Easy Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict on Toasted Croissant

I got woken up early this morning by the kids wishing me "Happy Mother's Day" while I was still half asleep in bed. They were already up before 7am and couldn't wait to give me their presents and cards. Give it a couple more years and I'd have them well-trained to make me breakfast in bed. For now, Mr TFWL (aka Mr G) is only too happy to make one of our favourite breakfasts - Eggs Benedict. Not just any ordinary Eggs Benedict, but one served on top of a freshly baked croissant. Lucky for us, there is a bakery down the road which sells delicious breads and pastries, including these flaky buttery croissants.

 

It's always such a treat to have Eggs Benedict for breakfast, with the perfectly poached eggs and creamy hollandaise sauce. Traditionally (or usually), they are served on top of an English muffin, or sometimes wood-fired bread. We discovered the most awesome Eggs Benedict at Bondi Beach many years ago (before we had kids), at this place called Lamrock Café. The last time we were there, it wasn't on the menu anymore, and we never came across any cafes in Sydney serving them on croissant either.

Kanitama-don (Crab Omelette on Rice)

Kanitama-don is basically a Japanese-style "egg fuyong", comprising an omelette of crab meat served on a bed of rice, and topped with a soy-based gravy. I first tried this dish in a Japanese restaurant a few years ago, and was taken by surprise by what was a huge mound of an omelette sitting in a pool of gravy on a large plate. I suppose I was expecting it to be a little more colourful and artistic in presentation, like typical Japanese cuisine. For a moment there, I thought they got my order wrong! Well, never mind that I was  having "egg fuyung" while my lunch partner enjoyed her steaming hot bowl of ramen. I LOVE eggs, and I do love a good omelette, especially when it comes with gravy, and so I was quite happy and contented with my meal that day and was already thinking of ordering it again next time. Well, except that I didn't see it on the menu anymore after that, and that meant only one thing - I have to make it if I want to eat it.

Sundubu Jjigae

I know that the photo above doesn't look very appetizing, and doesn't do justice to the recipe for this delicious soup. It was already quite tricky getting the hot pot from the stove to the table as it was almost full to the brim. I didn't attempt to try moving it next to the window for a little more light, and even if I did, I doubt it would have made much of a difference as there wasn't much sunlight coming in anyway especially late in the evening. These days, I'm too busy to even bother using a tripod, which is presently tucked away somewhere at the back of the closet.

Tauhu Goreng (Deep-fried Beancurd in Spicy Sauce)

Deep-fried tofu with a sweet and spicy sauce on a bed of shredded cucumber, garnished with plenty of ground peanuts

Today, I am sharing a recipe (that my mum just taught me) for one of my favourite Malaysian childhood dishes - "Tauhu Goreng", which literally means Fried Tofu. It is most delicious when the tofu is served piping hot with a sweet and spicy sauce, and lots of ground peanuts. Try to make your own deep-fried tofu as the texture is much better than commercially prepared ones.

Agedashi Nasu (Deep-fried Aubergine)

Agedashi refers to dishes that have been deep-fried (age) and served with a light clear stock (dashi). Agedashi tofu is a popular dish where firm tofu is lightly coated in cornstarch or potato starch, then deep-fried until lightly golden. This is then served in a clear stock made from dashi, soy and mirin, and usually topped with grated daikon, spring onions and bonito flakes. The coating on the tofu soaks up the sauce and turns into this silky and gooey texture which complements the soft and hot tofu.

