kitchen flavours: Eileen Yin Fei-Lo

Showing posts with label Eileen Yin Fei-Lo. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce

Cookbook Countdown is a monthly cooking/baking event, which I'm co-hosting with Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray. Everyone is welcome to join us. How does it work? To summarize, you may select a cookbook from your own cookbook collection, to cook or bake from each month. That selected book shall be your cookbook of the month. You may cook any recipes and as many recipes as you want from your selected book of the month. This is a fabulous way of using your cookbooks at least once! For more information on how to join Cookbook Countdown, please click here.

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here
To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo.

I've made Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce. Medium to large sized prawns are best for this dish. Remove the heads, shells and deveined the prawns. However, I like to leave the tails on for dishes like this.

As in stir-fry dishes, the cooking is done very quickly. Firstly the shrimps are marinated in the marinade ingredients, and left to stand for 30 minutes. Drain shrimps and reserve the marinade. The stir-fry is done by sauteing some ginger, bean sauce is added in, then the shrimps are added in, fry on both sides until almost cooked. Drizzle in the wine, and the reserved marinade. Toss everything together and stir until prawns are cooked through. Turn off heat and stir in the chopped scallions. Serve hot.

Quick and simple stir-fry shrimp dish, and it is delicious! Great with rice, or even eat it on its own!

Shrimp Stir-Fried In Bean Sauce
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo)
Serves 4 to 6
Marinade
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons Chinese white rice wine, or gin

1-1/4 pounds extra large (about 32 to 36 per pound) fresh shrimp, heads removed, shelled, deveined, washed, dried

2-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon bean sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese white rice wine, or gin
2 scallions, finely sliced

Mix all ingredients for marinade in a large bowl. Add shrimp, mix to coat and allow to rest 30 minutes. Drain through a strainer, reserve marinade.

Heat wok over high heat for 45 seconds. Add peanut oil, coat wok with spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add minced ginger and stir. Add bean sauce and stir. Add shrimp and spread in a thin layer, tipping wok from side to side to spread heat evenly. Turn over. Drizzle wine into wok around its edges. Toss mixture together. If the mix is too dry, add a bit of the reserved marinade. When shrimp turn pink, turn off heat, add scallions and toss to mix. Remove from wok, transfer to a heated dish and serve with cooked rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Salted Pork and Tianjin Bok Choy Soup

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here
To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo.

One of the dishes that uses Salted Pork as one of its ingredients, a vegetable soup. Simple soup, yet very tasty and great as part of a meal at dinner time with the family. Tianjin Bok Choy (Napa Cabbage) is one of my favourite, love it in soups, stir-fries and makes fantastic kimchi.

Simple and nice! Instead of Napa Cabbage, other vegetables could be used instead.

Salted Pork and Tianjin Bok Choy Soup
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo)
4 cups chicken stock
1 slice ginger, 1/2 inch thick, lightly smashed
1 cup Salted Pork, cut into very thin 2-1/2 inch slices
1-1/4 pounds Tianjin bok choy (Napa cabbage) washed, drained and cut into 3/4-inch pieces on the diagonal, stalks and leaves separated

Place chicken stock and ginger in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pork, stir and return to a boil. Add bok choy stalks, stir well and return again to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cook for 1-1/2 minutes. Raise heat to high, return to a boil. Add bok choy leaves, stir well and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Taste and add salt if necessary. Transfer to a heated tureen and serve immediately.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Monday, August 15, 2016

Salted Pork with Silken Bean Curd

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here
To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo.

This simple, quick and easy tofu dish uses the salted pork which I've made a few days earlier.

A few slices of the Salted pork, cut into small pieces.

This dish comes together very quickly, get everything ready beforehand. The ingredients for the sauce is mixed and keep aside. Ginger, garlic and white portion of scallions are first sauteed until the onions are soften. Add the salted pork, stir and cook for 2 minutes, then pour in the sauce, stir and bring to a boil. Add the chopped bean curd, mix and return to a boil. Turn off heat and stir in the green portions of the scallions. Transfer to a dish and serve immediately.

A quick dish to cook for a busy weekday dinner, very nice eaten with white rice. The family loves it.

