Fragrant yam rice

Ingredients
300g skinless, boneless chicken, cut into 2 1/2cm pieces
Oil for deep frying
350g cleaned yam, cut into 1 1/2cm pieces
6 shallots, sliced
3 tbsps cooking oil
60g dried prawns, soaked for 15 mins and drained
300g rice (2 rice measuring cups), washed and drained
2 tsps light soya sauce
3 1/2 cups fresh chicken stock or water
2 tbsps chopped spring onion
1 red chilli, sliced
Seasoning ingredients
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp thick soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp rice wine
1 tsp cornflour

Method
1. Marinate chicken with seasoning ingredients.

2. Heat oil in deep saucepan and deep-fry yam pieces for 8-10 minutes or until just cooked. Drain from oil and set aside.

3. Put in sliced shallots and fry until golden. Drain shallot crisps from oil and set aside for garnishing.

4. Reheat a clean saucepan with 3 tablespoons oil and stir-fry dried prawns until fragrant. Dish out and set aside. Put in rice and toss for 1-2 minutes. Stir in light soya sauce.

5. Remove saucepan from the heat and place the fried rice in a rice cooker. Pour in chicken stock and switch rice cooker on.

6. When the stock comes to the boil, add yam and chicken. Let the rice cook until done. Just before dishing out, sprinkle with shallot crisps, spring onion and red chilli.

Fragrant Duck

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

1.75kg duck, cleaned and blotted with several pieces of paper kitchen towels.

Seasoning (A) (combined)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

¾ tsp sugar

10-12 thin slices ginger

10 stalks spring onion

8-10 cloves garlic, crushed

4 star anise, break up the petals

Pound with a mortar:

1/8 tsp fennel seeds

1/8 tsp cumin seeds

1/8 tsp black pepper corns

Seasoning (B)

2-3 tbsp Premium light soy sauce

½ tsp Chinese five spice powder

Rub both the inside and outside of the duck with combined seasoning (A). Stuff the duck with half the ginger slices and half of the spring onion stalks.

Arrange the remainder of the ginger and spring onion, garlic, star anise and pounded fennel seeds, cumin seeds and black pepper on the base of a heatproof dish. Put the duck over and steam for 50-60 minutes or until duck is tender. Leave aside to cool.

Rub the duck all over with combined seasoning (B). Deep-fry the duck in hot oil. After turning the duck over, ladle hot oil over the bird to brown it evenly. Remove when done and cut into pieces before serving.