Eggs Cooked in Tomato Sauce and Liebster Award

This simple combination of runny eggs in a fresh herbed tomato sauce tastes fantastic when eaten with plenty of hot crusty bread (or in my case, I used garlic bread made out of Turkish pide). I added some diced ham that was leftover from Christmas lunch, just to make it a bit more substantial as I made this for our dinner. You can also use sausage meat (just remove the meat from the casings), chorizo, bacon or just leave them out entirely for a lighter meal. I used canned diced tomatoes for this dish, but you can use fresh tomatoes too if you like (just peel them before using). This dish is so incredibly versatile and easy to prepare, it's perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

Doenjang Jjigae (Again!) with Clams

I cooked Doenjang Jjigae again, for the second time in two days. If you are not familiar with this dish, it is a Korean stew made with soy bean paste, and contains vegetables, meat and other ingredients. This time, I used the proper Korean soup pot,  ttukbaegi, which I just bought this morning, so that I could enjoy another delicious serving of this wonderful stew! This time though, I opted to use clams instead of pork. Fresh clams are pretty hard to come by in Australia (or Sydney at least), so I bought prepacked frozen baby clam meat instead, which worked really well in this dish. The clams don't take long to cook, so I added them into the stew during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Both the clam and pork versions are yummy. However, I do enjoy the texture and taste of the clams in this dish, and it's also quicker to prepare compared to using pork, which has to be sliced first (unless you use frozen pre-sliced pork).

Tofu Omelette

Food Memory: Steamed Egg Custard with Pork and Salted Egg Yolk

It has been a while since I last had this dish. My mum used to make this for lunch at home and we would eat it together with a hot bowl of porridge (congee). Actually, I never did like it when I was little, but as I grew up, I slowly learnt to appreciate and enjoy the rich and creamy taste of of the salted egg yolks against the soft and silky egg custard. However, whenever I go back home to visit and ask my mum to cook this, she refuses to for the pure reason that it's TOO SIMPLE! :)

I decided to make this for dinner because firstly, it's easy to prepare, and secondly, I had some duck's eggs leftover from the other day when I cooked the crab. Most of the time, when I cook steamed egg, I would use one egg with 1/2 cup water, seasoned, and place it in a small bowl which I would then pop into the rice cooker on top of the rice, about 15 minutes just before the timer for the rice goes off. It will come out perfectly set and dear H will be the one who finishes the whole bowl. It's also a good way to help "moisten" the rice especially when there's no gravy or sauce in the other dishes. Well, this time, I used 3 eggs, so I had to steam it in a wok instead, but over very low heat. The water should be just simmering, otherwise the eggs will overcook and you'd end up with dry and hard "honeycombed" eggs instead.

Here is the recipe, which I have sort of conjured up based on memory:


Steamed Egg Custard with Pork and Salted Egg Yolk

Ingredients

3 tbsp minced pork
2 salted duck's eggs, boiled and yolks removed and chopped
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cup water
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp vegetable/peanut oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Some chopped spring onions or frozen mixed vegetables for topping (optional)

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
Dash of pepper
1/8 tsp sesame oil

Method

Combine pork with marinade and leave for 20 minutes.

Fry garlic in 1 tbsp oil until garlic turns light brown and crisp. Dish out and put aside.

Combine beaten eggs with water, soy, salt, pepper and stir until well mixed. Pour into a steaming tray or glass pie dish. Take 3 tbsp of this mixture and stir it through the pork until the mince is well dispersed. Add this to the rest of the egg mixture and spread the mince evenly. Sprinkle with salted egg yolk. Steam over simmering water on low heat for 15 minutes or until egg is just set. Take care not to overcook. If frozen vegetables are used, add this to the egg just before it completely sets and continue to steam until cooked. Remove from steamer and drizzle the garlic oil over the egg. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Quick and Easy: Eggs in Spicy Chilli Jam

Deep-fried hard-boiled egg served with a sweet and spicy chilli and tomato jam,

garnished with coriander leaves

I had picked a handful of fresh red chillies from the garden and decided to make a sweet chilli jam and serve it with hard-boiled eggs. I boiled the chillies first for about 15 minutes until they turned soft, chopped them up with shallots and garlic, then fried them in oil with belacan (shrimp paste), diced tomatoes, tamarind paste, water, salt and sugar. This was simmered until it caramelized and reduced to a thick jammy consistency. I also added a little chicken stock powder for flavour, then tossed in some hard-boiled eggs (that I had lightly shallow-fried in oil). Wow, those chillies were really hot, which makes it extra delicious served with plenty of steamed jasmine rice to help drown out the heat. Yum!

