Tau Eu Bak (Soy Sauce Braised Pork)

Growing up in Penang, I used to live with my extended family so there were two families and grandparents in one house. This makes it a little compact but we all had lots of fun where us kids will bond through playing remote control car, Super Mario, Barbie dolls, wrestling, transformers, making each other cry and all sorts.

When we were all living together, my aunt used to be the one who cooks most often cause she was an amazing cook. She made really good 'Tau Eu Bak' and always, with hard boiled eggs. One thing I regretted though, was that cooking was not my passion when young so I never actually spent the time asking her how to make such delicious food. Well, I guess I now have to make up for it.

So now that I am missing home cooked Aunt's food, I have to make it on my own. Luckily it is actually very easy to make and needs very few basic ingredients. So here is my version of Tau Eu Bak, pork belly slowly braised in soy sauce and slightly garlicky gravy. I'll make sure to get some special tips from her when I go home soon. For now, this is a good version and is best to eat with some 'sambal belacan' as it will give a different depth of flavour and spiciness to it.

Tau Eu Bak is also good when eaten with rice porridge / congee. Enjoy!

Tau Eu Bak (Soy Sauce Braised Pork)

Adapted from Nyonya Flavours book 
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 600g pork belly (cut into 3cm chunks)
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp salt

Gravy:

• 500ml water
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground five spice
• 10 white peppercorns (cracked)

• 12 cloves garlic with skin
• 4 boiled eggs
• 1 tsp sugar to taste (optional)
• sambal belacan (optional)

Method:

1.  Rub pork with cornflour and salt to clean it then wash under running water until rid of any flour traces.
2.  Blanch the pork in boiling water to remove odour from meat and rinse under running water. Set pork aside.
3.  Combine gravy ingredients in a pot then bring to boil. Add pork into pot and simmer for 10 minutes before adding in garlic.
4.  Add in boiled eggs and sugar then continue to simmer for another 30 minutes or until meat is tender.
5.  Serve with sambal belacan on the side. This will make the braised pork spicy and more fragrant.

Tips:

• This dish is best eaten with rice and some vegetables such as a simple steamed cabbage to be served together.

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The art of making kuih kapit

Seeing that Chinese New Year will be just three weeks away, I would like to share with you my favourite Chinese New Year snack or treat of all time. It is what we call kuih kapit, which is similar to love letters but thinner and folded into quarters instead of a cigar shape. Once you have had your first crunch, it takes a strong will to stop finishing the whole tub. I was lucky to be able to watch my aunt make a big batch of these addictive festive treat. The downside is that I had to wake up really early as she had to start making them before it becomes warmer or shall I say hotter in the afternoon (Malaysian weather).

I shall briefly explain how they are made to give you an overall understanding of what she has to endure throughout this process. Kuih kapit has to be cooked on an open charcoal stove, standing and flipping the mould for about six hours or more, depending on portion of the batter.

Start burning the charcoal before mixing the batter

Make sure the moulds are clean

Sieve the batter  (coconut milk, rice flour, sugar and eggs)

Heat up both sides of the moulds, oil and heat again. Make sure the moulds are hot.

Then pour the mixture onto one side of the mould, clamp and put it back on the stove.

Flip the moulds frequently, open and check. When it turns brown, peel it out of the mould with your fingers. This is when it burns your fingers if your fingers aren't used to heat. Lucky my aunt has fingers made of steel! ;)

This is a two man process as the second person has to quickly fold the sheets into a quarter before it cools and hardens. Tips: This is when nails come in handy so you don't burn your fingers.

KUIH KAPIT! The end product of this tedious process.

A good kuih kapit is very thin and lightly folded. It should be paper thin and not folded flat, like making origami. It should have a slight curve on the folds to give it some space so when you eat it, you can feel the ever so thinly folded layers crunch in your mouth. It really isn't a great idea standing in front of the hot burning charcoal for half a day in such a hot weather. But look on the bright side. The end result is phenomenal !!

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Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Dumplings)

Tang yuan are round glutinous rice dumplings. Types of tang yuan varies from traditionally plain with many different colours, to filled dumplings with either black sesame, peanut or red bean paste. It is quite a versatile and colourful dessert.



Traditionally, tang yuan is eaten during winter solstice to celebrate the arrival of winter. Eating these round little glutinous rice dumplings on this day means you become a year older. As these dumplings generally symbolises togetherness and completeness in the family, they are also eaten on the 15^th day of Chinese New Year.