Salted Pork with Silken Bean Curd

(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo)

Sauce :
2 tablespoons hot bean sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons Chinkiang vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons Shao-Hsing wine, or sherry
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch white pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup onions, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup scallions, white portions only, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup Salted Pork, cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 19-oz container soft bean curd, cut into 1/3-inch cubes
1/2 cup scallions, green portions only, finely sliced

Mix all ingredients for sauce, reserve.
Heat wok over high heat 30 seconds. Add peanut oil and coat wok with spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add ginger and garlic, stir and cook 10 seconds. Add onions and white portions of scallions, mix and cook 3 minutes, until onions soften. Add pork, stir, cook for 2 minutes more. Make well in the mix, stir sauce, pour in, stir to mix, bring to a boil. Add bean curd, mix and return to a boil. Turn off heat immediately. Sprinkle with sliced green portions of scallions, mix well. Transfer to a heating dish and serve with cooked rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Friday, August 12, 2016

Salted Pork : Cookbook Countdown #8

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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo.

Today I'm sharing a pork recipe which is not a dish by itself, but it is used as an ingredient in many ways. According to the author "Another of the significant foods that came from my grandmother's kitchen was preserved salted pork, which, like the preceding stocks and oils, was a food of necessity and versatility, its preparation the result of the lack of refrigeration".

There are a few recipes in the book that uses salted pork as one of its ingredients, so in order to try those recipes, I got to make the salted pork first. Usually, salted pork is made using slabs of fresh pork belly with fats and skin, but the author has utilize a good-sized pork loin, and has cure it exactly as it was done in her grandmother's kitchen.

This is very easy and simple to make, and the result is a fabulous chunk of salted pork. I've made half a recipe, about 1 kilo (2 pounds) of pork loin.

Place the pork loin, 1 slice of fresh ginger lightly smashed, 4 peeled garlic cloves, and white portions of 6 scallions into a pot with enough water to cover pork loin. Let it come to a boil, then simmer with the lid slightly open, for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove pork loin and place in a bowl of ice water and let cool for about 5 minutes. Remove pork loin and place in a shallow bowl, sprinkle the salt all over, rubbing it well into the pork. Cover and refrigerate for at least one day before use. It can keep for about a week refrigerated, though it is not recommended to be frozen.

Use a few slices of the salted pork, cut into small cubes for a dish...coming up in next post.

I really like this salted pork. It is versatile, and very convenient to have in the refrigerator, as it can be used as an ingredient for many dishes! I like it so much, that I'm planning on making it again. I've used up all of the salted pork within a week, made a few dishes from it, all of which I will be sharing in my coming posts.

Salted Pork

(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo)

4 pounds boneless pork loin

2 quarts cold water, or enough to cover pork

1 slice fresh ginger, 1 inch thick, lightly smashed

4 cloves garlic, peeled

6 scallions, white portions only

3-1/2 tablespoons salt

Place all ingredients, except salt, in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, leave lid slightly open and simmer 45 minutes to 1 hour. Turn the pork halfway through simmer. Turn off heat. Remove pork from pot and place in a large bowl of ice water; allow pork loin to rest 5 minutes until it cools.

Remove pork from water. Place in a shallow dish and sprinkle salt over top, rubbing it well into the pork. Cover the pork and allow to refrigerate untouched for 1 day. It is now ready for use. The salted pork will keep refrigerated for at least a week.

In China, as I have noted, the heavy salting permitted us to keep the pork for at least a month. It should not be frozen because its fiber will soften and defrosting will cause the salting to run off.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Sunday, August 7, 2016

Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice : Cookbook Countdown #8

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here
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My selected cookbook for this month at Cookbook Countdown #8 is My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin Fei-Lo.

I've made Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice, of which I've made a few times since I first tried it when I bought this book years ago. This dish is wonderful and is great for any meal of the day. Be it breakfast, lunch or even dinner.

