3rd time I'm washing and drying the bamboo steamer baskets as there were moulding again. They were cheap, juz $10 odd but hard to maintain in our cool, green home.
小雨 didn't really cry this morning when we parted, a great improvement since she started attending preschool.
Busy day in the kitchen with a couple of "firsts". First time velveting fish slices, first deep-frying experience, with just shreds from 3 mini dried conpoys. Yes, that was enough to get me nervous. Munched on a piece of Leibniz crunchy wholemeal biscuit and braced myself up.
How to deep-fry? I know I need to put enough oil to submerge whatever I'm frying. So I added 3 tbsp of canola oil to my wide-bottomed wok. I didn't have a kitchen thermometer but read that I could test if the oil is hot enough by immersing a portion of the chopstick. When bubbles start forming around the chopstick, the oil is ready. "Bubble bubble bubble, guppy guppy guppies"... Ok, I see bubbles.
I figured that it wouldn't be easy to fish up the fine shreds of conpoy before they turn from golden brown to charcoal black. So I placed half of the shreds on a thin metal spatula, then let it rest in the wok of oil. A few small splatters around but it worked. The shreds slowly turned golden brown as I shifted the metal spatula occasionally and I managed to pour them swiftly onto a plate lined with paper towel to drain the oil. So i went on to deep-fry a 2nd round of shredded conpoy. A thin shred of conpoy shot up at rocket speed for a few times this round, as they were a little more damp.
Some cold sweat and shrieks while I tried to stand at the furthest distance I could from the wok but still able to reach the spatula. And my first deep-frying experience with shredded conpoy was, I would say, "buay pai".
小雨 didn't really cry this morning when we parted, a great improvement since she started attending preschool.
Busy day in the kitchen with a couple of "firsts". First time velveting fish slices, first deep-frying experience, with just shreds from 3 mini dried conpoys. Yes, that was enough to get me nervous. Munched on a piece of Leibniz crunchy wholemeal biscuit and braced myself up.
How to deep-fry? I know I need to put enough oil to submerge whatever I'm frying. So I added 3 tbsp of canola oil to my wide-bottomed wok. I didn't have a kitchen thermometer but read that I could test if the oil is hot enough by immersing a portion of the chopstick. When bubbles start forming around the chopstick, the oil is ready. "Bubble bubble bubble, guppy guppy guppies"... Ok, I see bubbles.
I figured that it wouldn't be easy to fish up the fine shreds of conpoy before they turn from golden brown to charcoal black. So I placed half of the shreds on a thin metal spatula, then let it rest in the wok of oil. A few small splatters around but it worked. The shreds slowly turned golden brown as I shifted the metal spatula occasionally and I managed to pour them swiftly onto a plate lined with paper towel to drain the oil. So i went on to deep-fry a 2nd round of shredded conpoy. A thin shred of conpoy shot up at rocket speed for a few times this round, as they were a little more damp.
Some cold sweat and shrieks while I tried to stand at the furthest distance I could from the wok but still able to reach the spatula. And my first deep-frying experience with shredded conpoy was, I would say, "buay pai".
Deep-fried shredded conpoy
Aside from the difference in colour, I thought these looked like saffron threads I used to cook saffron risotto. To novice cooks, remember to off the heat once you are done with deep-frying. Otherwise, the hot oil could burn your wok.
I turned off the heat once I'm done. But still, when I washed it, the inside of the wok felt rough, like a little burnt. There was a 5mm burnt spot on the rim of the wok which I couldn't scrape away. Guessed I should have lifted it to cool on another stove.
The kitchen floor feels extra slippery today, or greasy. Novice Yang forgot about the cooker hood. (~_~)
The preschool teacher said 小雨 has a best friend now and they were playing and chasing each other in circles today. A boy who showers extra care for 小雨, sharing home-packed biscuits only with her, and no one else. Sweet.
Dinner for tonight :
I turned off the heat once I'm done. But still, when I washed it, the inside of the wok felt rough, like a little burnt. There was a 5mm burnt spot on the rim of the wok which I couldn't scrape away. Guessed I should have lifted it to cool on another stove.
The kitchen floor feels extra slippery today, or greasy. Novice Yang forgot about the cooker hood. (~_~)
The preschool teacher said 小雨 has a best friend now and they were playing and chasing each other in circles today. A boy who showers extra care for 小雨, sharing home-packed biscuits only with her, and no one else. Sweet.
