Starting Cold Cuts down Slow Cooking time - secret tip

Conventional teachings to sear marinated meat has the advantage of sealing the flavours and preventing shrinkage during slow cooking but requires longer cooking time.

To cook meat stews, curries, bone/ribs soups and rice porridge quickly, always start with cold ingredients and cold water.

Try this method to whip up the best beef rendang, pork bones spicy soup, congee and chicken broth.

Cantonese Steamed White Radish Cake - Yum Cha Dim Sum or Main Course?

Most pan fried dim sum served at yum cha restaurants are either lukewarm (taken from the refrigerator) or burnt.

Try making steamed white radish cake at home and get the perfect bite and fried medium well.

The proportion of ingredients are easy to remember.

1 cup of rice flour, 1.5 cups of water, 1 medium radish (shredded)

Blanched diced 4 inches length of preserved meat (optional)

Chinese meat sausage 2 pieces sliced thinly (lup cheong)

Washed dried shrimp about 2 TB spoons

3 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and diced

Fry the 2 types of preserved meat and shrimp till fragrant. Dish out and set aside.

Mix rice flour with water and seasoning (pepper, salt, soy sauce)

(preferably run through a sieve for smoother texture)

Fry garlic and shallots in 2 TBS of cooking oil till yellow and stir fry radish quickly.

Add in rice flour mixture and reduce heat. Stir continuously and bring to a slow boil.

Add fried savoury ingredients. Ensure that the bottom of the pot is not burnt as the mixture gets thicker and harder to stir.

Pour mixture into a heat proof dish.

Bring water in a high steamer to the boil. Ensure that the dish could fit into the heater with some space at the sides for easy removal after cooking.

Steam for at least 30 minutes in medium high heat.

Cool the steamed cake for at least 2 hours before cutting into thin rectangular slices.

Heat up frying pan and add a little oil. Pan fry the sliced cake and serve hot with spring onions, chilli sauce and XO sauce.

French Roast Chicken with Tyme and Garlic Stuffing

No hassle roast chicken French style can be prepared ahead of time and roast 90 minutes before serving.

Take chicken out from the fridge and rest at room temperature for 30 - 45 minutes.

Wash and pluck remnant feathers. Drain off excess moisture.

Rub fine 1/2 TBS of sea salt and 1 tsp of mixed pepper all over the chicken.

Squeeze lemon juice from 1 lemon on the chicken skin all over. Omit if you prefer the roast chicken to be soft rather than crispy.

Insert 2 whole garlic cloves and thyme into the chicken cavity and pierce with toothpiece to secure while marinating and roasting.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 180 - 200 degrees centigrade

Spread 10 g of softened butter all over the chicken

Place the whole bird on an oven proof baking tray

Roasting time vary according to the size of the chicken, averaging between 60 to 90 minutes.

Turn the chicken twice - the first time after 40 minutes, then 30 minutes, and leave it for the rest before carving.

Serve with potatoes (can be added during mid time to the roast chicken), pickles and stiry fried mixed vegetables.

Laksa with Cockles

Those who have lived in Southeast Asia would know what they mean by laksa with sihum.

Cockles without cockles (called hum by the locals) is not the real mackoy.

Then comes the tedious part. Do not overcook the cockles. The difficulty lies in most cockles don't open easily unlike clams. They are alright for consumption even if they are closed (not tightly clammed up and impenetrable, pardon the pun).

Cook laksa lemak (the coconut based with moist spices and not the curry powdered version) as per normal. The spice mix (remapah in Malay) comprises ground dried chillies (presoaked, deseeded and cut), tumeric, galangal (blue ginger), lemongrass and small onions. Pounded dried shrimp should be fried separately from the rempah.

The most essential ingredient is the Vietnamese mint leaves (polygonum) which has to be cut and chopped finely. Sprinkle on the laksa before serving. The stalks can be dropped into the rest of the soup before cooking.



Optional are tofu puffs, prawns, chicken slices, beansprouts and cucumber. They enhance the taste of the dish and are recommended if it this is meant to be a main course.

Good quality pure coconut milk or diluted coconut cream is preferable. Compromising on the quality of the coconut milk will debase the taste and enjoyment of this ever popular dish which has gained worldwide reputation.