Churros

Churros

Churros are widely known as a Mexican or Spanish snack. However Churros are made in different ways around the world. It can be made as a dessert or snack and is very common to be bought as streetfood with chocolate sauce on top or to dip in.  I have two recipes for Churros here. One with egg and butter and one without eggs and with oil. The dipping sauce is most often a chocolate sauce but could be something else as well. The easy way is to use Nutella. However I have the recipe of three different sauces here as well. It is just to go by your own taste really.

Ingredients (with eggs and butter)

1 cup water

1 cup wheat flour

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 eggs

2 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients (without eggs and with oil)

1 cup water

1 cup wheat flour

2 tbs oil

2 tbs sugar

½ tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

Frying

Oil for frying (I used sunflower oil)

Coating

½ cup sugar for coating

1 tsp ground cinnamon for coating

Mix and spread in a tray to coat the Churros after frying.

Directions

In a ordinary pot or preferably a cast iron pot add enough oil to fill the pan about half way, heat it over medium heat to heat it to 350 F/175 C degrees. You can also use a deep fryer for this.

In a large saucepan, add the 1 cup water, 2 tbsp butter or 2 tbsp vegetable oil if you go with that recipe. 2 tbsp of sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and ½ tsp salt, bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and add the flour, stirring constantly until the mixture turns into a ball, cook this mixture for about 1 minute. (Remember to constantly stir).

Move the dough into a bowl and cool. When cool add one egg a time and mixing well after each addition to make sure the egg is well combined making a smooth dough. 

Spoon the dough into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or a cake press with a star press if you have one. I tried both but like the piping bag and star tip the best.

Pipe “5 inch ropes” (or as long as you prefer) into the hot oil (be very careful) and make sure you only cook a few at a time so you don’t bring down the temperature of the oil. Cook them for a few minutes on each side or until deeply golden brown.

Drain them on paper towels or parchment paper to remove excess oil and then dip them in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with your remaining batter and serve right away!

Spicy Chocolate sauce

Ingredients

8 ounces/225 g chopped semi-sweet chocolate/dark chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature

⅛-1/4 tsp ground cayenne

Big pinch salt

Instructions

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside briefly. Pour the cream into a small saucepan over medium-high heat, and heat until it just starts to bubble.

Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 1 minute to soften the chocolate. Whisk the cream and chocolate together until smooth and fluid, then add the room temperature butter, ⅛ tsp cayenne, and the big pinch of salt. Whisk until everything is shiny and smooth. Taste the sauce, and if you’d like a spicier flavor, increase the cayenne in small amounts until you get a heat level you enjoy.

This sauce is best served warm. As it cools it will thicken, so you might need to microwave it in short bursts and whisk it periodically to keep it fluid. Spicy Chocolate Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

If you want a different spice you can use whatever you like. Or if you don’t want it spicy just leave it out and you will have a regular chocolate sauce.

Dulce de Leche Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

Combine the cream and dark brown sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir while sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a slow boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until the cream mixture reduces down to 1 cup. This will take around 10 minutes.

Once it has reduced, stir in the sweetened condensed milk and whisk until everything is well-mixed. Serve dulce de leche sauce warm, and re-warm it in the microwave if it starts to get too thick. Dulce de Leche Sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mango Sauce

Ingredients

3 large ripe mangoes or 1 1/2 cups mango puree

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

If you’re using fresh mangos, peel them and cut the flesh away from the center pit. Place the fruit in a food processor or high-speed blender, and process until liquefied. Pour the pulp through a fine mesh strainer and measure out 1 1/2 cups of mango puree. If you have extra, save it for a different use. If you’re using frozen mango puree, make sure that it’s defrosted before continuing.

Combine the mango puree, lime juice, and granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and stir to combine. Cook the mango puree, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan with a rubber spatula, until it reduces down to 1 cup. This will take about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to stir often so the fruit doesn’t scorch on the bottom.

Mango Sauce is best served at room temperature or chilled, not warm. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Mohinga

Mohinga

Mohinga is considered one of the national dishes of Burma/Myanmar. It is actually eaten for breakfast. But for me it could be lunch or supper.

