Friday, February 16, 2007

Prawns in Oriental Sauces


My hubby loves prawns, I do love oriental sauces, garlic and onions. I prepared this quick-but-delicious stirfry for my beloved as he looooove prawns sooo... much. The fragrant of sauces combined perfetly with garlic and prawns, so delicious, so exotic and terribly tantalizing ;) I let the shell keep intact as it gives extra rich taste and moist flesh compared to the shelled prawns.

FRIED PRAWN IN ORIENTAL SAUCE
Ingredients:
250 gr prawns, headed
2 tsp lemon juice
1/3 tsp salt
75 ml vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or finely chopped
1 medium onion, sliced roughly
5 stalks spring onion, cut into 5cm length
Sauces, mix thoroughly:
2 tsp light soy sauce
1.5 tbs teriyaki sauce
1.5 tbs oyster sauce
2 tsp worcestershire sauce (optional)
50 ml water
Method:
Marinate prawns with salt and lemon juice, let it stand for 5 minutes.
Heat oil in frying pan, fry marinated prawns just until cooked, do not overcooked, set aside.
Add chopped garlic to the remaining oil in the pan, saute over medium heat until golden in colour.
Pour in mixed sauces, turn the heat to high, let it come to a full boil.
Stir in fried prawns and sliced onion, saute for half minutes.
Add in spring onion, continue to stir for another half minutes.
Remove from heat, serve immediately.
Note:
If possible try to cook the prawns with the shell intact, this will bring a stronger and tastier flavour with extra moisture to the flesh added from the shell.
Serve with potatoes and braised vegetables.


Indonesian Version
UDANG GORENG SAUS ORIENTAL
Bahan:
250 gr udang jerbung segar, buang kulit kepalanya
2 sdt air jeruk
1/3 sdt garam
75 ml minyak sayur
3 siung bawang putih, irs tipis
1 buah bawang bombay ukuran sedang, iris kasar membujur
5 tangkai daun bawang (spring onion), potong 5cm
Saus, aduk jadi satu:
2 sdt light soy sauce (pake kecap asin boleh)
1.5 sdm saus teriyaki
1.5 sdm saus tiram
2 sdt kecap inggris
50 ml air matang
Cara:
Aduk udang, air jeruk dan garam, diamkan 5 menit.
Panasin minyak sayur, masukin udang, masak sampe sekedar matang ajah jangan terlalu kering.
Tiriskan udang, masukkan bawang merah dan bawang putih ke wajan yang masih panas.
Tumis dengan api medium high sampe bawang berwarna kuning, tuangi campuran saus, biarkan berbuih.
Masukin udang, aduk rata setengah menit.
Masukin daun bawang, aduk setengah menit lagi.
Matiin api, sajikan segera.
Note:
Biarkan udang tanpa dikupas, aroma dan rasanya akan lebih kaya dan dagingnya lebih lembut daripada bila dikupas.
Penyajian gaya oriental pake tumis sayuran (pokchoy, kailan, kangkung)
Penyajian gaya jawa pake kuluban dan sambal terasi.
Penyajian gaya continental pake potongan kentang rebus yang ditumis dengan garlic butter & peterseli plus rebusan mixed vegetables.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

Cake Tape, Fermented Cassava Cake


Tape, or fermented cassava is very popular in Indonesia. It is cooked cassava (steamed or boiled), fermented with particular yeast (made from ground spices and rice flour), stored in airtight container in a dark place for 2-3 days. The fermentation produces a moist and soft flesh cassava with sweet and sour alcoholic taste. You can consume it directly or create various desserts using it, from drinks, jellies, fritters and cakes.
I was about making afternoon cake while I saw some Tape left in chiller. I thought I could turn it to be a delicious cake for my cloudy sunday, combined with sultanas and nuts. It was my really first Cake Tape anyway :D I made it without any recipe, but my heart told me what I had to blend hehehehhh... and it worked! A soft and moist cake with a sweet smell of Tape and a shot of vanilla scent. Topped with dark ganache, it was really a perfect way to use up my tape ;)

