Roast Rack of Pork with Skin and Apples

Ingredients:

Rack of Pork with Skin On 

4 dessert apples (eg. Cox)

1/2 lemon

1 onion - cut into chunky slices

1 tsp fennel seeds

1tbsp olive oil

fresh thymes

sea salt

Bramley Apple Sauce

How to Make:

1. The night before cooking, clean and wipe dry pork. Well score the skin of the pork (not cutting into the meat though) and rub it with salt flakes and fennel seeds all over. Put pork to a baking rack on top of a tray and leave it in the fridge overnight without covering it up.

2. On the day of cooking, take out pork to room temperature at least 1 hour before cooking.

3. Preheat oven to 230'C.

4. Wipe dry pork and season it again with salt and pepper.

5. Cut apples into quarters and remove cores. Toss apples with skins on with the lemon juice to prevent them going brown.

6. Place the thymes on the bottom of the roasting tin, then place a baking rack on top, then place the pork on top of the rack, add the onion slices and the apples at the sides of the baking tin and roast for around 25 min, the turn down to 200'C and roast for another 1 hr to 1:15 hr. Use your meat thermometer to check temperature from the centre of the pork.

7. Once ready, remove pork to a cutting board and rest for 5-10 min uncovered. Warm the apple sauce and put to a sauce boat.

Serve with the sliced pork with the roasted apples and some apple sauce!

Enjoy!

Sausages and Mash Potato with Onion Gravy

Ingredients:
Sausages of your choice (8-10pc)
onion x 2 - sliced
potato x 4
milk
butter x 2 tbsp
beef stock x 500ml
balsamic vinegar x 2 tbsp
flour x 1 tbsp
salt and sugar
thymes and rosemary

How to Make:
1. Preheat oven to 180'C.

2. Peel potatoes, cut them into wedges. Put them in a bit of cold water with salt, then bring to boil. Once boil, simmer for 15-30 min until potatoes become soft.

3. Wipe dry the sausages and pan fried with olive oil until browned. Keep rolling the sausages from time to time.

4. Remove the sausages from the pan and place them in a baking tray and put inside oven for 25 min.

5. Using the same pan for the sausages, add 1-2tbsp of butter, when it starts to bubble, add all the sliced onions. Stir fried them until they turn soft and sprinkle in a little bit of thymes and rosemary. 

6. Then add 2 tsp of sugar and keep stir frying them until they become brownish, sticky and you smell of some sweetness.

7. Add 1 tbsp of flour and keep stirring until flour all disappeared.

8. Add 2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar and the beef stock (1/3 first), when they are combined, all the rest of the beef stock. Once boiled, the sauce will reduced and thickened. Adjust consistency by stirring in more flour or adding more stock to loosen it. Adjust taste by adding more balsamic vinegar as you wish. Keep this sauce aside.

9. Potatoes should be ready now. Heat some milk in a small pan until they simmer. Drain all water from the potatoes. Add hot milk and butter to the soft potatoes and mash them until they are in a good consistency for a mash.

10. The sausages from the oven should be ready now. Place the mash on the bottom of the serving plate, then the sausages over the mash and the onion gravy all over the top.

Enjoy!!

Red Curry Duck (Gaend Phed Ped Yaang)

* Like the Thai salad, i also learned to make this at Bangkok Mandarin Oriental Cooking School. This is a spicy curry but not hot whatsoever Must try to cook as it's really "Thai"!

Ingredients (for 6 -8 persons):
- Fresh Red Curry Paste x 2-3 bags (** pls note the pre-packed one is more salty than the freshly made ones)
- Fresh Coconut Milk x 2-3 cups + another 3-4 cups for later use (Original recipe used 3 cups of coconut cream + 1 cup water. But since i was not able to buy coconut cream, i just use 3 cups of coconut milk with adding the water)
- Fish Sauce x 5-10 tbsp (100-200ml)
- Palm sugar x 3-5 tbsp 
- Roast Duck - fillet the duck, discard the fatty part and cut into bite size
- Chinese red dates x 8-10pc - remove seed and boiled for 2-3min
- Purple Grapes - 12-14pc - seedless, cut into half
- mild peppers (eg. the Green Banana Chilli) - seeded and cur coarsely  
- lychee in can (drain the syrup)
- Thai Big Red Chilli x 1, seeded and finely sliced
- Kaffir lime leaves - finely shredded (remember to remove the middle stem, then roll the leaves together like cigar before slicing them very finely)
- Fresh sweet basil leaves.

