All posts tagged chicken

Cha sui and cha sui bao

Our Daring Cooks’ December 2011 hostess is Sara from Belly Rumbles! Sara chose awesome Char Sui Bao as our challenge, where we made the buns, Char Sui, and filling from scratch – delicious!

This has got to be the fastest challenge I have ever finished and it seems the latest I have posted lol. I finished the challenge the first week of the month but forgot to write the post.It seems I need a disastrous challenge to motivate me to post early

When the challenge was announced I was really excited to give it a try, the flavors seemed really interesting and being someone who never tried dim sum this was an opportunity I was looking forward to.

The char sui (the chicken part) didn’t disappoint, it was full of flavor and a new refreshing change from regular chicken. The cha sui bao (the buns stuffed with chopped chicken and other ingredients)on the other hand didn’t receive rave reviews from my husband, the kids enjoyed it though. As for me I think I liked the chicken alone as opposed to the char sui bao.

Thank you Sarah for the chance to explore a new recipe

Cha sui

Ingredients

1-1.5 pounds chicken without bone or skin
4 large cloves of garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon (3 gm) ginger, grated
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 ½ tablespoons maltose (you can substitute honey)
1 ½ tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce

½ teaspoon (2 gm) ground white pepper
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon (2 gm) five spice powder
½ teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon pillar box red food colouring
(1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)

Directions:

Cut the chicken into 4 pieces. By cutting the chicken in to smaller pieces to marinate you will end up with more flavoursome char sui. If you want to leave the chicken in one piece you can do this as well. Place in container that you will be marinating them in.

Combine all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. I placed my maltose in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to work with. Maltose is quite a solid hard sticky substance. (I used honey instead of maltose)

Cover well with ⅔ of the marinade mixture. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours, Iit would be best if left to marinate overnight. Place the reserved ⅓ portion of the marinade covered in the fridge. You will use this as a paste when cooking the pork.

Cooking Method
.

Pre-heat oven to moderate 180˚C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Cover a baking tray with foil or baking paper. Place on top of this a rack on which to cook the chicken.

Place chicken in a hot frying pan or wok. Sear it quickly so it is well browned

Remove from pan/wok and place chicken on the rack and place in oven.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, basting and turning until cooked through.

Baked Char Sui Bao

Servings: 12

Filling Ingredients

350 gm (12 oz) char sui (finely diced)
2 green onions/spring onions (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon hoisin
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ cup (60 ml) chicken stock
1 teaspoon (2 gm) cornflour
½ tablespoon vegetable oil
(1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 m

Dough Ingredients

2½ teaspoons (8 gm/1 satchel) of dried yeast
¼ cup (55 gm/2 oz) sugar
½ cup warm water
2 cups (280 gm/10 oz) plain flour
1 egg (medium size – slightly beaten)
3 tablespoons oil
½ teaspoon (3 gm) salt
Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with a dash of water
(1 cup=240 ml, 1 tablespoon=15 ml, 1 teaspoon=5 ml)

Filling Directions:

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or pan.
Add diced char sui to the wok/pan and stir then add spring onions, cook for 1 minute.
Add hoisin, dark soy sauce and sesame oil to the pork mixture, stir fry for one minute.
Mix cornflour and stock together and then add to the pork mixture.
Stir well and keep cooking until the mixture thickens, 1 or 2 minutes.
Remove mixture from wok/pan and place in a bowl to cool. Set aside until ready to use.

Bun Directions:

Place the sugar and warm water in a bowl, mix until the sugar has dissolved. Add yeast and leave it for 10 – 15 minutes until it becomes all frothy.
Sift flour in to a large bowl.
Add yeast mixture, egg, oil and salt and stir. Bring the flour mixture together with your hands.
Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 10 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly elastic.
Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise until it is double in size. This will take from 1 – 2 hours depending on weather conditions.
Once dough has doubled in size knock back and divide in to 12 portions and shape in to round balls
Use a rolling pin to roll out to approximately 5cm (2 inches) in diameter. Then pick the piece of dough up and gently pull the edges to enlarge to about 8cm (3 inches) in diameter.
Place a good sized tablespoon of filling on the dough circle. Then gather the edges and seal your bun.
Place the bun seal side down on your baking tray(or as I did in a muffin tin). Continue with rest of dough.
Once all buns are complete brush surface with egg wash.
Place in a preheated oven of 200º C/392º F for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Try not to over fill your buns or they may burst while baking

Storage & Freezing Instructions/Tips:

The baked char sui bao freezes very well. All you need to do is take them out of the freezer and place in the over to warm. The steamed ones should freeze okay as well. To warm them place in microwave for about 30 seconds until warm and defrosted.

