Pan Grilled Salmon with Zesty Dill Butter

Recently, my hubby bought some expensive oranges. Harukra oranges to be specific. I want to get all I can from these oranges so I decided to save the zest to make this dish.

Ingredients:

• 2 piece Salmon
• A pinch of Salt and a dash of Ground Black Pepper

Seasoned Butter:

• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Dill, chopped
• Zest of  a Citrus Fruit like lemon, lime or orange
• 1 tablespoon Salted Butter, softened

How to do it:

1. Prepare the Seasoned Butter by mixing all ingredients together well.
2. Return the butter to the fridge if it is too soft; ie; cannot hold it's shape.
3. Clean salmon and pat dry.
4. Rub salmon with salt and ground black pepper before pan grilling.
5. Sparingly spread some butter on salmon for grilling just to prevent sticking.
6. Pan grill salmon till just well done.
7. Serve with a teaspoon of soften seasoned butter.

Note:
The potato served here with the salmon is parboiled with skin intact till tender. It is pan-grilled together with the salmon.

Honey Baked Cod

I'm re-posting one of my favourite recipes. This recipe brings back lots of memories I had when I was working in a Japanese Company, Rubycon.

I was such a workaholic then. Never would have thought I would give up my job to be a full time homemaker.  Some of my ex-colleagues are still with the Company but my ex-boss was being posted to Korea.  I hope they are all well.

Ingredients:

• 2 slice Cod

Marinade:

• 6 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 5 tablespoon Honey
• 1 tablespoon Sake
• 1 tablespoon Water

How to do it:

1. Mix the marinade well.
2. Pour over the the cod and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven at 180C.
4. Lay your baking tray with baking paper.
5. Drain cod from marinade and reserve the marinade.
6. Simmer the marinade till it thickens. Use this as basting sauce.
7. Grill the cod for 20 minutes skin-side up.
8. Bast the cod with the sauce a couple of times.
9. Carefully turn the cod over.
10. Continue to grill, basting the cod a few times till the surface caramelised.
11. Serve immediately.

Note:

• As this dish contain honey, be careful not to burn the cod. Adjust the temperature of your oven and the timing accordingly.
• Adjust the sweetness of the dressing according to your taste.

Chicken Soup with Shark's Cartilage 鲨鱼软骨鸡汤

I hesitate for a long time before deciding to share this recipe.  Why?  Because it involve Sharks. Yes, sharks.  I realised anyone sharing anything about eating sharks (fins) gets lots of flaming.

I'm not trying to go against environmentalists out there who are against eating Shark's Fin and promote eating it here. Like I mentioned before in some of my posts, I will not encourage eating it but will not reject it if it's served to me. It will be a waste of food, whether or not if it's Shark's Fin. 

Just a thought here.  Maybe if we all start eating Shark's meat like what we used to do, the fishermen will not just harvest the fins and throw the remains back into the sea.  Shark's meat was my father's favourite. I remembered eating it very often when I was a child. My father often cooked it with Black Fermented Bean.  Even the Lor Mee I had when I was a child was loaded with the soft and sweet Shark's meat. I do not know when the wet markets stopped having Shark's meat for sale. Finding shark's meat is even harder than Shark's Fin now. :P

Anyway, if you are still thinking of flaming me or send me hate mails for this post, please do the same for those who are sharing about Foie Gras too.  It is cruel how the geese are raised and fed, all for its liver.  No?  BUT, Foie Gras remains a delicacy and is much loved by many.  Not much petitions to stop eating Foie Gras around leh.  Well, not as much as Shark's Fin.  Everybody is still happily eating it. :P  Not very fair to the geese, you know.  Likewise for any other animals which are raised in harsh environment so that the farmers can get the most of them. :P  They, the farmers, are the ones who needed the 'education'.  ;)

For me, I just want to share a collagen rich recipe here. Not to start a food war or anything. If you don't like what you see, you can just leave.  And don't waste time sending me hate mails or comments. I get lots of those before.  Doesn't affect me much nowadays.  Just go spend your time usefully somewhere else.  Thank you.  ;)

Please note that this soup is for those who are very patient.  You need at least 4 hours of simmering to to turn the cartilage into gelatinous/jelly like and the soup milky.  The cartilage shown in the pictures here had only be simmered for 2 hours (just so you can see how it's going to be like half way into cooking).  You can see part of it turning jelly like.  You won't be seeing much of the cartilage or rather the shape of it after 4 hours.