Serves 6-8

For the broth:
1,5 l water

5 tbsp chickpea flour 

2 tbsp rice flour 

1 cube vegetable or fish stock 

1 whole catfish or use other fish you can get

2 large onions, quartered 

A handful coriander

1 tbsp fish sauce (known in Burmese as ngan-bya-yay) 

For the spice:

4 cloves garlic, peeled 

3 cm knob of fresh root ginger, peeled 

2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed of woody bits 

1 small bunch of fresh coriander, stems only 

6 tbsp groundnut or other neutral oil 

1 tbsp mild chili powder

1 tbsp ground turmeric 

1 tsp hot paprika 

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

To serve:

600g dried rice vermicelli noodles or homemade rice noodles

Cooked fish cut in pieces

Wedges of hard-boiled eggs 

1 small bunch of fresh coriander leaves, chopped 

Shallots or red onion

Lime wedges 

Fish sauce

Chili oil

Pour 1,5 l water in a pan, add a handful chopped coriander and bring to a boil. Put in the fish and let it zimmer until fish is boiled. Take out the fish and clean from skin and bones and cut fish meat in pieces. If you used filées cut the filées in bitesize pieces. Let the broth rest on the side while preparing the rest of the ingredients.

Toast the chickpea flour and rice flour by tossing in a dry frying-pan on a medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes till fragrant. Watch like a hawk and keep moving the pan, since it can catch and turn black in seconds. Leave to cool and then sieve the toasted flours.

Whisk the sieved flours with 500 ml water from the cooled down broth in a bowl or jug till smooth. Set this flour solution to one side.

 

Now prepare the spices. Add a little oil in a wok or frying pan. Add all the spices and fry a little to release the fragrance and taste. Add the lemongrass, garlic, ginger, corianderstems  and onions which are chopped finely. Fry for 3-4 minutes till fragrant.

Now add the fish to the spicemix. Add the spicemix and fish to the stockpot. Stir to combine and then add the flour solution you made earlier as well as the cube of stock. Stir while mixing in the flour solution to avoid lumps.

Bring to the boil, turn the heat down to medium and simmer vigorously for 30 minutes.

If you use dried noodles: put the noodles into a heatproof bowl, generously cover with just boiled water, untangle with a fork and then leave to soak for 15 minutes. Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse them thoroughly with cold running water.

 

Leave the colander in the sink to allow any residual water to keep draining. The Burmese don't like mushy or starchy noodles and this process gives the best result.

When you're ready to serve, stir the fish sauce into the stockpot of broth.

Now divide the noodles amongst pasta plates (should be about a handful in each), and ladle the hot soup on top (which will reheat the noodles).

Garnish each dish with sliced red onion, wedges of boiled eggs and coriander leaves and serve with lime wedges, fish sauce and chili and garlic oil on the side.

Homemade rice noodles

To make these rice noodles, you’ll need:

1¼ cups rice flour

2 tablespoons tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1¼ cups water

1 teaspoon vegetable oil, plus more for brushing

Add the rice flour, tapioca starch (or cornstarch), salt and water to a mixing bowl. Mix and dissolve everything together well. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, and strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into another bowl. Cover the liquid and let rest for 30 minutes.

While the mixture is resting, fill your steamer (make sure that your flat-bottomed pan fits comfortably inside first!) with water. If you don’t have a steamer, use a large, deep cooking vessel with a wide opening and a lid. Bring the water to a boil. (You might need to add more water throughout the cooking process. The goal is to have the pan float on top of the boiling water.)

Brush a light coating of oil on the bottom of the flat-bottom pan, put the pan on top of the boiling water, and add a 1/4 cup of the rice liquid to the pan. Tilt it a little so the rice liquid covers the bottom of the pan. I did use a plate instead of a pan.

Now, cover with the pot lid and cook on high heat for 5 minutes. If the flat bottom pan you use has a thicker bottom, e.g., Pyrex, increase the cooking time to 7 or 8 minutes. While it’s cooking, brush the second pan or plate lightly with oil.

After 5 minutes, remove the lid, take out the 1st pan, and set aside. Put the 2nd pan on top of the water in the steamer, add a ¼ cup of the rice mixture. Tilt it a little so the rice liquid evenly covers the bottom, cover, and let cook.

While it’s cooking, attend to the first pan. We’re going to lift the noodle sheet out and place it onto a cutting board. Brush the cutting board with a thin layer of oil to prevent sticking. Then, use a rubber spatula to loosen all sides of the sheet of noodle, and slowly lift it up and off the pan/plate. Lay it flat on your cutting board.

By now, your second pan is probably ready. Remember to brush the first layer with a thin layer of oil before layering the second sheet on top to prevent sticking.

Now brush the bottom of the 1st pan with some oil and get ready to make your 3rd batch. Repeat the above steps until all of the rice noodle batter is gone. Once all of the noodle sheets are made, I cut the noodle sheets into pieces. Feel free to cut them in whatever sizes and shapes you like. I then toss the noodles, loosening each layer to separate them. Now the rice noodles are ready to be used!

