Life is Great

Hakka Yong Tau Foo (客家釀豆腐) [Printer Friendly Version]

Recipe from my mother.
Serves 6-8

Notes: Traditionally Hakka Yong Tau Foo stuffing is made with fish, pork and salted fish. You may use 500 grams of fish paste and 500 grams of pork mince plus 30 grams of good quality mui heong (梅香, soft, slowly aged threadfin) salted fish to go that route. Vegetable trimmings such as finely chopped scallions, carrot and chilies are sometimes added to the paste for color. Adjust the frying time when mixing with pork (roughly an extra 2 minutes for each round), as meat cooks slower than just fish.

If dealing with a whole fish is not your thing and you'd rather use readymade fish paste, either get it fresh from your fishmonger or look for packaged ones with the least amount of additives/preservatives/liquid. Any leftover fish paste can be reserved to make fish balls or fish cakes for soups, congee or vegetable stir fries. The tauchu:sugar ratio in the dipping sauce is always 1:1, so you may adjust the recipe accordingly (this recipe yields about 3 cups).

Fish Paste:

• 2 medium, fresh Spanish mackerel (about 600 grams each), clean and drain well
  
• 1 - 1/2 heaped teaspoon salt
  
• 1/4 cup water
  
• freshly ground white pepper

• 4 pieces square semi-firm tofu, drain well, half diagonally, make a small slit on the cut side
  
• 6 pieces tau foo pok (deep fried tofu balls), half diagonally, make a small slit on the cut side
  
• 4 pieces bean curd skin sheets, dampen with a wet cloth, cut into half (about 4x6-inch rectangles), trim uneven edges, reserve trimmings
  
• 1 medium long eggplant, slice at an angle, slice horizontally almost to the edge
  
• 1 small bitter gourd, remove seeds and slice at an angle
  
• 1 yellow bell pepper (I used yellow due to the color scheme) , remove seeds, cut into 8 pieces
  
• 6 fresh red chilies, remove seeds, slit lengthwise
  
• 4 ladies finger/okra, remove some seeds, slit lengthwise
  
• a small bowl of salted water
  
• 1 beaten egg (to seal rolled stuffed bean curd skin)
  
• about 2 cups peanut or vegetable oil for deep frying

Tauchu Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons tauchu (Chinese fermented soy bean, if unavailable, Japanese miso or Korean Doenjang are good substitutes)
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
  
• 5 cloves garlic, minced finely
  
• 5 shallots, minced finely
  
• 2 centimeters ginger, minced finely
  
• 5 tablespoons hot chili sauce (use Sriracha sauce, sambal paste or add freshly chopped birds eye chili for more heat)
  
• juice and zest of 1 lime
  
• a few sprigs of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Prepare the fish paste: On a large chopping board, fillet the fish from tail to head on one side, avoiding the dorsal and ventral frame, but taking off the gill bone/operculum (just below the head) along with the fillet, leaving the head intact (refer to fishy photos above). Set the fillet aside. With a small spoon, scrape the fish meat off the bone from head to tail. Repeat the filleting and scraping with the other side. Place the fish skeleton aside. Repeat scraping the fish meat off the fillets, holding on to the fin bone, not tearing the skin. Repeat with the other fish. Reserve fish skeletons and trimmings in a freezer bag for stews, stocks or congee.

Clean the chopping board and dampen slightly with a splash of water. In a small cup or bowl, mix the salt with the water well. With a cleaver or a large knife, chop up the gathered fish meat into a rough mince. (Fresh sea mackerel meat is naturally sticky; you will need to scrape off the cleaver/knife constantly from this point.) Add about 1/3 of the salt water and a dash of pepper to the mince; continue chopping to mix in the seasoning. Repeat the seasoning and chopping twice until all salt water is used up.

Divide paste into two balls. Set one ball to the edge of the chopping board. Lift the other one up at least about 1 1/2 feet away from the board and throw it onto the center of the board with force. (Caveat: Aim well.) Gather it back and repeat this (rather fun) bit about 10 times. (Avoid overdoing this, although it's a good way to reduce some pent up anger (if any), as it will result in a tough instead of springy fish paste.) Repeat with the other half of the mince. Slap the two halves of mince against each other and gather into one slab. At this point, you can divide the paste into portions if not using all of it immediately. Wet hands, smooth out the paste all around with some water and store in a freezer-safe container. Fish paste keeps up to 3 months in the freezer.

Prepare the stuffed items: If fish paste is chilled, bring it to room temperature. Meanwhile, prepare the tofu and other items for stuffing. Set aside a small bowl of salted water. Use
a small butter knife to stuff the tofu (be extra gentle with this one), fried tofu balls and vegetables. The amount of paste to use varies, generally chilies, ladies finger and bitter gourd use up more filling. Clean up the edges and smooth out the fish paste with some salted water. (Avoid overstuffing the tofu and vegetables as they may tear/break during frying.) For the bean curd skins, spread a thin layer of fish paste on each sheet (short side facing you), add on some of the trimmings, then roll the sheet up and away. Seal the edges with a little bit of beaten egg. Lay out all the stuffed items on a platter/tray to prepare for frying.