Ingredients:

• 1 large Shark's Cartilage
• 1 Chicken Carcass
• 10 Chicken Feet
• 2 Chicken Drumstick
• a handful Wolfberries
• a slice of Ginger
• 3 litres Water

How to do it:

1. Blanch shark's cartilage, chicken carcass, feet and drumstick.
2. Add all the above, except drumsticks, and ginger into a pot of water.
3. Bring to a boil before reducing to a simmer.
4. Simmer for 3 hours before adding the chicken drumsticks.
5. Continue to simmer till the shark's cartilage turn gelatinous/jelly.
6. Add in the wolfberries and cook for another minute.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Serve.

Note:

• I add chicken drumstick at a later time as I'll serving it with the soup. If you just wish to serve the soup without any meat, you can omit it.
• You may use other parts of chicken instead of drums if you wish.
• Please eat whatever gelatinous cartilage that has not all melted into the soup and not just drink the soup only. It's packed with collagen

Teochew-Style Steamed Cod 潮州式蒸鳕鱼

Teochew-Style Steamed Pomfret is something I often eat at home when I was young. I'm a Teochew, by the way. ;)

My husband has high cholesterol hence I try not to use Pomfret in my cooking. Since the kids love Cod a lot, I usually use Cod. This way, everyone will get to enjoy it and I don't have to prepare different dishes for different people, which is what I usually do.

I would love to use Pomfret here as the meat is fine and soft. If you do you have any restriction, go ahead to use Pomfret for the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 slice Cod
• 1 Tomato or 8 Cherry Tomatoes, sliced thickly
• 8 stalk Spring Onion, whites part only, cut into smaller sections
• 2 slice Ginger
• 1 leaf Salted Vegetable, about 2 tablespoon full when diced
• A handful Shimeji Mushroom
• 1 Salted Plum, pitted and cut into 4 pieces if sharing.
• 1 teaspoon Fish Sauce
• 100ml Water
• Some Wolfberries (optional)

How to do it:

1. Divide all ingredients into 2 portions.
2. Place individual portion separately in 2 plates.
3. Steam for 7 to 9 minutes depending on the size of the cod used.
4. Serve immediately.

Note:

• Shimeji mushroom can be replaced with the Fresh Shitake Mushroom or traditionally used dried mushroom.
• If using dried mushroom, rehydrate 1 to 2 mushroom before using.

Steamed Pomfret 蒸鲳鱼

I don't cook often Pomfret as it's high in cholesterol. Same for ikan bilis, especially the heads, so go easy with it if you have family with high cholesterol. My husband has high cholesterol hence we only have this once a while.

I didn't want to get a new bottle of sour plum or salted vegetable to make the Teochew-style as I have no use of those for my other dishes at the moment. I'm doing it another way that the kids like too.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ponfret, cleaned
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 5 slices Ginger, julienned
• 1 Tomato, half sliced and half diced
• 1 Fresh Shitake Mushroom, diced
• 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil

How to do it:

1. Rub pomfret with a pinch of salt
2. Place sliced tomato on the dish followed by the pomfret and both the diced tomato and shitake mushroom.
3. Drizzle Chinese cooking wine.
4. Steam for 8 minutes or till totally cooked.
5. Remove and drain away the liquid.
6. Heat cooking oil and stir-fry ginger shred till golden brown.
7. Drain and set aside.
8. Using the same oil, heat it with light soy sauce.
9. Top steamed fish with fried ginger shreds and spring onion shreds if you like.
10. Pour the hot soy sauce and oil over the fish.
11. Serve immediately.

