Chicken Pot Pie 美味雞批

If you ask a person what their favorite comfort food is, I guess chicken pot pie might be very high on the list. Not only is it popular in America, it was also one of my favorite foods when I was growing up in Hong Kong, where it is usually served in a personalized size. No matter if it is big or small, it is still very yummy.

 

Ingredients to make 10 small pies (7cm in diameter)

Pie Dough:

150g salted butter, RT

55g milk, RT

55g powdered sugar

280g All purpose flour, sifted

Chicken Filling:

one chicken leg & thigh, boneless, about 350g

200g frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, onion, beans, corns, etc)

20g butter

50g milk

15g AP flour

Egg Yolk Wash: one yolk diluted with a teaspoon of milk or water

Prepare the pie dough:

1) Beat the softened butter with a handheld mixer until creamy. 

2) Add powdered sugar and mix until blended. 

3) Add milk and continue to mix.

4) Add sifted flour and gently mix until no dry flour remains.

5) Divide the dough into two portions: 300g for the crust and 250g for the pie top. Wrap them in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Chicken Filling:

1) Dice the chicken meat. Marinate with your choice of seasonings. I used salt, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper powder and oil.

2) Heat up a pan and cook the chicken completely through, then add the defrosted vegetables. Remove and set aside.

3) Melt the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the flour, cooking until the butter hydrates all the flour. Turn the heat to medium low and slowly add the milk to make a thick, creamy roux. 

4) Turn the heat back up and add the meat and vegetables. Mix well. Let it cool to RT and refrigerate until ready to assemble the pie.

Assembly:

1) Preheat oven to 400F.

2) Roll out the crust dough to about a quarter millimeter thick. Cut out with a round cutter about 1-2 mm larger than your pie tin. Gently lay the dough inside the mold with about half a millimeter higher than the rim. Do not stretch the dough: lift the edges and let it fall into the tin so that it makes complete contact with the bottom and corners of the pie tin.

3) Spoon a generous amount of chicken filling in.

4) Cover with the top crust and seal the edges.

5) Brush with egg yolk wash. Use a toothpick to slightly score lines.

6) Bake in the preheated 400F oven for 25-30 mins or until the crust is golden.

Recipe Reference: 飲食男女 Eat and Travel Weekly

Roast Pork Belly with Air Fryer 氣炸鍋燒腩仔

I have tried different recipes and ways to make roast pork but so far this is the most trusted, reproducible and satisfactory recipe. It takes a little planning but very little hands-on time. Using an air fryer produces crispy skin every time and there is less mess to clean up as compared to a regular oven.

Sous Vide Rib Eye Steak 真空低溫牛扒

I am a believer after trying this sous vide method to cook steak. It is never overcooked and dry, I think this is the best way to cook an expensive cut of meat. Although it may take more time to do it, your patience will be greatly rewarded. The active working time is so minimal that I can literally walk away after setting it up.

Sous vide is not new (French meaning "under vacuum"). It has been a well-known French cooking method for hundreds of years. By submerging food that has been vacuum packed in a constant temperature over time, no moisture is lost and the whole piece of meat/food is consistently cooked to perfection.

Enoki Mushroom Beef Rolls 金菇牛柳卷

This dish looks fancy but it is easier to make than you might think. It will be a good dish for the Chinese New Year. Have something a little different than chicken and fish to celebrate this year!

Pork Sung Roll 肉鬆麵包卷

I called it the Taiwanese version of cinnamon roll. Instead of using sugary filling and glaze, it is replaced by pork sung and topped with shredded cheese. Any type of bread dough, like tong zhong, whole wheat or all white, etc, could be used. Perfect option for those who prefer savory instead of sweet bread.

Chinese Pork Jerky with Fruity Flavor 果汁豬肉乾

I am a big fan of jerky. It is a great snack to have while watching TV or to serve in a party. However, instead of American store-bought flavors I more particularly like jerky styled after Chinese flavors. It is more juicy and flavorful. The last time I visited Hong Kong, I had a great time satisfying my appetite! Too bad meat products are prohibited from entering or leaving the country, or otherwise I would have filled up my bags with them.