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56 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on December 14, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Bread and pastry, Chicken, Daring cooks

Tagged char sui, chicken, Daring cooks dec 2011, dark soy sauce, dim sum, postaweek2011, teaspoon sesame oil

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on December 14, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/12/14/cha-sui-and-cha-sui-bao-dim-sum/

5 spice honey chicken

Going to pick up my daughter from school, running a little late and expecting the traffic I see at the school doors. I take a quick look at the parking on the opposite side of the street and decide there can’t be an empty spot close to the school gates. I park my car far and walk the distance only to find 3 parking spaces exactly opposite the school gate. This little incidence made me think, isn’t it funny how our actions, even the small everyday ones we don’t think about reflect our attitude towards life? I hear you say, come on it is just a parking spot.

Let me explain.

I am the kind of person who likes to play it safe, risks are not my thing. I could have tried to drive by the school gate and check for a better parking spot but no. I decided to take the spot I found even if it was further away from the gate, even if it meant walking a longer distance. That spot was safe, was guaranteed.

Other people might insist on parking as close as possible to their destination, they are welling to drive by the school gate,once, twice, 4 times, ten times. As many times as it takes to find the spot they want. They are determined to get what they want even if it means driving around in circles for half the day.

Then there are those who park far on purpose, they are taking little steps to keep healthy. Parking far, taking the stairs, drinking their tea without sugar. On the surface their actions don’t make sense, who would park far and walk more but take a step closer, get to know them more and their actions even the simplest ones start making sense

Then you have those who see a spot and go for it,racing to beat other cars to it.They are so focused on that one that they miss other parking spots, better parking spots, parking spots they didn’t even see because they narrowed down their vision, their focus on that one goal, one destination, one parking spot.

Am I making any sense? or is the school run getting to my head?If this makes any sense to you then tell me..how do you usually park your car?

If parking spots don’t make sense, I know this recipe does. You know when you read a recipe and just KNOW you’ll love it. Then you make it and it is everything you expect and more?

This is what happened to me with this recipe. I saw it in Women’s weekly magazine and though I was planning to make chicken tikka,I changed my mind. You have to keep in mind that I am someone who has bought their first jar of 5 spice this week but the minute I opened it I fell in love with its smell and flavor combo and the idea of adding it to chicken with honey made sense because there is a definite sweet note in it. Then there was the soya sauce to counter the sweetness. The ginger to liven things up. In short, the recipe made sense and I had to try it.

I stuck to the recipe except for the fact that I doubled the marinade using half as an actual marinade and the other half to make a sauce.I also served it with a corn and avocado salsa as opposed to the grilled bok choy suggested in the recipe.

The verdict: a definite keeper. The smell of it in the oven alone is worth making it, the taste is even better.

Before we get to the recipe I just want to remind you to enter the giveaway if you haven’t already.

5 spice honey chicken

3 single chicken breast fillets

For the marinade (I doubled this)

2 tablespoons honey

1/4 cup (80 ml)soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1/2 teaspoon powder ginger

For sauce

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons cornflour

2 tablespoons water

Combine the marinade ingredients and add the chicken fillets, toss to coat, marinade for 30 minutes.

Drain the chicken and cook on a lightly oiled grill (or grill or barbecue) until browned on both sides and cooked through. (I sometimes just grill them enough to get the grill marks on both sides then finish cooking them for 10 or 15 minutes in the oven)

Allow to stand for 5 -10 minutes before slicing

Next add the second batch of marinade into a small saucepan , add chicken stock; bring to a boil

Stir in the blended cornflour and water, cook stirring until sauce boils and thickens.

Corn avocado salsa

1 cup corn

1 avocado chopped coarsely

1 medium red onion or a few springs of green onion

Juice of one lemon

1 clove garlic crushed (optional)

Salt to taste

Combine ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine

44 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on December 2, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Chicken, Salad, Vegetarian

Tagged avocado, chicken, corn, five spice, postaweek2011, salsa, soya sauce

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on December 2, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/12/02/5-spice-honey-chicken/

Chicken with eggplant and chickpeas

Today is my 33 rd birthday.

