Five Spice Roast Chicken

I am not sure what I should cook today. So, I decided to seach on net and see what's my 'catch' of the day. I then click on BBC food recipes and found 5 spice roast chicken. Since I have every ingredients listed in my pantry I dedcided that's my 'catch' for today. As usual I will substract and add ingredient to suit my palate.

Want to know more about fiVe Spice? Click here.


So, in order to accomplish this dish you will need:-

• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 french onions or 2 shallots, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced

Ooohh, well you can actually use mortar and pestle to pound them or even blender or food processor. I don't own any so I have to mince them as fine as possible. Then, put these ingredients in a bowl and mix with the following:-

• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce or to taste
• 2 tbsp five spice powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp chinese cooking wine (optional)
• 1/4 tsp sugar or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

mix well and rub on:-

• 1.2 - 1.5 kg chicken, cut into 4 pieces (you can also use substitute with drumsticks, wings, fillet etc)

marinate for at least 2 hours covered. Oh and remember to score the chicken.


What do you do next ?

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius. 
2. Remove chicken from marinate, place chicken pieces on baking pan cover with aluminium foil. Reserved the marinated for sauce.
3. Bake in the oven on 180 degree celcius for 30 minutes, remove the foil, increase the heat to 200 degree celcius bake until the skin turns golden brown. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile you can prepare the sauce.

1. Pour reserved marinate and liquid from baking into a saupan.
2. Add 1/2 tbsp corn flour plus 1/2 water. Stir. Bring to boil and serve with the chicken.

For garnish.... Sprinkle some parsley or coriander or even cayenne pepper or chilli flakes on top.

Sweet Potatoes Dumpling

I love sweet potatoes. Instead of getting it roasted and steam all the time, I decided to get it mashed, shapped and filled. This is one delicious snack and dessert.

Ingredients:-

• 300g sweet potatoes
• 11/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 cup sifted plain flour (you may not need this much)
• 1/2 cooking oil
• sprinkle of cornflour
• Fillings: chocolate(nutella), peanut butter, white sugar, honey or whatever you like

Methods:-

1. Put whole unpeeled sweet potatoes in a pot of water and bring to boil until sweet potatoes are tender. 
2. Peel and mash while it is still warm.
3. Add brown sugar and cooking oil. Gradually add in sifted plain flour. Mix, stir and combine well with mashed sweet potatoes.
4. Knead to form dough. Add more flour if the dough is wet.
5. Pinch out balls from dough, flatten them and scoop 1/2 tsp of your fillings into the centre. Wrap up and form triangle or any shape you wish.
6. Finally, sprinkle with some cornflour before deep frying over medium heat until crisp and golden brown. 

TIPS:-

• You may substitute sweet potatoes with yam/taro or pumpkin.
• As for the filling you can use what ever you like from filling listed above to red bean paste and anything that goes well with sweet potatoes.

Chocolate filling

White sugar (turns syrup at frying process)

That's peanut butter filling

Roast Chicken Wings with Honey and Hoisin sauce

Here's the interesting FACTS: DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRILL AND ROAST.

ROAST synonyms bake
according to dictionary : to cook with dry heat, as in an oven, to expose to great or excessive heat.
according to forums : cooking something in an oven without covering, cook a food in an open pan without no added liquid, indirect or diffused heat.

GRILL synonyms broil, barbeque grill, charbroiling, stone grill, toast
according to dictionary : a cooking surface of parrallel metal bar
according to forums : cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of the food, commonly from above or below,

However, the method of cooking maybe slightly different according to country.

Now, let's cooking........

Ingredients:
• 8 chicken wings about 1kg
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 5 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp shaoxing wine / chinese cooking wine
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, finely chopped and peeled

Method:

1.In a large bowl combine chicken wings, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, garlic and ginger. Mix well, cover and sit in refrigerator for at least an hour. Maximum 3 hours.

2.Preheat oven at 190 degree celcius for fan-forced oven or normal oven will be 210 degree celcius for about 5 minutes.

3.Place chicken wings on baking tray, layer with foil and roast in the oven for 15 minutes until wings are cooked through and have a glazed look. Do not place to close to heat.