Mud Crabs with Salted Egg Yolk

Here's a recipe you can try out, but be sure to use fresh or live crabs if possible.

Crabs with Salted Egg Yolk
Adapted from Kuali.com

Ingredients

1kg fresh crabs
1 cup tapioca flour
Oil for deep-frying
3 salted egg yolks (I used salted duck eggs)
5 bird's eye chillies, chopped
2 stalks curry leaves
3 tbsp butter
½ tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp pepper
1½-2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp evaporated milk

Method

1. Clean the crabs. Remove the pincers and trim the legs. Cut into 4 pieces.
2. Boil salted eggs for 7-9 minutes. Remove the yolks and use a fork to mash the egg yolks finely.
3. Make sure the crabs are dry, then toss them in tapioca flour. Deep-fry in hot oil till golden in colour and cooked. Remove and leave aside.
4. Melt butter in a wok, sauté curry leaves and bird's eye chillies until aromatic. Add salted egg yolks, keep stirring until egg yolks are incorporated into the butter sauce.
5. Add pepper, salt, sugar and evaporated milk then stir in pre-fried crabs. Stir-fry briskly to mix. Dish out and serve immediately.

 

Silken Tofu with Bonito Soy and Spring Onions

Steamed silken tofu served with bonito soy sauce, spring onions and fried
garlic in peanut oil

Bonito Soy Sauce has wonderful umami flavour

Japanese Tofu with Pork Mince and Omelette

It would have been better if I had a hot plate to serve this dish in, especially now that winter is almost here, food tends to get cold pretty quickly. Come to think about it, I should have at least heated up the plate I planned to serve it in, so that at least it helps the food to retain some heat. Then I would have more reason to call this "Hot Plate Tofu". Next time perhaps.

I love tofu of all sorts (except for the stinky ones), and egg (or Japanese) tofu is one of my favourites. Silky smooth and custard-like, it has more flavour compared to regular white beancurd. I still don't understand why some people find eating tofu revolting, unless it's been disguised as a Vegan [Tofu] Cheesecake, which in my opinion sounds more bizarre than plain tofu itself.

Anyway, I cooked this dish for last night's dinner and it was simple and quick to prepare, with just 2 core ingredients, tofu and minced pork (I had initially wanted to use prawns instead, but they didn't have small prawns at the market).

How to prepare Japanese Tofu with Pork Mince and Omelette

1) Marinate 200g minced pork with soy, pepper, sugar, sesame oil and cornflour along with 1 tbsp water.

2) Cut tofu (2 tubes) into 1.5cm slices and deep-fry till golden in colour. You can dust them in tapioca starch/cornflour before frying if you like. Drain on absorbent paper.

3) In a wok, fry some garlic, add some sliced shitake/chinese black mushrooms and the pork until cooked. You can also add some carrots, peas, sweet corn kernels etc. Add 1 tbsp oyster sauce, a little light soy, some dark soy (for colour), shaoxing wine, dash of chicken stock powder, sugar and pepper with 1/2 cup water and bring to boil. Thicken with a little cornstarch/tapioca starch solution, making sure there is sufficient gravy. Add a few drops of sesame oil. Dish out into a bowl.

