉
['haak gaa sik mui choi kau yiuk']
MUI CHOI KAU YIUK

Hakka style steamed pork belly with preserved vegetables.


Slightly over a pound of pork is enough for about three or four people. The preserved vegetables, after soaking and rinsing, should have a volume of about between two thirds and roughly equal to the amount of pork. A bit of garlic and ginger, plus three or four tablespoons of soy sauce, and a hefty jigger of Siu Heng ricewine or sherry. Teaspoon of sugar.


Coarsely chop the rehydrated (if dried, they should be soaked for at least two or three hours; if tinned or plastic packed, half that) plum vegetable (梅菜 'mui choi', or 雪裡蕻/雪里紅 'suet lei hung'; a type of brassica) coarsely. Parboil the entire piece of pork in boiling water for about ten to fifteen minutes, drain and cool, and rub all over with soy sauce (about two TBS) to give it some colour, especially the rind.
Then fry it in hot oil all over, two or three minutes. Watch out for splashing. Take it out, and when it's cooled enough to handle, cut it into thick slices. Layer the bottom of a metal, ceramic, or pyrex bowl with the slices, rind side down.
Add little sprinkle of sugar.

Gild the chopped garlic and ginger (a suitable quantity, use your own judgement). When they have started to colour, add the plum vegetable and saute till nicely fragrant; add the siu heng wine and a tablespoon or two of soy sauce. Stir. Decant, and layer on top of the pork; there should be a little clearance only. Put a plate on top, and place in the steamer for about three hours. More time will not hurt the dish.

Take the bowl out of the steamer, place a serving plate with a deep rim upside down over the bowl, and deftly flip it so everything ends up on the plate. Bottom layer mui choi, then the thick slices tender fatty pork.


Serve with plenty of rice.


From this post: OH, ZESTINESS!


STIRFRIED CLAMS

豉椒炒蜆
[Stirfried clams with salted black beans and red pepper: 'si jiu chaau hin']


Rinse the clams in salt water, and briefly boil them. Sauté chopped shallot, minced salted black bean, garlic, and hot red chilies, till fragrant. Add the clams, agitate briskly, drizzle in a little siuheng rice wine or sherry, followed by the sauce fixings (dollop oyster sauce, spoonful of soy sauce, whisked smooth), then add the usual solution of cornstarch, water, and sugar and sir around till coated and glazed. Throw in a handful of segmented scallion, give it all a final turn, and plate it.



From this post: NOT MINNESOTA CLAMS


OMELETTE WITH BITTER MELON AND PRESERVED MUSTARD

Serve over rice, or as a main dish.


涼瓜榨菜煎蛋
['Leung gwaa jaa choi jin daan']
Bitter Melon Preserved Mustard Omelette


3 eggs.
Pinch pepper.
1.5 TBS water.
2 TBS preserved mustard (榨菜 'jaa choi'), minced.
2 TBS oil.
Half cup thinly sliced, soaked, and drained bitter melon.


Beat eggs with pepper, water and preserved mustard. Heat wok over medium, when hot add the oil, then pour beaten egg in.
Let cook about half a minute, then strew the bitter melon into it. When the omelette is a golden on the bottom, take two spatulas, carefully lift and flip over. Let cook till set. Dump onto plate, serve hot. To be cut up with a serving spoon or just ripped apart by flying chopsticks.

Sriracha or sweet Thai-style hot sauce (or both) are good with this.



From this post: EGG, BITTER MELON, CHILI SAUCE, RICE


PULI FRY

Meat prepared with tamarind. A side dish.


PULI FRY

Half pound meat or slightly more, small chunk cut.
One big onion, sliced.
Tablespoon chili paste.
Teaspoon ground coriander.
Two cloves garlic, mashed.
Equivalent amount ginger, ditto.
One cup tamarind water.

Mix the meat with the chili paste, coriander, garlic, and ginger. Fry the sliced onion golden in sufficient oil, add the meat, fry till fragrant. Pour in the tamarind water and cook till thick. Adding a pinch of ground nutmeg while frying the meat is my recommendation here.



