Ways with Daikon/White Radish #1 Winter Beef Mushroom Ginger Daikon Soup

White carrot or daikon is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient that can add many twists and flavours to otherwise bland home cooked meals. 

This recipe is a winter soup using a good beef stock, ginger and peppercorns as the base. As white radish is considered cooling, it is essential to match it with some warming elements such as red meat, herb and spice.  Red wine enhances the aroma but it's optional. Coriander is recommended as a garnish for the soup as it has properties to soothe cough and sore throat caused by the cold. To avoid over heating and spiciness, reduce the amount of ginger and peppercorns. It's easy! 

Bring the beef stock to the boil. Add soaked shitake mushrooms and let it boil lightly. Then add in sliced daikon, peppercorn and ginger. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add a little salt and red wine according to preference. Top with coriander leaves. It's ready to be served. 

At the time of writing this, the weather is transiting from winter to spring. Do not be deceived by the apparent sunny feeling. The air is still cool and chilly. 

Steam Fish secrets - exotic Chinese and Southeast Asian styles

Like most novice cooks when I started out, I learned to master a sure way of steaming fish to perfection through many trials and errors after watching masterchefs demonstrate on television and live.

* Use only the freshest fish you can possibly buy. 
For whole fish, check that the eyes are bright and not dull, the flesh is succulent and bouncy, the scales are not broken.

* How to get rid of fishy smell and taste?

General Information on marinade, sauces and herbs to neutralise the taste of fish : 

- Essential : Ginger and wine (white or shaoxing).

-  Optional : Kaffir lime, lime, or lemon juice.

-  Additional : Salty and sweet pickled mustard green, preserved plum and sliced fresh chilli

Use any of these complimentary combinations or all.

- The two step steaming process (elaborated in the recipe provided below).

- Final sauce : boiled soy sauce, julienne ginger and sesame oil

- Garnishing : spring onion slices, fried shallot, fried garlic, coriander leaves, sliced tomatoes

Basic Recipe

1. Clean whole fish or cutlets and drain well.

2. Marinate with wine, salt and ginger slices.

3. Add any of the optional and additional items if desired.

4. Steam over boiling water or cook in microwave with steam feature covered.

5. Discard excess fishy water.

6. Bring final sauce to the boil. Pour over cooked fish. Sprinkle garnishes.

The dish shown above is steamed with additions of preserved plum, fennel, white long cabbage and pickled mustard for more sophisticated yet light flavours.

Fennel and capers discussed in : http://homecooksecrets.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/fish-with-vegetables-fennel-capers.html 

Easy and snappy Vol au vent - mushroom filling - tasty canape

For quick party canape, I used vol au vent cases bought from gourmet deli or health food store.  Alternatively, cut puff pastry and place in small cup cake moulds. Bake for 15 - 20 mins at 180 C.

This is a vegetarian filling : chopped button mushroom, garlic, white wine and butter.

Melt butter, fry garlic and mushroom slices. Add white wine and mix well. When slightly cooled, fill the cases and serve.

Curry Chicken - Malaysian Kapitan Curry Ayam

Cooking curry can be quite challenging and takes years to master after much tasting and experimenting. But  nothing is impossible if you know the method and little secrets that make a world of difference.

The essential meat ingredient is free range chicken. Cut whole chicken into bite sizes or use chicken drumsticks. It is tastier using meat on the bone.  Marinate chicken meat with 2 tsp of good quality curry powder from the spice store or Ayam brand. Babas used to be quite good but they seem to have diluted the content. Fiji is a hint spicier and heavy on chilli.  It all depends on what you like. Just remember one thing : Do not use curry powder that has been prepared for many months or exposed to the air.

The spicy paste : dried chillies (soaked and cut into smaller pieces), galangal, onion, garlic, tumeric (a little) and peppercorn. Add candle nut (or macadamia nut) for thicker curry and nutty taste. It is important to fry the paste in 2 TBS oil till fragrant. Otherwise the curry will be flat.

Cut lemongrass into segments. Bruise the white portion and fry with the spice mix.  Add the green stems when the chicken is simmering in curry.

