Chinese Tonic Soup with Pork Pancreas and Radishes (青红萝卜炖豬橫脷大补汤)

“It’s nourishing and flavorful. Don’t hate the idea of cooking pork pancreas in this tonic soup, try it first. Find out how amazing it could be, to help you to add an experience in your cooking journey.”

Pig Pancreas:
Offal dishes are greatly consumed and most likeable by Cantonese people. By and large, offal is widely used in Cantonese culinary. From the most common braised trotter to the popular roasted chicken livers, Cantonese people has been crowned the ethnic group that uses offal in their cooking the most, and that includes soup cooking.

Pig pancreas (pork pancreas), Cantonese people [mainly in Hong Kong] called it, 豬橫脷 (pronounced as ‘Ju Wang Lay’), and Chinese called it 豬胰 (pronounced as ‘Zhu Yi’ in Mandarin), is often used in soup dishes. Resides in Singapore, you may not be familiar with this offal as it is not commonly consumed or homecooked, but the pig pancreas is available in the butcher’s stalls in many wet markets. It's not usually displayed openly in the front counter/ chiller though. Ask the butchers for this, and most of them would be able to provide.

Just a gentle reminder. If this is the first time you heard about 豬橫脷, don’t be mistaken this term with the pig tongue. It may sound like as if you are referring to its tongue (it is because the long with pointed edges shaped pancreas resembles a tongue) when you pronounce it in Cantonese dialect, but “Ju Wang Lay” refers to the pancreas.

Anyway, I did some briefed researches on the Internet on this pig pancreas to find out what exactly it offers in term of health benefits. Oh well... It is claimed to serve the function of promoting healthy digestive system, and thus, absorption of nutrient, as well as elimination of body heat, due to its rich enzyme contents. There are also many generic findings, too... Basically, that’s the Chinese culture which believes in the phrase, 以型补型 (pronounced it as ‘Yi Xing Bu Xing'in Mandarin), simply means the same part of the human internal organ will be nourished with the consumption of the same of internal organ of the butchered animal.

“Eee…….” “Yucks…”…. Oh please, don’t give me that kind of disgusted look when you heard about cooking... The pork pancreas ain’t that awful, and in fact, it tastes better than pork liver, to me! It tastes a mild flavor of pork liver and its texture resembles chicken breast meat, more dense in it. Most importantly, the flavor isn’t over-whelming. By adding it into the soup cooking, its meaty flavor emits in the soup elevating the overall aromas further.

Some other notes on the main benefits of other ingredients/ tonic in my recipe:
* Black woody ear fungus or cloud ear fungus: has crunchy texture and almost flavorless. Usually, it is simply called black fungus. Consumption of black fungus on regular basis helps to eliminate fat deposit in the blood vessel and detoxify liver.

*Wild yam/ Huai Shan: appears slimy before cooked, but it will go off after cooked and turned soft and almost neutral in taste. It is named the ‘tonic’ for men and women in term of reproductive health. It regulates hormones and increase internal secretion. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties and many other health benefits.

*Sweet and Bitter almonds: Usually sold in mixture of both of these almonds. It helps to eliminate phlegm and reduce coughing as well as nourishing lungs. Many claimed that it helps to improve good complexion, too.

Just to summarize briefly, the overall flavor of this soup was rich, but not over-whelming. For having so many elements in this soup, it was filled with nutrients, and the taste wouldn’t go wrong for no reason. The radishes added in it, flavored the soup with plenty of natural sweetness, made it so likeable even to the children. I cooked this, more as nourishment, for the health of complexion, too.

