Air-fried Chinese Roast Pork Belly

I must confess. 
As much as I love roast pork, esp the crackling, I've never attempted this at home ... til now.
Fearing all that splatter in my oven and the smells that might contaminate my cakes, etc etc, I've managed to live on store bought roast pork. In this region, I can get by quite happily since there are so many good ones about. 
Then the air fryer came about, caught my eye, got me wondering, wanting, checking out various recipes that have been successfully done in one. I've been putting off getting an air fryer for the longest time. You know, new toy, play with it for awhile, get tired of it and then makes way for the next new gadget and takes up what little space I have. Wait and wait some more ...shall I, shan't I?
Then I visited a neighbouring country and found a locally made air fryer for less than half the price of the popular branded one. Everything about it screams COPY but hey, works the same and it might be sitting on the shelf in a couple of months due to boredom or whatever. Why the heck not?

So here I am, trying out everything I possibly can with it. And boy, I am so happy with this thing, I'm willing to put it in the same <3 category as the slow cooker. 

I've done the basics of potato fries, eggplant, you know .... zzz
I needed to do this at least once and you can see why I'm so happy with it. The crackling turned out super! I'll definitely be making this again.

Cleaning was easy and the color was nice and even. And I believe it takes a shorter time than in a regular oven. Meat below the crackling was moist and tender. The only complaint is having to pierce the skin....I really need to find a better and easier way to do that. But, Oh, the satisfaction of seeing that bubbling crackle!

I'm using the basic instructions from bakecooklove and tweaked some.

Ingredients

about 700g pork belly (with skin intact, cleaned and wiped dry)

salt
white vinegar

Marinade: 

1 tsp 5 spice powder
half tsp white pepper
pinch of salt
roasted garlic paste (just plonk a whole bulb of garlic in the air fryer, cook for a few minutes @ 180°C until it's soft enough to mash)

Method

I did not blanch or boil the meat as instructed as I figured all that natural sweetness would just go to waste. 

Pierce the skin with a fine, sharp skewer. Don't get lazy with this part. The more holes the merrier. 
Rub the marinade ingredients into the meat part only.
Leave in fridge overnight uncovered to dry out the skin.
(I pierced more holes after drying out the skin ... )
Preheat the air fryer at 180°C.
In the meantime, brush the skin with white vinegar and coat with salt. (Just put salt in a wide bowl or plate and dip the skin onto it. )
Wrap the bottom part with foil, leaving the skin exposed.
Air fry for about 20 mins. Remove from air fryer and scrape off the caked up salt.
Air fry again for about another 20 mins or until skin is nice and golden and crackly.

Enjoy while warm. 
Should there be any leftovers (you're kidding!), just plonk it into the air fryer for about 3 mins and the crackling will be nice and crunchy again. 


For those who are thinking of getting an air fryer but in doubt of which to get, here are some reviews of certain models which you may or may not find in your area. 
https://www.reviews.com/air-fryer/

Gyozas/Dumplings (To mold or not to mold)

This is more of a post on the mold than a recipe. 

It looks more like a bear trap …for teddy bears … it doesn’t look too menacing.

There’s a Japanese store called Daiso, where most everything is RM5 … which translates to about USD$1.50. This contraption caught my attention and was too weird to ignore. 

Normally I like messing about with my fingers, making shapes and out-of-shapes. 

After messing about with this for awhile, I’ve decided that making and shaping dumplings by hand is way faster altho the mold makes it really neat and uniformed.

These Chinese Jicama Dumplings are made by fiddly fingers … not talking about the recipe, just about the shaping and sealing methods. 

The ones in the main pic, I’d used wanton skins and filled it with a stuffing of minced meat, minced shrimp, chopped spring onions, salt and pepper, cornflour to bind it all together and for a silkier texture and the optional beaten egg, also to bind.

You can also fill it instead with sliced bananas and chocolate for a sweet dessert, fried til crisp and served with ice cream or drizzled with maple syrup. 

Wanton skins aren’t just for savouries.

Easy Dinner Rolls

Oh ….

My ….

Gawdness!!

