Slow - Baked Salmon with Chorizo Crumb

Salmon and chorizo always stand out in my food dictionary. Salmon is well known for its health benefits such as omega-3, protein and amino acid while chorizo may not be as famous for its health benefits it still contain some protein, selenium, Zinc and B-12.

Serve this with spaghetti aglio e olio (garlic and olive oil) and blanched asparagus or perhaps sweet potato mashed or pumpkin mashed.

Raw salmon with rosemary, thyme and dried parsley ready for slow baked

Ingredient:-

Salmon

• 2 x 230g Salmon fillet skin on
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary 
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• salt and pepper

Chorizo Crumb

• 1 chorizo skin removed,small cubed
• 1 pinch of salt (optional) as chorizo may already contain salt
• 1generous pinch of sweet paprika (optional)
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• about 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method:-

1. SALMON : Pre heat oven oven to 100 degree Celsius. Line baking dish with baking paper. Lightly oil the skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place salmon fillet skin down into the dish. Drizzle remaining olive oil, season with salt and pepper and arrange herbs on top of fillets. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes depending on the oven heat or until you are able to see protein form at the side of the fish or until the fish almost fall apart when gently press with fork.

2. CHORIZO CRUMB : Heat 1 tbsp olive oil, add in a pinch of salt and chorizo. Fry until golden. Add in sweet paprika and garlic. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes. Add remaining olive oil (2 tbsp) and the breadcrumbs. Toss in the pan until golden brown and crispy. Remove from heat and drizzle over balsamic vinegar.

Once all cooked, assemble all the components and then nom nom. 
  
TIPS: 
I have used dried parsley in the recipe however you can always substitute with fresh parsley.  Garlic can be substitute with french shallot 
Quantity of chorizo crumbs is enough to serve 4 

Enjoy !!!!

Basic Chicken Stock

I love basic stocks. I make one whole pot of stock on the weekend and refrigerate it so that I can gradually use them in my cooking throughout the week. If you have been following my blog you would have realise I am allergy to all sorts of MSG and I am trying to make my food to be tasty in the most non-chemical way.

So, here's the basic chicken stock recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2kg chicken bones ( I use chicken carcass which only cost me AUD1 for 3)
• 2 onions or leeks, quartered
• 2 clove garlic,crushed
• 2 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• a dash of white pepper

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a large/deep pot. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to boil on medium heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of cold water. Smmer for 3 - 4 hours on medium low heat. \
3. Skimming fat and scu from surface.
4. Add extra water if necessary to make sure bones are always covered. 
5. After 3-4 hours, the liquid should be reduce by half. Strain the pot. Pour into whatever container you desire, allow to cool then freeze what you do not use.

Easy!!!! Trust me!!!

TIPS:

• Do not allow stock to boil or it will make your stock turn cloudy.
• If you are too lazy to get any other ingredients listed, make sure you use essential ingredient such as chicken bones, onions and carrots.

Spaghetti Tossed In Tuna-in-Oil

Simple and easy to prepare. Just cooked the spaghetti as instructed in the package, drain and toss all the ingredients together, then, VOILA!!!! nom, nom,nom

Ingredients:

• 1 medium bowl of cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 95g canned Tuna in Oil
• 1 - 1/2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
• salt to taste
• dried mixed herbs
• dried parsley

Method:

1. Cook spaghetti as instructed in boiling salted water. Drain and transfer into a medium bowl. 
2. Drizzle olive oil and sesame oil on the cook spaghetti. Toss them well. Add in canned tuna with oil, lemon juice and sprinkle some salt. Then, top with sprinkle dried mixed herbs and dried parsley or herbs of your choice.

Creamy Fish Fillet

I decided to call this dish Creamy Fish Fillet instead of Butter Fish in order to avoid confusion because there are varies definition of butter fish. For example, Indian Butter Fish comes in mild curry form while the Malaysian Butter Fish comes with fine 'strings' of egg yolk is I am not mistaken. Even their presentation maybe be varies but most of the basic ingredients used are similar.

