Korean Style Spicy Chicken (Dak Galbi)

A popular dish in Korea. The name "Dak Galbi" actually means "Chicken Ribs" but there are no ribs in this dish. In fact the recipe that I am sharing here uses boneless chicken thighs. Its grilled or pan fried chicken that is marinated in a spicy Korean chilli paste called "Gochujang" (Pronounced - Go - Choo - Jang). Gochujang is usually made of chillies, rice flour and fermented soya beans and seen almost everywhere in Korea.

Dak Galbi

Can't really say how authentic this recipe is but I did this recipe twice at a BBQ and it was a hit both times. This recipe is my rendition of the Korean dish.

Here is what I used to serve 4.

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless chicken thighs. (about 500-600 grams)
thinly sliced spring onion for garnish.

Ingredients for marinade:
1 1/2 tablespoons Gochujang
1 yellow onion - roughly chopped
5 cloves of garlic - peeled
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
white pepper - crushed or powder

Steps:

1. Chop the chicken thighs into hunks, about 1-2 inches across.

2. Place all marinade ingredients into a blender or food processor and turn it into a puree.

3. Mix the marinade with the chicken thoroughly and seal with cling film and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours. Overnight is fine too.

4. To cook the chicken, pre-heat your oven to 200 degrees celsius. Spread the chicken pieces on a baking tray and cook in the oven for about 25-30 mins.

Garnish and serve with steamed rice or even in a bread roll with some shredded lettuce/cabbage.

Optional Step, if you have leftover marinade in the container/bowl you marinated the chicken in, you can transfer all the marinade into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. It can be served as extra sauce.

Pork Chops in Brine

Soaking the chops in a brine is a great way to impart flavour into the pork chops. It lifts the flavour of the chops to another level. Finishing the chop in the oven helps it to cook more gently and evenly.

Bone-in Pork Chops with Oven Baked Potatoes and Onion Jam

Ingredients for 2
2 pork chops bone-in (about 350-400 grams each)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil for pan searing

Brine
2 sprigs of fresh parsley - roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh sage - roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary - leaves only, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves only
5 cloves of garlic - roughly chopped
1 teaspoon of black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar (White wine vinegar is fine as well)
juice of 1 lemon
1-2 cups of water

Steps:
1. In a large bowl or container, mix the vinegar, water and lemon juice. The add in the sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Then add in all the herbs. Place the chops in the liquid and ensure they are fully submerged. Add a little more water (maybe a teaspoon or so of vinegar) to the brine if there is not enough liquid to cover the chops. Soak the chops in the brine for at least 4 hours or even overnight.

2. When ready to cook the chops, Preheat your oven to 130 degrees celsius. Take the chops out of the liquid and pat really dry. Season with salt and pepper. If any of the herbs or garlic from the brine stick to the pork chops, just leave them on.

3. Now heat some oil in a cast iron skillet (or thick based frying pan) over high heat. When the pan gets really hot, place the chops into the pan and sear for about 2 minutes. Turn the chop over, with the seared side up, place the pan in the oven for another 20 minutes or so. (Cooking times depend on the thickness of your chop, mine were about an inch thick). I sprinkled some dried rosemary before the chops entered the oven, but that's just a personal preference.

Note, if your pan cannot enter the oven, just transfer the chop to a baking dish. Preferably heated as well. If the baking dish is cold, the cooking time in the oven should be a few minutes longer. You can just finish cooking on the pan too, about 4 minutes per side.

4. Serve wtih a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil together with your preferred sides.

Pulled Pork Sandwich

This is a recipe for braising or slow cooking pork shoulder. I use shoulder because it has a good ratio of fat vs muscle. During the cooking process, the fragrance of the spices will fill the kitchen, if not the whole home. (Then again, depends on how big your home is. I live in a humble HDB flat.)

Open Faced pulled pork sandwich. Top it off with a sunny side up and it reminds me breakfast.

