Day 174 : Christmas Eve Dinner (1) Roast Chicken

ROAST CHICKEN

Today is Christmas Eve.

We are going to prepare some simple dishes for dinner this evening. The first is Roast Chicken. 

We checked the internet for JULIA CHILD's roast chicken recipe. 

By the way, just to let you know that, it is the movie Julie & Julia (Child) that inspired me to blog about dinner. :D

Anyway, with the basic instructions in mind, we are going to be adventurous today. We will improvise as we go along. Nothing can go wrong today. 

It's Christmas Eve! There's magic in the air. :D 

3 Simple Steps :

1. Stuff the Chicken.

2. Season the Chicken.

3. Prepare the Vegetables.

 

1. Stuff the Chicken.

Clean the chicken. Inside and out.

Rub the body with garlic.

Take a fork and pierce through the body 

of the chicken to allow the marinate 

to seep through and make it better tasting.

About 50 stabs or thereabouts. Just stab stab stab the chicken all over, 

but don't get carried away.

Stuff about 10 cloves of smashed garlic 

(with skin) in the chicken.

Stuff apple mint leaves.

Julia Child's recipe says THYME, but we only have APPLE MINT. 

We shall stray carefully away. Besides, we think mint would do

a good job in keeping the insides smelling fresh anyway.

Squeeze half a lemon over and after that ...

... stuff it in the chicken.

2. Season the Chicken.

Sprinkle black pepper and

drop a few dollops of creamy butter.

Add organic shoyu.

What would Julia Child say to this? :D

Add organic black sauce.

Sprinkle thyme herbs.

Add a teaspoon of honey.

Sprinkle seasalt. 

Rub the seasonings in with your clean hands.

Ah, now for the magic of Christmas...

Let's add some brandy ...

I am seasoning the chicken way before dinner time at noon.

I'm storing it in the fridge, covered with a cling foil, 

until about 6 pm to roast.

3. Prepare the Vegetables.

Our daughter Justine shaved about 20 

water chestnuts while watching TV.

Prepare a nice bed of onion rings 

and carrots on an oven tray.

Roughly arrange cubes of potatoes around the tray. 

Place oyster mushrooms in the middle 

as a soft cushion for the chicken.

Pile the water chestnuts on.

Place the chicken on the bed.

Pour a large mug of mushroom stock (no MSG) over.

Bird's eye view.

Our family loves potatoes as You can see ...

Decorate with carrots and cherry tomatoes.

IN THE OVEN

Pop the chicken into your pre-heated oven. 

Roasting time : About 1 hour 15 minutes.

Temperature : 220 degrees C for 15 minutes.

Turn down to 200 degrees C 

and continue roasting for an hour.

Meanwhile, blanch some broccoli and set aside. 

Bon Appetite!!!

Turn off the oven heat when the timer rings. 

I am leaving the chicken in the oven for 

another 20 minutes or so to brown 

it a little bit more.

Remove the chicken from the oven

and arrange the broccoli around it. 

I forgot to pierce the chicken with a fork 

to check whether the juice runs clear. 

Thankfully, the chicken turned out perfect. 

That's the MAGIC of Christmas! :D

 

CHRISTMAS EVE DINNER 

 click on the blog link above to view  :D

Day 163 : Macaroni Tuna Lasagna

MACARONI TUNA LASAGNA

This evening, I'm gonna make a simple lasagna. Justine and I are still quite full after a late lunch and tea. Bryan's outstation. Definitely not the time to mess up the kitchen and use a lot of pots and pans. We're gonna be using only ONE oven dish. :D

3 Simple Steps :

1. Lay the Potatoes.

2. Pile Up.

3. Add Eggs & Milk.

1. Lay the Potatoes.
Oil the oven dish with olive oil.

Lay the potatoes (thinly sliced) at the bottom.

2. Pile Up.
Pile the macaroni (cooked) on top.

Scatter the carrots.

Add a can of tuna seasoned with black pepper.

3. Add Eggs & Milk.
Beat 2 eggs and pour over evenly.

Pour half a carton of fresh milk.