Ingredients:

• 300g Fish Fillet, cut to bite sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced - half use to marinate fish another half for saute
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 3 tbsp cornflour
• Oil for frying
• 25g butter
• 2 sprig curry leaves, 
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 3/4 cup (187ml) evaporated milk
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tsp sugar or to taste

Method:

1. Marinate bite size fish with half of minced garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper for about 30 minutes. Heat up some oil, dip fish into egg and sprinkle with cornflour.Fry the fish until golden brown, remove and set aside.
2. Remove oil, in the same wok, melt butter at medium heat. Add in remaining garlic, curry leaves and chilli. Saute until fragrant. Add in the fried fish and mix well. Add in salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well again.
3. Pour in evaporated milk, mix well and make sure the fish pieces are coated by evaporated milk. Adjust you seasoning. Once evaporated milk is thicken, remove and serve hot.

Homemade Nasi Goreng Kerabu/Kerabu Fried Rice

This is one of  Malaysia's delicacy or to be more precise specialty from east coast of Malaysia. Traditionally, this dish consist of plain cooked white rice tossed with local fresh and aromatic herbs and vegetables such as lemon grass, long beans, kaffir lime leaves, bean sprout, basil, turmeric leaves and shallot; salted fish, fried coconut (kerisik), grilled/deep fried fish and chili paste and comes fish crackers on the side. However, the herbs, vegetables and the sides ingredients are not rigid. You can alter them depends on their availability and of course individual preferences. Although the vegetables involves suppose to be eaten raw, however, some actually prefer the vegetable to be blanch first before mixing into white rice and other ingredients. In relation to this Kerabu Fried Rice was invented so that multiple cooking is not require or should I say only ONE pot cooking.

Kerabu Fried Rice does not require fried coconut (kerisik) and grilled/deep fried fish. But for this recipe I decided to do some 'kerisik' and grilled fish to make it taste more authentic. If you are in hurry or not in the mood to do multiple cooking feel free to leave it out. And just to let you know that, I am just using simple and widely available vegetable and herbs for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Kerisik and Fish (Fish mixture)

• 150g fish fillet
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar syrup, 1/2 tbsp brown sugar and dissolve with 3/4 tsp hot water (you can use palm sugar too)

Kerabu Fried Rice

• 1 bowl cooked/steam white rice (Try not to use fresh cook rice because it will be too soggy)
• 1 big red onion, finely sliced (I used brown onion because that's all I have at home, red onion will give more fragrant to the fried rice)
  
• 2 french shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 red chilli, chopped or to your liking
• 2 cups finely sliced long bean or french bean or snack bean
• 1/2 cup finely sliced lemon grass (optional)
• 2 tbsp finely sliced spring onion, only the white parts
• 1 stalk coriander, leaves only
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1 1/2  tbsp fish sauce or to your taste (It would be better if you have 1 tbsp shrimp paste/belacan)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Kerisik & Fish: (1) Rub fish with turmeric powder and salt. Grill on medium heat until cook. You can deep fry or pan fry the fish if you like. I just pop it into the grill so that I could prepare other ingredients while waiting for it to cook.  Once the fish is cook and cold enough to handle, break it into smaller pieces and set aside (2) Now, in a pan, fry desiccated coconut without oil at low heat. Halfway through frying add in fish pieces and continue to fry till the coconut turn brownish. Add in brown sugar syrup, combine well and remove from heat. Set aside.
2. Kerabu Fried Rice: Heat 2 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil, at medium high heat, saute garlic, onion, shallots and chili until fragrant. Add in long bean, lemon grass and spring onion. Stir, then, add in salt, pepper and fish sauce. Once the vegetables is slightly soften/cook, push them to the side. Add in remaining oil and pour in beaten egg. Scramble a little before before you add in cooked white rice. Mix well. Add soy sauce  and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry till all ingredients and seasoning mix well and fragrant. Add in coriander leaves and mix well just before you remove the fried rice form heat. 
3. Serve hot. You can serve fish mixture as side or mix into the fried rice. You can also put your favorite chili paste or sambal.  