I have never been one to hide my age, fear it, or worry about it.To me age is just a number. A number to stop by and look back, at childhood and teenage years left behind.Check the dream list and see what has been checked off ,what has been forgotten and what is still waiting. To look back at an image in young eyes of what my life would be like at this age and then look around and see how does reality compare to the expectations.

I look around and to most of the people I know getting older means becoming boring stiff people.They lose the spark in their eyes,they lose their dreams,they let go of hope and adventure and live in “reality”.Growing up also seems to includes abandoning all childish joys because they are “silly and unbecoming of someone at your age”.How on earth did pure and innocent and simple become silly?
What is wrong with watching cartoon or playing on the swings every now and then and when did going for a walk in the rain and laughing when the rain drops tickle your face become outlawed for adults!

I don’t like this version of “growing up”. Growing up should mean more maturation , a deeper understanding of life, people and most importantly a deeper understanding of one’s self. More tolerance and patience for the bumps in the road and the hardships in life. Knowing that you can get up after a fall and that a u turn is the end of the road only when u fail to make a change in direction.

I seem to have managed to make it through one more year of my life with out ”growing up” as most people seem to define it and I thought I’d share these thoughts with you along with a question: what does your birthday mean to you? do you fear it? look forward to it? By the end of the day when you put your head on your pillow, what do you think about?

I am in love with eggplants! I love it in salads, sandwiches, pizza and rice dishes but today I wanted to try something new.This chicken with eggplant and chickpeas recipe is a blend between a Moroccan dish I saw at Epicurious and a turkish recipe on delicious bite. I loved the Moroccan blend of spices and I was sure it will add a blast of flavor to the chicken , the addition of chickpeas and mint to the turkish version seemed to make a lot of since and I thought why not combine them both. The end result was amazing! the chickpeas added texture and richness to the taste, while the spices and mint really brought the dish to life.

Before I get to the recipe I would like to remind you that you can still enter the giveaway to win one of two albertson gift cards here. And I would like to thank Anna Deskins who is a talented children book author and mommy blogger for interviewing me on her website. Anna has a passion for getting parents to read for their kids. Thank you Anna for the interview

Chicken with eggplant and chickpeas

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

one big sliced onions

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 cups diced tomatoes

1/2 cup water

2 boneless skinless chicken pieces (breasts of thighs) cut into cubes

1 cup chickpeas

1 large eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 teaspoon dried marjoram

1 teaspoon dried mint

Chopped fresh cilantro

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in heavy large wide pot over medium heat.

Add onions and garlic. Cover and cook until onions are soft.

Add paprika, salt, turmeric, coriander, pepper, cumin, and ginger; stir 1 minute.

Add the chicken and stir occasionally until the chicken is done (you know by trying to divide a piece with your spoon, if it divides easily, it’s done)

Add the eggplant and stir for 5-7 minutes

Add tomatoes, water, and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered 10 minutes to blend flavors.

Add the mint and marjoram and check the taste for salt and pepper.

Transfer to large shallow bowl.

Sprinkle with cilantro

Serve with rice

46 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on October 1, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Chicken, Eggplant

Tagged chicken, chickpeas, Eggplant, marjoram, Moroccan, postaweek2011, recipe, spicy, turkish

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on October 1, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/10/01/chicken-with-eggplant-and-chickpeas/

Appam and curry..Daring Cooks August 2011 challenge

Mary, who writes the delicious blog, Mary Mary Culinary was our August Daring Cooks’ host. Mary chose to show us how delicious South Indian cuisine is! She challenged us to make Appam and another South Indian/Sri Lankan dish to go with the warm flat bread.

I have to say that I was worried that I won’t be able to make it this month. My schedule has been so busy and hectic these past couple of weeks but I am really glad I managed to make this month’s challenge.

I was kind of worried that my family won’t like the curry, with all the spices and flavors in it I was worried it was going to be too much especially for the kids. It turns out my family had a broader mind than I had expected. They loved the curry! and demanded that I should make this dish more often. Thank you Mary!

I have tried the appams before, I served them with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkle of cinnamon and cardamom. This was my first time serving them as a form of bread. The kids liked the sweet version better.