Fork tender pork shoulder and crusty grilled bread, simply awesome. It'll save you money too, as pork shoulder is a cheaper cut compared to tenderloins. It also has less fat than the belly. At the end of the braise, the stock is reduced to a gravy like substance that is packed full of flavour, use it as a drizzle on your sandwich. Note that the spice rub is a guideline, you are free to use your own preferred spices.

Ingredients

500grams pork shoulder - (should be in 2 pieces instead of 1 whole piece, allows more surface area for the rub.)

1 yellow onion - sliced
4 cloves garlic - lightly crushed
2 sprigs of thyme
2 - 3 cups chicken stock

Rub
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons ground white pepper
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Steps:

1. Mix all rub ingredients together. Coat the pork fully and generously with the rub.

2. In a casserole dish or deep sided baking dish, line the bottom with half the onions. Then place the pork on the onions.

3. Place the thyme and garlic around the pork and then cover with the rest of the onions. Lastly pour in the chicken stock. Enough to at least submerge the pork halfway.

4. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 3 hours. Until the meat is fork tender.

5. Pull apart the meat with a fork and serve with toasted bead with some barbeque sauce and some of the braising liquid.

Enjoy!

Stir Fried Beans with Minced Pork

Stir Fried Beans with Minced Pork

This is a common household stir fry dish and incorporates meat and veg together. Coupled with a pot of soup and served with steamed rice, you'll have a meal that is served commonly in Chinese households here in Singapore. How well you cook to beans will determine how much crunch they retain.


Ingredients:
1 pack of green beans - cut in to 2 inch lengths
70-100 grams of minced pork
1/3 cup of grated carrot strips (optional)
1 tablespoon of dried shrimp - chopped in small pieces
3 cloves of garlic - chopped
3 shallots - sliced
3-4 thin slices of Ginger
2 chilli padi / bird's eye chilli- sliced (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sugar
white pepper
soya sauce

Steps:

1. Season the mince pork with sesame oil, 2 teaspoons soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.

2. Blanch the beans in salted boiling water for 2 minutes. Remove and shock them in cold water. Drain and set aside.

3. Over medium high heat, in a wok or large saute pan heat some cooking oil. when oil is heated, stir fry the pork until there is some browning. Make sure you break up the mince into smaller bits as you fry. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside when done.

4. In the same work, add a little oil, fry the dried shrimp until crisp and add in the garlic, shallots, ginger, chilli and carrots(if using). Fry until the garlic and shallots just start to brown and release their fragrance. Then add the cooked pork and blanched beans and stir fyr for 1-2 mins more. Drizzle a little soya sauce to taste.

5. Dish onto serving plates and serve immediately.

Note: Well cooked beans means less crunch. There are those who find the tartness of raw veg rather unappealing. If you are one of these people, you can blanch the beans slightly longer, maybe up to 3-4 minutes.

Have your household way of cooking beans? Do share!

Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

Chicken Thigh with Scallion and Ginger Sauce

This is a great tasting savoury dish to go with any East Asian meal. The aroma just hits you when the plate of chicken lands on the dinner table. Makes you just wanna dive right in. This sauce goes great with chicken wings as well. Just adjust the cooking times accordingly. Both the wife and I enjoyed this dish. I will definitely make this again sometime soon. 

Ingredients:
2 Chicken Thighs - cut into large chunks
4-5 stalks scallion/spring onion - roughly cut up
2-3 tablespoons ginger - skinned and roughly cut up
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon corn flour
Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame oil
Soya Sauce
White pepper

Steps:
1. Marinate chicken thighs with 1 tablespoon of soya sauce, dash of white pepper, 1 tablespoon corn flour and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least an hour.

2. To make the sauce, put all the scallion, ginger, 2 teaspoons soya sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, with some white pepper in a food processor and blitz till you get a paste. Its alright if the texture is slightly grainy. Set aside in a large bowl.

3. Pre-heat your oven to 190 degrees celsius. Cook chicken on the oven for about 25 minutes. (Cooking time may vary depending on the size of your chicken chunks)

4. Remove the cooked chicken from the oven. Toss the chicken with the sauce in the large bowl and put it back in the oven for another 7-10 minutes. Just for the sauce to dry up a little and stick to the chicken.

