Braised Chicken with Abalone 鮑魚悶雞

The price range for canned abalone can differ dramatically. As low as less than $10 USD or $100 or more can be possible. Well, we're not trying to bankrupt ourselves, and this recipe requires some braising time with chicken. 

So there is no need to get big and chunky supreme abalones. Just use the cheaper one, ideally with each individual abalone size no bigger than a small chicken egg. That way you can braise the abalone as a whole without making a dent in the wallet.

Braised chicken with abalone 鮑魚悶雞 - 

Ingredients?

• 1 canned abalone (425 grams total but 200 grams solid)
• 700 grams bone-in skin-on dark chicken meat (about 10 drumettes)
• 1 stalk scallion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 slices 2mm-thick ginger 
• 1 teaspoon crystal sugar
• 1 tablespoons preferred cooking oil

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

How?

Marinate the small chicken drumsticks, or drumettes with all the ingredients listed under the "marinade" section. Massage the sauce into the meat then let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.

Peel the garlic cloves. Scrape-off the ginger skin then slice to 2mm thick pieces. Destem the scallion then section the white part, diagonal cut the green part for garnish in the end.

Use a clay pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil and switch to medium heat. I used olive oil, which is my basic oil for cooking.

Once the temperate rises, add in garlic, white section of the scallion, and ginger slices. Sear till aromatic and the garlics turn slightly browned.

Add in the chicken but not the marinade juice. Sear till slightly browned. Flip once the bottom part has been colored and continue to sear other sides.

Then it's time to pour in all the remaining marinade. Also 1/3 cup of the canned abalone juice, it'll highly enhance the flavor of the dish. Bring the whole thing to a boil then lower the heat to keep it as a light bubbling stage.

Add 1 teaspoon of crystal sugar and cook till the sugar has been fully dissolved into the sauce. Continue to cook 10 minutes.

Time to add the abalones, but no more juice from the can. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes or till reduced a bit.

Top with scallion greens and serve the braised chicken with abalone in the same clay pot used in cooking. It'll hold up the residual heat quite well, so you get to enjoy a hot or very warm dish all the way.

Don't discard the remaining abalone juice. You can utilize that in any other soupy Asian dishes, especially the kind that needs a umami boost. 

If you really don't have any use of canned abalone juice at the moment, go ahead and freeze them into ice cubes or in a seal-tight container. Some people do that with homemade stock too. There will always be a time calling for a flavor-boost.

Extended reading:

• Garlic butter abalone 大蒜奶油鮑魚片

Foie Gras Appetizer with Fig Preserves, Balsamic Reduction, and Brioche Toast

It can be quite a hassle to get a hold of fresh or frozen foie gras unless you're in a big city or willing to purchase larger portion online. Even though pâté or canned version are not as enticing as freshly seared foie gras, but they are still quite delicious, and mostly come with a more affordable price tag.

Foie gras with fig preserves, balsamic reduction, and brioche toast -

Ingredients?

• 1 to 2 slices brioche toast
• 1 to 2 packs canned foie gras
• Some fig preserves
• Some balsamic vinegar
• Some frisée
• Some freshly ground black pepper

How?

Cut the brioche toasts into smaller pieces with some thickness remained. I purposely cut the toast to match the size of foie gras. Transfer to a baking dish and into the oven under high heat till slightly browned or semi-crunchy on the surface. 

Simple balsamic vinegar will do but just slightly simmering it down to a thicker consistency can further refine this dish. Pour some balsamic vinegar into a small pot and turn to medium high heat till reduced by 1/3 or nearly half. Remove from heat immediately to prevent from drying out.

Remove the foie gras from the container and cut into smaller pieces, about 1/3 inch thickness. 

Spread some fig preserves on one side of the brioche toast, top with foie gras and torch till the some fat starts to surface. Drizzle some balsamic reduction and garnish with frisée. Sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper to complete the plating. 

The canned foie gras used here is slightly salty. However, if using fresh version, remember to sprinkle some salt flakes after searing.


