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!

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!

Baked chicken with peppers & herbs

Wifey is off to Bali for her girlies' bachelorette party tomorrow! Not too sure if I should be delighted or sad. Anyway, thought I will give her a treat today by cooking something that is delicious, savoury and easy to make considering that it is a working day for the both of us. Made a quick trip to the supermarket as I like to buy and cook my produce on the same day to ensure its freshness and taste. 

1. Sear the chicken leg / breast, skinned side down in pan of hot olive oil for 3-4mins
2. Flip over and sear other side for 2-3mins. Set aside
3. Use remaining oil in pan to stir fry chopped 2 shallots, 3 garlics, thyme & rosemary
4. Add sliced red, green and yelllow peppers; 1 each into pan
5. Add one glass of white wine and reduce
6. Add in half a can of diced tomatoes. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to balance tartness
7. Heat oven to 190C. Place chicken back in pan and shove it into the oven for 20mins

Once done, spread some good quality gourmet rotisseur mustard and serve! 

Prep time: 15mins     Cook time: 30mins     Level: Steady lah!

Scrambled eggs with chives on toast

Blessed Easter morning to all as we remember our good Lord who sacrificed for us on this faithful day two thousand years ago! Not sure what the relation is between Easter, bunny and eggs but here is a simple and delicious eggy way to start this long weekend morning.

1. Crack 4 eggs (serves 2 toasts) into cold pan
2. Add a knob of butter, season with salt & pepper
3. Mix eggs in pan over low heat.
4. When eggs are runny, add a dollop of creme fraiche
5. Place eggs on hot toast and sprinkle with chopped chives

When cooking the eggs, be careful not to overcook it. I like my eggs to be runny and soft. You are making scrambled eggs, not fried eggs! Take the pan off the heat and continue to stir if you find the eggs are cooking too fast. Add smoked salmon for a more meaty breakkie. 

Cooked this for poor Wifey before she has to return to office on this Easter morning. Hope that she gets her work done soon and we can enjoy this blessed weekend together! Have a blessed time with family and friends and God bless!

Prep time: 5mins     Cook time: 15mins     Level: Confirm can!

The beautifully hand cut slate you see above where the morning breakkie is served on is a wonderful gift from our friend, Jamie who is living in London. It is hand crafted in Scotland and makes a great companion to morning breakfast or an assortment of fine cheese. Thanks Jamie!