Dongpo Ro (Red Cooked Pork Belly)

 

INGREDIENTS:

500g pork belly – cut into 3” by 3” cubes

2 stalks scallions – lightly bruised with the back of knife

1/2” ginger – peeled and sliced thinly

4 cloves garlic – peeled

 

Sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Shao Xing wine or Chinese rice wine

1/8 cup rock sugar

3 cups water.

 

 

METHOD:

1). Boil 1” of water in pot and scald the pork pieces evenly on all sides. (for about 1 minute). Drain pork and set aside.

2). Heat oil in a pot large enough to fit all the pieces of pork in one layer.

3). Fry scallions, ginger and garlic until fragrant then add the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil.

4). Place pork pieces skin side down into the pot and bring to a boil.

5). Cover pot, lower heat and simmer in low heat for 1 hour.

6). After 1 hour, gently turn the pork pieces over to skin side up and continue to simmer for another 2 to 3 hours.

7). The pork is ready when it is soft and tender to touch. Gently place pork pieces in one layer on to a plate, strain sauce and pour over the pork. Serve hot.

 

 

Notes:

The recipe above is the authentic way of cooking Dongpo Ro but if you prefer a spicier sauce, you can add 1 piece of star anise and/or 3 pieces dried mandarin peel to your sauce ingredients.

If you prefer a darker coloured sauce, you can add a 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, kicap manis or hoisin sauce.

You can add 2 tablespoons oyster sauce for an umami flavour.

You can also add 2 tablespoons of Chinese black rice vinegar, balsamic or red wine vinegar if you prefer a hint of acid in the sauce to counter the heaviness of the fatty pork.

Serve hot with udon noodles, rice, or steamed buns.

Chicken Tikka Masala

Chicken Tikka Masala is England’s favourite restaurant food. It is also my favourite type of chicken curry and makes the best comfort food when served with long grain rice on a rainy day.

 

INGREDIENTS:

4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1'” cubes

4 green chillies

2 cloves garlic – peeled

3 stalks coriander (separate the leaves and chop for garnishing, keep the stems and root)

1/2” piece ginger – peeled

1 medium sized white onion – peeled

3 tablespoons garam masala

3 tablespoons chili powder

pinch of turmeric powder

1 can whole tomatoes (250 grams) – diced and keep the the juice

1 cup thick natural flavoured yoghurt

1 cup heavy cream

salt to taste

 

METHOD:

1). Blitz green chillies, garlic, coriander stem and root and onion.

2). Marinate the chicken with the mixture and 1/4 teaspoon salt for at least an hour.

3). Place chicken pieces on top of oven rack and grill in the oven for 8 minutes. Make sure you place an aluminum lined oven tray below the rack to catch the juices that will flow from the grilled chicken pieces.

4). Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pot and sauté garam masala, chili powder and turmeric until fragrant.

5). Add grilled chicken and the juices collected from the oven tray to the pot and stir fry for 1 minute.

6). Add canned tomatoes and yoghurt. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the gravy is thick.

7). Add heavy cream and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

8). Add salt according to taste.

9). Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.

Serve with fluffy long grain rice.

Chili Sauce for Bak Chit Gai

This is the recipe for the chili sauce to accompany the chicken:

INGREDIENTS:

6 red chilies

6 bird eye chilies

juice of 2 limes

1/3 cup of broth from the poached chicken

1 clove garlic – peeled

3 tablespoons Sriracha sauce

pinch of salt to taste

 

METHOD:

Put all ingredients into the blender, wiz it into a fine sauce and it is ready to be served.

Recipes for :

Hainan Chicken Rice

Chinese White Sliced Chicken (bak chit gai)

Hainan Chicken Rice

 

I posted the recipe for Chinese White Sliced Chicken (bak chit gai). This is the recipe for the rice to serve with the poached chicken.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups long grained rice

4 cups broth from the water used to poach the chicken

2 slices ginger

2 cloves garlic – chopped

1 stalk spring onion – lightly smashed

2 tablespoons butter

pinch of white pepper

pinch of turmeric powder

salt to taste

 

METHOD:

1). Rinse rice and drain in a strainer.

