Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle AKA 福建炒虾面

Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle is a popular local street food. You can find sometimes not one but two stalls selling Hokkien Prawn Noodle in a Hawker Food Center.

The essence of this dish is the richness of the stock. The flavor of the pork bones and prawns stock should be absorbed by the noodles but noodles should not be overcooked or soggy. The dish should neither be too dry or too wet. And the other contributing factor to a plate of yummylicious Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle is the wok hei aka 镬气. (The flavour, tastes, and "essence" imparted by a hot wok on food during stir frying - Wikipedia)

It is no secret that Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle is one of the most difficult dishes to perfect. That explains why the renowned stalls have long queues for their Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle.

Having said that, I am still going ahead to share my recipe for Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodle. Though it's nowhere near perfection for now, but it is good enough to curb my craving.

Ingredients
100g of yellow noodles (parboiled)
200g of thick noodles
180ml of stock
6 prawns (with shells intact, pre-cooked in stock)
50g of pork belly (sliced, pre-cooked in stock)
80g of squids (sliced, pre-cooked in stock)
2 eggs (beaten)
20g of beansprouts
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 stalk of spring onion (cut into 3" long)

Preparation
Heat oiled pan to medium heat.
Stir fry garlic till fragrant before adding in eggs.
Break up the eggs and cook till slightly browned.
Add in the noodles and stir fry for another minute or so.
Pour the stock into the pan and cover with a lid.
Leave stock to reduce for a few minutes.
Toss in the prawns, squids, pork belly and beansprouts.
Stir and mix well.
Simmer for another 5 minutes or till stock thickens.
Adjust taste accordingly if necessary.
Add in the spring onions and toss well.
Serve with sambal belacan chili and lime.

Steamed Cod Fish with Preserved Olive Leaves

This mild flavored low-calorie white meat is a wonderful substitute for meat protein. It contains a variety of important nutrients and has been shown to be useful in a number of health conditions. Studies show that people who eat fish regularly have a much lower risk of heart disease and heart attack than people who don't consume fish. Cod, specifically, promotes cardiovascular health because it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6.

In short, cod is considered one of the healthiest food in the world.

Ingredients
200g of cod fillet
1/2 teaspoon of minced garlic
2 teaspoons of preserved olive leaves
1 teaspoon of shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon of sesame oil
Pinch of sugar
50ml of stock
4 teaspoons of soya sauce
Small red chilies (chopped)

Preparation
Mix minced garlic, olive leaves, shaoxing wine, sesame oil and sugar together.
Place mixture onto the cod fillet.
Steam the fillet for 10 minutes or till cooked.
In a pan, bring stock and soya sauce to a boil.
Drizzle sauce over the cooked cod fillet.
Garnish with chopped chilies.
Serve immediately.

Stir-fry Clams in Spicy Bean Sauce

Ingredients

700g of clams

2 tablespoons of oil

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

2 tablespoons of spicy bean sauce

2 stalks of spring onions (cut into 3" long)

1 cap of shaoxing wine

20ml of water

Preparation

Soak clams in a bowl of water with a generous amount of salt added. This allows the clams to spit out the sand.

Remove the salt water after 30-45 minutes.

Repeat the procedure.

Scrub the clams with a brush to remove any sand or mud from the shells.

Set aside.

Heat up the oil in a pan.

Stir fry the minced garlic till fragrant before adding in the bean sauce.

Toss in the clams and stir to mix.

Add shaoxing wine, water and spring onions to the clams.

Toss well.

Bring everything to a boil, cover and cook using medium low heat for another 5 minutes or till the clams are cooked.

Discard any unopened clams.

Serve immediately.

Cincalok Omelette

Nonya cooking is the result of blending Chinese ingredients and wok cooking techniques with spices used by the Malay/Indonesian community. Nonya food is often noted for the tangy, aromatic and spicy taste.

There are regional variations in Nonya cooking. Dishes from the island of Penang in the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia show Thai influences, such as more liberal use of tamarind and other sour ingredients. Dishes from Singapore and Malacca show a greater Indonesian influence, such as the use of coconut milk. A classic example is laksa (a spicy noodle soup), which comes in two variants: the sour asam laksa from Penang and the coconut milk-based laksa lemak from Singapore and the southern regions of Peninsular Malaysia. - Wikipedia

The recipe I am sharing here is Cincalok Omelette. That is just one of the many great Nonya dishes. But for some reasons, this dish is not exactly popular. It is not a street-food unlike Nonya laksa and Otah. Only restaurants that specifically serve Peranakan cuisine have Cincalok Omelette on their menu.

I got this recipe from a magazine cutting passed to me by my sister. She knows I like cooking and that I own a food blog. So, she has been helping me to collect tons of cuttings of recipes to show her support. Haha!