Other fancy food recipes:

• Fancy meal at home - squid ink risotto with seared cuttlefish
• A totally doable fancy appetizer - scallops sashimi with kumquat juice, shiso, and fleur de sel
• Summer bites: brioche burger with seared tuna and Sriracha uni sauce
• Seared duck breast with simple balsamic dressing, served with creamy corn mashed potatoes
• Fancy salad is not as hard as it looks - utilizing store bought ingredients to create restaurant quality greens
• Self indulgence - SRF rib eye steak with daikon oroshi donburi
• American Kobe steak with simple Japanese sauce, extra sunny side up to make this single meal even more comforting
• Enjoying steak in a less guilty way - served with arugula salad

A Totally Doable Fancy Appetizer - Scallops Sashimi with Kumquat Juice, Shiso, and Fleur De Sel

Fancy but easy sushi-like appetizer to jazz up the night.

Scallops sashimi with kumquat juice, shiso, and fleur de sel - 

Ingredients? 

• 2 big sashimi grade scallops
• 1 shiso leaf
• 2 kumquats
• 1 tablespoon of ikura
• Some grade seed oil
• Small pinch of fleur de sel or other good quality sea salt

How?

Carefully halve the scallop so its round shape still holds. Thinly slice the scallop halves again. So for each big scallop, you'll get 4 thinly sliced scallops. Roll up the shiso leaf and finely chop it.

Plate the scallop slices, if the shape slightly falls apart, just gently push them back to round shape position.

Drizzle a little bit of grape seed oil and squeeze 2 kumquats throughout. Evenly arrange the ikura around the scallops and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Finish plating with some finely chopped shiso.

You can slice the scallops and finely chop the shiso leaves ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Just assemble the remaining ingredients right before serving. Its refreshing and light taste can wake up the palate and smoothly lead to the heavier entree selections. Take it up a notch? Try serving this dish with a glass of brut champagne or trocken riesling.

Other fancy appetizer recipe:

• Grilled shrimps with mango salsa
• Beef shabu with a touch of sesame dressing and homemade spicy oil
• Shabu shabu Black Angus beef slices with ponzu garlic dipping sauce
• Foie gras with strawberry guava jam and Asian pear

Single's Day and Pocky Day Food Scene - Chocolate and Espresso Cupcakes with Almond Choco Sticks

November 11th is also known as Single's Day in China or Pocky Day in Japan. Don't we all just need more excuses to celebrate as many festivals as possible? The idea behind Single's Day is mostly due to the connection between singles and the number "1." On top of that, 1 also resembles the shape of a famous Japanese chocolate stick snack Pocky. Maybe we should have a palmier day on 8/8 then?

There's a game associated with Pocky Day on 11/11 in Japan called Pocky Tower, where you stack up chocolate sticks that looks somewhat like Jenga. As much as I would like to participate in such delicious-looking game, I do not want to open so many packs of chocolate sticks knowing that I would finish munching on the sticks until they're out of my sight instead of putting them back to the cabinet. 

To avoid such high risk of fluctuating blood sugar, let's skip the "tower" concept and toned it down to one single stick on a chocolate and espresso cupcake. 

Chocolate and espresso cupcakes with almond choco sticks -

Ingredients (for 6)?

• 1 1/8 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1/3 cup of freshly brewed espresso
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter
• Some ganache
• Some chocolate sticks (I used almond flavored chocolate sticks)

How?

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line the muffin tin with paper cup liners.

Sift the following dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix the following wet ingredients in a large bowl: egg and sugar first, then add in the cream, coffee, and semi-melted butter. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches and mix well. Divide the mixture into the 6 paper cup liners and bake for about 15 minutes. Cracks on the cupcakes are normal.

Drizzle the ganache (simple ganache recipe can be found from my chocolate and banana bundt cake recipe) over the cupcakes -

Quick texture test. Ok fine, the truth is that the chocolaty scent overflows my kitchen, and I simply cannot resist the temptation any longer -

Velvety ganache on top and moist texture in the center.

Insert a chocolate stick to the cupcake before the ganache sets -

Don't know about you, but if I ought to "celebrate" Single's Day, I'll definitely surround myself with this cupcake and tons of chocolate sticks. 

Other chocolate related sweet treats recipes:

• Chocolate truffle torte infused with a little bit of coffee and cognac
• Chocolate and banana bundt cakes
• Pear infused chocolate truffles 

Festive Japanese Food at Home - Colorful Chirashi as Easy as 1 2 3!

