Big Batch Japanese Chicken Curry...

When I am scratching my head on what to do for dinner, more often than not, I turn to delicious Japanese curry. Japanese curry is conveniently sold in packages of dried blocks making it a cinch to cook up any night with a good handful of fresh ingredients including some fruit. Getting back on track after the long weekend, this was a wonderful time-saving big-batch one-skillet meal to make for two dinners (it's even more flavourful the next day). I used skin-on bone-in chicken drumsticks for full on chicken flavour, the usual suspects of onion, carrots and potatoes, with the addition of cantaloupe and apples (fruit is very popular in curry this side of the world, as these add deep sweetness as well as crunch-- apples). Just make a pot of rice and you're gold. As the lyrics in Korean pop-artist Psy (known for his world-famous catchy tune Gangnam Style), Daddy sings... "You be my curry... I be your rice!" LOL

Japanese Curry Chicken
Makes 8 Servings (great for another meal of leftovers the next day)

1 Tbsp. oil
2 lb. of chicken drumsticks; chopped in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

1 to 2 medium carrots, cut into bite-sized pieces

3 potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 pkg. (200 to 220 g) of Japanese curry (when in doubt follow the package instructions)

2 apples, cored and cut into bite-size pieces

2 to 3 cups bite-sized cantaloupe

chopped green onions or cilantro for garnish

steamed short-grain Korean or Japanese rice for serving

NOTE: I usually make my curry with bite-sized chicken thighs but thought I'd change it up with skin-on bone-in drumsticks for chicken full-on flavour. The meat comes out succulent.

Glico and S&B brands package curry sauce in a dry block format for convenient use.

Use a cleaver to hack the drumsticks in half.

In a large skillet, stir fry onions and garlic with 1 Tbsp. oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken, and brown for two to three minutes , then add the remaining vegetables. Stir-fry for another minute; add six cups of water and bring to a boil. Cook, covered on medium low for 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove from heat and break the blocks of curry sauce into the skillet. Stir until completely melted. Add the apples and cantaloupe. Cover and set aside for ten minutes before serving to allow the sauce to thicken. Serve hot over steamed rice.

The sweetness in Japanese curry tastes divine with the addition of fruit.

Mmm.. look at that awesome brown curry sauce with all the goodies--- and it smells even better :)

Yay for curry!

What's better than a plate of curry on rice? 

Curry rice with a side of kimchi one night...

...Leftover curry on rice!

Curry rice with a side of roasted vegetables the next night.

See here for more on Japanese curry.

Coconut Tapioca Dessert-- Valentine's and Family Days Weekend...

I had dinner plans down for Valentine`s Day... I wanted to make the family this incredible Creamy Lobster Fettuccine I made for V-Day long ago for my hubby when our twins were babies. The secret to the sauce was creamy horseradish mixed with whipping cream-- decadent huh? Well, sometimes life is better left unplanned... because adventure awaits. That afternoon, we took the kids-- all three of them on the subway together for the first time!! It was a big deal mostly for me, because my hubs and I were outnumbered (and I always dread tantrums and scene-causing in public, plus our mini-van is so blissfully convenient) with the three of them trailing us, winding through streets and tunnels, hopping on the bus, subway and then UPS Express train to Pearson (free the family day weekend)... Well, it proved to be quite uneventful thankfully, even having waited for an hour in queue for the train. I'm so proud of them. Back at Bloor station at 6:30pm, no way was I preparing dinner, so we asked what the kids wanted to eat, and they all shouted "pizza" in unison. So Pizzaiolo it is! Commuting altogether again will definitely be in the horizon when driving downtown just doesn't make economic sense, so there is my Happy V-day wrapped up in a bundle of happy pappy little smiles, first rides on the trains and no fussy cooking (because I was planning to grapple a pair of lobsters! :))

With Valentine's and Family Days back-to-back (did you know that today is a.k.a Canada's flag day?), I whipped up a simple Asian dessert with the proper red and white colours to pay homage to both.  Coconut Tapioca Dessert made with coconut milk, sugar, small tapioca pearls, chewy palm's seeds and bouncy coconut gels... all store-bought items-- all I had to do is heat, cook, drain and assemble :). Serve warm or cold. If cold, why not also throw in some vanilla ice cream for extra sweet measure. Toting to my parents for a dinner get-together-- aside from just making breakfast, talk about a non-cooking weekend to boot :)

Sébastien's favourite dessert.

