Main Recipes for Tropical Fruits and Vegetables

Drunken Lemongrass Chicken Schnitzel 

    Lemongrass could grow lushly and wild in equatorial and tropical lands, the best way to plant lemongrass is planted it in a large pot to control its outgrown.

    If you want to save your money on shampoo to get rid of bugs infested your pets, the best way is blending lemongrass with water, then boil, simmer, and reduce it for more than 2 hours, sieve and mix with regular pet shampoo. Your pets will get a thick coat of shiny fur, that's how I learned it from my friend, and his dogs' fur could go for dog shampoo advertisement.

    If you experience a stubborn cough for weeks without a good recovery, blend lemongrass with water and onion, boil and simmer for an hour to prepare a chicken soup. Drink it continuously for 3 days, if your cough persists, I advise you to go see an experienced western trained doctor immediately.



Date: Sept 4th, 2017
Recipe: 07


Ingredients (2 Portions):
2 chicken breast, butterfly, and pounce with salt and pepper into a thin piece
2 Eggs, whisk
4 Tbsp Potato flour
8 Tbsp Bread crumb, season with salt and pepper
Oil, pan fry or deep fry
1 Tbsp Butter, sweating
4 stalks Lemongrass, shredded finely
6 slices Ginger, smash
150ml Chicken stock
200ml White wine (Riesling)
TT Salt and pepper
50g Butter, monte


Method:
1.  To prepare the drunken lemongrass sauce, sweat the 
     lemongrass and ginger with butter, deglaze with wine, 
     then add the chicken stock, boil and simmer, reduce 
     to around 100ml.
2.  Sieve the stock
3.  Dust the chicken with flour, then dip into whisked egg, 
     coat it with breadcrumb, either pan fry or deep fry it until 
     golden brown
4.  Monte the reduced chicken stock, check the seasoning
5.  Serve the schnitzel with drunken lemongrass sauce.

Pork Belly, Sweet Rice, and Taro Root Terrine

   Asian likes sweet rice, especially if it is used to accompany pork belly.Taro with purple dots called bilang taro is one of the most expensive taro. 

Date: Sept 5th, 2017
Recipe: 12



Ingredients (4 -6 portions):
150g Sweet rice, soak overnight
100ml Demi-glace, sweet rice
2 Shallots, brunoise, sweet rice and pork belly
10g Dried logan, roughly chop
10g Melon seeds, roughly chop
20g Pine nuts, roughly chopped
2n tbsp Lard, sweet rice
200g Pork belly
2 tbsp Extra virgin black sesame oil
1/2 slice Galangal, mince
200ml Rice wine
10g Chopped shitake mushroom
1 tbsp Dark miso paste
1/2 tsp 5 spice powder
1 tbsp Sugar
TT Salt and pepper
100g Pork minced
10 cloves Garlic, chopped finely
300g Binlang taro root, brunoise
Oil for deep frying
50g Potato starch, dusting
2 tsp, Extra virgin coconut oil, dressing
150ml Coconut juice, dressing
100ml Coconut cream, dressing
2 Tbsp Medium soft coconut meat, chopped finely
1 tsp Chopped shallot, dressing
1 Tbsp Roux, dressing
30g Coconut fresh, shredded into long, curly and fine, seasoned with salt and sugar, garnishing
20g Baby cilantro, garnishing
1 tsp Toasted black sesame seeds, garnishing


Method:
1. Drain the sweet rice, let it dries for 2 hours.
2. In a wok, add lark, sweat half of the shallot and a half tsp
    garlic until light brown, add sweet rice, continue to fry,
    deglaze with demi-glaze, mix in logan, melon seed and pinenut,
    season with salt and pepper.
3. Transfer the ingredients to a springform pan, steam for 20
    minutes. Let residue heat simmers for another 10 minutes.
4. Dust the taro cubes with potato starch, season with salt and
    pepper, double fry until crispy. After cooling, store in air-tight
    container.
5. Marinate the pork belly with salt and pepper, deep fry until
    the skin is puffing.
6. In a wok, sweat shallot, galangal, and garlic, add sugar,
    caramelize it. Add 5 spice, minced pork and shitake mushroom,
    stir-fry until sizzling. Deglaze with wine, mix in miso paste, add the
    pork belly. Boil for 10 minutes, medium heat 5 minutes, then 
    simmer for another 20 minutes. If the liquid is getting dried, add
    some water. Add sesame oil at last. Mix well. Check the seasoning
    with salt and pepper
7. Slice the pork belly into thin slices
8. To prepare crispy taro dressing, sweat shallot with coconut oil,
    add coconut juice, coconut cream, coconut fresh, reduce to
    around 100ml, thicken with roux, check seasoning with salt and   
    pepper
9. To ensemble terrine, on a greased mold,  press the first half of
    sweet rice to the bottom-most, arrange the pork belly and minced
    pork on its top. 
10.Mix the crispy taro cubes with coconut dressing, press on top of
     the pork
11.Garnish the terrine with flavored shredded coconut, baby
     coriander and toasted sesame seeds.

 Chicken Curry with Cassava

   Cassava can be found everywhere in equatorial and tropical zones. the pinky layer of the outer cassava must get rid of, it is poison.

Good curry chicken's sauce should be thick and not too much. Only poor man curry's sauce is thin and watery.

   It is always advised to use freelance chicken to cook curry.


Date: Sept 5th, 2017
Recipe: 23


Ingredients (4 Portions):

Curry paste Ingredients
1 large Shallot, chop roughly
8 Cloves Garlic, chop roughly
1 large Fresh Chili, deseeded, chop roughly
½  Red capsicum, deseeded, chop roughly
50g Ginger, chop roughly
1 stalk Lemongrass, chop roughly
25g Galangal, chop roughly
50g Turmeric root or 1 tsp turmeric, chop roughly
1 tsp Cumin powder
1tsp Fennel seeds powder
1tsp Coriander seeds powder
5 tbsp Extra virgin coconut oil
25g Cashew nut
1 tsp Garam masala
30g Dried anchovy
1 tbsp Fenugreek seeds, soak in water
½ Tsp Cinnamon powder
50g Coriander with root, chop roughly
½ Tsp Nutmeg powder
1 tbsp Tomato paste

Other ingredients
200ml Extra virgin coconut cream, Ayam brand
8 Mix of chicken thigh and drumstick, blanch with salty water
200ml Chicken stock
200g Yellow cassava (white one is fine) cut into chunks, deep fry with oil
2 Bay leaves
½ Tsp Tamarind
Oil for deep frying
TT Salt and pepper
20g Baby coriander


Method:
1. Place the curry paste into a food processor, chop until finely
2. Fry the curry paste in a pot with coconut oil until caramelized
3. Deglaze with chicken stock and coconut cream
4. Let it boils, add blanched chicken, bay leaves, let it boils again.
5. Mix in fried cassava
6. Place a cartouche on top, stew in preheated 180-degree Celsius    
    oven for 30 minutes
7. Get rid of bay leaves, add tamarind, check seasoning, turn off    
    the heat, let the residue heat cook for another 15 minutes.
8. Garnish with baby coriander.

Asian Style Coq Au Vin

    Coq Au Vin is the French words literally mean the cock cooks in red wine, it is actually a casserole of "roster" pieces cooked in red wine. 

   Here is a piece of mean advice for ladies who live in country style - As there won't be any good reason for you to cook this dish on a normal day! But once a blue moon, if you got really annoyed by your son or husband, and then one of your cocky rosters happened to cock-a-doodle-doo when it sees you,  that's not a bad idea to slaughter it for this Asian style coq au vin as a tonic for your imbalanced hormone, it may help you to resume your country living queen-like status!