Note:
I prefer to pour away the liquid obtain after steam. It makes the dish clearer and cut down on the fishy taste as some kids don't like it. You can retain that if you like.

Grilled Sea Bass with Thyme and Garlic Butter

My husband is away on an overseas business trip for the past week (meaning less cooking :p)

Usually I will eat whatever leftover from the kids' dinner. However, I had a piece of Seabass in the fridge that I wanted to clear, so I made a simple dinner for myself yesterday instead of having leftovers.

I had the sea bass grilling in the oven while I worked on the sides. This also means less cleaning up. You can pan-fry it too. You can have to watch over it so it will burn.

Ingredients for Grilled Sea bass:

• 1 slice Sea bass
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2 sprig Fresh Thyme
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Ingredients for Zesty Garlic Butter:

• 2 clove Garlic, minced
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 tablespoon Butter

Ingredients for Mashed Cauliflower:

• 230g Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/3 tablespoon Butter
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Clean and pat dry sea bass.
2. Mix herbs and spice ingredients for sea bass together.
3. Rub all over the sea bass and set aside for 15 mins.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the zesty garlic butter but mixing all ingredients together.
5. Spread half of the butter on the skin side of the seabass.
6. Grilled the sea bass on rack in preheat oven at 250C for 8 mins, longer if you want the skin browned.
7. Turn over, spread the remaining butter and continue to grill for another 8 mins.
8. While the sea bass is grilling in the oven, prepare the cauliflower.
9. Steam the cauliflower florets for 10 mins. You can blanch them too.
10. Drain well and pour into a blender.
11. Add the butter and half of the parmesan cheese.
12. Blend till smooth.
13. Add salt to taste.
14. Scoop out onto a plate and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese.
15. You can bake it in the oven to brown it if you like.
16. Remove sea bass from oven and serve together with the mashed cauliflower.

 

Steamed Snapper with Cordyceps Militaris 虫草花清蒸白鲷鱼

This is the second time I experiment on  this dish and this time it turned out good.

On the first time, I used Tilapia. We just didn't like the taste of that fish, even with the sweetness of the Chinese Herbs used, it just didn't taste right. Love it with snapper though.

I bought the snapper from the wet market. You can always use Cream Snapper Fillet, which can be easily found in supermarket.

Ingredients:

• 1 thick slice Snapper Fillet, cleaned and pat dry
• 3-4 slice Ginger
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 6 Seedless Red Dates, sliced
• 7g Cordyceps Militaris
• 2 tablespoon Stock (I'm using Chicken Stock
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt

How to do it:

1. Rub snapper with salt and set aside.
2. Place red dates and Cordyceps Militaris in stock. 
3. Seal with cling wrap or foil and steam for 10 minutes.
4. Place ginger slices in a deep dish.
5. Place snapper over the ginger.
6. Pour stock with red dates and Cordyceps Militaris and Chinese Cooking Wine over snapper.
7. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes or till snapper is completely cooked.
8. Spoon the sauce from the dish and pour over snapper generously.
9. Drizzle with sesame oil if you like and serve immediately.

Cheesy Tuna Croquette 金枪鱼可乐饼

This is one of my kids' favorite and my husband's too. The funny thing is my daughter who doesn't like tuna like this more than her brother, who love tuna sandwich.  I have weird kids, I tell you.

Anyway, My daughter alone can finish almost all that I have prepared, which is about 7 croquettes. =_=||| Hope you like this as much as she does.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium Potatoes, cooked and mashed
• 1 canned Tuna, drained (I'm using Heinz Canned Tuna)
• 3 tablespoon Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• All purpose flour for dusting
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Mix mashed potatoes, tuna and Parmesan Cheese together.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Scoop about 2 tablespoon of mixture and shape into a ball.
4. Dust with flour shaking excess.Dip into beaten egg.
5. Coat with breadcrumbs.
6. Deep fry till golden brown.
7. Drain and serve immediately.

Note:

• The mixture is a bit soft. If you have problem lowing the croquette into the oil, you might like to use a slotted spoon.
• I'm using using shredded Parmesan Cheese not grated Parmesan Cheese. It gives the melty look.
• You can add some mozzarella cheese too.

