Instant Pot Taiwanese Braised Pork (Lu Rou Fan) 滷肉飯

 https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com  Amy & Jacky

Ingredients

1.5 pounds (680g) pork belly (with skin)

¼ cup (60g) deep fried shallots or minced shallots

8 (36g) garlic cloves , roughly minced

4 (15g) ginger slices

2 - 3 (3g) star anise

2 (0.3g) bay leaves

½ teaspoon (0.8g) five spice powder

¼ teaspoon (1g) ground white pepper

1 cup (250ml) cold water

3 tablespoons (45ml) Taiwanese soy sauce or regular soy sauce

1 tablespoon (15ml) dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine

1 tablespoon (15ml) Chinese black vinegar (optional)

2 tablespoons (29g) brown sugar

1.5 tablespoons (22g) unsalted butter

3 - 6 soft or hard boiled eggs (optional)

Garnish:

1 stalk green onion , thinly sliced

Instructions

Brown Pork Belly in Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says "HOT" in order to induce a maillard reaction.

Add 1 tsp (5ml) peanut oil in Instant Pot's inner pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with oil.

Lightly season the pork belly's skin side with salt. Place pork belly's seasoned skin side down in Instant Pot. Brown pork belly for roughly 5 minutes per side. Lightly season the other side of pork belly with salt. Then, brown the pork belly's two thinner sides for 3 minutes per side. Set aside the browned pork belly.

Optional Flavor Enhancing Step - Caramelize Sugar: Add 1.5 tbsp (22g) unsalted butter in Instant Pot, then ensure the whole bottom is coated with melted butter.

Add 2 tbsp (29g) brown sugar, then stir very occasionally.

*Pro Tip: Ensure the sugar reaches a deep caramelized color (see photo). This process will take ~1.5 - 2 mins.

Saute Shallot and Garlic: Once the brown sugar has a deep brown color, add ¼ cup (60g) deep fried shallots (or minced shallot) in Instant Pot to stop the sugar from burning. Then, add in ginger slices and minced garlic. Saute for another minute.

Deglaze: Pour 1 tbsp (15ml) Shaoxing wine and 1 cup (250ml) cold water in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing all the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Give it a quick mix.

Pressure Cook Pork Belly: Add in 2 - 3 (3g) star anise, 2 bay leaves, 3 tbsp (45ml) soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp (15ml) Chinese black vinegar, ½ tsp (0.8g) five-spice powder, ¼ tsp (1g) ground white pepper. Give it a quick mix, then turn off the heat.

Slowly cut the pork belly into small strips (see photo), then place pork belly in Instant Pot, and give it a quick mix.

*Pro Tip: Ensure the pork belly is partially submerged in the cooking liquid.

Close lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing position. Pressure Cook at High Pressure for 20 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. After 10 minutes, release the remaining pressure by turning the Venting Knob to Venting position. Carefully open the lid.

Thicken Lu Rou Sauce: Remove & discard the star anise and bay leaves.

*Pro Tip: If you want to add in soft or hard boiled eggs, add them at this stage.

Bring the delicious content to a simmer with the "Saute More" function. Let the content simmer for 3 - 10 minutes to break down the meat & thicken the sauce. Stir occasionally.

Season & Serve Taiwanese Braised Pork: Taste and season the Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly (for reference, we used 3 pinches of salt & ~1 tsp white sugar here to balance & further bring out the depths of flavors). Garnish with thinly sliced green onions, then serve on rice. Enjoy your delicious Classic Taiwanese Minced Pork!~ :)

Notes

*Fried Shallots: If you don't want to make your own fried shallots, you can purchase ready-to-use fried shallots from Asian supermarkets. If you don't want to purchase additional ingredients, you can also substitute with normal shallots for this dish.

*Soy Sauce: For soy sauce, we used a Taiwanese brand (Kim Lan). Regular soy sauce will work fine as well. Be mindful that every bottle of soy sauce (even the same brand) varies in tastes (especially the level of saltiness), so ensure to taste & adjust the seasoning properly depending on your bottle of soy sauce.

* Can use half pork belly and half ground pork.

* My BFF got a confinement nanny that's an amazing cook. They took notes for her lu rou fan. I do a combination of the nanny's and Amy+Jacky recipe (specfically the part about carmelizing the brown sugar before you start), but omit the rock sugar in the nanny's recipe. I soak some dried shitake mushrooms and cut those up to toss in the instant pot as well.

PRESSURE COOKER LU ROU FAN (TAIWANESE BRAISED PORK BELLY RICE) 滷肉飯

 INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lbs pork belly (with skin on) or ground pork with some fat cut into thin strips

1 tsp cooking oil

2 cups hot water

4-6 hard-boiled eggs peeled

AROMATICS:

4 cloves garlic finely minced

1 cinnamon

2 slices ginger

2 star anise

1/3 cup fried shallots

SEASONINGS:

1/4 cup Shaoxing wine

3 Tbsp dark soy sauce

2 Tbsp light soy sauce more to taste later

1/4 cup rock sugar or use brown sugar

THICKENING AGENT:

2 Tbsp corn starch + 3 Tbsp of water

GARNISH:

1 stalk green onions finely chopped

Cilantro leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

You can prepare the hard-boiled eggs the day before and keep them in the refrigerator until ready to use

COOKING WITH INSTANT POT PRESSURE COOKER:

