Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

Italian San Marzano or Piccadilly Tomatoes x 1kg
Italian can plum tomatoes x 1 can (optional - if you prefer the tomato paste to be more wet, adding can tomatoes will help)
onion x 1 - minced
garlic slice - 2 tbsp
basil for cooking and garnish
parmesan cheese - grated
olive oil

Pasta of your choice
1 bowl of sliced garlic

How to Make:

1. De-skin and de-seed the tomatoes first. You can do it by boiling a pot of water, cut a cross at the skin of the tomatoes, drop them to the boiling water for 1 min. Take them out and place to ice water. The skin will be easily peeled off at this stage. Remove all skin, mince the flesh of the tomatoes discarding all seeds and juice. After mincing the tomatoes, you can put them on a strainer so extra juice can be discarded.

2. Mince the can tomatoes and drain on strainer to remove extra juice.

3. Heat up a pan with olive oil, then fry the garlic slices until golden. Remove the garlic and save the oil in the pan sufficient to brown the minced onion.

4. Put minced onion onto to the pan with garlic oil and fry until soft, then add the minced fresh tomatoes and can tomatoes, stir fry until all combined. Season with salt and pepper and sugar to your liking. Then add the basil, turn heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.

5. Cook your pasta as per instructions on packet.

6. In a separate pan, heat up sufficient olive oil which will be used to coat the cooked pasta, then pan fried the sliced garlic until golden.  

7. Drain pasta, mix it in the pan with garlic olive oil, then and place it nicely in a serving dish.

7. Add tomato paste on top on pasta, then a basil leave, grated parmesan cheese and drizzle olive oil on the side. For those who like fried garlic, you can add the fried garlic to the pasta too.

Serve and enjoy it with your favourite white wine!

Baked Salmon in Puff Pastry

From: Tastemade Japan at 
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bh-34VnBRzv/


Ingredients:

Salmon Fillet x 1
Salt & Black pepper
Spinach - wash and drain
Frozen Puff Pastry x 2 packs - defrost in fridge the night before you plan to cook
Flour
Egg Yolk x 1, mix with 1 tsp of water or milk

Cream Cheese Sauce:
Cream Cheese 100g
Mayonnaise 10g
Lemon Juice - a dash
Dill - minced

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 200'C.

2. Clean and trim salmon fillet to a size right for your party and your oven tray and wipe dry!

3. Season salmon with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Make Cream Cheese Sauce by mixing well the ingredients listed under Cream Cheese Sauce above.

5. Sprinkle a bit of flour on counter top. Roll 1 pack of puff pastry on top of the flour-counter top to the right thickness and size for your salmon and the oven tray. Repeat the same for the other pack of puff pastry.

6. Place 1 piece of the rolled pastry onto the oven tray. Put spinach first, then lay the salmon on top of the spinach, then the cream cheese sauce on top of the salmon. 

7. Brush egg yolk solution on the pastry along the edge of the salmon.

8. Place the other pastry on top of the salmon layers softly, using a fork to press along the edge of the salmon where you have brushed the egg yolk solution. Trim along the forked edges to come to a fish shape! Use the cut away pastry to make eyes, mouth, tail and fins for the fish! Then use a knife to gently score on top of the pastry to make scales for the fish. 

9. Lastly, brush egg yolk solution on top pastry evenly. Then put into oven for 25 to 30 min until golden.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Pavlova Swirl

Ingredients:

6 eggwhites (225ml) at room temperature
1.5 cup (330g) caster sugar
1.5 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp cornflour
1.5 cup (375ml) whipping cream
250g fresh raspberries or strawberries or a mixture of both
2 tbsp pistachios, finely chopped
1 tbsp freeze dried raspberries or strawberries, finely crushed (optional)

Raspberry Swirl:
1/2 cup (75g) frozen raspberries
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make:

1. For the Raspberry Swirl, place the frozen raspberries, sugar and vanilla in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring ocassionally for 3-4 min or until slightly reduced. Strain, discard the seeds, and refrigerate to cool completely.

