PAN FRIED SWEET SAUCE CHICKEN

Delicious, yummy pan fried and braised chicken whole legs.  Another method is by baking if you are preparing a bigger portion.   Since my non stick wok is big enough for 3 pieces chicken whole leg, I opted to pan fry and braise.  Much easier as I do not have to bake and baste with the sauce several times through  baking.

These yummy succulent chicken whole legs are not overly sweet or savoury.  Just nice to serve with mashed potatoes and some coleslaw [recipe here].

Recipe adapted from Y Tower Gourment Food

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces chicken whole legs - fats removed but skin intact

Marinade

1 tsp each of grated garlic and black pepper powder

2 tsp each of sugar and cooking wine

1/4 tsp salt

Sauce Ingredients [Combined]

2 tbsp honey

2-3 tbsp orange juice

3 tbsp tomato sauce

1 tsp each grated garlic and ginger

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1. Make a few slits on the meat side of the chicken whole leg.  Marinate them with marinade.  Mix well and leave in fridge for an hour.
2. Grease a non stick wok with oil, pan fry the chicken pieces [skin side first] until brown or nicely coloured.   Flip over to fry the meat side.  Cover to ensure even cooking.
3. Pour sauce over chicken pieces. Make sure the meat is well coated with the sauce.  Add 50-100 ml water.   Leave to braise for 1-2 minutes.  
4. Flip over, cover and continue to cook until meat is tender and sauce is reduced to thick consistency [takes about 20 minutes].  Can add more water if chicken is not tender.
5. Dish up to serve with rice or boiled potatoes and salad.
   
   
   
   
   

TASTY SAVOURY PANCAKES

This savoury pancake recipe is from Amy Beh.  It was published many, many years ago in the newspapers and I had kept the cutting since then.   I love savoury pancakes more than the sweet ones. 

These pancakes can be served as a light lunch and it is tasty and delicious.  It is crispy at the edges but soft, chewy and moist. 

Though, I have been preparing this pancake for many times but have yet to share them here.  Anyway, I am sharing the recipe of Amy Beh here with some adjustments to the portion.  It is a versatile recipe where you can mix and match or substitute some the ingredients lest at times you may not have all the ingredients in hand.  Most important is the seasoning. 

This portion is enough to make 4 pieces pancakes [16 cm diameter].

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

80 gm French beans - finely sliced

60 gm carrot - finely chopped

80 gm fresh sweet corn kernels [omit, add chopped prawns]

200 gm self-raising flour

300-350 ml UHT milk

2 eggs

2 tbsp melted butter or corn oil

Seasoning

1 tsp each of salt and pepper

2 tsp chicken stock granules or dash of msg

1. Sift flour in a bowl or container, pour in milk.  Beat in the eggs and add melted butter or corn oil.  Mix.
2. Add in the remaining ingredients and seasoning.
3. Mix into a thick batter.  Divide into 4 equal portions [can make smaller pancakes using any size ladle you have]. 
4. Lightly greased a non stick pan with oil.  Pour in one portion, cover to cook for 1-2 minutes over medium low heat.  Remove cover, flip over to fry the other side.  Cover to cook for 1 minute or until the edges are a litte crispy. 
5. Remove to serving platter.  Serve hot or warm with sweet chilli sauce.
6. Finish the same with the remaining batter.
   
   
   
   
   

NAM YEE CHICKEN CHAR SIEW

I believe this is one of the easiest and simplest char siew to make.  The marinade ingredients are common seasoning ingredients found in most kitchens.  This is also a quick cook char siew as the most tender part of the chicken breast called 'hanging tenders' is used.  There are only 2 pieces of these 'hanging tenders' in a chicken breast and it is inexpensive.

You can choose to roast them or just pan fry these pieces.   I would choose pan fry if it is only a small portion.   

This chicken char siew is very tender, tasty and aromatic. Looks tempting and it is delicious. It only need several minutes to cook.  The tastes is just perfect, not too sweet or savoury.  Most probably, I will cook this often since it is so easy and delicious.

