Sunday 29 June 2008

Siew Mai




Method:
1. Boil enough water to steam the siew mai.
2. Once water comes to a rapid boil, place frozen siew mai on a plate and place in steamer.
3. Steam according to instructions on package and serve hot.

Note:
1. If you do not have a steamer. Place a metal rack in the pot tall enough that the plate does not touch the water.
2. Either method, I prefer adding an extra five minutes to the steaming time to ensure centre of meat is piping hot.

Guo Tie Jiao




They were flipped over after cooking for about ten minutes. See water has started to evaporate.




There was a talk about good Guo Tie in Makansutra. Folks like us living in different continents are deprived of authentic fresh food and are lucky if we are able to access frozen types.
With this in mind, I couldn't resist the temptation of getting a package when out on a trip to Seville a few days ago.

There are different methods of cooking from frozen but this is my style.

Method:
1. Add just enough cold water to cover Guo Tie in a non stick pan. Bring to a boil.
2. Add a tablespoon of vegetable/corn oil or oil of your choice to the boiling water and desired amount of Guo Tie to be consumed.
3. Spread Guo Tie out in pan. Let it boil. Shake the pan gently once in a while to prevent sticking or use a chopstick/ladle.
4. Between five to seven minutes of cooking, turn Guo Tie over. You may need to add more hot water if it dries up too quickly without heating through.
5. Be careful at this stage, as it will splatter when the Guo Tie starts to brown once the water has evaporated. You may want to consider using an oil splatter.
6. Lower heat to medium and turn Guo Tie for even browning.
7 Serve with Chin Kiang Vinegar with shredded young ginger if you have in stock.

This brand is good enough to eat on its own without any condiments but I enjoy eating it with some chilli sauce.