Siew Mai & Phoenix's Eye Dumpling (Fong Ngan Har Gow)

Ingredients
Wonton Skin (refer here)
200g plain flour (100%)
2g salt (1%)
1g alkali water (0.5%)
70g water (35%-40%)

Filling
300g minced chicken
300g fish paste
6g salt
18g caster sugar
20g sesame oil
other ingredients
30g chopped mushrooms
100g water chestnut
3g ground white pepper
30ml fragrant oil (refer to here)
can also add chopped spring onion, chillies etc.
Basic for fillings: 100g meat + 1g salt + 3g sugar + 1-3g sesame oil)

Siew Mai additions
10g shredded carrots
20g crab roe

Phoenix's Eye additions
5g chopped spring onions
30g green peas


Directions
fillings

• mix all ingredients together but put the oil LAST!
• the final paste should be a sticky bouncy consistency
• place fillings in a tray and spread about 1cm thickness
• cover in clingwrap and best to keep it in the chiller overnight before use

preparation

• place fillings on wonton skin
• wrap the skin to form a basket for siew mai or pinch both ends of wonton skin to form phoenix's eye like the picture above
• decorate siew mai with shredded carrot and crab roe
• decorate phoenix's eye with spring onion and green peas
• arrange siew mai on a greased tray and steam on high heat for about 6-10min till fragrant
• once out of the steamer, quickly brush the steamed siew mai with fragrant oil generously
• garnish with anything of fancy such as crispy garlic+shallots+ginger, sliced onions, chillies, chopped spring onions etc.

Foodnote: Finally started the Intermediate Dim Sum class and we started off with making siew mai. Wished the school have crab roe ggrrrr so that my siew mai don't look so bland. Lucky got garnishes lah. Always looking forward to class and learning new kills and tips on making food yummy. 

Fragrant Oil

Ingredients
garlic
shallots
ginger
(can try other fragrant ingredients like cekur, lemongrass, chilli, coriander roots etc.)
vegetable oil (double portion of ingredients eg. a cup of chopped garlic+chopped ginger+sliced shallots = 2 cups of oil)

Directions

• in a wok or sauce pan, mix garlic+ginger+shallots with room temperature oil
• start fire at high heat and cook till oil is hot and bubbly
• lower the temperature and cook till garlic+ginger+shallots are light golden brown
• sieve crispy garlic+ginger+shallots and collect oil in stainless steel bowl
• once all the oil have dripped into the bowl, put the bowl of oil over a bigger bowl with room temperature water to stop the oil from oxidation
• crispy garlic+ginger+shallots can be used as garnishes over noodles, dumplings, siew mai etc.
• transfer oil in glass bottle and it will be good to use for up to 3 days
• use the oil for any cooking and it will bring the cooking to the next level woohoo... 

Foodnote: A master oil recipe for take your cooking to the next level. One of the best tip/takeaway from my baking/cooking class. This oil can be added to any dish recipe and the crispy bits can also act as garnishes. It is really easy to make so I will try to add this to as much of my cooking.

Wonton Skin & Noodles

Ingredients
Wonton Skin & Asian Noodles
100% plain flour
1% salt
0.5% alkaline water
35-40% water
few drops of yellow coloring (optional but will give it a yellow noodle coloring)

Ramen
100% plain flour
2% salt
35% water

Pang Mian
100% cake flour
2% salt
35% water

Udon/Soba
90% or 80% cake flour
10% or 20% rye flour/buckwheat flour
2% salt
35% water

Spaghetti
100g semolina flour
1 large egg
a pinch of salt

Directions
(wonton skin & asian noodles)

• put flour in a mixer
• mix water, alkali water, water and coloring together in a jug
• using a hook attachment, start on low speed and very slowly, pour water into mixing bowl
• mix till dough becomes crumbly
• take a handful of dough and clump together to form a ball
• roll to about 4mm
• using a pasta/noodle machine starting from level 6, roll the dough down one level each time till level 1
• let dough through level 1 again
• to make wonton skin, using a round cutter and flour each slice of wonton skin so that it won't stick to each other (to use wonton skin another day, flour each wonton skin with corn flour)
• cover the cut wonton skin so that it won't get dry
• to form noodles, use the noodles/pasta cutter of the machine

Foodnote: One of the best part of this cooking/baking class is to learn to make things from scratch. Finally I am confident and inspired to one day (ehem ehem) make my own noodles. Just need to get the noodle machine first. Saw it selling cheap on shopee... so will definitely get one soon.

