Yet Tuen Wor Hei (Togetherness in Happiness)

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

300g sea cucumber, sliced

2 thin slices old ginger

1 tsp Shao Hsing wine (optional)

3 pairs pre-fried chicken feet, chopped into halves

8 dried mushrooms, soaked

50g dried fish bladder (yi peow), soaked until soft

3g fatt choy, soaked

2cm piece young ginger, sliced and cut into desired shapes

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp oil

1 tsp sesame oil

700ml chicken stock

Seasoning (A)

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/8 tsp salt or to taste

¼ tsp pepper

½ tsp sugar or to taste

¼ tsp thick soy sauce

1 tbsp Shao Hsing wine (optional)

Thickening (combined)

2 tbsp sweet potato starch

2 tbsp water

Heat wok and fry sea cucumber with old ginger till fragrant. Splash in a teaspoon Shao Hsing wine, if using. Dish out sea cucumber and discard the ginger.

Heat a clean wok with oil and sesame oil, add seasoning (A) and put in mushrooms and chicken feet. Stir-fry well. Pour in chicken stock and add sea cucumber.

Braise for 10 minutes. Remove sea cucumber from wok and add fish bladder and fatt choy. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes.

Return the sea cucumber to the wok and add thickening to the gravy.

Braised Mushrooms with Cauliflower and Broccoli

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

150g cauliflower

150g broccoli

10 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked to soften

1 small can Baoling mushrooms, sliced

½ tsp sesame oil

A splash of Shao Hsing wine (optional)

250ml water

Seasoning

1½ tbsp organic black bean sauce

Thickening

1 tsp cornflour

1 tbsp water

ADD a pinch of salt and a few drops of oil to a pot of boiling water and blanch the cauliflower and broccoli for one to two minutes.

Remove and arrange on a serving plate. Heat sesame oil and pour in Shao Hsing wine (if using). Add both types of mushrooms and stir-fry.

Add water and seasoning; bring to a simmering boil for 15 minutes. Thicken the sauce. Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over the broccoli and cauliflower.

Hakka noodles with minced chicken and mushrooms

Ingredients
500g fresh pan meen or egg noodles
300g minced chicken
2 Tbsps chopped spring onion
8 Chinese dried mushrooms (soaked and diced)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsps oyster sauce
2 Tbsps soy sauce
3 Tbsps chopped fresh garlic
3 Tbsps oil
3 Tbsps of water mixed with 1 teaspoon of corn flour
1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine (optional)
3 litres boiling water

Method
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wok. Add 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic and the minced chicken and fry over medium heat for 3 minutes.

2. Add salt, pepper and the diced mushrooms to the meat; continue frying for another 5 minutes.

3. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce, Chinese wine (optional) and water, simmer for 5 minutes or until the water in the mixture is reduced. Scoop out and set aside.

4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan; brown the remaining chopped garlic. Put aside for the noodles later.

5. Put the boiling water in the wok to boil the noodle, add the garlic oil. When the noodles are cooked, place them in the drainer and run cold water over them quickly.

Make sure the noodles are totally drained (pat dry with a kitchen towel if necessary). Place the noodles in the serving dish, pour the meat sauce over them and mix well.

Lastly, sprinkle some chopped spring onions and white pepper on it. The noodles are ready to be served.

Tips:

1. These noodles go well with a garlic chilli sauce.

2. Fresh pan meen is available from Carrefour.

Mushroom and Chicken Pot Pies

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

2 sheets pre-packed puff pastry

4 ramekins

Filling

1 leek, sliced

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely

1 Tbsp olive oil

100g bacon, fat trimmed and chopped

250g button mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 roasted chicken, deboned, skin removed and meat roughly chopped

250ml chicken stock

125ml whipping cream

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1 egg, lightly beaten

Thickening

1 Tbsp cornflour

Heat olive oil in a non-stick saucepan; add in leek and garlic and fry for 20-30 seconds. Put in bacon and continue to fry for 1-2 minutes until soft. Add mushrooms and chicken. Fry and cook until mushrooms are soft.

Combine cornflour with about 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken stock and add to the chicken and mushroom mixture. Pour in remaining chicken stock and cook till it boils. Reduce the heat and simmer for 1-2 minutes, then pour in the whipping cream. Stir well to mix for 30-40 seconds. Dish out. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste. Leave aside to cool then refrigerate for 2-3 hours before use.

Lightly grease ramekins with butter. Using the tops of ramekins as a guide, cut out 3-4 rounds from the sheet of puff pastry. Divide the portion of filling between ramekins and fill up to about ¾ full. Place the pastry circles on top of the filling. Use a fork to seal the edges then pierce a small hole in the centre of each top.

Brush lightly with beaten egg. Arrange the ramekins on a baking tray and bake in preheated oven at 200°C for 18-20 minutes or until the top is puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Braised chicken with mushrooms and pork tendons

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

Preparing the Pork Tendon

Soak about 250-300g of pork tendons in clean water. Leave in the refrigerator overnight until they are plumped up.

Put the tendons into a pot. Add a stalk of spring onion, two slices ginger and a litre of water. Add a tablespoon of Shao Hsing wine (if preferred).

Bring to a boil then remove and rinse with water to cool. Drain in a colander before use.

Try this recipe.

400g free range chicken, chopped

5 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked to soften

200g pre-soaked pork tendons

Spice (A)

2 slices liquorice (kam choe)

4 cloves

5 cm cinnamon stick

1 star anise

4 slices ginger

1.5 litres water

Seasoning

4 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp thick soy sauce

1 tsp chicken stock granules

Thickening

1 Tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 Tbsp water

Cook the spices and water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Add chicken and mushrooms. Bring to a boil then add combined seasoning. Reduce the heat and simmer (with pot covered) for 20 minutes.

