Dry Tossed Egg Noodles With Roast Duck 燒鴨撈麵

We used to go to our favourite restaurant in Richmond to have this every Sunday without fail but that was before the big move. These days I am more likely to just make this at home whenever there is a craving for roast duck noodles. Fortunately for us there is a restaurant near us that sells very good quality roast meat and the rest of the ingredients can also be bought easily in the nearby Asian grocer. Half a duck feeds two generously but if you prefer the soup version please come back tomorrow. 

P.S By all means replace the roast duck with char siu or crispy pork, better still serve it with the lot. Ask the restaurant to chop up the duck for you if you are not too comfortable doing that yourself. 

serves 2 generously as a one dish meal
you'll need;
1/2 a roast duck, chopped Chinese style

fresh egg noodles, allow 1.5 noodles per person

choysum or bokchoy, washed and cut into manageable lengths 

spring onions, chopped

pickled green chillies in soy to serve

bird chillies in soy to serve

dressing for the noodles;

1.5 tbs of shallot oil, garlic oil or chicken oil

1 .5 tbs of light soy

1.5 tbs of caramel sauce

1 tbs of oyster sauce

1 tsp of castor sugar

1 tub of duck sauce*

dash of white pepper

* a soy based sauce available free of charge from the restaurant

Prepare the choysum and chopped spring onions.

Chop the duck Chinese style.

Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients well.

Cook noodles in a pot of boiling water for 15 seconds, remove and rinse in a big pot of cold water. When the pot of water returns to a rapid boil, return the noodles and cook for another 15 seconds or til al dente. Blanch choysum or bokchoy briefly.

Mix noodles in the prepared sauce/dressing.

Top noodles with roast duck, blanched choysum and spring onions and serve immediately with cut chillies and pickled green chillies in soy. I love mine with some Cantonese chili oil on the side too.

Spiced Lamb, Pine Nuts, Sultanas And Spinach Pinwheel Pie

There are a few recipe ideas on the back of the ready rolled puff pastry packaging in the freezer and I was particularly interested in the look of the pinwheel pie. The original recipe asked for bolognese sauce but I thought the spiced lamb stuffing I made for my spiced lamb filo rolls might work well and so it did! This is a lot less fiddly compared to the filo rolls and we were both very impressed with the end result so give it a try!

P.S Do accept my apology for the poor quality of the photos as these were taken under artificial lighting. 

serves 3 to 4 with a side salad

oven preheated at 200 C

for the spiced lamb filling;

500g of minced lamb

1 onions, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tbs of cumin powder

1/2 tbs of coriander powder

1/4 tbs of cinnamon powder

1 tbs of hot paprika powder

1/2 tsp of turmeric powder

2 tbs of yoghurt

2 tbs of tomato puree

salt and pepper to taste

chopped coriander leaves

3 tbs of sultanas

3 tbs of pinenut, toasted

100 g of baby spinach, blanched, refreshed and squeeze dry

for the yoghurt sauce;

3/4 of a cup of Greek yoghurt

a handful of mint leaves, finely shredded

1/2 tbs of cumin powder

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tbs of grated lemon rind

salt and pepper to taste

you'll also need;

2 puff pastry sheets

1 egg, beaten

dressed salad to serve

Blanched spinach, toasted pine nuts and chopped aromatics.

Prepare the yoghurt sauce.

Saute onion and garlic til lightly brown then add in the minced lamb and continue to cook til lamb is no longer pink.

Add spices and tomato puree and cook for 5 minutes.

Add yoghurt and fry for a further 5 minutes or until the mixture is slightly dry. Sultanas, chopped parsley and toasted pinenuts are added and fry for a further 5 minutes. Check for seasonings and allow to cool.

Place half of the spiced lamb on a sheet of thawed puff pastry, follow by the blanched spinach and yoghurt sauce.

With the aid of the attached plastic sheet roll up the pastry as one would with swiss roll. Place it seam side down on a non stick baking pan and repeat the process with the other pastry sheet.