4) Lightly beat 2 eggs with 1 tbsp water, season with soy and pepper. Fry in a wok/pan on high heat to make a large round omelette. When the egg is almost set, add the tofu and minced pork over the centre of the egg, let it cook for a minute (so that you get nice crisp edges and bottom for the omelette), then carefully slide the omelette, tofu and all onto a plate. Of course, if you have a hot plate, then just pour the beaten eggs onto the plate and let it sizzle before topping with the tofu and pork. Garnish with spring onions and sliced red chillies if desired. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Curried Omurice (Rice in Omelette)

Last Saturday, I made Oyako Don for dinner, which is my favourite 4 ingredient quick-fix meal when there's only chicken in the fridge. As I had cooked a little extra sushi (short-grain) rice, I decided to use it to make fried rice for the kids the next day. I went with the "Japanese-theme" and made Omurice, which is rice wrapped in omelette. I had never made this for the kids before (after all, it's just an inside-out fried rice), so I was sure they would be happy to see something different on the dinner table (especially drizzled with ketchup and barbecue sauce!).

If you're using cold sushi rice from the fridge, warm it up a little in the microwave first before frying it. Heat up just enough oil to coat the wok and pour in 2 lightly beaten eggs. Swirl it around the wok to form a thin layer and once cooked, carefully transfer it to a plate.

Fry some garlic and add in some bacon/luncheon meat/chicken etc, followed by any peas/corn/vegetables and add in the rice, breaking up the grains in the wok. Add some chopped spring onions and season with a little salt and pepper. You can add some soy sauce for flavour. I decided to add a dash of curry powder instead which is also a tasty option and gives it a little colour. Then just ladle the rice onto one half of the omelette and fold over the other half. Drizzle over decoratively with ketchup, chilli, barbecue or any of your favourite sauce. Garnish with parsley.

Crispy Pan-Fried Eggs

This is actually based on a Kylie Kwong recipe called Mrs Jang's Homestyle Fried Eggs. It's one of my favourite supplements to a meal when I need something super fast and easy. The original recipe calls for the eggs to be deep-fried in a wok, but I prefer to just pan-fry mine in a little less oil than that. The eggs are browned and crisp along the edges and all over the bottom, and the yolks still soft and liquid. Combine that with the sweet-salty flavours of the oyster sauce and the heat from the chillies, it's totally addictive and it's hard to stop at just one egg. I could eat a few of those with steamed white rice and that would be my meal.

If you've never tried these, you should! Here's the recipe, adapted from Kylie Kwong:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I used about 1/2 cup using a frying pan instead)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Dash of ground white pepper
2 spring onions (scallions), finely sliced
1-2 red bird's eye chillies, finely sliced

Method

Heat oil in a hot wok (or pan) until the surface seems to shimmer slightly. Crack the eggs into a small bowl, then pour into the hot oil. After 2 minutes, reduce heat to allow the bottom of the eggs to become firm and crisp; the yolks should still be runny at this point.

Carefully slide a fish slice under the eggs, lift out of wok/pan and pour off oil. Return eggs to wok/pan and place back over the heat for another 1-2 minutes to crisp  further. The yolks should remain slightly runny.

Gently remove eggs from wok/pan and drain off any excess oil before easing onto a plate. Drizzle eggs with oyster sauce and garnish with pepper, spring onions and chillies.

Oyster Omelette ("Or Chien")

 

 

Today, we decided to splurge a little and bought some rock oysters to make oyster omelette, or "Or Chien", as commonly known in Malaysia. The last time I made this was about three years ago, and it was pretty successful for a first attempt. It's not a difficult dish to make, only that you need to have some plump and juicy fresh oysters and nothing can really go wrong, except that I FORGOT to add oil to the pan before I poured in the batter! I only realised it when I poured the egg over the batter and found that the omelette was sort of stuck to the pan, and no sizzling! Well, never too late to add oil, and I managed to save the dish. Phew! It turned out tasting pretty close to the real thing, especially with the chilli sauce that I made that afternoon. I could have left the omelette to fry a little longer, to crisp it up a bit more. It's a wonderful combination of textures - crispy, gooey, chewy, creamy (from the oysters). It's one of my favourite hawker dishes!