Squeeze some lemon juice over.

Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.

Put the lid on or cover with aluminum foil.

Pop the dish into the oven;
set at 180 degrees Celsius

for 30 minutes or so.

When the lasagna is ready, decorate with olives 

and fresh carrot strips.

Bon Appetite!!! 

Ooh, yummy and real cheesy ... :D

 This morning, I had my one shake of The Green Drink, 
noodles for lunch, sandwiches for tea and lasagna for dinner.

Day 162 : Braised Ma Yau in Brandy

BRAISED MA YAU in BRANDY

(TREADFIN)

This evening, we are braising fish for dinner. 

We are gonna sear the fish first and then braise it. Searing the fish will help it to stay whole better, we think. :D

3 Simple Steps:

1. Fry the Ginger.

2. Sear the Fish.

3. Make the Sauce.

The Ingredients.

Ma yau fish (treadfin), garlic, ginger, chillies and tomato.

1. Fry the Ginger. 

Scatter the ginger evenly on the pan. 

Place the fish on top of the ginger.

This will enable the flavor of the ginger to be infused into 

the fish as well as take away any fishy smell.

2. Sear the Fish. 

Be sure that the fish is dry before searing.

The oil must be hot and fuming, 

otherwise the fish might stick on to the pan.

Very quickly, brown the fish, 

and remove it from the pan to a serving dish.

3. Make the Sauce.

Filtered water, thick shoyu, light shoyu, 

a teaspoon of brown sugar and a teaspoon of X.O. brandy. :D

Saute garlic and fresh ginger until fragrant. 

Toss in chopped chillies.

Use the same pan.

Add tomatoes.

Pour the sauce in. Bring to boil.

Then lower the flame to a simmer.

Arrange the tomatoes like a bed and

gently place the fish above them.

Close lid and allow it to braise in the broth 

for a minute or two.

Garnish with a bunch of coriander leaves 

and chilly strips.

A close up of our delicious ma yau! :D

Bon Appetite!!! :D

Dinner is super-delicious. The fish is awesome and fresh. 

The skin especially, is all crispy and chewy at the same time.

Ooooh, Yummy!!!

The brandy just gives it an awesome - kick. :D
The flavour is totally unbelievable!

Day 161 : Rice Noodle Soup

 RICE NOODLE SOUP

We made noodles for lunch today. 

This noodle soup is quite similar to Ipoh Hor Fun, except that we do not have flattened spring onions (kau-choy or ku-chai). 

The soup is really easy to prepare. We're using the Pressure Cooker for that.

The 3 Simple Steps:

1. Boil the Stock.

2. Debone the Chicken.

3. Rinse the Noodles.

1. Boil the Stock.

Fill Pressure Cooker Pot with filtered water.

Add chicken thigh-drumstick. Add prawn shells.

Add one sweet plum. Add seasalt and shoyu.

Add half a chicken stock (no msg).

Add one bulk of garlic and one whole onion.

Close lid and allow the Pressure Cooker 

to do the magical transformation. :D

 When the soup is ready, remove the chicken.

Strain the stock - resulting in pure, heavenly, 

aromatic and clear soup. :D

2. De-bone the chicken.

At the same time, toss the prawns in the hot soup, 

and allow to cook for a brief few minutes.

Remove and set aside.

 Ready Ingredients.

Prawns (de-veined and de-shelled), 

chicken slices, coriander leaves and chillies.

 3. Rinse the Noodles.

Rinse the rice noodles (kuey teow) 

by dipping in boiling water, 

in a separate small pot.

Loosen the noodles as you rinse.

Transfer to a bowl.  

 Scoop soup over and serve 

with the chicken and prawns. 

 Garnish with chopped chillies 

and a sprig of coriander leaves.

 Don't forget the must-have fried garlic and oil. :D

Oooh, the soup is really tasty and out of this world!

Seriously delicious ... :D

Bon Appetite!!!

We have some prawns that escaped the de-veining, de-shelling and the be-heading. :D