Appam
Servings: Makes about 15. I find 3-4 are enough for a serving

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups (360 ml/300 gm/10½ oz) raw rice( I used one cup rice flour instead )
1 ½ teaspoons (7½ ml/5 gm) active dry yeast
2 teaspoons (10 ml/9 gm) sugar
½ cup (120 ml) of coconut water or water, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons (22½ ml/18 gm) cooked rice
½ teaspoon (2½ ml/3 gm) salt
about ½ cup (120 ml) thick coconut milk (from the top of an unshaken can)

Directions:

1. Soak the raw rice in 4 to 5 cups of water for 3 hours.
2. Dissolve the sugar in the coconut water or plain water and add the yeast. Set aside in a warm area for 10-15 minutes, until very frothy.

3. Drain the rice and grind it in a blender with the yeast mixture to make a smooth batter. You can add a bit of extra water if needed.(I skipped the soaking and grinding steps because I used rice flour) Add the cooked rice, and grind/blend to combine well.

4. Pour into a large bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for 8-12 hours. You not only want the mixture to rise and collapse, but to ferment. When it is ready, it will have a slightly sour and distinctly yeasty smell. Don’t worry–they are mild tasting when cooked!

5.Add the coconut milk and salt, and a bit of water if necessary, so that you have a batter that is just a bit thicker than milk. It bubbles after you add the coconut milk.

6. Heat your pan over medium heat. Wipe a few drops of oil over it using a paper towel. Stir the batter and pour in 3-4 tablespoons, depending on the size of the pan. Working quickly, hold the handle(s) and give the pan a quick swirl so that the batter comes to the top edge. Swirl once only, as you want the edges to be thin and lacy.

7. Cover the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Uncover and check. The center should have puffed up a bit, and will be shiny, but dry to the touch. When ready, loosen the edges with a small spatula and serve immediately. These need to be served hot out of the pan.

Chai Pani’s Malabar Chicken Curry (recipe vis A spicy perspective)

I changed the recipe a little to fit my family’s taste, I will write the recipe I made and you can check the original one by following the link in the title.

1 lbs. chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces (I used some left over grilled red garlic chicken “recipe coming very soon” )

1/4 cup vegetable oil .

3/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 large onion chopped

1 teaspoon powdered ginger

2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 cup chopped cilantro (leaves and/or stems)

2 chopped tomatoes

1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup water

Pour oil in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the onions to soften until they are dark and soft enough the smash with a spatula.

Add the coriander, turmeric, and cilantro—mix together.

Raise the heat back to medium and add the tomatoes, salt, and lime juice.(at this stage my husband walked in and said..now you’re COOKING the salad!!)

Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil separates out—15-20 minutes.

Add ½ cup of water and 1 cup coconut milk. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat.

In a separate skillet, heat 1 Tb. of oil over high. Add the chicken to the skillet and brown on all sides, leaving the centers pink—2-4 minutes.

Add the chicken to the curry and simmer 5-7 minutes until the chicken has cooked through.

This is a GREAT make-ahead! Letting the curry sit overnight enhances the flavors!

You can serve this with basmati rice instead of the appam

Thank you Mary for the amazing challenge and for being a wonderful hostess.You can check out the rest of the recipes Mary suggested and the creations of my fellow daring cooks here

77 Comments

by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on August 14, 2011 • Permalink

Posted in Chicken, Daring cooks

Tagged appam, august chellenge, chicken, cilantro, coconut milk, coriander, curry, daring cooks, indian recipe, south indian dish, turmeric, yeast

Posted by Sawsan@ Chef in disguise on August 14, 2011

http://chefindisguise.com/2011/08/14/appam-and-curry-daring-cooks-august-2011-challenge/

Shish tawook chicken recipe

What is with food on a skewer that makes it so appealing?

Is it more fun to eat? is it the individual potions? ease of handling? or does it remind us of our childhood love for popsicle and lollipops?

I don’t know..

All I know is that this is one of my favorite recipes for chicken and I do have many.

The recipe I am sharing with you today is my own.It is the result of so many trials and errors. You see Shish tawook is a famous middle eastern dish that you will find on the menu of each and every restaurant that serves mediterranean food and I am nothing if I don’t love a challenge. All I have to say about this recipe is..we don’t order Shish tawook when we eat out any more