CAKE TAPE (Fermented Cassava Cake)
Ingredients:
4 eggs
100 gr caster sugar
1.5 tsp cake emulsifier (optional)
150 gr all purpose flour + ¼ tsp baking powder, shifted
200 gr good quality of Tape (fermented cassava), discard the thin woody core
100 gr margarine, melted
1 tbs vanilla essence
50 gr roasted nuts, chopped (I used kenari or Java Almond or Pili Nuts)
50 gr sultanas or raisins
20x20x4cm baking pan, greased and lined with baking paper
Method:
Put raisins/sultanas in a small bowl, pour boiling water just until covered, let it soaked for 3-4 minutes until puffed, rinse and pat dry in papertowel.
Mix raisins, nuts and flour, set aside.
Beat fermented cassava, margarine and vanilla using electrical mixer at medium speed for one minute. Fold in mixed flour, continue to beat for a half minutes until well blended, set a side.
At another bowl, beat eggs, sugar and cake emulsifier at full speed until thick, fluffy and pale.
Fold into cassava mixture in four batch, stir well using spatula or wooden spoon for each addition until well combined.
Pour into prepared pan, bake until done.
Remove from the pan, let it cool. Cut and serve with your favourite topping (chocolates, cream cheese or simply dust with confectioner sugar and cinnamon powder, or served with 1-2 scoops of ice cream, yummm...)
Note:
You may substitute margarine with vegetable oil or butter, or combination of both, add a pinch of salt for better taste.


Indonesian Version
CAKE TAPE
Bahan:
4 butir telur
100 gr gula pasir
1.5 sdt emulsifier
150 gr terigu + ¼ sdt baking powder
200 gr tape yang bagus, buang serat tengahnya
100 gr margarin, lelehkan
1 sdm vanilla essence
50 gr kenari sangrai, cincang kasar
50 gr kismis
Loyang 20x20x4cm, olesi minyak sayur & alasi kertas roti
Cara:
Rendam kismis dalam air panas (gak usah banyak2 asal sampe terendam), biarkan 2-3 menit sampe ngembang, tiriskan & tebarkan di papertowel agar airnya terserap.
Sementara nyuekin kismis, kocok tape, margarin leleh dan vanilla dengan speed sedang selama 1 menit hingga lembut.
Campur kismis, tepung dan kenari hingga rata, masukin ke campuran tape, kocok lagi dengan speed sedang setengah menit hingga rata, sisihkan.
Kocok telur, gula dan emulsifier hingga putih mengembang dan kental (jangan lupa whisker bekas ngaduk tape dicuci & dikeringin dulu ya hehehehe…).
Tuang sepertiga kocokan telur ke adonan tape, aduk balik dengan spatula hingga menyatu.
Tuang lagi sisa telur adonan dalam 2-3 tahap sambil terus diaduk balik hingga rata.
Tuang ke loyang yang udah disiapin, oven sampe matang dengan suhu sedang.
Angkat, keluarkan dari loyang dan diamkan hingga dingin.
Taburi topping sesuai selera, potong2 & sajikan.
Note:
Saat dioven adonan gak akan terlalu mengembang, tapi hasilnya tetep spongy dan lembut.
Kemaren toppingnya pake ganache sisa. Bisa dikasi topping krimcis, keju parut, gula halus campur kayumanis dll. Tanpa topping juga noproblem, tetep uenak.
Penyajian lain, bisa ama 1-2 skop es krim, sluuurppp…

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Melted Cheez Bitterballs

Bitterballen, also known as Dutch Croquette, is one famous appetizer derivated from Nederlander in the era of Dutch domination in Indonesia. Indonesian people serve it as snack rather than as appetizer, served in tea break or as brunch.
I like it cheesy, but not the way the others make it. They just simply mix grated cheese into the batter. My way is, squeezing a melted cheese filling in the center, and a swirl of cheese on top. It brings so much better taste and appearance ;)

