LC Braised Duck

 

Been waiting for the Le Creuset Family Sales! Finally in September 2022... Yay! I've been eyeing on the 31cm cast iron pot for a long time. #ametist

Because I love duck, I tend to cook salted vegetable duck soup and 十全 duck soup very often. Always hoping my 27cm oval pot can fit in the whole duck but often I had to use two pots. 

Nevertheless, here's the recipe which my boys love it...

Ingredients -

2.4kg duck

1.5 tbsp salt

1 tbsp 5-spice powder

800ml water

30g galangal (sliced)

1/2 cup dark soya sauce (I use LeeKumKee)

4 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

3 star anise

30g rock sugar

Tau Kwa

Eggs

Salt & Sugar to taste

Steps -

1. Wash the duck clean, take 1 tbsp salt, rub evenly on the duck including the cavity. Then rinse off and pat dry with paper towel.

2. Marinate the duck by rubbing the 5-spice powder evenly as well as the cavity.

3. In a large pot add 800ml water in, galangal, dark soya sauce, cloves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, rock sugar & the 1/2 tbsp salt in. Bring to a boil.

4. Switch to medium heat - Slip the duck into pot gently with breast side down, make sure it’s resting comfortably..

5. Cover with lid, braise for 30mins, then flip to other side. I cook my duck for about 1.5hrs.

6. Salt and sugar to taste.

7. Remove duck, place eggs & tau kwa into the sauce and cook for a while.

Pommes Anna (Crispy French Potato Cake)

 An excellent classic dish in France! Son requested - Mummy, can you make this dish? And me looking at how easy it was, I made it for him!

Ingredients -
600g Yukon Gold potatoes
25g or more unsalted butter
Salt and pepper
Sprigs of thyme
250g Parmesan cheese

Potato peeler/Mandolin

Cast Iron

Steps -

1. Peel and slice the potatoes thinly using mandolin.

2. Heat up oven 180 Degree Celsius

3. Grease the cast iron pot with some butter around it. Melt the 25g butter in the cast iron pot.

4. Layer up the potatoes in the cast iron pot overlapping one other forming one layer. Continuing layering the potatoes in alternating circles.

5. For each layer - add dash of salt, pepper, thyme and cheese on it. Do until many layers are obtained.

6. Cook the potatoes on low heat for about 5 mins so that the bottom turns lovely golden color and then bake for 45 mins until tender and well colored with foil covered.

7. Flip and serve!

step 4

step 5

So yummy!!!

Steamed Grouper Fish (Cantonese style)

Fish again! Not my forte! I don't eat fish neither I know how to handle/clean a fish :p

Anyway, who is not cooking for love?? I'm doing it for my kids and to a good friend who love steamed fish so here I go again ...

My good friend was laughing and asked - how come the fish is in U-shape? My reply was - this is my first time to steam such a long fish so I do not have a plate for it, lolxxx ...

Ingredients

400g Grouper fish

10 slices of ginger

3 stalks of spring onions cut into 3cm

Salt

Sauce

3 Tbsp of light soya sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee) 

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 Tsp sesame oil

*Mix the above together in a bowl

Garnishing

2 stalks of spring onion cut into thin strands

6 slices of ginger cut into thin strands

2 Tbsp cooking oil

Steps

1. Season the fish with some salt. Stuff some spring onion and ginger slices into the fish. Then lay some on the plates. Place fish on top of it and steam for 10-15 mins over high heat or until its cooked through.

2. When fish is done, remove the steamed fish water, the ginger and spring onions.

3. Pour the sauce around the fish.

4. Top the fish with ginger strands then spring onions.

5. Heat the 2 tbsp cooking oil and drizzle on top of the ginger/spring onion.

End result - They love it!

Sweet Potato Ball 地瓜球

Missing Taiwan! Sweet potato ball is very popular in Taiwan especially sold in the night market. It is quite a big thing in Taiwan, simple to make yet delicious. 

Ingredients -

200g Purple sweet potato

85g Tapioca starch (sift)

55g Fine/caster sugar

1-2 tbsp water (may not need all)

Steps -

1. Peel and cut sweet potato into cubes. Put to steam for about 12 minutes until fully cooked. 

2. Remove the cooked sweet potato and put it into another clean bowl.

3. Mash the potato, add sugar and tapioca starch in immediately and mix well while it is still hot.

4. Add water in bit by bit until a play dough forms.   

5. Pinch abit of the dough and form a 1-inch diameter ball.

5. Oil in a pot in medium-low heat, drop the sweet potato balls in and keep stirring around.

6. Press the balls while frying, it needs to be done maximum twice. The balls will expand in size and hollow. Do not fry more than 6 minutes.

 

Steamed Snapper Fish (Chinese style)

 

Ingredients -

Snapper fish fillet

Spring onion

40g ginger

Sauce - 

3 tbsp light soya sauce

3 tbsp water

1/3 tsp sugar

Steps - 

1. Lay some spring onion and slices ginger on the plate. Place fish on top of it. Top some ginger on top of the fish. Steam for 8-10mins in boiling water until cooked. 