See recipe:

Serves 4 – 5
Ingredients
1 piece of pork pancreas, thickly sliced, gently scoured with pinch of salt and slightly blanched with boiled water
200 grams of pork meat (muscle part), cut and blanched in boiling salted water for 2 minutes
1 green radish, peeled and thickly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and thickly sliced
5” long of fresh Wild Yam aka “Huai Shan” (淮山), peeled, cut lengthwise and scoured with pinch of salt and blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes
2 large pieces of Cloud Ear Fungus aka Black Woody Fungus (云耳/ 白背黑木耳)
3 tablespoons of lotus seeds
2 tablespoons of mixed Sweet Almond/ Southern Almond “Nan Xing” (南杏) and Bitter Almond/ Northern Almond or Chinese Almond “Bei Xing” (北杏)
1 candied honey date (蜜枣)
2 slices of young ginger

1 teaspoon of salt

1500ml of water

Utensil:
Large claypot (Optional)

Method
1) Boil water in a large claypot over high heat. Add in all ingredients (blanched pork meat, radishes, carrots, wild yam, cloud ear fungus, lotus seeds, almonds, honey date, young ginger), except for pork pancreas. Bring the ingredients to a boil again.

2) Reduce heat to low fire to simmer the soup for 2 – 3 hours. Add in blanched pork pancreas and continue simmering for 15 - 30 minutes. Add in salt 5 minutes before heat off. Serve hot.

Tips: Cooking time of the pork pancreas is adjustable. The longer the pancreas is cooked, the more intense flavor it emits. So, add and cook the pork pancreas for hours, if you like more intense meaty flavor. For milder flavor, simply cook it for 15 – 30 minutes. The texture of this offal may slightly vary with different cooking duration.
* Pig pancreas/ pork pancreas has mild meaty scent even when it is raw. Simply scour with salt and blanch in boiled water. Heat off before blanching it for just 10 seconds, with lid on.
* Use claypot to do the long boiling helps to retain full nutritional values and maximize the soup flavor, many old generations believed.

Reminders of MY Week

"Be my friend! SIMPLY, talk to me; Comment me; Follow me; Add me; Join me, in MY FaceBook."

It's all about revamping, upgrading and changing of images, driving me into having this idea for My Face Book Fan Club... A reminder of the week, on cooking, preparation of food, daily life, anything, and everything which comes to my mind, prepared or out of the blue. Something simply pops out from my mind, to remind you on the spot (lucky I have my iPhone or iPad with me all the time.. tongue sticking out)!

I named the title as Reminder of MY Week, simply translates into a reminder of the week from MY WOK Life. Hey, it will be posted in MY FaceBook page, for your information. I thought I should "reward", or simply connect with my friends & fans & readers more regularly. I wished to engage all of you more. I share so many things with you, telling you as if you are my close friends.. You, on the other hand, tell me more about yourselves, share with us about your cooking/ life experience, leave your comments in my blog, and post the photos of your cooking/ dishes on MY wall...

Hello~ You are my FRIENDS! :)


* Search My wok life, or choose one the modes listed in the right bar of my blog, to connect with me.

Sautéed Prawns in Yuzu Sauce (柚子蜜煎大虾)

"Not much an appetite to eat? I have cooked these juicy shrimps with some tantalizing citrus sauce to whet your appetite."

This recipe I saw in a TVB cooking show (created by a popular HK celebrity) represents an interesting variation on the conventional sweet & sour flavor of the prawn dishes. This recipe incorporates the rich and refreshing marmalade, and good thing is, you probably need not to purposely buy this ingredient for the dish, it might already been seating in your drink pantry all these while... What this recipe add is the Honeyed Yuzu (called it Yuja in Korean) marmalade that uses to make drinks.

Having not much an appetite recently, I was tempted to this out! The inclusion of the citrus injects the right amount of sweet sourish zesty taste to complement the dish's many savory and aromatic flavours.

In any case if you do not have the Korean Yuzu marmalade, use the Japan Yuzu paste or even the syrup. Like I mentioned before, cooking is all about versatility. So, for even more flexibility to my cooking, I am not fussy about adapting orange marmalade (or simple the zesty orange jam) and honey for this. It works as well!

