STEAMED MEAT PAUS [SANG YOKE PAUS]

This is another Sang Yoke Pau which I made using Agnes Chang’s recipe for the filling. While mixing the ingredients you can smell the fragrance of it. It is also very easy to prepare. Just combine all the ingredients and chill until required. The filling is not pre-cooked before use. I believe this is why the name is Sang Yoke Pau [meaning uncooked meat paus].

Anyway, the filling is fragrant and the pau skin is soft, moist and chewy.  Nice.

Recipe adapted from Agnes’s book – Let’s Eat [slightly modified]

Ingredients For Filling

300 gm pork or chicken – coarsely minced [I used 50/50 of both meat]

100 gm water chestnuts or sengkuang [I used sengkuang]

2 shallots – peeled and grated

½ inch ginger – skinned and grated

1 stalk spring onions – diced

3 tbsp water

Seasoning

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp wine

1 tsp each of sugar and sesame oil

½ tsp of salt and msg

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbsp cornflour

1. Combine all the ingredients and add in the seasoning. Mix well until it becomes a sticky paste and the water well absorbed. Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours before using.
2. For the pau skin, I used the Starter Dough Method recipe from my earlier post because this is a good pau skin recipe.
   

Ingredients for Pau Skin - starter dough method 
Recipe Source - No Frills Recipes
[makes 20 paus]

2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
120 ml lukewarm water [original uses 100 ml]
130 gm pau flour - sifted

• Mix ingredients together into a soft and rough dough.  Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

370 gm pau flour - sifted
100 gm caster sugar [original uses 125 gm]
120-130 ml water  [original uses 100-115 ml]

2 tsp double action baking powder [original uses 2 1/8 tsp]
5 tsp shortening

Using a Dough Mixer or Hand Knead

1. Combine all the ingredients [except shortening] with the yeast dough in a mixing bowl.  Knead until well combined [about 5-10 minutes].  Then add in the shortening, continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.   I find the dough texture is quite similar to that of my tortoise buns [Mi Koo].
2. Shape into a ball and cover to rest for about 30 minutes [original is for 1-1 1/2 hours] or until double in size.   
3. Punch down dough and remove dough to a floured surface.
4. Divide into 20 equal portions [about 45-50 gm] and roll into balls.  
5. Flatten each ball, then roll into flat circle.
6. Wrap filling with each flatten dough.  Gather the edges and shape into pleated paus or round balls.  Place on parchment or greased proof  paper in the steaming tray.
7. Leave to prove for 45 minutes from the time you finished shaping the last pau or until double in size.  
8. Steam over high heat for 10-12 minutes in a steamer.  Off heat and leave paus for a further 2-3 minutes before uncovering and remove to cool on wire rack. 
   
   
   
   
   
   

This post is also linked to the Best Recipes for Everyone August 2015 Event (Theme: Dim Sum) organised by Fion （XuanHom's Mum Kitchen Diary) and hosted by May (厨苑食谱 @ mayck-law.blogspot.com

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #26 [August 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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DRIED OYSTER PORRIDGE [HOKKIEN STYLE]

Light and Easy Meals - This is another wholesome porridge dish recipe good as a One Dish Meal. The plain porridge is flavoured with ingredients such as dried oysters and dried prawns.  For more flavour, I have added some meat strips to it.  

However, there are various ways of cooking dried oyster porridge.  Some people may use braised  meat and stock to cook this porridge but the must have ingredients are dried oysters and prawns.  I have prepared this porridge a different way here.  Now, I prefer this second recipe.

This is easy to prepare and tasty to eat. Good porridge to serve which is light yet filling and nutritious. 

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine [February 2001] – slightly modified

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

1 ½ cups of rice

2 litres water

1 tsp salt to taste

1 tsp msg or chicken stock granules

1 tbsp preserved salted cabbage [Tung Chye]

2 tbsp dried prawns

5-6 big dried oysters – soaked and sliced or 100 gm small dried oysters

Garnish

2 pieces Chinese crullers [Yu Char Koay] –cut small pieces

White pepper

Some chopped spring onions or coriander leaves

1 tbsp crispy garlic and oil [optional]

1. Soak dried prawns and oysters until soft. Drain.
2. Boil rice, dried prawns, oysters, tung chye and seasoning with water in a big pot. Let it boil over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until rice grains are soft. Off heat, cover for 10 minutes.
3. Scoop porridge into individual bowls. Serve hot with garnishing ingredients.
   
