Fish Maw Soup (Kra-Paw Pla)

This soup is very similar to shark fin soup in texture, but it has a sweet and sour tasted that like hot and sour soup. Although, it a very popular street vendor soup, but you will not be able to find it in your Thai restaurant menu. I guess it the time consuming part and all the ingredients can be pretty costly. Even I don’t make it often, but when I do, it never fails to get lots of compliment and satisfaction from both parties. I like mine very sour and spicy. Of course, I tried many versions and after much experimenting I find that this is the most tasteful one thus far. Great for that cold winter day where you need a good soup to comfort your taste bud and soul.

Ingredients:

1 Small chicken (cook, save the broth and pull the meat into shredded pieces)
5 Dried shitake mushrooms (soak in hot water for 1 hours or so, cut into thin slices)
1 Package of dried dish maw (soak in warm water until soften then cut into small bite size)
1 Cup bamboo shoots
1 Cup of slice Jacama (adding this gives it a nice crunchy texture)
1 Can quail eggs
½ Cup vinegar
3 Tbsp of corn starch add about 3 tbsp of water to it
1 Tbsp of soy sauce
2 Tbsp of fish sauce
3 Tbsp of sweet soy sauce
1 Tsp of white pepper
1 Bunch of cilantro cut into 1’ section
1 Tbsp of sugar
6 Cup of chicken broth
1 Scope or cube of chicken flavor soup base

Topping sauce

1 Tbsp of rice vinegar
1 Soy sauce

Fresh ground chili paste to taste

Methods:

1. In a medium pot pour about 7 cups of water, chicken soup base in with the chicken. Bring to boil and shimmer it for at least an hours or so for better flavoring.
2. When it fully cooked remove the chicken and strain the broth to remove all fat and scum.
3. Then pull the chicken meat into shredded pieces and set aside.
4. Now to prepare the fish maw, after it soaked, boil it for 5 minutes removed and cut into small pieces. This is optional, but in doing this it remove the smell and soften it further.
5. In a medium pot, pour the chicken broth, fish maw, mushroom, soy sauce, sweet soy, fish sauce, sugar, vinegar, bamboo shoots quail eggs and sliced jacama and bring to boil.
6. Now slowly add the liquid corn starch and let it boil and thicken.
7. Turn off and add the white pepper and cilantro.

Serve hot with or with it topping sauce and chili sauce.

Seafood Wonton Soup

The best soup are the one that are home made and from the heart, but with so many things to do and catch up, who has time for home made right? That is the sad part of today busy mom world. Having a meal on the table at all is a task to itself. Although I find that this to be true for me before in a bigger city and more demanding job, but now in a lazy slower pace town, I find time to make what is good for my family. It is not always completely from scratch, but always from the heart and it home cooked.
In Chinese culture, the most meaningful food to make for someone is soup. For soup is believed to be essential to balance energy and bring them back to health from sickness.
Beside from that fact it also time consuming to make soup, for you have to cook it at a medium to low heat to get the best flavor and benefit out of it.

Ingredients:

1 Package of dumping wrapper
12 Shrimps
6 Scallops
1 Tsp of minced ginger
1 Tbsp of minced scallion
1 Tsp of sesame oil
½ Salt
A couple of dash of white pepper
1 Tbsp of soy sauce
1 Tsp of rice wine
1 Tbsp of baking soda
1 Egg white
1 Package of fish balls or shrimp balls
5 Pieces of bak choy cut in halves

Soup:

1 Package chicken bone
1 Package pork neck bone
1 Dried turnip
6 dried shrimps
2 Inches ginger
1 Onion
1 Tsp of kosher salt
2 Tbsp of fish sauce
2 Tbsp of chicken soup base

Or use the ready made wonton powder soup base to taste.

Methods:

1. Make the soup by using ready made wonton soup base or boiling some pork neck bone and chicken bone for 2 hours with some ginger, onion, dried turnip and dried shrimp. Add kosher salt and fish sauce to taste.
2. Clean the shrimps and scallops and chop them into small desire size.
3. In a bowl add the baking soda and enough water to cover the shrimp and scallop and let sit for 30 minutes.
4. When it done rinse the baking soda out completely. Then mix the egg white and a couple dash of salt and message into the shrimps and scallops. Let it sit for another 15 minutes.
5. After the 15 minutes up, add the sesame oil, rice wine, salt, soy sauce, ginger, scallion, white pepper and mix well.
6. In a small pot pour enough water and bring to boil.
7. Placing the dumpling wrapper in your palm, scope a teaspoon size filling and place it in the middle. Now wrap it up by simply twisting into a small pouch with wet water finger or using some oil.
8. When all the wonton is ready, slowly lower into the boiling water and cook for a good 8 minutes. You can also blanch the bak choy at this time too.
9. Remove and place in the serving bowl adding the soup and some scallion.
10. Serve hot and enjoy!

Spicy Oyster Salad

For those of you who love oyster and what something different than your regular hot sauce and lemon taste…then this is one recipe you have to try. Although it is very spice, it is very refreshing and delicious. Especially, with a great beer or glass of White Zinfandel wine.

