Abundance in his grace

With the Christmas festivities coming to an end, I finally had the time clean up my cooking tools and leave my helper to wash up the oven. It has been a wonderful and blessed Christmas with family and friends. It was a time to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, a time for fellowship with family and loved ones and of course singing traditional Christmas carols and exchanging gifts with one another. For me, nothing is more fulfilling than having family and friends sit around a table and enjoy the sumptuous food that has been prepared, having a good laugh at the year's events over a glass of wine or two. 

Instead of trying completely new recipes during this Christmas season, I focused on refining them so as not to make guinea pigs out of my guests! Wifey and I did try a couple of new recipes which I will share in subsequent entries but for now, let's just enjoy this season's Christmas food entries! We start off with Wifey's latest creations!

1. Smoked salmon, caviar with cream cheese & dill on toast

2. Mozzarella balls with cherry tomatoes in balsamic reduction

3. Christmas spread with friends - Brofeifei did the vongole, XO Wings and ribeye in béarnaise sauce . Yummy salad and sausages were brought in by our beloved friends!

4. Slow roasted pork crackling - this was so popular that I had to grab for my share of crackling! Recipe for this can be found in my earlier entry.

5. Christmas roasted chicken - Recipe for this succulent chicken can also be found in my earlier entry.

6. Penne arrabiata with homemade tomatoes basil sauce

7. Portobello mushrooms with chopped tomatoes & cheese

8. Orange & fennel salad with roasted walnuts - wifey's creation!

"And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others" - 2 Corinthians 9:8

It has been a great year of cooking for loved ones and there will be more exciting recipes to try next year. Until then, have a truly Happy New Year from Brofeifei!

Christmas roast chicken

Christmas is coming as I see my calendar getting filled up with dinners and gatherings of family and friends. It is a festive season to remember Jesus and a time to rekindle ties with loved ones. Part of the joy for me every Christmas is the privilege to cook up a storm for family and friends to celebrate this wonderful time. A roasted turkey or a nice rack of lambs always sets everyone in the right mood for some Christmas carolling. 

I am not a big fan of turkey as I find its meat too dry for my taste. Today, I am going to show you an adaption of the Julia Child's french slow roasted chicken. The original receipe calls for regular salting of the chicken during the basting process. I tried it and it was way too salty so this recipe is slightly modified to give you the perfect slow roasted chicken! It has a long roasting time with regular basting but the succulent meat at the end of the process is more than worth it! Wifey hates chicken breast meat as it is dry but she likens the breast meat on this chicken to be her favourite drumstick! 

Do not worry, just follow the roasting and basting timing below and it will turn out to be the perfect Christmas roast chicken ready for festive feasting! 

1. Season chicken thoroughly outside and inside with salt and pepper
2. Mix handful of fresh thyme with half a block of butter
3. Rub butter mixed with thyme thoroughly outside and inside of chicken
4. Stuff one big white onion and couple of bay leaves inside chicken

5. Pre-heat oven to 220C. Melt some butter in roasting pan
6. Shove the chicken with sliced carrots and onions as its base. 
7. After 15mins, turn the chicken and baste
8. After 5mins, turn the chicken and baste (Do this 3 times).
9. Reduce oven to 190C
10. After 10mins, turn the chicken and baste (Do this 5 times)
11. Remove chicken after a total of 80mins of roasting time and let it rest. 
12. Garnish with carrots and fresh broccoli and serve!

The turning and basting of the chicken is key to serving a juicy and succulent bird. Try it and have a blessed Christmas this festive season!


Prep time: 15mins     Cook time: 80mins     Level: Tok kong!

Chicken casserole with french cognac

With the cooling weather this past week, I thought it is the perfect season for a pot of piping hot stew for dinner with wifey this evening. After a 4am morning run which seems to be quite an easy thing to do so early in the morning as I was still jet lagged, it was off to Cold Storage as dawn broke. It is such an experience to have the whole supermarket full of fresh produce all by yourself without having to navigate gingerly between isles among the sea of trolleys. In our little crowded island, this is becoming a true luxury.

This is a really simple and very delicious recipe from Gordon Ramsay which you know what; I had the pleasure of bumping into at Old Bond Street in London last Saturday. Chef Ramsay was wearing a pair of shades and dressed simply in polo tee and jeans as he stepped out from Hugo Boss with his purchase. It all happened too fast and before I realised it was actually him; he had already disappeared down the street. Anyway, here is the recipe which I have made a few modifications of adding carrots and a dash of french cognac which I just bought from London. 

1. Season 4 chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Coat them lightly with flour
2. Pan fry chicken till golden brown in hot pan of olive oil. Set aside
3. Pan fry handful of bacon lardons in hot french oven (i.e. le creuset)  of olive oil
4. Add chopped 1 white onion, 1 shallot, 4 carrots, 4 white button mushrooms & 1 tomato
5. Add bay leaves & thyme
6. Pour half bottle of red wine & simmer for 4-5mins
7. Add chicken into french oven & add 2 tablespoons of french cognac
8. Shove into hot oven set at 170C for 30mins
9. Add a dash of fresh cream & serve

The secret to doing this right is to make sure you pan seared the chicken thighs well. More colour equals more flavour. And make sure you sweat the vegetables down and coat them with all the flavours from the bacon lardons. Serve it with a nice glass of merlot and you have a piping hot stew for a tropical rainy day like today.

