Caramel Chicken

Welcome to my new look. I decided it was time for a freshen up so I have altered the way I look. I hope you like it.

Now this recipe is from Kylie Kwong's - Simple Chinese Cooking, but as usual I have altered it.

I love the sweet, salty sauce with the mellow warmth of 5 spice powder, so when I make this recipe I make plenty of sauce for pouring over the chicken and steamed rice.

Now when Kylie Kwong makes this, she cooks then chicken in a fiercely hot wok so you get caramelised (think burnt) bits on the chicken. The problem I have is that in a domestic kitchen we can't use a large enough wok or get it to the heat of a commercial wok burner.

So I cook mine in a large frypan. I also cut my chicken while frozen so that I can get wafer thin slices of chicken that cook in about 2 - 3 minutes.

Also don't worry if you have more chicken that you can put in a single layer, I put my first layer in. When they turn white around the edges, I turn them over but pile them together and add more chicken. Once all the chicken has started to turn white on both sides add the sauce and let bubble for a minute. You will find the chicken is cooked through and moist.

The chicken only takes me about 5 minutes to cook from start to finish for 2 chicken breasts.

You can use thigh for this, but my preference is for breast meat.

Caramel Chicken

2 chicken fillets cut into 1/2 cm slices lengthwise then cut into bite size pieces, 2 tbsps peanut oil for cooking

To Serve - Steamed rice and stir fried vegetables

Marinade - 1/4 cup honey - I warm it in the microwave for 20 seconds to make it more liquid and easier to mix with the other ingredients, 4 tbsps shao hsing wine, 4 tbsps light soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsps 5 spice powder, 1/4 tsp sesame oil, 1 piece 2cm x 3cm fresh ginger grated

Mix together in a glass or ceramic bowl, add chicken and leave to marinate at least 2o minutes.

The chicken hanging about in its marinade.

Heat oil, using tongs drain pieces of chicken and lay on the base of the frypan, when starting to turn white at the edges turnover after 30 seconds move these pieces together then add more chicken.

When all the chicken has been added and has turned white pour in remaining marinade. Bring to the boil and let bubble for 1 minute. You want the sauce to thicken slightly, but not evaporate. Taste you may need more honey or soy sauce.

The chicken bubbling in the sauce.

When cooked serve with steamed rice and stir fried vegetables.

Golden Mountain - Chinese Restaurant - Ballarat - VIC

On our recent trip to Lorne we came home via Ballarat were we stayed the night at our favourite Motel. The Begonia City Motor Inn in Sebastapol.

http://www.bcmi.com.au/

Now as luck would have it about 3 minutes away is my most favourite patchwork shop - Gail's Patchwork Emporium. So of course Mr CLI took me there. Unfortunately being on a motorbike did restrict me in what I can buy, but I still had fun and of course bought a large bag full of material, with even Mr CLI finding a lovely piece with birds on it which I am at the moment turning into a quilt top.

http://www.gailspatchwork.com.au/index.php

Miss Le Coiffure also came with us so we all went out to our favourite Chinese Restaurant the Golden Mountain. Now we have been going to this restaurant for nearly 20 years. The same people run it, and now their children are on duty at the front counter.

Now this restaurant is nothing grand about 6 small tables with chairs, but the steady stream of take away tells you that the food is good.

There dim sims and spring rolls are to die for, nothing beats them. Mr CLI made the suggestion to get extra fried rice and dim sims for tea the next night when we are home.

There food is plentiful tasty and no MSG in sight. So if you are ever in Ballarat. try the Golden Mountain restaurant, I am sure you won't be disappointed.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/place?hl=en&gs_upl=5273l7520l0l8253l15l13l0l0l0l12l764l8141l4-1.9.3l13l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1366&bih=600&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=chinese+restaurant+ballarat&fb=1&gl=au&hq=chinese+restaurant&hnear=0x6ad1445430931879:0x40579a430a0b720,Ballarat+VIC&cid=17659657137398911846

Dim Sims

Dim Sims ready for steaming.

Now as part of our big Chinese Banquet the other week I made home made dim sum (dim sims).

They are actually very easy to make, you just mix the filling ingredients together, place a teaspoonful in the centre of the wrappers, fold or gather wrappers as you want then steam.

I had circle wrappers so I placed the filling in the centre and gathered the sides up to form an edge around the filling. Also it is best if you steam them on baking paper, so that they don't stick to your steamer basket.

These are the wrappers I used, you can also get square ones

I must admit that I have bamboo steamer basket which I use to steam the dim sims, but a normal steamer works just as well.

Dim Sim

250 grams pork mince, 1 desertspoon very finely diced celery, 1 desertspoon finely diced water chestnuts, 1 spring onion, finely diced - white part only, 2 button mushrooms finely chopped, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper. 2 tsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp light soy sauce - you can also add 1 tbsp finely shredded cabbage

chopped ingredients before adding the pork mince

Mix all ingredients together. Place a heaped teaspoon into wrapper of your choice, fold as you wish. Place on parchment/baking paper. Steam 15 minutes. Remove from heat, then eat.

