盆菜 II

My second 盆菜 for this 2015. I have changed the sequence of some layers and it turned out prettier and more appetizing. Though I did not use a claypot, I was cooking this for only 3 pax, so erm...I used a normal cooking pot. But it turns out good too except it isn't like claypot in keeping it warm. 

Again, the Step By Step Ingredients and Instruction;

Base Layer

Ingredients
4 pieces of skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
Seasoning A
5 slices of Ginger, shredded (I pounded the ginger)
1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
1 tbsp of Sesame Oil
1 tbsp of Sugar
A dash of Ground White Pepper
Sauce
3 to 4 slices of Ginger, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks of Spring Onion, cut into 2 inches length
2 Chinese Coriander with roots, sliced
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
500g Chicken Stock
2 tbsp of Cornstarch with water

Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken with the seasoning A. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat some oil in the wok. Stir fry the garlic, ginger, spring onion and Chinese coriander till fragrant. 
3. Add in the marinated chicken. Give it a few toss. Add the stock, chinese wine and cornstarch with water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and stir occasionally. Set aside. 

Second Layer

Ingredients
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 Nappa cabbage, roughly cut
1 palm sized Carrot, sliced
Seasoning
1 bowl of chicken broth

Preparation

1. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and stir fry till fragrant.
2. Add in all the vegetables and stir fry for a minute
3. Pour in the broth and stir for another minute. Set aside.

Third Layer

Ingredients

4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

3 thinly sliced of Ginger,

5 Shiitake Mushrooms, I quartered my mushroom cos they are huge. Remember to soak them in advance.

1 can of Golden Chef baby abalone (I will increase mine to 2 cans)

6 Sea Cucumbers, Cook in water for 10 minutes. Drain and coarsely sliced

10 Conpoy (dried scallops), Soak in water for 15 minutes 

Seasoning

2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp of Sugar

2 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)

1 soup bowl of chicken broth & the water from soaking the conpoy

1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Preparation

1. Combine the seasoning in a bowl. Mix well. Set aside
2. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and ginger and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes. 
4. Add in the abalones,sea cucumbers and conpoy in. Stir well. 
5. Pour the bowl of seasoning and bring to a boil. 
6. Pick the abalones in a separate bowl and set aside.

Top Layer

Ingredients

1 Broccoli, cut into flowerets

10 Fresh Scallops

14 Fresh Prawns (I peel off the shells except the heads & tails for easy eating)

Seasoning

Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)

Preparation

1. Blanch the broccoli and set aside. 
2. Blanch the prawns in a pot of hot water. Once both side of the prawn turn orange, remove them from the pot and set aside. 
3. Place the Base Layer at the bottom of the claypot.
4. Arrange the Second Layer on top of the stewed chicken (Base layer), pour the sauce on it.
5. Pour the Third Layer on top of the vegetable (Second layer).  
6. Arrange the blanched broccoli and prawns, the abalones and the uncooked scallops on top. Pour Chinese Wine over it. *I have been pretty generous with the wine. 
7. Cover the pot with the lid and bring it to a boil. 
8. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. 

There you go! This way the broccoli, prawns, scallops and those vegetables at the second layers will not be overcooked. 

Pineapple Tarts 黄梨挞

新年一到又要忙了。

This year I baked and baked and baked till my husband raised his arms and surrender. Haha...bake for my family, my in laws, my relatives and a handful of friends/colleagues. Ain't they cute. 

I used to bake a lot when I was still staying with my parents. After getting married, I don't bake any more. But this year, I managed to persuade my husband to let me bake. Ha...so we bought the oven. I love my Rowenta oven. Easy to use and pretty big as well. 

I have baked pineapple tarts for the past few years at my parents'. I have tried many different brands of butters on different recipes and I found the ONE recipe I will keep. My way of baking is a little tedious. But looking at the finished product - its satisfaction. 

People who ate my pineapple tarts love the buttery taste and have requested me to sell my pineapple tarts. I never thought of selling any this year. Since there are requests, I will just bake...with my husband's help. 

I cheated. I didn't make my own pineapple fillings. I bought them from bakery stores or supermarkets. This will save alot of time. 

Well...now for my recipe - 

Pineapple Tarts 黄梨挞 .

Pastry
Ingredients
906 g of plain flour
20 oz cold butter, cut into cubes
12 tbsp icing sugar
6 eggs yolks
1/2 tsp salt

For glaze, 3 egg yolks + 3 tsp water

1. Sift the flour. Add in the icing sugar and salt. Mix well.
2. Using the rub in method, rub the butter into the flour using a fork until fine bread crumbs are obtained.
3. Beat the egg yolks and add it into the butter flour mixture. Lightly combine them using fingertips. 
4. Chill the dough with a cling wrap for approximately 30 minutes.
5. While waiting for the dough to chill, roll the pineapple fillings into balls. 
6. Preheat oven to 160°C.  Line parchment paper on the baking trays.
7. Flour the roller and dough. Roll out the dough to 0.5 to 0.7cm thick. Cut the dough with the pineapple tart cutter. 
8. Arrange on the tray. 
9. Bake in preheat oven for 10 minutes; remove from oven. 
10. Glaze the half baked pastry and press the pineapple fillings on the pastry and bake for another 10 minutes. 
11. Keep them in air tight containers when completely cool. 

