Saucy Steamed Chicken with Bacon Strips

This dish is based on one of the recipes that my mum wrote down for me a few years ago, and I have been cooking this quite often since then. It's one of those things that goes down quickly and easily with a big bowl/plate of rice, especially doused in that delicious sweet and salty gravy. And I know the kids will be happy eating one of their staple chicken-broccoli dinners.

In this dish, the chicken is sliced and layered with strips of bacon, then steamed briefly until just cooked. A thick gravy is then poured over the dish which then coats everything with this luscious sauce that's really tasty with the broccoli too. The chicken is moist, tender and juicy, and has absorbed some of the goodness from the bacon (and you can use any bacon you like - I happened to have double-smoked bacon in the fridge!). This is an easy and delicious one-pot dish that is sure to be a hit with the family!

Saucy Steamed Chicken with Bacon Strips

Ingredients

500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips (you should get 16 strips altogether)

130g (about 2 pieces) of bacon, rind removed, cut into 16 strips

1 cup broccoli florets (or substitute with spinach), blanched in salted boiling water

Marinade:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp cornflour

1 tbsp water

Sauce:

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp chicken stock powder

3/4 cup water

Thickening:

1/2 tbsp cornflour + 1 tbsp water

Method

Combine chicken with marinade. Brush a little oil onto a round 9 inch dish. Arrange the chicken and bacon slices around the dish in alternate layers, leaving a space in the centre for the broccoli. Leave to marinade for 15 minutes, and in the meantime, prepare a wok/pot for steaming. Steam the chicken for 12-15 minutes until cooked.

To make the sauce, heat up 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil in a small pan. Add sauce ingredients, simmer, then stir in thickening solution and bring to a boil. Pour gravy over the chicken and garnish with broccoli. If using spinach, line them around the edge of the dish. Serve hot with steamed jasmine rice.

Tip: To maintain the bright green colour of the vegetables, blanch them in boiling water with some salt, sugar and oil. Then refresh them under cold running water.

Cottony Soft Swiss Roll

Coffee Swiss Roll with Vanilla Buttercream

I made a coffee swiss roll yesterday using ovalette in the recipe. Ovalette is a sponge stabilizer that gives the cake a uniform and fine texture. This version uses 5 yolks and 3 egg whites, and I'm not sure if it's because I didn't beat the mixture long enough, but the cake was a little dense, although it was pretty soft and melts in your mouth once you bite into it. Maybe it's because it uses more egg yolks, causing it to be more eggy and dense. I don't know really. Hmm.... I'll just have to experiment with a different recipe next time.

Quick and Easy: Flatbread

Here's a simple recipe for unleavened bread that is a great accompaniment to curries. I made this to go with my leftover vegetable curry from last night.

Flatbread recipe
(Makes 3)

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp melted butter/ghee
100ml milk (approx)
Ghee/butter for frying

Method

In a large bowl, combine the ingredients above and knead for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add more flour or water if necessary to achieve the right consistency. The dough should be soft and pliable. Leave to rest for 10 minutes. Divide into 3 pieces. On a floured surface, roll or press out the dough into a flat thin round, holding it up and stretching it with your fingers as you go along. You can opt to sprinkle sesame seeds, cumin seeds, herbs, spices or anything you wish. Press it into the dough so as to stick.

Place a large non-stick pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp ghee/butter. Fry the bread one at a time, until bubbles appear on the surface. Brush the top with ghee, and flip over to brown the other side. Transfer to a plate and serve hot with your favourite curry!

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns

Soft, warm, buttery and sugary buns

I have discovered the joy of baking bread, not to mention that it's easier to make compared to baking a cake. From kneading the dough to a smooth elastic finish, watching it grow into a beautiful soft mound of puffiness, to the final stage when the tops turn golden brown in the oven, it can be quite a therapeutic and gratifying experience.

I came across the recipe for these buns on the website for King Arthur Flour and immediately knew that I had to make them one day. I had some potato flour in the pantry which I had been meaning to use in baking bread. Apparently, adding potato starch to the dough helps to retain the moisture in the bread when it is baked. And indeed, these buns were soft and moist, with buttery and crunchy sugar-crusted tops. I sliced them in half and placed some butter in between, and Z polished off two whole buns. We all love our butter!

Please find the recipe below:

Brushed the tops with melted butter and sprinkled with granulated sugar.
The "bread ring" is brushed with honey and topped with sesame seeds and chopped almonds,
then brushed with melted butter too!

Golden Pull-Apart Butter Buns
Adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients

3 1/2 cups plain flour

2 teaspoons (7g) instant yeast

2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes

3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk (I used regular milk powder)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 tablespoons soft butter

2/3 cup lukewarm water

1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Topping:

2 tablespoons melted butter

1 tbsp sugar

Sesame seeds

Water for brushing

Method

1. Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.
2. Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here — and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes in a warm draught-free place, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.
4. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball.
5. Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Space 8 buns in each pan. Can you use 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan? Sure; the buns just won't nestle together as closely, so their sides will be a bit more baked.
6. Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 180°C.
7. Uncover the buns, brush with water and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake them for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it.
8. Remove the buns from the oven, brush with the melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. After a couple of minutes, turn them out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
9. Serve warm with butter. Store leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature. Warm up in the microwave for 10-20 seconds before serving.

Yield: 16 buns.

Soft, moist and chewy goodness

Bread ring with sweet pecan butter filling