Chirashi, kaisen donburi, or seafood bowl is one of my all time favorite Japanese food. The thought of making my own sushi rice has been preventing me from trying to make it at home for years. Finally one day when I was strolling down the sashimi aisle at a local Japanese market, looking at all sort of sushi grade fish, my cravings just couldn't hold any longer. 

Ended up with packs after packs of sashimi ranging from salmon, tuna, uni, squid, and more. Very happy indeed. The homemade chirashi was colorful and festive (I have to come up with some sort of celebration excuses in order to lower my guilty feeling of overspending on these high quality ingredients). In addition, the sushi rice, if not too picky, is actually quite easy to make. There will definitely be a wide variety of sashimi donburi recipes coming up in the future.

Color chirashi with a touch of shiso leaves -

Ingredients (for 2 generous portions)?

Sushi rice:

• 2 cups of sushi rice/short grain rice/or any type of white rice
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Tuna marinade:

• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of mirin
• 1/2 teaspoon of wasabi

Others:

• Assorted sashimi grade seafood (I used about 0.25 lb of squid,  0.3 lb of salmon, 0.5 lb of tuna, 0.12 lb of salmon roe, and 0.25 lb of sea urchin)
• 1 square of tamago
• 2 to 4 shiso/perilla leaves
• Some wasabi
• Some light soy sauce or kombu infused soy sauce

How?

Sushi rice is preferred among all types of grains for making sashimi-related recipes. However, it can always be substituted with short grain or other types of white rice at your convenience. Prepare the rice as usual but cook it with a little less water in order to get slightly chewier rice. 

Once the rice is ready, scoop them out to a wide wooden box or any other wide opening container to help the heat evaporates. Mix together 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, and 1/4 tea spoon of sea salt. Make sure the sugar and the salt have been fully dissolved in the vinegar, otherwise try to heat up the blend in a small pot or in the microwave for just a little bit. 

Sprinkle the mixture over while folding the rice gently, so that each grain is coated with the flavoring. The result will be better if there's also a fan on the side sending cool air, helping the heat to escape at a much faster rate. 

Warning!! I was too eager on folding the rice the second time making chirashi for my friends. As a result, my sushi rice started to stick together and turned out way too chewy. Maybe they'll turn into mochi if I keep flipping and stirring..

Make sure not to over-fold the rice. The goal is to fluff the grains while spreading the liquid throughout, the heat will also help in distribution the seasonings. Let the rice cool down to room temperature before serving.

Cut the sashimi grade fish and tamago into smaller cubes. Slice the squid into strips. I purposely bought twice as much tuna compared to other seafood, using half as sashimi and the other as tsuke/marinated style fish.

Mix all the marinade ingredients and add in half of the cubed tuna. Blend gently and let the fish marinate for about 10 minutes.

Finely chop the shiso leaves, use more if a stronger minty scent is preferred. 

To assemble, scoop the rice to a bowl, save the sea urchin till last and arrange the remaining seafood and tamago onto the rice. Lastly, carefully transfer the sea urchin on top of the ingredients and sprinkle with some shiso leaves. Add a small spoonful of wasabi on the rim of the bowl and serve with light soy sauce on the side. 

It's better to keep the sea urchin in the fridge till right before assembling to prevent from melting. 

First time making simple sushi rice was such a success, despite the sticky result from the second attempt. Doubting if the success is a good thing or not...since I'll start making much more chirashi at home..not very wallet friendly (but definitely keeps my tummy happy).

Chocolate and Banana Bundt Cakes (Recipe Using Two 3 Cups Bundt Cake Molds)

Not sure if it's due to the cold weather or not, I've been craving for sweet treats almost on a daily basis (or is that normal?). In order to maintain a healthier eating style and my unwillingness to settle for artificial sugar or margarine, I had to fight with my desires. 

This tug of war lasted for about 4 days, 4 straight days without eating any cookies, cakes, ice cream, and even my beloved boba milk tea. Unfortunately this battle was lost on day 5 to the evil created by my own hands - chocolate and banana bundt cakes. Cakes..

Ingredients (for two 3 cups bundt cakes)?

Cake:

• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
• 1 cup of cane sugar
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) of unsalted butter

Chocolate ganache:

• 1/2 cup of bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
• 1 tiny pinch of salt

How?