Press saute on instant pot. When it's hot enough, add the aromatics and stir fry until they are fragrant about 1 minute. Add the pork and let it cook until it started to change into opaque color. Add the seasonings. Pour in hot water. Stir to mix everything. Add the hard-boiled eggs in

Cover and lock the lid. Turn the steam release valve to seal. Press "pressure cooker" then "high pressure". Set timer to 20 minutes or 30-40 minutes for really tender pork belly. After the timer beeps, carefully release pressure immediately. Carefully unlock the lid and have a final taste and add more salt to your taste if needed

Turn the saute mode back on and bring to a boil. Give the cornstarch solution a stir and then pour into the pot and stir until the sauce is thickened. Turn off saute mode. Proceed to the serving step

COOKING ON STOVE-TOP:

Preheat oil in the wok/skillet . When it's hot enough, add the aromatics and stir fry until they are fragrant about 1 minute. Add the pork and let it cook until it started to change into opaque color. Add the seasonings. Stir to mix everything and until the rock sugar started to melt. Get 2 cups of hot water ready for next step

Add 2 cups of the hot water and hard-boiled eggs in. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to let it gently simmer away. Cover with the lid, leaving slightly ajar. Let it gently braise for the next 1 hour. Have a final taste, add more salt if needed. It should be savory with just a hint of sweetness. Once you are happy with the taste, bring the heat back up. Give the cornstarch solution a stir and pour it in and this will thicken the sauce further

SERVING:

Serve by generously topping the white rice with the pork and its sauce. You can serve the hard-boiled egg whole or cut in half. Garnish with some chopped green onions, and cilantro leaves if you like

You can cook this dish in a big batch and then freeze them in smaller portions, let’s say for 1 serving. Here’s how:

1. Cook it according to the recipe

2. Let it cool down completely

3. Portion into freezer-friendly container or bags. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and 1 month in the freezer

4. When ready to serve, you just need to cook rice (if you haven’t already), and you can reheat on stove-top without thawing or in the microwave

*  I held back a little with the sugar because I didn’t want it too sweet. I have rock sugar but opted to use Taiwanese brown sugar.

* I used this last time. Turned out really well! I added some ground pork too because I like the combo of textures.

I didn't have cinnamon so I just used five spice and increased the ginger a bit too. It wasn't overly sweet at all.

Ice or Rice

https://www.iceorrice.com/instant-pot-braised-pork-belly/?fbclid=IwAR1Hk5nC-KBDAvrA82jyyxaY5s040YMFuRaWKN3S8nYHoqzxlEppDZuswcM

Taiwan Duck

http://taiwanduck.com/braised-pork-on-rice-lu-rou-fan-taiwanese-style-food/?fbclid=IwAR3hkVAspy8o-QHZioAeZ5ajjO3CaK_tNwGCXVfVCwDPNIpUsaiwi-OabIo

Amy & Jacky

https://www.pressurecookrecipes.com/instant-pot-taiwanese-braised-pork/?fbclid=IwAR19kfw2l9fUOVMDSSfYgy3IZmD-hTLf9Spt4G0B57siJWKH7cFmHfSij28

Banh Cuon 豬肉雲茸腸粉

From 肥媽Easy Cook, Kim Tu

1 Cup 粘米粉

半Cup 薯仔粉 (potato starch)

半Cup 菱粉 (tapioca starch)

小許鹽

一湯匙油

 豬肉碎

雲茸除意

洋蔥一個

開鑊一定要用蒜頭炒香才落3種材料。

用一個平低鑊24Cm 

一個湯羡7%粉漿放入去

先要用個掃仔搽上油個鑊上面

另外旁邊要放一個碟掃上油

1分鐘時間返過去個碟上面，另外繼續做第二個，做到粉漿完成為止。

Salmon - Pesto Butter from Costco

Air Fryer - 400F for 6 mins or 350 for 10 minutes

The pesto on the costco salmon milano is the Kirkland signature pesto mixed with butter. I do a half cup (1 stick) mixed with 2-3 tablespoons of pesto, mixed in food processor. Salt and pepper the salmon, spread pesto mix over salmon and fresh dill. It's also really good with slices of tomato too.

*  I asked the costco meat department how they make it. They use Kirkland frozen salmon, Kirkland butter, Kirkland pesto, and a sprig of dill! All sold in warehouse, minus the dill. They (and possibly you, now) blend the pesto with butter, add sprig of dill weed! Now we save money and can have it anytime we like.

* mix the Costco pesto and butter together and put that on salmon. Just as good for a fraction of the price. My husband used to just put butter & besto on the salmon. But we learned it was better to combine the two first.

Costco pesto sauce 

what you do is as soon as you drain your pasta, you add the pesto, and with the pasta heat it will become saucy, also there is always a little moisture that stays in the pasta after draining but if you want to make sure it is how you like it, I will reserve a little of the pasta water and once you add the pesto, if you feel that you want it more saucy, you can add a little water.  If you want creamy pesto, mix it with alfredo.

It’s so good with tri tip or steak. Or on paninis. As long as whatever you’re putting on the pesto is hot, the pesto will soften. But don’t cook with it or it gets funky.

You can add a bit of heavy whipping cream or cream cheese to the pasta, or saute some kind of tomato in a SMALL bit of butter, cream, or olive oil.... Like chopped sundried tomatoes or cherry tomatoes adding a small squeeze of lemon juice if anything to pesto....

