Salmon Rice

Inspired by a salmon rice bowl I had in Japan. Uses minimal utensils. Makes for 2 servings. Result is utterly delicious.

1. Make a seafood stock. In my case, stir fry garlic and leek tops at medium heat until fragrant, then add prawn shells (about 10 prawn shells) and fry at high heat until you smell the shells. Add just enough water to cover the ingredients. Simmer for 30-40 mins covered.

2. Make fried white bait topping. Wash the white bait, drain, then fry until light brown.

3. Drain the stock and keep aside. Rinse the stock pot.

4. In the stock pot, fry several slices of thinly sliced leeks in a touch of oil. Then add 3 teaspoons of good quality red miso and continue frying to break it up. Then add the dry jasmine rice (1 cup - there is no need to wash it to remove starch). At medium heat, continue to gently stir fry the rice for a few minutes. Then add 1.5 cups of stock (topping up with water if stock is insufficient). Add a bit of acid (calamsi juice, lemon juice etc).

5. Bring the rice mix to a high boil. Then gently lay a cold (partially defrosted) salmon on top (about 200-250g). Cover with well fitting lid, then lower the heat to low. Cook the rice for about 20 mins, then turn off the heat and let it sit for another 10. Take off the lid, and using a spoon, break the salmon into the rice, mixing well. Probably can add chopped spring onions (did not in my cooked version).

6. Eat with the fried white bait as topping.

Teochew fish porridge redux

What's different from the first time is I used Ta pan fish (Eng?). The flesh is firmer and more flavour full. Its a large fish - I took the tail, filleted the flesh and took out the bones.

I also slow cooked sliced garlic and ginger in vegetable oil until the garlic was well browned but not burnt. This can be added to the porridge as a garnish - it lifted the taste quite a bit.

Teochew Fish Porridge (sort of)

I kind of riffed on it, but it tasted nice.

I used sea bass (not a usual fish).

For 2
1. Fillet fish and refrigerate the flesh for later use.

2. Put fish bones into pressure cooker along with slices from 1/3 length of leek, 2 halved cloves garlic, a thumb size ginger in slices, and one leaf of kiam chye. Add water. Pressure cook for 10 mins. Let it release pressure normally before opening.

3. Strain stock and put into pot. Measure out rice (I used half cup) and wash rice thoroughly, then add into pot. Add more water as required.

4. Taste stock. If necessary, add a bit more kiam chye. Also add sliced ginger (about half a thumb worth in my case) to taste. Add one teaspoon of fish sauce or to taste. Bring to a boil and keep it at a rolling boil for about 10 minutes or until the porridge starts to bleed white into the water and the rice is cooked.

5. Remove kiam chye (if using). Let the porridge sit on stove top for a while - the rice grains will expand further.

6. When ready, bring the porridge to a boil again. Add fish slices and 6 frozen oysters. Bring to boil and then lower heat to a very slow simmer until cooked. Watch oysters carefully so they don't shink too much.

7. Put butterhead lettuce into the bottom of serving bowls. Then ladle the hot porridge over. Garnish with cut spring onions. Eat with white pepper to taste.

Reinventing no-knead bread version 1

Objective is to get a no-knead bread that is as fuss free as possible and fits with my lifestyle/timing. Assumes I use air con at night to sleep with and I want fresh bread early in the morning.

The first attempt is good. Taste is excellent, crust good. Crumb is still a little dense - probably the consequence of a one rise bread.

Here's a blow by blow.

1. Mix a 70% hydration dough with 1 to 1.5% salt and 1% yeast. Use ice cold water.
2. Mix dough into a ball as per no-knead and put container into bedroom. This was at about 8pm.
3. When going to sleep, turn on aircon as usual with the container in the room.
4. Wake up about 1 hour before breakfast.
5. Take dough out of container, and shape it with minimal disturbance of the dough. Make some tension on the skin with the shaping.
6. Turn on oven at 195C. Go and do morning toilet.
7. After about 15-20 mins, return to kitchen.
8. Bake at 195C and with water injection.
9. test temp, if almost done like 5-6C below done (done is 96C), but bread not browned, turn off water injection, increase heat to max for browning.

The critical part is the fermentation. Serious eats says after fermentation, can dump into fridge for as long as 3 to 5 days to develop even better flavour.

Watermelon Jelly

Took 2 watermelons. Scraped out the flesh, and blended. Then sieved to extract water.

Gentle boiled the fluid down (maybe 1/3 down). Dehydrated the pulp.

Then add agar agar to the fluid. Poured it back into the melon shell, adding some dehydrated pulp.

Result: 2 watermelons reduced to a watermelon jelly in the 2 halves of one watermelon. Natural sweetness from the concentrated juice/pulp.

Korean Pajeon (Pancake)

Love this Korean dish. But my first 2 attempts, while tasty, were not crispy or well formed enough.

I think with this version, I'm on the right track. Possibly a bit more eggy than normal, but I like the egginess. The key is (A) patience and (B) more corn starch.

Re: patience. Don't be tempted to turn the heat up. Keep at medium heat (assuming the pan is heavy bottomed and retains heat).

Re: corn starch. Corn starch gets a better crisping effect.

This version is totally basic - only spring onions and some chopped regular yellow onions I had on hand.

For the sauce, good quality rice vinegar, chili flakes (or oil), soya sauce, mirrin, toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Mix to taste.

1. quarter cup cake flour and quarter cup corn starch with salt to taste mixed up.
2. Make a batter with 1/2 cup ice cold water (or just refrigerate the batter after making). 
3. Saute onions for a few minutes at medium heat in non-stick pan.
4. spread vegetables evenly over the pan. Then carefully pour the batter evenly over the vegetables.
5. Continue frying for at least a minute until batter is firming up. Press down with spatula to ensure contact with pan.
6. Pour one beaten egg evenly over the top. Roll pan to spread egg mixture out.
7. Cover for one minute for egg to steam a bit.
8. Uncover and continue, pressing down to ensure contact.
9. When some smoke comes out from the bottom of pancake, lift to check doneness. Continue to fry until brown and crisp.
10. Invert the pancake and fry the other side till slightly browned.
11. Invert again and finish it off with a short fry at high heat.

dinner with whatever is in the fridge

Tastes pretty good. Went well with sake. Somewhat a spring clean of fridge contents. Made for 2.

From top and clockwise.

1. Miso glazed eggplant. Bake oiled eggplant halves at 160C for about 15 mins until soft (but not falling apart). Take out, glaze flesh with miso mixed with mirrin, honey and olive oil. Grill flesh side up until slightly charred in bits on the miso. Top with toasted sesame seeds.
2. China style scrambled egg with tomato (albeit canned tomato). Reduce the tomato with basil and garlic until little water exists. Take out. Cook scrambled egg the normal way. When almost done, mix in tomato. 
3. Butter rice with coriander flakes. Make rice normally but with a flake of butter, pinch salt and a dash of coriander.
4. Steak on a bed of wilted spinach. 2 inch steak that I had in the freezer, sous vide at favorite temp with salt, pepper and thyme. Take out, pat  dry and sear. Make a sauce with pan juices, chicken stock, a little flour and cut off bits of beef fat. Pour over beef slices through a sieve.