Threadfin with Ginger Sauce 香煎姜汁马鲅

I have been trying very hard to make my kids eat fish other than Cod and had only been successful with this dish using Threadfin.

Threadfin, commonly know as 午鱼 in Hokkien and 马友 in Cantonese, is very often use when I made fish porridge for my kids when they were toddlers.


As this is done with ginger sauce, it has a very nice aroma and reminds me of a friend who is doing her confinement. I bet she will enjoys this dish.

There are ready-made (Japanese) Ginger sauce but I prefer to make my own as I don't have to free-up space in my fridge or kitchen cabinet to keep it. I don't have to worry about wastage towards the expiry date too. My major frustration with ready-made sauce is some times I can't find it anymore when I want to get it.

My ginger sauce may not be better than ready-made ones but ingredients are easily found, easy to made and you can adjust the flavour according to your taste too. You can make it anytime you need it too. Do try it out. :)

Ingredients:

• 1 slice of Threadfin
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Ginger Sauce for Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Juice (done by grating the ginger using a grater)
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar

Ginger Sauce for Seasoning:

• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Ginger Juice (done by grating the ginger using a grater)
• 1 teaspoon Mirin
• 1/2 tablespoon Water
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar (optional)

How to do it:

1. Marinate threadfin in ginger sauce marinade for half an hour.
2. Heat pan with oil.
3. Drain threadfin and place in pan.
4. Pan fry on all sides on medium high heat till just cooked, about 10-12 mins.
5. Dish and set aside.
6. Using the same pan pour in ginger sauce for seasoning.
7. Bring to a gentle simmer.
8. Drizzle over threadfin or use it as a dipping sauce.

Note:
You can dust the threadfin with corn flour before pan frying it to prevent it from breaking.

Oven Grilled Salmon with Dill 莳萝叶烤三文鱼

This is my husband all time favourite fish dish and the only (cooked) salmon dish I take. It's another easy dish to make.

My husband has been reaching home past 9pm lately. I just had this prepared beforehand. When he is back, I let the oven do the cooking while he takes a bath. When he is out, it's ready and it's till a hot and 'fresh', not reheated supper dinner. Most importantly, minimum cleaning required. ;)

I'm reposting the recipe I posted a few years ago, with minor adjustment, for easy reference.

Ingredients:

• 1 slice Salmon
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1/2 tablespoon Dill, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Olive Oil
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt
• a dash of Ground Black Pepper
• A wedge of Lemon

How to do it:

1. Rub salt and pepper on salmon and set aside.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together except lemon.
3. Spread the herb mixture on both sides of the salmon, more on the top.
4. Grill in oven at 220C for 15 minutes or till cooked.
5. Squeeze lemon juice on salmon and serve immediately.

Baked Cod Teriyaki 日式照烧鳕鱼

Here's another easy and simple. Before I have an oven I use to make this dish using the regular pan.

The ingredients are the same. Only difference is the cooking method. The latter method requires more steps and monitoring. The flavour is more intense too.

Now with an oven, I prefer the easier and the less hassle way to do it. If you want an even easier way, use instant teriyaki sauce which can be easily found in supermarkets. I prefer to make my own marinade as it allows me to control the flavours.

Whichever way you like, this is one easy dish you have to try.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece of Cod or Salmon

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar or regular fine sugar
• 1 tablespoon Mirin
• 1 tablespoon Wine
• 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce

How to do it:

1. Mix the marinade.
2. Place cod in a ziploc bag and pour in the marinade.
3. Squeeze the air out and seal the bag.
4. Leave cod to marinate in the fridge for at least 1/2 an hour.
5. Lay baking tray with baking paper (I use Glad Baking Paper)
6. Place the cod with a tablespoon of marinade.
7. Bake at 200c for 15 minutes.
8. Turn over and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes or till cod is completely cooked
9. Remove and serve immediately.

Note:
I use baking paper so the cod doesn't stick to the tray during baking.