Desiccatted coconut and grilled fish pieces

Updated 02/10/2010: I found bottled Coriander, Kaffir leaves, Lemon Grass and Basil at Laguna in Glenferrie. So, if you don't feel like buying fresh ingredient and sliced it you can buy the bottled ones. The picture below is for your perusal.

Fish with Salted Vegetable Soup

This soup is pretty easy to cook. It is a healthy soup because it has vegetables, fish slices, most important of all oil free and msg free.

Ingredients:-

• 1/2 cup dried anchovies, rinsed
• 2 dried scallop, rinsed (optional)
• 1/2 bulb garlic, remove papery skin
• 1 litre water
• 350g sliced fish (rinsed, sliced to 1cm thick, soak in a salted water for at least 20 minutes)
• 300g packed pickled Green Mustard or Salted Vegetable, remove from stem
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• some lettuce or other leafy vegetables (optional)
• Salt 
• Ground white pepper to taste
• 1 stalk spring onion, sliced 
• 1 stalk coriander

Methods:

1. Add dried anchovies, dried scallop and garlic into a big pot filled with water. Cover. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Discard the dried anchovies, dried scallop and garlic when the soup base is ready.
2. Meanwhile, soak fish in salted water and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. About 40 minutes before serving, bring the ready soup base to boil. Add the salted vegetable and simmer for 15 minutes, covered. 
4. Then add the drained fish slices in and briefly stir. Bring to boil. Add tomatoes, stir and bring to boil. Turn off heat and add in lettuce. Make sure it is covered by the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with spring onion and coriander before serving.

TIPS:

• Why soak fish piece in salted water: To reduce the fishy smell and make the fish meat stronger so that it doesn't break ups during the cooking process

Brocolli, Mushroom and Smoked Salmon Quiche

Quiche again? Yes, another quiche but with different filling. I just love quiche because it is delicious, dead easy to make and can use whatever that's in my pantry. However, i feel this quiche is tastier than my previous quiche post because I saute the onion with butter before putting them into pastry case.

Ingredients:-

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thaw
• 50g butter
• 1/2 brown onion, minced (if you have smaller size onion use whole)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
• 1 cup sliced mushroom
• 1 cup small broccoli florets
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2  tbsp thickened milk
• 1/2 tbsp milk
• 50g smoked salmon, sliced
• salt and pepper
• ground black pepper
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 200 degree Celsius.
2. Ease puff pastry into pie dish, trimming to fit the dish. Place dish in oven tray, prick pastry lightly with fork, cover pastry with baking paper fill with weights. 
3. Blind bake for 15 minutes, remove weight and bake further until the pastry brown lightly. Want to know more about blind bake? Click here. 
4. Meanwhile, briefly boil broccoli florets in salted water until just tender. Drain and set aside.
5. Over medium low heat, melt butter in pan. Add onion, garlic and mushroom. Stir occasionally until onion is soft and mushroom is wilt. Season with salt and pepper, stir and set aside.
6. Whisk eggs in medium bowl, then whisk in cream and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Soak in the salmon pieces.
7. Now, to assemble the quiche. First, spoon mushroom mixture to the base of pastry. Second, top with brocolli. Carefully pour over egg mixture (only egg mixture). Then, sprinkle smoked salmon pieces, sprinkle some black pepper and finally sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set.

Smoked Salmon, Bacon and Asparagus Quiche

Melbourne's wheather wasn't very pleasant yesterday, so, I decided to just stay home, be lazy, rest and relax. Therefore, quick and easy meal will be highly compatible to this theme. I still have the cold smoke salmon that I bought from Taste of Melbourne last week and decided to whipped up some decadent smoked salmon, bacon and asparagus quiche. Find out more about asparagus HERE

Update 26/7/2017: this recipe has been recently featured in Quik Easy Cook. To see more recipe using asparagus please click HERE.

So, what is quiche? Quiche is a baked dish that is based on a custard from egg and milk or cream in a pastry crust. Usually the pastry shell is blind bake before other ingredients are added for secondary baking. INgredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, cheese cand be added to it. Quiche may be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner.