** Fresh curry paste taste may vary, same as different brands of fish sauce. Best to taste while cooking and adjust qty of ingredients as per your liking.


How to Make:
1. Heat the 3 cups of coconut milk in a wok, using the back of the spatular, press, splash, scrape and stir the the coconut milk until it thickens. and you see bubbles and hear sizzle sounds.

2. Turn the heat to low, then add the fresh red curry paste, mix them well together in the coconut milk until aromatic.

3.   Add the fish sauce, palm sugar, mix well, then add the rest of the 4.5 cups coconut milk.

4. Bring to boil, then add the chinese dates and the grapes, the chilies, peppers, kaffir lime leaves.

5. Add the duck and cook for a while.

6. Lastly, add some basil to the stew with a few to garnish on top of the dish.

Serve with white rice. If you are able to buy banana leaf, hide the rice in a cone shaped banana leaf to give that special Thai touch! Enjoy!

Thai Salad (Yam Dawk Kajawn)

* I learned to make this dish at Bangkok Mandarin Oriental Cooking School. A very simple and refreshing salad with a Thai touch!

Ingredients (Serves approx 6-8):
- Thai Big Red Chilli x 1 - seeded and slice thinly. (if prefer this to be hot, add 1 small chilli too!)
- Coriander roots x 2 tsp - finely chopped (i was not able to get any dry coriander roots in Wanchai Thai grocery store. I used the fresh coriander with roots. Just wash the roots thorougly under runnign water, then wipe dry and finely chopped them)
- Garlic - sliced x 2 tsp
- Palm Sugar x 4 tbsp - use a knife to roughly chop them into smaller pieces.
- Fish Sauce x 6 tbsp (the cooking school uses the fish sauce with the Scale brand. I was able to get the same from the Wanchai Thai grocery store)
- Fresh Coconut Cream - boiled x 1/2 cup, then let it cool down. (I am not able to get coconut cream in Wanchai market, but only fresh coconut milk, which is still fine)
- Lime juice - from approx 2 big limes
- Cowslip flowers, picked and blanched (can be replaced with cauliflower and broccoli - cut into slim florets)
- Chicken thighs x 3 - boiled and shredded
- Prawns x 20 - boiled, shelled, deveined and cut lengthwise
- Peanuts, roasted and crushed
- Crisp-fried garlic

How to Make:
1. To make the dressing, pound the sliced chilies and coriander roots and garlic in a mortar until fine and pasty like. (be patient as it takes some strength from my arm as well as some time!)

2. Add the palm sugar to the paste and mix thoroughly.

3. Pour the mixture to a big bowl, then add the fish sauce, lime juice and coconut cream and mix well. Set aside in a cool place.

4. Blanch the cowslip flowers or the cauliflower/broccoli florets for 1-2 min and then rinse with cold water. Drain well and set aside. -> make sure they remain crunchy.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cowslip flowers or the cauliflower/broccoli florets with the shredded chicken and the prawns. Add some dressing and mix well. Fill a bowl with a shape you like with the mixture, then put the bowl against the serving plate, Remove the bowl carefully to reveal the salad (with the shape of the bowl), then pour remaining dressing on the side.

6. Sprinkle the top with the crushed peanuts and the crisp-fried garlic and serve!

* very nice to pair with a glass of chilled champagne! Enjoy!

Lemon Souffle

* adopted from Donna Hay's recipe

Ingredients:

melted unsalted butter, for brushing
castersugar, for dusting
180ml lemon juice
55g caster sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
5 eggwhites, at room temperature
75g extra caster sugar
icing sugar, to serve

How to Make:

1. Lightly brush 6 ramekins with butter and caster sugar and place them on baking tray.

2. Place lemon juice, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Cook, stirring for 8 min or until the mixture has thickened. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until cold.

3. Preheat oven at 180'C. 

4. Place eggwhites in a big bowl and whisk with electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

5 Add extra caster sugar in a thin steam, whisking until thick and glossy.

6. Remove lemon mixture from fridge and beat with a fork until smooth.

7. Gently fold the eggwhites into the lemon mixture in 3 batches (but also quickly), then spoon them into the preared ramekins.

8. Smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula. Run the tip of a knife around the edge of each ramekin, then place them on the baking tray and bake for 12 -14 min or until top has risen and browned.

9. Dust the top with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Enjoy and expect this to be a tangy dessert instead of a sweet sweet dessert!

Chocolate Whisky Cream Pie

* adopted from Donna Hay's recipe

Ingredients:
350g plain chocolate biscuits OR digestive biscuits
120g butter, melted
410ml (1 2/3 cup) milk
250ml (1 cup) single cream
200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
200g dark chocolate, chopped
60g (1/3 cup) brown sugar
75g (1/3 cup) caster sugar
35g (1/4 cup) cornflour
80ml (1/3 cup) whisky (or double if you like more whisky taste in your cake!)
4 egg yolks
500ml  (2 cups) extra single cream
120g (1/2 cup) sour cream
cocoa, for dusting

How to Make:
1. Place biscuits and butter in a food processor and process until smooth.

2. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased caked tin or ceramic pie dish and smooth it over the base and sides with a spoon. Refrigerate for 30 min.

3. Place milk, cream and both chocolates in a saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until it comes ti the boil. Remove from heat.

4. Place brown sugar, caster sugar, cornflour, egg yolks and whisky in a large bowl and whisky to combine.

5. Pour the chocolate mixture to the eggs mixture and whisky to combine. Then transfer all the mixture back to the chocolate saucepan and cook, whisking, over medium heat until it comes to the boil. Continue whisking for 1-2 min or until thickened.

6. Set aside to cool slightly.

7. Once cooled, pour chocolate mixture to the cake tin on top of the biscuits base layer and smooth out the top. Refrigerate for 3 hrs or until firm.

8. When ready to serve, whisk the extra cream and sour cream together until stiff peaks form, Spoon the cream on top of the chocolate custard and dust with cocoa and serve!


Delightful with a glass of whisky!! Enjoy!

Clam Chowder

* inspired by the dish @ Makoto, Tokyo. So ingredients all created by myself without accurate measurements. Try it out yourself!

Ingredients:
Clams (approx 3-4 pieces per dish)

Scallops (optional)

Minced garlic 

White wine 
Butter
Flour
Water  

Whipping cream
Breadcrumbs

How to Make:
1. Clean clams and soak in a bowl of water with salt and knife for at least 30 min. Drain water and rinse clams again.

2. Heat up a pot, add 1-2tbsp butter. Turn heat to medium, add minced garlic. Once fragrant, add the clams, mix well with the butter garlic. Add white wine, turn heat to high. Add water. Once boiled, turn to medium high heat. Cover the pot (best with glass cover so you can see through). 

3. Once you see any clams open up, remove it to a separate bowl one by one. Those which doesn't open at the end, discard them. Then take out clam from the shell and save for later use.

4. Sieve the soup left in the pot for later use.

5. Preheat Grill to 230'C.

6. If using scallops, clean and wipe dry. Heat up a pan, add some Butter. Pan fry scallops, each side approx 30sec to 1min. Remove to a plate, cut them up to bite size. Save for later use.

7.  Prepare shallow soup bowl/dish (over proof) by placing clam meat and cut scallops inside each bowl.

8.  Heat up a pan, then add 2 tpsp of butter, once it started to melt, add 1-2 tbsp of flour, use a whisk to mix them thoroughly until it becomes a roux. Add all the clam soup you save earlier  and some whipping cream until the "soup" consistency is to your liking, keeping stirring with the whisk. 

6.  Spoon the cream soup to the soup dish/bowl. Lastly sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Place at top shelf inside oven (grill setting) for approx 5-8 min (until the breadcrumbs are browned)!

Enjoy with a glass of sauvignon blanc! :)

Japanese Black Abalone with Truffle Sauce

* try to replicate a really nice abalone dish at teppenyaki at Ukai Tei in Tokyo.

Ingredients:
Black Abalone from Japan (around 500g each)
Dry Seaweed （昆布）
lemon slices and lemon zest
capers
coarse sea salt
black truffle paste
black truffle olive oil
butter
flour
whipping cream
chicken stock

How to Make:
1. Wash and clean abalone. Remove intestines. Keep shell.

