tasting tales

Chilli crab

February 8, 2018

by Kelsey

Quick and easy

“Chilli crab is a Singaporean seafood dish. Mud crab are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato and chilli based sauce. Despite its name, chilli crab is not a very spicy dish. It is listed at number 35 on the World’s 50 most delicious foods compiled by CNN Go in 2011. “The king of all crab dishes, this popular dish is served with the shell on, and is typically eaten with one’s hands. Make sure you have plenty of napkins handy – it’s messy work!″ Adam Liaw

Recreate the flavours of Singapore chilli crab at home. It’s a lot quicker and easier than you might think. Normally, mud crabs are commonly used to prepare this dish. In Perth, Australia, I chose to use fresh Mandurah blue swimmer crabs instead but the result was still very delectable. The last time I had Singaporean chilli crab was during my dad’s business trip when I was 19, I had just had my wisdom teeth removed. Even with stitches in my mouth, it didn’t stop me from over indulging and pigging out with my fingers at East Coast at Jumbo.

Butterflied roast chicken

August 10, 2017

by Kelsey

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Western cuisine

Quick and easy

“Butterflying a chicken means to remove the backbone of the chicken so that the whole chicken can lay flat on a baking sheet or rack while it roasts. The culinary theory behind butterflying is very simple: it allows the breasts and the legs to cook more evenly. With all the parts of the chicken at the same height, the heat in the oven will reach them more evenly. This way, you don’t get dried-out breasts or undercooked thighs; all the parts of the bird are done at the same time, and all the meat is juicy and delicious.”

One great thing about such guaranteed-delicious meat is that you don’t need to spend a lot of time fussing with the seasonings. All you need is a little rosemary/thyme, salt, and pepper, with some olive oil and butter to crisp the skin. For extra convenience, this recipe includes directions for roasting some vegetables, making an entire family dinner ready to go with very minimal work. You can add sweet potatoes or whatever else you like to the vegetables, or adjust the amounts to fit however many people you need to serve.

Mauritian banana fritter

April 5, 2017

by Kelsey

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Western cuisine

Quick and easy

“Banana fritter is a Mauritian snack known as gateau banane.”

This easy banana fritter recipe is light and golden, with a crisp coating surrounds chunks of warm banana. Delicious trickled with honey or maple syrup. These sweet treats only takes 25 mins to rustle up and are a favourite treat for the kids, especially served with a scoop of ice cream. Ground cinnamon and a sweet drizzle of honey makes these treats irresistible.

Ambila curry

April 5, 2017

by Kelsey

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Asian cuisine

Quick and easy

“Curry ambila is one of it’s typical Kristang cuisine. Braised in pork, chilies and long beans. The intoxicating seasoning paste in this Eurasian stew may be used to flavor chicken, beef, lamb, or seafood.”

A traditional eurasian dish influenced by the Portuguese and Dutch community in Malacca/Malaysia. This curry is typically made during the festive christmas season.

Chicken and pork pâté with pistachios

February 27, 2017

by Kelsey

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Western cuisine

Quick and easy

“Pâté is a mixture of cooked ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or brandy (often cognac or armagnac). Pâté can be served either hot or cold, but it is considered to develop its fullest flavor after a few days of chilling.”

A traditional country-style pâté and a great staple to have in the fridge for everyone to help themselves to whenever they want. Inspired to make Michel Roux Jr chicken and pork pâté with pistachios from his latest cookbook “The French Kitchen.”

Braised chicken and pork in a black nut curry

December 29, 2016

by Kelsey

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Asian cuisine

Quick and easy

” Known as an Indonesian black nut called buah keluah in Malay. The nut is mainly found in parts of South East Asia of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Growing up in a peranakan/nonya home, this is known to be a traditional dish, a hard treasure to find but one of the most frequent delights.”

My grandmother’s mom (great grandmother) taught my grandma at a very young age how to make this authentic dish that is usually very famous among the peranakans/nonya people. The nut needs to be soaked for a number of days then cracked open, scooping out the flesh and then refilled. Because of it’s rarity in western countries (e.g Australia), you can easily find the flesh filling in a vaccumed packed in the frozen section in China town. The meat for this dish can consist of either chicken and/or pork. In Malay, ayam means chicken and babi means pork, directly translated as “ayam buah keluak” and “babi buah keluak.”