At a Chinese or Nyonya wedding, the bride and groom will have to swallow these dumplings instead of chewing. Swallowing these round dumplings represents a sweet future and everlasting rounded future for the newly weds. I remember making these with mum for my sister’s wedding and was told to make them small enough to make it easier for swallowing.

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TANG YUAN (GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS) RECIPE

Frozen tang yuan can easily be bought from an oriental store but are usually the filled ones. The plain and traditional version is really easy to make so there is really no need to buy them. Please refer below for the recipe.

adapted from Nyonya Food
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 100g glutinous rice flour
• 80ml water
• 1 tbs fine sugar

• 1/2 tsp seedless raspberry conserve (for pink colour)
• 1 tsp matcha powder (for green colour)

Sweet ginger soup

• 250ml water
• 2 inch ginger (skin peeled and bruised)
• 100g brown sugar or rock sugar (up to your preference)
• 2 screwpine leaves (pandan)

Method:

1. To make glutinous rice dumplings, mix the flour and sugar in a bowl.
2. Slowly add the water and knead into a dough until you reach a smooth consistency. It should not stick to your fingers and if it starts cracking, it is too dry so add little drops of water until you reach the right consistency.
3. Divide the dough into three portions to be made into different coloured dumplings; white, pink, green.
4. Keep two portions of the dough in a bowl and cover so they don't dry out.
5. Use one third of the dough and roll into small balls of about 1.5cm.
6. Use another one third of the divided dough and mix with raspberry conserve or matcha powder until well combined.
7. When mixing raspberry conserve with the dough, it might get a little wet. Add a little more flour until you reach the same consistency.
8. To make the sweet ginger soup, tie the screwpine leaves into a knot and mix water, sugar and ginger in a pot. Bring to boil then simmer for about 20 minutes.
9. Cook the dumplings in a separate pot of boiling water in batches.Dumplings are cooked then they float to the surface.
10. Ladle cooked dumplings into a bowl of room temperature water. This will prevent them from sticking to each other, later.
11. Transfer the dumplings into the sweet ginger soup and serve.

Tips:

• You can substitute the raspberry conserve with red colouring instead. It can be in any colour you like.
• Dumplings are boiled separately so it does not cloud the ginger soup.

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Everyone's birthday at Gold Mine

Last Saturday was the 7^th day of Chinese New Year and is what we call Renri 人日(in Mandarin), literally means Human Day. According to Chinese culture, this was the day human beings were created so it is everyone’s birthday. And if you were wondering who was created before us, they were the chicken, dog, boar, sheep, cow and horse.

Yu sheng (raw fish salad)

On this special day, it is a Malaysian and Singaporean tradition to have Yu sheng so we celebrated at Gold Mine restaurant, one of the few Chinese restaurants that make this dish in London. Yu sheng is a type of raw fish salad with ingredients like pomelo, radish, carrot, turnips, peanuts, plum sauce and raw fish (originally raw herring but now it is common to use raw salmon). Eating yu sheng is a fun activity where everyone would stand around the table with their chopsticks and mix the ingredients by tossing them as high as possible as it symbolises prosperity and good luck. The higher you toss it, the better the year ahead. This usually leaves the table in a mess but it is part of the fun.

Prosperity toss

Roast duck

Juicy and tender duck covered with sweet and salty sauce. Some people say Four Seasons has the best, but in my opinion, Gold Mine has one of the best roast duck in London.

Duck's feet, sea cucumber and chinese mushroom in a claypot. Some of us (the Asians) enjoyed it but our European friends were not a fan of this dish, particularly the webbed duck's feet cause they would not even try it. 

Stir fried morning glory with garlic

This Gold Mine Prawn is similar to the Butter Prawn back home but is without butter and not as fragrant. Still good though.

Smile..

One of the best roast duck and a gold mine of comfort delicious Chinese food.

Frown..

Long queue. Even with reservation, it is common to still wait for the table.

Will I return?

Yes, this is where I go for comfort Chinese food.

Gold Mine Restaurant

102 Queensway
London W2 3RR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7792 8331

Closest station: Bayswater (district/circle), Queensway (central)

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Ayam Sioh (Chicken in Tamarind & Coriander Gravy)

Ayam sioh is a simple home cooked Nyonya favourite dish in Malaysia. The brown and plain looking outlook of this dish does not come close to what it actually tastes like. It is very tasty and aromatic, using only minimal ingredients with the main two being tamarind  and coriander seeds. The warm, citrusy and mild spicy flavour from coriander seeds combined with the sourness of tamarind and a small amount of sugar harmonises the entire dish, giving it a taste of sweet and sour comfort.