Soft 'n Gooey Boiled Eggs

Semi-hard-boiled eggs with a silky smooth white external and a soft creamy centre

I have never really tried making eggs this way before, except when I unintentionally overcooked my supposedly soft-boiled eggs. The first time I had eggs like this was at Ryo's Noodles in Crows Nest a long time ago. It came with the bowl of ramen I ordered, and of course, those eggs different from the ones I made here. G thinks that they used duck's eggs, but I'm not too sure. Those eggs were sweet and gooey and a little gelatinous in texture. They were perfect.

I made these eggs (weighing 59g each, straight out of the fridge) by putting them in lightly boiling water for about 7 minutes. Then I plunged them in a bowl of iced water mixed with some vinegar. This stops the cooking process, and the vinegar makes the eggs easier to peel. I recently found out that the reason why eggs are sometimes so darn hard to peel is because the eggs are too fresh! So a little vinegar helps. Either that or use eggs that are 4-5 days old. I like having my eggs slightly cool, so I placed them in the fridge for a while before serving them. Or just have them at room temperature.

Here are some links to sites on how to make soft-centred hard-boiled eggs:

How to make Japanese egg tamago

The Coolest Egg

Towards the perfect soft-boiled egg

Had these eggs with some nasi lemak (coconut rice) and deep-fried spicy chicken

Luscious Coconut Jam ("Kaya")

After watching chef Susan Feniger serving up Toast with Coconut Jam and Soy Glazed Eggs on Top Chef Masters, I felt like having some kaya (coconut jam) too. It's been so long that I can't remember the last time I made it. It's a pity she got eliminated for serving that to the judges, no matter how good it was, it just wasn't Top Chef material. But I'm glad she managed to introduce kaya to the Americans (and all watching Top Chef) just like how head judge Tom Colicchio introduced "Bak Kwa" to viewers on the Top Chef blog after last season's finale in Singapore.

I have never tried Susan Feniger's kaya recipe before. The recipe below is the "standard" (I guess) method that I usually adopt, and one that my mum uses too (more or less). It's easy to make at home, but just be prepared to stand over the stove, stirring the jam continuously for about an hour. Otherwise you might end up with scrambled coconut eggs instead of a silky smooth coconut custard.

PS: If you are looking for a kaya toast fix in L.A., go to SUSAN FENIGER'S STREET. She even has a webpage dedicated to Kaya Toast!

Kaya toast

Coconut Jam ("Kaya") Recipe

Ingredients:

10 eggs, beaten
400ml coconut cream (I used Ayam Brand)
500g caster sugar
2 pandan (screwpine) leaves, knotted

Method:

1. Reserve 2 tbsp of sugar and add the rest to the beaten eggs. Mix until all the sugar is dissolved. Add coconut cream and stir. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove any impurities.
2. Place mixture in a double boiler (I used a large metal bowl and placed it over a pot of simmering water. Alternatively, you can place the mixture in a heavy-based pot directly on the stove and stir over low heat, but be careful not to let the eggs cook at the bottom of the pot) together with pandan leaves and stir continuously over medium heat. Once the mixture starts to heat up, watch the heat and lower it to low-medium. If the pot/bowl becomes too hot to touch, then it's too hot for the mixture! You will need to lower the heat so as to avoid getting scrambled eggs.
3. Optional step: In the meantime, while still stirring, place the 2 tbsp reserved sugar in a small, clean, dry heavy-based pot and turn on the heat to medium-low. When the mixture starts to boil, watch it closely as it turns yellow to amber. When it turns to a slightly amber brown (but not burnt!), remove from the heat and pour into the egg mixture while still stirring. The sugar will crystallize in the mixture but will eventually dissolve. This is to add a deeper richer colour to the jam.
4. After stirring and stirring for about an hour, the mixture should have thickened and darkened in colour. It is ready when the consistency is like that of thick pouring custard (but note that once it cools down, it will thicken further). Discard the leaves, pour the jam into jars and let cool before storing (I store it in the fridge). Serve with hot toast and thinly sliced salted butter!