Place the baking pan in the fridge for 20 minutes. Brush on the egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden.

Allow the pies to cool a little before slicing. Serve pie with a dressed salad.

Rendang Itik, Duck Rendang - "Malaysian Monday 37"

The long weekend is coming to an end and I hope it has been a wonderful break for everyone. I had a relatively quiet one although I did have a few friends over for a simple dinner on Friday night. It was a very pleasant and enjoyable evening with food, drinks and good conversation. Duck rendang was one of the dishes I prepared for the evening and it was a good change from our usual beef rendang. You will see the rest of the dishes in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

serves 6 to 8 as part of a Malaysian meal

you'll need;

7 duck legs, about 1.5 kg

2 cups os coconut milk (preferably Ayam brand)

3 tbs of Malaysian meat curry powder (I used burung nuri brand)*

1.5 tbs of fennel powder*

1.5 tbs of cummin powder*

1.5 tbs of coriander powder*

5 tbs of kerisik (toasted coconut), see stage 2 below

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

2 turmeric leaves** (optional) sliced

4 tbs of gula melaka (Malaysian palm sugar)

salt to taste
2 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded to serve
2 tbs of kerisik to serve

Mix ingredients * with a little water to make a paste, set aside

** fresh turmeric leaves can be found in the freezer at most Asian grocers.

for the fresh spice paste;

2 brown onions, chopped

6 clove of garlic, chopped

3 lemongrass (white part only) thinly sliced

3" piece of ginger, chopped

3" piece of galangal, chopped

3" piece of turmeric, chopped

30 dried chillies, boiled and chopped

Blend or pound ingredients into a paste, set aside

Trim off the excess skin and fat, you may render the fat out for other uses.

Prepare the fresh spice paste.

Prepare the kerisik - Place desicated coconut in a pan and dry toast on medium heat til brown but not burnt.

Pan fry duck pieces in batches to render out most of the fat. 

Saute spice paste with peanut oil til oil starts to split then add in the curry powder and continue to cook for 5 minutes on low heat.

Return duck to the pot and fry duck with the the spice mixture for a few minutes. Add coconut milk, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass and season with palm sugar and salt. Cover and simmer on very low heat for 60 - 70 minutes or until duck is tender.

Remove the cover during the last 10 minutes of cooking and reduce the sauce, it should be fairly thick. Add kerisik and mix well.

Garnish with finely shredded kaffir lime leaves and extra kerisik, serve as part of a Malaysian meal.

I am hosting the April event, please send all your entries to sureshchong@yahoo.com. To find out more about the event please click HERE.

Roast Chicken With Potato, Broccoli And Pea Mash

The roast dinner is back as the temperature continues to dive south. Gone are the roasted vegetables this time around and in their place is our new favourite side dish at the moment, namely the potato, broccoli and pea mash. I am very happy to have this on the table once a week and I don't think the other tummy would object to that either. I had a few friends over last night for a Malaysian meal, please come back on Monday for my MM post to find out what I prepared. 

serves 2 to 3
oven preheated at 190 C
for the roast chicken you'll need;
1 free range chicken, cleaned and dried
1 lemon, pricked all over
juice from half a lemon
3 garlic cloves
3 sprigs of thyme
3 tbs of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup of stock for the gravy

for the broccoli and potato mash;
6 potatoes, chopped
1 head of broccoli
3/4 of frozen peas
a small knob of butter
4 tbs of light sour cream
a drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mash up the garlic cloves with a little salt, add in the olive oil, thyme and lemon juice and mix well. Rub the marinade all over the chicken and stuff the whole lemon into the cavity of the bird.

Place the chicken in a preheated oven and cook for 55 to 60 minutes.

Cut the stalk into large pieces and break up the florets.

Boil potatoes and broccoli stalk slices with a pinch of salt. Throw in the broccoli florets when potatoes are tender and when the florets are almost ready add in the peas. Drain well.....