Coconut Tapioca Dessert

1/2 pkg. (400 g) of dried tapioca pearls or about 2 cups (look for it in Asian supermarkets)

3 cans (400 mL) coconut milk

1/4 cup Chinese rock sugar or brown sugar
1/2 cup water (add more for desired texture)

1/2 can palm's seeds, drained and well-rinsed (the syrup that the seeds are in is super thick)
1 jar (340 g) coconut gel (look for it in Philippine aisle in Asian supermarket), rinsed and well-drained

NOTE: coconut gels come in many different colours. There is a lot of noise in the food industry about the harmful effects of food colouring. While I always use non-coloured coconut gel in this kind of dessert, I opted in this rare occasion to use red to give nod to the significant dates. Each serving had about 4 to 5 pieces of gel in the dessert. 

The coloured coconut gels tend to bleed, so best to add to dessert upon serving.

Bring a pot of water (about 8 cups) to a boil; carefully add the tapioca, and cook on medium heat until the pearls are translucent with a tiny bead of white in its centres. (Overcooking will cause the pearls to go mushy and sticky). Stir occasionally to prevent clumping and sticking. When done, rinse with cold water and drain thoroughly until no starch is felt on the cooked pearls. Meanwhile, empty the cans of coconut milk in another pot and cook with sugar and water on medium until heated through. Remove from heat and let cool. Adjust sugar and water to your preference.

If serving cold, let milk cool completely first before storing in fridge to further chill. Or you can add ice cubes or ice cream after 30 minutes. TIP: I put the pot outside on my patio in the cold to chill faster. Do not cool in fridge as it will bring up the fridge's temperature, and can make other foods unsafe. Follow below after images.

If serving hot, add the tapioca to the coconut milk, stir well and let sit for two minutes. Add the palm's seeds and gels to each serving (the coloured gels bleed so best to add just upon serving).

NOTE: I always heat up canned coconut milk before using. Although coconut milk is cooked during the canning process, I think it's a safer measure to heat it up thoroughly before using-- you don't know how long it has been canned. 

Left: Not Done Right: Done

Add tapioca to the milk and stir well. Just before serving, add palm's seeds and coconut gels in each dessert bowl. Add ice cream if you wish. Mmm.. yummy, refreshing and fun with different textures!

Best to eat same day. Leftovers are good to eat in one more day otherwise, the dessert soup gets thick and starchy, as the pearls swell and gelatinize.

The kids spent Valentine's Day making up cards for their school friends. They were celebrating after the weekend rather than before. My hubby and I got hearts from each one. Awwww!

Busy at work crafting and writing XOX.

A no-nonsense brekkie with eggs, bacon and best breakfast potatoes ever. 

Then off to our adventures on the train(s) we went...

On the 25 minute UPS Express ride from Union Station to Pearson Airport.

Family dinner at my parents with my siblings' families! Homemade Tandoori Chicken, Crab Cake Cones, Broccoli, Lettuce & Tomato Salad with Japanese Onion Vinaigrette, Pasta and Bolognese Sauce.

 I hope everyone had a fabulous Valentine's Day and if you are in Canada, a Family Day too! 

Gastropost-- Good Fortune and Feasts...

The Lunar New Year was upon us and National Post's Gastropost wanted us to celebrate it the best way possible: by eating Asian foods! Last week, the mission was to show what meal best rings in the Year of the Monkey. From Korean and Chinese to Japanese and Vietnamese, Asian cuisine offers a wealth of foods to feast on to celebrate your good fortune. It's up to us which one we prefer to pick up with our chopsticks!

WooHoo-- Excited to share that my Roast Pork Buns Char Siu Bao photo made it in today's National Post's Gastropost submitted to the mission of Good Fortune and Feasts for Lunar New Year! (*･∀･)_Ω~.

See here for the two page Gastropost spread.

Here is a list of my previous Gastropost contributions that made it to the paper!! 

Oysters and Spicy Peppers in Black Bean Sauce...

