Pancake

Preparation Time: 40 – 50 minutes

Serving for 3 – 4 with 2 pancakes per person

Ingredients

4 oz self raising flour

pinch of salt

1 egg

1 egg yolk

10 fluid oz milk

1 Tbsp melted butter

Method

1. Sift the flour with the salt into a bowl.

2. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and yolk.

3. Add the milk slowly and stirring all the time.

4. When half the milk has been added, stir in the melted butter and beat well until smooth.

5. Add the remaining milk and leave to stand for 30 minutes before cooking.

6. Check the batter for consistency of thin cream – if too thick add a little extra milk.

Tips – Allow the mixture to stand for about 30 mins because this has the effect of softening the starch cells, making the pancakes thinner without being tough.

Cooking Pancakes

1. Put a few drops of oil when pan is hot.

2. Take 1 Tbsp of the batter and tip this into the pan.

3. Immediately rolling it round clockwise to coat the bottom evenly.

4. Use a 6-inch diameter pan for cooking.

5. Cook until the underneath of pancake is a good brown colour.

6. Run a palette knife under the edges to loosen the pancake. Then raise it slightly with the fingers and slip the knife underneath.

7. Flip the pancake over and cook for about 10 seconds on the other side.

8. Serve with maple syrup and whipped butter for excellent taste.

Tips: A proper pancake pan is shallow about 6 inches in diameter. Alternative is an omelette pan is good too.

Rum Balls

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Serving for 4 – 5

Ingredients

12 ounces vanilla wafers, finely crushed (3 cups)

1 cup finely chopped pecans/almonds/hazelnuts

1 cup icing sugar

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup rum

Method

1. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine crushed wafers, pecans/almonds/
hazelnuts, and 1/2 cup icing sugar; set aside.

2. In a double boiler over simmering water, melt chocolate morsels with corn syrup.

3. Add rum; stir until smooth.

4. Pour chocolate mixture over wafer mixture. Stir to combine thoroughly. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; place on waxed paper.

5. Dust each ball with cocoa powder. Alternatively, you can roll the rum balls over chopped nuts.

6. Refrigerate the rum balls for an hour before serving.

Jingle the Turkey away…HO HO HO

Preparation Time: 2½ hrs including marinating Time

Cooking Time: 3 – 4 hrs depending on size of Turkey

Serving for 6 – 8 persons

Ingredients

4 kg Turkey

For preparation of Turkey

2 tbsp salt

Boiling water

1 can of beer

Seasoning for the Turkey

2 tbsp of All season spices

1 tsp Oregano

1 tsp Tarragon Leaves

A dash of pepper

2 tsp of sesame oil

For stuffing

1 can of corned pork

½ a packet of mixed vegetables

10 large button mushrooms

10 baby corns

400 g chestnuts

Turkey Giblets ) cook and chopped
Turkey Liver )

Seasoning for stuffing

1 tbsp of All Season Spices

1 tsp of sesame oil

2 tbsp of olive oil

For baking

2 carrots

4 onions

English Parsley

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp honey

6 strips of bacon

Method

1. Defrost the turkey overnight and remove the liver, giblets and neck (they are all
packed in the turkey stomach and neck).

2. Rub the salt over the turkey and rinse it. Scald the turkey with boiling water
and then drip dry or use the paper towel to dry it.

3. Add beer and marinate each side for half an hour. Pour the excess beer and rub
spices on it. Marinate for about 1 to 1½ hours.

4. Lay 4 bacons over the breast of the turkey and 1 each around the drumstick.

5. Bake the breast side first over a baking rack and put a tray below to collect the
drippings.

6. Use foil to wrap around the turkey with carrots, onions and parsley. Bake it for
1 hour.

7. Remove foil and apply half of the portion of the mixture of butter and honey on
the turkey and bake for another 1 hour. Cover the areas where the skin turns
brown to avoid excess burning of the turkey.

8. Turn the turkey over and apply mixture of butter and honey and back for another 1 hour.

Braised Duck

Preparation Time: 1½ hours

Cooking Time: 1½ hours

Serving for 4 persons

Ingredients

Half a Duck

5 Bowls of water/stock

4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

3 tsp salt

1 Star Anise

2 Cloves of garlic

4 Tbsp of cooking oil

1 tsp Sesame oil

1 tsp pepper

200g Chestnuts with skin

Preparation of Duck

1. Clean and cut Duck into large pieces (approximately 4 cm X 4 cm or 1.5 inches X 1.5 inches) and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.

2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated duck for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce1.

Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Preparation of Chestnuts1.

Boil chestnuts with 1 tsp of salt in hot water for about half an hour. Remove the skin.

Method

1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.

2. Slice the ginger

3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.

4. Add scalded Duck, sauce and Star Anise, in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.

5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

Note: Reason to remove green shoot in garlic if any is because they would cause indigestion.

This is best serve with rice and vegetables

Prawns with Chilli Sauce

Preparation Time: 5 mins

Cooking Time: 10 mins

Serving for 4 persons

Ingredients

12 Large Prawns

2 Tbsp of Chilli Sauce

2 Cloves of Garlic

2 Tbsp Cooking Oil

2 tsp Salt

Preparation of Prawns

1. Wash the prawns with salt. Do not remove the shell and head. Use paper towel to dry the prawns.

Method1. Cut the garlic and slice them.

1. Heat the wok with oil and put the garlic. Stir fry the garlic till lightly brown, add the prawns for about 10 minutes.

2. Add the chilli sauce and stir fry for about another 1 minute.

Gingko Nuts with Longan

Preparation Time: 2 hours (approx.)

Cooking Time: 4 hours (approx.)

