Bak Kwa

 
Ingredient
500g minced pork
Thai fish sauce 1 tbsp
Chinese cooking wine (hua tiao jiu) 1.5 tbsp
Light soya sauce 1 tbsp
Dark soya sauce 3/4 tbsp
Sugar 1/2 cup OR (3 parts sugar with 1 part honey)
Five spice powder 1 tsp
Corn flour – 1/2 tbsp (add more if your marinated meat is too wet)
Char siew paste (optional to give a nice red hue)

Method

1. Marinate the minced pork with all seasoning and mix well.

2. After 15 mins I will grill a small piece with greased happycall pan to test the taste. If satisfied I will start to shape the minced pork. Otherwise I will adjust my seasoning.

3. Place a big spoonful of minced pork into a clean plastic pouch and use rolling pin to spread the pork till thin and even. Continue until you finished up the minced pork.

4. Place inside freezer and you may start bbq-ing your bak kwa the next day.

5. To grill the bak kwa, cut open the plastic pouch and carefully remove the thin sheet of bak kwa from the pouch.

6. Heat the happycall pan with little oil and grill 2 pieces of bak kwa at one go. When one side is done, flip to the other side to grill.

7. The color is dark brown on the pan but will turn maroon red when its cooled.

8. After every round, remove the char sugar residue on the pan to ensure color quality for every batch.

Notes
1. The bak kwa is much softer in texture compared to those selling outside.

2. I realised by using baking sheets to store is much easier. Cut 2 pieces of baking sheets into slightly bigger than your desired bak kwa size. Scoop a spoonful of the meat onto the center of one sheet and place another sheet on top. Roll until you get the thickness you want. With 500g of meat I can make about 10 pieces. Freeze until you are ready to cook.

3. Not necessary to use happycall pan, I did it with normal non-stick pan as well. Heat up the pan and place the frozen bak kwa (together with baking sheets) onto the pan. Flip to the other side and when the meat is slightly cooked, remove the sheets and continue to grill your bak kwa until it gives a nice slightly charred at the sides look ;)

4. If you are not using honey to marinate, you could also brush some honey while grilling. It gives a quick caramelize effect.

Wasabi Prawns with Fried Udon

This wasabi prawn recipe is simplified but it doesn't compromise the taste. Regular recipes will add condensed milk to sweeten the sauce and batter-fried the prawns. As usual I got lazy and modified the recipe to reduce the steps and lessen the ingredients used ;)

Ingredient
8 medium-large prawns
2 tbsp mayonnaise (Kraft brand)
Abt 1 tbsp wasabi
Juice from 1 lime
Sesame seed (garnish)

Method

1. Mix mayonnaise, wasabi and lime juice together and set aside. I am using non-Japanese type sweet mayonnaise so condensed milk is not needed compared to the usual wasabi prawn recipe. You may adjust the wasabi amount to suit your preference.

2. Remove prawn shells and devein.

3. Heat pan and shallow fry the prawns till cooked.

4. Coat cooked prawns with the sauce and serve.

The fried udon is simple too. I am using Sakura brand udon which I prefer, some brands are not as good. Boil the udon with little olive oil and salt till cooked and drain away the water. Heat pan with a little oil and sauté chopped onion, sliced white mushrooms, add some sliced chilli to enhance the color. Add 2 tbsp Japanese sesame sauce and 1 tbsp water. Once the sauce is boiled, add in the ready udon. Mix well and serve with wasabi prawns. You will love it ;)

Chinese New Year Bakes

I must be crazy, baking seems like an obsession once you started you cannot stop. I have been telling myself my arms cannot take the strain of excessive baking but still I did quite a bit this year.

 2 batches of different designs of pineapple tarts

 

 

1/2kg of Bak Kwa, freeze and ready to cook & serve anytime 

 Fragrant Osthmanus Cookie

(simply love the dual shades and the egg-washed center)

 

 Almond Crisps

(Fabulous bake to use up the balanced egg whites from pineapple tart baking)

 

 Baked Crispy Crabsticks

(Traditionally deep-fried but I baked instead so its healthier)

Fruity Cornflake Cookie