Serves 4 - 5
Ingredients
500 grams large prawns (about 10 - 12 prawns), trimmed legs and cut a slit at the back with shell remained, deveined, seasoned with pinch of salt and pepper

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red chili, chopped
1/2 stalk of lemon grass (香茅), chopped
1 teaspoon of fried shallot

3 tablespoons of Yuzu Honey (柚子蜜)
1 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
100 - 150 gram of chicken stock
Pinch of salt

2 - 3 tablespoons of cooking oil
2 - 3 knobs of butter (about ½ tablespoon/ knob)

Garnishing
Some chopped coriander

Method
1) Heat frying pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-low fire. Melt 1 knob of butter. Slightly straighten the prawns before placing on the pan to sauté both sides till lightly browned. Sauté the prawns in batches. Simply replenish the fat and repeat step until all prawns are sautéed. Estimated to be done in 2 batches. Dish up and set aside.

2) Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan over medium fire. Add in garlic, lemon grass and chili, stir fry till lightly browned and fragrant.

3) Reduce heat to low fire, melt the knob of butter. Then, add in Yuzu honey, followed by chicken stock. Stir to combine and simmer sauce till sizzling. Add in lemon juice. Sprinkle fried shallot and salt. Return prawns to the wok and stir fry to combine, for about 1 minute. Sauce will be thicken and reduced by then. Heat off and dish up. Garnish before serve.

1 serving of my Yuzu Saucy Prawn (2 large prawns) counts about 80kcal. To reduce calorie intake, do without the additon of butter.

Tips: Add more chicken stock, if more sauce preferred.
* There are many different forms of Yuzu product. Yuzu marmalade, paste or syrup works similarly well. Use of syrup yields wetter dish, reduce the addition of chicken stock or remain as it is, as your preference.
* Do not overcook the prawns to retain its moisture. If you are using less fat to sauté the prawns, what you could do is: When heat off, sprinkle a little bit of water on the prawns and cover pan with a lid to 'steam' a little while. The standing heat in the pan will help to cook the prawns slightly more. This way, the prawns will be pinked with moist.

Best Homemade Pineapple Fried Rice (菠萝炒饭)

"Pamper your loved ones with this savoury restaurant-standard pineapple fried rice, cooked from scratch, with less than $5 cost... and my homemade recipe!"

I did not post as often lately. First, I was very tired due to my hectic work. I had becoming no mood to explore new dishes/ cooking. My family ate only those of my simple already-hands-on dishes, or worst, take-away food. Sometimes, fast food (and of course, it was something pleasing to the little one.. rolling eyes). Anyway, I do apologise to my fans and readers, if you have been missing my new posts. And, I thank you, if you are still following my blog and FB Fan club, waiting to hear from me (winking smile).

So, I wouldn't disappoint you today. And please, continue cooking, no matter how busy you are. Less often, but I was able to cook, still. I encourage, and present you my simple and quick rice dish here, so that you will be able to cook this for you and your family, still, my delicious pineapple fried rice..

This was my first time cooking the pineapple rice from scratch, and it was a big success. It really was. My girl loved it to the extend that she wipped out every single rice grain on her plate even after her second serving. So did I!

One important note, the choice of pineapple is, of course, important. Use only the ripe and sweet pineapple. I got the honey pineapple from NTUC Fairprice. Both Malaysia (costs $2.10) and Philipine (costs $3.80) products are fine. Tips: Choose pineapple with more yellowish/ golden skin. Lift up the whole fruit to smell, the riper it is, the more aroma it releases. Afterall, best to get the guaranteed honey pineapple to eliminate the possible risk (smile).

As you know, fry rice is one of the great ways to use up the leftover rice. However, it's not a must to use overnight(s) rice to cook this. I used freshly cooked rice. Reason being, I like to eat fresh rice. The texture of the fried rice may possibly be softer and mushier, but it could be avoided as long as the amount of water and the heat of the cooking are well controled. For use of freshly cooked rice the same day: Cook the rice. Switch off the power, when cooked. Leave it out to cool for hours before use. For use of frozen overnight(s) rice, defrost it at least 1 hour beforehand.