2. Soak dry seaweed in water until soft.

3. Place the wet and soft seaweed on bottom of a wok. Place some coarse salt on top of the seaweed, Then put the abalones with shells on top of the salt. Then lemon slices, capers, lemon zests, sugar and pepper.

3. Put another layer of wet seaweed of top of the abalone, then cover all with coarse sea salt and cook under medium to high heat, covered, for 20-30min.

4. Remove everything from abalone, especially all coarse sea salt remaining.

5. Heat a wok with butter and lightly pan fried the abalone on both sides, Remove from pan and cut into desired shapes and place in serving dish and spoon sauce over.

Black Truffle Sauce
1. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a wok, add 2 tbsp flour and mix with a whisk until well combined - a rouge!

2. Add 1/2 to 1 cup chicken stock and continue mixing with the whisk. Egg 1-2 tbsp black truffle paste, keep mixing, then a few drops of the black truffle olive oil.

3. Add 1-2 tbsp whipping cream and season with salt and pepper to your desired taste!

* feel free to adjust consistency of the sauce by adding more flour at the beginning if you want a more thick sauce. If you want it lighter, then more chicken stock. If you want it more creamy, add more cream! this is the way i do it and good luck!

Lemon Tart with Italian Meringe

* combining receipe from Michel Roux "Eggs" on the meringue part and Jane Hornby "What to Cook and How to Cook It" on the lemon tart.

 Ingredients:

For the Pastry -

egg yolk from 1 medium egg

175g plain flour

1/4tsp flaky sea salt

100g cold unsalted butter

2tbsp golden caster sugar

For the filling:

4 unwaxed lemon (or 3 Italian lemons)

300ml whipping cream

6 medium eggs

200g golden caster sugar

For the Italian Meringue:

360g caster sugar

egg whites from 6 medium eggs

How to Make:

Pastry:

1. Add 2 tbsp of ice water to the egg yolk and mix well.

2. Put flour to a food processor, then add salt. Cut the cold butter into cubes and scatter all over the flour.

3. Blend the butter and flour together for about 10 seconds until mixture resembles very fine breadcrumbs and no flecks of butter remain.

4. Now pulse in the sugar.

5. Add the egg yolk water to the processor then pulse in 1 second bursts for a few times until the dough comes together in big clumps.

6. Tip the dough into the work surface, then shape it into a flat disc. Wrap in clingfilm, then chill in fridge for 30-40min, until firm but not rock hard.

7. Dust the work surface and rolling pin with Flour. Have a 9" loose bottomed tart in ready. Using the rolling pin, press (NOT ROLL) shallow ridges evenly across the pastry, then rotateit by a quarter turn. Repeat this unti the pastry is about 1cm thick.

8. Now roll out the pastrt. Push the rolling pin in ONE DIRECTION only, turning the pastry by a quarter turn for every few rools, until desired thickness is achieved. Using the rolling pin to help, lift the pastry over the tin.

9. Ease the pastry gently to the tin then press it gently into the edge of the tin using your knuckles.

10. Trim the border of the pastry so that it overhands the tin by at least 1cm. Lift the tin with pastry gently into a baking tray and chill in the freezer for 10min until the pastry feels firm.

11. Preheat oven to 180;C.

12. Tear a baking paper large enough to completely cover the tin and the overhanging pastry. On top of the baking paper, pour the baking beans over so that the beans are up to the edge of the tin. Blind bake this pastry for 20min.

13. Take out from oven and gently remove the baking paper with the beans on top, The pastry should be pale but feel dry and be turning gold at the edges.

14. Return it to oven for another 15 min until base is starting to brown. Remove from oven, Turn oven down to 150;C now.

Filling:

1. Finely grate the zest from lemons, and squeeze juice from lemons. Using a fork beat the cream, eggs, sugar into the jiuce. Strain the mix through a sieve into a large jug. Stir in the lemon zest.

2. pour the filling into the pastry gently and bake it for another 45min or until filling is set (i.e. it gives the merest tremble in the middle when the baking tray is shaken).