AYAM SIOH RECIPE

adapted from Nyonya Flavours

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs peanut oil
• 850g chicken leg
• 9 shallots (pound)
• 2 tbs ground coriander
• 2 tbs bean paste (tau cheo)
• 2 tbs tamarind paste
• 1 tbs dark soy sauce
• 1/2 tbs ground white pepper
• 2 tbs sugar (or to taste)
• 125ml water (1/2 cup)

Method:

1. Marinade the chicken with coriander powder and ground white pepper for about 20 minutes.
2. Heat peanut oil on a pan. Saute shallots until golden and fragrant.
3. Add in the bean paste and chicken. Stir to mix well.
4. Combine the dark soy sauce, tamarind paste and water into the pan. Add sugar to taste.
5. Let simmer and stir occasionally until chicken is tender and gravy thickens.
6. Serve with rice.

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Marbled Tea Eggs for Chinese New Year

I am very excited to share this post with you as this is a symbolic recipe for the very important Chinese New Year festival (10^th Feb this year), which is like Christmas for us. The same for any race or religion, a celebration always means mountains of food. With so many varieties of food, it is impossible to share all of them with you so I have picked one of my personal favourite.

Marbled tea eggs are commonly sold in Chinese herbal shops or in tea shops in Malaysia and is more often eaten as a snack as it is very portable and convenient. There is a particular shop that I go to every time I am home. The tea shop where my dad is a regular at, will have a mountain of cracked eggs boiling away in the slow cooker, placed at the entrance. The lovely aroma fills the whole space. I normally go on the escalator and naturally follow the smell. The eggs miraculously appear in front of me, with a girl smiling away recognizing this very frequent face.

Eggs symbolise new life and rebirth, and is an ancient symbol of fertility. They also represent fertility and wealth in the Chinese culture. Some refer eggs to golden nuggets mainly because of the golden yellow yolk. This tea egg is special and beautiful with its marbled effect created from the cracked shells simmered and marinated in spiced tea for hours to flavour the egg. Eat this if you would like to be blessed with wealth and fertility this New Year. Hope you like it and Happy Chinese New Year!

How to crack the eggs

 Cracked eggs

 Marble tea egg shells

Marbled Tea Eggs

Chinese Marbled Tea Eggs

adapted from Saveur
makes 8 eggs

Ingredients:

• 8 eggs
• 3 cups water

• 2 black tea bags
• 5 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs dark soy sauce
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 star anise
• ½ tsp five-spice powder
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper corn
• 2 strips dried mandarin peel (optional)
• 1 tsp sugar

Method:

1. Wash the eggs and place them in a pot.
2. Cover eggs with water then bring to boil for about 10 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.
3. Pour the hot water out and rinse eggs with cold water.
4. Tap gently on shell of each egg with the back of a spoon. Make sure the shells are cracked all around. Do not peel the eggs.
5. The cracks will let the spiced tea seep through the shells and flavour the eggs. This will also create the marble effect.
6. Slowly place the cracked eggs and all marinade ingredients into the slow cooker pot. Let it slow cook for 8 hours or overnight. If you do not have a slow cooker, put the marinade ingredients, cracked eggs and water enough to cover eggs into a regular pot. Boil and turn heat to low. Let simmer for about 2 hours or longer.
7. Serve warm or let eggs sit in marinade for a few more hours or overnight to develop a darker marble effect and deeper flavour.

Tips:

• The longer you leave the eggs in the spiced tea, the more flavourful the eggs become.
• Eggs can be left to sit in the marinade for 24 - 48 hours in the fridge.

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Chinese New Year : Peanut Cookies

(fah sang peng - in cantonese)

Since Chinese New Year treats are not as widely available here as mince pies during Christmas, I decided to make some to increase the festive mood. My mates love this and could not stop eating them. They practically finished the whole box in a blink of an eye. It is like eating peanut butter but in a cookie form. Also, it seems less naughty than eating scoops of peanut butter straight out of the jar.

This cookie is easy enough to make and is a real indulgence. Pack them nicely in a box with a lovely ribbon to be given away or stack them up on your cookie tray for when your guests arrive for open house. Just make sure not to put all of them out on display cause once your guests tried one, they will not stop popping the next one into their mouth. Gosh.., they melt in the mouth!

