ladymacaron20ten

When I started this blog I had the best intentions of sharing my Chinese cooking skills as I lived in Hong Kong for 3 years and learnt how to make authentic Bejing, Shanghainese and Cantonese cuisine including dim sum.

It seems however, that since arriving back in Australia macaron have taken over and have become my new obsession.  I've had more failures than I can count but with steely determination I've finally mastered them and have decided to set up a new blog just about macaron.  To visit me click on the link http://ladymacaron20ten.blogspot.com

How to Crack That Nut - Thai Green Curry

Most of us have made a Thai curry but only recently did I learn how to get that wonderful depth of flavour you get at restaurants.  The secret lies in how to crack that nut but not just any nut, specifically, coconut. Firstly, reduce coconut cream - best done in a wok - until it gets to a stage that it looks like you've got curds and oil i.e. cracks.  Add your curry paste, combine the two and stir fry until the paste is fragrant. Then you can throw in your poultry or whatever takes your fancy, toss it a bit, then add the rest of your coconut cream, a bit of water, vegetables and herbs.  If you do this each time, you'll end up with a lovely thick curry that has an amazing depth of flavour.  I've included some photo's below so you get the picture (no pun intended).

Pour 1 x 270ml tin of Coconut Cream into a wok, I used Ayam Brand.

Simmer over a medium heat until it cracks, this can take anywhere from 10-20 minutes and continue stirring.

If the cream starts to brown too quickly, turn down the heat.

It's all right to have some brown bits around the edges of the wok as the cream reduces.  Scrape these into the cream as they add flavour.  I've tried cracking the cream in a saucepan but in all honesty you just don't get the same result.

The Coconut Cream has started to crack but I'll reduce it even further.

Nearly there.

From this photo, you can see that the oil has separated and the Coconut Cream looks curd like.

It's at this stage that I add the Thai curry paste, whether it is red, yellow or green.

I don't have time to pound my own paste, so I add a couple of tablespoons of Maeploy Green Curry Paste which is available in most Asian grocery stores.

It's important to blend the Coconut Cream and curry paste together and stir fry them until the curry paste is fragrant.  A common mistake people make is to dollop the curry paste straight into the Coconut Cream and/or Coconut Milk and boil it up.  If you do this you will still have the raw taste of the spices and the flavours won't develop.

I've added chicken pieces and am stir frying them for a couple of minutes before adding....

yep, you guessed it... more Coconut Cream/Milk.  Notice the Coconut oil floating on the top which we got from cracking the Coconut Cream earlier.  

Now you can add whatever vegetables you fancy.  I added bamboo shoots, eggplant, shredded Kaffir lime leaves and a tablespoon of palm sugar.

Towards the end of the cooking process, I threw in some sliced red pepper to add a bit of colour.

Just before serving, throw in some fresh basil leaves and cook until they wilt.

Done and dusted - yumdelicious.

If you would like the actual recipe, please send me a comment with your email address.

Chicken with Ginger & Garlic

Although, I've lost my ability to smell and taste I can still feel the heat of ginger and chilli so when I make a stir fry I load it chock full just so that I can try and get some enjoyment from food... that, in addition to colour and texture.

I make this stir fry so often that I don't measure ingredients anymore - so far so good. I'm either getting it right each time or my family are just being awfully nice as not once have I had a complaint.  After living in a gourmet capital (Hong Kong) my hubby and gorgeous girls have developed high standards so if I stuff up I'll soon know about it.  The base sauce can be used for any type of meat and vegetables and depending on your ingredients, you'll get a different result.

Stir Fry Chicken with Garlic and Ginger

Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
1-2 tbsp ginger (chopped finely)
1 bunch of spring onion (cut into 1 inch lengths)
2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
1 packet of chicken breast (doesn't really matter how much)

Sauce:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp water
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp palm sugar
pinch white pepper

First prepare all of your ingredients then mix up the sauce in a small jug or bowl.  Notice that I've separated the thick white part of the spring onion to the finer green ones.  The thick lengths of spring onion have a longer cooking time so need to be placed into the wok closer to the start of your stir fry whereas the finer green lengths are thrown into the wok towards the end and require less cooking time.

Before you start your stir fry blanch the carrot in boiling water for 2-3 minutes.  When blanching vegetables, I was taught to throw in a piece of ginger, a tsp of sugar and a splash of shao xing wine to the water - this step is optional.

After you blanch the carrots, place them in cold water to stop the cooking process and drain your wok.

Heat your wok until it smokes then swirl enough cold oil around the middle so that it runs down to the bottom.  Throw in your garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant.  In my case I can tell when it's ready just by the colour.  

If the wok gets too hot and the ginger and garlic start to burn add your next ingredient i.e. the thick white lengths of spring onion, to bring down the heat.

Stir fry the white part of the spring onion for about a minute then add the chicken.

I normally blanch the chicken in hot oil until it changes colour before I add it to the wok in this step but one GG was vying for my attention so I added the chicken raw.  Although, the colour doesn't look great and the gas intensity felt like it was next to zero, the chicken was still lovely and tender in the finished dish.  Continue to stir fry the chicken until cooked then add the finer green spring onions, carrots and the sauce.  When adding the sauce drizzle it around the middle of the wok so that the heat of the wok starts to heat it instantly.  Make sure that the sugar melts, the sauce thickens and that the chicken and vegetables are well coated with the sauce before serving.  Garnish with some coriander.

Wok The Fu*k - How to Hold Your Wok

You thought this was rude didn't you, well sorry to disappoint... if it's crude stuff you're after it's best to leave my blog NOW!

Back to the serious art of cooking... now where was I... thats right, how to hold your wok whilst cooking.