   Make sure you always have your country-style sourdough bread get ready. Once your coq au vin comes out of the oven, please don't feel regret, remember to buy another dozen of chicks the next day and when someone who annoyed you in the morning bite on his favorite cock, you will feel good ... cheers!

  This is, of course, a joke, in S.E. Asia, cockfighting is very popular, cockfighting is usually involved in gambling, some housewives would get so annoyed that they slaughtered their husbands' favorite rooster for a revenge. But the actual cocks used for cockfighting shouldn't be eaten, as they were injected with hormone! The fact that I know of, when Sarawakian involved in cockfighting, slaughtered fighter-cocks were bought by the native dwellers at a cheaper price than the market price. As cockfighting is illegal, these cockfighting enthusiasts would hide in the countryside for such game, and the place was always near the Iban longhouses. I remember one of my distance cousin loves cockfighting, whenever police came to ambush the scene, he would be the first one who got caught, all because one of his legs is crippled. And I told him I was interested to follow him for cockfighting, he said if I could run very fast, then I could go with him, LOL!

Date: Sept 16th, 2017
Recipe: 21
 

Ingredients (6 -8 Portions):
1 Big free range cock, Asian cut
50ml Sesame oil
50ml Extra virgin olive oil
Peanut oil for sealing chicken pieces
100g Daikon, Japanese cut
100g Leek, Japanese cut
50g Celery, Japanese cut
150g Smoked pork belly, lardon
200g Shitake mushroom, dehydrated
30g Garlic, minced
8 Pickling onions
2 tbsp Tomato paste
250ml Chinese red yeast rice wine
250ml Red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz) 
200ml Reduced chicken stock (Add if only too dry)
20ml Brandy, flambe
Flour for dusting
TT Salt, pepper, and mustard
Parley, garnishing, chop

Asian bouquet garni
3 Bay leaves
3 Star anise
1 Stick, cinnamon
4 Cloves
4 Black peppercorn, smash
4 slices ginger
2 slices Galangal
2 sprig thyme
4 Pieces dried citrus peel


Method:
1. Marinate the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, dust with
    flour. In a frying pan, add oil, when it begins to smoke, 
    seal the chicken pieces to light brown.
2. In a thick base pan, add olive oil and sesame oil, seal pickling
    onion and bacon. Add garlic and tomato paste. Add brandy,
    flambe.
3. Add Celery, leek and daikon, saute. 
4. Add the two wines, boil and reduce, then add the sealed 
    chicken pieces and bouquet garni
5. Cover with cartouche, place into a preheated oven at 180C, 
    braise for 20 minutes
6. Check the seasoning, let the residue heat cook another 10 minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped parsley
7. Serve with sourdough bread.
    



Roasted Pineapple Lamb Leg
   Lamb dish is an NZ iconic main meat dish, visitors to NZ can't say that they have been visited NZ if they have never tried it. However, there are many Asian don't like the peculiar smell of lamb, a true fact is NZ lamb is considered as the world "least smelly lamb" if you have tasted lambs from different parts of the world.
   Often, some Asian also don't like the smell of pure western herbs like thyme, rosemary or juniper berries, they prefer Asian herbs. Thus, FTPC's developed or created recipes used only herbs and spices that could compromise the tastebuds of both Asian and westerners and bring out the best of a fusion dish that would be accepted by both Asian and westerners.


Date: Sept 18th, 2017
Recipe: 25


Ingredients (6 -8 Portions):
1 Lamb leg, marinate with pineapple, ginger, garlic and lemon juice overnight
1 tbsp Korean/Japanese miso paste, glaze
2 Tbsp Sesame oil, glaze and salad
3 Tbsp Olive oil, glaze and salad
300ml White wine, glaze and sauce
300ml Pineapple puree, pineapple jam
1 tsp Lemon zest
1 tsp Minced onion, jam
1 tsp Korean fermented chili powder, sprinkling
1 Tbsp Roux, thickening, sauce
16 Slices Pineapple ring, garnishing
1 tbsp Finely chopped parsley
1/4 tsp Finely chopped rosemary
1/2 Pear, long julienne, salad
1/2 Daikon, long julienne, salad
7 tsp Sugar, salad and jam
2 tsp Sushi vinegar, salad
10g Baby cilantro, salad
1 tbsp Fish sauce, salad
2 tbsp Olive oil mixed with 1/4 tsp saffron powder, basting pineapple rings
400g Cooked sushi rice, mix with sushi vinegar, sugar and salt, rice cake
Cornmeal for dusting, rice cake
1 tbsp mixture of black and white sesame seeds, rice cake
Clarifying butter, pan frying
TT Salt, ground black pepper, and lemon juice


Ingredients:
Lamb Leg
1. Roast the marinated lamb in the oven with marinating juice
2. Baste with glaze mixed with olive oil, sesame oil, miso
    paste, white wine, ground black pepper, lemon juice, a
    pinch of rosemary and parsley.
Pineapple Jam 
1. Over a stove, caramelize 5 tsp of sugar.
2. Add the pineapple puree, lemon zest and minced onion to
    the caramelized sugar, simmer until it thickens. 
3. Add 1/2 tsp Korean fermented chili powder
4. Check seasoning with lemon juice, salt, and pepper
Salad
1. Mix the julienne daikon and pear with a tsp of Korean fermented
    chili, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp olive oil, fish sauce,
    vinegar, TT salt, and pepper.
2. Just before plating mix in baby cilantro

Pineapple slices
1. Season the pineapple rings with chili powder, parsley and
    rosemary, salt, and pepper.
2. Grill over a griddle or salamander, baste with saffron oil

Sushi rice cake
1. Use 50g of sushi rice to press into a greased ring mold.
2. Mix the cornmeal with sesame seeds
3. Dust both sides of the rice cake with cornmeal and sesame
    seeds mixture
4. Pan fry the rice cake with clarifying butter (mix with oil)
    until lightly brown on both sides

Sauce
1. Deglaze the roasting pan with white wine.
2. Reduce, thicken with roux, check seasoning

Plating
1. Draw a line with the sauce
1. Carve the lamb leg, decorated the lamb slices with
    pineapple rings
2. Garnish with quenelle pineapple jam
3. Accompanied by salad and a sushi rice cake

Pineapple Crispy Sweet and Sour Pork

   This is a delicious dish, it will take a lot of preparation time, but it's well worth when you see everyone loves it, except it is sweet, you can always use sugar-free ketchup by replacing it with Chef Simon Gault's sugarless Ketchup.


Date: September 18th, 2017
Recipe: 27

   
Ingredients:
400g Pork loin, cut into an inch cube.
2 stalks Lemongrass, smash, marinate (discard after marinating)
1 Tbsp Ginger juice, marinate
2 tbsp Egg white, marinate
1 tbsp, cornstarch, marinate
2 tbsp Sesame oil, marinate
TT Salt and pepper
Soya oil for deep frying
400g Fresh pineapple or can pineapple, cut into an inch cube
Potato starch batter (Use potato starch, an egg yolk, 1/2 tsp vinegar, 1/2 tsp Salt, 1/4 black pepper, 4 tbsp oil, 1 tsp Custard powder, water)1/2 Large Tomato, cut into an inch cube
80g mixture of red, yellow and green capsicum, cut into an inch cube
1-inch long leek stalk (white part), julienne
1 Onion, cut into an inch cube
3 Cloves Garlic, minced
50ml White wine or rice wine
10g Baby cilantro, garnishing
1 tbsp Fish sauce, sauce
1 tbsp Tamarind paste, sauce
50ml Apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp Plum sauce, sauce
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce or light soy sauce, sauce
100ml Ketchup, sauce
1 tsp Tapioca starch, sauce
TT Salt, black pepper, and sugar (caramelized)


Method:
1. Massage the pork with 50ml of water until fully absorb, mix well
    with sesame oil, egg white, cornstarch, lemongrass, ginger juice,
    add salt and pepper. Rest overnight.
2. Prepare the sauce by mixing all the sauce ingredients.
3. Dip the pork cubes into the prepared batter, deep fry them until
    light brown, after cooking the sauce, deep fry the cubes once
    more to ensure crunchiness.
4. Blanch the vegetables with hot oil.
5. To prepare the sauce, sweat the onion and garlic with oil,
    deglaze with wine, then add the sauce and pineapple.
    Check the seasoning.
6. Lastly, add vegetables and crispy pork cubes.
7. Add a tsp of extra virgin black sesame oil, mix.
8. Garnish with baby cilantro.
9. Accompany with fried rice or plain rice.