This must be the easiest and fastest bread recipe I’ve ever tried!

And they turned out super!

Soft and tender crusted rolls. Not the hard crust dinner rolls.

My bread machine decided to die on me. I haven’t been making bread since my tennis elbow injury. 

Tried a “No Knead Bread” recipe. It was ok … no great shakes. 

Tonight I had a hankering for some plain soft buns, slathered with butter. I can wolf down a half dozen easily and then regret it all later when I feel like a hippopotamus that can’t swim. So yum!

Had to make some. 

Used a regular stand mixer this time, using the dough hook attachment. 

This is gonna be a repeat recipe for sure …. many, many repeats…probably with some improvisations later. 

Do not be shocked by the amount of yeast. It doesn’t turn out yeasty. All’s good. Tested, tasted and approved by several tonguebuds ...or maybe they're just being polite? 

(Adapted from kitchenmeetsgirl)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup plus 2 tbs warm water

1/3 cup oil (I used grape seed oil)

2 tbs active dry yeast (I used instant yeast)

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

3 1/2 cups bread flour / high protein flour

2 tbs butter, melted (for brushing)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 400ºF / 200ºC.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, combine warm water, oil, yeast and sugar. Give it a quick stir and leave to rest for 15 mins. You should have a foamy mush by then.

Mix 2 cups of the flour, salt and egg into the yeast mixture using dough hook attachments. 

Add remaining 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup at a time.
Knead until you have a smooth and elastic dough.

Shape dough into 12 balls (I made into smaller ones and got 18).

Place dough balls into a large baking pan, spacing them apart enough for dough to rise until about doubled in size. Alternatively, you can also bake them in muffin pans.

Let rest for 10 mins (I left mine for 15 mins) or until doubled in size.

Bake for 10 mins (I baked for 10 mins, took them out and brushed with some melted butter and baked a further 5 mins) until tops are just golden brown.

Soooo goooood!!

I've used it as a burger bun, loaded with char shu (Chinese bbq meat) and pickled gherkins with a slathering of mustard. It's a little lighter than the usual burger buns. Okay if the filling isn't too heavy. If you're looking for a good burger bun, you can use this. Great buns for anything.

*Note: unused dough can be frozen before proofing stage. Wrap in cling film and freeze. Thaw, shape and allow to rise to double its size and bake as per instruction above.

Pumpkin Rice

~Pumpkin, Pumpkin,

Round and fat.

Harvest time is coming.

Yum, yum, yum.

That is that!~

I have the sniffles and I think it’s pumpkin fever. Incurable. I die happy.

I found this recipe on a fellow blogger’s site. It caught my eye. And why not? It’s got pumpkin in it.

Hers is a loaded version. You can check it out here.

I just made a simpler one since I’ll be having kung pao chicken on the side. Altho this turned out scrumplicious, basmati rice would be a better choice as it's less fluffy and with a springier bite. 

It’s so appetising! Good even on its own. Thanks Phong Hong!

I’m gonna be making this very often and with different variations.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained

1 Chinese sausage, thinly sliced (or substitute with any meat of your choice)

1 cup diced pumpkin

2 tbs dried shrimp, soaked, drained and coarsely chopped

1 small onion, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 cups chicken / vegetable stock

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbs oil

Chopped scallions

METHOD

Heat oil. Sauté the garlic and the dried shrimp.

When it’s fragrant, toss in chopped onion, pumpkin, sliced Chinese sausage and ground cinnamon. Stir it around until onions are soft.

Turn off the heat and mix in the rice. Coat evenly.

Transfer into a microwave safe bowl and add in the stock.

(Same method as how I cooked rice before. Alternatively, you can also plonk it into a rice cooker if you have one).

Cook uncovered on high for 10 mins.

Sprinkle chopped scallions just before serving.

Down Memory Lane : Leek and Tofu Stir Fry

There are comfort foods and then there are comfort foods that remind you of your childhood. 

There are so many of them from the good young days, I can’t remember them all. Then you see a particular ingredient at the market stalls and it triggers that inner childhood tummy pangs. Some of which I used to hate eating before but all of a sudden develop a hunger and craving for it …. strange. No …. no durians yet. That would take some serious doing.

