Beef Hor Fun

Main Ingredients:

• 150g beef fillet, trimmed and cut into thin slices
• 350g fresh flat rice noodles (hor fun)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce combined with 1 tbsp water
• 100g mustard greens (sawi), trimmed 1 tbsp oil
• A handful of bean sprouts
• 1 stalk spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths
• 3-4 thin slices young ginger

Seasoning (A)

• 1 tsp old ginger juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tsp corn flour
• 1 tsp oil (to be added last)

Sauce (B) (combined)

• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
• 5-6 tbsp water
• 2-3 tsp corn flour

Method
Marinate beef with (A) and set aside for 20–25 minutes.

Bring water to a boil in a wok, add in marinated beef and scald for 4-5 minutes. Drain the meat and leave aside.

Heat wok with 1 tablespoon oil and swirl the wok around so that the oil coats the pan well. Use the spatula to remove any excess oil, then add in the rice noodles. Fry the noodles briskly in the hot wok for 1–2 minutes. Add the combined soy sauce mixture and fry the noodles well. Dish out and place on a serving platter.

Heat a clean wok with 1 tablespoon oil and stir-fry mustard greens and beansprouts for 30–40 seconds. Remove and place around the noodles.

Reheat wok with a little oil and fry ginger slices until fragrant. Add in combined sauce ingredients (B). Return the pre-cooked beef and fry briskly. Add a dash of sesame oil and a little more oil to glaze the gravy. Pour the gravy and beef over the noodles and serve immediately.

Remarks:
I just had Beef Hor Fun for dinner today, so I thought I would look up the recipe and post it. One of my all-time favourites. I usually like to add extra sliced chilli and soy sauce. I like the starchy gravy and it is so important that the beef is tender. The ginger just goes so well with the Beef, I wish the Thai place I ordered from had it!

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients For Chicken:

1 chicken (about 1.8 kg)

1 large piece of ginger, smashed

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp light soya sauce

Method:

1.  Wash chicken and remove excess fat.  Stuff chicken with salt, ginger and garlic.

2.  Fill a deep pot with water making sure water level  is enough to immerse chicken.  Bring to a boil, and when boiling put in chicken and cook over low heat for 25 to 30 minutes till chicken is cooked.

3.  Remove chicken and drain liquid from the body cavity.  Retain chicken stock for cooking rice and soup.  Scoop out oil from stock and use for making chilli sauce.

4.  Add 2 tbsp salt to a big pot of water.  Dip chicken in and soak till it has cooled down.  Drain and brush with 1 tbsp sesame oil mixed with 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce. 

5.  Chop chicken into bite-size pieces and serve garnished with sliced cucumber, tomatoes and coriander leaves.

Ingredients For Chicken Rice:

600gm fragrant rice

700ml chicken stock

5 cloves garlic, minced

8 shallots, minced

1 small piece ginger, smashed

4 pandan leaves, knotted

4 tbsp corn oil

1 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Wash rice, drain in a colander and leave to stand for 10 minutes.

2.  Heat 4 tbsp corn oil over high heat in a wok.  Add minced shallots and garlic, ginger and pandan leaves and fry till fragrant.

3.  Add rice grains and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes.  Transfer to a rice cooker and add chicken stock and salt.  When rice is cooked, remove ginger and pandan leaves. 

Ingredients For Chilli Sauce:

10 fresh red chillies

6 cloves garlic

5 shallots

2.5 cm piece young ginger

chicken oil

juice of 10 limes

2 tbsp vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

Method:

1.  Blend chillies with garlics, shallots and ginger.  Add vinegar, lime juice and chicken oil.  Add salt and sugar to taste.

Claypot Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

2 cups rice (300g)

2 cups water (350ml)

2 chicken drumsticks (300g)

5 dried Shitake mushrooms

2 dried Chinese sausages

2 stalks mustard greens

50g salted fish

Marinade for Chicken:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tbsp ginger juice

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

a dash of pepper

1 tsp cornflour

Method:

1.  Soak mushrooms in warm water till softened.  Cut off  stalks,  drain and squeeze dry.

2.  Wash sausages and cut each into 6 to 8 pieces.  Wash vegetables and cut into pieces.

3.  Fry salted fish in a little oil till crispy and crumble into small pieces.

4.  Wash and cut chicken drumsticks into pieces.  Mix with marinade and salted fish and set aside for 30 minutes.

5.  Wash rice, drain and put into the claypot with the water and 1 tbsp of Maggi concentrated chicken stock.  Bring to the boil over high heat.  When steam holes appear on rice, add the chicken, mushrooms and sausages.