Papaya Seafood Curry

   Papaya is so common in tropical and equatorial countries that it usually ends up as a poor man dish in the countryside, green papaya would be used during cooking if only after a heavy thunderstorm or when there was no other vegetable availed. 


Date: Sept 19th, 2017
Recipe: 30

Ingredients:
500g Mixture of seafood. tiger prawn, deveined and deshelled, butterfly; tuna - chunks, Squid ring, mussels
1kg  Unripe red papaya, Chateau about 6cm (after skinning, deseed and turning, less than 500kg remained)
1 Onion, brunoise
4 Garlic cloves, grind
3 slices Ginger, grind
100g Green Capsicum, cut 0.5cmX 6cm long
4 tbsp Curry powder (10 tbsp fresh curry)
20 Curry leaves, let them dry under the sun
1 Lemongrass stalk, smashed
1 tbsp Tamarind paste
300ml Coconut milk
4 tbsp Extra virgin coconut oil
3 Cilantro root, grind
10g Baby cilantro, garnishing
TT Salt and pepper


Method:
1. Sweat the onion, lemongrass, cilantro roots, ginger and 
    garlic with coconut oil, then add curry to simmer, deglaze 
    with coconut milk. Let it boil and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Add papaya, let it cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add seafood, place a cartouche on top, place into 
    preheated oven at 180C for 5 minutes. Turn off the 
    heat, let the residue heat cooked for another 5 minutes.
4. Blanch the capsicum with oil, add tamarind
5. Add the capsicum to the papaya seafood curry.
6. Check the seasoning, garnish.

Wild Sour Eggplant Prawn

   Wild sour eggplant can be found easily in S.E. Asia, it is as big as a large orange its fresh is yellowish after cooking, it tastes sour with its unique flavor, its texture retains springy softness upon biting. 
    I combine two of my favorite Sarawak regional wild vegetables to create this recipe, hope my readers will send me a picture of what you cook and let me know if you like it.

Date: Sept 19th, 2017
Recipe: 31

Ingredients:
1 Bundle of wild fiddlehead fern, trim
1 wild sour eggplant, peel off skin and deseeded, cut into long narrow strips
300g large size prawns, deveined, shelled and butterfly, marinate with egg white and corn flour, oil, salt, and pepper
1/4 tsp Belacan
10g Dried anchovy, grind 
2 slices Ginger, grind
4 Cloves Garlic, grind
1/2 Large red chili, grind 
1/2 Large chili, deseeded, cut into long narrow strips
1/4 Curry powder
2 tbsp Coconut cream
10g Ginger torch bud, cut into long narrow strips
4 tbsp Extra virgin coconut oil
TT Salt, tamarind, and pepper

Method:
1. In a wok, sweat the ginger, garlic, chili, and dried anchovy
    until caramelized, add curry powder and belacan, simmer.
2. Blanch the prawn quickly with oil
3. Add the sour eggplant to the spices, turn on fire to high, stir-fry,
    add the fern after 20 seconds, continue to stir-fry for another
    20 seconds, stir in the half-cooked prawn and ginger torch bud.
4. Stir-fry for another minute, deglaze with coconut cream.
5. Check the seasoning. Make sure the prawn is cooked.

Pineapple Fish Claypot

   I cooked this dish a long time ago for my Korean boss when I worked a year as a piano teacher in Brunei, and he told me that he never realized pineapple could turn fish into such a nice dish. Actually, I saw my dad cooked this dish for us when I was young that's how I learned it, I only cooked it once a blue moon when I thought of my dad.... and too bad that my parents fostered me being too independent and so senseless to own kindred that I sometimes felt guilty that why I couldn't miss them like how all my friends and siblings missed their old folks, instead I could yearn someone else emotionally more than them! 

   Quality fresh fish could always be found in old days Borneo facing northward of the South China Sea, but these days it is increasingly hard to find really fresh fish in the market, and old days cheap fish could actually cost more than regular meat now. Often, you even could get worried if some expensive fish you bought were spread with formalin. The fish preserved by formalin would be tasteless, but if such fish was cooked in a restaurant as a deep fried sweet and sour fish, then it's hard for most people to tell if it's fresh or chemical preserved fish.

   Chemically preserved fish would reveal immediately after it got defrosted, a strong chemical could be detected unless you got a bad cold.
   

Date: Sept 21st, 2017
Recipe: 35


Ingredients (4 portions):
500g Big snapper/group fillet with skin on, cut into big chunks
500g Pineapple, cut into chunks
150g Tomato, cut into chunks
20g Scallion, white part chiffonade
100g leeks, cut into an inch length and halve
200ml Fish stock
1 large Red chili, mince
100g Mixture of red, yellow and green capsicum, cut into an inch square
50g Young ginger, minced
1 slice Galangal, minced
4 clove Ginger, minced
1 Onion, cut into chunks
20g Pickled mustard, cut into an inch square, blanch in water
1 tbsp Tamarind
1 stalk Lemongrass, smashed, discard before serving
10g Ginger torch bud, julienne
4 tbsp Sesame oil
100ml White wine
1 tbsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Tomato paste
1 tsp Anchovy paste
Potato starch, prepare batter for deep frying
Oil for deep frying fish
20g Cilantro, garnishing
1 tsp Fish sauce (optional - as some Southerners don't like its taste)
TT Salt, vinegar, and pepper

Method:
1. Use a wok to prepare the sauce for the claypot; sweat the 
    ginger, galangal, and garlic with a pinch of salt, then add 
    onion, herbal ingredients, tomato and anchovy paste, 
    simmer. Deglaze with white wine, add the stock and 
    seasoning ingredients. Transfer to a claypot, add pineapples, 
      and mustard. Simmer and reduce.
2. Prepare the batter by adding water, oil, salt, pepper, vinegar
    and an egg yolk. Deep fry the fish until light brown.
3. Oil blanch the capsicum
4. Add both fried fish, tomato and capsicum to the claypot.
5. Have a quick boil, check seasoning and garnish.

Pineapple Fish Papillote

    You would notice I hardly used Asian convenience ingredients among these recipes that I created or developed, even if I used such ingredients, I applied them sparingly. Prolong indulgence for some chemically preserved perishable ingredients is really not advisable for home-cooking. 

    Working as a chef in commercial let me realized that unskilled and lazy chefs love to use some unhealthy convenience ingredients to enhance flavors for their food, somehow if a chef being trained in a small cafe for a long-term, his skills and taste buds will not be developed. 

    But in a fine dining restaurant, even simple pasta also required freshly made by one of their chefs, and their sauce was made from only the freshest ingredients. 


