CHINESE COOKING: Your family would be delighted with this recipe of shrimp balls. Please try it.

DEEP-FRIED SHRIMP BALLS炸蝦圓:

 

 

 

400 gm. pkg shrimp                                                        

2 oz. ground pork

1/2 to 1 pkg store-bought wonton wrappers

seasoning:

    1 egg whites                                                

    1 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry

    3/4 to 1  tsp. salt                                                   

    ½ to 1 tsp. sugar

    ½ tsp. white pepper                                     

    dash of sesame oil

    1- 11/2 tbsp. tapioca starch

sweet & sour sauce:

 

    2 pieces of Chinese "brick" 片糖 sugar

    4 pieces of "haw" flakes 山渣片, available at Chinese herb store or supermarket

    2 tbsp. tomato ketchup

    1/2 cup of a combination of white vinegar & pineapple juice from canned pineapple

    1/2 tsp salt

    1-2 tsp. tapioca starch mixed with a bit of cold water

cooking oil for deep-frying

 

 

Rinse, shell and de-vein shrimp. Wrap with double thickness of paper towels and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

 

Make sauce by melting brick sugar & haw flakes in the vinegar & fruit juice solution over low heat. When mixture comes to the boil, taste and adjust sweet and sourness, adding a bit more sugar or water for taste. Add in starch solution and cook for a couple of minutes until sauce is thickened to desired consistency. Strain sauce & keep warm.

 

Mince shrimp by chopping with a large cleaver or in a food processor fitted with steel blade. Transfer shrimp paste to a large bowl. Add in ground pork and seasoning ingredients. Use a pair of chop sticks to mix ingredients together, stirring in one direction only. Use your hand to scoop up shrimp mixture; then throw it back down into the bowl. Repeat this scooping and throwing process about 10 times. The purpose is to make shrimp paste more elastic to have more “bite” on eating. Form shrimp paste into small balls. Separate wonton wrappers and cut each into thin short strips. Transfer to baking sheet; keeping strips separated. Wrap baking tray with plastic wrap.  

 

In wok or large saucepan, heat enough oil for deep-frying over high heat until very hot. Form shrimp paste into small balls and attach as many strips of wonton wrappers to each ball as desired. Drop shrimp balls carefully into hot oil. Deep-fry over medium-high heat until shrimp balls float to the surface and are golden brown in colour.  Drain on paper towers and serve right away.

CHINESE COOKING: You should be proud of serving this dish at home. It is generally not available any more in overseas Chinese restaurants these days. So please try it and enjoy.

SPARE RIBS WITH SWEET & SOUR SAUCE生炒排:

 

 

 

 

1 lb. meaty Chinese style spare ribs, cut between bones into serving-sized pieces

1/2  each green & red peppers, cut into rough cubes

2 slices canned or fresh pineapple, cut into pieces

1 green onion, optional, cut into lengths

1 clove garlic, crushed

seasoning for ribs:

    1/2 -1 tsp. each salt, sugar, tapioca starch & light soy sauce

    1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce

batter:

    1/4 cup tapioca starch

    3/4 cup flour

    1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

    1/2 tsp. salt

    1 tsp. sugar

    1 egg

    2 tbsp. cooking oil

    cold water

 

sauce:

    2 pieces of Chinese "brick" 片糖 sugar

    4 pieces of "haw" flakes 山渣片****

    2 tbsp. tomato ketchup

    1/2 cup of a combination of white vinegar & pineapple juice from canned pineapple

    1/2 tsp salt

    1/2 to 1 tsp. tapioca starch mixed with a bit of cold water

cooking oil for deep frying

 

 

****Haw flakes, made from the fruits of the Chinese hawthorn, are believed to have medicinal benefits. They are available in Chinese supermarkets & herbal medicine supply shops in dried form, or in candy form****

 

 

 

 

 

Add seasoning ingredients into spare ribs in a large bowl, mixing well to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes.  

 

Prepare batter by mixing flour, starch, baking powder, and seasoning with the egg and oil, using a wire-whisk to mix well. Add in cold water gradually, beating well to get rid of lumps with each addition. Add only enough water to make a batter that has the consistency of thick cream. Allow batter to rest for 30 minutes before use and stir again to mix before using.

