Dry Beef Hor Fun

Ahh Singapore, how you now seem like a distant memory. Realizing I'm meant to go back to work tomorrow, this is the first time since high school that I've just feel like doing ANYTHING but going back to work. And so i look fondly upon just a few months ago, relaxing in Borneo and living it up in Singapore. 

So i know that hor fun seems to traditionally be served as a wet noodle dish; in fact I've seen variations of a thickened sauce that is pale in colour, but I've also seen variations that have a literal, runny, transparent broth with them! However, this version, which is a bit harder to find, is my favorite: dry beef hor fun! This version here is not quite as good as what i had over in Singapore, which was my favorite meal for the entire trip! But it seems to be hard to find recipes for this dry style on the Internet. Never mind, it's still delicious!

Stay tuned for one last post for 2011 (maybe 2... I'm hungry!) and I'll see you all again next year before the Mayan gods come get us.

Ginger Scallion Noodles with Grilled Chicken

I have great respect for the work of David Chang. I don't really want to write too much about him, lest i become another blogger who rants about the great respect they have for the work of David Chang. Whoops...

Anyway, one of my favorite cookbooks is the Momofuku cookbook. The story it tells, the detail it goes into, is just phenomenal. I really feel that if i go to the effort and obey his directions in the recipe, the dish will definitely turn out amazingly. Unfortunately those directions are often quite laborious and involve difficult-to-find ingredients!

This second dish that i have made from his cookbook is much simpler than the pork belly buns. Really, it's just the sauce for the noodles, and then you layer what you like ontop. My mum normally doesn't like egg noodles like this, but because the sauce does not weigh down the dish, and is quite light, she was converted.

Niu Rou Mien

I am told that niu rou mian, or Taiwanese beef noodle soup, is one of the most popular dishes in Taiwan. As with all such popular dishes, there are devotees out there who will probably scowl at this recipe and say 'thats not how you do it!' I've seen versions that cook the broth and the serving meat seperately, similar to the pho i made, and i can see benefits to both courses of action. In this case i've opted for simplicity. With it's spicy ginger and star anise it reminds me of a less refined, more hearty version of Vietnam's eponymous beef pho. My dad actually preferred the richness of this dish. 

There is a school of thought out there that devotes possibly too much effort to the making of a clear broth. Unfortunately i am of that school! And whilst i'm yet to get to the obscenely clear broths of some of the experts out there, i can offer some handy hints to newbies on how to make their broth not cloudy:

• Always start with cold water and raise the temperature of the broth slowly
• Try not to bring a broth to the boil as this is rough on the proteins in your food and causes clouds
• Skim the surface of your broth regularly. You might think you can do this later but by that time the scum would have reintegrated back into the soup in tiny particles.
• When draining your stock, do so gently and do not press out the liquid, just let it sit

There are more methods incorporating freezing, egg whites and much more! I'll let you know when i try them. 

Tsumiki Fusion Soba with Cha Siu Pork

A bit of background lifted from About.com: Tsukimi soba is hot buckwheat noodles with a raw egg topping. Tsukimi means moon viewing in Japanese. Since the egg resembles the full moon, these kinds of noodle dishes with egg toppings are called "tsukimi."

This dish, with it's sweety cha siu pork, bok choy and chicken broth base, it most definitely not your authentic Japanese noodle soup. But hey! This one is even better :)

Raat Nar Gai - Charred Rice Noodles and Chicken with Thickened 'Gravy'

One thing that really surprised me on my trip to Thailand was that despite trying it 5 or 6 times, i never did find a Pad Thai as good as the really good ones you can find here, or indeed even as good as my own! Maybe it was my own personal tastes but i found most of them too gluggy, too sweet and too saucy. I didn't try any other noodle dishes, but i wish i tried this one over there.

The key to making this dish stand out is the charring of the noodles. I learned after making this that you really need to make sure you don't overload the wok with noodles, and really don't be afraid to leave them to the point of almost burning. The small amounts of charred noodles that i DID manage to make had a wonderfully smokey flavour that was sadly absent from most of the noodles. Next time!

KL Hokkien Mee

So the second Malaysian dish i decided to cook for Fathers' Day was KL Hokkien Mee. My dad loves Hokkien noodles and was accustomed to buying them with the premade, salty sauces which were pretty nice in their own right. But i wanted to cook Hokkien Mee from scratch!! And i can say i had moderate, if not complete success.

The first thing any self respecting Malaysian will tell you when it comes to making good Hokkien Mee: it's all about the lard! None of this vegetable oil business. True hokkien mee is cooked in pork lard with the leftover pork scratchings from the rendering added to the noodles.

My friend 3 Hungry Tummies gave a good recipe for KL Hokkien Mee and whilst i'm sure mine is not as good as his, i'm on my way! The only disappointment i had with the dish was that it was not as rich black as i had hoped. Was this the brand or type of sweet soy that i used? I'll have to try again!