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave in low power till almost turn liquid form. Brush the inside of the bundt molds with melted butter, don't forget to brush the center surface.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Peel two ripe bananas and mash them in a bowl. Make sure the bananas are at least as ripe as the ones shown in the picture below. Black dots actually mean sweeter bananas, more fragrant, and even more nutritious.

Whisk in the flour, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl. Take another bowl and add in the remaining butter in room temperature. Beat the butter till creamy with few small lumps, add in the sugar and beat until fluffy, takes at least 2 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract, blend a little then add in one egg, room temperature also. Beat for another minute then add in mashed bananas.

Carefully pour in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches. Blender or mixer off before adding the powdery ingredients otherwise you'll get flour all over your face. Pour in the first half and blend a little. Mix in cubed sour cream along with the other half of dry ingredients. Mix till incorporated, about 1 to 2 minutes. Fold in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture to the mold about half way through. Lay a towel on the table and whack the mod in order to release the air bubbles in the mixture. I also push the mixture up a little bit along the inner and outer edges. This should help the cakes form and bake into the correct shape. 

Transfer the molds to the oven and bake for 65 to 70 minutes. There is no need to use a baking sheet beneath the bundt molds. Once ready, you can run a toothpick test by sticking it into the center of the cakes and see if the toothpick comes out clean or just with a few cooked crumbs, instead of sticky mixture. 

Remove the molds from heat and let them cool down first, about 10 minutes. Invert the cakes out onto a flat plate, the cakes should come out fairly easy.

As for the chocolate ganache, add 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl. Take a medium pot and heat up the heavy whipping cream together with just a tiny pinch of salt. Bring almost to a boil but make sure not to let the cream start bubbling. Pour the heated cream to the chocolate chips bowl and start stirring till fully blended. 

Wait a few minutes till the ganache cools down and thickens before drizzling over the cakes.

Wait till the ganache has been settled and harden on the cake before serving. This semi-sweet cake is ideal to serve with a cup of hot tea or coffee. For wine lovers, a small glass of port could do the trick. Ladies and lighter wine drinkers, Prosecco can be an easy drink and good alternative.

Happy Valentine's Day! Let's Celebrate with Pear Infused Chocolate Truffles

February 2013 is such a festive month. With people here in Taiwan still enjoying their lunar new year's break, Valentine's Day is gradually approaching. Let's see what we can make to treat our valentines. (Yes, plural)

Pear infused chocolate truffles -

Ingredients (for about 18 to 20 truffles)?

200 grams of 70% dark chocolate
200 grams of heavy whipping cream
1/2 pear
Some chocolate powder

How?

Peel and chop the pear into small cubes. Pour the heavy whipping cream into a pot and turn to medium low heat. Add 1/2 of the pear cubes into that same pot.

Bring to a slight boil till the cream almost reach the bubbling state then lower the heat to keep it simmer gently for about 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure not to bring the mixture to a full boil, otherwise the texture of the cream will be changed and will not mix nicely with melted chocolate later on.

Once done, drain well and set aside. Don't waste the pear bits, I actually blend it with other fruits and some more milk, turned out to be another delicious juice creation.

Take a double broiler, or simply add some water into a pot and top it with a big bowl or plate. Make sure the upper container does not touch the water on the bottom. We want to create a steaming mechanism instead of cooking the chocolate directly.

Break the chocolate bars into smaller pieces and transfer onto the top container. Pour in the pear infused cream. Turn to medium low heat to gradually melt the chocolate.

Stir the mixture constantly and make sure the cream is fully incorporated into the chocolate. Turn off the heat and transfer this "ganache" mixture into a smaller container. Let it cool for a little bit then cover with foil. Into the fridge for about 2 hours, or till the texture hardens.

Meanwhile, sift some chocolate powder.

Can you tell I'm trying to use any tools I can find in my mom's kitchen here in Taiwan to make western dessert? Chopsticks instead of a whisk, tea leaf filter instead of a sifter.
 
When the ganache is ready, use a small spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the chocolate. Gently roll it into round shape if using a spoon. Dip the chocolate balls with the choco powder and set onto another container.

I prefer to transfer these just finished chocolate truffles back to the fridge for another 15 minutes before serving. Of course you can dig in right away.