3. Let the tart cool completely, then store at fridge with clingfilm wrap. Trim any overhanging edges now.

Italian Meringue:

1. pour 80ml water into a heavy-based saucepan, add sugar and set over MEDIUM heat. Bring to boil, stiring occassionally and brushing down any crystals tht form on the side of the pan using a pastry brush moistened with water.

2. Once boil, increase heat and place a sugar thermometer in the boling syrup  until it reaches 110'C.

3. Still keeping an eye on the syrup, beat the egg whites in a standing electric mixer until they hold peaks. 

4. Stop cooking the syrup the moment it reaches 121'C. Take the pan off the heat and let the bubbles subside for 30 seconds.  (If you do not have a sugar thermometer, best to do is once syrup is boiled, continue until for 10-20 seconds. If you cook too long, the sugar syrup becomes rock!)

5.Pour the syrup onto the beaten egg whites in a thin steady stream, continuing whisking at a LOW speed with the mixer until FIRM. This action takes at least 30 min to 40 min! So be patient!

6. Spoon all meringue into a air-tight container and keep in fridge (best to use it within 24 hrs).

Compose:

1. Spoon meringe into piping bag fitted with a flutted nozzle or a nozzle you like.

2. pipe meringue onto top of lemon tart the way you like it.

3 wave a blowtorch over the meringue until it is lightly browned.

Serve! and enjoy!

   

Mustard & Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Pea Puree

Ingredients:
Scottish Lamb Rack x 2 (if you trim the ends, you'll have a better shape. Photo showed racks without trimming. You can choose lamb from other origin but i found Scottish lamb of the best quality!)
50g dry white bread
1 clove of garlic - crushed
2tbsp Italian parsley - minced
2tbsp fresh mint - minced
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp pinenuts
2tbsp wholegrain mustard or honey mustard

For the Pea Puree
butter
1 small leeo, trimmed and sliced
225g frozen peas
a sprig of mint
150ml chicken stock
3tbsp cream
nutmeg

How to make it:

1. Preheat ove to 200'C.

2. Place bread and garlic in food processor and blend until they form fine crumbs. Add the herbs and oil and blend again until roughly chopped. Lastly add pinenuts and blend until lightly chopped. The mixture should stick together lightly.

3. Spread the mustard over the lamb rack, then press the herb crust onto each one, pressing it down firmly so it sticks.

4. Place lamb racks with the mustard and herb crust to a large roasting tin and and roast in oven for 25-30min.

5. Once take out from oven, rest in room temperature with foil loosely on top for 10 min before you carve them from the bones - this will give you medium rare lamb. If you want it more cooked, increase oven cooking time to 35-40min.

 For the pea puree:

1. melt butter in a pan, add leek and saute for 3-4min or until soft.
2. add the peas, mint and stock and bring to boil.
3. cover and simmer for 4 mins.
4. use a stick blender to whizz the peas misture to form a rough puree.
5. add the cream and freshly grated nutmeg and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Sous Vide Belly Pork with cabbage

* Receipe adapted from Raymond Blanc's "Kitchen Secrets"

Ingredients:
Belly Pork - ask butcher for a nice rectangular/square piece of around 1kg
Cabbage with 1 few pc of crushed garlic

Marinating the Pork:
sea salt
lemongrass x 1-2stalks with the ends briused and crushed
white pepper
5-spice powder
crushed garlic and ginger
red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

How to Make:
1. 2 days before your dinner, wash the pork belly and wipe dry. Rub the marinate all over the flesh side of the pork belly evenly. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnite.

2. 1 day before your dinner, prepare your water bath at 85'C. Vacuum pack the pork. If it's too large, cut into 2 portions and packed in 2 bags. Cook in the waterbath for 6 hrs.

3. Remove the vacuum bags from the waterbath. After it cools down, take out pork from bags, reserve the liquid inside the bags for later use.

4. Cover the belly pork with cling film and place it skin side side down on a baking tray. Place another baking tray on top and fill it with heavy items as to weigh the tray down onto the pork. The purpose of this is to make the pork as flat as possible. Then place it in the fridge overnite.

5. On the day of cooking - 1 hr before cooking, remove the trays with the pork from the fridge and leave it at room temperature for an hour. Then remove the cling film from the pork.