Clay pot baked Chicken with potatoes and vegetables

Clay pot baked Chicken with potatoes and vegetables

Ingredients

For the toppings:

3 chicken drumettes and 3 winglets

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

2 teaspoons dark soy sauce

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

½ teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

pinch of white pepper

For the vegetables:

Potatoes cut in halves

Carrots cut in sticks

Artichokes cut in halves

1 cup chicken stock

1 onion sliced

¼ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon oil

1 slice ginger, finely julienned

1 scallion, chopped

a handful of dried wood ears (about ¼ cup when rehydrated), soaked, or any other chinese mushroom

Directions:

Marinate the chicken pieces in the topping for a while.

Cut the vegetables in halves and slice the onion and the mushrooms.

Soak the claypot in water for 30 minutes before you place all the vegetables in the pot. Sprinkle 2 tbs cornstarch over the vegetables. Place the marinated chicken over the vegetables and all the marinade over.

Place the clay pot in the oven with the lid on and cook at 190 celsius degrees for  2,5-3 hours.

When serving stir the vegetables and you will have a nice sauce around them from the marinade, chicken juice and cornstarch.

Roasted Pork Leg with Asian twist

Roasted Pork Leg with Asian twist

Ingredients:

1, 6 kg Pork leg roast (or any similar size)

1 tablespoon chilli flakes

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon mustard seeds

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons oil

On the side:
Potatoes

Artichokes

Carrots

Onion

Directions:

Preheat oven to 190ºC. If your oven has a fan function then use this.

Score the skin of the pork leg with a sharp knife then pat dry with paper towel.

Mix together the flakes, seeds, garlic & salt and massage into the pork rubbing in well between the scored lines.

Place pork on a rack in a roasting tray (It's important to let air circulate around the roast for even cooking).

Insert a meat thermometer into the middle of the meat.

Drizzle over the oil.

Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the oven tray.

Place in the pre-heated oven for half an hour and then reduce the temperature to 120 º C and cook a further 3-4 hours until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced or until the thermometer reaches 71ºC.

When you have about 30 minutes left place potatoes, carrots, artichokes or other vegetables and sliced onion in the tray under the roast and bake it in the oven while it soaks up the juice from the roast as well.

Take out the tray and sprinkle in cornstarch and stir until you have a nice gravy with all the tastes from the pork and the vegetables and potatoes in it.

Leave the pork leg to rest for about 15 minutes before you cut into it. The meat will be as tender as you can tear it with a fork. The skin crisp and crackeling.

Clay pot rice with chicken, cured meat and egg yolks

 

Clay pot rice with chicken, cured meat and egg yolks

Clay Pot Rice bowl is made with chinese sausage and cured pork belly. This clay pot rice bowl has a layer of crispy rice at the bottom!

If you cannot find Chinese sausage any cured meat will be fine

Ingredients:

1 cup jasmin rice

1 cup water
1 chicken leg

5 cm piece of cured pork belly (slice)

5 cm piece of sweet chinese sausage (slice)

A handful dried scrimps

A handful chinese mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
Green peas

1 tablespoon regular soy sauce

1 tablespoon seasoned soy sauce (you can substitute this with a bit more regular soy sauce as well)

½ tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 tablespoon fish sauce

A pinch of sugar

A pinch of white pepper

1 scallion, chopped

2 egg yolks (optional)

Directions:

Soak your cup of rice in (exactly) a cup of water in your clay pot for an hour. After it's been soaked, cook the rice. I have a clay pot meant for the oven so I place it in the oven on 250 degrees Celsius.  

Mix the soy sauces, fish sauce, sugar, white pepper and marinate the chickenleg for 20 minutes. Fry the chicken all around in a frying pan. 

Check the rice. When it's boiling and water has evaporated add some olive oil and stir. Put the chicken leg on top of the rice and put it back in the oven for about 20 minutes, until chicken is baked through.

Put the cured sliced meats, dried scrimps, chopped mushrooms in the frying pan and quickly fry and stir in a little of the sauce from the chicken marinade. 

Take out the claypot and add the mix on top of the rice and put it back in for 10 minutes. Take it out again and place the egg yolks nicely on top. Cover it back up and bake for another 3 minutes.

Take the pot out of the oven and decorate with chopped scallion.

The rice is done when it is crisp along the sides.

Serving , mix the rice and the other ingredients and get some of the crisp rice in each portion. Top with fresh spring onion and peas.