6.  Cover claypot  and continue to cook over low heat for another 15 to 20 minutes till chicken is cooked.

7.  Add vegetables on top, cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes.

8.  Mix well before serving and drizzle some dark soya sauce over the rice. 

Pumpkin Noodle

Ingredients:

1 small Japanese pumpkin (300g)

300g flat yellow noodles

1 tbsp dried prawns

1 small tin button mushrooms

100g streaky pork

few bunches of bok choy

5-6 shallots, peeled and sliced

2 tbsp oil

1.5 litres water

Seasoning:

1 chicken stock cube

salt and pepper to taste

Garnishing:

2 red chillies, sliced

1 stalk chinese celery, cut into short lengths

1 stalk spring onion, cut into short lengths

Shallot crisps

Method:

1. Remove seeds from pumpkin, wash and cut into wedges. Wash bok choy and drain.

2. Soak dried shrimps for a while, drain and pound roughly. Cut streaky pork into thin slices.

3. Scald noodles with boiling water and drain.

4. Boil 1.5 litres water with 1 chicken stock cube.

5. Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok and fry sliced shallots till golden brown. Remove fried shallots and set aside for garnishing.

6. Add dried prawns and fry till fragrant. Add streaky pork and fry for a while. Add pumpkin wedges and button mushrooms and stir-fry for another 5 minutes before adding to the boiling soup. Reduce heat and simmer till pumpkin is soft.

7. Add bok choy and noodles and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

8. Serve noodles garnished with spring onion, celery, sliced chilli and shallot crisps.

Hokkien Prawn Noodle

Ingredients:

500g yellow noodles

200g beansprouts

200g kankong (water spinach)

500g large prawns

250g fillet of pork

2 tbsp oil

1 tbsp chopped garlic

Soup Stock:

500g rib bones

1 pig’s tail (optional)

2 pieces sugar cane

2.5 litres water

30g rock sugar

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tsp pepper

Garnishes:

20 shallots (sliced & fried till golden)

2-3 red chillies (cut into strips)

1 piece fried fish cake (cut into slices)

Method:

1.  Remove roots of  beansprouts, wash and drain.  Snap kankong into pieces and soak in salt water for 30 minutes.  Wash thoroughly and drain. 

2.  Heat wok with 2 tbsp oil and fry the chopped garlic till fragrant.  Add the whole prawns and fry with a little salt till they turn pink.  Remove and shell prawns, reserving the heads.

3.  Blanch pork bones and pig’s tail in hot water and rinse well.  Clean sugar cane and cut each into halves.

4.  Bring the 2.5 litres water to a boil and add the pork bones, pig’s tail and the sugar cane pieces.  Cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes until pig’s tail is tender.  Add the fillet pork and simmer for another 20 minutes till tender.   Remove tail and fillet pork and cut into serving pieces.

5.  Add the prawn heads to the stock and simmer for 10 more minutes.  Remove prawn heads and discard.  Add seasoning to taste.  

6.  To serve, scald noodles, beansprouts and kankong and place in individual bowls.  Top with big prawns, sliced fillet, pig’s tail, sliced fish cake and some soup stock.  Garnish with shallot crisps and sliced red chillies.

Penang Char Kway Teow

Ingredients:

300g kway teow (flat rice noodles)

200g prawns (shelled)

50g chives (cut into 3cm lengths)

150g beansprouts

1 chinese sausage (sliced)

3 eggs

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

4 tbsp cooking oil

1-2 tbsp chilli paste

Seasoning:

2 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp dark soya sauce

a pinch of salt

a dash of pepper

Method:

1.  Heat 4 tbsp oil in wok until hot, add chopped garlic and fry until fragrant.  Turn up the heat and add the chilli paste (if used) and continue to fry until fragrant.

2.  Add prawns, chinese sausage slices and beansprouts and fry for a while.  Push all the fried ingredients to one side and add the kway teow (flat rice noodles) and stir-fry quickly for a few seconds.

3.  Add seasoning, sprinkle with a little water and stir in all the fried ingredients.  Push ingredients to the sides of the wok to create an empty space in the centre.  Add a tbsp of oil and crack in the eggs.  When the eggs start to set,  cover the eggs with the noodle mixture and stir-fry evenly.

4.  Finally, add the chives and stir-fry for 20 seconds before dishing up.

Chilli Paste:

2 tbsp chilli paste

10 shallots

1/2 tsp salt

5-6 tbsp oil 

Method:

1.  Blend skinned shallots and mix with chilli paste.

2.  Heat oil in wok and fry the chilli paste over slow fire, stirring constantly until fragrant and until the oil separates from paste.  Season with a little salt.

Xing-Zhou Mee Fen

Ingredients:

1 packet vermicelli

3 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp chopped garlic

100g char siew (shredded)

100g prawns  (shelled) 

1/2 carrot (shredded)

1/2 big onion (shredded)

a handful beansprouts

Seasoning:

2 rice bowls stock

1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

a dash of pepper

Garnishing:

2 red chillies (sliced)

2 stalks spring onions

a handful shredded lettuce

Method:

1.  Scald vermicelli with boiling water till softened and drain.  Blanch shelled prawns in boiling water and drain.  Cut spring onions into 2.5 cm lengths.