6. Preheat oven to 180'C.

7. Cut belly pork into long strips portions. Heat corn oil or rapeseed oil in a large flat pan over medium heat and add the pork, skin side down for 10-15 min until the skin becomes crispy anbd golden brown.

8. Prepare a baking tray with a oil dripping tray inside. Remove pork from frying pan and place the pork into this tray, skin side up and roast in oven for 10 min.

9. Stir fry the wash and cut cabbage with crushed garlic and little salt, then drain.

10. Filter the liquid reserved from the vacuum bags when slow cooking the pork through a sieve. All fatty stuff will be filtered away and remaining are the natural juices from the pork.

11. Add the above liquid to a slow pot, add some chicken stock, and season with a dash of light soy sauce and sesame oil. Thicken it by mising 1-2 tbsp of cornstarch water solution. checking taste.

12. Add the drained cabbage to a serving plate. Then pour the sauce above onto the cabbage. Then add the pork from oven on top of the cabbage. Best serve with rice, white or fried!

Enjoy this crispy yet tender belly pork with a glass of red burgundy!!

Mango Roll

Ingredients:

Egg whites x 4 (@ room temperature. Separate egg white and yolk in a small bowl first before pouring egg white to a bigger bowl for whisking so as to ensure no bad egg whites are poured to the big bowl.)
Caster Sugar 160-170g
Lemon Juice x 1.5 tbsp
Cream 2/3 to 1 cup (Whipping cream is fine)
Icing Sugar - for dusting use
Mango x 3

How to Make this:

1. Preheat oven at 170'C.

2. Whisk egg whites with electric whisky until foamy like hair mousse.

3. Add sugar to the egg whites little by little and continue to whisk until it becomes glossy and firm.

4. Fold in lemon juice.

5. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Then pour the egg whites mixture to this baking tray and try to smooth out as much as possible  using a spatula or a palette knife, ensuring no where the egg whites mixture are too thin.

6. Bake in oven (lower 1/3 of the oven) for 25 min, then cool down.

7. Cut mango into cubes and place them on a sieve so that any juice will be filtered out from the cubes.

8. Whip cream with an electric whisk until it thickens and ribbons formed when you move the whisk.

9. Mix mango cubes with the cream.

10. Line another baking tray with baking paper and dust with icing sugar using a sieve. Turn over the baked egg whites to this new baking tray so that the crusty top is now facing the icing sugar of the new tray. Gently peel away the baking tray from the baked egg whites and be careful of not tearing/breaking the baked egg whites.

11. Spread the mango cubes cream mixture on top of the baked egg whites avoiding the side as they will be easily squeezed out when you roll it up.

12. Gently roll up the baked egg whites, cover with the baking paper, the whole roll placed inside a box, then chill at fridge for at least 2 hrs before serving.

13. When you are ready to serve, take out the roll from fridge, gently remove the baking paper which covers it. Cut away the ends as they are bound to be untidy. You can dust more icing sugar on top of the roll as you desire using a sieve, then cut the roll into pieces with the thickness you like and serve.

Enjoy~~

Tea and Rose Smoked Chicken

Ingredients:
Fresh Young Chicken - approx 2.5 catty
1 tbsp salt
2tbsp Shaoxing wine

Soy Marinate:
shallots x 10 cloves - sliced
spring onion x 4 stalks
ginger x 5 slices
chicken marinate sauce x 2 to 2.5 bottles
dark soy sauce x 1/2 cup
light soy suace x 1/4 cup
sugar x 3 tbsp
shaoxing wine x 1/2 cup
chicken stock x 1 cup, extra maybe necessary.

Smoking Ingredient:
white rice x 2 tbsp
6 tea bags of your choice
dried roses x 2 tbsp
brown sugar x 3 tbsp

How to make this:

1. The night before your dinner, wash and wipe dry chicken and hang chicken in a windy place for 3 hrs until dry. You can place a bowl beneath the chicken as excess water will drip down from chicken.

2. Marinate the dried chicken with the salt and wine and place in ziploc bag in fridge overnight.

3. On the day of dinner, take out chicken to rest at room temperature for 30 min.

4. Make the soy marinate now by heating oil in a deep pot, stir fried the spring onion shallots and ginger until fragrant.