*Air Fryer chicken breast: Cooked at 360° I smothered two breasts with the pesto, cooked for 10 mins, flipped - then added the tomato and cheese and cooked for another 7-8 mins. But could be more or less time depending on thickness.

Suon Kho (Pork Ribs in Savory Caramel Sauce)

A richness permeates these ribs, which are first marinated, then grilled until charred and finally simmered in a bittersweet caramel sauce. They become so dark and savory that some people mistake them for beef. For Tet festivities in northern Vietnam, pigs are often slaughtered to celebrate the Lunar New Year, and this preparation is among the best ways to use the ribs. It reheats and freezes well, a perfect make-ahead dish for the holiday since it’s a time when everyone is supposed to relax rather than work hard in the kitchen. Pair the ribs with rice and stir-fried greens for a great meal. Andrea Nguyen

3 pounds pork spareribs, cut across their bones into 2-inch-wide strips (see Note)

½ large yellow onion, minced

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 tablespoons fish sauce

7 tablespoons granulated sugar

⅛ teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar

 Chopped scallion greens, for serving

Cut each rib strip between the bones or cartilage into individual ribs. In a large bowl, combine the onion, pepper, 3 tablespoons fish sauce and 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix well. Add the ribs and use your fingers or a large spoon to mix well, coating all the ribs evenly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight. (Set out at room temperature for 45 minutes before proceeding.)

When ready to cook, heat an outdoor grill or broiler with a rack set 4 inches away from the heat source to high. When the grill is ready, you should be able to hold your hand over the grate for only 2 to 3 seconds.

Meanwhile, make the caramel sauce: In a large pot, stir together the vinegar, remaining 6 tablespoons sugar and 1 tablespoon water over medium heat until the sugar nearly dissolves, 60 to 90 seconds. Cook without stirring until champagne yellow, about 3 minutes, then continue cooking for another 1 to 2 minutes, frequently picking up the pan and swirling it to control the caramelization. When the mixture is a dark tea color (expect faint smoking), turn off the heat and keep the pan on the burner. Let the caramelization continue until the mixture is burgundy in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Slide the pan to a cool burner and add 3 tablespoons water, stirring to dissolve the sugar. (If needed, rewarm over medium heat to loosen.)

Remove the ribs from the marinade, reserving the onion, and sear the ribs on the grill, turning as needed, so they pick up some charred edges and grill marks on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes total. (Or broil the ribs on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until tinged brown and a bit charred, 6 to 8 minutes per side.)

Add the ribs with any cooking juices to the pot with the caramel sauce. Add the reserved onion, the remaining 3 tablespoons fish sauce and enough water to almost cover the ribs, about 4 cups. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Don’t skim the scum that rises to the surface or you will remove some of the seasoning.

Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover, stir the ribs and adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers vigorously. Cook until the ribs feel tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 20 minutes. Lower the heat if you need to cook longer. The sauce will have reduced somewhat, but there will still be a generous amount.

Remove from the heat and let stand for a few minutes so that the fat collects on the surface, then use a ladle or spoon to skim it off. (Or, to make the task much easier, let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight. Discard the congealed chilled fat.) Return to a simmer and taste the sauce. Add extra fish sauce to create a deeper savory flavor, or water to lighten the flavor. Transfer to a shallow bowl and sprinkle the scallion greens on top. Serve immediately.

Tip

Some markets carry ribs already cut through their bones into shorter pieces. If your market does not, ask the butcher to saw the rack through their bones into strips 2 inches wide.

Bun cha

 Bun cha - Angie Hong

Ingredients

250 g(9 oz) pork belly, skin on

250 g(9 oz) pork neck

500 g(1 lb 2 oz) pork neck, coarsely minced (ground)

4French shallots, chopped

1 tspsalt

2 tspsugar

small pinch of Chinese five spice

2 tbspfish sauce

1 tbspoyster sauce

1 tspkecap manis

6young spring onions (scallions), green tops only, finely sliced

freshly ground pepper (a mixture of black and white if you have)

½green papaya, peeled and cut into thirds lengthwise, seeds removed (you can also use kohlrabi)

1carrot, quartered lengthwise

1 tbspraw sugar

2 tspvinegar

 

Nuoc nam dipping sauce

125 ml(4 fl oz/½ cup) white vinegar

250 ml(8½ fl oz/1 cup) hot water

110 g(4 oz/½ cup) sugar

125 ml(4 fl oz/½ cup) fish sauce

freshly ground pepper

To serve

selection of chopped herbs: sawtooth coriander (cilantro), garlic chives, rice paddy herb, hot mint, coriander (cilantro), fish mint, lovage, Vietnamese mint, chillies, Thai basil, perilla

cooked rice vermicelli

lettuce leaves

finely chopped garlic

red chilli paste or fine

Instructions

Marinating time 1 hour or overnight

Slice the pork belly and pork neck into 5 mm (¼ in) thick slices

Combine these in a bowl and have the mince in a separate bowl.

Pound the shallots in a mortar and pestle with salt and sugar to a coarse paste. Add the Chinese five spice, fish sauce, oyster sauce and kecap manis and mix well. Distribute between the meat and add the spring onions to the minced pork. Mix well. Season both bowls of meat with pepper and marinate for at least 1 hour, though overnight is even better.

Slap handfuls of minced pork against the edge of the bowl several times – this helps to bind it together. Form the pork into round patties (about 2 tablespoons each) and flatten slightly.

