Braised Duck with Chestnuts

Cooking Time: 1 and a half hours
Preparation Time: 1 and a half hours
Serving for 4

Ingredients

Half a Duck
5 Bowls of water/stock
4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
3 tsp salt
1 Star Anise
2 Clove of garlic
4 Tbsp of cooking oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp pepper
200g Chestnuts with skin

Preparation of Duck
1. Clean and cut Duck into large pieces (approximately 4 cm X 4 cm or 1.5 inches X 1.5 inches) and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.
2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated duck for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce
1. Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Preparation of Chestnuts
1. Boil chestnuts with 1 tsp of salt in hot water for about half an hour. Remove the skin.

Method
1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.
2. Slice the ginger
3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add scalded Duck, sauce and Star Anise, in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

Note: Reason to remove green shoot in garlic if any is because they would cause indigestion.

This is best serve with rice and vegetables

Braised Pork with Buns

Cooking Time: 1 and a half hours
Preparation Time: 1 and a half hours
Serving for 4

Ingredients

400g Pork Belly
4 Bowls of water/stock
4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tsp 5 spice powder
2 tsp salt
1 Star Anise
1 Dried Nutmeg
2 Clove of garlic
2 Slices of ginger
4 Tbsp of cooking oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp pepper

Preparation of Pork
1. Clean the Pork Belly and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper and 5 spice powder for at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.
2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated pork belly each side for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce
1. Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Method
1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.
2. Slice the ginger
3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add scalded pork belly, sauce, Star Anise, Nutmeg in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

This is best serve with rice or buns

Salted Vegetable Duck Soup

Servings for 4
Preparation Time is 50 minutes
Cooking Time using slow cooker is 12 hours

Ingredients

Half a duck
200g chicken bones
200g pork ribs
Half a portion of salted vegetable
4 slices of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
4 preserved sour plum
pepper to taste
1 tsp of light soy sauce

Method to prepare stock

1. Blenched pork ribs to remove foul smell and wash them.
2. Blenched chicken bones and wash them.
3. Add 8 bowls of water and boil the pork ribs and chicken bones.
4. Add ginger, garlic, salt and sugar to the stock.
5. Cook for an hour and transfer the stock in the slow cooker.

Method to prepare Duck soup

1. Cut the duck in big chunks and add in the stock.
2. Add the salted vegetable and sour plums.
3. Add light soy sauce.
4. Leave them in the slow cooker and cook at low heat for 12 hours.
5. Add pepper to taste when serving.

Note: I normally prepare it overnight.

All time Favourite...Sweet and Sour Pork

This is serving for 4
Total preparation including marinating time....3 hours

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients

2 tomatoes (remove the seeds)
1 cucumber (remove the seeds)
½ of a pineapple (remove the core)
1 red chilli (remove the seeds)
1 red onion
2 Tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, pineapple and onion in cubes.
2. Cut the red chilli in slice.

Ingredients for marinating meat

400g lean meat (front portion of the thigh)
1 egg
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp corn flour
Potato flour for coating

Method marinating the meat

1. Cut the meat in cubes of 2 cm by 2 cm and season with salt, sugar, egg, sesame oil, corn flour for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours of marinating, coat the potato flour on the meat.

Ingredients for sauce

4 tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chilli sauce
1 Tbsp A1 Sauce
5 – 10 limes (squeeze for 1½ Tbsp of lime juice)
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tsp corn flour
Dash of Pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

Method preparing the sauce

1. Boil the tomatoes, peel off the skin and mashed them.
2. Mix the tomato sauce, chilli sauce, A1 Sauce, lime, salt, sugar, pepper,
sesame oil.
3. Mix the corn flour with the water into a light mixture and add to mixture 2.

Method of cooking

1. Deep fry the meat, drain the oil and set it aside.
2. Add cooking oil in heated wok.
3. Add the onions and stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add the sauce and lower the heat.
5. Add the 2 tomato cubes, cucumber cubes in the wok and stir fry in low heat.
6. Add the meat and mix with the sauce and increase the heat up.
7. Finally add the pineapple cubes and chilli and stir fry it.

Sweet Pork

Preparation and cooking time - 40 minutes
Serving is good for 2 - 3
Simple yet kids love it and goes well with rice or porridge

Ingredients

200g lean pork
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp corn flour
1 Tbsp cooking oil
Dash of Sesame oil
Dash of Pepper

Method

1. Cut the lean pork in strips (about 2 cm in length and 1 cm in width).
2. Marinate the pork with dark soy sauce, corn flour and sugar for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the wok with oil.
4. Stir fry the marinated pork at low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Add sesame oil and pepper before serving.