Dinner for tonight :
Broccoli & tau kwa stir-fry (with enoki mushrooms and extra egg white), and a sprinkle of deep-fried shredded conpoy.
Broccoli & Tau Kwa Stir-fry
I forgot to season the extra egg white I prepared when I velveted the tau kwa cubes. I soaked 3 mini conpoys in water, but it didn't lend much savoury taste to the dish. Guess 6 conpoys would have been the perfect number. I wonder why I didn't think of blanching the broccoli, which looked a little dull from the picture. Perhaps I was pre-occupied with the first deep-frying experience. Overall, Yang was a little disappointed with the dish.
I forgot to season the extra egg white I prepared when I velveted the tau kwa cubes. I soaked 3 mini conpoys in water, but it didn't lend much savoury taste to the dish. Guess 6 conpoys would have been the perfect number. I wonder why I didn't think of blanching the broccoli, which looked a little dull from the picture. Perhaps I was pre-occupied with the first deep-frying experience. Overall, Yang was a little disappointed with the dish.
Velveting tau kwa cubes with extra egg-white
Velveting sliced fish (batang)
Kung pao sliced fish (batang)
Kung Pao Sliced Fish (Batang)
Consolation is I'm pleased with my Kung pao sliced fish! Simply using the kung pao sauce for Kung pao chicken I tried earlier and it was tasty. Here's sharing the recipe again:
168g of sliced fish (batang), velveted
3 stalks of spring onions, white part only, sliced
12 cashew nuts, roasted
1 big clove of garlic, sliced
1/8 tsp of kosher salt
3g of ginger, minced
1 tsp canola oil
Kung pao sauce mixture:
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1+1/2 tsp sugar, dissolved in 1 tsp water
1/2 tsp black vinegar
1 tbsp homemade chicken stock
1/4 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine
1/8 tsp ground white pepper (for a light peppery taste, since peppercorns & red chilli peppers are omitted)
In a separate bowl:
1/2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1+1/2 tsp water
1. Stir together the kung pao sauce mixture in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water.
2. Heat the canola oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat for a minute, swirling wok to coat.
3. Add the minced ginger and stir-fry for 15 secs, then add the garlic with salt and stir-fry for another 30 secs.
4. Toss in the spring onions and stir-fry for 30secs to a min.
5. Add the velveted fish, the cashew nuts, then pour in the sauce mixture.
6. Reduce heat and stir around for another 2 mins to coat well.
7. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and pour it in. Do a final stir.
8. Remove from heat and serve!
***********************************************************************************************************
小雨 said "痛痛＂when her back rubbed against the bed side platform as she slid down slowly from the bed.
She blew into my tummy and laughed hilariously again. These days, she didn't like to sleep alone on her mattress but snuggled to sleep with me on our queen-sized bed.
Consolation is I'm pleased with my Kung pao sliced fish! Simply using the kung pao sauce for Kung pao chicken I tried earlier and it was tasty. Here's sharing the recipe again:
168g of sliced fish (batang), velveted
3 stalks of spring onions, white part only, sliced
12 cashew nuts, roasted
1 big clove of garlic, sliced
1/8 tsp of kosher salt
3g of ginger, minced
1 tsp canola oil
Kung pao sauce mixture:
1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1+1/2 tsp sugar, dissolved in 1 tsp water
1/2 tsp black vinegar
1 tbsp homemade chicken stock
1/4 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine
1/8 tsp ground white pepper (for a light peppery taste, since peppercorns & red chilli peppers are omitted)
In a separate bowl:
1/2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1+1/2 tsp water
1. Stir together the kung pao sauce mixture in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in water.
2. Heat the canola oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat for a minute, swirling wok to coat.
3. Add the minced ginger and stir-fry for 15 secs, then add the garlic with salt and stir-fry for another 30 secs.
4. Toss in the spring onions and stir-fry for 30secs to a min.
5. Add the velveted fish, the cashew nuts, then pour in the sauce mixture.
6. Reduce heat and stir around for another 2 mins to coat well.
7. Give the cornstarch mixture a quick stir and pour it in. Do a final stir.
8. Remove from heat and serve!
***********************************************************************************************************
小雨 said "痛痛＂when her back rubbed against the bed side platform as she slid down slowly from the bed.
She blew into my tummy and laughed hilariously again. These days, she didn't like to sleep alone on her mattress but snuggled to sleep with me on our queen-sized bed.
RSS Feed