Date: Sept 21st, 2107
Recipe: 36


Ingredients (4 portions): 
8 large Noni leaves, blanch with water
400g White fish fillet with skin, cut into 4 portions
2 tsp Fermented black bean, soak in water to get rid of saltiness
1 tsp Miso paste, sauce
1 star anise, sauce
1/4 tsp Cinnamon, sauce
1/4 tsp Tomato paste, sauce
1/4 tsp Fennel powder, sauce
1/4 tsp Ground black pepper, sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce, sauce
1 Tbsp Sweet soy sauce, sauce
2 tbsp Tamarind paste or sour plum sauce, sauce
4 Shiso leaves, chop finely
60ml Fish stock reduction, sauce
100ml White wine, sauce
1 tsp wine vinegar, sauce
8 Pineapple rings
2 tbsp Sesame oil, sauce
1 tbsp Ginger puree, sauce
1 tsp Garlic puree, sauce
4 Basil sprig, garnishing
TT Salt and pepper
1/2 tsp Tapioca starch, thickening
4 large sheet of baking paper


Method:
1. To prepare the sauce, sweat garlic and ginger puree with 
    oil. Then add in star anise, cinnamon, fennel, and pepper,
    when the fragrance begins to release, add the wet
    seasoning, tomato paste, soy sauce, tamarind, black bean,
    vinegar and shiso, simmer.
2. Deglaze with white wine and fish stock, reduce
3. Sieve, then thicken with tapioca starch.
4. Check seasoning.
5. Use two noni leaves to overlap each other, place two
    pineapple ring overlap each other on the base place the
    fish fillet on top of pineapple, spoon the sauce on top.
    Fold and cover the fish into a rectangular shape.
6. Place on a baking pepper, wrap the whole noni
    papillote once more, then tie with a kitchen string.
7. Repeat the rest.
8. Place on a baking tray, cook in preheated 180c oven
    for 4 minutes, let the residue heat cook another 3 more 
    minutes.
9. Get rid of the baking paper, open the noni leaves
    slightly, garnish with a basil sprig.

Stir-fry Minced Pork Olive Mustard Green

   Mustard green is bitter, but if you cook this recipe, your children will begin to learn how to eat something bitter without an complaining, in actual fact, they won't realize what kind of vegetable they are eating.

Date: Sept 23rd, 2017

Recipe: 39

Ingredients (4 portions):

350g Mustard green, julienne

200g Minced pork

10 Black olive, pit-less, minced

1 pinch Cayenne

2 tbsp Sesame oil

1 tbsp Olive oil

20g Carrot, julienne

1 tbsp Vinegar

1 tbsp White wine

1/2 tsp Miso paste

1/4 tsp Tapioca starch, mix with 30ml of water and fish sauce

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 tbsp Minced mushroom

2 tsp Fish sauce (optional) 

1 tbsp Minced dried anchovy

TT Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the minced pork with miso, 1 clove garlic, a tbsp 

    sesame oil, mushroom, cayenne and olive.

2. Sweat garlic and anchovy with sesame oil until brown,

    add minced pork and carrot, continue to stir-fry

3. Deglaze with wine. Turn on fire high

4. Add mustard green to stir-fry, add vinegar and tapioca

5. Check seasoning.

6. Served with rice, rice cake or fried rice

  

Stir-fry Noni Shoot Petai and Prawns

   In my memory, I think older generation Chinese Sarawakiens are quite conservative in their taste buds, in my young days, my 3 meals at home were mainly Chinese food, but I was born a girl with adventurous taste buds, whenever I went out to eat, I would explore from one Malay operated food stalls to another until I learned which stall could fry the best Mee Goreng. The best Mee Goreng in my memory was so yummy, and it got peanut hidden within the sauce. I remember the Malay lady was so pleased that a Chinese teenager girl would come to eat in her stall often, she would add more ingredients to my Mee Goreng. I was a rich teenager due to I was a piano teacher since I was barely 15.

   I finally experienced a different kind of Sarawakien indigenous food when  I joined in the Malaysian civil defense, my MI (I only mentioned this after he passed away several years ago with cancer) friend invited me to join his rural reconnaissance and then launching of rural health care, educational materials, facilities and other social assistance to longhouses. I was more than happy to help, there were a few corporations did take care of this descendant of infamous Sarawak headhunters!

   Often, we didn't know why we got odd life experience than other people or met particular unusual people, actually, it's the heaven who rendered our path trained us to be strong and eligible for a certain designation in a certain time frame of the lifetime. Never know that after I have completed these 99 recipes, I may end up working as a piano teacher in another country.

   Any chef school student who won the student of the year award would all end up as a head chef or at least a chef de cuisine but it's my fate that nobody wants a Chinese chef in their western restaurant or I got to work FOC for them, and the Asian restaurants don't want a female chef in their kitchen, or they would pay me badly after working like a donkey.

    My tiger-sister has not discovered that I have been working on FOC recipes, or else my fate would end up as her gardener again.

    Who told me that noni shoot could be eaten and noni leaves could use to wrap the grilled fish or meat? It was my Burmese good friend Cherie Thatun, I recalled after she told me about it, I brought her to our neighborhood where I knew there was a noni tree, but when she just started to pick some shoots, we discovered the whole tree was full of fire ant, we escaped as fast as we could! Hahahaha.........

Date: Sept 23rd, 2017

Recipe: 41

Ingredients (6 portions):

300g Noni shoot, shredded

100g Petai

50g Wild Sour Eggplant/Terong asam, get rid of skin and seed, shredded

20g Ginger torch buds, shredded

200g Large prawn, marinated with cornstarch and egg white, butterfly

50g Red Capsicum, shredded

3 tbsp Sesame oil

1 tbsp Fish sauce

1/2 tsp Korean fermented chili flakes

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 slices Ginger, grated

2 bulbs Scallion, white part, julienne

2 Tbsp Sambal sauce, mixed with chili flakes

1 Tbsp Coconut cream, mixed with fish sauce

TT Salt, tamarind and pepper

10g Baby cilantro, garnishing

Method:

1. Season the prawns with salt and pepper, blanch with oil.

    Set aside.

2. In a wok, sweat garlic and ginger with oil until light brown,

    add the sambal, capsicum, petai, scallion and sour eggplant. 

    Continue stir-fry for 30 seconds with high fire.

3. Lastly, add ginger torch bud and  noni leaves, stir-fry 

    until for just about to wilt, add prawns and then coconut 

    cream to deglaze.

4. Check seasoning. Turn off heat. Plating and garnish

Wagyu Steak with Durian Sauce

   It's time for a change with the traditional sauce used to accompany a steak. My mom is crazy about durian, she can't control her durian addiction, this remained me that one of her granddaughters may inherit such durian addicted genes!  

   Durian, the king of fruits is considered as an extremely "warm" fruit for Chinese, usually, after they ate durian, they would neutralize it with mangosteen, the queen of fruits! For Chinese, it is forbidden to eat durian with strong alcoholic drink and dog meat, if anyone eats this three food at once, obviously the host of hade may wave his hands at you. And then when I was young, I was told not to eat sugar after taking mangosteen. I really don't know if someone didn't die with the pairing, could it harm his future health unknowingly or is it just a myth?

   Wagyu, my favorite beef, the NZ purely grass-fed beef is an ultimate Waygu for me, it is sweeter and tastier than other A5 Waygu beef without feeding on fresh grass. Also, it is not as fattening, so you still can grill it to medium rare whereas most A5 beef must grill to just rare or simply prepare it as beef tartare or carpaccio, yummy if know how to apply proper seasoning! Both of them are my favorite!

   Some chefs would think that if the sauce serves the steak is too rich, it could cover the real flavor of such good steak. However, most S.E.Asian's tastebuds were nurture differently since young, they obviously could define two strong flavors at once, anyway, it is all about the overall pairing of different components if there are two strong flavors of steak and sauce, obviously, the accompanying starch and the salad must be rather plain. Or if the main is very rich, then it should be balanced by either entree or dessert or even drinks.