2.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok, add chopped garlic and fry until fragrant.   Add beaten eggs and fry for a while.  Add prawns, char siew, beansprouts, shredded carrot and onion.

3.  Add seasoning and the 2 bowls stock and bring to a boil.  Add vermicelli and continue to stir-fry till the gravy dries up.  (Adjust seasoning according to taste). 

4.  Dish up and garnish with sliced red chillies, chopped spring onions and shredded lettuce.

Foochow Fried Nien Kow

Ingredients:

250g Nien Kow sticks

2 chinese sausages

200 g pork fillet

300g chinese cabbage

2 stalks leeks

1/2 carrot

8 dried shitake mushrooms

6 tbsp cooking oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

few sprigs coriander leaves

Seasoning:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp vetsin

a dash of pepper

water (about 2 cups)

Method:

1.  Soak Nien Kow in water for 24 hours to soften. Drain before use.

2.  Soak mushrooms in water till softened, squeeze out excess water and cut into strips.  Wash chinese cabbage leaves and cut into 2 cm widths.  Wash and slice leeks diagonally.  Skin and cut carrot into thin slices.

3.  Cut pork fillet and chinese sausages into thin slices.

4.  Heat 3 tbsp oil in wok and fry half the chopped garlic until fragrant.  Add the sliced pork, stir-fry very quickly over high heat, then add the sliced mushrooms and stir-fry for a while.  Add sausages, carrots, leeks and chinese cabbage.  Pour in some water and add seasoning according to taste.  When vegetables are done, remove from heat and set aside.

5.  Heat another 3 tbsp of oil in wok and fry the remaining chopped garlic until fragrant.  Add the Nien Kow sticks and 1 tbsp oyster sauce.  Keep frying and adding water until the Nien Kow is soft.  Add the cooked vegetables and pork and let simmer for another 5 minutes. 

6.  Transfer onto serving plate, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

500g fresh flat yellow noodles

300g beansprouts

3-4 bunches bok choy

250g roasted pork belly

1/2 bowl preserved radish (chai por)

1/2 bowl dried prawns, ground

1 big onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp chilli paste

4 tbsp cooking oil

1 bowl water

Seasoning:

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp pepper

Garnishing:

2 fresh red chillies, sliced

2 sprigs coriander leaves

Fried shallot crisps

Method:

1.  Wash chopped preserved radish in several changes of water and squeeze dry.  Wash dried prawns and grind fine.

2.  Wash bok choy and coriander leaves thoroughly to remove the dirt.  Rinse in salt water and drain.  Chop bok choy into 3 cm lengths.  Nip off the roots of beansprouts, wash and drain.

3.  Scald yellow noodles and drain in a colander.

4.  Heat 4 tbsp oil in a wok, saute the chopped garlic and preserved radish over medium heat till lightly browned.  Add chilli paste and ground dried prawns and fry till fragrant.

5.  Add sliced onions, beansprouts, roasted pork slices and 1 bowl water.  When the water boils, add in bok choy and scalded noodles.  Toss ingredients thoroughly, adding more water if necessary.  Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.  

6.  Transfer to a large serving dish and garnish with coriander leaves, sliced red chillies and fried shallot crisps.

Fried Mee Siam

Ingredients:

1 packet vermicelli (bee hoon)

500g bean sprouts (taugeh)

100g chives (koo chai), cut into sections

2 pieces firm soya beancurd (tau kwa)

20 limes, squeeze for juice

6 eggs, beaten

10 tbsp cooking oil

Ingredients  to pound:

150g dried prawns, soaked

7 cloves garlic

20 shallots

7 tbsp preserved soya beans (taucheo)

1 tbsp belachan

3 tbsp chilli paste

Seasoning:

2 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vetsin

Method:

1.  Soak vermicelli in cold water for 1 hour.  Scald with boiling water and drain.

2.  Boil a pot of water, add a little oil.  When water is boiling, scald the taugeh and drain.

3.  Pound dried prawns, taucheo, garlic, shallots and belachan.  Add the chilli paste.

4.  Cut tau kwa into small strips and fry till slightly brown. 

5.  Beat the eggs with a pinch of salt and fry into a large omelette.  Cut into shreds for garnishing.

6.  Heat up the 10 tbsp of oil and fry the pounded ingredients until fragrant.

7.  Add in the taugeh and stir-fry for a while.  Add in the vermicelli and seasoning.  Sprinkle with some water and  add lime juice.  Adjust seasoning according to taste.  Stir and toss till bee hoon is soft and cooked.

8.  Dish up and garnish with fried tau kwa strips, chinese chives and shredded egg omelette.