Slice the papaya and carrot finely widthwise. Sprinkle with raw sugar and set aside while you cook the meat. Add the vinegar before serving.

Place patties and pork belly/neck in separate oiled grill baskets and cook over charcoal, turning once you have some colour on one side. Keep turning until golden brown and slightly charred on both sides.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the vinegar, hot water, sugar and fish sauce in a small saucepan. Season with pepper and mix well. Place the sauce over low heat and stir to dissolve the sugar. Keep it warm while you cook the meat.

To serve, pour the warm dipping sauce over the grilled meat and patties.

Serve with papaya and carrot, herbs, rice vermicelli, lettuce, garlic and chilli paste or chopped chillies.

TONKOTSU RAMEN by Dan Hong

 TONKOTSU RAMEN

Dan Hong’s new cookbook “Mr Hong” .Upon flicking through the pages one recipe in particular sprung out at me and that was a two-day Ramen recipe. 

Ramen Stock

– 3kg Pork Bones

– 2 Pork Trotters

(Cut Lengthways)

– 1 Boiler Chicken

– 20g Shiitake Mushrooms

(Tied in a Muslin Bag)

– 250g Pork Back Fat*

(Cut into 2cm Cubes)

– 1 Brown Onion, Roughly Diced

– ½ Bunch of Spring Onion

(Scallions)

Ramen Dashi

– 25g Dried Kombu*

– 15g Dried Anchovies*

– 20g Bonito Flakes*

Dashi Tare

– 15g Dried Kombu*

– 180ml White Soy Sauce*

– 125ml Soy Sauce

– 125ml Mirin*

– 100g salt

The Rest

– ½ Bunch of Spring Onion

(Sliced into Thin Rounds)

– 3 Tbsp Sesame Seeds

– 2 Pkts of Ramen noodles*

– 250g Thin Pork Belly Slices*

– 4 Eggs

METHOD

Place the pork bones, trotters and boiler chicken into a very large stockpot. Fill with cold water and bring to the boil. As soon as the water reaches a rolling boil, Take the pot off the heat and drain everything into a sink. Wash everything really well under running water. Remove any grey coagulated blood and white protein from the crevices and be on the look out for dirt between the toes of thew trotters. Wash out the inside of the boiler chicken as well. This step is very important because it will mean the difference between a brownish dirty stock and a beautiful milky one.

Clean the pot you just used very well and return the pork bones, trotters and boiler chicken, add the bag of shiitake mushrooms and cover with fresh water. turn the heat to high and bring to the boil. As soon as this happens skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Turn the heat down to a medium and simmer away. This will help any fat to emulsify with the stock. Once you have done that put both the Ramen Dashi and Tare Dashi kombu in separate bowls each with 3L of water, cover and then put in the fridge to soak.

After 5 hours remove the boiler chicken and the shiitake mushrooms. Keep the stock bubbling along taking notice of the water level. If it becomes too low, top it up with boiling water. At the 8 hour mark, add the pork back fat to the stock. Reduce the heat so that it’s not boiling but simmering enough to melt the pork fat. At the 9 hour mark add the onion and scallions of spring onion then turn the heat up to medium-high.

Also at the 8 hour mark you will need to start the Ramen Dashi and Dashi Tare. First the Ramen Dashi, Pour the contents into a large saucepan and on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling remove the kombu and add the dried anchovies. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the benito flakes. Once they have sunk to the bottom strain the solids into a large enough bowl and set them aside as you will need them for the Dashi Tare.

Next the Dashi Tare.  Pour the contents into a large saucepan and on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Once bubbling add the reserved contents from the Ramen Dashi, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Strain into a large bowl and discard the solids. Whisk in the soy sauce, mirin and salt. This will be the seasoning soy for your Ramen.

It should be close to the 10 hour mark now and the bones should be calcified (meaning that they should be brittle). Remove a few from the stock to a large wooden chopping board and bash them with either a big wooden spoon or a solid wooden rolling-pin so that they break up. Return back to the stock. Lastly, strain the stock into a large bowl through a fine sieve, removing all the meat and bones. Lastly you want to have the pot of stock on the bench alongside the Ramen Dashi and the Dashi Tare. This will be completely to your liking so add one ladle full at a time. The Dashi (which adds umami, diluting the thick gelatinous pork stock) and the Tare which is the seasoning for the Ramen Broth.

IMG_9190IMG_9189

 To serve, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Place the eggs in and cook for 4 minutes then add the noodles. In Dan Hong’s cookbook there is a recipe for making noodles but because we turned this into a 1 day recipe we used store-bought ones instead. Cook the noodles until al dente around 2-3 minutes. Drain the noodles and remove and de-shell the eggs. Place the noodles into large serving bowels and top with a few slices of pork belly as many as you like. Ladle in the broth and place 2 slices of egg, some spring onion and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Then sit back relax and enjoy your meal!

IMG_9188

 FULL CREDIT to Dan Hong and his cookbook “Mr Hong” This is an adaptation and we reduced the cooking time of 1 day.

