Sticky rice flour cake

I am experimenting using sticky rice flour instead of normal wheat flour in cooking.

My first successful recipe is this sponge cake. Just substitute wheat flour with sticky rice flour in any cake recipe you use normally. The resulting cake has a unique chewy texture. Very interesting change (if you like this texture), and great for people sensitive to protein, gluten, in wheat flour. 

 

Broccoli salad

1. Cut broccoli into small pieces, cook in an inch of water with a big pinch of salt, stirring regularly until just cooked, still crunchy. Let broccoli cool down in a salad bowl.

2. Cut into strips carrots, red bell pepper and mango, mix with broccoli. Season with lime juice, salt, pepper and sugar. 

Salty caramel sauce

Tasty sauce for any dessert, like sponge cake or as simple as vanilla ice cream.

1. Cook 2 cup of white sugar in a little water at medium heat, sugar dissolves and gradually turn golden brown, caramel stage.

2. Out of the heat, carefully pour full cream slowly into super hot caramel, stir until a thick sauce formed.

3. Add in big pinches of salt to the sauce, taste the sauce as you go to achieve a good flavor balance, a mild hint of saltiness is enough.

4. When cooled down, drizzle on top of vanilla ice cream, goes well with balsamic vinegar as in the photo.

Smoke chicken

1. Marinate chicken drumsticks with salt, brown sugar, grounded Sichuan pepper and liqueur for a day.

2. In a big pot half filled with water, add couple spoonfuls of soya sauce, 4 star anis, 2 cloves, ginger slices, a few cloves of garlic, small handful of Sichuan peppers, brown sugar and chili, simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Poach drumsticks in the broth at low heat until just cooked, around 15 to 20 minutes.

4. Let the drumsticks skin dry off for around an hour. Reduce poaching liquid to about 2 cups and adjust seasonings to taste.

5. In a barbeque stove, smoke the dried drumsticks with hickory wood or tealeaves, until skin is browned and have a mild smoky flavor.

6. Cut into pieces and serve with the sauce.

Wooly pig

Saw this man bringing his pet Tommy for a walk in a village in Hong Kong!

Panettone chocolate bread and butter pudding

My best bread and butter pudding so far is this one made with left over panettone. 

1. Cut panettone into big cubes, soak in a mixture of 2 eggs, 50gm sour cream, 350gm milk, brown sugar, mix spices and a pinch of salt for 2 hours.

2. Add a handful of dark chocolate cut into small pieces among the soaked panettone.

3. Bake at 160˚C until set, around 25 minutes.

Willow flower

There are a lot of wild willow trees growing in the area, and I now know that they flowers in winter. The flowers are small but pretty.  

 

Cured duck breast with lemongrass sauce

I used the Shanghainese style cured chicken method, posted earlier, to cure duck breast. It could be steamed, sliced and serve, or like this:

1. Score criss-cross pattern on the skin of duck breast, steam for 15 minutes.

2. After steaming, place duck breast skin side down on a pan and, over medium heat, render fat out, until skin is golden.

3. Cut lemon grass bottom tender stalk part into thin slices, carrot into tiny cubes.

4. Cook carrot in a cup of water until soft, add lemon grass and infuse for 15 minutes, season with lemon juice, salt and sugar. Bring to boil and thicken with corn starch.

Smoke salmon with apple and pine nut

I like the contrasting textures and tastes.

1. Cut smoke salmon, green apple and red pepper into cubes.

2. Dry toast pine nut in a pan until golden.
3. Mix all ingredients, season with lemon juice, sugar and black pepper to taste.