Spicy Soya Egg

Ingredients
6 eggs
100ml warm water
100ml sweet soya sauce
50g brown sugar
10pcs of cili padi
1 stalk of spring onion
5pcs shallots or 1/2 large onions

Directions

• prepare ice water enough to cover 6 eggs and set aside
• fill a saucepan with water that can cover 6 eggs... bring the water to rolling boil
• scoop the eggs gently into the boiling water and boil the eggs for 6min
• scoop the boiled eggs and soak in the ice water put aside
• in a glass container mix water, sweet soya sauce and brown sugar... stir till sugar dissolve
• chop cili padi, spring onion and shallots (or onions) and mix the soya mixture
• once egg is cooled, gently peeled off the shell and add the eggs into the soya mixture
• use a spoon to mix the eggs around the soya sauce, cover the container and keep in the fridge overnight
• serve with warm rice... cut the eggs into 2, scoop the sauce with cili, spring onion and shallots over the egg and sprinkle some sesame oil... yummy!!!

Foodnote: Very nice and yummy. Will make this often because I love eggs!! Especially nice to just eat with warm rice and a drizzle of sesame oil over the egg ooh la la.

Flaky Yam Moon Cake

Ingredients
Outer Pastry
200g plain flour (medium protein)
20g castor sugar
50g butter
2g salt
130ml water
few drops of coloring (purple for yam)

Inner Pastry
180g cake flour (low protein)
80g shortening

Yam Filling
1kg yam (skin peeled and diced small)
280g castor sugar
55g wheaten starch
100g shallots sliced
170ml oil

Other Fillings
800g red bean or lotus paste

Directions
outer dough

• mix flour, sugar, butter and salt with finger tips till crumbly and add water (with colorings)
• knead until soft dough and rest for 20min
• divide into 6 portions

outer dough

• mix flour and shortening together to form a dough and divide into 6 portions

yam filling

• steam yam till soft for about 30min
• fry shallots in half portion of the oil till crispy and frangrant
• using a mixer with paddle attachment, blend yam, sugar and wheaten starch (chunky or fine is up to you)
• keep in fridge to cool
• the excess oil is for consistency adjustment only

final assembly

• flour working space generously with flour
• flatten the outer pastry and wrap around the inner pastry
• flatten lengthwise and roll it up like a swiss roll
• flatten it again lengthwise and cut into 2 equal pieces
• brush the esposed side with water and put the 2 pieces on top of each other
• roll from the cut edges (like a swiss roll... make sure the roll form nice spiral pattern)... and cut into 2 again
• roll and flatten each dough with the cut side facing downwards
• wrap up the filling (40g or a full tablespoon) and form a round shape (can also form other shapes as desired)
• deep fry in oil (put a rack in wok) at 160°C for about 7min
• after frying, put in a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 180°C for about 10min or till light golden brown
• the mooncake can also be fried for 12min and served directly. Baking step is to crisp it up further and let the paper absorb excess oil

Foodnote: The yam paste is really nice. I can make it and keep it to fill breads too. Need more practice to form a nice layered pastry. Definitely will make this at home one day.

Flaky Pastry Egg Custard

Ingredients
Outer dough
160g medium protein flour (plain flour)
12g milk powder
13g sugar
40g butter
25g egg
80g water

Inner dough
150g low protein flour (cake flour)
150g shortening
80g butter

Custard filling
33g water
45g evaporated milk
13g sugar
240g egg
5g vanilla essence
few drops of colorings (optional)

Directions
Dough

• prepare outer and inner dough same as here
• place inner dough and outer dough separately into clingwrap, shape into squares
• keep inner dough into freezer till stiff and outer door in chiller section
• once ready, roll outer dough to be bigger than inner dough (guide by placing inner dough 45° angle onto outer dough
• fold the edges of the outer dough to wrap the inner dough making sure that it is fully covered
• clingwrap again and chill for another 20mins
• roll out combined dough to 1.5mm thick and fold 1/3 of it on top towards the centre and another 1/3 to overlap (single turn)
• repeat procese centres 2 times and refrigerate each time for 20min
• roll out dough into rectangle, this time fold 1/4 of both sides towards the centre (book fold)
• chill for another 30min and while waiting, prepare the egg custard