   
   

Click here for recipe - Century Egg Porridge

Click here for recipe - Fish Porridge

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #26 [August 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

This post is also linked to the Best Recipes for Everyone August 2015 Event (Theme: Dim Sum) organised by Fion （XuanHom's Mum Kitchen Diary) and hosted by May (厨苑食谱 @ mayck-law.blogspot.com

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FISH PORRIDGE

Another lovely porridge quite similar cooking method to the Century Egg Porridge [Pei Tan Chok]. The difference is just the substitution of ingredients from eggs to fish.
Taste and texture wise is perfect. You can get to eat more than a bowl of it with home-cooked porridge [chok], a soup bowl not rice bowl.  Can you imagine how big is the portion?
Perfect porridge for a One Dish Meal. I served this porridge with a simple stir fry leafy vegetable.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine [February 2001] - modified
Ingredients
[serves 4 - 6]
1 1/2 cups of rice
2 litres water
1 ½ tsp salt
½ - 1 tsp msg
3 cm piece ginger – crushed
200 gm white fish fillet slices marinated with a dash of salt, pepper, sesame oil [used 300 gm if not adding pork]
100 gm pork – thin strips marinated with a dash of salt, pepper , sesame oil [optional]
Garnishing
Chopped spring onions
Shredded young ginger
Pepper and sesame oil
Chinese crispy cruellers – cut small pieces

1. Wash rice and drain. Soak rice with water, salt and msg for several hours.
2. Boil water, rice, meat slices and ginger to cook until grains are soft and cooked over medium heat. This takes about 30 minutes.
3. Before serving, add in fish slices and cook for 1-2 minutes until fish turned white. Turn off the heat.
4. Scoop porridge into individual bowls, garnish with spring onions, ginger, cruellers, pepper and dash of sesame oil.

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #26 [August 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

This post is also linked to the Best Recipes for Everyone August 2015 Event (Theme: Dim Sum) organised by Fion （XuanHom's Mum Kitchen Diary) and hosted by May (厨苑食谱 @ mayck-law.blogspot.com

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CENTURY EGG PORRIDGE [PEI TAN CHOK]

This kind of porridge is one of the easiest One Dish Meal which I prepare during busy days. Having this porridge with a simple stir fry leafy green makes a complete meal for the family.

My hubby says this is good porridge especially when the salted eggs are not too salty. Fully agreed with him that this porridge [chok] is nice with crispy cruellers and the garnishing.  Hassle free cooking for me yet a satisfying meal for the family.

Recipe adapted from Home Cooking Magazine [February 2001]

Ingredients

[serves 4-5]

2 century eggs [pei tan] – shelled and diced

2 cooked salted egg – shelled and diced

150 gm chicken fillet – cut thin slices [I used pork]

Marinade – 1 tsp each of salt, soya sauce and sesame oil, ½ tsp pepper

2 cups rice – washed and soaked for 1 hour

2.5 litres water

2 tsp salt

2 tsp chicken stock granules or ½ tsp msg

2 tsp garlic oil [I omit]

Garnish - Some chopped coriander leaves, spring onions or Chinese celery

Some finely shredded young ginger

Chinese cruellers - cut small pieces

1. Marinate chicken or pork with marinade for 20 minutes.
2. Cook rice with water, chicken/pork slices, and seasoning over medium high heat for 30 minutes or until rice is all broken up.
3. Add in diced eggs and boil for another 10 minutes over low heat.
4. Scoop into serving bowl garnish with chopped greens and shredded ginger.  Top with crispy cruellers.
   
   
   

Tips: If porridge is too thick, add boiled water to get the desired consistency.  Fry softened cruellers in a non-stick pan without oil until crispy.

Click here for recipe - Fish Porridge

This post is also linked to the Best Recipes for Everyone August 2015 Event (Theme: Dim Sum) organised by Fion （XuanHom's Mum Kitchen Diary) and hosted by May (厨苑食谱 @ mayck-law.blogspot.com

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #26 [August 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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HOME-MADE CHAR SIEW AND CHAR SIEW PAUS

This is a long post which has 3 parts. 

