Family recipes

[Blogger Adam]

Recently, in my trip back to Singapore for CNY, I decided to record down my traditional family recipes so that they won't vanish into thin air.

 

I felt responsible because my hopeless elder sis struggles even to open canned food and counts mixing salad as legit cooking.

 

My younger brother, though talented in the kitchen, is more interested in making good food disappear instead.

 

I don't consider myself a good chef, but I guess I have an encouraging start: I'm willing to learn and cook for my loved ones (and I haven't poisoned anyone thus far).

 

To be fair, I don't come from a family of renowned chefs.

 

But any home-cooked food - especially those passed down by mother's mothers - is to be loved and enjoyed.

 

I'm sharing one such recipe here, in the hope of starting a thread where everyone is welcome to throw in more ingredients in this brewing pot of love.

 

 

Stewed mushroom and chicken feet

• Soak mushrooms overnight till they're soft
• Stir fry soaked mushrooms the next day (do this till you smell the fragrance of mushrooms) 
• Transfer mushrooms into large pot, fill it up with water 
• Add dried mussels, whole garlic cloves, ginger slices to pot of boiling water 
• Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar to pot of water to taste
• Boil pot over three days on small fire (turn off stove when sleeping, repeat process next day)
• On third day, prepare chicken feet
• Deep fry chicken feet, then soak in cold water until their skin expands
• Put in chicken feet to big pot and boil for next two hours

 

 

[Guest CuriousCook]

Quantity? It’s also a good balance of the ingredients to achieve optimum aroma and flavour, no?

 

2nd step, would you use oil to stir fry? Or it’s like dry roasting type?

3rd step, can use the liquid used to soak mushroom? and using some fresh made chicken stock give more depth?

6th step, can speed up using pressure cooker?

Last step, boil to reduce to desired consistency?

 

Thanks for sharing, I’m always looking for good Phoenix Claw recipes.

[Blogger Adam]

2 hours ago, Guest CuriousCook said:

Quantity? It’s also a good balance of the ingredients to achieve optimum aroma and flavour, no?

 

2nd step, would you use oil to stir fry? Or it’s like dry roasting type?

3rd step, can use the liquid used to soak mushroom? and using some fresh made chicken stock give more depth?

6th step, can speed up using pressure cooker?

Last step, boil to reduce to desired consistency?

 

Thanks for sharing, I’m always looking for good Phoenix Claw recipes.

 

Oh my god these are very good questions which I have no answer to.

 

I'm gonna WhatsApp my mum to ask.

 

Quantity... Mummy Lee says "agak-agak lah".

[Guest CuriousCook]

Hard to agak agak coz there’s no reference to the serving portion & size and end product, a picture might help, cos not knowing the viscosity of the gravy, it’s hard to estimate how much to season and flavour, is it thick or watery - do we boil lid off, partially or covered to retain more water etc.

[Blogger Adam]

53 minutes ago, Guest CuriousCook said:

Hard to agak agak coz there’s no reference to the serving portion & size and end product, a picture might help, cos not knowing the viscosity of the gravy, it’s hard to estimate how much to season and flavour, is it thick or watery - do we boil lid off, partially or covered to retain more water etc.

 

When chatting with my mum in her kitchen and taking the recipe down, the idea is for her to watch me do it, and then she corrects me on the spot.

 

But that's gonna be hard to do... I return to Singapore once a year.

But you are right. You've obviously brought up very salient points that an amateur like myself wouldn't have thought of!

[Guest CuriousCook]

If you really want this to be instruction for this to be replicated easily by anyone then have to be precise lor, like 2 dried Chinese mushrooms stem off.

 

 

[Guest Agaration]

I also cook 'kai choi' myself by agaration n experimenting. Whatever I can remember when my mother was cooking n by the taste n youtube search n abit of creativity. It was the best dish I ever cook. I even cook for my sis. Even she said very similar to my mom cooking. 

[phewphew]

On 2/8/2020 at 1:57 PM, Blogger Adam said:

Recently, in my trip back to Singapore for CNY, I decided to record down my traditional family recipes so that they won't vanish into thin air.

 

I felt responsible because my hopeless elder sis struggles even to open canned food and counts mixing salad as legit cooking.

 

My younger brother, though talented in the kitchen, is more interested in making good food disappear instead.

 

I don't consider myself a good chef, but I guess I have an encouraging start: I'm willing to learn and cook for my loved ones (and I haven't poisoned anyone thus far).

 

To be fair, I don't come from a family of renowned chefs.

 

But any home-cooked food - especially those passed down by mother's mothers - is to be loved and enjoyed.

 

I'm sharing one such recipe here, in the hope of starting a thread where everyone is welcome to throw in more ingredients in this brewing pot of love.

 

 

Stewed mushroom and chicken feet

• Soak mushrooms overnight till they're soft
• Stir fry soaked mushrooms the next day (do this till you smell the fragrance of mushrooms) 
• Transfer mushrooms into large pot, fill it up with water 
• Add dried mussels, whole garlic cloves, ginger slices to pot of boiling water 
• Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar to pot of water to taste
• Boil pot over three days on small fire (turn off stove when sleeping, repeat process next day)
• On third day, prepare chicken feet
• Deep fry chicken feet, then soak in cold water until their skin expands
• Put in chicken feet to big pot and boil for next two hours

 

 

Do u have a picture of the endproduct maybe some can figure out HAHA

[luvhandle]

who has family recipes of dumplings, ba zhang? 
I prfer the Nonya type!! my friend told me that her mum used to tie it not with those raffia strings but with natural leaf stalks or something like that, she now dont even there to purchase from outside 's (usu tied with and boiled with the raffia string)
REally fussy right?

 

[phewphew]

I recently made nonya zhang XD the tying and folding was a pain and few came out loose T.T and mushy D:

[luvhandle]

On 6/15/2020 at 6:16 PM, phewphew said:

I recently made nonya zhang XD the tying and folding was a pain and few came out loose T.T and mushy 😧

eeewwww. but gd try! 

Did u try soaking the leaves first to make them "softer" before wrapping/tying

[phewphew]

ye ye i did, also soaked the bakzhang strings HAHA

[luvhandle]

gd job!!!! i think practice makes perfect

[phewphew]

32 minutes ago, luvhandle said:

gd job!!!! i think practice makes perfect

thank you ^^

[luvhandle]

using that tool easier??!