The kaya is ready!

Mee Suah and Omelette Soup

This is one of my favourite things to cook especially when I'm feeling sick or when I want something simple and healthy. It goes down easily and doesn't require too much jaw action. I made this for lunch on Sunday because I figured fish and chips would be too greasy and unhealthy for the kids (although we ended up getting them fish and chips for dinner anyway), and besides, I didn't have anything else to cook. This one is easy because I always have the basic ingredients, ie. eggs, mee suah (wheat flour vermicelli), dried shrimp ("hei bee") and dried anchovies ("ikan bilis") in my pantry. It's my life saver when there is nothing else to eat at home, or when I need something quick and easy. And it's delicious, of course!

Here's what you need:

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Mee Suah (vermicelli made from wheat flour)

2 tbsp dried shrimp, pounded/chopped finely

2 eggs, beaten with 1 tbsp water, and seasoned with soy and pepper

2 cloves garlic, lightly crushed

Ikan bilis (dried anchovies), fried in oil till crispy and seasoned with a little light soy and sugar

Chopped spring onions and fried shallots for garnish

Seasoning for soup:

Light soy sauce

Salt

Pepper

Dash of chicken stock powder

2-3 drops sesame oil

Method:

1. Heat up some oil in a wok. Fry garlic till browned and caramelized. Transfer onto a dish, leaving the oil in the wok.
2. Add the dried shrimp to the wok and fry briefly. Pour the beaten egg over the shrimp to make an omelette. When it's cooked, break it up roughly with a spatula. add the fried garlic and 3 cups of water and bring to a boil.
3. Simmer for about 5 minutes and add in seasoning.
4. Prepare the mee suah by blanching in boiling water briefly until the strands start to separate and soften. Drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Toss and separate the strands with a fork so that they don't clump together.
5. Ladle the omelette and soup onto the noodles and garnish with ikan bilis, spring onions and fried shallots. Serve immediately!

Creamy Homestyle Scrambled Eggs

My mum used to make me scrambled eggs on toast for breakfast when I was a kid. It was my favourite! Soft, creamy and buttery eggs on buttered toast. She would then cut up the toast into six little rectangles which I would then pop into my mouth and savour each perfect little bite. Did I mention butter?

This is exactly how I like my scrambled eggs. I have never known them to be cooked any other way except this. Anything else just isn't scrambled eggs, which is why I almost never ever order them when I eat out because I know they just aren't the same. I have encountered the kind served at breakfast buffets and they are usually hard, crumbly, dry and bland.

These homestyle ones that are so memorable to me are just perfect, and the trick is to stir it slowly over low heat in a small pot or pan. If you use a large frying pan or too high heat, the eggs will cook too quickly and end up a little like scrambled omelette instead of having that soft and creamy custard-like consistency.

Slow-cooked Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients

2 large eggs, beaten well

2 tablespoons milk
1/2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper

Method

1. Combine milk with the beaten eggs and beat well. Season with a little salt and pepper.
2. Place butter in a small pot or pan (approx 15cm radius) and place it on low heat. When the butter starts to melt, pour in the egg mixture. It should fill the entire surface of the pan/pot and come up to at least 1 cm high. Stir slowly with a wooden spoon/spatula. After about 5 minutes, the liquid mixture should start to coat the bottom and side of the pot as well as the tip of the spoon/spatula. If the heat gets too hot, remove the pot from the flame and continue stirring to avoid the eggs overcooking. Once stabilised, put it back on the flame. Stir slowly and continuously, ensuring that the egg does not stick to the bottom of the pot.
3. After about 5-8 minutes, the egg mixture should start to come together to form a soft creamy consistency that will not fall off the spoon when scooped.
4. Take it off the heat immediately and serve it on 2 slices of buttered toast (preferably cold sliced butter). Enjoy!

Made scrambled eggs again the next day - a creamier version this time