You can also bring all the edges together to create what is called a purse

Or using square wrappers fold the points together to create this shape

Vegetable Spring Rolls

Now I have a saying in our house "I have had this (cookbook/ornament/kitchen utensil etc) longer than you. Now this statement is generally directed at Mr CLI. That statement goes for the cookbook that the spring roll recipe comes from.

I believe I purchased it not long after I started work, when I was about 17 or 18. Now I have cooked many things from it, but the spring roll recipe is one that I keep coming back to, time and again.

I have made many variations of springrolls over the years, ones with fine vermicelli noodles and raw vegetables. Ones with chow mein/chop suey meat and cabbage fillings. Also ones with meat and vegetables fillings, but I always go back to this recipe. All you have to do is slice/chop the vegies, spend about 7 minutes cooking them, then let them hang about in a colander to drain while cooling.

I always make my spring rolls, dim sums & wontons the day before I need them, not that it makes them taste any better, but so that I am not doing everything on the one day. I have done this before and by the time I sit down to eat the food I have no interest in eating.

This recipe is very flexible, you can delete an item, but you do need to replace it with another item, to keep the filling the same amount.

Now this filling has mushrooms and spring onions, both of which Miss Fish won't eat, but in these spring rolls she is happy to chomp them up.

I only make small spring rolls, enough for 2 mouth fulls. They cook quickly and are easy to eat.

Spring Rolls

1 packet spring roll wrappers, 1 x 250gm bag bean shoots, 1 bunch spring onions, 1 x 450 can bamboo shoot slices, 1 large carrot, 1 small punnet of pre sliced button mushrooms, 2 tsps brown sugar, 2 tbsps light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp shao xing wine/dry sherry

Slice the carrots, spring onions & bamboo shoots into thin julienne approx 5 - 7 cm long.

Vegetables all ready

Now I must admit that I julienne my carrots on a mandoline slicer - picture below, other wise slice them very thin then julienne the slices

In a wok or frypan heat 2 tbsps oil, add the carrots, spring onions & bamboo shoots. Stir fry approx 2 - 3 minutes or until starting to wilt, then add the mushrooms & bean shoots, stir 1 minute. Add soy sauce, salt, sugar & wine. Stir fry for 2 - 3 minutes or until the vegetables have started to soften.

Remove from heat and put into a colander placed over a large bowl, leave till cool. I give them a stir 2 or 3 times to ensure as much of the liquid drains as possible. I also leave the vegies in the colander while making the spring rolls. Soggy vegies = soggy spring rolls.

To make the spring rolls cut the spring roll wrappers in half in the diagonal, kitchen scissors are good for this.

With the cut side of the triangle facing you, place about 1 tbsp of the mixture in the middle along the edge.

Fold the long edge over the filling, away from you. Then fold over each side, tucking in the points.

The roll into a cigar shape rolling away from you. dip the point into water and fold over to secure. Place onto a baking/parchment paper lined tray/plate. Continue making spring rolls, I had enough filling to use all but 1 spring roll wrapper.

To cook, I shallow fry them in a frypan using about 1 cm of vegetable or peanut oil. Drain them on kitchen paper.

I serve them with a dipping sauce made from 1 tsp chilli sauce & 1/4 cup light soy sauce mixed together.

Chinese Banquet for a lazy Sunday

Now you might think that lazy Sunday and Chinese Banquet is a contradiction in terms, but for those of us that enjoy tinkering in the kitchen creating yummy food items it is exactly that.

Now Mr CLI & I were creating the food shopping list for this week when he asked about the weekends meals - beating Miss Fish who likes to have her meals well planned. I replied that I hadn't thought about it yet !

He replied "what about making some homemade dim sims and vegetables spring rolls". Now if I am going to make dim sims and spring rolls I might as well go the whole hog and have a banquet.

So what is going to be on the menu

Dim sims - peanut & pork wontons - vegetable spring rolls - fried rice - prawn crackers - and either gado gado or satay chicken skewers & vegetable stirfry.

Now I won't be creating everything on Sunday, but Miss Fish & I will potter on Saturday making dim sims, wontons & spring rolls. I will also cook the rice so that it is nice and dry on Sunday for the fried rice. I will also cut chicken & vegetables ready.

Now what is Mr CLI's contribution to this meal other than suggesting it and eating eat - cooking the springs rolls and wontons.

Now for dessert I normally have steamed custard buns in the freezer from a restaurant in Templestowe, but I don't at the moment so I might try one of the packets of custards/jelly I bought from a Chinese grocers in Adelaide on my last visit, this will be another job for Saturday.

Pork & Peanut wontons

250 grams pork mince, 2 tsps peanut butter, 1 spring onion - white & light green part chopped finely, 2 tsps oyster sauce, small pinch ground white pepper, wonton wrappers

Mix together all ingredients, except wrappers. Place 1 tsp of mixture on 1 1/2 of the wrapper on the angle. Moisten edges fold over to create a triangle, with the fold edge facing you twist and tuck the left and right corners under to create ears, or join the 2 corners like the photo below.

Heat about 1 cm of oil in a frypan or 4 cm in the bottom of a wok, heat to 170 c. or when a piece of wrapper turn golden slowly. Cook turning until wrappers crispy and centre cooked, approx 3 - 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Serve with a dipping sauce.