Korean Fried Chicken Recipe with Kimchi Mayonnaise

Korean Fried Chicken Recipe with Kimchi Mayonnaise (Dan Hong)

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Marinade 

300 ml (101⁄2 fl oz) Shaoxing wine

3 tablespoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 garlic cloves, finely grated

1 teaspoon finely grated ginger

Coating Mixture

100 g (31⁄2 oz/2⁄3 cup) wheat starch

100 g (31⁄2 oz/2⁄3 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour

100 g (31⁄2 oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

100 g (31⁄2 oz) rice flour

3 tablespoons onion powder

3 tablespoons garlic powder

Kimchi Mayo

100 g (31⁄2 oz) kimchi (store-bought)

300 g (101⁄2 oz) Japanese mayonnaise

The Spatchcocks

2 whole spatchcocks (poussin), cut up into wings, breasts, thighs and drumsticks

vegetable oil, for deep-frying

2 tablespoons spicy salt

Marinade

Whisk all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl until the sugar and salt dissolve. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl, add the marinade and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours. Overnight in the fridge is even better.

Coating Mixture

Mix everything together in a bowl until combined.

Kimchi Mayo

To make the kimchi mayo, purée the kimchi in a food processor until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, add the mayonnaise and whisk to combine. Set aside.

The Spatchcocks

Fill a deep-fryer or large heavy-based saucepan one-third full with oil and heat to 170°C (325°F) or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 20 seconds. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and cover each piece in the coating mixture until it feels dry. Deep-fry in batches in the hot oil for 5-6 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels and sprinkle with spicy salt. Serve immediately with the kimchi mayo.

Dan Hong's lamb chops

 Dan Hong's family recipe for lamb chops

Ingredients

8-12 lamb cutlets

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp Maggi liquid seasoning

1 tbsp vegetable stock powder

1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 stalk lemongrass (white part only ,finely chopped)

Small knob ginger finely grated

2 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Juice of half a lemon

Method

Step one: Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl and whisk till well combined. Pour marinade all over the lamb cutlets and using your hands (this is where gloves come in handy), massage the marinade into chops. Leave in the fridge to marinade for two to four hours or for more flavour, overnight.

Step two: Preheat the grill to high. Place lamb cutlets on a non-stick baking tray and place directly under grill. Alternatively, you could pan fry or even barbecue the chops. Cook until edges are dark and caramelised and lamb is about a medium doneness. This should take around 6 minutes depending on how thick the cutlets are.

Step three: Serve simply with some steamed white rice and a salad of cucumber, tomato and onion.

Tips

Marinating your lamb not only helps to flavour the meat but also tenderises it. This is why a minimum of four hours is recommended.

Make sure you remove the lamb from the fridge at least two hours before cooking to get to room temperature. This helps the lamb to cook more evenly.

This recipe also suits other cuts like forequarter chops, loin chops and lamb leg steaks.

With any leftover lamb, you could chop it up and make a simple lamb fried rice. You could also stir fry the sliced meat with some vegetables and serve in lettuce wraps sang Choi bao style.

Prawn Toast by Dan Hong

Dan Hong’s Garlic Bread Prawn Toasts - Instagram

500 g raw prawn meat, peeled and deveined

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp Japanese kombu extract (can be omitted)

1 eggwhite

1 stick store bought garlic bread

1 cup panko crumbs

Vegetable, grapeseed or rice bran oil for deep frying

Relish Sauce

1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped

¼ cup cornichons, roughly chopped

1 spring onion, sliced

2 tbsp Kewpie mayonnaise

1 tbsp Siracha chilli sauce

INSTRUCTIONS 

Roughly chop half the prawns, place in a medium sized bowl and stir through ¼ tsp sugar, ¼ tsp salt, ¼ tsp sesame oil and ¼ tsp Japanese kombu extra if using. 

Place the remaining prawns, sugar, salt, sesame oil, Japanese kombu extract and egg white in a small food processor and blend until smooth. 

Combine the prawn paste with the chopped prawns in the bowl. You may want to take a small scoop and cook in a frying pan to check the seasoning. Cover and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes minimum. 

Place the garlic bread on a chopping board and cut between the precut slits. Once you have done this to the whole loaf, cut where the slits are and have the garlic butter side face up. 

Using a butter knife, generously top each slice of garlic bread with the prawn mixture, so that the ratio of bread to prawns is about the same. Shape the mixture so that mixture comes right to the edges of the bread. Dip the prawn side into panko crumbs. (Toasts can be kept in the fridge over night at this stage if required). 

Pour oil into a wok until one-third full. Heat until a small piece of bread dropped into oil sizzles. Cook toasts, in batches, prawn side down, for 3 minutes. Turn and cook for a further 1 minute or until golden. Remove to a wire rack over a baking tray. Keep warm in oven while cooking remaining prawn toasts.

To make the relish, combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. 

Serve prawn toasts with relish and enjoy!

Gourmet Travelers version

INGREDIENTS

1 large sourdough loaf

For sprinkling: sesame seeds

For deep-frying: vegetable oil

Prawn mousse

600 gm uncooked prawn meat

1 eggwhite

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 tsp caster sugar

2 tsp fine salt

2 tbsp thinly sliced coriander stems

Yuzu mayonnaise

1 egg yolk

15 ml yuzu juice (see note)

1/3 tsp yuzukosh (see note)

1 small garlic clove, finely grated

170 ml grapeseed oil

Nuoc cham

70 gm sugar

70 ml white vinegar

70 ml fish sauce

3½ tsp lime juice

Herb salad

1 small handful of coriander leaves, picked

1 small handful of round mint leaves

1 small handful of Vietnamese mint leaves

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

For prawn mousse, put ingredients in a food processor and pulse to a coarse paste. Resist the urge to make it too smooth because you want texture. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to firm up.