MELTED CHEEZ BITTERBALLS Ingredients:
175 gr chicken breast fillet, boiled until cooked
150 gr carrot, skinned, small diced
1 small can champignon/button mushroom, drain and chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or ground
2 tbs milk powder
200-250 ml chicken broth
2 tbs vegetable oil
pepper, nutmeg powder, salt and sugar to taste
4 tbs all purpose flour
125 gr breadcrumb
Coating mixture, beat well for one minute:
150 ml eggwhites
2 tbs corn starch
Cheese mixture:
100 gr cheddar cheese, grated
50-75 ml fresh milk
Using electrical blender, process until smooth
Method:
Drain boiled chicken from the broth, cut into small dices.
Heat oil in frying pan, saute grated garlic until fragrant and yellow in colour.
Stir in champignon, carrot and chicken, cook for 2 minutes.
Dissolve milk powder in chicken broth, pour into the frying vegetables. Season with pepper, nutmeg, salt and sugar, bring to a full boil.
Simmering the heat, sprinkle the flour gradually and stirring continuously until thickened.
Turn to medium heat, continue to cook until reaching very thick consistency and easy to form.
Turn off the heat, let it cool.
Divide dough into 4cm sized balls (about 40 grams for each).
Take a half of cheese mixture, put in piping bag. Reserve the other half.
For each dough ball, make a hole and squeeze out the cheese mixture into the hole, close and seal the hole then smooth out by rolling it between palms (do this step using greased palms).
Dip balls into coating mixture then into bread crumb until evenly breaded.
Freeze breaded balls at least for an hour then deep fry until golden brown.
Using piping bag, spread out reserved cheese mixture onto the top of each ball. Serve warm.
Note:
Freezed balls can be stored for up to 2 weeks.

Indonesian version.
MELTED CHEEZ BITTERBALLS Bahan:
175 gr fillet dada ayam, rebus, tiriskan
150 gr wortel kupas
1 klg kecil jamur kancing
2 siung bawang putih, parut
2 sdm susu bubuk
200-250 ml kaldu perebus ayam
3 sdm minyak sayur
Lada, pala, garam, gula secukupnya
4 sdm terigu /secukupnya
Coating, kocok rata 1 menit:
125 gr breadcrumb /secukupnya
150 ml putih telur, kocok lepas dengan 2 sdm maizena
Filling & topping:
100 gr keju cheddar parut
50-60 ml susu cair
Proses dengan blender sampai halus
Cara:
Dada ayam rebus dan wortel kupas diiris dadu kecil.
Jamur ditiriskan & diperas dikit, cincang kasar.
Larutkan susu bubuk dengan kaldu hangat.
Panasin minyak, tumis bawang putih parut hingga kekuningan.
Masukin jamur, wortel dan ayam. Tumis 2 menit.
Masukkan larutan kaldu+susu, bumbui lada pala garam dan gula, masak hingga mendidih.
Kecilkan api ke simmer, taburkan terigu sedikit2 sambil diaduk rata hingga terigu habis. Masak adonan sampe mengental.
Besarkan api ke medium low, lanjutkan masak hingga pekat, matikan api. Diamkan hingga adonan menjadi dingin.
Bagi adonan menjadi bola2 diameter 4cm.
Ambil setengah bagian adonan keju, masukin piping bag.
Ambil satu bola, buat lubang dan semprotkan adonan keju, rapatkan dan gulung kembali. Kerjakan hingga adonan habis.
Celup bola2 ke kocokan putih telur, gulingkan pada breadcrumb hingga benar2 rata. Kerjakan hingga bola2 habis.
Simpan bola2 berlapis breadcrumb di freezer minimal 1 jam. Deepfry hingga keemasan, tiriskan.
Tunggu sampe uap panasnya berkurang, semprotkan sisa adonan keju diatasnya, sajikan hangat.
Note:
Bitterballs bisa bertahan dua minggu dalam kondisi beku di friser. Simpan bertumpuk di wadah tertutup rapat, beri slembar plastik di tiap lapis agar tidak lengket dan merusak bentuk.