5. All all soy marinate ingredients to the wok and bring to boil. Adjust seasonings to your desired tastings.

6. Place the chicken to the pot with the soy marinate, make sure the whole chicken is submerged inside the soy marinate, if not, add some more chicken broth and dark soy sauce.Then reduce the high heat to medium heat for 7 min with lid covered. Best to have the back side face up and breast side face down.

7. After the above 7 min, spoon soy marinate inside pot all over chicken a few times. Then switch off heat and leave the lid covered for another 50 min.

8. Line an wok with 2 layers of aluminium foil. Place the smoking ingredients on top of foil in the centre of the wok. Then put steaming rack on top. Cover with lid, switch to high heat until you see white smoke coming out from the side of the lid.

9. At this point, remove chicken from soy marinate and place chicken over the steaming rack in wok. Cover with lid and smoke for 7 mins.

10. Remove chicken from wok and chop and debone as desired.

11. You can brush the remaining soy marinate over chicken to add the glossy feel.

Serve and enjoy with a bowl of white rice!

Fresh Mushrooms Pasta

Ingredients (for 6-8paxs):
Portobello Mushrooms x 6 pc (cut away the stem, wash and wipe dry and cut into thin slices)
Shitake Mushrooms x 6pc (cut away the stem, wash and wip dry and cut into thin slices)
Sliced Garlic x 1 bowl
Onion x 1 minced
Small Red Chilli x 4 - deseeds (if you dont want it too hot) and cut into thin strips
Italian Parsley - rinse, wipe dry and minced
Pasta of your choice (to me, the best pasta for this receipe will be the TartufLanghe No. 19 Tartfuo Tagliatelle - i.e. Tagliatelle with black summer truffle - they go really well with mushrooms!)

How to Make:
1. Follow your pasta instructions on how long to cook your pasta in boiling water with salt. After cooking, drain and return to the pasta pot with no water but still warm. Drizzle Olive oil to prevent the pasta sticking together.

2. Heat a pan big enough to hold all the pasta later with olive olive oil, the add minced onion. Stir fried until soft, then remove onion to a plate.

3. In the same pan, add more olive oil, then brown the garlic slices. Once the garlic slices are golden, add back the minced onion, then all the mushrooms and the chill. Once the mushrooms are all soft,season wtih salt and pepper and if a spicy taste is preferred, add a pinch of italian chilli powder too!

4. Pour over the pasta to the mushrooms pan, add the minced parsley and mix all well together and transfer to a pasta bowl/dish. Drizzle some olive oil on top and serve!

Enjoy~

Lobster Linguini

Ingredients:
Lobster x 1
Cherry Tomatoes
Can plum tomatoes
Sliced garlic
minced Italian Parsley
white wine x 1/2 cup

How to Make:
1. Blanch a fresh lobster in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and after cool down, cut horizontally into half and remove meat from the shells and keep the head. Cut lobster meat into bite size.

2. Heat a pan with olive oil and add the sliced garlic until golden.

3. Add the lobster head and pan fried with the garlic for a while, then add  the white wine, then add the cherry tomatoes and the can tomatoes. Simmer the lobster head for 20-30min.

4. Remove lobster head, add the lobster meat to the pan and stir fry and mix well with the sauce.

5. Adjust taste with sugar, sea salt and pepper or even chilli powder if a spicy taste is required.

5. Add the minced parsley, mix well and and pour over to the cooked pasta and serve!

* you can also mix pasta with the sauce before serving.
* remember to drizzle olive oil on top before serving.
* some prefers to have some grated parmesan cheese on top too.

Enjoy!

Lasagne

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:
250g minced beef
250 minced pork
carrot x 1, finely diced
onion x 1, finely diced
garlic x 3, pressed
4-6 fresh plum tomatoes cut into cubes OR use 2-3 cans of plum tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
tomtao puree x 1-2tbsp
Bay leaf x 1-2pc

How to Make:
1. Heat a big saucepan with olive oil and add onion and garlic.
2. Once fragrant, add minced beef and pork and stir fried until all quite cooked.
3. Then add the wine and tomato puree.
4. Then add the carrots and the tomatoes and stir and mix well.
5. Season with sugar, salt and pepper, then add the bay leaf and cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 2 hrs, stirring from time to time.