Part One is on making your own Char Siew. I followed Wendy's 'No bake Char Siew' recipe using her latest method. Very easy. The char siew is good. I used only 450 gm pork belly with the exact portion of seasoning from Wendy’s recipe. You can make a bigger portion to serve with rice and also for making paus.

Part Two is to prepare the Char Siew filling for making Char Siew Pau. I followed Agnes Chang’s recipe [slightly modified] with Char Siew made in Part One. The filling turns out good, very tasty yet not too sweet or salty. It is nice.

Part Three is to make the Char Siew Paus. I followed the recipe from Coco Kong’s book on Paus with slight modifications to the ingredients [reduced sugar and increased water quantity] and method.

Verdict – the pau skin is soft, moist and chewy, the char siew filling is moist, fragrant and tasty. What more do you expect from home-made paus? It is awesome minus the extra sweetness of store-bought paus. Do give this a try and discover the possibility of making good home-made paus.  You may like it.

Part One – Char Siew Ingredients

450 gm pork belly strip – skin removed [about 2 cm thickness]

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp Chinese Rose wine [Mei Kwee Lor] 

½ tsp salt 

Enough water to cover meat pieces

3 tbsp sugar [I used brown sugar]

1. Place pork belly strips in a non-stick pan. Add in light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, wine and enough water to cover the meat.
2. Bring to boil then lower heat. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes. Flip over the meat to cook the other side for another 20-30 minutes or until the pork fat part is softened.
3. Turn to high heat, add sugar and let it braise until the gravy is reduced to almost thick. Keep stirring when gravy is bubbly to prevent burning. Off the heat.
4. Let the meat to cool in the wok with the gravy before slicing.
   

Part Two – Char Siew Filling for Steamed Char Siew Paus

350 gm home-made char siew [from Part One] – chopped

1 big onion or 3 shallots – peeled and chopped finely

100 ml water

1 tbsp cornflour, 1 tbsp tapioca flour and ½ tbsp plain flour [combined]

3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

2-3 stalks spring onions – chopped

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and oyster sauce

½ tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp sugar [I used brown sugar]

1. Add onions into char siew sauce from Part One. Stir fry until aromatic. Add in the char siew, seasoning and water. Bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle in the combined flour over char siew mixture, stir to mix until almost thick.
3. Off heat, leave to cool before adding toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
4. Chill in fridge until required.
   
   

Part Three – Making Char Siew Paus

Ingredients for Pau Skin

[total weight – 700 gm, makes 35 gm x 20 dough]

300 gm pau flour

100 gm wheat starch or tang mian flour

50 gm icing sugar

1 tsp double action baking powder

2 tsp instant yeast or 10 gm

30 gm shortening

20 paper liners

1. Combine both flours, sugar, baking powder and yeast in the mixing bowl of an electric mixer fixed with a dough hook. Add water gradually as you knead the dough.
2. Knead until a soft dough is formed. Add in the shortening and continue to knead till dough is soft, smooth and pliable. Shape into a round ball.
3. Divide dough into 4 equal portions [175 gm each]. Roll into a log and divide into 5 equal portions [about 35 gm].
4. Shape into balls, then flatten each ball with you palm.
5. Press the edges of the dough to thin it before wrapping the filling. Gather the edges and pleat it into a pleated pau or shape into a round ball.
6. Place on paper liner and arrange it in a steaming tray. Finish wrapping the rest of the dough and filling.
7. Set aside to proof for about 40-45 minutes from the time you make the last pau.
8. Prepare steamer and steam over rapidly boiling water for 10-12 minutes. If using a normal steamer, bring water to boil first before steaming.
9. Remove, serve immediately or cool on wire rack.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up August 2015 [Brown Sugar and Molasses]  organised by Doreen from My Little Favourite DIY and Zoe, Bake for Happy Kids hosted by Jess of Bakericious

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #26 [August 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

This post is also linked to the Best Recipes for Everyone August 2015 Event (Theme: Dim Sum) organised by Fion （XuanHom's Mum Kitchen Diary) and hosted by May (厨苑食谱 @ mayck-law.blogspot.com

Read More