5. Dish on the serving plates and serve immediately.

Note: for step 3, you stir fry instead of cooking in an oven if you prefer.

Baked Chicken Breast with Leek and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Chicken Breast with Leek and Mushroom Cream Sauce

Leek, mushrooms and cream are a great combo anytime. Together with a succulent chicken breast, this makes for a great meal. Baked Chicken Breasts soaked in a rich, creamy and fragrant sauce, what's not to like?

Ingredients for 2:
2 Chicken breast portions - boneless (About 200 grams or so per person)
Paprika
Thyme

For the Sauce
100 grams Swiss brown mushrooms - cut into quarters. (You can use white buttons as well)
1 leek - quartered lengthwise and then sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (optional)
200ml cream

Salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil for frying


Steps:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Season the chicken breasts assertively with salt pepper and some paprika and thyme.

2. Place chicken in oven and cook for about 20 minutes. (cooking times may vary depending on the size and thickness of your chicken meat) Chicken breast can overcook rather easily, so know your oven. =)

3. To make the sauce, heat some oil over medium heat in a large saute pan. When oil is heated up, add in the leeks and saute for 2 minutes and then add in the mushrooms. Saute until the the moisture released by the mushroom are almost evaporated and mushroom start to brown lightly. About 6-8 minutes

4. De-glaze the pan with white wine and white wine vinegar. Allow to simmer for a minute. Then add in the cream and lower the heat. Turn off the heat just before the cream starts to boil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve warm together with the cooked chicken breasts, garnished with fresh parsley.

To have it child friendly, you can omit the white wine, vinegar and paprika.

Enjoy! Leave a comment on how yours went!

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree

This dish is inspired by something that I had when I was out with the wife one evening. It was a rather interesting combo, which inspired me to try it at home. I do recall seeing something similar on MasterChef Australia.

Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree

Can't go wrong with bacon and scallops. The parsley vinaigrette adds an acidic hit that cuts through quite nicely.

Ingredients to serve 2.
6-8 large scallops - seasoned with salt and pepper
2 rashers of streaky bacon
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

Cauliflower Puree
200 grams cauliflower - roughly cut into large chunks
1/2 cup milk
1/2 yellow onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon of unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
handful of fresh parsley - finely chopped or blitzed in a food processor.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Steps:

1. Cook bacon in an oven at 190 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes, until crispy. While the bacon is in the oven, mix all vinaigrette ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Or you can use a jar and shake it really well. When bacon is done, remove and allow to cool for a short while. Then break up the bacon into bits.

2. Boil the cauliflower in salted water for about 3-4 mins. Remove from water when cooked and set aside.

3. Over medium heat, fry the onions and garlic until they soften, about 2-3 minutes.

4. Add all the puree ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Reserve/set aside when done.

5. Heat a tablespoon of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a saute pan. When pan is really hot, sear the scallops about 30-45 seconds on each side. Remove from pan and set aside when done.

6. Spoon half the puree onto each serving dish. Place scallops on the puree itself and then garnish with bacon bits and the vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti with Sausages, Tomatoes and Basil

Spaghetti with Sausages, Tomatoes and Basil

This is a simple dish can be done in about 30 minutes or less. Tastes great and also child friendly. The savoury sausages, sweet and tangy tomatoes together with fresh basil make a awesome combo. Even the wife who is not a fan of sausages like this one. There is a reason that tomatoes and basil make a classic combo, this is one of the dishes that reminded me of that.

Here what I used to serve 2.

160 grams Spaghetti - Cooked according to package instructions. (you can use your preferred pasta.)
1x 400g can of diced tomatoes
3 pork sausages (about 250-350 grams) - pre-cooked. Roughly cut into 1cm chunks.
half yellow onion - diced
3 cloves of garlic - chopped
handful of fresh basil - roughly chopped.
Parmesean cheese for garnish
salt and pepper

Steps:

1. In a frying pan, heat some oil (about 1 tablespoon) over a medium high heat. Saute the sausages chunks for about 2-3 mins, stopping when almost all the chunks have achieved some browning. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside. Turn down heat to medium.

