Braised Pork Knuckles

Braised Pork Knuckles
This is definitely one of my father's favourite dishes. He simply loved the tender meat and fatty chewy skin. It is a must item whenever we dined at any teochew porridge stall. My mum would prepare this dish with hard boiled eggs, firm beancurd(taukwa) and fried beancurd (taupok). Though this is a high cholesterol food item, it is also rich in natural collagen.

Ingredient
1 pork knuckle cut into bite sizes
4 hard boiled eggs, shelled
2 taukwa, cut into 4 pieces each and shallow fried
4 taupok cut into 3 pieces each
800ml water
2 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves garlic
3 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp light soya sauce

1tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar

Method
Blanch the pork knuckles in boiling water and drain. In a pot, add 200 ml water, star anise, cinnamon stick, garlic and sauces. Bring to a boil and add the pork knuckles. Simmer over low flame, stirring occasionally. Add in the remaining portion of the water slowly. About half an hour later, add the eggs, taukwa and taupok. Cook over low flame for another half an hour. This dish is best served with steamed rice or porridge.   

Steamed Yam Cake

Steamed Yam Cake
Yam cake was one of my parents favourite kueh. I remembered during my childhood days, there was an elderly lady selling this on a pushcart and serving it on a leaf. The process of making it is time consuming due to the steaming process and it is more worthwhile to make a bigger portion each time. It is best eaten the next day by pan frying and dipping in sweet soya sauce.

Ingredients
500g yam, peeled and diced
50g dried shrimps slightly diced

dried chinese mushrooms cut into slices
500g rice flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1tbsp salt
1tbsp light soya sauce
1tsp pepper powder
2.25 litres water
4 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients for Garnishing
2 red chillies
2 tbsp fried shallots
1 tbsp seasame seeds

Method
Mix the rice and tapioca flour  with water. Add salt, pepper powder and soya sauce and stir well.
Heat up a wok, add the cooking oil and then fry the mushrooms and dried shrimps till fragrant. Add in the flour mixture and lower the flame. Stir continously until the mixture thickens, approximately 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a steaming tray and steam for 45 minutes. Garnish with seasame seeds, fried shallots and sliced chillies.

Premium Pot

Premium Pot

My good friend and her hubby bought abalones and scallops for me when returning from their trip to Melbourne. I decided to use these pricey ingredients to make a braised premium hot pot that we will normally cook only during the Chinese New Year.

Ingredients
400g pork belly cut into desirable size
800g sea cucumber cut into big pieces
8 dried chinese mushrooms

8 pieces scallops
1 abalone
200g instant sharks fins
6 medium sized prawns
8 pieces dried oysters
3 cloves garlic

Seasoning
50ml light soya sauce
50ml dark soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water

Ingredients for Blanching
3 slices ginger
4 stalks spring onions
4 cloves garlic

50 ml chinese cooking wine

Method

Combine the ingredients for blanching and add in the sea cucumbers to boil. Drain, add the abalone and cook it over slow fire for half an hour.
Put the pork belly in boiling water for half a minute. Drain and set aside.

In a pot, add the seasoning and garlic, bring it to boil. Add the pork belly and simmer over low flame for half an hour. Put in the sea cucumbers, mushrooms, abalone, dried oysters and continue to cook for an hour. Lastly, add the prawns, scallops and sharks fins. Stir well and bring it to boil.

Dried Prawn Sambal

Dried Prawn Sambal

This sambal that my mum made probably started my palate for spicy food. It tastes good if used as a filling for sandwiches. Whenever I make this sambal, I will buy the traditional white bread loaf as it gives a nostalgic taste from my childhood memories.

Ingredients
300g dried prawns
10 shallots
5 clove garlic
20 dried chillies
Salt to taste
10 tablespoon cooking oil

Method

Soak the dried prawns in water for 10 minutes and drain. Soak the dried chillies in warm water for half hour and drain.
Peel the shallot and garlic. Combine the chillies, dried prawns, shallot and garlic and blend in a food processor.
Heat a frying pan and add oil. Lower the heat and fry the blended ingredients till fragrant.

Transfer to an air-tight glass bottle when cool. Keep refrigerated.