Sweet Chilli Crab

Preamble

My wife does not like too spicy food. This makes it more difficult for me to treat her to chilli crabs - a local favourite. To this end, I decided to create a chilli crab that is not so spicy in hope that she will enjoy it.

Ingredients

1 Mud Crab
2 shallots (or 1/4 onions) diced.
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 knob of ginger, diced
2 cups of water
3 tablespoons of oil
1 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons Thai Sweet chili (add more if you desire a more spicy taste)
1 egg (beaten)

Time needed: 40 mins

Preparations:

1. Remove the crab pincers by breaking them from the body.
2. Cut away the legs and back fins and toss them away.
3. Remove the top shell from the crab and wash it.
4. Cut the fresh into quarters and crack the princers.
5. In a wok, turn the fire to high and add in the oil.
6. After the wok is heated, add in the ginger, garlic and shallots and fry for 2 mins.
7. Add the tomato paste, chilli and water into the wok and mix well.
8. Add the crab into the wok and mix with the mixture.
9. Cover the wok, cooking until the crab has turned red. 
10. Remove the cover and add in the egg, stirring all the time (for 1 min)
11. Serve hot.

Baked Crab Cakes with Grated Cheese and Mushrooms

Preamble:

I have always wanted to try baking crab cakes ever since I tried one at a japanese restuarant. This recipe details my attempt to create a better tasting crab cake.

Ingredients:

1 mud crab
2 cherry tomatoes
1/2 onion
4 pieces button mushroom
1/2 slice of bread
2 tablespoons grated cheese
1 clove garlic
2 stalks asparagus
2 tablespoon butter.

Time needed: 45-55 mins

Directions:

1. Remove the crab pincers by breaking them from the body.
2. Cut away the legs and backfins.
3. Remove the top shell from the crab and wash it. 
4. Steam the crab for 10-15 mins.
5. Slice the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, garlic, mushroom and onions into tiny pieces and set aside with a bowl
6. Scope out the crab meat from the body and shell and add them to the mixture as in part 5.
7. In a frying pan, add the butter and cook on high until the butter melted
8. Add the ingredients in part 6 into the frying pan and stir fry for 5 mins.
9. Spoon the mixture back into the crab shell. 
10. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs and grate over a little parmesan and add a grind of black pepper. 
11. Place a few dots of butter on top. 
12. Put it in the oven for 10-15 minutes to crisp the bread and melt the cheese. 
13. Serve hot. 

Post ramble:

The crab cakes taste great with the mushroom, tomatoes and aspargus. The melted cheese add a very tasty texture to the baked crab. 

Steam Pomfret with mushroom, ginger and asparagus

Preamble:

There are many ways to cook fish, but it is my personal opinion that steamed fish is the best way to cook as the fresh will be very tender and it is a healthy alternative to other ways of cooking fish.

Ingredients 1 silver pomfret 1 stalk asparagus 1 small ginger 1 button mushroom, sliced. 15 ml Hua Tiao Wine 10 ml Light soy sauce 500 ml water. Time to cook: 15 to 30 mins.

Directions:

1. Rub the ginger all over the fish.
2. Add the Hua Tiao Wine and light soy sauce to the fish. 
3. Add the mushroom and asparagus on top of the fish
4. Add the water to a steamer.
5. Cover the steamer and steam the fish for 10 mins
6. Serve hot.

Post ramble:

The water that has evapourated during the steaming process will mix together with the soy sauce and Hua Tiao Wine to create a simple but tasty soup base.

Baked Squid (Calamari) with Cheese

Preamble

I was thinking of what I could cook with the ingredients in my fridge when I noticed that I have some squid and cheese. Thinking that cheese would taste good with almost every ingredient, why not try baking the squid with cheese? This experiment was thus created.

Ingredients: 3 Cherry Tomatoes 3 stalks of Asparagus 3 button mushroom 1 piece of crab stick 1 large squid 2 tablespoon of grated cheese 2 slices of cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons of butter 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce Time Required: 1 hour 15 mins to 1 hour 30 mins

Directions:

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes, asparagus, button mushroom and crab stick into tiny pieces and mix in a big bowl.
2. Remove head from squid body, and cut away all tentacles from the head.
   
3. Discard the head.
4. Cut the tentacles into small pieces and add it to the bowl as in step 1.
5. Remove the cartilage and skin from the squid body and wash the squid.
6. On a baking tray, add aluminium foil.
   
7. Cut the squid body into squid rings and place it on the baking tray.
8. In a frying pan, add the butter and wait for the butter to melt.
9. Add the mixture in step 4 into the frying pan, and fry for 5-10 mins on medium heat.
   
10. Then add the soy sauce to the frying pan.
11. Place the contents of the frying pan into the baking tray.
    
12. Add two tablespoons of grated cheese on top the contents.
13. Bake the food in oven for 30 mins on hot until the grated cheese has melted.
14. Take the food out and add two slices of cheddar cheese on top for a firmer cheese texture.
15. Bake the food in the oven on hot for another 10 mins until the cheddar cheese slices has melt.
16. Serve hot.

Post ramble:

To my surprise and delight, the dish turns out to taste wonderful. The indegredient blended well together to create a unique taste, and my wife said that was the best squid dish she ever tried.

Baked Papaya with Coconut Milk

Preamble:

I noticed that my wife has not been having fruits recently and decided to surprise her with a fruit dish for dessert. Having tried some papaya in coconut milk before, I thought I will try making it as it seems simple enough.

Ingredients: Some papaya, sliced 2 tablespoon Sugar 2 tablespoon Honey 1 packet coconut milk 1/2 cups water Time required: 1 hour 45 mins -1 hour 55 mins

Directions:

1. Preheat Oven to the hottest
2. Place the papayas, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with the sugar and add the water.
4. Bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 45 mins, or until the papayas are tender but still keep their shape.
   
5. Every 15 mins, pull out the oven rack and baste the papayas with the liquid from the dish.
6. For the last 5 minutes of baking raise the heat to 400°F and bake until the syrup gets thick and becomes the color of caramel.
7. Pour the honey on top of the papaya
   
8. Turn off the heat and pour the coconut milk into the center of the papayas.
9. Leave the papayas in the oven until the milk gets warm, about 5 minutes.
10. Refrigerate for 1 hour and serve cold.

Post ramble:

Well, the papaya taste heavenly when combined with the rich aroma of coconut milk. This is one recipe I growth to love. Perhaps I could substitute the sugar, honey and water with condensed milk to get a richer favour of milk next time. ;)