Date: Sept 25th, 2017

Recipe: 44

Ingredients:

200g Wagyu Scotch fillet

2 Tbsp Durian fresh, sauce

100ml Beef stock, sauce

1/4 tsp Roux, sauce

1 piunch Cayenne, sauce

1 pinch Nutmeg, sauce

1 pinch Cumin powder

1 tsp Shallot, brunoise, sauce

1/4 tsp Minced garlic, sauce

1 tbsp Coconut cream, sauce

1/2 tbsp Coconut oil

TT Salt, ground pepper, and vinegar

Method:

1. To prepare the sauce, sweat shallots, and garlic with coconut oil, 

    deglaze with stock, reduce, add coconut cream and durian

2. Reduce to half,  thicken with roux, add spices.

3. Check seasoning

4. Grill steak to medium rare with salt and pepper

5. Serve with daikon cucumber salad and crispy sushi rice cake

Sweet, Sour and Hot Crispy Fish

   The secret of preparing this dish successfully is to prepare a very crispy fish either a whole head or fillets and a well-prepared well-balanced sweet, sour and hot sauce and salad to accompany it, the sauce should be added on right before serving. 

Date: Sept 30th, 2017

Recipe: 52

Ingredients:

Crispy Carp

1 Carp (At least a Kg), scaled, gutted, cross-cut on the skin, season with salt and pepper or 4 Snapper fillets with skin on, cross cut on the skin, season with salt and pepper
Corn flour, dredging

200g Potato starch, batter

1/4 Ground pepper, batter

1/4 Salt

1 tsp Vinegar, batter

1/4 tsp Cayenne

1 tbsp oil, batter

1 Egg yolk

Cold beer, batter
1 tbsp Ginger juice
Soya oil for deep frying

Salad
60g Matured but unripe mango, julienne
30g Sweet turnip, julienne
30g Tomato, deseeded, julienne
1 large Red chili, deseeded, julienne
1/4 Ginger torch bud, julienne
10g Baby cilantro, garnish
30g Cucumber, deseeded, julienne
1 tbsp Roughly grounded peanut powder, garnish
1 scallion, white part, julienne
1 Kaffir lime leaf, julienne
5g Mint leaves, Chiffonade
5g Basil leaves, Chiffonade
1 Shallot, julienne

Sweet, Sour and Hot Sauce

2 tbsp Tamarind sauce/Plum sauce

2 tbsp Fish sauce

2 tbsp Sesame oil

1 tbsp Extra virgin coconut oil, melt

2 tbsp Chopped palm sugar

2 tbsp Lemon juice

1 tbsp Vinegar

2 tbsp White wine

3 thin Ginger slices, julienne

3 cloves Garlic, minced

TT Salt and pepper

Method:
1. To prepare the salad sauce, sweat the ginger
    and garlic with sesame oil, then deglaze with
    wine and add the rest of the ingredients. Check
    the seasoning. Set it aside, let it cools down.
2. Prepare the salad, left it in the fridge.
3. Dredge the fish or fish fillets with cornstarch,
    dip in the batter, get rid excess batter. Double
    fry the fish to ensure crispiness. Try to fry the 
    whole fish that could stand itself.
4. On a plate, place the salad on the base, stand
    the fish on the salad, pour the sauce on the fish.
5. Garnish with cilantro and sprinkle with peanuts.

Cempedak Beef Curry

   Cempedak and nangka, they are like an orangutan and the other one is Chimpanzee! There are own Malaysians who didn't grow under these trees could get confused by them. Nangka is also called jackfruits, it doesn't consist as much fiber as Cempedak or even hybrid Cempedek with improved texture and color (light golden yellow, the original one is pale yellow) still consisted more fiber than nangka, Cempedak smells stronger than nangka but it is smaller than nangka. 

   Since young after we ate Cempedek, we would keep the seeds and boil them, they tasted nutty and sweet almost tasted like chestnut. Jackfruit's aril is much bigger and harder texture than Cempedek's aril, and its fresh could be dehydrated as well. 

   This beef version can always change to using chicken thigh meat, but without sealing and will use shorter cooking time. 

Date: Oct 5th, 2017

Recipe: 57

Ingredients:

1 Unripened Cempedak, use the arils and pulp membrane

1 Shallot

3 Garlic

4 slices Ginger

2 slices Galangal

1 Large fresh chili

1/4 Ginger torch bud

1/2 Stalk Lemongrass

10 Curry Leaves

1 Thumb size turmeric root

3 Coriander root

3 tbsp Coconut oil

3 Tbsp Indian Curry powder

300ml Coconut cream

200ml Vegetable stock

2 tbsp Fish sauce

50g Green capsicum, cubes

50g Red capsicum, cubes

500g Beef, cut into cubes, dusted with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper, sealed evenly until brown in a frying pan

10g Baby cilantro, garnish

TT Salt, tamarind, and pepper

Method:

1. Blisk all the herbs in a food processor.

2. Sweat and simmer the herbs and spices with oil until

    caramelized, lastly simmer the curry powder.

3. Deglazed with coconut cream and vegetable stock, boil.

4. Add the sealed beef, place a cartouch on top, cook in 

    oven for 40 minutes.

5. Place on the stove, add capsicums, add fish sauce and 

    check seasoning. Have a quick boil, add more stock if 

    necessary, but never too watery.

6. Garnish with coriander

Braised Taro Stem Pork Belly

   I grew up in a very conservative Chinese family, I never ate any taro stem when I was young, in my memory, taro stems are only cooked and used to feed the pigs!

   Then when I grew older I left my hometown mixed with other indigenous and Malay friends, I got instantly attracted by the native cuisines.

   This is my developed fusion cuisine. Actually, after cooked taro stem's texture and taste are almost like eggplant.

Date: Oct 5th, 2017

Recipe: 59

Ingredients:

3 Taro Stems, peeled, cut into 3cm, blanch in water mixed with vinegar and salt

3 Noni leaves, torn into pieces

1 tsp Minced shiitake mushroom

50g Tarom, sliced, deep fried

1 Unripened noni fruit, deseeded, with skin, macedoine

1 Wild Sour Eggplant, peel the skin,  deseeded, slices

20g Oil pickled fermented salted fish, deep fry

1 Shallot, macedoine

4 Garlic, minced

1 tsp Korean fermented chili flakes

300g Pork belly

1 tsp Curry powder

1 tbsp Coconut cream

100ml Vegetable stock

1 tbsp Ginger juice

4 Tbsp Pineapple juice

1/2 tsp Miso paste

1 tbsp Rice wine or white wine

2 Bay leaves or Daun salam

2 tsp Sambal belacan

10g Basil, Chiffonade

5g Baby cilantro, garnish

2 tsp Tamarine

TT Fish sauce, vinegar and pepper

30g Cashew cuts, toasted/deep fried, seasoned

Method:

1. Marinate pork belly with salt, pepper, pineapple

    juice, tamarind, wine, miso paste overnight

2. Grill the pork belly to medium rare, deglaze 

    the juz with stock.

3. Slice the pork belly

4. Sweat the shallot and garlic until light brown, simmer

    the curry powder and mushroom, add bay leaves, basil, 

    and chili flakes, deglaze with stock, add coconut cream. 

    Add the taro stem and pork belly, place a cartouche on top, 

    place in an oven, braise for 30 minutes.

5. In a wok add oil, quickly stir-fry the noni fruit and 

    leaves, transfer to a claypot, add taro and the braised 

    pork and taro stem on top. Mix in salted fish, add stock if 

    necessary, but never add too much stock, have a quick 

    boil. Check seasoning.

6. Garnish.

  

Korean Style Assorted Grilled Meats

   I found out even kids started to eat vegetables when they started to eat Korean meal. Especially, when they saw adults began to pick up the lettuce leaf to wrap the grilled meat.

   I always found that Korean meal is a very healthy and cheap choice during springtime when vegetable choices are abundant. NZ is always a heaven to live during springtime, and also the price for different quality meats never went too high.