Serves 3 - 4
Ingredients:
2 cups of rice, cooked and kept cool
250 grams small shrimps, peeled (fresh or frozen will do)
200 grams chicken breast/ fillet, diced and seasoned with some oyster sauce and white pepper
6 crabsticks, diced (and/ or diced ham, if preferred)
½ portion of pineapple fruit, diced
2 tablespoons of black/ golden raisins, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
2 - 3 eggs

Sauce/ Condiments:
3 tablespoons of freshly squeezed pineapple juice
2 tablespoons of turmeric powder
2 tablespoons of Thai fish sauce
1 teaspoon of salt
Dash of white pepper

3 tablespoons of cooking oil
1 tablespoon of butter (Optional)

Garnishing:
2 tablespoons of pork floss
1 tablespoon of cashew nuts, roasted
Some chopped corriander and red chilis

Methods
1) Break and beat 1 egg in a small bowl. Drizzle the beaten egg into cold rice and mix well. May also mix in 1 tablespoon of butter for better aromas. Set aside.

2) Heat wok with 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat, add the garlic and stir fry till golden brown. Add onion, and then, the diced chicken, crabsticks (or/ and ham) and shrimps.

3) Reduce heat to medium-low fire. Add in rice, raisins and pineapples. Then, add in turmeric power and pineapple juice. Stir fry to combine. Add salt and pepper. Drizzle fish sauce. Stir fry to combine all well.

4) Scrape the fried rice to a side further from you to create some space in the wok. Tilt the wok a little towards you. Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, increase heat. Break 1 - 2 eggs in the heated oil and scramble with spatula. Let the eggs cook till almost set before returning the fried rice on the eggs. Reduce heat and quick stir to mix up the rice and eggs. Heat off and dish up. Garnish and serve while warm.

To enhance your food presentation, serve your rice in an eye pleasing pineapple boat! See steps here.

1 serving of my pineapple fried rice counts about 360kcal.

Tips: For alternative ingredients, consider adding some squid rings and/or frozen mixed peas or diced carrots.
* Pat dry all ingredients after rinse. Thaw the frozen shrimps and drain the excessive water before use.
* If the shrimps and chicken are too wet in the wok, increase fire to cook till the excessive water evaporates before adding in rice. Otherwise, the fresh rice may turn mushy easily.
* If overnight(s) rice is used, some water or more pineapple juice will be needed to moist the harden rice grain, in this case.
* Choose ripe and sweet pineapple. Otherwise add sugar into your cooking, if sourish pineapple juice is used. Canned pineapple and its syrup from the can may be used, too, but it may not be as aromatic as using the fresh sweet pineapple fruit though.
* Watch out the heat and it gotta be adjusted constantly to reach the right heat.
* Use metal tablespoon for measurement.

Steps to create a Pineapple Boat to serve your rice in an eye-pleasing way

"Make use of the 'unwanted' pineapple shell to create a food for your eyes"

Delicious food is meant for the stomach, but don't forget to feed our eyes, too. When come to good food, great food presentation enhances our appetite through making the dish more visually pleasing. You want your cooking to taste not just great, but look great, too. Here's a way you could create an elegant presentation just as what you get in the restaurant, without extra cost...

Steps:
1) Choose a large ripe pineapple.

2) Create an opening at the side. However, do not cut the pineapple in half as it will reduce its storage capacity. So, slice off, lengthwise, only one side of the pineapple and discard the sliced-off portion. Now, the exposed side will be the top of the pineapple boat. Also, leave the crown of the pineapple, for decorative purpose.

3) Then, carve out the pineapple flesh as close to the shell as possible with a small knife. Use a metal spoon or scrapper to scrap away the remaining flesh in the pineapple shell.

4) Rinse and pat dry the hollowed-out pineapple shell. Set aside.

It took about 20 minutes to complete this creation. Carving of pineapple flesh from its shell needed a bit of effort physically. If it is too exhausting for you to excavate it at one go, do it in batches.

As for the pineapple flesh, keep a portion for your pineapple fried rice cooking. The remaining portions may be served as after-meal fruit, or keep in the refrigerator for other cooking purposes.

*Pineapple Fried Rice recipe.

Note: 1 pineapple boat is good for 2 - 3 servings (1 cup of rice before cooked) only. Prepare 2 boats to serve 4 person.