If you have a wok that has two small handles, one on each side, use an old face washer or flannel as my nanna used to call them, to hold your wok whilst cooking.  Wet the face washer, squeeze out all of the water then fold it in half so that you have a rectangle; fold it in half again so that it becomes a square.

Now hold your wok like I'm holding mine in the photo below.

Contrary to what we are taught in Western cooking i.e. not to pick up anything hot with a wet cloth, when I learnt Chinese cooking I was taught the opposite.  The wet cloth actually prevents you from burning yourself and is less likely to catch fire near the intense heat.  If the handle starts to get too hot, simply rinse your cloth in cold water, squeeze out excess water and fold again as above.

Send in your Tips and or Suggestions on Asian Cuisine

Ok, I've got blonde hair and blue eyes and there is no hint of Asian about me but I spent a good 9 months with Cantonese cooks learning about Chinese cuisine and have an intermediate Chinese Cooking certificate to prove it.   I plan to include lots of yummy recipes on my site but if you read my blog and are Asian and have some tips or suggestions passed down from your mum or grandma then send them in as I would love to hear from you.

Hand Minced Pork Dumplings with Homemade Wrappers

It's too late to post the recipe and photo's of the dumplings that I made today but they are totally scrumdelicious!!!!!  When I get time later this week, I will update this post with the recipe and photos.  Making dumplings for the first time can prove a little tricky but with tips and a bit of practice you'll be making your own in no time.  Pop them into the freezer and you have a delicious snack that you can prepare quickly.  My kids love them and they are great for tots.... mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

A few days later and I've finally loaded the photo's....

If you  have a cleaver, go to your local butcher and ask for pork belly and try mincing your own meat, this way you will end up with a spongey, moist filling that is flavoursome and juicy instead of dry.

Chinese cooks use two cleavers to mince their meat but I only feel comfortable using one thanks very much!

Here we are aiming for half fat and half lean pork so that the fat renders down whilst cooking and keeps the filling moist.

Slice the ginger then fan it out and shred it finely.

Then in a fan type motion with your knife or cleaver, dice the ginger finely in a similar way that you would finely chop herbs.

Mix the hot water into the flour first before adding the cold so that the water cooks the flour and it ends up looking like this.  This is an important step as the hot water helps to make the dough elastic and it is easier to fill your dumpling wrappers.

Keep kneading the dough just like bread so that it ends up looking like the dough below.

Here, the gluten has started to relax and the dough is still soft and a little sticky.  Try not to spread too much flour on your working surface or you will lose the stickiness in the dough.  If you have to use a little flour only use cornflour otherwise, plain flour and the like will be absorbed into the dough and make it unmanageable.

Cut the dough into portions and cover them in plastic wrap ready for use.

Roll the portion of dough into a long rope and cut with a plastic scraper, similar to gnocchi.  Notice that there isn't too much flour on the work surface.

 Press the piece of dough down with the palm of your hand, cut surface facing up, so that a circle is formed then roll the wrapper as above.  I have a dim sum rolling pin but you can go to your local hardware store and have a small bit of wood cut to suit.  

When you fill the dumpling it is important to leave a a rim so that you can fold and pleat the wrapper.  Oops, in the above photo I dredged the dumplings with too much cornflour which made it difficult to pleat and seal the wrapper - not good.

To form the dumpling, fill the wrapper, fold it in half then pinch the right hand corner.  Start pleating the front side of the wrapper whilst pinching against the back of the wrapper and there you have it.  Notice that I haven't dredged the bench or dumpling with much cornflour and the result is a lot better.

And, look there's more.... waaaaaaaaaaaa.

Next step is to post the recipe.... back soon.

Noodles with Beef & Soy Sauce

These noodles were my absolute favourite in Hong Kong and I think I make a pretty mean version of them.  There is a chef located at Causeway Bay that has a reputation for making the best version of this dish, he uses pork fat in his recipe and so do I...

Ingredients:
2 small rib eye beef steaks (sliced finely)
3 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
2 tblspn fresh ginger (chopped finely)
1 bunch of garlic chives (cut into 1 inch lengths)
pork fat (walnut size)
1 packet of fresh rice noodles (sliced thickly)
1 cup of oil (to blanch the beef)
1 tbsp oil extra

Marinade:
1 tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tsp water
2 tsp shao xing wine

Sauce:
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp chicken powder

1.  Marinate the beef in the marinade for 15 minutes.  Make sure that you dissolve the bicarb soda well in the water before adding it to the beef and mix thoroughly.  After 15 minutes pour the beef into a sieve to remove excess moisture then using one cup of oil, blanch the beef in the wok (on high heat) until it changes colour - remove.  Pour the oil through a strainer and either dispose or store for later use. Rinse the hot wok under running tap water and clean with a nylon brush then put it back on the wok burner for later use.
2.  Pour a few drops of dark soy sauce onto the fresh rice noodles (in a bowl) and mix thoroughly so that they become a lovely brown colour.
3.   Heat the wok on high until it smokes.  Add 1 tbsp cold oil (drizzled around the middle of the wok so that it runs down to the bottom) then add the chopped ginger and garlic.  Stir-fry a few seconds then add the strained beef back to the wok, add the garlic chives and stir-fry continuously until the garlic chives start to wilt.  At this stage, add the pork fat then the rice noodles.  Stir-fry until the noodles become soft and separate.
4.  Add the sauce and stir-fry until the noodles and beef are well coated.

Note: For the pork fat I went to my local butcher and asked for the fat that surrounds the kidneys.  This fat renders down to a liquid and imparts a smoky flavour to the dish.  Garlic chives and the fresh rice noodles are available from your local Asian grocery store. Below is a picture of the packet of fresh noodles that I used.