Date: Oct 14th, 2017
Recipe: 66


Ingredients (4 portions):

Marinating
Fish sauce
Japanese sushi vinegar
Tahini
Sesame oil
Sugar
Garlic, minced
Korean miso 
Japanese light soy sauce
TT Salt and pepper

Condiments
Assorted kimji
Lettuce leaves
Fermented bean, mashed
Coriander leaves
Garlic, sliced
Leek, white part, fine julienne

Meats
300g Pork belly, blanched with water, sliced
300g Scotch fillet
8 Chicken wings (get rid of tips)
8 scallions, halved
1 big Onion, julienne
4 Portebello mushrooms, halved
TT Salt and pepper


Method:
1. Marinate the meat with the seasoning, don't add too
    much sugar and vinegar.
2. Grill the meat and vegetables
3. Seasoned with salt and pepper
4. Before serving, slice the Scotch fillet.
5. The beef and pork can be wrapped with lettuce and
    condiments of your choice.
6. Accompanied with rice and assorted kimji

Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Herbs and Nuts Dusting

   S.E. Asian love pork unless they are vegetarians or Muslims. Pork tenderloin is one of the most expensive part of meat, usually it is used to prepare sweet and sour pork. It is the part of meat needs to be sealed under high fire quickly to keep its juice intake. Thus it is idea for deep frying and grilling.

Date: Oct 15th, 2017
Recipe: 72


Ingredients:

Brining liquid
2 stalks Lemongrass, smashed
5 Black peppercorn, smashed
5 Slices Ginger, smashed
2 Slices Galangal, smashed
5 Garlic, Smashed
2 Bay leaves
2 liter Pineapple juice
2 slices Limes
1 stalk Leek, white part, halved, cut into pieces
200ml Mirin
1/2 Red chili
300ml White wine
100ml Japanese soy sauce
1 Onion, macedoine
TT Rock salt and palm sugar

Pork
1kg Pork tenderloin, trussed
TT Salt and pepper

Dusting powder
200g Pistachio nuts powder
50g Cashew nuts powder
1 tbsp White sesame seeds, toasted, grind into powder
100g Vietnamese mint, pick the leaves, dry in the air
50g Italian parsley, dry in the air
1 tsp Dried sage flakes
TT Salt and pepper

Brining sauce
Brining liquid
4 Coriander roots
TT Fish sauce


Method:
1. Boil, simmer and reduce the brining liquid. Check 
    seasoning. Let it cools down.
2. Submerge the pork tenderloin. Let it brines for
    a day in fridge.
3. Heat the charcoal griddle until smoking, sealed the 
    pork tenderloin evenly.
4. Leave the tenderloin aside, let the low heat cooked
    and smoked it under cooked.
5. Blend the brining liquid with coriander, sieve, reduce
    the liquid, season with fish sauce if required.
6. In a thermomix, blend the herbs until powdery, mixed
    with nuts, seasoned with salt and pepper
7. Once the pork tenderloin is cooked. Roll its surface with 
    herbal and nuts powder.
8. Slice into pieces before serving.
9. Served with Brining sauce.

Smoked Freshwater Fish Lotus Leaves Papillote

   Two of the most delicious freshwater fish found in equatorial forest rapids or streams are Emparau and Ikan Semah. How delicious are these fish? Another nickname for Emparau is "forget me not", it hints that once you tried it, you would never forget it. 

   Lotus leaves grow lushly on the pond or even at tropical homes' front yard, it is actually one of the best choices of leaves used to wrap the fish during grilling. The lotus leaf has its own unique fragrance, it has been popular in China for thousand years in the culinary application.

Date: Oct 16th, 2017

Recipe: 75

Ingredients:

200g Slice of freshwater fish, Troncon

1/2 Terong Asam, deseeded, peel off skin, cut into slices, blanch with oil

5 Baby okra, blanch with oil

1/2 Eggplant, blanch with oil

4 tbsp Sambal belacan
1/4 Ginger torch bud, julienne
2 big Lotus leaves, blanch in water
1 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
TT Salt and pepper
5g Baby cilantro, garnish
2 Lime wedges, garnish

Method:
1. Place the terong asam slices, okra, and eggplant
    on the lotus leaves (doubled), put the fish on top of it.
2. Spoon the sambal, oil and ginger torch on top
    of the fish.
3. Wrap the lotus leaves into a papillote, pin with 
    toothpicks.
4. Smoked on BBQ griddle until cooked.
5. Serve immediately, garnish with baby cilantro
    and lime wedges.

Black Pepper Crab (Western Style)

   Black pepper crab originated from a Singaporean chef, then it passed around and turned into different variations of black pepper crab. Anyway, every piece of Singapore land is expensive like gold, perhaps there are only a few places in Singapore you could find pepper vines, one should be found in Singapore Botanical Garden and perhaps some could be found in rich Singaporeans' backyard due to they have some connection with Sarawakiens, either they were Sarawakiens or they have best friends from Sarawak. I knew there was a Singaporean asked his Sarawakien friend to obtain his pepper vine cuttings, my dad was the person who gave this relative some cuttings. 

   

   One of the best quality peppercorn and nearest place for Singaporeans to get 

peppercorn is by importing Sarawak peppercorn.

   Why I write this recipe because it was requested by a Chinese friend from Mainland China, as the classic black pepper crab recipes could be found easily from websites or Youtube, thus I developed two fusion recipes for this site - a western inclined recipe for Europeans and an adapted recipe for Asian.

Date: Oct 18th, 2017

Recipe: 78

Ingredients (2 portions):

Deep fried crab legs

10 Snow crab leg,  get rid of shell, use the upper part of meat

Reduced crab stock, batter

2 tsp Curry leaves powder, dry under the sun, grind into powder

2 tbsp Potato starch, batter

2 tbsp Cornstarch, batter

2 tbsp Tapioca starch, batter

2 tbsp Wheat flour, batter

2 tsp Japanese sushi vinegar, batter

1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, batter

3 tbsp Sesame oil, batter

1 Egg yolk, batter

TT Salt, cayenne, and pepper, batter

Oil for deep frying

Black pepper crab sauce

100g Smoked crab shell, smashed, crab oil, 50ml Smoked crab oil

60ml oil

500g Smoked crab shell, smashed, crab stock, 200ml stock

400ml Water

1 Calamansi lime

1 tbsp Light soy sauce

2 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Mirin

1 tbsp Sake

1/4 tsp Curry powder
1/2 tsp Miso paste

1 tbsp Crushed black pepper, toasted

1 tsp Crushed white pepper, toasted

3 cloves Garlic, minced

30g Butter,  30g cut into cubes for monte

TT Salt, sugar, fish sauce and vinegar

Baby cilantro, garnishing

Radish, fine julienne, salad

Cucumber, fine julienne, salad

Ginger torch bud, fine julienne, salad

Kaffir lime, zest, garnishing

Method:

1. To prepare crab oil, boil and simmer the smoked 

    crab shell with oil until red.

2. To prepare the crab stock, boil, simmer and reduce

    water with smoked crab shell, sieve.

3. To prepare black pepper sauce, sweat garlic with 40ml

    crab oil, add black and white toasted crushed pepper, 
    sugar and curry powder, deglaze with sake, add stock 

    and the rest of the seasoning. Reduced slightly, check 
    seasoning, monte to thicken the sauce.

4. Mix the batter, deep fry 2/3 of them in batches,

    blisk the crispy crackers into the crumb.

5. Layer the crumb on a baking tray.

6. Immerse crab leg to the batter, roll over the crumb.

7. Deep fry until golden brown

8. Toss the radish, cucumber and ginger torch buds with 10ml

    crab oil, a pinch of salt and few drop of calamansi lime

9. Served the deep fried crab leg with black pepper sauce,

    crispy sushi kumara pan fry cake and salad, garnish with

    baby cilantro and kaffir lime zest.