Serving for 4 – 6 persons

Ingredients

300g Dried Longans

500g Gingko Nuts with shell

A cup of rock sugar

2 Tbsp of sugar

100g fungus

100g lotus seed

Preparation of Gingko Nuts

1. De-shell Gingko nuts.

2. Boil Gingko nuts and remove the skin.

3. Use a toothpick to remove the green root inside the nut.

4. Add sugar and mix the Gingko nuts. Marinate it for like 10 minutes.

5. Add water and half a cup of rock sugar till boil.

6. Lower the fire and let the Gingko nuts to simmer for about 2
to 3 hours.

7. Cook the Gingko nuts till they are ‘caramelised’.

Preparation of Fungus

1. Wash the fungus and cut into small portion.

2. Soak fungus with water till soft.

Preparation of Lotus Seeds

1. Clean the lotus seeds and remove the green root inside.

2. Soak the lotus seeds with water till soft.

Preparation of Longans ’syrup’

1. Add 6 cups of water, half a cup of rock sugar and boil the Longans for about 2 hours.

Method

1. Add Gingko Nuts and Lotus Seeds to the Longans ’syrup’ and cook at low fire for 1 hour.

2. Add fungus and cook for another half an hour.

This is usually done during Chinese New Year to serve guests.

Fried Rice Paradise

Preparation Time: 20 mins (excluding cooking the rice)

Cooking Time: 30 – 40 mins

Serving for 2 persons

Ingredients

3 Bowls of Rice (Preferably cooked and left overnight)

3 Shallots

1 clove of garlic

3 Tbsp of Cooking Oil

1 tsp of Salt

1 tsp of Light Soy Sauce

1 tsp of Sesame Oil

50g of Ham Luncheon Meat or Ham

5 Large Prawns

1 Stalk of Spring Onions (Optional)

Pepper for taste

2 Large Eggs

Preparation of Rice

1. Beat the eggs with 1/2 tsp of Light Soy Sauce.

2. Mix the eggs with the rice.

Preparation of Prawns

1. De-shell the prawns and cut it in large chunks.

2. Wash the prawns with 1/2 tsp of salt.

Method

1. Cut the shallots and garlic in slices.

2. Cut the spring onions.

3. Cut the Ham Lucheon Meat/Ham in chunks.

4. Heat the wok with 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the shallot, garlic and stir fry till lightly brown. Remove the shallots and garlic for garnishing before serving.

5. Add 1 Tbsp of oil with prawns, lucheon meat/ham and stir fry for 2 mins.

6. Add 1 Tbsp of oil with rice and stir fry till the rice is fluffy and light.

7. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and light soy sauce and stir fry for another 1 min.

8. Add sesame oil and pepper and stir fry for another 1 min.

9. Add the spring onions before serving.

Alternative method to coat every rice grain with egg:

1. Add egg mixture in wok and rice. Stir fry quickly to ensure each rice is coated with egg mixture.

Buns for Braised Pork

Preparation Time: 3 – 4 hours

Cooking Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Serving for 3 – 4 persons

Ingredients

6 cups flour

¼ cups fine sugar

1¾ cups warm water

1 Tbsp yeast

2 Tbsp lard or shortening

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Preparation of Dough

1. Dissolve sugar in warm water and add yeast.

2. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes. The yeast will foam and rise.

3. Add flour, shortening and the mixture together.

4. Knead dough into a ball.

5. Remove dough from bowl. Add flour (too wet) or water (too dry) if necessary.

6. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.

7. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp cloth.

8. Let dough rise (in a warm place) for 2 – 3 hours until it has double or tripled in bulk.

Preparation of Dough after 2 – 3 hours

1. Roll dough into a long roll and cut into 24 pieces.

2. Flatten each piece of dough to a 2-inch circle and spread surface lightly with sesame oil; fold circle to half.

3. Using tips of fingers lightly press half circle so that it is inches in diameter and edges are thinner than middle.

4. Place each finished roll on a damp cloth in steamer ½-inch apart.

5. Steam rolls for 5 mins over high heat; remove and let it cool before serving.

Braised Pork…this is best serve with buns

Preparation Time: 1½ hours

Cooking Time: 1½ hours

Serving for 4 persons

Ingredients

400g Pork Belly

4 Bowls of water/stock

4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce

2 tsp 5 spice powder

2 tsp salt

1 Star Anise

1 Dried Nutmeg

2 Clove of garlic

2 Slices of ginger

4 Tbsp of cooking oil

1 tsp Sesame oil

1 tsp pepper

Preparation of Pork

1. Clean the Pork Belly and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper and 5 spice powder for at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.

2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated pork belly each side for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce

1. Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Method

1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.

2. Slice the ginger.

3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.

4. Add scalded pork belly, sauce, Star Anise, Nutmeg in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.

5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

This is best serve with rice or buns

Salted Vegetable Duck Soup

Preparation Time: 50 minutes

Cooking Time using slow cooker: 12 hours

Serving for 4 persons

Ingredients

Half a duck

200g chicken bones

200g pork ribs

Half a portion of salted vegetable

4 slices of ginger

2 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp of sugar

1 tsp of salt

4 preserved sour plum

pepper to taste

1 tsp of light soy sauce

Method to prepare stock

1. Blenched pork ribs to remove foul smell and wash them.

2. Blenched chicken bones and wash them.

3. Add 8 bowls of water and boil the pork ribs and chicken bones.

4. Add ginger, garlic, salt and sugar to the stock.

5. Cook for an hour and transfer the stock in the slow cooker.

Method to prepare Duck soup

1. Cut the duck in big chunks and add in the stock.

2. Add the salted vegetable and sour plums.

3. Add light soy sauce.

4. Leave them in the slow cooker and cook at low heat for 12 hours.

5. Add pepper to taste when serving.

Note: I normally prepare it overnight.