Roast lamb with rosemary cream sauce

A common method to cook lamb leg is to wrap fresh rosemary around it, frankly most of the aroma of rosemary is gone after cooking. I find that it is easier to have the rosemary aroma by cooking it in cream to accompany the roast meat.

1. Rub salt and white pepper generously all over lamb leg, bake at 200˚C for 15minutes per 500gm plus 15minutes more, then rest in oven with door ajar for another 15 minutes.

2. Cook a few sprigs of fresh rosemary in cream or sour cream at low heat until cream is warm and rosemary turn dark, add juice from baking tray, season with salt & pepper, and cornstarch to thicken if necessary.

Chicken with shitake mushroom & XO sauce

This is a very fragrant, tasty and easy to make dish, you can steam it on its own or have rice below to catch the delicious juice.

1. In a wide dish, mix rice with 1.5 its volume of boiling water, steam for 30 minutes.

2. Cut chicken thighs meat into chunks, cut shitake mushrooms into thick slices, season with salt, white pepper, sesame oil, liqueur, cornstarch and a big spoon of XO sauce.

3. When rice is cooked, place chicken mixture evenly on top, steam for around15 minutes until cooked.

Lamb shank stew with smoked paprika

I borrowed the flavouring in Spanish chorizo when preparing this dish, namely Spanish smoked paprika (pimenton ahumado), giving a bright red hue and a rich taste to the stew.

Cover lamb shank with water and slow cook with:

1 tbsp Spanish smoked paprika

1 tbsp fermented bean paste/miso

1 tbsp orange peel/orange marmalade

3 dried figs

1 onion and 1 carrot finely cut

chili, salt & pepper to taste

for around 2 hours, thicken sauce if necessary.

Spring flower - dandelion

I have a love hate relationship with dandelion, it is such a cheerful flower that brightens up the landscape. Only if it can stay in the lawn, and do not move into my flower and vegetable beds. They have a strong taproot that is very difficult to pull up.

Egg cocotte

A simple way to make soft-boiled egg without worry of cracking in water.

1. Oil ramekins, preferably stainless steel ones (cook faster than pot ones), crack eggs one into each dish.  

2. Bake at 160˚C for 10minutes, then rest in oven for 5 more minutes (base on stainless steel ramekins)

Baked ribs

This baked ribs used yogurt as in tandoori chicken to marinate and produces the resulting thick sauce.

1. Mix yogurt with fermented bean paste or miso, 5-spices powder, minced garlic and ginger, salt and pepper.

2. Spread all over ribs and marinate over night.

3. Place ribs on baking tray, spoon excess yogurt marinade on the surface. Bake at 170˚C until cooked, around 35 minutes.

Baked tandoori-style chicken

Using similar seasoning as tandoori chicken but baked in the oven instead of cooking directly on fire. The result is golden yellow chicken, not bright red as in the restaurant because I did not use colouring. 

1. Cut 2 chicken drumsticks into 2 halves, make 1/2cm deep cuts into thick meaty part, 2 on each piece.

2. Marinate with half a lemon juice for 30 minutes.

3. Mix 4 tbsp thick yogurt with 4 mashed clove of garlic and an inch of ginger, 1 tbsp curry powder, salt, soy and chili to your taste.

4. Pour away excess lemon juice, spread yogurt mixture over drumsticks, marinate overnight.

5. Place drumsticks on baking tray, spoon excess yogurt on the surface, bake at 200˚C until cooked and surface turns slightly golden, about 35 minutes.

White asparagus with cumin cream sauce

White asparagus is in the market, this is a highly regarded Spring vegetable.

It is traditionally served with Hollandaise sauce, I changed to sour cream flavored with roasted cumin sauce.

1. Wash and trim tough skin on asparagus, lay on baking tray and bake at 180˚C for about 20 minutes, until just soften but still crunchy.

2. Dry roast cumin seed in a pan, stirring all the time, until fragrant. This roasting changes the flavour of cumin making it less harsh.

3. Add sour cream to cumin, season with salt and white pepper, thicken with corn starch or egg yolk if necessary. Add a handful of finely chopped parsley just before serving.

Pork with coriander and lemon zest

In France, they sell a piece of pork called  'grillard', for grilling, it is the layer from above the back rib bone, with clear streaks of fat. It is the only cut of pork that is tender and juicy after searing/grilling. Serve simply with coriander & lemon zest to enjoy the pure taste of pork.

1. Cut criss-cross pattern on both side of pork to speed up cooking.

2. Season with salt, white pepper, 5-spices powder and liqueur for half an hour.

3. Sear both side until brown and cook through.

4.  Cut a handful of coriander leaves finely, add zest of a lemon, a big pinch of salt, black pepper and olive oil, spread on top of seared pork.

Peru broad bean

Last December, I planted some multi-colour broad bean that I bought in a village market in Peru, they are now half foot tall.

Roselle chutney

Learn this recipe in a cooking class in Inle Lake, Myanmar.

In pestle and mortar, pound 10 roselle flowers, seeds removed, with a piece of garlic, 2 shallots, chili to your taste and a pinch of salt.

Take the paste out and pound a small handful of roasted peanut until powdery, mix with paste to neuralise the sourness of roselle.

Bagan, Myanmar

The ancient city with over 3000 pagodas and temples still standing, built mostly during 12 & 13 C. The best is to ride bicycle to get off the tourist roads, then you can enjoy the peaceful and rural atmosphere there.  

Farmer moving his cows to look for grazing land.

River in Myanmar is for transportation purposes, not yet converted into the sort of atmospheric lifestyle area like in other countries. The huge clay pots are water containers.

Yangon, Myanmar

Myanmar girls like to smear a paste made from tree bark on their face for sun protection, that leaves uneven patches on the face when dry. Even those working indoor wear it all day long, it is a bit strange to see girls walking around with such a messy face.

The most famous Temple is Shwedagon, extensive, and heavily gilded, just one pagoda is covered with 3 tons of real gold.

This is a sweet looking Buddha.

There are some character old buildings around, but they are in such poor condition, including the pavement they are on, that a lot of effort is needed to brush up the city for more sites to see other than temples.