What is blind bake? Blind bake/pre baking is a process baking a pie crust or other pastry without the filling. Why blind bake? Blind baking a pir crust is necessary when (A) it's filling does not require baking, i.e cream pies, (B) when its filling need shorter time of baking compare to the crust and (C) to prevent the pie crust from becoming soggy from its filling, i.e wet filling. How to blind bake? Ease the pastry into pan or dish, make sure you ease them to the corner, trim the side with knife to fit the tin. Place he tin on an oven tray, prick pastry lightly with fork to avoid air pockets. Line pastry with baking paper then fill with baking weight such as uncooked rice or dried beans and baked.

The original recipe call for shortcrust pastry and no bacon is added. However, I use puff pastry because I still have frozen puff pastry left in fridge and of course some left over bacon. The original recipe also call for 30ml cream (which I assume is single cream) but I only have thickened cream at home so I do 3/4 thickened cream and 1/4 milk.

Here's the recipe:-

Ingredients:

• 1 sheets frozen puff pastry, thaw
• 1 bunch (about 80g) asparagus, slice diagonally into 1inch pieces (add more if you like asparagus)
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 tbsp thickened cream
• 1/2 tbsp milk 
• 100g smoke salmon, cut into strips
• 1/2 brown onion, chopped OR 1 stalk green onion/spring onion, white parts, sliced
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 piece bacon rashers, cut into strips
• 1/2 cup grated mozarella cheese

Methods:-

1. Preheat oven to 190 degree celcius. Grease pie dish. I use the aluminium pie dish available at the BBQ section so I have no idea of the measurement, 20cm perhaps? Line with the puff pastry, trim to fit, place dish oven tray, prick pastry light with fork, cover pastry with baking paper and fill with weights. 
2. Bake for 15 minutes with weights on, remove the weight and bake further until the pastry is browned lightly. About 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, briefly boil cut asparagus in lightly salted water. Boil until just tender, drain and set aside. 
4. Whisk eggs in a medium bowl, then whisk in the cream and milk. Season with salt and ground black pepper.
5. Add asparagus, salmon and onion into the egg mixture. Mix well and pour in pastry case. Sprinkle with bacon and then mozzarella cheese. Initially I mix the bacon into the egg mixture as well,  but I think by sprinkling them I will be able to get the crunchy taste of it. 
6. Bake for 25 minutes or until just set.

in making.....

on the way to my tummy....

Hi, that's Dolly. Trying to steal my quiche.

TIPS:

• Add and subract any other ingredients you desireHERE

Steam Japanese Beancurd with Fish Slices and Mince Chicken

This is a healthy and delicious dish. I have always love Japanese beancurd and fish but if you notice I have very limited post on either Japanese beancurd or fish. I just could find suitable recipe for fish and beancurd and of course i have always trying to avoid deep frying Japanese beancurd so i may only left with steaming them because as we all know Japanese beancurd is soft and delicate, the only way from them to stand for stew is to deep fry them first. Then the fish. Besides finding them a bit pricey here I just don't know what to do to them besides frying, steam and grilling. So, if you have any recipes for Japanese tofu and/or fish please do let me know.

Ingredients:-

• 1 tube Japanese Egg Beancurd, cut to 1cm thick
• about 150g fish fillet, sliced
• 50g minced chicken or pork
• 2 dried chinese mushroom, soaken in hot water for 30 minutes, remove stem and thinly slice
• 1 stalk spring onion, cut about 1.5cm each

    Marinate (A)

• Pinch of salt
• Dash of pepper
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chinese cooking wine (optional)

   Marinate (B)

• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp cornflour

   For sauce

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 shallot, finely slice
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely slice
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup water (I use the water mushroom soaking)

Method:

1. Lightly season beancurd with marinate (A) in a heatproof dish or dish that you intend to put in steamer.
2. Marinate minced chicken and mushroom with marinate (B).
3. Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok. Saute shallot, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add in mince chicken and mushroom. Stir. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, salt, pepper and sugar. Mix well. Then, add 1/2 cup liquid. Let it boil. 
4. Arrange fish slices over the beancurd and pour chicken and mushroom mixture around the sides of the beancurb. 
5. Place beancurd in a steamer over rapidly boiling water. Steam for 12 - 15 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped spring onion before serving.