For yuzu mayonnaise, put ingredients except the oil into a small food processor. Process until smooth. With the motor running, pour in the oil in a slow and steady stream. The mixture should start to emulsify and make a mayonnaise. Season with salt to taste.

Cut the ends off the bread and slice it into 8mm slices. Spread the prawn mousse in a 1cm layer on the slices with a butter knife. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Fill a heavy-based saucepan to a third full with oil and heat to 180C or until a cube of bread dropped into the oil turns golden in 15 seconds. Fry each piece of toast separately until golden and prawn mousse is cooked (3-5 minutes). Check if the mousse is fully cooked. If not, deep-fry the toast for another minute or two. Drain on paper towels, then cut each toast into 4-5 slices.

For the nuoc cham, whisk together ingredients and 70ml water until the sugar has dissolved. This sauce can be kept in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

For herb salad, mix the herbs and spring onions in a bowl, then dress with 2½ tbsp nuoc cham (reserve remainder for another use).

To serve, top each piece of toast with yuzu mayonnaise and garnish with fresh herb salad.

PAD KEE MAO ผัดขี้เมา (Thai Drunken Noodles)

PAD KEE MAO ผัดขี้เมา (Thai Drunken Noodles) - Insatiably Epicurious

Ingredients: 

1 pkg fresh wide rice noodles 

1/2lb thin sliced beef (or other choice of protein)

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup broccoli florets

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 handful of Thai basil

*1 Thai chili pepper, minced (optional)

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp Megachef fish sauce

1 tsp white sugar

Vegetable or any light cooking oil

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, soy sauce, and fish sauce. Mix thoroughly and set aside.

2. Place fresh noodles in a large bowl of hot (not boiling hot) water and use chopsticks or thongs to gently separate noodles. Strain and shake off excess water. Make sure not to lay noodles on top of each other in a big clump, since they will stick. Set aside for about 30min to dry off. Wet noodles will make it difficult to stirfry. You can also separate fresh noodles by hand instead of my method, but it will take longer. 

3. Heat a pan on medium high heat. Add about a few tsp of oil onto surface of pan. Pour eggs into pan and wait for eggs to begin solidifying. Scramble eggs with spatula into smaller pieces. Place cooked eggs onto a medium plate or bowl and set aside. 

4. Using the same pan, pour a few tsp of oil onto surface of pan. Add broccoli and let it sear for about 20 seconds. Season with white sugar on broccoli and toss. Add a splash of water and cover for 1min. 

5. Move broccoli to the side of the pan. Dribble a bit more oil into pan. Sear pieces of beef. Once beef is cooked halfway, stir fry together with broccoli. Place contents together with scrambled eggs and set aside.

6. Using the same pan, pour a few tsp of oil onto surface of pan. Add garlic and chili to add aroma to the oil. Add noodles and toss in pan. The noodles will begin to stick so use tongs to help separate. Reduce heat to medium and slowly pour about 3/4 portion of the sauce evenly around the noodles. Toss noodles in pan so the sauce is mix all the way in. 

7. Move noodles to one side of the pan. Pour in contents of the cooked protein and vegetables. Pour in remaining portion of sauce over the protein and vegetables and mix in together.

8. Add basil and mix everything together.

9. Pour contents onto a platter or large plate. Serve immediately.

Filipino Stir-Fried Vermicelli

 PANCIT BIHON GUISADO (Filipino Stir-Fried Vermicelli) - Insatiably Epicurious

*Cook’s note: Asian vermicelli is made of rice starch or mung bean, unlike the Italian variety by the same name. The texture is also springy and slightly chewy, which gives a pleasant mouthfeel. Unfortunately many brands of these noodles tend to clump together when introduced to heat. Longkou is a bring of noodles which do not. If you prefer a different brand, by all means use that. Asian vermicelli is also often separated in small bundles within a package.

Equipment: deep pan or wok

Ingredients:

8-10 shrimp, peeled

6oz thinly sliced meat (beef, pork, or chicken)

4 small bunches (or approx 7oz) of Longkou brand vermicelli, soaked in water for 15min and then drained

1 cup green cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup snow peas, julienned

1/4 cup carrot, peeled and julienned

1/2 bell pepper, julienned

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp Better than Boullion Chicken Base

1 tbsp MegaChef fish sauce

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 cup water

Vegetable oil

Instructions:

1. Combine water and seasonings in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

2. Heat wok on medium high heat for a few minutes. Once wok is hot (but not smoking), add 1 tbsp of oil, swirl oil to cover surface of wok.

3. Add proteins and stir fry quickly. When proteins are par-cooked, remove from wok and set aside.

4. Repeat step 2.

5. Add onions, toss a few times to absorb heat. Add cabbage and carrots, toss. Add peppers and garlic, toss. Add bowl of dissolved seasoning and let simmer.

6. Add noodles and mix in well. Lower heat to medium and cover and let simmer.

7. Check every few minutes until most of liquid has soaked into the noodles. Tuck protein underneath noodles and simmer until just about all of the liquid has been soaked up.