2. Preheat oven to 150'C.

3. Place eggwhites in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form.

4. Gradually add the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, waiting 30 seconds between each addition.

5. Once all sugar has been added, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and whisk for a further 6 mins or until the mixture is stiff and glossy.

6. Place the vinegar and cornflour in a small bowl and mix to combine.

7. Add to the eggwhite mixture and whisk for 2 mins or until glossy and combined.

8. Draw a 22cm circle on a sheet of baking paper and place pencil side down, on a large baking tray. 

9. Place 12 heaped spoonfuls of the meringue mixture around the inside of the circle to create a ring. 

10. Place in oven, reduce temperature to 120'F and cook fore 1 hr.

11. Turn the oven off and allow the pavlova to cool completely in the oven.

12. To serve, , drizzle the raspberry mixture over each meringue and use a teaspoon to swirl. Top with cream, the raspberries/strawberries/freeze dried fruits, pistachio, and icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Potato Tartin

Ingredients:

1 x 375g sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed at fridge on the night before cooking
1 cup (75g) finely grated manchego (or a cheese you like, say cheddar)
1/2 cup (120g) mascarpone cheese
350g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
rosemary

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 200'C.

2. Place the sheet pastry on a large oven tray lined with baking paper.

3. Use a small sharp knife and gently score a 2cm border around the edge of the pastry.

4. Use a fork to prick the pastry sheet centre.

5. Mix and combine the 2 cheese and spread the mixture on top of the pastry sheet centre.

6. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and line the potatoes neatly above the cheese mixture and sprinkle with rosemary on top.

7. Bake in oven for 25-30 min or until golden.

Enjoy!

Green Tea Red Bean Roll

Ingredients:

100g Caster Sugar + some extra for dusting
100g Plain Flour + some extra for dusting
10g Matcha (Green Tea Powder)
4 large eggs
100-200ml whipping cream
100g sweet red bean paste
icing sugar for dusting
strawberries or fruits for decoration

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 180'C.

2. Line a baking tin with baking paper. Dust the baking paper with caster sugar and plain flour.

3. Sieve the flour to a mixing bowl.

4. Sieve the green tea powder a few times and then add to the mixing bowl with the flour. Mix well.

5. Boil a small pot of water. Once boiled, turn to low heat so the water keep simmering.

6. Mix eggs and caster sugar in a bowl which is large enough to sit safely on top of the water pot. Mix with electric hand held whisk on top of the simmering water pot (without the base of the bowl touching the water) until the mixture becomes creamy and thick and leaves a trail on the surface when the whisk is lifted.

7. Remove the egg mixture from the water pot. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold in gently. Then repeat with the rest of the flour mixture. Once done, lightly stir in 1 tbsp of hot water.

8. Pour the mixture to the baking tray. Tilt the tray backwards and forwards to spread the mixture as even as possible in a rectangular shape.

7. Put tray to oven and bake for approx 12 min until well risen and the top is firm to touch.

8. Meanwhile, place a sheet of baking paper on top of a clean damp tea towel. Sprinkle caster sugar on top of the baking paper.

9. Working quickly, turn the sponge you take out from the oven onto the new baking paper sprinkled with caster sugar. Then gently remove the baking paper from the sponge without breaking or tearing the sponge. Leave to cool.

10. Once the sponge is cool, whisky the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Then spread the cream over the cake sponge. Then add a thick line of red bean paste on top of the cream along the long edge of the sponge nearest to you.

11. Roll up the sponge from the edge nearest to you, with the aid of pulling the baking paper gently. Wrap the roll with the baking paper and place in a air tight box and place to fridge until serving time.

12. Upon serving, dust with icing sugar and decorate with fruits around the roll.


Enjoy!

Biscotti

* this biscotti is not the traditional hard type but the crumpier and softer type. Feel free to replace pistachio and cranberries with almonds or your favourite dried fruits.