Potato and Tuna Fish Cake with Tangy Dip

CookBook Challenge Week -32

 

Potato and Tuna Fish Cake

Ingredients:-

• 600g potatoes, peel, boiled until tender, drain, mash and cool
• 1 tbsp olive oil or any cooking oil
• 1 large brown onion, chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 - 3 (95g) cans Tuna, drained
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Oil for shallow fry

Methods:-

1. Peel potatoes, boil until tender, drain, mash and cool.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with oil and add the chopped onion. Cook for 2 minutes or until translucent.
3. Add translucent onion into cool mashed potatoes, along with egg, tuna and season with salt and pepper to taste. Fold through all the ingredients well. Divide the mixture into even sized patties about 10cm diameter each. Refrigerate for 1 hour. 
4. Coat the patties lightly with plain flour before frying.
5. Add enough oil in wok or frying pan about 1 cm depth over medium heat to fry the patties. Add patties and cook for 3 to 5 minutes each side or until golden brown. 
6. Serve hot.

Tangy Dip - accompanied for the above recipe

Ingredients:-

• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 - 2 tsp sugar
• 1 french shallot / 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 - 3 stalk fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 large red chilli or several bird's eyes chillies, finely sliced
• Juice of half lemon

Methods:-

1. Combine all the ingredient together, mix well and serve. (Adjust quantity of any of the ingredients to suit your taste).

Tuna Omelette

Ingredients:-

• 1 can tuna flakes (95g), drained
• 3 eggs
• 1 - 2 tsp fish sauce (depends on how much you like fish sauce)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely mince
• 1/3 brown onion, diced small
• 2 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Methods:-

1. Set pan in medium low heat and add in butter.
2. Once butter melted stir in garlic and onion. Gently fry garlic and onion until lightly brown and pour in drain tuna flakes. Saute for a minute or 2, then remove from heat to cool.
3. While waiting for tuna saute to cool, beat eggs with salt, pepper and fish sauce. Then, mix in cooled saute tuna mixture.Mix well.
4. Wipe the pan clean, put egg rings on the pan and heat up butter in the rings at low heat. When the butter melted pour in egg mixture and fry as usual. (You can pour the entire egg mixture if you don't want to use egg rings).

 TIPS:-

• Add more tuna if you prefer more tuna in you omelette
• Make one omelette first to taste, then adjust seasoning to suit your taste

Asian Steam Fish

• 1 (500g) fish (any fish you like)

• 2 Spring Onion, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally

• 1 fresh Red Chili, deseeded, slice thinly

• 1 tsp fresh Ginger, finely shredded

• Few stalks of Coriander leaves

• 2 clove Garlic, finely chopped

• 11/2 tsp of Soy Sauce

• 2 tsp Oyster Sauce

• 2 tbsp Shao Xing wine/cooking wine

• 1 pinch sugar

• 1 tsp Sesame Oil

• 2 tsp Cooking Oil

• Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Marinate raw fish with salt and pepper, sprinkle half of the green onion (preferably white parts), ginger over the fish.
2. Add enough water to a wok to reach a depth about 6cm. Place a steaming rack over the wok. Place the wok over high heat and bring to boil.
3. Sauce: Combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, shoa xing wine and a pinch of sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Using pan or sauce pan, heat up sesame oil and cooking oil together. Put in garlic, stir until it is lightly golden, pour in the soy sauce mixture, stir, add in pepper, stir well. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
4. Carefully place the plate that contain fish on the steaming rate at rapidly boiling water. Cover.  
5. After 10 minutes, open the cover, pour the sauce that you make earlier and sliced chili  onto the fish. Cover. Continue steaming for 5 minutes. 
6. After 5 minutes, turn off the heat and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
7. Garnish with coriander before serving.