From this post: PULI FRY -- FRAZZLED MEAT WITH TAMARIND


KONKANI FISH CURRY

A main dish.


KONKANI FISH CURRY

Ingredients:
Two pounds firm fish, big chunks.
Half cup each: Oil, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes.
One and a half cup coconut milk (more or less one can).
Half dozen green peppers, slit and seeded.

Masala:
Three tablespoons chilipaste.
One tablespoon ground coriander.
One teaspoon each: ground cumin, turmeric, sweet chili powder.
Minced ginger, minced garlic.
Half cup of tamarind water.

Put the chili paste, spices, ginger, garlic, and tamarind water in the blender. Brown the onions. Add tomatoes and masala, fry fiercely for two minutes. Add half the coconut milk and cook till oil separates. Put in the fish, green chilies, and some water. Cook for five minutes. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat.

Rice. Bread.


From here: VINDALOO, BALLICHAO, JHINGA MASALA, KONKANI FISH CURRY, KHARI BISCUIT, AND SALI MARGI; THINK OF IRANI CAFÉS IN THE FORT


JHINGA MASALA

A main dish.


JHINGA MASALA

Ingredients:
Two pounds large fresh prawns.
Half cup oil, half cup finely chopped onions.

Masala:
Three tablespoons chili paste.
Half tablespoon turmeric.
Half teaspoon each: paprika, cinnamon powder.
Quarter teaspoon clove powder.
Plenty chopped ginger, a little garlic.
Four tablespoons vinegar.
Four tablespoons tamarind water.

Put spices, vinegar, and tamarind water in the blender, add water if necessary.
Fry onions golden, add the masala, cook till the oil separates.
Add prawns, cook till done.


From here: VINDALOO, BALLICHAO, JHINGA MASALA, KONKANI FISH CURRY, KHARI BISCUIT, AND SALI MARGI; THINK OF IRANI CAFÉS IN THE FORT


SHRIMP BALLICHAO

A sidedish.


SHRIMP BALLICHAO

Ingredients:
Two pounds shrimp, shelled and veined.
One cup minced onion.
Half cup chopped tomato.

Masala:
Three tablespoons chili paste.
One tablespoon golden sugar.
One teaspoon garam masala.
Half a teaspoon ground black pepper.
Quarter teaspoon each ground cumin, turmeric, salt, cayenne.
Half a cup of vinegar, half a cup of tamarind water.

Put everything except shrimp, onion, and tomato in a blender. Fry the prawns a scant two minutes, remove and drain. Brown onions, add spices, then add the tomatoes. Cook till blended well and thick. Add the prawns and fry till done.

Sourdough bread.



From here: VINDALOO, BALLICHAO, JHINGA MASALA, KONKANI FISH CURRY, KHARI BISCUIT, AND SALI MARGI; THINK OF IRANI CAFÉS IN THE FORT


VINDALOO

Not the British national dish.


VINDALOO

Ingredients:
Two pounds pork, large cubes.
One onion, chopped.
Quarter cup of cilantro.

Marinade:
Quarter cup vinegar, tablespoon sugar, tablespoon ground pepper, plus one or two green cardamom pods, cloves, bay leaves, green chilies.

Masala:
Tablespoon chili paste.
Tablespoon ground coriander.
One teaspoon cinnamon powder.
Half teaspoon ground cumin.
Ginger and garlic.
Quarter cup vinegar.
Quarter cup strong tamarind water.

Mix the ingredients of masala smooth in a blender. Marinate meat for several hours in marinade. Brown onions, add the masala, cook till the oil separates. Add meat and marinade, heat to boil, add two or three cups of water, turn flame low. Simmer for a few hours. Add the cilantro, remove from heat.

Serve with plain white rice.
And sourdough bread.



From here: VINDALOO, BALLICHAO, JHINGA MASALA, KONKANI FISH CURRY, KHARI BISCUIT, AND SALI MARGI; THINK OF IRANI CAFÉS IN THE FORT


PORK BALLICHAO

Macanese. Side dish.


