Braised Herbal Fish Head and Yam

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

½ portion fish head (garoupa or red snapper), about 800-900g, chopped into sizeable pieces

Oil for deep-frying

½ cup cornflour

2 chicken wings, chopped into bite-sized pieces

5 dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked and halved

300g yam, cubed

10g tong kwai

5-6 slices ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp Shao Hsing wine (optional)

3 stalks spring onion, cut into 3cm lengths

Marinade (combined)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp ginger juice

½ tsp pepper

Sauce – (combined)

1 tbsp abalone sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light spy sauce

¾-1 tsp sugar or to taste

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

1 litre chicken stock

Season fish head pieces with combined marinade and leave aside. Just before deep-frying in hot oil coat fish pieces with cornflour. Deep-fry for 4-5 minutes or until lightly golden. Dish out and drain from oil.

Leave 2 tablespoons oil in a wok and fry ginger, garlic and tong kwai slices until fragrant. Put in chicken and mushrooms and sprinkle in wine (optional).

Pour in combined sauce ingredients and bring to the boil. Add yam.

Reduce the heat then cover the saucepan and braise for 15-20 minutes. Put in fish head and continue to braise for 7-8 minutes. Thicken the gravy with cornflour mixture and add spring onion.

Pumpkin and Yam Rice

Original Recipe by Amy Beh

300g (2 cups) long grain rice, washed and drained

150g yam, diced

200g pumpkin, cubed

Enough oil for deep-frying

1 tbsp chopped ginger

30g mock vegetarian chicken, coarsely chopped

40g dried prawns, soaked and drained

3 dried mushrooms, soaked and diced

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp sesame oil

600ml fresh chicken stock

Seasoning

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp pepper

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

Garnishing

Some coriander leaves

Some chopped spring onions

Deep-fry yam and pumpkin separately for 6-7 minutes. Dish out and set aside.

Heat oil and sesame oil in a wok, stir-fry ginger, dried prawns, vegetarian chicken and diced mushrooms. Add rice and toss briefly for 1-2 minutes. Stir in seasoning to mix.

Transfer rice mixture into an electric rice cooker. Pour in chicken stock and cook. Once rice comes to the boil, add yam and pumpkin and continue to cook until rice is done.

Stand for 10-15 minutes. Dish up and serve with garnishing.

(Note: Net weight of pumpkin paste is 200g after steaming.)

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.