This was one of the dishes my Chinaman uncle used to love as a condiment to his porridge. Porridge as in Chinaman rice porridge, not the oat porridge westerners eat every morning. 

I also used to dislike rice porridge. It was bland, boring, colourless, textureless … but I guess that’s why the condiments that go with it. But you’ll be amazed at the way a typical Chinaman eats porridge and how much of it is shoved into the mouth with their chopsticks while accompanied by the minutest sliver of condiment and then followed by another five to six shovels of porridge.

I eat (if I had to and it’s usually when I’m sick) a spoonful (yes, I use a spoon. I would have porridge all over my face and lap if I tried using a chopstick) of that bland, boring white mush with a gazillion condiments. That’s sick food. Yes. 

Oh forgive me my ancestors … sigh.

I’d forgo the porridge and have all them condiments with white fluffy rice. So much better. 

I’ve always loved tofu. Leeks only in leek and potato soup. Then one day…….a bunch of leeks called out to me from a grocer’s shelf …. and the rest, as they say, is … in my tummy! Yum!

Of course I had this with rice … not porridge. I’m not sick, you know.

INGREDIENTS

Bunch of leeks, whites and greens, sliced whichever way you like

Firm tofu squares

Oyster sauce

Sesame oil

Oil for sautéing

Optionals:

Thinly sliced / minced pork or chicken

METHOD

Heat oil.

Brown tofu squares on each side. Remove from pan.

Slice into thick slivers.

Set aside.

Brown meat in the same pan. Add a little more oil if need to. 

Stir in leeks until slightly softened. Longer if you prefer it softer.

Add oyster sauce to taste.

Stir in sliced tofu.

Turn heat off.

Add a dash of sesame oil. Stir to mix. 

Dish out and serve.

To make it a little more fancy, sprinkle on some toasted sesame seeds.

Enjoy! And welcome to the Chinaman’s world.  

Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice Packets

(adapted from here and there)

Not exactly Birkin, Coach or LV .. but far yummier 

It does look like fine leather, doesn't it?

Ever since making my first and last attempt of the glutinous rice dumpling (bacang/chung) wrapped with bamboo leaves, I vowed never again after an agonizing 2 weeks of suffering from a major rash breakout. Who'd have thunk I'd be allergic to the little fine, prickly fuzz on the leaves? 
I'd found some dried lotus leaves tucked away in my pantry from god-knows-when, and decided to use them instead to make these little rice packets. 
The flavor is a little different from the bacangs, a small part of it due to the different types of leaves used, a little less intense. More like Lor Mai Fun ... or is this Lor Mai Fun? Do I know my Chinese dishes or what?

You can prepare this ahead of time. Keep the bundles in the freezer and steam it when you want it.


INGREDIENTS
(makes 4 small-ish packets)

1 cup glutinous rice, washed & soaked for a couple of hours

1 small onion diced
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 small knob young ginger, julienned

4 -5 medium sized, dried shitake mushrooms, soaked until soft & sliced
1/4 cup dried shrimps, soaked to soften, drained and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup diced char siew / chinese bbq pork
1/8 cup Chinese preserved sausage (lap cheong), diced
1 cup diced chicken meat, marinade with 1/2 tsp white pepper, dash of Chinese rice wine & 1 tsp cornstarch

chopped scallions, for garnish

2 double-layered halves lotus leaves, cut into quarters.
(That means you'll get 4 double-layered quarters)
*Note: The leaves usually come folded in halves. Do not separate the 2 layers. Having a double layer ensures the holes (if any) are plugged up.

Seasoning Ingredients
Mix everything in a bowl:

1/4 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Chinese rice wine
1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder


METHOD

Drain glutinous rice. Put into rice cooker with 1/2 cup water and a pinch of salt. Cook and cool.