Steamed Cod with Garlic 蒜茸蒸鳕鱼

I learned this really simple dish from a friend. I like how she uses fried garlic to steam the fish. You can smell the aroma of the fried garlic when you open the lid of your steamer.

Ingredients:

• A piece of Cod
• 2 - 3 tbsp chopped Garlic
• a pinch of Salt and a dash of Pepper

Seasonings:

• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Chicken Powder or Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Wash and pat dry cod.
2. Deep fry 1/2 portion of the garlic till lightly brown. 
3. Drain and set aside.
4. Stir fry the remaining garlic till fragrant. 
5. Add in seasoning and fried garlic and mix well.
6. Arrange fish on dish. 
7. Top with seasoned garlic.
8. Steam for 8 minutes or till cod is completely cooked. 
9. Drizzle some sesame seed oil if desired.
10. Served immediately.

Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter 烤三文鱼绊青柠蒙牛油

Some of you might know that I make dinner twice a day. The first dinner is for the kids and me and the second dinner is for my husband.

He has long working hours and usually reached home after eight, sometimes after nine! I didn't like the idea of serving cold food or reheated food (personally I wouldn't like having it either), I rather cook again. However, it's usually something really fast and easy to cook dishes, like what you see here.

The salmon is paired with blanched broccoli here. I prepared the lime butter ahead and I blanched the broccoli the same time I grilled the salmon. It only took me less than 10 minutes to get the dish done.

10 minutes for a hot dinner. How's that?

Ingredients:

• 1 piece Salmon
• A pinch of Salt and a dash of Ground Black Pepper
• Zest of 1 Green Lime (optional)

Lime Butter:

• 5 clover Garlic, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 Green Lime
• 1/4 tsp Black Ground Pepper or to taste
• 30g butter, softened
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Prepare the Lime Butter by blending all the lime butter ingredients till smooth.
2. Clean salmon and pat dry.
3. Rub salmon with salt and ground black pepper before pan grilling.
4. Sparingly spread some butter on salmon for grilling.
5. Pan grill salmon till just well done.
6. Sprinkle zest on salmon, if desired, and serve 1/2 tbsp of soften lime butter.

Note:

• The lime butter is enough to serve 4-6 slices of salmon depending on the size of each piece. 
• The green lime referred here is the lemon look-a-like, not Kalamansi.

Fish Tofu with Assorted Veggies 鱼肉豆腐炒什菜

This is one dish that have everything that the family will like. Sometimes, I'll change the vegetables and it's looks like a new dish for the kids.  The main item here is the fish tofu, which will need a bit work but trust me, the kids even adults will like it.

If you are unable to get ready made fish paste, you can make your own. My suggested recipe is here. I'm lucky that there's a stall selling Yong Tau Foo 酿豆腐 in the wet market at my place here. I can buy just the fish paste from them, which in my opinion far more better than those sold in supermarket.

Ingredients:

• 150g Fish Paste
• 1 tube Egg Tofu
• 1 clove Garlic, minced
• 8 Fresh Shitake Mushroom, sliced
• 12 Sweet Peas, tips removed
• 1/2 Carrot, sliced
• 6 tablespoon Broth
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying
• Cornflour mixture (thickener), optional

How to do it:

1. Squeeze the tofu out of the tube.
2. Mix the smashed tofu with the fish paste.
3. You can add a dash of pepper if you like.
4. Oil a deep dish on all sides well.
5. Pour the tofu fish paste in the dish and level it.
6. Cover with foil and steam for 15 minutes or till cooked.
7. Carefully turn the dish over when it's cooled to let the fish tofu will drop to the foil.
8. Cut the fish tofu into thick equal blocks.
9. Pan fry the fish tofu on all sides till lightly browned.
10. Remove and set aside.
11. Using the same wok, add oil if necessary.
12. Add in sweet peas and stir fry till just done.
13. Dish and set aside.
14. Still using the same wok, add garlic and saute garlic till fragrant.
15. Add in sliced mushroom and carrot.
16. Stir fry till almost cooked.
17. Add in fish tofu, sweet peas and broth.
18. Bring to a boil and season with salt.
19. Gradually stir in cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce if you like.
20. Dish and serve immediately.
    

