Baked Garlicky Prawns

Appetizer or Main

I love this seafood recipe because it's so fast & easy to prepare and very flexible.  You can eat it as is as appetizer or as main or as protein for your plain pasta either buttered or coated with EVO.

For this version, we're having it as a side to other dishes so am just using 16 giant prawns.  You can easily adjust the amount of ingredients just so it coats your shrimps or prawns completely.

Process & Ingredients

1. Remove the shells & de-vein your prawns.  Up to you if you want the tail intact or no. And lucky you if you can buy it de-shelled and de-veined.
2. I learned this from one of our helps in Singapore who used to work for a Chinese family. After cleaning up your seafood, soak it in Chinese rice cooking wine then refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.  I used about 4 tablespoons of wine and mixed it around with my hand to ensure that all the prawns are "coated".  She says that the sweetness of prawns and even sliced squid is maintained.

   

   You can buy Shaosing Rice Cooking Wine from any Asian grocery.

3. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees
4. I used a mezzo luna to mince  10 cloves of garlic and half a handful of parsley because I just feel it makes the task way speedier.  Transferred them to a bowl which I know will be big enough to eventually hold the prawns.
   
   
   

   

   Parsley & garlic all minced.

5. I added 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs and seasoned it with salt & pepper.

   

   Other ingredients you would need.

6. I drizzled in 1/2 cup of EVO into the bread crumb mixture to form a paste.
   
7. I quickly drained the prawns then mixed them gently by hand in the bread crumb paste, ensuring that each prawn is well coated.
8. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the prawns.
   
   
   
   
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Just eyeball it.  If the prawns have turned pink then they're cooked.
10. You can serve this yumminess at room temperature or warm.  Have lemon wedges on standby because you can truly enjoy this dish with lemon juice squeezed over it.
    
    
    

    

    Happy meatless Friday!!!

Lovely, Happy China Colours

http://www.npr.org/2014/10/16/354370783/w-va-pottery-company-keeps-popular-fiesta-line-alive-and-thriving

Buta No Kakuni or Japanese Braised Pork Belly

Main:  Pork Dish

Aside from filling soups, fall means heavy stews for our family.

Autumn sights & sounds in our part of the world.

The original recipe for this Japanese stew dish calls for the use of pork belly. In our quest for "healthier" meals, I used instead boneless pork leg.  You can use pork shoulder too.  The success of this dish is a little fat, sorry.  

You can use a regular pot or Dutch oven (better; keeps the meat moisture in).  I used instead a slow cooker.  I just plonked everything in and left it slow cooking for 6 hours.

Ingredients and Process (enough for 2 meals for 4 people)

• Grease bottom and sides of slow cooker.
• Cut 3 pounds of pork into cubes. Place them at the bottom of cooker.
  

• Add 10 slices of ginger and 3 stalks of chopped scallions on top of pork cubes.
  

• In one go, pour in: 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce,

1/3 cup sake (or dry sherry)

2 tablespoons sriracha

1/2 cup water

Slow cook for 6 hours until meat is REALLY tender.

• If using regular pot or Dutch oven, add more water to barely cover the meat.  Boil then simmer until meat is tender. Regularly check to see if you have to add more water.  Bring up to boil each time then simmer.  This would take 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• When the pork is close to done, hard boil eggs. Once eggs are cooked, rinse under cool water and remove shells.  Slice eggs in half.
  

• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tender pork to another container.
  

• Pour the liquid in a big enough pot.  Boil to reduce and thicken the liquid for 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs to the braising liquid so it will absorb some of the flavour.  Boil 5 more minutes.  
  

• Then add the pork.  Gently mix (you want the eggs intact) and transfer to serving dishes.

• If using Dutch oven or regular pot, just leave the braising liquid in pot to boil and reduce.
• Top meat dish with freshly chopped scallions.
  

• Serve with either rice or ramen noodles. Oishi!!!!