8. Toss thoroughly to mix proteins and vegetables into noodles. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

INSTANT POT HAWAIIAN STYLE OXTAIL SOUP

 INSTANT POT HAWAIIAN STYLE OXTAIL SOUP (Insatiably Epicurious)

Special equipment: 8qt Instant Pot, large tea ball, cheesecloth (For 6 quart: fill up to the max line but don’t go over. No need to change amounts for ingredients)

Ingredients:

4lbs large oxtails

2lbs bok choy, rough chopped 

1 medium onion

1 garlic bulb

2-3” knob of ginger

1” piece rock sugar

1/3 - 1/2 cup fish sauce (MegaChef, Red Boat, or 3 Crabs)

Directions:

1. Place onion, garlic, and ginger (whole and unpeeled) into tea ball. Place into Instant Pot.

2. Place rock sugar and oxtail into IP and fill with water up to the 12 cup line.

3. Set on Manual for High Pressure for 42min, then 10min Natural Pressure Release. 

4. Remove oxtails and rinse off scum. Set aside.

5. Strain broth thru cheesecloth from IP.  Skim off any scum and excess oil. There will be over a cup of oil; this is normal.

6. Add broth and oxtails back into IP and set on Sauté mode. 

7. Wait until the broth begins to simmer and add 1/3 cup fish sauce. Stir and taste. Add more fish sauce if necessary. Be careful not to over season. Like many stews, it needs time for the flavors to soak in, so will usually taste much richer the next day.

8. Add bok choy and simmer for 3min. Garnish with minced ginger if desired. Serve with steamed rice.

Grilled Sweet Soy Marinated Salmon

Grilled Sweet Soy Marinated Salmon 

Ingredients:

4 pieces of salmon fillet or steak

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 hot water

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup light olive oil

Salt

Lemon pepper

Granulated garlic

Onion powder

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and hot water. Stir until dissolved. Stir in soy sauce and olive oil. 

2. Liberally season both sides of salmon with salt, lemon pepper, granulated garlic, and onion powder.

3. Use a container where the salmon can lay down flat, but just small that the marinade will thoroughly soak into the salmon. 

4. Place salmon into container. Pour marinade around salmon. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3hrs. If salmon is not fully covered  by marinade, flip over halfway into your time.

5. Turn on grill to higher heat and close to warm up for 5min. Turn grill down to medium heat. Grill each side approximately 4-6min, depending on thickness. 

6. Serve immediately.

Thai Crispy Garlic Prawns

GOONG TOD KRATIEM PRIK THAI (Thai Crispy Garlic Prawns)

Insatiably Epicurious

My husband was over the moon when we had this dish in Las Vegas’ Lotus of Siam; deemed the best Thai restaurant in the US. I love bringing food home from our travels and this is very much a copycat recipe of their wonderful dish.

Ingredients:

1 1/2lbs large shrimp (at least U16/20)deveined and shells attached

1 cup tapioca starch

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp kosher salt

2 bulbs garlic, finely minced

8 - 10 stems cilantro, stems finely minced (reserve leaves for garnish)

2 tbsp brown sugar

3 tbsp fish sauce (MegaChef, Red Boat, or 3 Crabs)

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

1. Gently pull shells away from the meat, but stop at the tail. Repeat until all shrimp are this way. 

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, starch, and salt and mix thoroughly. 

3. Add 3-4 shrimp at a time to the bowl and gently toss until thoroughly coated in batter, included the interior and exterior of the shell. Set those shrimp aside and repeat with other shrimp until completed.

4. In a small pan of sauce pot, set on low heat. Add about 2 tbsp oil. Give it a few min to warm up. Add garlic and let sizzle until fragrant. Add cilantro, sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and pepper. Stir occasionally and let it cook together slowly. After a few min, turn off heat and set aside. 

5. In a Dutch oven or deep pot for frying fill up about 2 1/2 to 3” of oil. Set on medium heat. When the oil temp reaches 360, it is ready. If you don’t have a thermometer, there are other ways to test the oil. Using a dry wooden chopstick, place it in the middle of the pot. If oil bubbles form around the chopstick, it’s hot enough. 

6. Shake off excess batter and gently lower shrimp one by one. Make sure to fry in small batches and there is enough space for the shrimp to move. After a few min, turn shrimp over. 

7. Once shrimp is golden, shake off excess oil and place onto a platter lined with a paper towel. Repeat until all shrimp is fried.

8. Place fried shrimp in a large bowl and gently toss or fold in garlic sauce until the shrimp is covered. 

9. Pour onto a serving platter. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately.

Alfredo sauce - Insatiably Epicurious

 ALFREDO SAUCE

Ingredients

- 4 cloves garlic, finely minced

- 1 tbsp butter

- 1 tbsp all purpose flour or tapioca flour

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 1 1/4 cup whole milk

- 1 cup shaved or grated Parmesan

- 1 tsp Italian seasoning

- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic

- 1 1/2 tsp salt

- 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Set medium pot on low heat. Melt butter and add garlic to sauté. Just as garlic begin to brown, whisk in flour. Continue stirring to thoroughly cook the roux.

2. In a medium bowl, stir in cream and milk to combine. Dribble 1/4 cup of cream mixture into pot and continue whisking. As it begins to thicken, dribble in more of the cream mixture about 1/4 cup at a time and continue whisking. Slowly raise the heat a bit at a time and continue whisking in the remainder of the cream mixture. Slowly combining the liquid with the roux will help thicken the bechamel. Do not raise heat beyond medium.

3. As the bechamel simmers, slowly add Parmesan a handful at a time and whisk until combined.

4. Add Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, ground pepper, and salt.

5. Serve with pasta of your choice. Enjoy!

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup - INSTANT POT NIU ROU MIAN 牛肉麵

 by Insatiably Epicurious 

Approximately 8-10 servings 

Cook’s Note: If you have a 6QT or 8QT, cut the recipe in half, but cooking time should remain the same.