Ingredients
3 eggs
100g of large onions
3/4 tablespoon of cincalok
1 red chili (thinly sliced)
Spring onions (chopped)

Preparation
Break eggs in a bowl.
Add cincalok and beat the eggs.
Add in onions, chili and spring onions.
In an oiled pan, fry over low heat until omelette is cooked.

* Fun Fact: Our MM is a Peranakan too!

Gold Bags

The coincidence of Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day falling on the same day this year in the year of the Tiger has been the talk of the town. God knows how many times this can actually happen. But don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. Valentine's day is about spending the day with the one you love. Just so it happens, this year for a change, you get to spend the day with the ONES you love. Extended families and all. The more the merrier? =P

Hearty breakfast in conjunction with Valentine's Day.

And of course not forgetting the Chinese festival, the auspicious New Year dish I am sharing on my food blog this year is Gold Bags. The name of the dish is pretty self-explanatory. Gold bags are in fact just deep fried dumplings. (similar to Deep Fried Wantons) Nonetheless, these morsels symbolize good luck, wealth and good fortune.

The preparation is just like packaging luck inside the dumpling, which is later eaten. Ways of cooking include steaming, boiling and shallow fried. Dumplings are eaten traditionally in northern China.

Ingredients
1 packet of wanton skin
300g of minced pork
5 water chestnuts (peeled and finely diced)
10 prawns (finely diced)
1/2 stalk of spring onion (finely chopped)
1 egg (beaten)
1 tablespoon of soya sauce
1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of cornflour
Chive/Spring onion

Preparation
Mix pork, water chestnuts, prawns, finely chopped spring onions and egg together in a bowl.
Season with soya sauce, sesame oil, pepper and cornflour.
Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Place small portions on the wanton skins to wrap.
Secure the wantons by tying them with stalk of chive/spring onion.
Deep fry the wrapped wantons over medium high heat.
Remove from heat when the wantons turn golden brown.

Serve hot.

Last but not least, wishing everyone a Happy Valentine's Day &
a Happy Lunar New Year! Huat ah!!

Lotus Seed & Logan Soup

Ingredients
80g of lotus seeds
80g of dried logans
4 red dates
100g of rock sugar
1500ml of water

Preparation
Wash the lotus seed thoroughly.
Soak in tap water for at least 2 hours.
Bring 1500ml of water to a boil.
Add in the lotus seeds, dried logans and red dates.
Boil for 5 minutes before bringing the heat down.
Simmer for another hour until the lotus seeds turn soft.
Add in the rock sugar and stir till the sugar dissolves.
Serve warm or chilled.

Cold Soba

In Singapore, we have only two seasons - Hot and hotter. With the hot and humid weather practically all year round in Singapore, everyone is looking for ways to beat the heat. Some keep themselves cool in shopping malls, some go for a dip in swimming pool whereas some choose to stay at home.

I am one of those who choose to stay at home. I can't even bear to step out of the house to get takeaways. I think I'll melt under the scorching sun. On a warm weather like this, eating Cold Soba literally cools you from the inside. I'll be eternally grateful to whoever shows up on my doorsteps with this now. 

Ingredients
200g of soba
500ml of dashi stock
125ml of Japanese soya sauce
Shredded seaweed (optional)
Grated ginger (optional)
Chopped Spring onion (optional)

Preparation
Bring dashi stock to a boil.
Add in the soya sauce gradually(adjust according to own preference)
Turn heat off.
Let cool and keep chilled.
Cook soba according to the instructions at the back of the packaging.
Place cooked soba under running tap.
Rinse soba thoroughly till the water runs clear.
Drain and set noodles over a bed a of ice cubes. (preferably on a draining basket)
Garnish noodles with shredded seaweed.
Serve noodles with chilled dipping sauce.
Add grated ginger and chopped spring onions to the dipping sauce. (optional)

Black Pepper Rib Pasta

I had Black Pepper Rib Pasta at Pizza Hut the other day. Rib was alright, the pasta was so-so. I only tasted the spiciness of the black pepper sauce. Not much of other flavors. If I were to order a pasta dish off the menu from Pizza Hut again, I will most probably skip the Black Pepper Rib Pasta and order something else instead.

As bad as it might sound, this dish has its allure. I actually find myself craving for Black Pepper Rib Pasta at times. Maybe it's due to the fact that I cannot live without my chili and spices. Food that causes me to tear and sniffle usually keeps me going back for more.

Ingredients
100g of preferred pasta
100g of prime rib
50g of bell pepper (chopped)
2 tablespoons of black pepper sauce
2 tablespoons of soya sauce
2 teaspoons of sugar
100ml of water

Preparation
Marinate prime ribs with soya sauce and sugar for an hour or more.
Cook pasta according to the instructions at the back of the packaging.
Set aside and drain.
Grill marinated ribs till well browned.
Dissolve black pepper sauce in 100ml of water and bring to a boil using medium high heat.
Add in the chopped bell pepper, drained pasta and grilled ribs.
Toss thoroughly and dish out once most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Serve immediately.