2. Pour away the dirty water from the steamed fish plate, remove all the ginger and spring onion.

3. Cook or microwave the sauce. 

4. Plate the cooked fish in a nice plate and pour the sauce on it. Garnish with spring onion :)

3-Eggs Pandan Chiffon Cake

 

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients A -
3 egg yolks
10g granulated sugar
60g cake flour, sifted + 1 tsp baking powder (combine them)
60ml coconut milk
3/4 tsp pandan extract 
2 tbsp organic coconut oil

Ingredients B -
3 egg whites
40g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Steps for ingredients A -
1. With a mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar till light and frothy. 
2. Then add the coconut milk and pandan extract in and beat for few seconds.
3. Add the cake flour and baking powder in two batches and beat for few seconds just to combine. Follow by adding coconut oil in and beat for few seconds to combine.
4. Set aside.

Steps for ingredients B - 
1. In a clean metal bowl, using mixer, beat the egg whites till bubbles forming then add cream of tartar in. Continue beating then add sugar in slowly. Beat till stiff peak formed.

To assemble - 
1. Scoop half of the ingredients B into ingredients A and fold them in gently. Follow by the other half.
2. Pour onto 17cm mould pan and bake in preheated oven 160 degree celsius for 45-60 minutes or until its baked. This time - I baked mine for 55mins, I will reduce to 50mins next round.
3. Invert cake immediately onto cooling rack until completely cooled.


Here's a guide on choosing the right chiffon pan size -

1 egg recipe - 14cm mould
2-3 eggs recipe - 17cm mould
4 or 5 eggs recipe - 21cm mould
6 eggs recipe - 23cm mould
8 eggs recipe - 25cm mould

Keto Friendly Banana Bread

Yes! Keto banana bread! Its shocking to know how healthy minded people are nowadays. Joining the hype, I decided to bake this low carb banana bread... Surprisingly I like it too.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
3 large eggs

2 cups of almond flour

1/4 cups of coconut oil

1 tsp of sugar sweetener

1 tsp baking soda

Steps

Preheat oven to 175degree C. Line your pan with parchment paper.

1. In a big bowl, beat the eggs and mashed bananas. Add the coconut oil and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda and sweetner.

3. Combine the two mixtures together until well blended.

4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 40-60mins until a toothpick insert center and comes out clean. 

Burn my arms while removing the pan :D

Keto Brownies

What!!! I'm actually baking KETO brownies??!! Yes, totally inspired by a colleague to bake something healthy... Super easy recipe, just few ingredients and its only 1g net carb per pop. Low carb chocolate dessert!

Ingredients

130g unsalted butter

70g almond flour

140g Xylitol powdered erythritol 

80g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs at room temperature

Steps

Preheat oven to 180degree C. Line your pan with parchment paper.

1. In a heatproof bowl, add butter, sweetner, cocoa powder and salt. Melt over a water bath whisking constantly. Heat it up until most sweetener has melted (note that erythritol unlike xylitol, won't dissolve much at this point).

2. Remove from heat, allow mixture to cool slightly.

3. Add one egg at a time, whisking well at each time. The texture should be smooth.

(If using erythritol and batter ends up thick -  you may add an extra egg).

4. Add the almond flour in and whisk vigorously until well blended.

5. Pour into baking pan for about 15-25mins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist.

Cool and serve!

Thai Crab Fried Rice

Ingredients -
200g uncooked rice/keep overnight
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 big eggs
120g cooked crab meat
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 tsp thai light soy sauce
pepper
scallions - optional*

Steps -
Cook the 200g rice and then fluff and let it cool aside, keep in fridge overnight.
1. Few tbsps of vegetable oil into the wok, once the oil is hot, add in the minced garlic.
2. Add the eggs in after smallest piece of garlic turn brown. Break the yolk, let it set for a bit then scramble gently.
3. Add the overnight cooked rice in. Mixed well.
4. Add the cooked crab meat.
5. Add the sugar, fish sauce, thai light soy sauce and pepper. Toss to mix well. 

Done and garnish with scallions! Enjoy along with cucumber and lime if you like.

Steamed Pomfret Fish (Teochew style) 潮州蒸鱼

Thanks Brother for the fish

Ingredients

Pomfret fish

10g Ginger (cut into strips)

1 Tomato (cut into wedges)

100g Salted vegetables

3 Salted plums

1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce

1 tbsp Hua Tiao wine

Coriander for garnishing (optional)

Steps 

1. Rinse and soak the salted vegetables for at least 30 mins. Cut into small strips.

2. Lay half of the ginger stips on the steaming plate, place tomatoes, salted vegetables around the plate. Place the fish on top.

3. Add the salted plums around the fish.

4. Pour the light soy sauce and hua tiao wine on the fish.

5. Place the balance of the ginger strips on top of the fish.

6. Steam the fish for 8-10 mins depending on the size of the fish. My fish is quite big so I steam for 14 mins.

Garnish and serve!