Good food at Home with Good friends

The other day, I tried cooking two local Singapore recipes and enjoyed it at the comforts of my home. I asked some friends over to try and taste these recipes. I cooked Pepper crabs and Char Kway Teow. Both dishes are my all-time favorite Singapore food and it is what I sometimes order when eating out.

The Pepper Crabs with its spicy aroma is just one of those dishes that you cannot get enough of. The crabs that I was able to get were fat and juicy. They were sweet and the smooth and sweet gravy really makes it a more special dish. Preparing the crab is just simple and there are a lot of websites there with videos even that will teach you how to prepare the crabs. Crabs are not cheap, it ranges from $38 per kilogram but it is very worth it, especially when you are going to cook it into a Pepper crab. The recipe which I included below is very easy to follow and with a very few ingredients. Actually, most of these ingredients are already in your cupboard. When cooked, it is just pure indulgence. The meat was tender and succulent. The sauce is dark but aromatic and spicy. Pure meaty-goodness inside the shell as every bits and pieces is infused with the peppery sauce. 

Char Kway Teow are fried flat noodles. It is one of my guilty pleasures because they say it is bad for your health. I also tried my hand on this but made it healthier to eat by using vegetable oil than using lard as what others usually do. I always have this at hawker centre and it is such an affordable and hearty meal. This recipe is also very easy to follow and just as yummy as those being sold at the hawker centre.

My friends really enjoyed the food and the evening at my house. Good company and nice quiet evening is what made these dishes special. These simple pleasures in life are meant to be shared with good friends. I will definitely do this again.

Pepper Crab

Ingredients

• 1 kg Crab
• 3 tbspn white pepper
• 1 tspn coriander seeds
• 1 tbspn minced garlic
• 1 stalk spring onion ( cut into 1 inch section )
• 1/2 tbspn cornflour

Seasoning

• 1/4 tbspn dark soy sauce
• 1 tbspn light soy sauce
• 1/2 tspn sesame oil

Directions

1. Blend white pepper and coriander seeds in a blender until fine.
2. Wash and clean crabs, discards lung and organs. Chop crabs into 4 pieces. Scald crabs in 250g of hot cooking oil for about 30 secs. Remove from wok.
3. Stir-fry minced garlic in 2 tbspn of hot cooking oil until fragrant.
4. Add in 1 cup of water and 2 tspn of blended white pepper and coriander seeds, and mix well. Add seasoning and 1 tbspn of cornflour solution. Bring to a boil. Add crabs and cover the wok. Cook for 5 minutes or until crabs are cooked.
5. Remove the crabs from wok. Add sectioned spring onion into gravy and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

 

Char Kway Teow

3 to 4 servings

• Oil -- 1/4 cup
• Garlic, minced -- 2-3 cloves
• Sambal oelek (chile paste) -- 1-2 tablespoons
• Chinese sausages, sliced into rounds -- 1-2
• Shrimp, peeled and deveined -- 1/2 pound
• Fresh rice noodles -- 1 pound
• Soy sauce -- 1/4 cup
• Brown sugar -- 1 tablespoon
• Eggs, beaten -- 2
• Mung bean sprouts -- 1 cup
• Scallions, chopped -- 3-4 each

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy-bottomed pot over high flame. Add the garlic and sambal oelek and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the Chinese sausage and shrimp and stir fry until shrimp is almost cooked through.
2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the rice noodles, tossing them to heat through. Scrape the bottom of wok or pot frequently to minimize sticking. Then stir in the soy sauce and brown sugar and stir in to season the noodles.
3. Scoop the noodles away from the center of the wok or pot and pour the beaten egg into the cleared space. Let the egg cook until just set, and then stir into the noodles.
4. Add the sprouts and scallions and continue to cook, tossing frequently, until the sprouts are just cooked through. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Variations

• Authentic recipes use a mixture of dark and light soy sauce to give a darker color to the finished dish. Use 3 tablespoons dark soy and 1 tablespoon light soy sauce.
• If you can't locate fresh rice noodles, you can use dried rice noodles. Place 1/2 pound noodles in a large bowl and pour in boiling water to cover. Let set 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, drain and use in recipe as directed.
• Use 3-5 minced hot chilies in place of the sambal oelek if you like.
• If you can find Chinese chives, use them in place of the scallions.
• Other possible additions: shallots (add with garlic), chopped chicken meat, squid, clams, cockles, crab meat or tofu (add with shrimp), shredded Chinese cabbage, bok choy, spinach or other greens (add with sprouts).
• Add 1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce instead of the sugar if you like.