The potatoes : if you like it softer, steam or bake with salt briefing till semi-cooked. For medium soft, fry potatoes with the chicken. For crunchy potato, cut into smaller pieces and add to the curry when it is boiling.

Fry chicken in fried spice mix till 3/4 cooked. Prepare coconut milk and add to the curry. Do not add too much water initially until you see the results after putting in the meat and potatoes.

To make it extra tasty : add tamarind paste, crumbled shrimp paste (Malaysian) and a knob of ginger.

Seasoning : salt, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar according to taste.

Garnish : torn kaffir lime leaves (4) and common mint (2) and 1/2 TBS of thick coconut cream

Sprinkling of shredded coconut (preferably fresh) at the end of the cooking will make any indifferent curry eater drool. If not available, use either snap frozen (steamed) or good quality dessicated coconut though these are not as fragrant.

The difference between most curries and rendang is the latter has less liquid and is browner in colour.

Teriyaki Chicken - the original Japanese soy sauce pan-fried chicken

Only the Japanese can lay claim on being the best cooks of teriyaki chicken.  Others are faux or pseudo or copycats. Nothing beats the original Japanese recipe.

This is one of my family's all-time favourite. Even when I am away from home or no longer be able to cook for them, they still have this recipe.

I have consolidated ideas from two masterchefs - a hotel/fine dining true blue Japanese chef, and another is an international acclaimed culinary instructor.

Ingredients
Chicken fillet - preferably thigh (400 - 500 g)
Pepper (2 tsp)
Mirin (1 TBS)
Soy Sauce  (2 -3 TBS)
Brown Sugar - 2 TBS

Steps :
1. Take chicken out from the fridge 20 minutes prior to preparation for cooking.
2.  Remove fat, skin and sinews. Hammer and butterfly meat.
3.  Marinate chicken with light soy sauce and mirin for 20 minutes or more.
4.  Heat up skillet, preferably non-stick. Nowadays, I use Korean stone coated frying pan which cooks the meat using its own juices, i.e., oil-free cooking.
5. When hot (but before it smokes), put in chicken meat about 2 pieces at a time.
6. Fry each side for 5 minutes or till well cooked.  Note : chicken must be thoroughly cooked and is not safe to be eaten semi-cooked, unlike beef.
7. Turn down the heat and cook a little longer if it looks like the meat is browning too quickly.
8. Remove from heat the first batch of cooking.
9. Cook the rest of the meat in the same way.
10. Rest the meat for at least 3 minutes.
11. Glaze the sauce on the pan with a little mirin, water and sugar mixture. Bring to a light boil.
12. Slice cooked chicken into bite size.
13. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
14. Serve with cucumber and tomato.

Reference - Adobo chicken :
http://homecooksecrets.blogspot.com.au/2009/12/philippine-adobo-chicken-and-pork.html

Gaeng Liang - Thai special vegetable soup for health

This is not the typical Thai chilli based soup or curry. It is a actually a classic complete tonic soup believed to date long before curries became the staples of the present-day Thai people. It is recommended for expectant mothers and post-natal nourishment, as well as growing children. This recipe has been adapted from a professional Thai chef recipe which has a longer list of ingredients using Thai produce.  A simplified list has ingredients that are quite easily available from ethnic grocers in most parts of the world.

The must-have basic ingredients are :
lufa (angled gourd) - cut into cubes
pumpkin - cut into bite size
mushroom (preferably straw mushroom, canned if not fresh, or else use fresh button mushroom),
baby sweet corn
green zucchini (optional)

Spicy paste : Pound - 
peppercorn, fresh prawn, garlic, coriander root, shallot bulb, fresh red chilli, dried shrimp or shrimp paste.

Traditionally, this herbal soup is supposed to be quite peppery. Adjust the fiery level accordingly. Cut down on the chilli and peppercorn if you like it mild.

Seasoning : fish sauce (2 Tbs).  

1. Bring 4 cups of chicken stock to the boil.
2. Add spicy paste and stir well.
3. When the stock is boiling again, add pumpkin first as it takes longer to cook.
4. Add lufa, then mushroom and zucchini. Lastly add baby sweet corn.
5. Season with fish sauce.
6. Serve hot with rice. Garnish with basil leaves.