Pan Fied Salmon with Mashed Cauliflower

I saw this meal suggestion in a magazine a couple of years ago and it has since became one of the regular dinners I cook for my husband.

In the picture here, I used salmon and asparagus with cauliflower mash. Sometimes, I use other white fish  and other veggies to pair them.

Ingredients:

• 150g Salmon
• 110g Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 3-4 Asparagus
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Margarine or Butter
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• Flour for dusting 
• Oil for pan frying
• Ground Black Pepper

How to do it:

1. Marinade salmon with soy sauce. 
2. Set aside to prepare the cauliflower mash.
3. Cook cauliflower in salted water for 5 minutes or till slightly soften.
4. Drain and blend the cauliflower with half the margarine.
5. Cook the asparagus together with the cauliflower but remove after 1 minute. 
6. Dust the salmon with flour.
7. Pan fry the salmon, skin side down first for 5 minutes or till lightly browned.
8. Flip over to pan fry for another minute or till cooked.
9. Place the salmon with the cauliflower mash and asparagus.
10. Either drizzle melted margarine over it or let it melt on the salmon.
11. Sprinkle ground black pepper over it.
12. Serve immediately.

Mashed Cauliflower

Steamed Cod with Lily Bulb 清蒸百合鳕鱼片

The only fish my kids eat, Cod. I buy so much cod till the fishmonger always reserved the (tail) part I always buy for me. My kids know the differences if I bought other parts. :P I usually ask the fishmonger to debone for me and sometimes, slice for me too, just like for this case. I won't be able to do it myself. :P

Ingredients:

• 8 - 10 slices Cod
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 5 slices Ginger, julienned
• 8 slices Lily Bulb
• 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sugar 
• 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil

How to do it:

1. Place cod in a dish.
2. Drizzle Chinese cooking wine and sesame seed oil on it.
3. Top with ginger shreds and lily bulbs.
4. Steam for 8 minutes, longer if cod slices are thicker.
5. Remove and drain away the liquid.
6. Heat cooking oil, light soy sauce and sugar together.
7. Pour the hot soy sauce and oil over the fish.
8. Serve.

Note:
Add additional 1to 2 tablespoon if water in step 6 if you like to have more sauce.  Season to taste.

Groupa with Fermented Black Bean

This is another fish dish for my husband. My kids hate it. Seriously, I don't quite like it either. :P It's the fermented black beans. I never like it since young as it reminds me of the eggs of ...... I didn't even dare touch it before. But my husband loves it though.

Having said that, there's nothing wrong with the taste especially after adding the dried Tangerine Peel. I just need to get over the appearance of the beans. :P

Ingredients:

• 300g Fish Fillet (I use Grouper here)
• 2 tablespoon Shredded Ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Black Bean Paste (Please refer below)
  
• 1/2 tablespoon Oil

Black Bean Paste:

• 100g Chopped Fermented Black Beans
• 1 teaspoon Chopped Dried Tangerine Peel
• 1 tablespoon Chopped Garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Oil

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in wok.
2. Add all ingredients except sugar and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add sugar and stir fry further till ingredients well mixed and fragrant.
   
4. Dish and set aside.
5. Arrange ginger on a plate.
6. Place fish on top.
7. Spread black bean paste over fish.
8. Steam for 10 minutes or till cooked.
9. Sprinkle spring onions and chilli on fish.
10. Pour hot oil over fish.
11. Serve immediately.

Note:

• Salt is not included as fermented black bean is already salty.
• Add the fermented black bean paste according to your taste.
  