Return the drained vegetables to the pot, add in the butter, sour cream, olive oil and mash until you get a rustic rough mash. Season well with salt and pepper.

Rest chicken for at least 20 minutes before carving. To make the gravy - discharge most of the fat the pan and place it on the stove. Add half a cup of stock to the pan and scrap up the sticky brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid a little before thickening it with a little corn flour solution.

Ladies and gentlemen dinner is served!

Polpettone Wrapped With Prosciutto

What is your favourite thing to eat when it is raining cats and dogs out there? For me meatballs always top the chart. I made this mother of all meatballs dish yesterday when it was bucketing down with rain. I learnt this from an Italian friend a while back and it has been a tummies' favourite ever since. My Italian boss who is not very generous with compliments proclaimed "My mum makes the best meatballs and these are just as good as hers!" Now that was one hell of a compliment! 

P.S Have a happy and safe holidays everyone! 

serves 6 with a side salad
you'll need;
1 kg of pork and veal mince
3 brown onions, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 sprigs of thyme, chopped
a handful of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup of breadcrumbs
18 slices of prosciutto
1 bottle of passata
1/2 cup of dry red wine
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil for cooking
parmesan shavings to serve
chopped parsley to serve

Saute half of the chopped onion and garlic with some olive oil until soften. Turn off the heat and add the chopped herbs, allow the mixture to cool.

Place mince in a large bowl follow by the grated parmesan, egg, breadcrumbs, onion/garlic mixture, season with salt and pepper and mix very well.

Divide meat mixture into 6 equal parts and form into neat round balls. Wrap each meatball tightly with 3 slices of prosciutto.

Brown the wrapped meatballs in batches until well browned. Remove and set aside.

To make the sauce - add a little extra olive oil to the same pan and saute the other half of the chopped onion and garlic until soften, scrapping the bottom of the pan as you go. Add the pasatta, red wine, stock, salt, pepper and herbs and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

Return the meatballs to the pan, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Shave some parmesan and sprinkle some chopped parsley over, wash it down with a nice glass of red wine. I served the meatballs with a endive salad with crispy bacon but any bitter greens will work well I think.

These buggers are extremely filling - you will only need one per person, making this a rather economical meal to make.

Nasi Goreng Melayu, Malay Fried Rice - "Malaysian Monday 36"

My nannny Kak Timah used to make this for me to take to school. Whenever I asked "nasi goreng apa tu? (what kind of fried rice is that?) and her answer was always "nasi goreng macam- macam ada!"(fried rice with all sorts in it!) With some leftover cooked rice and some sambal tumis  in the fridge, it was easy to recreate the dish that brings back many fond memories..... 

I am looking forward to the Easter/Anzac long weekend and there will be a few Malaysian meals, please let me know if you have any special request. 

serves 2 as a one dish meal
you'll need;
2 cups of cooked rice
oil for cooking
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
10 prawns, shelled and roughly chopped
1/2 chicken breast, diced
a handful of green beans, cut at an angle
2 tbs of light soy
2 tbs of kecap manis (sweet soy)
2 to 3 tbs of sambal tumis 
salt and white pepper to taste
1 red chili, sliced
2 spring onions, chopped
fried eggs to serve
fried shallot to serve
lime or lemon wedges to serve
extra sambal tumis to serve

Prepare the vegetables.

Roughly chop prawns and dice the chicken breast.

Saute shallot and garlic with 2 tbs of cooking oil for a minute or until light golden then add in the chopped prawns and chicken. Continue to cook for a minute or 2.

Add rice and mix well, breaking up lumps as you go. Next throw in the green beans and continue to cook for a further minute on high heat.

Add seasonings and cook for a minute more, finally add in the chopped spring onions and chili slices. Check for seasonings.

 Serve immediately with a fried egg, lemon wedge and extra sambal tumis on the side.

I am hosting the April event, please send all your entries to sureshchong@yahoo.com. To find out more about the event please click HERE.