Miso Soup with Tofu, Chicken &Udon

Somehow or another i seem to be getting blamed for my family's burgeoning waistlines and creeping cholesterol levels. Could they be referring to my deep fried rolls of pork, cheese and ham?? Or is it that cake made from cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk they are so disgruntled with? Either way there's no denying that we've been putting on a little bit in the winter months. And so, i turned to the cuisine many of us turn to when looking for something low in fat but high in yum- Japanese.

This is a cheats version of Miso soup where i just use the instant sachets, though true miso soup using miso paste is hardly much more complex. Feel free to change around anything you put in the dish, it's really a free for all. Prawns, pork, beans, sprouts. It's all destined for the pot.

Roast Pork Banh Hoi

Today i went on a trip to the Vietnamese culinary delight that is Victoria St, Richmond. Getting there at 10:00am it was already packed with shoppers of all races and sizes, delving into the fresh, varied produce, unusual packed goods and bargains to be had. There were a few things on my to-buy list including Vietnamese coffee, ingredients for 3 color drink, good fish sauce, and pork belly. But the raison d'etre of the journey was one thing and one thing only: banh hoi.

Pad Thai

Late July i'm jetting off on my first trip to Thailand (that is like SO 2004 right?) and i can't wait! Over the last 2 or so years i've tried to perfect my pad thai, and tonight is the closest i have gotten yet. Whilst the practices used in making the pad thai are pretty standard, this is not the easiest dish to make. A lot of intuition goes into knowing when to add ingredients, and most importantly, when the noodles are ready to add.

The recipe which i originally used gave the guideline 'the noodles can be added when they are flexible, but haven't enlarged'. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, the noodles stay in this 'twilight' state for about 10 minutes! If worst comes to worst, add the noodles earlier rather than later, and then keep testing and adding water to the wok before putting in the egg. The constant stirring will make the noodles a bit more 'gluggy' but the result will still turn out much better than overcooking the noodles in the first place. After a few takes, you'll get a better idea of when to add the noodles.

On a side note: i love tamarind? A partner once bought me a box of dried tamarinds as a snack, and despite their unappealing look (dried dog poop anyone?) the sticky sweet/sour flesh inside is delicious. If you are ever on Victoria St Richmond, pick some up from a grocer.

Pho Bo

Okay i have a confession... before making this dish i had not actually ever eaten Pho before. It's pretty rare that i go to a Vietnamese restaurant. So i have no idea whether i actually made a decent pho or not. However, what i CAN say is that i understand why everyone loves this dish. The rich broth of spices and beef, the tender shavings of beef, the zing of the lemon, the burst of the handfuls of fresh herbs. It is quintessentially... Vietnamese. Makes me want to go there so badly! The one bad thing about pho is the work that goes into the stock. It seems like this should be a fast and easy meal, however if you don't have the broth on hand it's loooooong.

Ingredients

The Broth (makes 2 litres or 4 serves)

• 500gm chicken bones or wings
• 1kg soup bones
• 500gm osso bucco or beef brisket (basically a cheap beef)
• 6 star anise
• 2 cassia sticks
• 5 chinese cardammon
• 1 large onion, in thick slices
• 3 inches of ginger, in coins
  
• 12 cups of water
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
  

The Rest (per serve)

• 85gm good steak (tender but lean)
• 1/2 cup coriander, including chopped stalks (thats where the flavour is)
  
• 1/2 cup thai basil, torn
  
• 1 long chilli, sliced
• 2 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
• A handful of bean sprouts
  
• 60gm pho rice noodles

To garnish

• Lemon wedges
• Nuoc Nam fish sauce

Method

The Broth

Somehow or another char both the onion and the ginger until they look burnt. IF you have a grill or burner, easy! If like me, you don't, just fry with no oil. Set aside.

Place all of the broth meats in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil. Discard this first run of water.

Add the ginger, onions and spices, and the 3 litres of water. Bring to the boil then reduce to a low simmer.

Cook for as long as you have (2 hours minumum; the longer the better), skimming the surface muck off occasionally, and reducing it to 2L.

Strain the stock and refridgerate.

When ready to use, remove the stock from the fridge and skim off the layer of fat that will have settled on top.

The Rest

Slice the beef as thinly as possible. Easiest way is to freeze the beef first, then this will be easy. Set aside.

Cook the rice noodles as per instructions and run through cold water to stop them cooking. Set aside.

Bring the required broth to a boil (approx 1.5 - 2 cups per person) and leave boiling heavily.

Place the noodles and coriander into the serving bowls, and lay the beef slices on top.

Ladel over the boiling soup; this will cook the beef.

Add the chilli, basil and spring onions.

Serve with lemon and nuoc nam so that people can adjust the soup to their own tastes.

Enjoy!