While the rice is cooking, saute the dried shrimp in a little oil until fragrant and slightly crispy. Remove from pan.
Heat another tbs of oil in the same pan and saute the chopped garlic, onions and ginger until lightly browned and onions are soft.
Toss in the diced, marinaded chicken and cook until browned.
Stir in the mushrooms, preserved sausage and bbq pork.
Add in the cooked glutinous rice, fluff it out a bit, add in the seasoning mix and stir everything together to combine evenly.
Leave aside while you prepare the lotus leaves.

Put a wide pot of water to boil. Soak the leaves in for about 10 minutes, turning them over if needed.

Remove the softened leaves gently, pat dry and trim off the hard tip as illustrated below. 

Divide the rice into 4 portions. Put one portion onto the lower center of one leaf and wrap according to the diagram, tucking in the end securely.
(*Note: I have come across some suggestions where it's done the opposite of how I wrap this but I've found it easier to tuck in the narrow end. Wrap it any which way you like as long as it doesn't accidentally open up in the midst of steaming. Or tie it with vine if you wish).

Steam packets over high heat for 10 mins.
To serve, make a diagonal cross cut on the top of the packet and fold the flaps outwards. Sprinkle with chopped scallions.
Eat while hot.

YTF: Unplugged

(Thank you everyone for helping get this to FoodBuzz Top 9)

No relation whatsoever with WTF .... and I don't mean the World Tennis Federation. Go figure it out for yourself .... or ask any teenager what WTF stands for. I'm too prim and proper (ahem) to say it out here.

YTF, as in Yong Tau Foo, our local get-your-hands-on-any-vege-and-stuff-it-with-some-fish-or-meat-paste type dish. In my case, I left it unstuffed or according to the title, unplugged. Instead, I've used the minced meat in the gravy.

The traditional YTF is usually stuffed with fish paste .... I can't see myself eating this with a fish-type sauce and meatarians we are in this household. I've used minced pork here, but you can always substitute it with minced chicken.

This is so not the typical YTF. This is my spur of the moment version, my what-else-can-I-add-to-this version. The I'm-too-tired-but-I-gotta-eat version. It worked out quite well altho I think I'd add more mince to it next time. Even the pic is "spur of the moment", taken with my mobile phone, still trying to figure out how to use its camera to its full potential.

Just in case you're wondering what's on the platter ... besides the little bowl of gravy.

From left to right: eggplant, firm tofu (tub tofu, yes TUB, not tube, tofu), ladies fingers, tofu puffs and fresh chilly.

INGREDIENTS

These are the usual stuff (pun intended) for YTF but feel free to add whatever suits your fancy:

eggplant, sliced

firm tofu, cut into wedges or thick slices

ladies fingers, whole

fresh whole chillies, seeded (or leave them unseeded if you're feeling sadistic)

puffed tofu

bitter gourd, seeded and sliced

long beans (this one's just blanched in stock)

... have I left anything out?

For the gravy: (you'll need to adjust your amounts depending on how much of the YTF condiments you have)

1 cup minced meat

1/2 cup water

2 tsp sugar

2 tbs miso

1 tbs oyster sauce

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

chopped scallions

cornflour + water, to thicken

METHOD

Singe the veges and tofu on a lightly oiled pan until lightly browned.

Leave aside while you prepare the gravy.

Stir fry the chopped garlic in a little oil.

Add the minced meat and stir fry until browned and cooked.

Add in water, miso, oyster sauce, stir to mix well.

Taste to see if you need to add all 2 tsp of sugar.

Stir in the balsamic vinegar.

Bring to a boil and add in enough of the cornflour and water solution to thicken to gravy-like consistency.

Sprinkle with chopped scallions and serve.

Pork Ribs Curry

I have an aunt who just cannot take coconut milk. Not that she doesn't like the taste, she somehow gets a tummy ache every time she takes it .... kinda like lactose intolerance,... you get the picture. But she, being a true nyonya, loves her curries and chillies too much to give up on them. I'm not too sure of my facts, but I believe she came up with this recipe all by herself and it became a great family favorite.

The die-hard nyonyas will have my head for cooking a curry in a slow cooker. Yes, I agree the aroma from the saute-ing of the ground ingredients may be lacking but I still think it tastes pretty good. You can always add in this step if you're a nyonya die-hard. Me, I'm a save-some-time

die-hard. Well, perhaps that might not be too true either, since there are periods when I'd do recipes "from-scratch". Fickle minded, that's me. But for now, it's save-some-time curry.