2. In the same pan, add in the chopped onions and garlic and fry for about 2-3 minutes over medium heat until they soften.

3. Add sausages back into the pan, together with the can of tomatoes. Mix well and allow to simmer over low heat. (you can use this time to cook the pasta. You and start boiling the water for the pasta even before you start step 1)

4. Add in the cooked pasta and basil, mix well and dish onto pasta plates. Garnish generously with grated Parmesan and serve immediately.

Enjoy!.

Roasted Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad

I thought this up when I needed a carb-free dinner one evening. But you could serve roasted potatoes on the side as a carb element. Its an easy to do chicken salad dinner. Basically oven roasted chicken on a simple salad.

Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad

The chicken was really great, the lemons added a nice hit of acidity to chicken as well as the salad. The dressing was light and refreshing. The lemon infused roasting juices helped to lift the salad up with its acidity. Nice and fresh veg don't really need a heavy dressing.

Ingredients for 2
2 boneless chicken thighs

spice rub:
1 tablespoon parika
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Rest of the stuff:
1 Lemon - Thickly sliced. Should get about 6 slices at most from a whole lemon.
1 cup baby spinach
1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1.2 cup rocket leaves
Parmesan cheese.
1 tablespoon mixed seeds (use your favourite seeds, e.g pine nuts, sunflower seeds, sliced almonds etc)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste.

Steps:
1. Mix all spice rub ingredients together in a large bowl. Coat both chicken thighs fully and place them in a resealable bag, pour any remaining run into the bag. Mix well, shake the bag a little, don't be shy about it :)

2. Lay the lemon slices on a baking tray. Use them as a base for the chicken. Lay the chicken on the lemon slices, skin side up. Its alright if the chicken is alot larger than the base of lemon slices. Cook in a preheated oven 180 degrees celsius for 35 minutes.
(optional but I like to do this. Use the grill function for the last 3-5 minutes.)

3. While the chicken is cooking, you can prep the salad. Mix all the salad greens well. Season with salt and pepper and toss with Extra Virgin olive oil and mixed seeds.

4. Optional - When the chicken thighs are cooked, cut them up into more manageable sizes.

5. Dish the salad onto individual dishes and garnish generously with Parmesan.

6. Lay the chicken on the veg, drizzle with the lemony roasting juices. Serve with more freshly ground pepper if you like.

Enjoy.

Asian Spicy Garlic Shrimp

Spicy Garlic Shrimp

A really tasty dish that packs a punch. Serving it over steamed rice is ideal. The rice just get soaked in the sauce. Simmering the shrimp heads with chicken stock really draws out the flavour from them, bringing this whole meal to the next level.

Ingredients:
400-500 grams shrimp/grey prawns - shelled and deveined. (weight was with shells on)
Note: Reserve all the heads and some shells for the sauce.
5-6 cloves garlic - sliced
2 shallots - sliced
1 large chilli - sliced
2 chilli padi/bird's eye chilli - sliced (replace with large chilli if your heat tolerance is low)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cups chicken stock (optional but highly recommended - water is an acceptable substitute.)
1 teaspoon light soya sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Cooking oil for frying

Steps:
1. Heat up a small saucepan over medium low heat. When heated, add in the shrimp heads. You should heat a low sizzle immediately. Stir them a little and add 2 teaspoons unsalted butter and stir well. Keep stirring occasionally until the prawn heads turn fully pink/red. At this point add in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.When the stock starts to boil, turn down the heat and gently simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and generous amount of pepper. Strain the mixture and reserve the "prawn stock". You may discard the shells/heads.

2. In a saute pan, add some oil and heat over medium heat. When pan is well heated, add in the shrimp. Cook each side for about 20 seconds, until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of cooking oil in the same pan. Heat up the oil and then add the garlic, all the chillies and shallots into the pan.  Stirring frequently, fry the ingredients until they start to turn brown.