White Sauce:
60g butter
2-3 tbsp of plain white flour
400-500ml milk
2-3tbsp grated parmesan cheese

How to Make:
1. Melt butter in a small pan on medium heat. Stir in flour and mix with a whisk until it forms a paste.
2. Add milk little by little and keep stirring with the whisk until sauce thickens.
3. Lastly add the parmesan cheese and remove from heat.


Lasagne:
Bolognese Sauce - as above
White Sauce - as above
Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Fresh Morzarella cheese thinly sliced
Lasagne Sheets

How to Make:
1. Preheat oven to 200'C.
2. Coat bottom of baking tray with the white sauce, then the bolognese sauce,
3. Then add 1 layer of the lasagne sheets.
4. Then add the grated parmesan cheese and the morzarella cheese.
5 Then repeat steps 2 to 4 for a few times.
6. Last top layer will be the lasage sheet with white sauce on top, add parmesan cheese.
7. Baked in top 1/3 level in the oven for 30min or until top layer is bubbly hot!

Enjoy!

Italian Minestrone

Ingredients:

Soup Base:
Old Chicken x 1
Ham Hock x 2-3pc
Carrot x 1
onion x 1
celery x 1/2

How to Make:
1. The night before you cook the soup, prepare the soup base.
2. Blanch washed chicken for 20 min and remove.
3. Blanch washed ham hock for 20min and remove.
4. Add chicken, ham hock, carrot, onion and celery in a big pot, covered with water and boil. After boiling, reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 hrs.
5. Remove all ingredients, store soup in fridge overnite.


Pesto Sauce:
2tbsp pine kennels
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
80g basil leaves (stalks removed)
200ml extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese

How to Make:
just add all the above to a mortar and grind to a paste. If you have a blender, even easier, mix everything in the blender and blend until it becomes a smooth paste. Add more basil or oil as you think fit.


Minestrone:
Carrot x 3 - cubes
Zuccini x 3 - cubes
Potato x 3 - cubes
Canneli beans (1/2 cup - soak overnite and blanch for 30min)
Bertoli beans (1/2 cup - soak overnite and blanch for 30 min)
Savoy cabbage - sliced

How to Make:
1. Take out soup base and skim the fat on top.
2. Reheat soup base, once boiled, add the carrot, zuccini, potato, beans and boil in medium heat for 1.5hrs.
3. Then add the savoy cabbage and keep cooking for another 30min. Check taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Lastly, add pesto sauce, mix well and serve.

* some might prefer to add some grated parmesan cheese on top.

Enjoy!

Roast Bresse Chicken

* this is adapted from the demonstration by Heston Blumenthal at his TV show "How to cook like Heston". A magical way to cook a tender and juicy chicken indeed but must be patient with the time involved!

Ingredients:
Bresse Chicken x 1 (pre-order at City Super or Great to ensure you;ll get one! they come in chilled.)
Lemon x 1
Fresh thyme x 1 big bunch
Butter
Honey

How to Make:
1. The night before you roast this chicken, you have to brine this chicken. Prepare 2 litres of water with 120g of salt. Boil until salt all dissolved. Then cool down.

2. Wash chicken and its cavity.

3. Soak chicken in the cooled down salt water and place in fridge overnight.

4. On the day of roasting, take out chicken and rinse and wipe dry. Stand at room temperature for an hour.

5. Preheat oven to 90'C.

6. Rest1/2 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature until soft.

7. Rinse the wipe dry the thyme. Cut lemon in 4 pc. Stuffed the chicken's cavity with the lemon and the thyme.

8. Massage and rub chicken skin with the soft butter all over.

9. Place chicken in a baking traying with the chicken stand and roast in oven for 45min.

10. Increase temperature to 150'C for another 45min.

11. After 1.5 hr of roasting, take out chicken and check if temperature of chicken breast reaches approx 60-70'C. If so, let it rest at room temperature for 30min. and in the meantime, adjust oven temperature to 250'C.

12. After resting, brush honey all over chicken skin and place chicken back to the hot oven and roast for the last 15min.

Carve the chicken and you'll notice how tender and juicy the chicken is! you dont really need any sauce or gravy to go with it. But in case you do want some, just deglaze the pan (already filled with melted butter and the chicken oil) with some white wine and you;ll have the chicken gravy!

Enjoy with your favourite glass of white wine!