Black Pepper Crab (Asian Style)

Date: Oct 18th, 2017

Recipe: 79

Ingredients (4 portions):

Deep fried crab legs

2 Mud crabs, clean and wash, cut into pieces, season with salt and 

Reduced crab stock, batter

2 tsp Curry leaves powder, dry under the sun, grind into powder

2 tbsp Potato starch, batter

2 tbsp Cornstarch, batter

2 tbsp Tapioca starch, batter

2 tbsp Wheat flour, batter

2 tsp Japanese sushi vinegar, batter

1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce, batter

3 tbsp Sesame oil, batter

1 Egg yolk, batter

TT Salt, cayenne, and pepper, batter

Oil for deep frying
Flour for dusting

Black pepper crab sauce

100g Smoked crab shell, smashed, crab oil, 50ml Smoked crab oil

60ml Sesame oil

500g Smoked crab shell, smashed, crab stock, 200ml stock

400ml Water

1 Calamansi lime

1 tbsp Light soy sauce

2 tsp Sugar

2 tbsp Mirin

2 tbsp Sake
1 tsp Miso paste

1/4 tsp Curry powder
1 Salted duck egg yolk, boil, mashed

1 tbsp Crushed black pepper, toasted

1 tsp Crushed white pepper, toasted

3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 Shallot, julienne

30g Butter,  cut into cubes, monte

TT Salt, sugar, fish sauce and vinegar

Baby cilantro, garnishing

Ginger torch bud, fine julienne, salad

Kaffir lime, zest, garnishing

Method:

1. To prepare crab oil, boil and simmer the smoked 

    crab shell with oil until red.

2. To prepare the crab stock, boil, simmer and reduce

    water with smoked crab shell, sieve.

3. To prepare black pepper sauce, sweat garlic and garlic
    with 40ml crab oil, add black and white toasted crushed 

    pepper, and curry powder, then add the duck egg
    mash and sugar, when the fragrant has released, deglaze 
    with sake, add stock and the rest of the seasoning. Reduce, 
    check seasoning.

4. Mix the batter, dust the crab with flour, dip in the batter
    piece by piece, deep fry until golden brown.

5. Heat up the black pepper sauce, mix in deep fried crab
    pieces. Lastly, monte with the butter cubes.

9. Garnish with baby cilantro, ginger torch bud, and 
    kaffir lime zest.

Stir-fried Cabbage with Crispy Pork Belly

   If you don't have the right ingredients to stir-fry Asian way of cabbage, I encountered a few times with stir-fried cabbage which was just good enough to feed the pigs.

   I started to pay attention of cabbage during last 30 days, including to the cabbage at my vegetable patch. Then I went to the Asian supermarket, suddenly an enlightenment about cabbage like a thunderstruck on me. I got a small young spring cabbage on hand, it only cost 99 cents and the bigger mature cabbage would cost me almost four dollars. I stood there looking back and forth at the big and small cabbages, then I found out my grocery basket from one small cabbage increased to three.  I finally learned that cooking cabbage needed to inspect the cabbage first instead of just do what was on my mind carefreely. I decided the old cabbage can be used as wrapping leaves for famous Polish style cabbage dumpling, if I get rid of the tough stems of the leaves, I could shred it for salad or for preparing sauerkraut or for wanton filling. If I wanna use it for Asian style stir-frying, I would choose the early spring young cabbage, when the steams and leaves are still tender, I won't even cut it, I just tear the leaves. 

   Even the Michelin-star chef would use bacon to saute cabbage, this will enrich the taste of the cabbage to bring out its sweetness. Lastly, you should never over-cooked cabbage, undercooked cabbage would always taste much better than overcooked cabbage.

   Cabbage actually is a temperate zone vegetable, but people in tropical countries are craving for it, it is mainly planted in the highland area in tropical countries, but the overspray of pesticides in some highland vegetable gardens even made the cabbage tasted bitter, this situation only jeopardize their own reputation and sales, customers rather choose local wild fern over the suspicious cabbage. Thus, a lot of people rather plant the cabbage in their backyard, it's usually greener and hard to cup inwards due the temperature is too hot, this hot climate cabbage is smaller, I think it is perfect to use for stir-frying.

Date: Oct 19th, 2017

Recipe: 81

Ingredients:

500g Young spring cabbage, shredded

100g Red capsicum, cut into pieces

300g Crispy pork belly, cut into slices

3 cloves Garlic, minced

2 tbsp Lard

1 tsp Fish sauce

50ml Sparking white wine

TT Salt and pepper

Slow grilled crispy pork belly

500g Pork belly

1 tbsp Sake

1 tsp Mirin

1/4 tsp Vinegar

TT Salt and pepper

Method:

1. To prepare crispy pork belly, marinated the 

    pork belly with the seasoning for overnight.

2. Grill over the BBQ griddle at the side for at 

    least 8 hours until the skin becomes very 

    crispy.

3. In a wok, sweat garlic with lard, then add 

    capsium and pork. 

4. Turn on the high fire, add cabbage, Stir-fry

    for 10 seconds, deglaze with wine, season 

    with fish sauce. Check seasoning.

5. Accompany with plain rice. 

Beef Rendang

Date: 2016 (Old recipe)

Recipe: 84

Ingredients:

Dried herbs and spices

(1)    1 tsp. chili flakes

(2)    1 tsp. ground coriander seed

(3)    1 tsp. ground turmeric or 2 tsp grated fresh turmeric

(4)    1 tsp.  ground black pepper corns (plus 1/2 for seasoning beef 

        cubes)

(5)    4 dried Sarawak indigenous bunkang leaves/ daum salam 

        (Alternatively, use bay leaves)

(6)    2 tablespoons of palm sugar (Optional or TT)

Wet herbs and spices

1. 3 large shallots or onions (Chop roughly)

2. 5 cloves garlic (Chop roughly)

3. 4 red chilies (TT. Deseed and chop roughly)

4. 1 tbsp grated ginger

5. 1.5 tsp grated galangal

6. 1 tbsp tamarind concentrate

7.  2 stalks lemongrass or 2 strips lime zest (shredded)

8. 3 kaffir lime leaves

9. 3 tbsp. kirisi/Coconut comfit

Other

1. 350ml coconut cream

2.  2 tbsp butter

3. Salt TT

4. Flour for dusting

5. 1kg beef topside, shin, skirt, thick flank, brisket or rump steak

6. Oil for sealing beef cubes

Methods:

Preparation

1. Roughly chop the onions/shallots, garlic, and chili.

2. Cut beef into stew size cubes, season with salt and pepper, 

    and dust very lightly with flour.

3. Shred the lemongrass roughly.

4. Prepare a piece of parchment paper for cartouche.

Step 1

In a blender, add the roughly chopped shallots or onions, garlic, chilies, ginger, galangal, and 100ml of coconut cream, and blend. Sieve to separate liquid and sediment.

Step 2

In a pot, heat the butter; add the shredded lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and ½ tsp. of salt, and sauté. Add the sieved sediment; continue to sauté until light brown. Then add all the dry ingredients; continue to fry until a fragrance is released. Deglaze the pot using the sieved liquid. Simmer.

Step 3

In a frying pan, heat up the oil until it is smoking, then quickly seal the seasoned and lightly dusted beef cubes until evenly brown. Place the fried beef cubes into a pot. Discard excess oil in the frying pan. You may add brown sugar and kerisi now.

Step 4

Deglaze the frying pan with simmering liquid. Add the rest of the coconut cream, tamarind, kerisi, brown sugar (optional) and salt to season it lightly. Transfer the sauce to the pot with fried beef cubes, give a quick boil. Cover the top with a cartouche and place the pot into an oven, and bake it at 160-180C for an hour. When the stew is done, give it a final season. Discard the lemongrass, kaffir and bay leaves.

