Sunday 16 November 2014

Creamed Spinach


Ingredients:
Baby Spinach x 4 bags
Onion x 1 , minced
Garlic x 4 gloves, pressed
Bacon, diced **
Whipping Cream, approx 2 cups 
Flour, approx 3-4 tbsp 
Butter
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

** For Vegetarian version, please skip bacon


How to Make:
1. Boil a pot of water, once boiled, add all spinach and cook for 1 minute, then drain immediately.

2. In another pan large enough to hold all the cooked spinach, melt the butter, add some olive oil, add the minced onion and garlic and stir-fried until all soft.

3. Add bacon to the frying pan until cooked and fragrant, add sprinkle the flour and mix well, then add the spinach, mix well, then add the cream. Adjust the thickness by adding more cream if you want it less thick. Add more flour if you want it thicker. Season with salt and pepper. Once the taste and consistency is ideal for you, remove from heat and pulse them at a blender in a few batches.

An ideal side dish for chicken, beef and even seafood dish!

Enjoy!


White Truffle Tagliolini


Ingredients:
Alba White Truffle (approx 10g per person)
Pasta of your choice (i prefer using Tagliolini)
Onsen Egg (i prefer using Italian eggs as their yolks are golden yellow!)
Butter (1/2 to 1 tbsp per person)
Whipping Cream (1-2 tbsp per person)
Parmesan Cheese, Grated
White Truffle Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

How to Make:
1. Prepare onsen eggs by preparing hot water bath (sous vide) at 63'C. Once temperate is reached, lower eggs to the bottom of the hot water bath using a laddle or using a basket to avoid breaking the eggs and cook for 30-35 minutes.

2. Cook your pasta as per the instructions as shown on the pasta bag but less 30-60 seconds.

3. Once your pasta is ready, drain them. 

4. Using another pan, medium heat, add butter and when it's almost all melted, add the whipping cream and the grated cheese, then add the drained pasta and mix well quickly (1 minute) with salt and pepper. Turn off heat and mix with white truffle olive oil too.

5. Divide the pasta into serving plate, making a dent in the middle.

6. Gently break the cooked egg in a small bowl, then spoon out the cooked egg portion into the dent of the pasta. (sometimes some egg whites will still be watery, discharge that, and just spoon out the cooked egg). 

7. Shave Alba White Truffle on top and serve as soon as possible.

Enjoy!



Monday 3 November 2014

Black Truffle Risotto


Ingredients:
Fresh Black Truffle
Risotto Rice x 2 cups
Onion x 1 - minced
Garlic - 2-3 pc - pressed
White wine x 1/2 cup
Chicken Stock x 4-6 cups **
Butter x 2 tbsp
Olive Oil
Parmesan Cheese - grated x 2-3 cups
Black Truffle Olive Oil
Truffle peeler/grater

** For Vegetarian, replace chicken stock with Vegetable Stock

How to Make:
1. Order your black truffle from a reliable importer in advance. Once received, cover them with a kitchen towel and store inside an air tight box containing the risotto rice - the risotto rice will absorb some of the fragrance of the black truffle! 

2. On the day of cooking, just take out the truffle and wipe surface clean with a kitchen towel or brush them clean with a clean brush - gently. 

3. Boil the chicken stock, then keep simmering at low heat.

4. On a separate non-stick pan, heat some olive oil together with the butter, add the minced onion and garlic in high heat and stir fried until the onions become translucent and soft.

5. Add the risotto rice and stir until they are evenly coated with the butter olive oil and the minced onion mixture.

6. Splash the white wine until all evaporated.

7. Turn heat to medium. Add the chicken stock, laddle by laddle until each laddle of chicken stock is fully absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring the rice but without bashing them.

8. It takes approx 20-30 min to have the rice all cooked using the method in 7 above. Taste the rice from time to time to see if they are al-dente enough for you. If it is, season with some salt and pepper. Then add the grated parmesan cheese, and have the pan covered for 3-5 minutes.

9. Stir well, remove rice from pan and place at serving dish, sprinkle with truffle olive oil before grating the black truffle on top. 

Serve with champagne or white wine and enjoy the dish!!