Author Archives →

Singapore-style Pesto Pasta

pesto pasta

A few months ago I was invited to a media event and there Chef Willin Low taught us how to make his rendition of Pesto Pasta. Besides the usual suspects like basil and parmesan cheese, he also added laksa leaves, salted fish and dried shrimp.

What I love most about the recipe is that there’s not specific quantity. Chef Low left it to us to concoct our own preferred flavours…

Ingredients

Garlic, chopped
Laksa leaves
Chinese parsley
Basil
Salted fish
Dried shrimps
Candlenuts
Pine nuts or Sunflower seeds
Bird’s eye chilli
Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice
Spaghetti

Methods

Blend everything except the noodles and lemon juice until smooth.

Cook the pasta and set aside the leftover water.

Heat up a pan and add some olive oil. Fry some chopped garlic. Throw in your favourite seafood and then the pesto paste. Add 2 tbsp of the leftover pasta water and use your spatula to loosen up the paste.

Add the cooked spaghetti, mix well with the sauce and then turn off the fire.

Squeeze lemon juice over and  serve hot.

Oxtail Stew

oxtail stew

2 tbsp cooking oil
1 bulb garlic, chopped
30 g old ginger, sliced
1 tbsp grounded black pepper
750 g or 4 medium-size pieces of oxtail
3 tbsp oyster sauce
pinch of salt
2 tbsp sugar
280 g carrots, peeled and cubed
280 g large onions, peeled and cubed
400 g potatoes, peeled and cubed
250 g celery, cut into bite size
170 g tomato paste
600 ml water
200 ml red wine

Methods

1. Heat pot, add oil, garlic and ginger and pepper. Stir-fry until fragrant.

2. Add oxtail and stir-fry for another 3 mins.

3. Lower heat to medium, add oyster sauce, salt, and sugar and cook for 5 mins.

4. Add carrots, onions, potatoes, tomato paste, water, and red wine.

5. Allow mixture to boil and then turn down the heat. Leave to simmer for another 2 to 3 hours, depending on how soft you want your oxtail.

8. Serve with baguette or rice.

Sesame Oil Chicken (麻油鸡）

sesame oil chicken, sesame chicken, ma you ji, chinese confinement food, confinement food

Soupy sesame oil chicken makes a one-dish meal if you throw in some mee suah (Chinese wheat noodle)

One of my favourite homecooked food is Ma You Ji or Sesame Oil Chicken. Many Chinese mums would be familiar with this dish as it is one of the must-eats during their confinement period. This dish requires lots of ginger, which has a “heating” effect important to help mommies recover from childbirth. My dad made it soupier than how it traditionally is because we like to drink the gravy and douse it over our rice. It packs the sweetness of the chicken, the smoky flavour of the mushrooms, the fragrance of the sesame oil. Sometimes when we have too much of the gravy, I would add a little bit of water and mee suah (Chinese wheat noodle) to make a bowl of noodle soup.

Every household has their own version of Sesame Oil Chicken. I know of people who use rice wine instead of shaoxing wine. Rice wine has a milder taste than the spicy, salty shaoxing wine, so it’s up to personal preferences. While most people use only basic seasonings, my dad likes to borrow the saltiness from the fermented bean paste and cuts down on the amount of light sauce. He also adds 当归 (dang gui) or angelica roots to give the dish an extra flavour. People who don’t like Chinese herbs may find it bitter, but I kinda like its earthy taste.

Ingredients

8 dried shiitake mushrooms
1 chicken
2 tbsp fermented bean paste
6-8 pieces angelica roots
1 palm-sized old ginger
100 ml sesame oil
500 ml shaoxing wine
½ tbsp dark soy sauce (Optional. For colouring only.)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
300 ml water
Salt to taste

Methods

1. Soak mushrooms overnight. Slice the mushrooms and keep the water for later use.

2. Chop chicken into small pieces, about 3 cm X 3 cm.

3. Wash the ginger, leave the skin on and julienne it.

4. Add sesame oil into the wok over medium heat. Add ginger and stir-fry until they turned brown. At least 5 mins.

5. Add mushrooms and stir-fry for another 5 mins.

6. Add fermented bean paste and chicken into the mixture. Stir well.

7. Add dark soy sauce and light soy sauce.

8. Turn up the fire and stir-fry. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer everything into a pot and turn on the fire to high heat.

9. Add the mushroom water, water and dang gui into the pot. *Note: I like my sesame oil chicken a little soupy. You can halve the water if you prefer it dry.

10. Once the liquid boils, turn down the fire to small heat and let it simmer for half an hour, but add shaoxing wine into the simmering sauce 5 minutes before serving.