Chinese Lunar new year is still being celebrated in China and our favourite sweetheart day is coming... and my mind is on oysters!!! Oysters are loved in Chinese cooking and a must for seafood lovers on Valentine's Day, so why not bridge these significant celebrations with a Cantonese stir-fried oysters dish. My mom recently gave me a jar of her homemade black bean sauce and fresh jumbo shucked oysters were on sale- 10 for $7 in containers at my local Asian supermarket. Note you never eat market shell-off oysters directly-- they need to be cooked thoroughly for safe consumption. With finger chillies and yellow Chinese chives on-hand, oysters in a savoury black bean sauce intermingled with these complementary ingredients made for an appetizing dish with bite, easing off two weeks of hardcore Chinese eats to an early nod to V-Day!  ✿♥‿♥✿

Oysters and Spicy Peppers in Black Bean Sauce 
Makes 2-4 servings

16 medium or 8-10 large oysters, fresh sold in a container or frozen, thawed
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 Tbsp. fermented black bean sauce (* this is salty so taste sauce as you cook and add soy & oyster sauces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 long green chili peppers, removing most of the seeds and sliced
1 bunch chives, cut into 2-inch pieces

Sauce:

1 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce*
1 Tbsp. oyster sauce*
dashes of ground white pepper

1 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. water
cooking oil

Clean the oysters in a bowl of cold water to rid the impurities and for a clean taste: Let oysters sit in 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 tsp. salt for 10 minutes. Rinse twice with cold water and be careful not to break them apart; drain well.

Place oysters on a paper-lined towel plate or chopping board. Lightly press with another paper towel to remove excess moisture. 

I wasn't kidding when I said jumbo!

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a skillet/wok over medium-high heat and sauté the onions, black bean sauce and garlic for one minute until fragrant. Add the oysters; stir-fry for one minute on each side, then add the chillies. Add 1 Tbsp. cooking wine and let cook for another minute. 

Toss oysters with sugar, soy and oyster sauces and white pepper; cover and let cook for two minutes. Remove lid, stir in cornstarch mixture, and toss with chives. Let the sauce bubble until thickened. Remove onto serving bowl and serve hot. NOTE: Oysters will emit natural juice so adjust your cornstarch amount accordingly to thicken sauce.

Mmmm... large, juicy succulent oysters in full-on black bean sauce flavour with bite!

For another Cantonese spin on spicy oysters... try my Oysters in Ginger and Green Onions!

Oysters in Ginger and Green Onions

Roasted Duck and A Happy Chinese New Year Dinner Family Reunion...

A whole duck! My first time working with an entire duck-- head, feet and all. Intimidated I was to attempt roasting one, after all I heard, read and seen on how elaborate it is for Chinese Chefs to achieve the incredible mahogany roasted skin and succulent meat results. But this year Susan's Savour-It! is about stepping outside the culinary comfort zone, embracing new food discoveries and have a heck of a good time learning and cooking along the way! Well, certainly this is one of 2016's highlight so far! I wanted to create deli-style siu lap classic roasted duck siu ap you see hanging from hooks in Chinatowns, and not the Peking-style duck, which is full-on crispy skin duck with fat rendered, and thinly sliced to wrap in pancakes with green onion slivers. Many recipes researched, comparing the techniques and replicate-friendliness, it was actually a recipe from Chef Tyler Florence on Food Network that agreed with me in every aspect-- no elaborate tools or equipment, or hanging on a hook to air-dry overnight and could be done in one day! Steaming first, then roasting-- here is my rendition in the kitchen then toting to cook it at my parents for "toon neen fan" Chinese new year family reunion dinner last night; I more than impressed myself and everyone and believed I delivered a Chinatown-worthy roasted duck! Wicked! =。:.ﾟ٩(๑>ω<๑)۶:.｡+ﾟ

Of course my artist brother and wife will add their personal artsy touch to the occasion.

Our festive dinner celebration spread...

Chinese Roasted Duck (adapted from Food Network Chef Tyler Florence's recipe)

1 whole (4 to 5 pound) duck (look for it already gutted in Asian supermarket's)
1Tbsp. Chinese five-spice powder
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. salt

dashes of ground white pepper
5 big slices fresh ginger
4 garlic cloves
1/2 bunch green onions
1 tangerine, peeled in big strips
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup honey

NOTE: Omit the dark soy sauce-- it will brown the skin too much during roasting.

