Smoky Wok

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend.  It's been awhile since I've featured one of my favourite Chinese comfort foods, congee or also known as rice porridge.  Today's recipe is an extremely easy and refreshing salmon congee dish that you can whip up pretty quickly and easily whenever you're in need for a dose of some delicious warmth or just when you feel like some congee.  I used salmon belly today but you can also just use salmon fillet if you like - then again you can totally substitute the salmon with another fish of your choice.  Apart from the fish, all you need are some ginger, scallions (green onions), chicken or vegetable broth and of course well rice. 



I prefer my congee to be of a smoother consistency hence I like to soak the rice in water for at least 30 minutes before cooking which really helps break down the grains considerably more producing a silky smooth consistency.  Then again, if you like your congee to be more substantial feel free to increase the ratio of the rice grains to water.  I used homemade chicken broth for my congee today but you can definitely just use any good quality (no MSG) store-bought chicken broth.

Simply steamed chicken.  This dish requires very litle introduction and most Chinese households probably have their own little twist to make this classic chicken dish uniquely theirs.  In our household, this dish requires first and foremost very good quality fresh chicken (frozen usually does not cut it) but not to the extent of having chickens running in your backyard of course.  The key to this dish is the timing of steaming - you have to steam the chicken up until the point that it is fully cooked yet not overly so to preserve the smoothness and deliciousness of the dish.  We like to serve it with some crispy fried shallots or you can go for some chopped up ginger mixed with hot oil and salt.  You can't go wrong either way.






Chopping the chicken into the bite-sized pieces is another challenge, to ensure clean cuts it is best to allow the chicken to cool completely before wielding your cleaver.  As you can see, I photographed a whole chicken leg as seriously it was getting dark and I still rely on natural light for my food photography.  We simply rubbed the chicken with a teeny bit of salt and steamed it.  If you like, you can sprinkle some Chinese rice wine on top of the chicken while steaming for added fragrance.  Garnish with some cilantro, green onions and you're done!

It's already the end of another week!  Today's blog post is not a recipe but I thought it would be a good idea to share with you some of latest food photos where the subjects are popular Malaysian street food.  If you visit Malaysia, street food is definitely something that should not be missed.  There is just nothing like Malaysian street food in Malaysia - it just does not taste the same overseas, well at least not to me.  I hope you enjoy looking at the photos and I also hope to give you a better idea of how Malaysian street food looks like which will perhaps whet your appetities :O.


First up, one of my favourites, stir-fried radish or turnip cake with beansprouts and chili peppers.  This dish is really best cooked in those huge woks on gas stoves as the rather elusive 'wok hei' or wok breath gives the dish its' signature smokiness.  This is also quite a simple dish to whip up at home, radish or turnip is shredded and added to a mixture of flour and rice flour, steamed to form a cake then sliced up and stir-fried with whatever ingredients you fancy.  Usual ingredients include beansprouts, Chinese sausages and chives.  Serve with some spicy Sichuan chili oil for added spiciness.





Next, Chinese Malaysian wonton noodles served with BBQ pork (char siu) and vegetables.  These noodles are of the lo mein variety which means the noodles are simply boiled and then tossed in a savoury mixture of mainly soy sauce.  The boiled wontons, char siu and vegetables somehow make the best combination for this dish.  This is a perennial favourite of Malaysian street food or hawker fare.