Prep time: 10mins     Cook time: 40mins     Level: Steady lah!

Moules Marinières

Though I just hit the seawater about 2 months ago in Maldives, I am beginning to miss diving again. The excitement in prepping the gear, riding the waves on the boat ride out and the first taste of crystal blue seawater is alway so alluring. To rekindle all these feelings again, I decided to cook us a simmering pot of "Moules Marinieres" which is probably the quintessential french summer dish made of fresh meaty mussels, white wine, garlic and parsley. These elements make it perfect for this classic and simply delicious seaside to be enjoyed on this super long weekend! A simple and fast dish to do with minimum effort and maximum taste! 

1. Soak mussels in water & de-beard them
2. Add butter into pot with chopped spices; 2 shallot,4 cloves of garlic & 1 white onion
3. Add thyme & bay leaves
4. Splash a cup of white wine
5. Sautee for 3-4mins over medium heat. Do not brown
6. Add mussels & cover for 4-5mins
7. Add chopped italian parsley & dash of fresh cream

Serve with some garlic toasted french loaves to soak up all the juices from the mussels that have been infused with the spices. herbs and white wine and you have a simple french classic to share with your loved ones!

Happy National Day and Majulah Singapura! 

Prep time: 10mins     Cook time: 10mins     Level: Confirm can!

Chilli crab linguine

As I continue my series of recipes that fuses the best of East and West, I cannot thank my wifey enough who has been my faithful guinea pig as I experimented with different versions of these recipes to get the balance of taste just right. Her feedback and plattte have been a great help to me! This recipe combines two of my favourite food; the all too famous Singaporean chilli crab and my favourite pasta, linguine! It is spicy, slurperlicious and brings out the best in Singaporean cuisine! it is very fast to make and takes about less than 30mins to spring out this dish. 

1. Cook linguine in pot of salted boiling water & olive oil for 10mins till al dente. Set aside
2. Add chopped shallots & white onions into hot pan of olive oil. Stir fry for 2-3mins
3. Add 1.5 spoonful of chilli crab paste & stir fry till fragrant for 2-3 mins
4. Add handful of crab meat and stir fry
5. Crack an egg to finish up the sauce & let it thicken to boil
6. Add pasta in and serve!

When stir frying the chilli crab paste, make sure you stir fry it till it makes you cough and tear a bit. This means that the spices in the paste are cooked properly and it is releasing it aromatic fragrance! Garnish the pasta with some sliced red chillis and spring onions and viola, you have a delicious dish that is perfect for a weekend lunch! Enjoy your weekend and TGIF! 

Prep time: 10mins     Cook time: 20mins     Level: Confirm can!

Idiots' Guide to Wine Pairing

Being too poor to afford any form of alcohol during school days, I only started drinking when I was working in London. Back then, there was a very kind project manager who showed me the dark side of alcohol consumption; to a reasonable amount of course. He is till today, a great friend and a sound mentor. Choosing between red and white wine to pair with red or white meat respectively was easy enough as most movies will show the gentlemen choosing the right selection to go with the main course of the meal. But choosing between a cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir and semillon or Chardonnay took quite a bit of experimenting. To save us all the trouble, here is a quick idiots' guide to it from Wine Folly, subject to all our individual preferences of course. Enjoy and salud!

Brofeifei XO Wings

This is one signature recipe which I have cooked for many of my family and friends. It is one of my favourite because it is easy to make and perfect for potluck parties. It was notably featured in quite a few Christmas gatherings in 2010, 2011 and 2012. It has been tweaked to get the right balance of flavours that will be brought out best from the carmelisation process. For those who have tasted it, you know who you are, so please leave me your comments on how to make it even better! As beginners in cooking, we are sometimes overly fixated on the precise portions and mixtures of seasoning (i.e. tablespoons, teaspoons etc.) but this is one recipe that I will encourage you to go with your feel as it is hard to go wrong. Go with your instincts and enjoy the cooking process as much as you enjoy the fruits of your labour. 

Friday is special for me and wifey but I have a couple of late calls to do till midnight so I decided to make her favourite wings instead of going out on date night. Wings were marinated overnight and all I had to do was to chuck them into the oven while doing my calls. 

1. Marinate wings overnight with the following
 - Splash of thick teriyaki sauce
 - Splash of oyster sauce
 - Splash of tomato sauce
 - Splash of natural honey
 - Dash of dark soy sauce
 - Dash of hua tiao jiu (i.e. chinese rice wine)
 - Dash of sesame oil
 - Dash of good dry gin

Here is what is used for the marinate.


Brofeifei XO wings cannot be complete without vintage XO cognac. Just 1 tablespoon of this premium liquid adds a sophisticated smokey flavour to your wings. Marinate the wings overnight in the fridge and let the wings soak in all the goodness.