The truffles should melt fairly quickly. You'll get that silky and smooth sensation once the melted truffles flow all over your mouth. You can also substitute pear with other fruits such as cherries or passion fruits. You can even jazz it up a bit adding a few drops of flavored liquor into the mixture. However, it's totally up to you how you would like to surprise your valentines. (**plural**)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Something for Halloween - Domokun Bento

Even though I didn't get to dress up for this year's Halloween, but I can definitely transfer the fun to my bento box!

Domokun bento -

Ingredients (2 to 3 regular portions)?

1 pound of ground chicken
1/2 pound of ground pork
3 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of mirin
1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger
2 white squashes
1 slice of kumbo/dried seaweed
Some steamed rice
Small pinch of black pepper
Small pinch of sea salt
Some honey cured ham slices

How?

Cook some steamed white or brown rice.

Transfer both the ground chicken and ground pork into a medium pot. Turn to medium high heat. Add in 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of mirin, 1/2 teaspoon of grated ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. Mix well and cook till all the seasonings have been absorbed by the meat. I actually cooked a little bit longer in order to get a darker color result.

Scoop some rice into rectangular or square shaped lunch boxes. Evenly spread a layer of ground meat on top.

Peel and slice the squashes, about 2 millimeters in thickness. Rinse and clean the dried kumbo/seaweed.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil then lower the heat to keep it simmering. Add in the kumbo along with a small pinch of salt. Cook for 5 minutes then add in squash slices. Cook till the squash softens. Drain well and set aside.

Make sure to cook the kumbo first especially it takes longer time to cook down the tough texture. In addition, the seaweed flavor can actually permeate the squash slices and adds more flavor.

Use a round shaped mold to cut ground shape eyes out of cooked kumbo. I actually cleaned a pen cap in order to use it to cut out small eyes. Transfer the "eyes" to each bento boxes, two for each box of course.

Take the cured ham and cut out big rectangle mouth for domokun. Put it just a little bit below the eyes.

Carefully cut some big and small triangles out of sliced squash for domokun's teeth.

The cooking part is easy. I think all the hard work goes to measuring, cutting, and assembling the pieces patiently. Make sure to refrain yourself from eating domokun's yummy honey cured mouth before the bento is completed!

Other Halloween food recipe:
Halloween fingers

Halloween Fingers from Fat Monsters

Am I too late for Halloween?

I finally managed to chop down some fat monsters' fingers just couple days before Halloween. Overwhelmed with endless chores, maybe this post was a little bit too late for such a greenish festival. But even though Halloween might just pass few hours ago, our spooky spirits remain right!?

Ingredients (for about 15 fat fingers or 20 skinnier fingers)?

1 cup of all purpose flour
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 tablespoon of almond butter
1 egg
15 or more almond halves
Few drops of vanilla extract
Small pinch of sea salt
Some Japanese matcha powder

How?

Beat the egg and vanilla extract in a small bowl.

In another container, mix together room temperature butter, almond butter, sugar, and salt. Once fully combined, add in the egg mixture and blend till smooth in texture.

Gradually add in the flour while mixing in slow speed,
Mix till no white flour bits present, divide the dough in half.

Wrap 1/2 of the dough with foil,
As for the other half, keep blending while adding matcha powder a tiny bit at a time till it reaches desired yucky green color,
When the dough is ready, wrap with foil.

Transfer the dough to the fridge to chill for about 15 to 20 minutes,
In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line the parchment paper on a baking sheet.

I also halved the almonds while waiting for the dough and the oven,
This is my dummy way to halve the almonds -

Push the almond in between the fork to position it tightly,
Aim the center with a sharp knife and carefully cut the almond in half.

Take the dough out and start our art lesson,
Just like playing with clay when you're a little kid, simply grad some dough and roll out some fingers! I tried to make some big deformed Frankenstein-like knuckles but yeah..not very successful..

Score the dough with fork that resembles the wrinkles on our fingers,
Gently push down each almond halves on finger tips to make ugly nails.

It was my first time making Halloween fingers so I got a little bit too greedy, turned out I got fat fingers.

If you want regular size fingers, remember to make skinny logs while forming the dough.

Into the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes,
If you prefer a softer bite, 10 minutes should be enough.

Despite their creepy looks, the almond and matcha flavor actually taste pretty good. In fact, I'm glad I got fat fingers because it means more bites in one cookie!

Cindy's Rating: 7