The beautiful and fragrant aromatics for stuffing.

Duck is notoriously a fatty bird-- to diminish the fat and produce a good slightly crisped skin for this style, begin by trimming the excess fat from the neck and body, leaving some intact at the buttocks to close the cavity. Rinse the duck, inside and out, and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. 

I lopped off the neck attached to the head and feet before rinsing.

Combine the Chinese five-spice, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the spice mixture all over the duck, inside and out (salt and five-spice powder makes a fragrant dry marinade, which draws some of the moisture from the duck so that the spices penetrate). Stuff the duck cavity with the aromatics: the ginger, garlic, green onions, and tangerine peel. Fold the wing tips back under the duck and tie the legs together with kitchen string. Poke the duck breast a few times, piercing the skin. Let marinate at least one to four hours or if only you have time covered in fridge overnight.

Massage that baby!

Place a roasting pan on the stove top over two burners and fill with 2-inches of water, turn the heat to medium. Set a rack insert inside the pan and lay the duck on the rack, breast-side up. Cover tightly with aluminium foil. Steam the duck for 45 minutes, checking the water level periodically. Steaming the duck first melts away some of the fat and shrinks the skin.

Before and After (look at the shrivelled skin and fat rendered in pan)...

Don't waste the awesome duck fat-- save it for other uses like fried rice and stir-fries :)

In a small saucepan combine the vinegar, honey, and soy sauce over low heat. Cook and stir for five minutes until thick. The duck will be lacquered with the sweet glaze, which caramelizes during roasting, making the skin crisp and brown.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F with the baking rack at the second lowest level in oven (this is to prevent browning the top too darkly before cooked). Take the foil off the duck, remove the rack with the duck, and pour out the water and all the fat that has rendered out. Put the rack with the duck back inside the roasting pan. Baste the duck with the vinegar mixture, until all the skin is completely coated in the glaze. Stick the whole thing in the oven. Roast the duck for about 45 minutes to one hour, basting periodically with any remaining glaze to set in a deep mahogany colour. Tent the breast with some foil if it gets too dark. The legs will wiggle easily when it's done and juices will run clear when poked in the thickest part of thigh. Remove from oven and let rest ten minutes before carving.

I wrapped the wing tips to prevent them from burning during roasting.

I got the dibs down for classic glazed roasted duck-- Woo Hoo!

Using a proper pan rack will prevent burning from the drippings being exposed to the heat.

Remove the aromatics and follow the guide below for carving and slicing.

I leave my dad to the pro-butchering!

Credit: Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Traditional CNY Treats and Sweets

Gotta get drinks in theme too with Chinese beer!

First things first, upon arriving at my parents, a family joint prayer by burning incense. Incense sticks are lit up, held between clasped hands, wishes and prayers are silently chanted while performing a sequence of three standing bows. Then the sticks are placed into the rice bowl and left to burn until finished.  We do this first looking to the sky facing the window for overall blessings and then again in front of a mini altar dedicated to our ancestors.This is to pay respect to the loved ones who've passed on as well as asking for protection and good luck for the gods above.

I always thoroughly enjoy these celebrations because we all get to cook together and show off our favourites, and exchange tips and feedback. 

My sis-in-law and her son preparing kappa cucumber maki rolls as an appie.

My dad, ever-the-butcher getting down-- hacking and whacking all the awesome deli delicacies!

Steamed chicken and roasted crispy pork 

Mushrooms, Sea Cucumber and Abalone dish also graced the table.

Come and get it gang-- fill your rice plate to your hearts' desires!

Happy Chinese New Year everyone with gorgeous Chinese eats!

And capping it with a visit to the temple today to say new year prayers & blessings for ourselves and loved ones here and thereafter life with my incredible and gorgeous gal pal Eve!

At Cham Shan Temple in York

For more awesome Chinese eats from this week's series of posts, see PF Chang's famous Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Crispy Roast Pork Siu Yok, and Barbecue Pork Buns Char Siu Bao. For more auspicious foods to ring in the new year, check out Double Steamed Fish with Green Onions and Ginger and Marbled Tea Eggs. Now Let's Eat! Dai ga sic fan!