The glutinous rice is cooked twice. It is first steamed over high heat for 30 to 35 minutes, then fried together with the rest of the ingredients. I have omitted the Chinese bacon, and use only the Chinese sausage (lap cheung). There's dried shrimps which adds a wonderful flavour to the rice, and seasoned with salt, light soy sauce, oyster sauce and dark soy sauce for colour. I've added some dried shiitake mushrooms which are soaked in warm water for several hours until soften, drain, squeezed out excess water, then sliced thinly.

When the rice is done cooking, packed some cooked rice in small bowls, then turn the bowl over on a plate, so that the rice is served in little mounds. Scatter some crispy fried shallots and more spring onions over the top before serving.

This is delicious! Yum!

Stir-Fried Glutinous Rice
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo)
2 cups glutinous rice
2 cups cold water
8 cups boiling water
1/2 cup cured Chinese bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice (omitted)
1/2 cup Chinese sausage (lop cheung), cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked in hot water 30 minutes to soften
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
3 scallions, finely sliced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (my addition)
fried crisply shallots, for serving (my addition)

In a pot, wash, rinse the glutinous rice three times by rubbing between the palms, drain well. Place rice in a 9-inch cake pan and add 2 cups cold water. Place pan in a steamer, on a rack. Place rack in wok, turn heat to high, pour in 8 cups boiling water, cover and steam rice, 30 to 35 minutes, or until rice becomes translucent. Remove steamer from wok, set aside, drain wok and wash and dry.

Heat wok over high heat for 45 seconds. Put in bacon, stir-fry 30 seconds, push to one side. Add sausage (and shiitake mushroom), stir-fry 1 minute, then combine sausage and bacon. Add shrimp, stir-fry 15 seconds, add salt and stir another 15 seconds. Add steamed rice to wok and lower heat, mixing continually for 1 more minute. If rice sticks, add 1-1/2 tablespoons peanut oil. Add two soy sauces, mix thoroughly. Add oyster sauce, stir until rice acquires an even, pale brown colour and is thoroughly mixed. Add scallions, mix well. Turn off heat, add sesame oil and mix to combine well.

Pack the cooked rice into small bowls, then up-end them onto plates to create curved mounds of rice. Serve immediately.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Monday, August 1, 2016

Chicken Braised With Black Beans : Cookbook Countdown #8

To link to Cookbook Countdown Specials : BAKE, click here

To link to Cookbook Countdown #8, click here

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My selected cookbook for this month,

My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

I have tried some recipes from this cookbook before, and there are lots more which I have bookmarked to try but somehow that did not happen! So, this is the book which I've selected to use for this month's Cookbook Countdown #8.

I've made this easy and delicious chicken dish, Chicken Braised with Black Beans, for a weeknight dinner. According to the author "This dish is special because the chicken is cooked three times. It is a recipe that takes a bit of work, but as my grandmother said, it is worth the effort, both in the kitchen and at the table". It does take a bit of work, but it is easy, and like the author says, it is worth the effort!

I've used two whole chicken legs and one whole chicken breast, remove the skin, fats and cut to bite-sized pieces. I did not have water chestnut powder, so I've used corn flour to coat the chicken pieces. Do not be alarmed by the amount of oil (6 cups!) used to fry the chicken pieces. I've used less than a cup of oil, and I fry the chicken pieces on both sides, turning the pieces over, and did it in three batches. The chicken pieces are only required to be fried about 1 minute until the skin (or meat, as mine are skinless), is no longer red. So it does not take a lot of time. Drain and keep aside.

Fermented black beans are rinsed and mix with some mashed garlic into a paste. The sauce is made up of a mixture of oyster sauce, sugar, salt and dark soy sauce. Heat oil and fry the black bean-paste mixture and add the chicken pieces, mixing them well. Drizzle some chinese cooking wine and stir in the sauce. Transfer chicken to a pot, pour some chicken stock into the pan which you use to stir-fry the chicken pieces, collecting the juices in the pan along with the stock, and pour into the pot. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until chicken is tender and cooked, adding some stock if it appears dry.

I have used a claypot to simmer the chicken, and have added a little more of the chicken stock for more gravy.

This is a delicious dish. With simple ingredients, yet very tasty. Thumbs up from the family, We enjoyed eating it for our weeknight dinner with rice, some stir-fry veggies and a bowl of soup.