Peanut Cookie

yields about 6 takeaway plastic boxes

• 600g peanuts (skinless)
• 600g flour
• 500g icing sugar
• 500ml peanut oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 big heap tbsp of peanut butter
• Egg yolk for brushing

Method:

1. Toast the peanuts until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
2. Ground or blend the toasted peanuts until fine in a food processor.
3. Mix the ground peanuts, sugar and salt.
4. Add in butter and peanut butter then lastly the flour. Mix well.
5. Pour in oil slowly and blend until it becomes a dough. You might not need to use all the oil in the recipe. Stop pouring oil once mixture becomes doughy.
6. Roll them into balls and place them on a greased baking tray.
7. Bake in preheated oven at 175ºC for 18 minutes.

Tips:

• Be careful while handling them as they break easily
• Remember to use unsalted peanuts

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Chinese New Year and Red Date Tea

Chinese New Year (Lunar New Year) is on February 10^th this year and it is fast approaching. This means that every Chinese celebrating this holiday will be busy making preparations. It is the most important festival; similar to Christmas in Western countries. This is usually the time for forgiveness and reunion where families and friends will visit each other at their homes.

Preparation

Spring cleaning is a must before Chinese New Year to fully cleanse the house of dirt and rid get rid of any items that are broken to start the year afresh and without any shortcomings. Each home will also have lots of sweet treats ready for when visitors come to the house. We always have my three most favourite sweet treat; kuih kapit (love letter), peanut cookies and mum's homemade pineapple tart (the best I have had so far).

Kuih kapit (love letters)

Peanut Cookies

Pineapple Tart

Eve of Chinese New Year

This is the final day of making sure all preparations are done. Floors are vacuumed, swept and mopped to make sure it is clean before the clock hits 00:00. No one will sweep the floor on the first day of Chinese New Year as it is believed that it will sweep away the luck and fortune.  Also, this is the day for reunion dinner. Most families will gather and have a big meal together. Our family have a tradition of having steamboat where there is a big pot of broth (normally cooked for about 10 hours) simmering away in the middle of a big round table where everyone will scoop out whichever food they prefer.

Steamboat / Hot Pot

Steamboat / Hot Pot

On the first day of Chinese New Year

We usually start the day with a bowl of red date tea cooked the night before, in a slow cooker. As this drink is sweet, it is believed to bring us a sweet year ahead.
**Recipe is provided below.

On the first day of Chinese New Year, people wear new clothes and eat better food to indicate a new beginning and a better life for the coming year. They will also wear bright coloured clothes, preferably red as it represents prosperity, fortune and luck. White or black colour is to be avoided on this auspicious day as these colours represent death and is worn at funerals. The new generation these days are not superstitious and will wear anything they like but will still respect the elderly when visiting and be careful to not wear any such colour to upset them.

Families will pray at the temple and then at the ancestral temple to pay respect to their ancestors for blessing them with a good and happy year. In Penang's famous Kek Lok Si Temple, also the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia, all the lights will be lit up throughout the celebration.

Lanterns at Kek Lok Si Temple

Kek Lok Si Temple at night during Chinese New Year

Kek Lok Si Temple at night

Throughout the 15 days of Chinese New Year

Some people will hire some martial arts group members to their homes to perform lion dance. Two of the members will be controlling one lion where one manoeuvres the head and another operates the body. They will be accompanied by loud drums and cymbals that synchronises with the lion-like movements. At the end of the dance, firecrackers will be lit to complete the fete. The lion and loud noises from drums and firecrackers are believed to frighten away any bad spirits, also another way of cleansing the house.

Drums for Lion Dance

Lion Dance

Friends and family will visit homes and usually bring along fruits, flowers, sweets or any simple gift/hamper for the host. There is nothing specific to bring but it is usually mandarin oranges, pronounced as ‘kam’ in Chinese which sound like gold, which signifies prosperity.

When it comes to Chinese New Year, all singletons get very excited as they will receive ang pow from their married family members and friends. Ang pow means red envelope and is given as a symbol of good luck and to ward off evil spirits. It is usually filled with money so instead of receiving gifts like on Christmas day, we receive ang pow filled with dosh. This is one of the benefits of being single. Hah!

Red Date Tea

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

• 50 pitted dried red dates
• 40 dried longan (optional)
• 1.2l water
• 20 goji berries

Method:

1. Rinse the dried red dates, goji berries and longans thoroughly and drain.
2. Put water, red dates. goji berries and longans into a pot and bring to boil.
3. Simmer for about 1 - 2 hours and serve warm.

Tips:

• The red dates and longans are both sweet so it should be sweet enough.
• If it is not sweet enough for your you, add some rock sugar at step 2.

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