2. Heat oven to 200C and shove in the wings for 20mins
3. Baste the wings with excess sauce every 10mins
4. Turn the wings over & roast other side for another 20mins
5. Continue to baste every 10mins
6. Turn the wings over again & finish the caramelisation for another 5mins

Prep time: 10mins     Cook time: 45mins     Level: Confirm can!

Abalone risotto with mushrooms

Risotto or some Singaporeans may call it as "ang moh mui fun" is an Italian classic that you are sure to find on the menu of any decent Italian restaurant. I have decided to put an Asian spin to it and create my own Abalone Risotto. Using a salvaged can of good quality whole abalone from the chinese new year festivities, I cooked this for wifey and myself as dinner. After this successful attempt of fusing the best of east and west, I think I shall continue my series of new recipes of the local take on western classics! Who wants to be my guinea pigs?!

1. Stir fry 2 shallots in hot pan of olive oil
2. Add handful of chopped white button mushrooms and cook till soft
3. Add 1 cup of short grain rice and stir for 2mins
4. Add 1 glass of white wine, abalone sauce from can and reduce
5. Add ladle after ladle of fish stock into rice slowly for the next 30mins
6. Allow rice to absorb stock before adding the next ladle
7. Cook till al dente and add sliced abalone
8. Serve with chopped chives and a fine glass of sauvignon blanc 

Prep time: 10mins     Cook time: 40mins     Level: Steady lah!

What is 3 Michelin stars?

Like most people, I started my interest in cooking with a packet of instant noodles. After a few attempts that was hard to go wrong, adding an egg or slices of ham added more dimensions to a simple bowl of hot noodles. When I was living out of a suitcase as a consultant, my attempts at cooking were mostly disastrous; with the meat being too raw and the vegetables overcooked. When I finally got my own apartment and a cosy kitchen with it; I was determined to set about doing it the right way. Searching for a way to cook delicious meals for myself and loved ones, I ploughed the internet, cook books and TV food channels for delicious recipes that were quick and easy to re-create. 

None inspired me as much as the no nonsense three Michelin stars chef, Gordon Ramsay. His short, sharp and quick recipes made it easy for a beginner like me to follow. I told myself if I follow the recipe created by a three Michelin stars chef; even if I screw it up a little, it cannot be that bad tasting, right?!
























Recently over a warm English summer evening, wifey and I had the privilege of dining at the three Michelin stars Restaurant Gordon Ramsay at Royal Hospital Road in London. Being able to dine at this place is like going to a culinary Disneyland for me. The myriad of staff that took our jackets, seated us, showed us the menus, served us food and wine and those who escorted us to the powder room all seem to move in perfect harmony in the intimate setting of the restaurant.

Food was Immaculate. The balance of taste is amazing and subtle; allowing the fresh seasonal ingredients to show its worth on the beautifully plated dish. Each dish is like a work of art; worthy of being framed. I will let the pictures do most of the talking. The Chef Patron is Clare Smyth MBE who is the first female British chef to hold and retain three Michelin stars. We had an opportunity after dinner to meet with her in her kitchen where she showed us the various meat, seafood, vegetables and sauce stations. Surprisingly in the kitchen, there was none of the shouting and the "f word" that Gordon Ramsay is all too famous for. The kitchen is clinically clean and rather quiet. Teams of chefs floated around Clare seamlessly as she plates every dish with care like that of as master craftsman. It was a privilege just to be there to observe all these professionals at the peak of their careers doing what they do best; cook!

Canapés

Pressed foie gras, smoked & confit duck, pickled pears & tasmanian mountain pepper


Ravioli of lobster, langoustine & salmon poached in a light bisque,
oscietra caviar & sorrel veloute























Roasted cornish turbot with peas, broad beans, asparagus morels & Iberico ham


















Isle of Gigha halibut with Atlantic King crab, finger lime & ras el hanout infused broth


















Bresse pigeon with grilled polenta, smoked ventreche, braised shallots & dates


















Selection of cheeses from the trolley























Mango, jasmine & passion fruit soup























Agen prune creme brulee with Granny Smith apple juice


















Lemonade parfait with honey, bergamot & sheep's milk yoghurt sorbert
























White chocolate truffles infused with lemon mist & turkish sweets























Service was Impressive. The Maitre D', Jean-Claude Breton is a real charmer. In between the myriad of people who came to attend to our every need, Jean-Claude Breton floated in to joke with us and made us feel very comfortable in this small and intimate restaurant.  After hearing about my passion for cooking and telling him that my kitchen are stocked with cook books by Gordon Ramsay, he kindly offered to bring us on a tour of the kitchen after service! The Head Sommelier, Jan Konetzki who recently won the UK sommelier of the year award 2012 was unimposing. Seeing that we were only a couple, he suggested that we have a glass of champagne, white and red wine each instead of a bottle to get a good taste of their wine collection. His recommendations complimented the food well, was inexpensive and covered the best of Europe's wine producing regions. 

Ambience was Intimate. Wifey loved the decor and ambience of the restaurant. It was a small and cosy restaurant with 44 seats and a new art deco design. They even have a small stool for you to place your handbags beside you! I found the decor simple and soothing to the eye; allowing you to focus on the food, wine and your company. 

With Clare here showing us her kitchen, it has been a privilege.