Egg custard

• mix all ingredients together into a pot and heat the mixture till just rolling boil to make sure all sugar have dissolved
• strain the mixture to remove lumps and transfer into a pouring container

Assembly

• roll dough out about 3-4mm thick sheet (make sure the working surface and rolling pin is floured well... only turn once after roll and roll firmly and evenly to prevent dough to become elastic)
• cut with a round cutter (size should be double size of tart cases)
• place dough into tart cases and press the dough into circular motion to bring the edges slightly above tart cases (DO NOT press the edges/top of dough edge so that it can show flaky layers once baked)
• only when ready to bake, fill the egg tart dough until approximately 80% full
• bake for 18min in a pre-heated oven at 200°C until egg set (can see the egg rises but not burnt... it means it is ready to remove from oven)

Foodnote: This is very yummy. The custard is not very sweet. Portion need to adjust as in class we get 8 tarts but the egg custard is good for 4 portions. Also there are still some dough leftovers. Best to not squash the leftovers. Slowly, stacked onto each layers and try to roll out again to make more tarts or for storage to make on other days.

Char Siew Puff

Ingredients for pastry here.

Fillings
Bbq Chicken
3kg chicken meat (breast)
7 tbsp soya sauce
7 tbsp sugar
7 tbsp honey
7 tbsp oyster sauce
7 tbsp water
1 tbsp five spice
1 tbsp white pepper
7 tsp dark sauce
7 tsp vinegar

Char siew sauce
900g water
80g sugar
30g soya sauce
30g dark sauce
10g white pepper
16g sesame oil
100g oil
90g modified starch
16g sesame oil
100g oil

Directions to cook char siew chicken here.

Assembly

• roll the pastry dough into squarish shape
• fill about a tablespoon of char siew chicken
• fold parallel sides edges to cover the fillings
• fold the side edges inwards to seal then turn it over 
• press down the short edges with fork and arrange on a baking tray
• right before baking, brush the top with egg yolk lightly especially the forked edges
• sprinkle white sesame and bake at 200°C for about 20min or till golden brown

Foodnote: This is another baked dim sum that I like. So savoury and nice. 

Bánh Mi / Vietnamese Baguette

Ingredients
500g bread flour
5g bread improver
7g dry instant yeast
Vit C - a pinch
8g salt
6g sugar
30g butter (melted)
1 egg extra large
265ml water

Directions

• in a mixing bowl, add in bread flour, bread improver, salt, sugar, yeast and vitamin C
• whisk the ingredients together then add in the melted butter and whisk to combine
• finally add in the water and egg
• using the dough hook attachment, mix on KA2 for 2min till all ingredients come together
• increase to KA6 for 10min... it should be soft and elastic
• grease a large bowl and using a greased hand transfer the dough over the bowl... rounding it first
• spray or brush butter on top of the dough, cover the bowl with clingwrap and leave it to proof for about 30min or till the dough double in size
• grease the working surface and dump out the dough smooth surface down
• divide the dough into 6 portions
• so shape the bahn mi, always keep the smooth surface at the bottom
• refer here at the 10min to shape each dough
• once all are shaped, spray again with grease and cover with a towel to rest for 1 hour
• in the meantime, pre-heat oven to 200°C 
• once the bread have proofed, spray the surface with water
• score each bread from top to bottom at 45° angle and spray with water again
• bake for 20 min with a tray of hot water at the bottom
• 2 min into baking, open the oven and spray more water on the bread
• remove the water tray after 10min
• once baked, immediately brush the bread with melted butter

Foodnote: Have always wanted to make a good bahn mi. Have tried once before and it wasn't successful ggrrr. This time I tried the recipe from here. The crust is thin and crispy and the inside is super soft and fluffy. Can be eaten as sandwich or dip in butter or dip in gravy... so yummy!! I might want to omit the vit C and the improver next time. Just have to proof the dough longer for the gluten to form.