 

Fill large saucepan or deep-fryer with enough oil for deep frying and heat it over high heat to 375 degrees or hot enough to sizzle rapidly and vigorously when a dry wooden chopstick is inserted to test readiness.  Transfer spareribs into batter, turning to coat each piece evenly. Carefully lower rib pieces into hot oil, 1 piece at a time, and cook in batches in order not to crowd the pot. Cook for 4 minutes or a little longer until pieces are no longer pink, golden coloured and crispy. Do not overcook. Remove cooked pieces with tongs or a strainer to drain on paper towels.

 

Heat 1 tbsp. oil over high heat until hot in another non-stick saucepan or wok. Cook garlic and peppers for a couple of minutes; then add in pineapple pieces and the green onions if using; tossing together for 1 minute or so.  Set aside and keep warm.

 

Rinse pan and add in sauce ingredients. Cook and melt brick sugar, haw flakes and salt in the vinegar & fruit juice solution over medium-low heat until totally dissolved. Taste and adjust sweet & sourness to taste, adding a little more vinegar if not acidic enough, or granulated sugar and/or a little water if too sour for taste.  Remove haw flakes if the dried forms are used. Thicken sauce with starch solution to slightly thick but not jelly-like consistency. Add in pepper mixture and the sparerib pieces. Toss and mix quickly to coat meat with sauce; then transfer to serving platter and serve right away.  

CHINESE COOKING: This is a nice way to cook either whole chicken or just the thigh & leg pieces. Hope you'll give the recipe a try.

LEMON GRASS CHICKEN 香茅雞扒:

 

 

 

 

6 chicken thighs & legs pieces, skin on but trimmed of excess fat

2-3 stalks lemon grass

marinade:

    2 tbsp. fish sauce

    2 tsp. sugar

    2 tbsp. coarsely chopped garlic

    2 tbsp. water

    1 strip lemon rind, finely chopped

    1 tbsp. each rice wine and finely minced ginger

sauce:

    1/2 tsp. minced garlic

    1 tbsp. reserved finely chopped lemon grass

    2 tbsp. fish sauce

    2-3 tsp. sugar

    1/2 cup water

2 tbsp. tapioca starch mixed with 2 tbsp. water

 

 

 

Wash chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp paring knife to debone chicken piece; then season with 1/2 to 3/4 tsp. salt.

 

Use a meat mallet to flat out lemon grass. Discard the outer green part, and chop the inner white part coarsely. Transfer lemon grass, lemon peel and garlic to food processor with steel glade attached. Process until finely chopped.  Reserve 1 tbsp. of lemon grass mixture; then transfer the rest to a bowl. Add in fish sauce, sugar, wine and water. Pour marinade into deboned chicken piece; turning pieces over couple of times to coat well with marinade. Leave chicken in fridge overnight to develop favour.

 

In the morning, remove chicken pieces, brushing off as much of the lemon grass clinging to the meat as possible; then refrigerate until ready to cook.

 

To make sauce:  Heat 1 tsp. oil in a saucepan over high heat until hot to cook garlic and lemon grass for a minute or 2 until fragrant. Add in fish sauce, sugar and water and bring  mixture to a boil. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding a bit more sugar if desired. Add in starch solution, mixing and stirring well. Continue cooking until sauce is thickened. Strain sauce into a container and keep warm.

 

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large non-stick skillet over high heat until hot. Pan fry chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until well-browned and just cooked.

 

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and arrange decoratively on serving platter. Spoon some  hot sauce on chicken to serve.

MISCELLANEOUS: If you have enjoyed these delicious snacks in Vietnam restaurants before, you would enjoy making them at home.

SAVOURY STICKY RICE CAKE--VIETNAM STYLE:

 

 

 

 

dough:

    3 cups glutinous (stick) rice

    1 cup + 2 tbsp. warm water

filling:

    1/2 cup dried mung (green) beans with skins removed, available at Oriental supermarket

    1/2 cup water

    1/4 cup minced pork

    1/4 cup shrimp, shelled, deveined and coarsely chopped

    2 cloves garlic, minced

    3 stalks green onion, green & white parts separated, chopped

seasoning:

    1/2 tsp. each salt & sugar

    1 tsp. fish sauce

    1/2 tsp. ground pepper

cooking oil

1 tbsp. bean paste

dipping sauce, see recipe below

 

 

 

Soak mung beans in warm water for about 1 hour to soften. Drain, rinse again then drain, discarding any brown beans.

