Back for Visit

A very long silence. Struggling to make a living has taken me away and not having any time to spare. That has not stopped me from cooking, in fact, I am a much better home cook than before.

The opportunity to hone your skills have been forced by the lock down during the pandemic, and juggling work from home and other responsibilities.

The easy way for most people is to post on other more hip social media that attract followers.

Blogs still have their place.

I shall be posting now and then. Thank you for your support and encouragement.

Vietnamese fried rice paper spring rolls simply heavenly

Thanks to my Vietnamese friends who are foodies and great traditional home cooks, I have opportunities to cook authentic home style Vietnamese favourites such as "chia gio" (deep fried pork in rice paper rolls).

It is a shame that most so-called Vietnamese nowadays resort to serving cheaper and easier to prepare spring rolls using what flour crepe commonly used in southern Chinese cuisines.

Differences between fried Vietnamese rice rolls and fresh rice rolls (or summer rolls as some call it):

1. Thinner rice paper that is more pliable to roll and doesn't break as easily.

2. No need to soak in hot water. Simply cover with damp cloth sprinkled with some rice wine.

3. Smaller and less filling rolled tightly to ensure that the raw meat is thorough cooked.

Filling

400 g pork mince marinate in soy sauce and pepper
100 g prawn (chop roughly)
Soaked wood ear fungus, slice thinly
Bean vermicelli soaked in warm water
Handful of sliced carrot and cabbage
1 chopped spring onion or garlic chives
Beaten egg
Season with a little salt

Method

Using the special rice paper meant for deep frying, roll prepared meat filling.

Be careful, the rice paper is sticky. Place them apart on greaseproof baking paper.

Deep fry in a heavy pot of hot oil (ideally at 170 degrees) till crispy and meat is cooked.

Drain oil on colander lined with blotting paper (not fluffy kitchen towel) that does not adhere to rice paper.

For balance, wrap hot spring rolls in lettuce (iceberg, cos or buttercup) and different types of mint leaves, dip in chilli fish sauce. Tuck in like the folks in Vietnam would enjoy them.

Pork crackling guaranteed crispy

Pork crackling should be crispy. If it's chewy, that's not what it's supposed to be and it's an immediate turn off.

After many moons of experimenting and humbly consulting with those who have succeeded, the recipe is now failed proof.

Get good quality piece of pork belly, preferably free range, and pungent free.

Nowadays, some grocers or butchers would score the rind. If not, it is easy to make superficial parallel cuts.

Give yourself at least 3 hours from prep to dining table. Take the chilled meat out of the fridge about 30 minutes before preparation.

1. Pour hot water on the skin. Drain.
2. Measure 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and pour on the skin evenly.
3. Pat dry with towel. Sprinkle pepper and spread evenly all round.
4. Rub the skin (not the meat) with a teaspoon of fine salt.

Grill in preheated 250 C oven for at least 60 mins and check if it's almost crackling.
Lower heat to 200 C and bake for another 30 mins.

Rest for 10 mins and cut into slices.
Serve with gravy, sliced shallot and ground garlic chilli.

Spaghetti melon or sharksfin squash

Abandon any thoughts of ever eating sharksfin soup to save the mindless killing of sharks.

This vegetarin soup is a superior alternative. Tasty and nutritious.

Cut melons into large slices. Put into boiling tasty stock (beans, fish, chicken, as you wish). Try to mash the melon as it cooks to produce a stringy consistency. Add thickener if you wish. Season with pepper, salt, ginger slices and fried shallots.

Spinach pasta with grilled fish, pinenut and special white sauce

Grill boneless fresh fish with lots of salt and pepper in a hot pan to bring out the full flavour. Flake and put into a moderate oven of 150 C to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make use of the heat to roast some pinenut with shopped garlic as well.

Boil spinach noodles in salty water with a drizzle of olive oil till al dante.

Deglaze pan (after cooking the fish) with white wine,
Add mushroom and fry briefly. Then add thickening corn flour mixture, capers, spring onion and chopped chilli.