Notes:

1. Check the stew after 30 minutes as some ovens’ temperatures may vary.

2. If the oven temperature exceeds 200C, some pots will suffer damage.

3. If the accompanying salad is very sweet, it is unnecessary to add palm sugar/ brown sugar /sugar to the Rendang.

4. The liquid for braising should be around ¾ to the beef

5. If it bubbles too much, lower the temperature

6. if it dries too fast, add a bit more coconut cream, mix well lower the temperature, and continue to braise.

Chicken Rendang

Date: 2016 (Old recipe)

Recipe: 85

Ingredients:

Dried herbs and spices

(1)    1.5 tsp. chili flakes

(2)    1.5 tsp. ground coriander seed

(3)    1.5 tsp. ground turmeric or 3 tsp grated fresh turmeric

(4)    1 tsp.  ground black peppercorns (plus 1/2 for seasoning beef 

        cubes)

(5)    5 dried Sarawak indigenous bunkang leaves/ daum salam 

        (Alternatively, use bay leaves)

(6)    2 tablespoons of palm sugar (Optional or TT)

Wet herbs and spices

1. 5 large shallots or onions (Chop roughly)

2. 7 cloves garlic (Chop roughly)

3. 5 red chilies (TT. Deseed and chop roughly)

4. 1.5 tbsp grated ginger

5. 2 tsp grated galangal

6. 1.5 tbsp tamarind concentrate

7. 3 stalks lemongrass or 2 strips lime zest (shredded)

8. 4 kaffir lime leaves

9. 4 tbsp. kirisi/Coconut comfit

Other

1. 450ml coconut cream

2. 2.5 tbsp butter

3. Salt TT

4. Flour for dusting

5. 1 free-range Chicken (1.4 to 1.5 kg), Asian cut

6. Oil for sealing beef cubes

Methods:

Preparation

2. Season the chicken with 1 tsp turmeric powder,    salt and pepper, and dust it with flour.3. Shred the lemongrass roughly.4. Prepare a piece of parchment paper for cartouche.

1. Roughly chop the onions/shallots, garlic, and chili.

Step 1

In a blender, add the roughly chopped shallots or onions, garlic, chilies, ginger, galangal, and 100ml of coconut cream, and blend. Sieve to separate liquid and sediment.

Step 2

In a pot, heat the butter; add the shredded lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and ½ tsp. of salt, and sauté. Add the sieved sediment; continue to sauté until light brown. Then add all the dry ingredients; continue to fry until a fragrance is released. Deglaze the pot using the sieved liquid. Simmer.

Step 3

In a frying pan, heat up the oil until it is smoking, then quickly seal the seasoned and dusted chicken pieces until evenly brown. Place the fried chicken pieces into a pot. Discard excess oil in the frying pan. You may add brown sugar and kerisi now. 

Step 4

Deglaze the frying pan with simmering liquid. Add the rest of the coconut cream, tamarind, kerisi, brown sugar (optional) and salt to season it lightly.  Transfer the sauce to the pot with fried chicken pieces, give a quick boil. Cover the top with a cartouche and place the pot into an oven. Bake it at 160-180C for 30 minutes. When the stew is done, give it a final season. Discard the lemongrass, kaffir and bay leaves.

Notes:

1. Check the stew after 20 minutes as some ovens’ temperatures may vary.

2. If the oven temperature exceeds 200C, some pots will suffer damage.

3. If the accompanying salad is very sweet, it is unnecessary to add palm sugar/ brown sugar /sugar to the Rendang.

4. The liquid for braising should be covered 3/4 to the chicken pieces.

5. If it bubbles too much, lowers the temperature.

6. if it dries too fast, add a bit more coconut cream, mix well lower the temperature, and continue to braise.

Chicken Cooked inside Bamboo Tube (Ayam Pansuh)

   This recipe probably is one of my most valuable entry recorded in my recipe scrapbook, I learned it from one of my Sarawak Dayak comrades from  Sarawak interior region (Ulu Kapit). I wrote this down almost two decade ago, those were the days I got photographic memory over recipes and movie scenes and scripts, but I knew one later day when I got older my memory could deteriorated, thus, I kept a few recipe scrapbooks even with diagrams drawn.

Date: Nov 2nd, 2017

Recipe: 95

Ingredients:

2 Big bamboo tubes (about 2 feet long with at least 4 inches diameter)

500g Freerange chicken, Asian cuts

Bungang leaves (Bay leaves found in Borneo for cooking meat and fish)

8 slices Ginger

Edible wild mushroom (they won't add this traditionally)

1 Ginger torch buds, cut into slices

TT Salt and pepper

Edible cassava laves, for sealing

Lemongrass, for sealing

Method:

1. Marinate chicken with salt and pepper, ginger torch buds,

    and ginger.

2. Place the chicken pieces into the bamboo tubes, add bungang

    leaves and wild mushroom, then seal the  upper part with 

    lemongrass and cassava leaves tightly.

3. Place the bamboo tubes in the open fire cooked for 45 minutes to

    an hour, depend on your fire and how old is your chicken

Note: No water is required to add to the tube, the juice from the 

bamboo would release to the chicken, its soup has bamboo 

fragrance and tasted sweet, one of the nicest dishes nature blesses
us.

Durian Ballotine

   Durian, the king of all fruits, it only could be thrived in hot equatorial and tropical lands, thus I chose it to conclude this 99 tropical produce's recipes to pair it up with chicken. 

   Hope this dish can make it to the stage of the tropical lands' fine dining restaurants. 

Date: Nov 2nd, 2017

Recipe: 99

Ingredients:

Filling

150g Durian, mashed

100g Chicken mince

50g Bacon, brunoise, grill until crispy, keep the oil

1 tbsp Truffle oil

5g Vietnamese mint leaves, chiffonade

5g Fennel leaves, finely chopped

5g Coriander, chiffonade

1 tsp Vinegar

1 tsp Minced dried Shitake mushroom

1 tsp Minced dried prawn

25g Breadcrumb

1 Garlic Clove, minced

1 Egg white, whisked until firm peak, add a pinch of cream of tartare

Ballotine

2 Large Freerange chicken thigh

Salt and pepper

Oil for pan frying

Durian Sauce

100ml Coconut cream

1/2 Shallot, brunoise

1/2 Garlic, minced

50g Mashed durian

200ml Chicken stock

2 tbsp Coconut oil

1 tsp Roux, thickening

1 pinch of Cayenne

2 cloves Black garlic, mashed

TT Salt, vinegar, and pepper

Method:

1. To prepare the durian sauce, sweat the oil with shallot and garlic,

    then add the durian mash, deglaze with chicken stock, reduce,

    then add coconut cream and cayenne, thicken with roux, check 

    seasoning.

2. To prepare durian and chicken mince filling: Sweat the garlic, prawn,

    & shallot with sesame oil, then adds mushroom. Stir well. Leave aside.

    Mix the mashed durian with chicken mince, breadcrumb, bacon and 

    bacon oil, combine with the rest of the herbs and spices, finally fold

    in egg white, check seasoning.

3. To prepare ballotine: Thinning out the thigh, keep the skin, use a 

    mallet to bang it out, then place the two thin thigh side by side 

    lengthwise on a glad wrap. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

4. Spoon the filling to the center lengthwise, roll into a ballotine.

5. Steam the ballotine for 15 minutes. 

6. Take out the ballotines, let them cool down, and let it chilled overnight

7. In a frying pan add 2 tablespoons of oil, heat up the pan until smoking, 

    seal the ballotine evently, baste continuously with jus and oil, season 

    with pepper and salt, fry until golden brown.

8. Cut into slices diagonally for plating.