This dish is very easy to make, the only hard part is getting it out of the shelf, but if you’re using the can version, it just fast and simple. Now if you don’t feel like messing with oyster and wants to try some, there always Thai restaurant that serve this exotic dish.

Ingredients:

10-12 Fresh oysters of I pre-clean can in your grocery seafood section
A handful of cilantro chopped
10-15 Thai chilies
2 Tbsp of Lime juice
2 Tbsp of fish sauce
1 Tbsp of sugar
Pinch of salt
1 Red shallot chopped
Lettuce for decoration, clean and dry

Methods:

1. If you’re using fresh oyster, remove from shell and clean it thoroughly and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile make the make the sauce using a mortar by grinding the thai chilies and sugar, until it slightly fine.
3. Add the lime juice, salt to taste and fish sauce.
4. Toss in the cilantro and red shallot and oysters, mix well.
5. With the lettuce, chopped into bite size and place on the top of the plate.
6. Pour the oysters mixture on top of it and serve.

Sear Tuna Wrap in Black Sesame

Twice a month we would get our sushi craving by making it at home. Of course when I say sushi, what I meant is sashimi. We rarely have sushi unless in roll or wrap version. Beside the kids don’t really sushi, due to the fact they don’t like anything raw.
Yes, I said raw. I know for those of you out there that never had sushi are thinking. Is it safe? Is it good? How could you eat that stuff? I got all of that remarks and more when I tell people that I love sushi.

So here a quick tips for those of you sushi fearing people out there. Of course, sushi always seem so exotic and enticing when eating at a sushi bar or restaurant. Maybe it the atmosphere and the company or the price tag or just the though of someone making it makes it taste so much better. Even though it assumed to cleaner and safer, it not always is. But if you have no other choice for what reason make sure that the restaurant is busy, slow restaurant meant the food is not always fresh.


And if unfortunate like me where sushi bar is rarity and making at home is not an option but a must then here how to prepare your fish.

• Make sure to always buy sushi grade fish
• Clean and freeze it over night.
• Defrost in the refrigerator only. Never, never room temperature or hot water.
• Cut and serve right away when it super cold.
• As always it taste awesome with soy sauce and wasabi!


Ingredients:

1 Piece of Sushi grade tuna
3 Tbsp of black sesame
1/8 Cup of soy sauce
1 Tsp of Chinese hot sauce
1 Tsp of rice vinegar
1 Tbsp of wasabi
1 Tbsp shredded daikon for garnish

For the sauce: Mix the soy sauce, vinegar and hot sauce together.

Methods:

1. Take the piece of tuna out of the freezer and semi defrosted it in the refrigerator.
2. Roll the tuna in the sesame, make sure to cover all corner.
3. Heat the skillet to hot and place the tuna to cook about 1 minute on each side.
4. Remove from the skillet and with a sharp knife slice carefully against the grain.
5. Assemble it on the plate and carefully spoon the sauce over it and garnish with daikon, hot sauce and wasabi like in the picture above.
Chill and serve cold.

Sea Cucumber and Abalone in Oyster Sauce

This dish is considered a delicacy all over Asia, due to the fact that they are very expensive and when done right melts in your mouth. Most Chinese New Year, wedding, birthday or important celebration is not really complete without this delicious dish. I've always anticipate every wedding banquet with glee, knowing that I will get to savor this yummy dish. When I say savor, I really meant it. This is one entrée that is rare and delicate and everyone will only get a piece each. And with each bite I often wish for more. Of course you have to grow up with the taste to truly appreciate it.

This is not a hard dish to make, but it required lot of preparation and timing. Most of the preparation is cleaning the abalone and sea cucumber and soaking the dried mushroom until nice and tender. If you’re using dried Abalone and dried sea cucumber you will need to soak in water and change water for a couple of days in advance. If you bought the can abalone and ready pack sea cucumber then it will save you a lot of time and headache.


Ingredients:

3 Small sea cucumbers sliced
4 Pieces abalones in can sliced (more tender then the dried one)
12 Pieces of dried Asian mushrooms
3 Pieces whole pieces of bamboo stalk sliced(can version)
6 Pieces of bak choi
2 Tbsp of oyster sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp of corn starch
4 Tbsp of water
½ Tsp of kosher salt
1 to 2 Table spoon of soy sauce
1 Tsp of minced ginger
1 Tsp of minced scallion
½ Tsp of dark soy sauce

Methods:

1. Soak the dried mushroom in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Wash and cut the sea cucumbers and abalones, set aside.
3. Wash and prepared the bamboo slice into small pieces.
4. Soak the bak choi water to get all the dirt out, cut in half.
5. Heat the skillet until hot then add oil, then add the minced ginger and scallion until the lightly brown and it have a nice aroma.
6. Stir in the bamboo, mushroom and the oyster sauce, salt, soy sauce and dark soy sauce for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the sea cucumbers and the abalones and stir until fully cook about 10 minutes.
8. Lastly, mix the water and corn starch together and stir in with the rest of the ingredients until thicken, about 5 minute.
9. Remove from stove and serve.

Love this with hot steam rice!!