4. Add the "prawn stock" into the pan and allow to simmer for about 1 minute. Then add in the shrimp and light soya sauce and rice vinegar. Mix well and turn off the heat.

Serve on steamed rice and garnish with fresh coriander.

Italian Style Roasted Chicken Thigh

I had a similar dish at an Italian restaurant recently and it left me feeling rather unsatisfied. The chicken was under seasoned and the skin was not rendered well enough. That inspired to try this at home.

Italian Style Roasted Chicken Thigh with Pan Roasted Vegetables and Chorizo

Wifey agreed that this time around it was much better than that we had. The awesome smell of rosemary permeated the house during the oven roasting. Simple yet tasty combination. The chorizo add a nice kick to the dish.You can call it rosemary chicken thigh I guess as it will be the primary fragrance and flavour.

Ingredients:

2 boneless chicken thighs

1 cup pumpkin - cut into chunks

1 red pepper - cut into pieces about 1 - 2 inches across

Handful of asparagus - tough bases trimmed

50 grams of chorizo - sliced

Leaves of 2 Springs of thyme

2 cloves of garlic - sliced/chopped

1 teaspoon unsalted butter

oil for frying

Marinade:

2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary - leaves only (or 1 tsp dried leaves)

2 sprigs of fresh thyme - leaves only (or 1 tsp dried leaves)

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of lemon juice

Steps

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place chicken thighs in the bowl and fully coat the chicken in the marinade. When done, place them in resealable bags. Pour remaining marinade into the bag. Mix well my massaging the bag a little. Re-seal and place in fridge for at least 20 mins. Longer if you have more time.

2. When ready to cook, place chicken thighs skin side up on a baking/roasting tray. Cook in a preheated oven at 190 degrees Celsius for about 40 minutes. (Cooking times may vary depending on the size of your chicken) Use grill mode for the last 3 minutes to crisp up the skin.

3. While the chicken is in the oven, you can start to cook the vegetables. In a saute pan over medium heat, brown the pumpkin about 3-4 minutes per side. When the pumpkin softens, remove from heat and set aside.

4. Wipe the pan down and add a little oil. Saute the red peppers until they begin to blister and soften. When done, remove and set aside. 

5. Add the chorizo to the pan, fry until they just about turn crisp, the add the garlic and fry for another minute or so. At this point add the asparagus, red pepper, pumpkin, butter and thyme leaves. Saute for another minute or so. Season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from pan.

6. Dish the vegetables onto dinner plates. Place the cooked chicken thighs on the vegetables and drizzle the roasting juices onto the chicken and vegetables. Garnish with herb of your choice.

Note: Vegetable combination is to your preference. Based on what you feel works for you and your household. Squash, potatoes and zuchinni come to mind. Do note that differernt vegetables have varying cooking times. E.g, carrots take a whole lot longer.

Enjoy!

Baked Garlic Onion and Anchovy Cheese Dip

Here’s an easy to make dip that easily impresses. It’s awesome with chips, crackers, vegetable sticks (Asparagus, Carrot Sticks etc..) Its also great used as a spread over bagels and/or bread. 

 

Ingredients:

250gm cream cheese (That’s the whole tub)

1 cup whipping cream
2 heads baked garlic - cooled to room temperature (See note below on baking garlic)
2 stalks spring onion, very finely chopped
1 x 80gm Tin of anchovies (minced in a food processor or finely chopped with a knife)

Steps:
1. If the cream cheese is hard (just out of the fridge) leave it out of the fridge for a while to let it soften.

2. Empty out the tub of cheese into a larger mixing bowl. Squeeze out the baked garlic into the cheese. (Remember to remove the hard roots). Add in the spring onions and anchovies as well. Fold in the garlic and onions into the cheese, ensure they mix well. Season with pepper.
 
3. Gradually add in the cream and fold it into the cheese mixture.

4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold later.

Note: Baking Garlic:- Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Warp a whole head of garlic in aluminum foil (single layer will do) and bake for 40 mins.