Ingredients:
Sugar x 1 cup
Unsalted butter x 100g (1 small stick) - soften at room temperature or melted
Almond extract x 2 tsp
Vanilla extract x 1 tsp
Pistachio x 100g - remove shells and roughly chopped
Cranberries x 100g - roughly chopped
Eggs x 3
All purpose flour - 2 and 3/4 cups
Baking powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp

How to Make:

1. Put sugar, butter, almond extract, vanilla extract to a mixing bowl and mix well with an electric mixer.

2. Then add the eggs and salt and beat well.

3. Sift the flour and baking powder and fold into the egg batter using a spatula.

4. Add the chopped pistachio and cranberries and mix evenly using a big spoon or fork.

5. Wrap the mixing bowl wig cling wrap and chill in fridge for 30 min.

6. Preheat oven to 180'c.

7. Take out dough from fridge, using moistened hands, divide the dough into 4 loaves on an un-greased baking sheet on top of a baking tray.

8. Lengthen each loaf into a long rectangular shape with the height not more than 1 to 1.5cm. Shape them up using some flour on your hand or your spatula.

9. Bake for 30 mins or until golden.

10. Cool on rack before slicing them with a bread knife.

Store in air tight jars and enjoy with your favourite coffee or tea!

Roast Belly Pork 鼎爺燒肉

* recipe adopted from 鼎爺厨房

Ingredients:
Belly Pork - approx 2000g
Five Spices Powder - 5g
Coarse Salt (for marinating meat) - 50g
Coarse Salt (for marinating skin) - 7g
white vinegar

How to Make:
1. Wash and dry pork. Preferable to cut away the most bottom part of the belly pork which is tougher and save it for other uses.

2. Use lighter fire to burn against hair on pork skin, then use back of knife to scrap off burned hair.

3. Mix well the 5 spices powder with the coarse salt for the meat and marinate the meat evenly - leave the skin un-touched!

4. Use the coarse salt for the skin to marinate the skin evenly.

5. Leave the marinate on the skin and meat for 8-10 hours (if winter time, in room temperature is fine. But if it's summer time, best to put back to the fridge).

6. Once marinate time is up, blanche the pork in hot water for 10 mins.

7. Preheat oven to 200'C.

8. Drain water away from pork and use pork needles to punch against pork skin. Dry the pork using towel or kitchen napkins.

9. Turn the pork upside down so that the skin is facing down. Pour vinegar to a tray which can hold the whole piece of pork and soak the pork (skin side down) in the tray with only the skin touching the vinegar - for 10 mins.

10. Remove pork from vinegar and wipe it dry.

11. Use foil paper to wrap around the bottom and side of the pork, leaving the skin upwards unwrapped.

12. Put pork to oven for 1.5 hours. Then turn the heat up to 230'C and cook for another 30 mins until skin becomes golden red.

13. Remove pork from oven. Pour oil on the foil to a bowl. Can let the pork rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting. The oil can be used to mix with soy sauce for steamed white rice!

14. Be sharp and precise at cutting to avoid the crispy skin from coming off the meat.

Serve it when it's piping hot and crispy and enjoy with a glass of nice white wine!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

* recipe from Donna Hay

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
8 x 125g chicken thigh fillets, trimmed
2 cups (500ml) buttermilk
2 cups (300g) plain flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp black pepper

How to Make:
1, Place paprika and fennel sees in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. Add buttermilk, mox to combine and refridgerate for at least 30 min.

2. Fill a large saucepan with oil over medium high heat until temperature reaches 180'C.

3. While oil is heating, place four, baking powder, salt and pepper on a large tray and toss to combine. [You can add combine in a ziploc bag and put chicken inside. Seal and shake to coat the chicken]

4. Remove chicken from the buttermilk mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Place chicken on tray with flour and coat evenly.

5. Deep fry the coated chickedn in batches for 5-6 min or until golden. Drain oil on paper towel and keep warm. Sprinkle with extra sea salt flakes and serve.

Enjoy with your favourite beer!