PORK BALLICHAO

Ingredients for the enamel stew-pot:
One pound pork, cut into smallish cubes.
Four tablespoons wet shrimp paste.
Two onions, minced.
Half a dozen cloves of garlic, sliced.
Two TBS chili paste (sambal oelek).
Two to four Tbs oil.

Spice paste:
Two TBS chili paste.
Two TBS Louisiana hot sauce.
Four TBS tamarind water.
One head of garlic, separated into cloves, feet trimmed.
A piece of ginger, roughly three slices.
One TBS peppercorns.
One Tsp. ground cumin.
Half Tsp. turmeric.
Half Tsp. cinnamon.
Quarter Tsp. ground clove.
One cup of white vinegar.


Put the spice paste ingredients into the blender, reserving some of the vinegar to rinse out the remaining sludge after blending well.
Reserve it all.

Sautée the pork pieces till slightly browned at the edges, but not fully cooked. Decant and set aside. Lightly gild the garlic, add onion, fry till the onion starts to brown. Now add the chili paste and the shrimp paste and close the kitchen door if you haven't done so already.
Cook until colour and smell change, add the garlic and spice sludge, cook for a few minutes till everything is incorporated, put in the pork chunks, stir, and simmer for half an hour on low, stirring occasionally. Add a pinch of sugar at the end. When it's nice and stiff, squeeze a lemon over it.



From this post: BUT THAT SMELL!


KALE AND TOFU STIR-FRY WITH BACON

What the English might call a 'devil'.


KALE AND TOFU STIR-FRY WITH BACON

One pound fried tofu cubes bought at a market in Chinatown.
Three cloves of garlic, minced.
Two Tablespoons of sambal oelek or sambal badjak.
Two bunches (one pound) kale, rinsed and chopped.
Half a cup chicken stock.
Quarter cup sherry.
Dash of fish sauce.
Hefty pinch of sugar.
Salt and pepper.
Lime wedges.

Plus: Thick slices of French bread or sourdough drizzled with olive oil, and baked on an oiled sheet in the oven till nicely golden.

And: Six rashers of bacon cut in large pieces across, fried till almost crispy, with two to four tablespoons of the grease reserved.

First reduce the chicken stock, sherry, and fish sauce by two thirds with the pinch of sugar added. Heat up the bacon grease in a roomy fry pan, add the garlic and stir about, then add the sambal and chopped kale, stir around a few seconds on high heat, pour the reduced stock and sherry mixture into the pan and dump in the tofu and bacon pieces, toss till heated through. Add salt and pepper. Serve with the toasted slices of bread for crunch.
Lime wedges for squeezing.


A BURRITO WITH FAT IN IT!>


SALT FISH AND CHICKEN FRIED RICE

Classic lunch fried rice.


鹹魚雞粒炒飯
['haam yü gai naap chaau faan']

For two people you will need between a quarter of a pound and a half pound of small chunked chicken, marinated in a little corn starch and rice wine. Plus nearly four ounces of a moister softer salt fish than the plank fish (柴魚 'chai yü') used for jook (柴魚花生粥 'chai yü faa saang juk'), or the dried flounder (左口魚 'jo hau yu') in won ton soup. Plus some shredded lettuce and chopped random green vegetable as desired, for both colour and a fresh flavour. A little minced ginger, chopped scallions, and an egg. And two to three cups of cooked rice, at room temperature.

Break the rice apart so it doesn't clump, cut the salt fish into small pieces, and whisk the egg.

Stir-fry the random green vegetable first, decant, leaving the hot oil in the pan. Stir-fry the salt fish till golden, decant. Add the chicken to the hot oil, quickly stir about to cook, then add the rice and minced ginger. When the rice is heated through push it to one side, dump the whisked egg into the clear space, and when it is softly set, break it into the rice, add the fish, vegetables, and lettuce, stir, add the scallion and mix in. Serve.


From this post: EXPERIMENTS WITH SALT FISH