Prepare the dipping sauce: If using whole bean tauchu (whole bean, not paste, is of better quality), finely chop up the beans together with the sugar. In a medium bowl, mix well all the sauce ingredients except the coriander. Set aside.

Cook the stuff items and sauce: In a large wok or a heavy bottomed saucepan, heat up oil over medium heat and fry the stuffed items by batches, starting with the vegetables and ending with the fresh tofu. Lay the stuffing side down to cook the fish paste, then flip over and around to cook the vegetable/tofu, about 4-5 minutes each side. Tips: Ensure oil is hot enough for deep frying to avoid oil-clogged results. The tau foo pok is already cooked, this will take the shortest time. Avoid frying the chilies and ladies finger for too long, they will shrink and separate from the filling. Tofu is fried last due to the moisture; eggplants take the longest to cook.

Drain the fried items on kitchen towels before transferring them to the serving platter. Reduce the oil in the wok to about 2 tablespoons. Pour in the mixed sauce ingredients and fry for about 4 minutes over medium heat till thickened slightly. Check and adjust seasoning. Turn off heat, add in the coriander. Dish out into a bowl and serve the Yong Tau Foo with warm rice if desired.

Momofuku's Cornflake Chocolate Chip Cookies [Printer Friendly Version]

Adapted barely from Anh Nguyen's A Food Lover's Journey, original recipe from Momofuku Milk Bar.
Yield: 18-20 4-inch cookies

Note: Like Anh, I omitted the 65 grams marshmallow (added last to the dough) and reduced the sugars from the original recipe. If you have the book, the original recipe uses 1 1/2 cups flour, equivalent to 170 grams in weight. There are complaints from most reviews online that the cookies spread too much and are burnt around the edges after 18 minutes. While I weighed the flour (240 grams is slightly over 2 cups), the cookies still spread a little too flat for my liking (possibly due to Singapore's heat and humidity) but since I do like the texture of the final result, I may just portion them using a smaller scoop the next time rather than changing the recipe.

Cornflake crunch:

• 170 grams cornflakes
  
• 40 grams milk powder
  
• 40 grams sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 130 grams butter, melted

Cornflake chocolate chip cookies:

• 225 grams/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
  
• 200 grams granulated sugar (original recipe uses 250 grams)
  
• 120 grams brown sugar (original recipe uses 150 grams)
  
• 1 egg
  
• ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  
• 240 grams plain flour
  
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
  
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
  
• 270 grams/3 cups cornflake crunch
  
• 125 grams chocolate chips

Make the cornflake crunch: Preheat oven to 130°C/275°F. Place the cornflakes in a medium bowl and crush them gently into smallish pieces. Add in the milk powder and sugar, mix well to combine. Add in the melted butter and mix well. Spread the cornflakes onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Bake for about 20 minutes or till the flakes are golden and smell buttery. Remove onto a wire rack and leave to cool. Once cooled, store the crunch in an airtight container.

Prepare the cookie dough: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars till fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the egg and vanilla, then beat for about 7-8 minutes until pale. Scrap down the side of the bowl from time to time. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and mix until just incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer, fold in the chocolate chips and cornflake crunch. Using a 1/3 cup measurement (I used an ice cream scoop photographed above, just about 1/3 cup), portion out the dough on a lined baking pan. Pat the top of the cookies dough domes to flatten slightly. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

When ready to bake the cookies: Preheat oven to 190°C/375°C with the rack centered and line baking sheets with parchment. Arrange the cookies at least 4 inches apart on the prepared sheets. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until the cookies just begin to brown. (Cookies will puff, crackle, and spread.) Let the cookies rest on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool off completely. The cookies will keep for 5 days in an airtight container (mine lasted for more than 1 week).

Do ahead: The cornflake crunch can be made ahead up to one week, store at room temperature in an airtight container. In the freezer, it can keep for up to 1 month. Like most drop cookies, the dough can be mixed and chilled up to 5 days ahead and frozen up to 2 months.

Roast Onion Shallot Tart [Printer Friendly Version]

Adapted barely from the August 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller
Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 1 hour 30 mins, cook 50 mins (plus resting, cooling)

Notes: To adapt to our tropical weather, I've adjusted the pastry resting time to 30 minutes between each fold. Use any onions you have, although red onions caramelizes better when roasted. For more details on rough puff pastry, GT has a dedicated recipe page.

• 60 milliliters/¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoons thyme
  
• Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  
• salt to taste
  
• 4 large red onions, thinly sliced horizontally
  
• 8 French shallots, thinly sliced horizontally
  
• Egg wash for brushing
  
• 60 grams goat’s curd

Parmesan rough puff pastry:

• 225 grams plain flour
  
• salt to taste
  
• 40 grams finely grated parmesan
  
• 1 tablespoons each finely chopped thyme and oregano
  
• 225 grams cold butter, coarsely chopped
  
• 100 milliliters iced water

For parmesan rough puff pastry, sift flour and a pinch of salt onto a work surface, add parmesan and herbs, mix to combine. Add butter, cutting it through flour mixture with a pastry scraper until roughly mixed. Make a well in the centre, add 100ml iced water, mix with pastry scraper until a dough just forms. Bring together with the heel of your hand to form a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest, about 30 minutes.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 1.5cm-thick rectangle, fold shortest ends together to meet in the centre, then fold in half again to form a book fold. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate to rest, about 30 minutes, repeat twice. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until required. Dough will keep refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months.