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

5-6 small zucchinis (approx 810g), grated

3-4 eggs, beaten

250g Feta, crumbled (optional)

3/4 cup (120g) plain flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup chopped mint leaves or parsley

sea salt and black pepper

How to Make:

1. Place the grated zucchinis on a flat towel with another one on top to absorb excess water.

2. Place zuchinni, eggs, feta, flour, baking powder, mint/parsley, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl, mix and combine.

3. Heat olive oil in a non stick pan over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp of mixture to the pan and flatten with a spatula. Repeat and cook in batches for 2-3 min each side or until golden.

4 After pan-frying, blot oil in kitchen towel before placing them in serving plate.

Enjoy!

Cold Tomato Soup

* a very refreshing cold soup with the recipe from Weekend Financial Times 

Ingredients:

8 very ripe plum tomatoes (best to use San Marzano tomatoes), quartered

Small bunch of basil leaves, cleaned and wipe dry

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

3tbs red wine vinegar

2tbs brown sugar

3tbs olive oil

1tsp sea salt

1tsp sweet paprika

4 ice cubes

How to Make:

1. Place all ingredients together (apart from the ice) in a large jar, mix well, cover and put in fridge overnight.

2. Remove from fridge, add the ice cubes and blend in a blender good for ice/smoothies. Then taste and adjust seasoning. Drizzle some olive oil on top.

3. Ready to serve with your toasted pitta bread of garlic bread.

Enjoy with your favourite white wine or champagne!

Beef Wellington - revisit

* recipe from Gordon Ramsay.

Ingredients:

750g beef fillet

500g Button or Chestnut Mushrooms - wiped clean

Thyme leaves

Mustard

500g puff pastry

8 slices of parma ham or San Danelle ham
2 egg yoks, beaten with 1 tbsp water and a pinch of salt
see salt and black pepper
olive oil

How to Make:

1. Wrap the beef tightly in a triple layer of cling film to set its shape, then chill overnight.
2. Finely chop the mushrooms (or use a food processor), then fry the chopped mushrooms in a hot pan with a little olive oil and the thyme leaves. When the mushrooms begin to release their juices, continue to cook over a high heat for about 10 minutes until all the excess moisture has evaporated and you are left with a mushroom paste (known as a duxelle). Remove the duxelle from the pan and leave to cool on top of a strainer.
3. Take our beef from fridge. Remove the cling film, season with salt and black pepper, then quickly sear the beef fillet in a hot pan with a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds until browned all over and rare in the middle. Remove from the pan and brush mustard all over the beef. Leave to cool.
4. Lay a large sheet of cling film on a work surface and place  Parma ham slices in the middle, overlapping them slightly, to create a square. Spread half the duxelle evenly over the ham.
5. Then place the beef on top of the mushroom-covered ham. Using the cling film, roll the Parma ham over the beef, then roll and tie the cling film to get a nice, evenly thick log. Then chill for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll the pastry ion a lightly floured surface into a rectangle large enough to envelop the beef fillet. 
7. Remove the cling film from the beef, then wrap the pastry around the ham-wrapped fillet. Trim the pastry and brush all over with the egg wash. Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 200'C. Brush the baking tray or the grill with olive oil.
9. When you are ready to cook the beef wellington, score the pastry lightly and brush with the egg wash again, put the pastry wrapped beef to a baking tray, best on top of an oiled-wire rack, then bake at 200°C for 30-35 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the temperature of the quarter end reaches 55'C. Rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Enjoy with your red favourite wine!

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

225 (8oz) self raising flour
2 tsp baking powder
150g (5oz) light muscovado sugar (if you prefer a sweet cake, then you can add 10-20g sugar here)
50g (2oz) chopped walnuts
100g 94oz) grated carrots
2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 large eggs
150ml (5 fl oz) sunflower or veg oil (if you prefer a more moist cake, then you can add 10-20 ml oil here)

For the topping:

175g (6oz) soft cream cheese
50g (2oz) softened better
100g (4oz) sifted icing sugar
vanilla extract
walnuts and carrot pieces to decorate

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 180'C. 

