Japanese-style Grilled Fish Glazed with A Miso-mirin Mixture

Ingredients

1-1/3 cups white rice, such as jasmine or short-grain sushi rice
1/4 cup white miso
2 Tbsp mirin
1/2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
4 (5-oz each) skin-on salmon fillets, preferably about 3/4 inch thick
1/2 cup loose-leaf green tea
Kosher salt
3 medium green onion, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds; more for garnish

Method

1. Cook rice and keep warm.
2. Position a rack 4 inches from the broiler and heat the broiler on high.
3. In a small bowl, stir the miso, mirin, and rice vinegar with a fork to blend. Put the salmon fillets skin side down on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, leaving space between them. Pat the salmon dry and broil for 2 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and, with a spoon, carefully spread the miso mixture over the top of the fillets. Broil until the salmon is just barely opaque in the center (use a paring knife to check), 2 to 3 minutes more.
5. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring 2-1/4 cups of water to a simmer. Put the tea leaves and 3/4 tsp salt in a 4-cup heatproof liquid measuring cup. Pour the hot water over the leaves and let steep for 1 minute.
6. Gently mix the green onion and sesame seeds into the rice and divide among four large shallow bowls, mounding it in the center. Pour the tea through a strainer around each mound. With a spatula, lift the salmon from the baking sheet, leaving the skin behind, and place on top of the rice. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Fine Cooking magazine

Cendol Ice 珍多冰

Ingredients

1 pack green pudding starch 爪哇布甸粉 (see picture below)
coconut milk
crushed ice

Syrup

1/4 cup sugar
3 oz slab sugar 片糖, diced
4 oz diced coconut sugar

Method

1. Dissolve the sugar with 1/3 cup water over low heat. Bring to a boil. Drain through a sieve and cool. Set aside.
2. Fill a pot with ice water and ice cubes. Set aside.
3. Mix pudding starch with 4-1/4 cups of water and cook until thickened. Keep on stirring when cooking. When it is thickened, pour it through a stainless steel strainer into the pot of ice water. The mixture will be set into stripes in the ice water. Remove, drain and chill in the refrigerator.
4. To serve, put some syrup and the prepared stripes in a dessert glass. Add coconut milk and crushed ice. Serve cold

Source: Hong Kong magazine

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Indian-style Curry with Beef, Cauliflower and Peas

Ingredients

1 tablespoon ghee
1 kg beef chuck steak, cut into 3 cm pieces
2 brown onions, thinly sliced
2 celery sticks, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 fresh bay leaf or dried bay leaf
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons garam marsala
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 long green chilies, seeded (optional), finely chopped
2 cups beef stock
2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes
8 fresh curry leaves
1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets
200 g natural yogurt
1 cup fresh peas or frozen peas
steamed Basmati rice, to serve
papadums, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.
2. Heat half the ghee in a large flameproof casserole pan over medium-high heat. Add one-quarter of the beef and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat in 3 more batches with remaining beef, reheating pan between each batch.
3. Heat remaining ghee in pan. Add the onion, celery, carrot and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens.
4. Add the bay leaf, cumin, coriander, garam marsala, paprika, turmeric, mustard seeds, ginger and chili and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
5. Add the beef, beef stock, tomatoes and curry leaves and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
6. Bake in preheated oven, loosely covered, stirring occasionally, for 1-1/2 hours.
7. Add the cauliflower and yogurt and stir to combine. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until beef and cauliflower are tender and sauce thickens slightly.
8. Add the peas and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
9. Spoon evenly among serving plates. Serve with steamed basmati rice and papadums, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Source: Taste magazine

Macau-style Simmered Clam with Roasted Pork Belly

Ingredients

10 oz Chinese-style roasted pork belly, home-made of sore-bought
1 Portuguese sausage
1 medium onion
2 tomatoes
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs clams in shell
1 cup white wine
2 tsp paprika
1 bay leave
2 whole cloves
4 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
4 tsp chopped parsley
1/4 lemon
1 boiled potato
black pepper to taste

Method

1. Soak the clams in water with 1 tbsp salt for an hour to remove the sand.
2. Rinse the clams and drain well.
3. Dice the sausage and cut roasted pork, onion, tomatoes and potato into bit-size pieces.
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a pan, saute the onion, tomatoes, sausage and garlic until fragrant. Cook over low heat until the onion caramelize.
5. Add pork, clams and black pepper. Toss to combine.
6. Mix in white wine, bay leave, paprika and cloves. Toss briefly.
7. Cover and cook over medium heat until the clams are cooked and the shells are opened. Discard clams with closed shells.
8. Add potato, cilantro and parsley. Toss to combine. Remove to serving platter and garnish with lemon before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Hong Kong magazine

Roasted Spicy Cauliflower

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 large head cauliflower, cored, broken into 1-inch florets
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. Stir oil, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, curry, and turmeric in a large bowl to combine.
3. Add cauliflower and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat cauliflower evenly.
4. Arrange in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet (scrape any extra seasoning from bowl over cauliflower). Roast until cauliflower is brown around edges and crisp-tender, 10–15 minutes.
5. Transfer to a platter and sprinkle ginger and lime zest over. Serve warm or room temperature.

Makes 8 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit magazine