Special Equipment: 10QT Instant Pot, cheesecloth, large tea ball or spice bag, large colander, plastic wrap, sharp knife

Ingredients:
- 3 lbs beef shank
- 1 lb beef tendon
- 2 bulbs garlic, peeled and smashed
- 4” long piece of ginger, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 3 medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 scallions, finely minced (green parts only for garnish)
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped (for garnish)
- 1/2 lb medium bok choy or yu choy (2-3 pieces per serving), washed and cut in half
- 3 tbsp toban djan (Chinese chili bean paste)
- 1 large piece of rock sugar or 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup shaoxing wine
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 5 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 tbsp beef dashida/bouillon
- 14 cups cold water
- 2 cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 star anise
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp goji berries
- 1 tsp Szechuan peppers (optional)
- 2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp Diamond kosher salt
- fresh or frozen Taiwanese wheat noodles or Chinese ramen (1 portion per serving)

Directions:
1. On the stove, set a small pan on low heat. Wait a few min to let it warm up. Add cardamom, bay leaves, star anise, fennel seeds, goji berries, and Szechuan peppers. Toast until fragrant, about 2 or 3min. Turn off stove, remove from heat and place spices in tea ball.

2. Set Instant Pot on Sauté. Once the screen reads HOT, drizzle cooking oil into inner opot. Add garlic, ginger, and onion. Sauté until fragrant. Add tomato paste, toban djan, and sugar. Stir and sauté until fragrant. Stir in soy sauce, dark soy sauce, shaoxing wine, dashida, and salt.

3. Add tendon and entire beef shank to pot. Add water and tea ball (if you have time, boil the water on the stovetop before adding to IP- this will help it come up to pressure quicker). Make sure the contents do not exceed the Max line of the inner pot.

4. Set IP on High Pressure for 35min, then 10min Natural Pressure Release. Remove beef and tendon to cool for about 15min.

5. Check the tendons to see if tender enough. If not, place any tough pieces back into IP. Pour about 2 cups with of the broth into IP with tendon.

6. Set for 3min HP, the Quick Release. Check if tender enough. If not, repeat again.

7. Lay flat a large piece of plastic wrap. Tightly wrap the beef shank. Layer with another piece of plastic wrap if needed.

8. Lay flat another piece of plastic wrap. Layer several pieces of tendon together so it is stacked evenly. Roll and tightly wrap the tendon into a cylinder as best you can. Add another piece of plastic wrap if need be. Repeat with other tendon pieces.

9. Place beef and tendon rolls into the freezer for 1hr.

10. Place cheesecloth in a large colander to fit over a large pot. Pour contents of IP through the colander to thoroughly strain the broth. Set aside colander and tea ball and discard contents.

11. Pour the strained broth from the pot back into the IP. Set on Sauté to reheat broth. Skim off any excess oil. Taste broth and add 1/2 tbsp at a time and taste until satisfactory. Keep in mind the noodles are a bit thicker and will need the broth to be more heavily seasoned.

12. On the stove, bring a medium pot of water to boil. Blanch vegetables lightly. Strain and set aside. Discard water and refill pot. Set it on high heat to boil again.

13. Once water comes to a boil, cook noodles according to package directions. Shake off excess water and place into serving bowls. Cook no more than 2 servings of noodles a time or else it will glop together. Change out water after 3 servings of noodles have been cooked. Too much gluten in the water will also make the noodles stick.

14. Remove tendon and beef shank from freezer. Do not remove the plastic wrap. It will help encase the meat better as you slice. Hold the meat firmly in hand and slice approximately 1/4” or however thick or thin you would like it. Pick through and discard any leftover pieces of plastic.

15. Place about several pieces of beef, tendon, and vegetable top of noodles. Garnish with scallions and cilantro. Pour broth into bowls.

16. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Air Fryer Tips

Tilapia 

I’ve made this 3 times this week! (My Costco pack of fish came with 3). I cut slits as seen, very light drizzle of sesame oil on each side plus salt and white pepper to taste. 370 x 25 mins and it was so yummy and still moist. No fishy smell.

AIR-FRIED SALT AND PEPPER SHRIMP RECIPE

by Andrea Nguyen

8 jumbo or colossal shell-on shrimp

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch or potato starch

1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil

1 jalapeno or serrano chile thinly sliced with seeds intact

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

Instructions

Using scissors, cut through the shell along the back and then trim the feet from each shrimp. If needed, devein the shrimp. Pat dry with paper towel and set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the white pepper, sugar, salt, and starch. Add the shrimp and rub the seasonings into the shrimp; where possible, pry back the shell to season the flesh. Drizzle on 1 1/2 teaspoons oil and toss to coat.

Preheat the air-fryer at 425 to 450°F for 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp on the air-fryer wire tray or basket. Leave space around each shrimp to promote heat circulation.

Air-fry the shrimp for about 2 minutes, until crisp on the top side and orange. Turn the shrimp then air-fry for about 90 seconds longer to crisp the other side. Remove from the air-fryer and let sit for several minutes finish cooking.

Warm the 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When barely shimmering, add the chile and garlic, cook for 15 to 30 seconds, until aromatic. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring to warm the shrimp and coat them with seasonings, about 1 minute. When many of garlic pieces are golden and some have clung onto the shrimp, turn of the heat and transfer to a serving plate along with all the bits in the pan. Serve hot or warm.