2). Heat wok, melt butter and saute the ginger, spring onion and chopped garlic until the garlic is golden brown.

3). Add the rice to the wok and stir fry in medium heat for 2 minutes and until the rice is evenly coated with the oil.

4). Add pepper, turmeric powder and salt, stir until rice is evenly coated with the turmeric powder.

5). Transfer the rice to a rice cooker, add the broth and set to cook.

The rice is ready to be served once the rice cooker has done its job.

Mapo Tofu

Szechuan Mapo Tofu is one of my favourite dish but it is too oily to eat all the time. I serve it at least once a week, so I’ve adapted this recipe to be lower in fat and easier to cook.. It’s just as tasty and will satisfy your craving for Szechuan food minus the guilt.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cubes (300g) tofu – cut into 1/2 inch cubes

4 strips chicken tenders – minced

1 small leek – sliced

1 clove garlic – minced

1/2 teaspoon fermented black beans – mashed

1 tablespoon toban sauce (chili bean paste)

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

pinch of freshly ground Szechuan pepper

dash of sesame oil

cornstarch slurry ( 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water)

1 stalk spring onion – chopped

 

METHOD:

1). Blanch tofu cubes in hot water for 2 minutes and drain.

2). Marinate minced chicken tenders with soy sauce, ground Szechuan pepper and sesame oil.

3). Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok and saute garlic and leek until fragrant.

4). Add minced chicken and stir fry until the meat turns white.

5). Add fermented black beans and toban sauce, stir until the sauce looks shiny.

6). Add tofu, 1/3 cup water and bring to a boil.

7). Stir in the cornstarch slurry gently and simmer for 3 minutes until the sauce thickens.

8). Garnish with spring onions and the Mapo Tofu is ready to be served.

Mooi Choy Kau Yoke (Steamed Pork Belly and Fermented Greens)

This (mooi choy kau yoke) recipe that is an old school Hakka favourite that never fails. Easy to make, always impresses the guests with melts in your mouth deliciousness.

INGREDIENTS:

500g pork belly strip (3 inch wide)

250g mooi choy (there are a few types so be sure to ask your grocer for the sweet ones)

2 slices ginger

1 stalk spring onion

2 tablespoons Chinese Shao Xing wine

3 cloves chopped garlic

Sauce:

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon Chinese rose wine (optional)

sprinkle of sesame oil

pinch of white pepper

 

METHOD:

1). Soak mooi choy for 1/2 hour, rinse and slice into 1/4 inch pieces.

2). Bring 1/2 a pan of water to a boil, add ginger, spring onions and wine. Put in the pork belly and make sure all sides of the outer part of the meat is cooked and firm. Remove.

3). Pat pork belly dry with paper towels and rub with a bit of dark soy sauce.

4). Make small pricks all over the skin of the pork belly with a skewer.

5). Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a pan and gently place the pork belly skin side down. Fry for 5 minutes or until the skin is light brown.

6). Remove and rinse pork belly in running water and leave it to cool down.

7). Make 1/2 inch slices of pork and arrange in a 6 inch Chinese soup bowl.

8). Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and fry chopped garlic until fragrant. Add mooi choy and stir fry until dry then add sauce ingredients.

9). Simmer for 5 minutes and pour on top of pork belly slices.

10). Cover bowl with aluminium foil and steam pork belly for 3 hours and it is ready to be served.

Mooi Choy

Notes:

The bowl can be turned over a large plate for better presentation.

If you prefer thicker sauce, drain the sauce from the mooi choy kau yoke into a pan and heat it up with 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch mixed into 2 tablespoons water. Pour sauce back on top of the mooi choy kau yoke.

Lovely when eaten with rice congee.