Add pork tendons and continue to simmer until chicken meat is tender. Thicken with cornflour mixture.

Braised herbal chicken with mushrooms and peanuts

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

300g chicken, remove the skin and fat
3 pre-fried chicken feet, chopped into halves 60g peanuts, soaked overnight
8 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked
4 slices young ginger
½ tsp chopped garlic
1 shallot, minced
5g tong kwai
1 piece liquorice
500ml fresh chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp oil

Marinade (A)
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
Dash of pepper
½ tsp cornflour

Sauce(B)
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp abalone sauce
¼ tsp thick soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp Shao Hsing wine (optional)

Thickening
1 tsp sweetpotato flour
1 Tbsp water

Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and season with marinade (A) for at least 20-30 minutes.

Heat wok with sesame oil and oil and fry ginger, garlic, tong kwai and liquorice until fragrant.

Add peanuts, chicken feet, mushrooms and combined sauce (B). Pour in fresh chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add marinated chicken and continue to cook for another 20 minutes or until meat and peanuts are tender.

Thicken with sweet potato flour mixture.

Broccoli with mushrooms

Ingredients
200 gms broccoli
1 carrot
10 Chinese mushrooms
1/2 can button mushrooms (or straw mushrooms)
50 gms fresh oyster mushrooms
2 tbsp oyster sauce

Method
1. Soak Chinese mushrooms. Wash vegetables and slice carrot into pretty shapes.

2. Cut broccoli into small florets and blanch in boiling water till cooked. Remove and arrange in circle on plate. Keep water for stock.

3. Heat one tablespoon oil in kuali and fry carrots for three minutes. Add mushrooms. Stir and add vegetable stock. Simmer five minutes. Season with oyster sauce and thicken with cornflour.

4. Scoop into middle of broccoli florets and serve. You can add prawns and meat to mushroom sauce if so desired.

Braised fungus with bamboo pith and mushrooms

Ingredients
50gm cloud fungus (wan yee)
50gm snow fungus (suet yee)
100gm pea sprouts (tau miu)
10 black mushrooms (soaked)
10 fat Australian asparagus tips
10 pc bamboo pith (soaked)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sugar

Method
1. Soak cloud and snow fungus. Cut asparagus into 10 cm lengths. Blanch together with bamboo pith in boiling water one minute. Remove. Stick asparagus tips into bamboo pith.

2. Stir-fry pea sprouts one minute. Arrange in circle on plate. Stir-fry cloud and snow fungus in oyster sauce for two minutes (if preferred, do them separately) and arrange in middle of pea-sprout circle.

3. Braise asparagus and mushrooms in oyster sauce for two minutes.

4. Remove and arrange round pea sprouts. Add 2 tbsp water, sugar and cornflour to oyster sauce and pour over vegetables.

Deep-fried Spicy, Crispy Enoki Mushrooms

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

150g white enoki mushrooms

Flour mixture

75g rice flour

40g glutinous rice flour

20g cornflour

1 tsp double-action baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp sesame seeds

Trim the ends of enoki mushrooms and separate them into individual strands. Rinse briefly, then spread out the strands on several layers of paper towel. Pat-dry and leave aside to air-dry for a while.

Combine flour mixture in a plastic bag. Add the enoki mushrooms in batches. Tie up the plastic bag and shake briefly until the mushrooms are well-coated with the flour mixture. Remove onto a tray and leave aside. Coat them with flour mixture again.

Heat wok with enough oil. When oil is hot, put in the mushrooms. Deep-fry until crispy. Remove with a wire sieve and drain.

Reheat the oil and deep-fry the mushrooms again until golden and crispy. Dish out and spread onto several layers of paper towel. Serve immediately as a snack.

Stir-fried Assorted Mushrooms

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

70g golden enoki mushrooms, trimmed

100g Eryngii mushrooms, trimmed

100g white button mushrooms, sliced

50g fresh pak hup (magnolia petals)

200g chicken, cut into bitesize pieces

1 tsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)

1 tbsp oil

Marinade (A)

1 tsp Premium oyster sauce

½ tsp light soy sauce

A pinch of salt

A dash of pepper

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp cornflour

1 tsp egg white

Sauce ingredients (B)

1 tsp chicken stock granules

1 tbsp abalone sauce

A pinch of sugar

¼ tsp salt or to taste

½ cup water

1 tsp cornflour

Season chicken with marinade (A) for 20–30 minutes.

Heat wok with oil, add chicken, then sprinkle in the cooking wine (optional). Stirfry briskly. Pour in sauce (B) and cover the wok. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Remove the cover and add assorted mushrooms. Toss for 30-40 seconds to combine. Add fresh pak hup to mix. Dish out to serve.

Mushrooms in Black Pepper Sauce

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

150g chicken fillet, sliced

1 tsp ginger juice

½ tsp Premium oyster sauce

A pinch of pepper

A pinch of sugar

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp cornflour

75g Portobello mushrooms, sliced

70g fresh cup mushrooms, sliced

20g red capsicum, sliced

20g green capsicum, sliced

20g Bombay onion, sliced into rings

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp sesame oil

Sauce ingredients

2 tbsp black pepper sauce

1 tbsp Premium oyster sauce

1 tsp light soy sauce

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp sugar or to taste

Salt to taste

¼ cup fresh chicken stock or water

Season chicken with ginger juice, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar, sesame oil and cornflour for at least 20 minutes.

Parboil chicken in hot oil for 1-2 minutes. Remove and drain oil.

Heat oil and sesame oil until hot. Sauté gin ger until fragrant. Add chicken and onion. Stir briskly. Put in the rest of the ingredients and add sauce ingredients. When it boils, dish out and serve immediately.