Fish Porridge Set

I have been very busy for the past weeks. My son had Chicken Pox but it was lucky for me that he recovered rather quickly and it wasn't passed to my daughter. The unfortunate thing was everyone else was sick too. We didn't have appetite for any food other than porridge. It's a torture to try feeding sick kids, especially if they have a cold. They either reject the food or eat very little. Thank God, my kids love porridge especially porridge with fish slices and can finish one big bowl for it and really fast. :) The way I do my fish porridge is slightly different. My friends called it Fish Porridge Set. ;P I always use snakehead fish aka Toman as it not fishy and is flaky. Season 300g of the fish slices for 30 minutes with 2 teaspoon light soy sauce, 2 teaspoon cooking wine, 4 teaspoon ginger juice. Do retain the ginger after squeezing out the juice. In a dish, place fish slices without the marinade. Add a few pieces of spring onions to it, white parts only. Steam it for 7 minutes or till cooked. You will have a dish of steamed fish slices with lots of sauce. However, if you have kids who do not like to eat whole slice of fish, like my daughter, take half of the fish slices and cook it with the porridge. As it is flaky, after a few stirs, it will break down and blend in with the porridge. Do not waste the marinade. You can add the marinade to the porridge and cook together. Add another 2 to 3 slices of ginger to the porridge if you like. I don't add in any more seasoning as we will use the sauce from the steamed fish as seasoning. You can add seasoning if you like. I do not throw away the remains of the ginger after squeezing out the juice. I fry it will some oil or sesame seed oil till golden brown and I can use that as garnishing. As the ginger is not as juicy, it browns very fast, so be careful not to burn it. How do we eat our porridge? Other than my daughter, who will only eat with the fish flaked and blended into the porridge, the rest of us eat our porridge with slices of fish and spring onions, top with fried ginger and spring onions, drizzled with sauce from the steamed fish and some sesame seed oil if you like. Try this for a change.

Fried Fish in Soy Sauce

I haven't buy (whole) Groupa for a long time as it too big to fit into my small pan wok for cooking. I got one anyway and told the fishmonger to get the smallest he can find. :P He even 'butterfly' it for me. I'll be lucky if I can get the whole fish in. That's the problem with having a small wok. My original plan was to try to replica the home-made fried tofu we always have at the Soup Restaurant. But I'm really lousy in frying beancurd. I'm still practicing though. I will share my way of doing it if I ever master it. :P Anyway, I gathered that the sauce which was inspired by the fried tofu dish I mention should goes well with fried fish too. But be prepared to clean up the kitchen after this. Okay, okay, the oil spat is only the initial part so you probably need to only clean the wall and a small part of the floor. ;) Ingredients:

• 1 Groupa, cleaned
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• Corn Flour for dusting
• Oil for frying

Garnish:

• 1 - 2 tablespoon Dried Shrimps, fried till crispy
• lots of Spring Onions and Coriander

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 5 tablespoon Water
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cooking Wine

How to do it:

1. Rub salt over fish.
2. Give the fish a few parallel cuts on both side to help faster cooking.
3. Dust whole fish with cornflour.
4. When oil is hot (not smoking), carefully slide fish in.
5. Gently scoop oil and pour over the top of the fish, if you dare too. ;) The oil is hot but not splatting.
6. Slowing turn the fish over once the bottom is nicely brown about 4 minutes for mine.
7. Continue frying for another 3 minutes or till cooked and skin is brown.
8. Drain away oil and place on a dish.
9. Put fried dried shrimps, spring onions and coriander on fish.
10. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan and bring to a boil.
11. Pour over fish.
12. Drizzle on some sesame seed oil and serve immediately.

Snapper in Tomato Sauce

The is one of the easier fish dish I did during my husband's fish eating days. He always have it with his bowl of rice but for the rest of us, we would sometimes have it with noodle. Just like spaghetti. ;) If you are rushing for time and want a quick and healthy dinner. This is it. Ingredients:

• 300g Snapper Fillet or white fish
• 1 medium Onion, diced
• 400g Canned Diced Tomatoes
• 2/3 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 20ml Water
• 1/2 tablespoon Cooking Oil

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in wok.
2. Add in the onion and saute till soften.
3. Add in all ingredients excluding fish and salt.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer and add in the fish.
6. Cover the wok and continue simmering for 5 to 10 mins till fish is thoroughly cooked.
7. Add salt to taste.
8. Dish and serve.