2. Grease a 20 cm (8 inches) deep round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.

3. Measure all ingredients for a the cake into a large bowl and beat well until thoroughly blended and smooth. Turn into the prepared tin and level the surface.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes until cake is well risen and shrinking away from sides of the tin.

5. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out, peel off baking paper and finish cooling in a wire rack.

6. For the topping, measure all ingredients, except the walnuts, into a bowl or into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake with a spatula. Decorate the top with walnuts and carrot pieces. Chill a little before serving and store in the fridge as the topping is soft.

** Can try slice the cake horizontally into half. Then spread the topping both as topping and in the middle of the cake like sandwich to make it more rich.

Cream of Barley Soup

Ingredients (for 12 paxs):

Soup Base: **
* it's better to make your own soup base. Otherwise, buy the ready made from supermarkets.

Old Chicken x 1 
Gammon Ham bones or chinese ham 
Carrot x 1pc - cut in 2-3 pieces
Celery x 1/2 stalk
Onion x 2 - cut into halves

** For vegetarian version, replace chicken and ham soup base with Vegetable stock or plain water.

Barley Soup:
Potato x 6-8pc - depending on size, cut into chunks
Pearly Barley - approx 250g
carrots x 3-6 pc, depending on size - cut into mini cubes
onion x 1, minced
corn - can use can corns (whole corns, not cream corns)
ham pieces (optional)
whipping cream, salt and pepper

How to Make:
1. The day before your dinner, make the soup base. Blanched chicken and ham or ham bones for 20 minutes. Remove all liquid and rinse the blanched chicken, ham or ham bones.

2. Put blanched chicken, ham or ham bones in a larger soup pot, add carrot, celery, onion and water, bring to boil, then turn to medium to medium fire and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours, depending how rich and concentrated you want your soup base to be.

3. Remove all ingredients from the soup by using a sieve. Then skim off all fat on surface. Once cool down, chill at fridge.

4. On your dinner date, take our soup base and reheat. Then turn off fire.

5. Rinse barley. Then soak them in a bowl of water for 1 -2 hours.

6. Blanch potato until soft. Discard all water. Blend the softened potato with the heated soup base in a few batches. Add more softened potato if the soup consistency is too watery OR add more soup base if too thick.

6. In a new soup pot, add a little of olive oil and stirred fried the minced onion. Once fragrant, add the minced carrot and the soaked barley (discarding the barley water) and corn, then add the blended soup base above, bring to boil, then turn down to medium and medium low heat and cook for 1.5 hours. Watch and stir from time to time to avoid barley sticking to the bottom of the pot and got burned.

As the barley will make the soup thicker, in case it becomes too thick, you might to need to add some plain soup base or chicken stock to adjust the consistency. So ensure you have some plain soup base or chicken stock around, just in case!

Before serving, add some cooked ham pieces to the soup, then some whipping cream.

Enjoy!

Fried Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

1 portion for say 4 persons:

Organic Chicken Wings and drumsticks, each x 6pc

Curry Powder - 2 tbsp

salt, black pepper, sesame oil, japanese soy sauce to season

1 egg

Corn Flour x 2 tbsp

How to Make:

1. Wash and wipe dry all chicken pieces.

2. In a large bowl, marinate the chicken pieces with the above ingredients until mix well for 15-30 minutes. If you think it's too "wet", then add some more corn flour.

3. Heat up a wok with corn oil until it reaches approx 180'C. Then add the chicken pieces in batches until it becomes slightly golden. Remove from wok and drain the oil.

4. Then deep fry the chicken pieces for a second time until they are golden all over and serve immediately!

* if the oil is over 180'C, turn down the fire and/or add some new oil. 

Best to enjoy with a cold beer! :)

Roast Rack of Pork

Ingredients:

US Organic Rack of Pork (you can get this from City Super) x 1 rack

Minced garlic, rosemary and thymes (or use herbs and spices you like)

Apples - cleaned, removed core and cut into 6-8pc for each apple

Apple Sauce

How to Make:

1. The night before your dinner, after washing the pork and wiping it dry, marinate it with the above minced garlic, rosemary, thymes, salt and pepper and olive oil. Wrap it in foil and place it a fridge overnight.