When ready to bake the tart, preheat oven to 180°C with a wire rack in the middle. Combine oil, vinegar, thyme and lemon zest in a small bowl, season to taste. Place onion slices in a single layer on baking trays lined with baking paper, keeping slices intact (don’t separate them into rings). Drizzle over half the oil mixture and roast until very tender and lightly browned, about 20-25 minutes. Let stand to cool to room temperature.

Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick, cut out a 25cm-diameter circle. Place the dough on a baking tray lined with baking paper, refrigerate to rest, about 30 minutes. Score a 1cm border partway through the pastry, prick inside border with a fork, brush the edges with egg wash. Spread goat’s curd within border, arrange the roasted onions on top, bake until pastry is risen, golden and cooked through, about 25-30 minutes. Drizzle over remaining oil mixture and serve hot with a green leafy salad.

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Pistachio Tartlets [Printer Friendly Version]

Pâte sucrée and chocolate ganache recipes adapted barely from the Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Yield: About 21 3-inch tartlets, 24 if you roll the pastry exactly 2mm thick and divide the filling accordingly.

Note: For pâte sucrée tips, you may refer to my previous tart recipe. Macerating the raspberries is optional but I like to do it because it balances out the tartness of the berry and the syrup gives them a nice sheen.

Pâte sucrée:

• 200 grams plain flour
  
• 60 grams pure icing sugar
  
• pinch of salt
  
• 120 grams cold butter, coarsely chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon iced water
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• egg wash for brushing

Macerated Raspberries:

• 300 grams fresh raspberries
  
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons castor sugar (or just enough to coat the berries)

Raspberry Jam:

• 300 grams fresh raspberries
  
• 150 grams castor sugar
  
• juice and zest of 1 lemon

Chocolate Ganache:

• 330 milliliters pouring cream
  
• 60 milliliters corn/golden syrup
  
• 250 grams dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids), finely chopped

• 100 grams fresh pistachios

Prepare the macerated raspberries: For the macerated raspberries, in a non-reactive bowl, coat the raspberries with the sugar. Cover with cling wrap and let stand at room temperature up to 6 hours. Drain off excess syrup before using.

Make the pâte sucrée: Process flour, icing sugar and a pinch of salt in a food processor to combine, add butter and iced water, process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. You can also do this very quickly with a pastry cutter. Add yolk, process to combine, turn onto a work surface and bring together with the heel of your hand. Divide the dough into 2 balls and form each dough into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic and refrigerate, for about 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare the jam and nut filling: In a medium saucepan, place all the ingredients and cook over medium heat till jam thickens slightly, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, about 20 minutes. Remove to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate (if necessary) till needed. For the pistachios, spread them on a baking sheet and roast for 10 minutes in at 180°C or 5 minutes over the stove. Cool to room temperature. Process in a grinder or pound in pestle and mortar, leaving some coarse pieces for garnish.

Bake the tart shells: Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4 (if using convection, turn the fan on). Working with one dough disc at a time, divide dough into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece on a lightly floured surface to 2mm thick and line 8 3-inch-diameter, 3/4-inch-deep fluted tart shells. Trim edges and refrigerate to rest, for about 30 minutes. Reroll remaining pastry into a ball and return it to the fridge. Repeat with the second dough disc. Combine the leftover dough and repeat to line remaining tart shells till all the dough is used up. Blind bake tart shells (pierce, line and weight) until light golden, for about 15-20 minutes. Remove paper liners and weights, brush shells with egg wash. Bake again until crisp and golden, about 4-5 minutes (if using convection, turn the fan off). Remove pastry shells from tart tins and cool on a wire rack.

Prepare the ganache filling: Bring cream and corn syrup to the simmer in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat, add in the chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove into a bowl and let cool slightly. Refrigerate until slightly thick, about 25-30 minutes, stirring every 8-10 minutes.

Assemble the tarts: While waiting for the ganache to cool, arrange the tart shells on a baking sheet or tray. Fill each shell with about 1 tablespoon of ground pistachios. With a small ice cream scoop or a tablespoon, scoop and fill each tart with the raspberry jam. Then, fill the tarts with cooled ganache, smooth the tops if necessary. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes to set. Once ganache is set, sprinkle with some pistachios. Arrange 3 to 4 of the macerated raspberries on top and serve.

Do ahead: Assemble the tarts as close to serving time as possible. However, all the components of the tart can be prepared ahead, except for the ganache. Baked tart shells keep well in an air-tight container, with layers of parchment in between, at room temperature, up to 3 days. The jam keeps up to 1 week, longer if canned. Keep the maceration of the berries under 8 hours though, else they'd be too soft to use as the garnish.