Soy Sauce Steam Fish

Fish is my hubby's favorite food.  Once he is done eating the whole fish, you wont know there was a fish unless you spotted the bones.  He would chew on every single parts of it, even the head is not spared!

I cooked this last night and with the help of my daughter, this dish went to the dining table before me.  By the time i finished clearing up the mess in the kitchen, this is what is left of the fish.  And i haven't even had time to take a snap shot of it.  But anyway, at least they left the garnishing there to make it 'still pretty' :)

Ingredients:

1. Fish, 1  [any fish suitable for steaming will do, medium size]
2. salt, 1 tsp
3. Ginger, 4 big slices

Sauce:

1. Water, 200 ml  [I like sauce to go with my rice]
2. Light soy sauce, 2 tbsp
3. Salt, 1/2 tsp
4. Sugar, 1 tsp
5. Sesame oil, 1 tsp
6. Wine, 2 tbsp  [i used white Chinese cooking wine, you may use Shao Hsing wine too but I don't have that in my kitchen yesterday]

Garnishing:

1. Ginger, 4 big but thin slices, julienned
2. Red chilli, 1/2 pcs, julienne [lengthwise, u may use whole pcs too]
3. Garlic, 4 pips, minced
4. Oil, 2 tbsp
5. Coriander, few stalks

Method:

• Clean and pat dry fish.  Make slanting incisions on fish's body with the sharp bottom of blade facing fish head, and top of blade facing fish tail.  Make two incisions on each side.
• Rub 1 tsp salt over fish, insert a piece of sliced ginger into each incisions and pour prepared sauce over fish and steam for at least 15 minutes, depending on size of fish.
• While waiting for the 15 minutes, prepare the garnishing. 
• A minute or so before the fish is ready, heat 2 tbsp oil in wok.
• Fry remaining 'julienned' ginger till golden brown.  Add in garlic and chilli.  Stir around a bit till fragrant.
• When fish is done, transfer the fried garnishing on top of fish. 
• Top with the coriander and it's ready to be served.

 

* this will remind me to take a snap shot of food faster the next time before it gets eaten :p

Cold Tofu In Onion Oil

If you love tofu, this is as easiest as it can get.  Use soft tofu or semi hard 'white' tofu, both works for me.  This tofu here is actually half of a leftover tofu i have in my fridge.  The other half i used it yesterday to cook Creamy Tofu Soup. This recipe is super easy as you do not need to cook the tofu. It can be eaten cold. You may steam it if you like it really hot but be sure not to over steam it as it can loose its nice appearance.

Ingredients:

1. Soft Tofu, 1/2 pcs
2. Salt, 1/3 tsp
3. Oyster sauce, 1/3 tsp

Garnishing:

1. Red Onion, 1 bulb, minced
2. Red Chilli, 1/2 pcs lengthwise, julienned
3. Spring Onions, few stalks, chopped
4. Oil, 1 1/2 tbsp

Method:

• Rinse tofu, halve it [so it is not too thick], rub salt and oyster sauce over tofu.
• Set aside in a dish.

• Lay Red Chilli on top of tofu.

• Heat Oil in wok. 
• Fry onions till golden brown and dish out onto the tofu, on top of chilli.
• Sprinkle chopped spring onions on top of it and it's done.

Note:  The hot oil from frying the onions will partially heat up the tofu and that will create a hot and cold sensation when you bite it.

This dish of mine, Creamy Tofu Soup, is the first dish that I am posting here in my blog.  Most of the measurements in my cooking are "agak agak" only (that is how my mum cooks too hehe)  But here, I'll do my best to make it more accurately.

INGREDIENTS: 

Marinate
Pork or Chicken, 200 gm
Corn Flour, 1tsp
Dark soy sauce, 1tsp
Light soy sauce, 1tsp
Pepper, 1 tsp
Oil, 1tsp

*Mix all of the above together in a bowl and leave aside for at least 5 minutes.

Red onion, 1 bulb, minced
Garlic, 2 pips, minced
Ginger, 2 slices, finely julienne

Shitake mushrooms, 2 pcs, diced or julienne
(I used dried ones, washed and soaked till soft, diced or julienne.  Reserve soaking water for cornstarch mixture later)

Sea Cucumber, 2 pcs, diced
Prawns, 2 pcs, diced

Carrot, 1 inch, julienne
(I used half, lengthwise, just to add some color to the dish)

Water, 700 ml

Wet Tofu, 1/2 pcs, diced

Egg, 1, lightly beaten
Spring Onion, few stalks, chop finely for garnishing

Seasoning
Salt, 1 tsp
Pepper, 1 tsp
Dark Vinegar, 2 to 3 tsp (may be omitted if you don like vinegar)
Fish Gravy, 1 tsp

* add more salt or fish gravy if you find it a bit too bland  

For cornstarh mixture

Corn flour, 1 tbsp

Plain Water/ Chicken stock/ Water from soaking mushrooms
(I used water reserved from soaking mushrooms)

Method:

• Heat up oil, stir fry pork till 3/4 cook, add ginger, red onions, garlic and stir fry till fragrant
• Add mushrooms, sea cucumber. Cook for a few seconds, add prawns and carrots
• In goes the water and seasoning.  Let it boil. Taste and adjust to own preference here
• Add tofu, cornstarch mixture (should look creamy and not sticky)
• Turn down heat, add beaten eggs. Lightly swirl it with spatula to create streams of egg trails (direct translation from mandarin, we call it "egg flower")
• Lastly, sprinkle on chopped spring onions and its ready to serve.

Note:  strips of fresh red chillies may be added for more color.