2. The day of your cooking, take out the pork 1 hour to room temperature before cooking. Remove the minced garlic marinate from the pork as the garlic got burned easily during cooking and roasting.

3. Preheat oven to 200'C.

4. Heat up a pan with olive oil, brown the pork on all sides, then put to tray and roast in oven for 1.5 hours until internal temperature reaches 75-80'C for medium or 80-85'C for well done. in the last 30 minutes of roasting, put the cut apples to the side of the tray. (if you put the apples too early, they will become too soft to eat).

5. After cooking, rest the pork under loose tin foil for 10 minutes before carving. 

Serve with Apple Sauce and gravy of your choice. 

Enjoy with your favourite white wine or Burgundy Red! :)

Strawberry Cheesecake

* recipe adopted from Tastemade Japan

Ingredients:

Cake Base:
Digestive Biscuit - 1 normal pack
butter 30-40g

Cake:
Strawberries - approx 150g - cut into quarters
Philadelphia cream cheese 100g
Yoghurt 100g
Cream 200g
Caster sugar 30g
Gelatin Powder 8g - dissolved in 30ml warm water (about 80'C)
Lemon Juice 20ml

Cake Top:
Strawberry - approx 150g - cut into halves
Strawberry Juice from "A"
Gelatin Powder approx 3-4g - dissolved in the above strawberry juice being heated
Mint Leaves and Icing Sugar

How to Make:

1. Butter your cake tin.

2. Finely grate the biscuit and mix well with melted butter and press to bottom of cake tin and chill at fridge.

3. Cake: put strawberries, caster sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, then place in microwave 600W for 3 minutes.

4. Sieve the strawberries mixture after microwave into a pan. Save the juice in the pan as "A".

5. Mix well the cream cheese and yoghurt with a electric mixer, then add the sieved strawberries mixture and the gelatin solution to the cheese mixture.

6. Pour to the cake tin and chill back at fridge for approx 30 min.

7. Heat up the "A" juice, check tasting. If not sweet enough, add some caster sugar. Dont boil it. Melt the gelatin powder in this heated juice until all dissolved. Once not so hot, pour it on top of the cake. Then decorate with the  cut strawberries on top. Then chill back at fridge.

8. When ready to serve, add mint leaves and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Yorkshire Pudding

* Receipe from Jamie Oliver

Ingredients: (make around 8 pc)

Veg Oil or Olive oil
2 large eggs
100g plain flour
100ml milk
sea salt & black pepper

How to Make:

1. Preheat Over to 225'C.

2. Get yourself a muffin or cupcake tray and fill each compartments with around 1/4 vegetable oil. Then pop the tray to the hot oven for 10-15 mins so the oil gets really hot.

3. Beat the eggs, flours, milk together and season with salt and pepper until light and smooth. Pour them into a jug.

4. Remove tray from oven carefully, avoiding spill of oil, then pour the egg mixture to each compartment in the tray.

5. Pop it back to the oven and bake for 10-15 min ot until risen and golden.

Enjoy with your Roast Beef!

Japanese Burger

Ingredients: (to make 4-6 burgers)
200g minced pork
400g minced beef
onion x 1 - minced
Breadcrumbs x 1 cup
Milk - 4 tbsp
egg x 1
butter, salt and black pepper

Sauce:
Cooking Sake (approx 2 tbsp)
Mirin (approx 2 tbsp)
Ketchup (approx 3-4 tbsp)
Lee & Perins (approx 2 tbsp)
Soy Sauce (approx 1 tbsp)
Sugar (approx 1 tbsp)
Water / chicken stock 

How to Make:
1. Heat up a frying pan with olive oil and stir fried the minced onion until soft and fragrant. Then remove minced onion from pay and sieve away the excess oil.

2. Put the breadcrumbs to a bowl and add the milk and let it absorb for a while.

3. Mix the beef and pork together and season with salt and black pepper. Then add the minced onion (which has been cooled down), then the breadcrumbs (which have absorbed the milk), then the egg. Mix well with your hand.