 

To make filling:  Simmer beans gently in 1/2 cup water, together with the salt and sugar,  for 10 to 15 minutes. Check for doneness by picking up one bean, cool slight; then squeezing it between finger and thumb. Drain; then mash beans until smooth.

 

Cook pork and shrimp together in a non-stick saucepan over high heat until no longer pink; then add in rest of seasoning ingredients. Add bean paste and mix everything together well. Cool completely before dividing filling into 15 portions and shaping each portion into a ball.

 

Put flour in a large bowl; then add in warm water to mix into a dough. Knead until smooth and pliable, adding a little more water if dough is too dry. Cover with damp tea towel and rest it for 30 minutes. Transfer dough to work surface, kneading it a couple of times, adding a little more water if dough is a bit dry. Cut dough into 15 portions, shaping each piece into a ball.  Oil your hands and flatter each ball of dough against the work surface. Add a filling ball into the middle of each dough piece. Gather the dough to cover the filling; then roll the dough by hand into a smooth ball again. Use oiled hands to cover the dough balls thinly with a layer of oil.

 

Put dough balls on pieces of oiled foil or banana leaf squares if available. Sit balls of dough into large bamboo steamers stacked one on top of the other. Arrange steamers to sit on the rim of a large saucepan of boiling water. Cover the top steamer with a lid and steam for 15 minutes at high heat to cook through.

 

Serve hot with dipping sauce or "nuoc mam cham".

 

 

 

 

DIPPING SAUCE:

 

 

1½ cups fresh coconut juice or water

8 tbsp. fish sauce

6 tbsp. each fresh lime juice & sugar

6 tsp. rice vinegar

1 red chili pepper, seeded and finely chopped

4 cloves of finely chopped garlic

¼ cup finely sliced carrots (optional)

 

 

 

Simmer coconut juice or water, vinegar and sugar together in a saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Add in rest of ingredients and mix well. Cool then serve.

 

Save left-over sauce in a glass jar and freeze until needed again.

SOUPS: This is a nice & nutritious soup that can be put together in no time at all.

PUMPKIN & SHRIMP SOUP

 

 

 

 

1 squash or 700g Japanese pumpkin                                         

4 shallots, diced

olive oil                                                                      

salt & pepper & grated nutmeg

4 to 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock                                                                 

1//2 lb. cooked shrimp

 

 

 

 

Cut squash or pumpkin into halves or quarters and immerse into boiling water in a large pot. Bring back to the boil; then reduce heat and simmer for 6-8 minutes until soften. Cool until able to handle; then remove skin with a paring knife. Cut flesh into small dices.

 

Sweat pumpkins in olive oil & shallots for a few minutes over medium heat. Add in salt & pepper & nutmeg to taste to season pumpkin. Pour in stock, bring to a simmer & cook 20 minutes. Take pan off heat, & use a hand blender to puree until smooth. Add cooked shrimp, adjust seasoning. 

MISCELLANEOUS: This tofu dish is easy to make & quite delicious, especially for tofu lovers

STEAMED TOFU:

 

 

 

1 pkg soft tofu

2 Chinese sausage, finely chopped****

1 tbsp. dried shrimp

2 eggs

seasoning:

    1/2 tsp. each salt & sugar

    1-11/4 tbsp. tapioca starch

    dash of white pepper

 

****Chinese sausage may be substituted with 1/2 cup chopped BBQ pork, shrimp or chicken meat****

 

 

Mash tofu with a fork and sit it in a colander to drain for 30 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.

 

Beat eggs with a fork; then add it, together with seasoning ingredients, into tofu. Mix with a pair of chopsticks, stirring & mixing in one direction only, until well mixed. Transfer tofu mixture to a glass plate with rim of the right size to fit into a bamboo steamer, or the steamer insert of a steamer set of cookware.

 

Steam tofu over high heat for 15-18 minutes until set. Serve hot.