Chicken Braised with Black Beans
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo)
6 garlic cloves, lightly smashed, peeled and mashed
5 tablespoons fermented black beans, washed several times to remove salt, drained well

Sauce :
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1 (3-1/2 pound) chicken washed well with salt, fat and membranes removed, drained and dried thoroughly
3-1/2 to 4 tablespoons water chestnut powder (I use corn flour)
6 cups plus 3 tablespoons peanut oil
3 tablespoons Chinese white rice wine, or gin (I use Shao Hsing wine)
1 cup chicken stock
sprigs of coriander, for garnish

Make a paste of the mashed garlic and black beans, reserve. Mix sauce, reserve.

Cut chicken into bite-size pieces, coat with water chestnut powder. Heat wok over high heat for 1 minute. Add 6 cups peanut oil and heat to 375 degrees F, until oil smokes. Deep-fry the chicken pieces by lowering them into the oil with a Chinese strainer. Fry 1 minute, or until redness is gone from the skin. Remove chicken, drain, reserve. Drain oil from wok, wipe dry with paper towels.

Place remaining 3 tablespoons peanut oil in wok over high heat and when a wisp of white smoke appears, add the garlic-black bean paste. Break up with spatula. When garlic turns light brown, add chicken pieces and mix well. Drizzle white wine into wok from edges, stir and mix well. Stir sauce, pour into wok, mix until chicken is well-coated. Turn off heat.

Transfer chicken to a pot. Pour 3/4 cup chicken stock into wok to help collect juices and sauce, then pour into pot over chicken. Cover pot and cook over low heat until chicken is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, add a bit more stock, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time.

Turn off heat, remove chicken and sauce from pot and transfer to a heated dish. Garnish with coriander and serve with cooked rice.

I'm linking this post with Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Chicken Pancake

These Chicken Pancakes are delicious. Make some of these and serve to your kids, great eaten with rice, or part of an afternoon lunch, with some noodles. I made this for dinner one night, served with rice, and some other dishes, and it was a hit with the family.

The recipe is from Eileen Yin-Fei Lo's cookbook, "From My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen". According to the author, this recipe has been handed down from her grandmother, it is an inherited dish, as she has never seen it in any restaurant before.

These chicken pancakes are originally made into two large pancakes of about 6-1/2" in diameter, but I have made them in smaller patties instead, makes it easier to serve at the dining table. And these "pancake-patties" can be added to soups and stir-fried with vegetables, according to the author.

The recipe calls for some chopped water chestnuts, but I have omitted that since I could not find any from the morning market that very day. And I have seen it almost every time I am at the market. Anyway, even without the water chestnuts, these are just as wonderful.

The pancakes are very moist, tender and delicious.

Chicken Pancakes (Gai Yuk Bang)
(adapted from "My Grandmother's Chinese Kitchen", Eileen Yin-Fei Lo)
1 pound ground chicken
4 scallions, finely sliced
1/3 cup water chestnuts, cut into 1/4-inch dice
3 tablespoons egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Chinese white rice wine, or gin mixed with 1 teaspoon ginger juice
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
pinch white pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
7 tablespoons peanut oil, for pan-frying

Mix all ingredients, except 7 tablespoons peanut oil, until thoroughly blended. Divide mixture into 2 equal portions.

Heat wok over high heat 40 seconds. Add 2 tablespoons peanut oil, coat wok with spatula. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add one portion of chicken mixture and with spatula flatten the mixture to make a pancake about 6-1/2 inches in diameter. Lower heat, tip wok side to side to ensure even browning. Add 1 additional tablespoon of peanut oil if needed. If so, drizzle into the wok from its edges. Fry for 4 minutes. Turn over, fry another 4 minutes, again tipping wok back and forth. Again, if chicken mixture is too dry, drizzle another tablespoon of peanut oil into the wok.

Repeat with second half of chicken mixture. After each pancake is golden brown, remove to a heated dish. When both are cooked, serve with cooked rice.

Note : You may make this into 4 pancakes, by dividing mixture into 4 equal portions. Cook in same manner.

#89/100

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