Updated 23 January 2015:
*Those who does not have confectionery/icing sugar, you may use caster sugar. Always half the required. My recipe calls for 12 tbsp of icing sugar, this is equivalent to 6 tbsp caster sugar. 

*Some may find it hard to handle the dough, chill it slightly longer and flour your roller, tart cutter and the table top. This will help. 
Mr W dipped the entire tart cutter into the flour. Hahaa just remember to dust excess flour away.

盆菜 I

I used to wonder why 盆菜 is such an popular dish during Chinese New Year and it is expensive!!! During Chinese New Year, we will need to spend a great deal on gifts, ang baos and CNY goodies. So why spend so much. I told myself to make this dish this year. And I DID!!!

This year I did my utmost best to bake and cook!!! Which I have never done it before.

I have my pineapple tarts and kueh bangkit baked. I have my mom-in-law's Khnaut Khnaut fried. So I decided to make the claypot of goodness - 盆菜. Layer by layer have them prepared and assembled.

I apologise for my amateur cooking since its my first time. Remember to use a claypot as it retains the heat.

This is my Step By Step Ingredients and Instruction;

Base Layer

Ingredients
4 pieces of skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
Seasoning A
5 slices of Ginger, shredded (I pounded the ginger)
1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
1 tbsp of Sesame Oil
1 tbsp of Sugar
A dash of Ground White Pepper
Sauce
3 to 4 slices of Ginger, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks of Spring Onion, cut into 2 inches length
2 Chinese Coriander with roots, sliced
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
500g Chicken Stock
2 tbsp of Cornstarch with water

Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken with the seasoning A. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat some oil in the wok. Stir fry the garlic, ginger, spring onion and Chinese coriander till fragrant. 
3. Add in the marinated chicken. Give it a few toss. Add the stock, chinese wine and cornstarch with water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and stir occasionally. Set aside. 

Second Layer

Ingredients
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 Nappa cabbage, roughly cut
1 Broccoli, cut into flowerets
4 inches length Lotus Roots, sliced
1 palm sized Carrot, sliced
Seasoning
1 tbsp Fermented Red Bean curd
1 tsp of Sugar

Preparation

1. Mash the Fermented Red Bean curd and mix with the sugar. Set aside.
2. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add in all the vegetables and stir fry for a minute
4. Add in the fermented red bean mixture and stir for another minute. Ensure the seasoning is well mixed with the vegetables. Set aside.

Third Layer

Ingredients
4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
3 thinly sliced of Ginger,
6 Shiitake Mushrooms, I quartered my mushroom cos they are huge. Remember to soak them in advance.
1 can of Golden Chef baby abalone (I will increase mine to 2 cans)
6 Sea Cucumbers, Cook in water for 10 minutes. Drain and coarsely sliced
10 Conpoy (dried scallops), Soak in water for 15 minutes 
A handful of Fatt Choy (发菜), Soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside
Seasoning
2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp of Sugar
2 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
1 soup bowl of abalone broth & the water from soaking the conpoy (from the can of abalones)
1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Preparation

1. Combine the seasoning in a bowl. Mix well. Set aside
2. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and ginger and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes. 
4. Add in the abalones, sea cucumbers, conpoy and fatt choy in. Remember not to let the fatt choy be in a lump, so stir well. 
5. Pour the bowl of seasoning and bring to a boil. Set aside.

Top Layer

Ingredients
10 Fresh Scallops
16 Fresh Prawns
Seasoning
Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
Garnish
Chinese Coriander

Preparation

1. Place the Base Layer at the bottom of the claypot.
2. Arrange the Second Layer on top of the stewed chicken (Base layer), pour the sauce on it.
3. Pour the Third Layer on top of the vegetable (Second layer).  
4. Arrange the prawns and scallops on top. Pour Chinese Wine over it. *I have been pretty generous with the wine. 
5. Cover the pot with the lid and bring it to a boil. 
6. Turn off the heat. Add the garnish and serve hot. 

Here's my 盆菜 . It's satisfying after seeing this piping hot claypot of goodness!

Finally...all gathered together

Each individual layer taste so good that there is no need to assemble them into a claypot. The broth in this 盆菜 is so sweet. It goes well with a bowl of steamed rice.

This is my first time cooking 盆菜, I will have to fine tune it.

2 more weeks to Chinese New Year and I am so tired. I'm still considering whether to make lapis cake. Hmm...