4. Then scoop it up using a measuring cup. Say 1 cup for 1 scoop (so your burgers will be of even size). Then use your hands to gently pat around to shape it like a ball and place it on a clean tray.

5. Heat up a frying pan, add 1-2 tbsp of butter, then olive oil. Pat the burger flat (instead of like a ball), then add the burgers to the pan and let them fry for 3 minutes on each side using medium fire. Keep checking that it does not stick to the bottom by moving it side-ways (do not flip it until the 3 minutes have passed). Once both sides are pan fried for 3 min, add a splash of water, say 2-3 tbsp, then cover the pan and let it steam for another 3 minutes. Once time is up, check the burger using a skewer to poke inside the burger to see if any blood come out. If nothing, then the burger is all good. Remove them to serving plate.

6. Using the same pan, add the cooking sake to de-glaze, then mirin, then ketchup, Lee & Perins, Soy Sauce and Sugar or even some water or chicken stock to mix well to a sauce that you like. Pour on top of burger and ready to serve. 

Enjoy

Sous Vide Iberico Rack of Pork

Ingredients:

Rack of Pork (I use Iberico one because they are more tender and juicy)
Herbs you like (I like sage and rosemary for pork)
Minced garlic
salt, black pepper and olive oil
Gravy
Apple Sauce

How to Make:

1. Preheat water bath at 65'C.

2. Season pork rack with salt, pepper, olive oil and rub with minced garlic and covered with the herbs you choose.

3. Vacuum packed the pork and place the bags in preheated water bath and cook for 2 hours.

4. Remove pork from bags and wipe dry pork.

5. Slice up the pork rack per bones (like a pork chop) and heat up a frying pan. Seared and browned pork chops on all sides then serve immediately.

Serve with gravy and apple sauce. The pork should taste crispy on the outside and soft and tender on the inside.

Enjoy with a glass of your favourite white wine!

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb

This recipe is adopted from Gordon Ramsay. You can find his demonstration video at Youtube. Really easy to make and lovely to eat.

Ingredients:

2 racks of lamb cut in half with 3 bones serving
salt, black pepper and olive oil to marinate the lamb
Dijon mustard

Crust Ingredient:
4 slices of stale white bread cut into small pieces
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
a few sprigs of parsley
a few sprigs of rosemary
a few sprigs of thymes

How to Make:

1. Preheat oven to 200'C.

2. Wash and wipe dry cut lamb racks.

3. Lightly score fat layer (top side) with a sharp knife.

4. Marinate with salt, pepper and olive oil.

5. Heat up a frying pan (which you can put to oven later) and add olive oil. Sear and brown lamb on all sides.

6. Transfer whole pan with the lamb to the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, place all crust ingredients to a blender and pulse a few times until it becomes crumbles.Pour mixture to a plate and mix well.

8. When lamb is ready, take out and brush all sides with mustard. Then roll the lamb on the crumbles plate. Allow meat to rest. When ready to serve, place lamb back to the oven for 3-5 minutes.

Serve with your favourite white wine!  

Milk Braised Dijon Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Chicken of your choice, rinsed n patted dry with legs tied
1/2 cup (140g) Dijon mustard
2tbsp mustard powder
2 cups (500ml) milk
1 1/4 cups (310ml) chicken stock
1 tsp fennel seeds
Lemon rind  from 1 lemon
6 sprigs marojam
4 pickled onions, halved

How to make:
1. Preheat oven to 200'C.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

3. Heat up a heavy based ovenproof pot, add olive oil. Brown Chicken on all sides for 5-10 mins.

4. While chicken is cooking, whisk mustard, mustard powder, milk, chicken stock together with fennel seeds, marojam and lemon rind. Add this mixture to the pot.

5. Once boiled, place pot to oven and cook for 1 hour.

6. Add pickled onions and cook for a further 30 min.

C
Carve and serve n enjoy with a nice glass of white wine.