INGREDIENTS

500 g pork soft ribs / short ribs

8 - 10 fresh red chillies (this can be adapted to your preference)

4 onions, cut into wedges / 10 shallots (the more onions the thicker the gravy)

1/4 cup tamarind paste plus enough water to make about 1/2 cup thick juice

1/2 - 3/4 tbs shrimp paste granules / belacan granules

1/2 tbs pork stock granules (you can use chicken stock as well)

1/2 tsp sugar or to taste

1 cucumber, halved length-wise and then cut into wedges

soy sauce, to taste

METHOD

If you prefer a less spicy curry, remove the seeds and white membranes of half the amount of the red chillies.

Add these together with the onions / shallots, tamarind juice and shrimp paste granules in a blender or food processor. At this point, it's up to you if you prefer your curry to have a smooth or coarse texture. Puree the mix until the desired consistency. (We prefer it to be not overly smooth).

[Should you decide to saute the paste for that authentic nyonya-ness, heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a pan and saute the paste for a minute or so until fragrant. But you might need to add a little extra liquid (tamarind juice/water, about 1/4 cup) in the slow cooker as the paste would be drier.]

Plonk ground chillies mixture and pork ribs into a slow cooker. Add in stock granules and stir to mix. You don't need to add any additional water (unless the paste was sauteed) as the juices from the meat and eventually the cucumbers will make it just perfect. Cook on high for about 3 hours.

Taste to see how much sugar or soy sauce you need to add in and also if you need to add more tamarind juice** if it's not tart enough. Toss in the cucumber wedges and cook for another hour or 2 or until the cucumbers are soft but not mushy*.

*Note: My aunt likes to add the cucumbers right at the beginning since she likes it all soft and mushy. I like mine with a little bite.

** The tartness depends a lot on each batch of tamarind. Adjust to taste.

Serve with fluffy white rice.

Apple Sauce & Memories

I remember when I was little, Mum used to take me to a place they called a "snack bar". It was a semi-sleaze joint where they also served great food. And when it came to good food, mum would turn a blind eye to the scantily clad girls hanging around half drunks who are trying real hard to hang on to their bar stools and not fall off. I guess I was too naive to realise what kind of "snacks" they were serving. Don't knock mom for taking a kid to places like these. She was a prim and proper lady used to champagne lunches and fancy joints, but like I said, she had a weakness for their food. And, I had a weakness for their pork chops with their homemade apple sauce. Where they'd got their chef from, I have no idea, since most of their evening customers don't even know what they're eating anyway. The lunch crowd was mostly office folks working around the area and we weren't the only family enjoying their good food during the daylight hours. Kids from the schools nearby, would be there for their superb milkshakes when school lets out. But when night came, it's forbidden for us to even be seen 100 feet from the place. What a turnaround. It was, um... educational.

Now, I was talking about the apple sauce they served with the pork chops. This was not from the can nor the baby food stuff that's bland and boring. It complimented the chops so well, and when they closed down (I wonder why?) I could not find another person who made it the same.

I'd made these to go with other pork dishes but I'd have to admit .... it's nothing like what I remembered. Sigh ... memories.

INGREDIENTS

About 1.5 kg apples (I used a mix of granny smiths and some reds)

Juice of 1 lemon

Peel of 1 lemon (large strips)

1 cinnamon stick (abt 2 - 3 inches long)

1/4 cup brown sugar (you can reduce this if you want it more tart)

1 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

Remove core from apples, peel and cut them into wedges.

Plonk all ingredients into a large, deep pot. Stir to mix well.

Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer and cook for about 20 - 30 mins.

Remove pot from heat. Discard cinnamon and peels.

Mash with a potato masher or cool a little and puree in a food processor. At this point, you can decide if you want your apple sauce chunky or smooth.

Serve hot or cold. Good with pork dishes or with vanilla ice cream. Or blend it together with your favorite smoothie.

Keeps well in freezer.