Ingredients

[serves 2]

6 pieces 'hanging tenders' of the chicken breast - keep whole

some sliced cucumbers

Marinade

1 piece red fermented beancurd 'nam yee'

2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp 5 spice powder

dash of pepper

2 tsp cooking wine

1 tsp each light soy sauce, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp honey [add to marinade when boiling]

1. Remove the small bones and thin membrane from the hanging tenders.
2. Add marinade [except honey] to marinate the chicken meat, mix well and leave to marinate for 1-2 hours.
3. Heat a non stick pan with some oil, arrange the pieces of chicken without the marinade in the pan.  Let them fry until cooked before flipping over to fry the other side  until brown and aromatic.
4. Dish up onto serving plate lined with cucumber slices.
5. Remove excess oil from the pan, pour in the marinade, add in honey and 2-3 tbsp water.  Bring to a rolling boil or until sauce is of running consistency.
6. Pour over char siew, can garnish with some spring onions. Serve with rice or noodles.
   
   
   
   
   

GOLDEN FUNGUS WITH CHICKEN SOUP

Have you seen Golden Fungus or ate it before?   I happened to come across these dried golden fungus at the hypermarket the other while looking for dried stuff like black fungus, beans and mushrooms.  Out of curiosity, I bought some of these [25 gram].  A kilo cost about RM85.00.    I believe these can be used in soup, braised or stir fried dishes or sweet dessert.  The easiest and fastest, perhaps is to cook soup with it.

According to Wikipedia, this golden fungus is bland and flavourless and is edible. Although some have claimed the fungus to be inedible or merely "non-poisonous", most other sources agree that it is edible but flavourless. The gelatinous to rubbery consistency lends texture to soups.  In China, the fungus is used by vegetarians to prepare "an immunomodulating cooling soup with lotus seed, lily bulbs, red dates etc.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

15 gm golden fungus - soaked to plump up, drained

1 large chicken whole leg [skin and fats removed] - cut bite size pieces

6-7 red dates

3-4 pips garlic

800 ml water

Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt to taste

dash of chicken stock granules

dash of pepper

1. Soak golden fungus until soft and plump up, break into smaller pieces.
2. Blanch chicken pieces with hot boiling water, drained.
3. Bring water to boil in a soup pot or claypot.  Add in golden fungus, garlic and red dates.  Bring to boil for 5-10 minutes before adding the chicken pieces.  If using free range chicken, all ingredients can be added at the same time.
4. Once the soup boils, lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning.
6. Serve hot.
   
   

EZCR#129 - SAVOURY SWEET CHICKEN WINGS

This braised chicken wings taste savoury sweet with some basic seasoning ingredients easily available in most kitchens.  The preparation and cooking method is simple, quick and easy, yet the dish looks tempting and delicious.

 If you can get the butcher to tidy up the wings, preparing this dish is a breeze.    I got my regular butcher to cut off the end tip of the wings, removed the excess skin and fats of the drumlets  when I bought the wings from him.  This saves me much time.

Ingredients

6 chicken wings

1 stalk spring onions –cut ½ inch sections [keep some to add last]

1 red chilli – seeded and cut diamond shape

A few slices of ginger

200 ml water

Seasoning

2 tbsp each of tomato sauce, light soy sauce and cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

Salt to taste

1. Marinate chicken wings with some light soy sauce and pepper for 20 minutes.
2. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a non stick pan.  Swirl the oil and put the chicken wings to fry until brown.  Cover to cook on both sides. Push aside.
3. Add in ginger slices and spring onions until aromatic. Pour in the sauce, add red chilli.
4. Stir fry to coat well before adding water.
5. Bring to boil, cover and simmer over medium low heat until chicken wings are tender and cooked.
6. Remove cover and continue to cook till sauce is thick. Add salt to taste if necessary. Lastly, add in the remaining spring onions.
7. Dish up and serve.