Here in America, you can only buy jerky that is made in this country. Those Chinese brands that you see in Asian grocery stores most likely are not made overseas.

Making it at home is far simpler than you would expect, with a low failure rate. You can easily choose a flavor you like without adding sodium nitrate or any preservatives!

Dual Color Dumplings 雙色蒸餃

This is the second post on the dim sum series. Click here for the other post.

These little dumplings are also known as pomegranate dumplings because their shapes are like little pomegranate. I love the transparent wrapper with crisp green color which is made from the juice of spinach, all natural. 

Steamed Char Siu Bao 蠔皇叉燒包

Happy New Year to all my blog readers!

As this blog approaches its fourth year, I would like to start a new series. This is the first post on the dim sum series, with more to follow. Stay tuned.

Every time I go to a dim sum restaurant, char siu bao (BBQ pork bun) is one of my must-have dishes. Inside the white, fluffy, and sweet bao is char siu with oyster sauce. It is so easy to gobble one down in less than a minute. Believe it or not, I have been trying to make a decent char siu bao on and off for more than three years.

Steamed Baby Back Ribs with Plum Sauce 梅子蒸排骨

After making the Pearl Shrimp Balls, I somehow have an urge to make more dishes by steaming. My household loves meat, especially my two teenagers. They seem as if they could not function properly without having meat for a single day. In order to satisfy their appetites, I have to come up with different meat dishes. Steamed spareribs with black bean and garlic sauce is a common dish we often have, but today I tried to make it with a different sauce. This plum sauce adds complexity and depth to the taste and it goes perfectly with rice.

Spiced Taro Cake 五香芋頭糕

The number one factor about this cake that appeals to me is its aroma. Someone said we eat with our eyes. But many times we eat with our nose as well. Before we can see the food, the aroma can lure us even though we are far away from it. This may be the reason when we have a cold and congestion, all food tastes bland. The sense of smell plays an important role in how we taste food.

The aroma from the five spice powder is unbelievable. The main ingredients of the five spices are powdered fennel, cloves, cinnamon, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns. It is amazing how these spices can greatly elevate the taste of a dish.

In addition to making turnip pudding for the Chinese New Year, it is a good idea to make something different this year.

Chicken in a Pot with Garlic and Preserved Lemon 惹味雞煲

There are a few things in making this dish that I have never done before. First, this is my first time baking a chicken using a Dutch oven (cast iron pot). It was far easier than I anticipated it to be. After browning the chicken and slightly sautéing the vegetables, just put every thing in the pot and stick it in the oven. Then you will have a room filled with a delicious aroma in about an hour and dinner is ready.

Secondly, I never used this much garlic in a dish: 4 heads (about 30-35 cloves). The cloves are separated with the skin still attached. Perhaps it is what makes it so tasty without an overwhelming garlic flavor. 

Last but not least is preserved lemon. I made preserved kumquats for a remedy for sore throat but never preserved lemon. But to my surprise, it adds a distinct flavor to the chicken. I was also surprised as to how much more delicious and flavorful the leftovers are the day after. Maybe next time I should resist the temptation to eat it right away!

Steamed Rice with Chicken in Lotus Leaf 荷葉蒸雞飯

This is a dish that is relatively easy to cook, even though it sounds complex. The lotus leaf I use is dried and is available at Chinese grocery stores. It's a pity there aren't any fresh lotus leaves around to buy; it will greatly enhance the flavor and aroma of the rice. If you can get any fresh lotus leaf, by all means use it.

This is one of those dishes where you don't really have to go by a "recipe" because it can't really go wrong if you don't exactly follow the steps. Let your creativity and sense of taste be your guide. You can substitute chicken with any meat. Marinate it the way you want (usually with salt, sugar, cornstarch and oil). Instead of using water to cook the rice, you can use chicken broth for more flavor.

Slow Baked Pork Baby Back Ribs 香焗豬肋排骨

"If you cook, your family will eat dinner together.

If you cook, you will naturally have a more sustainable household.

If you cook, you'll set a lifelong example for your children.

If you cook, you'll understand what goes into food and eat more healthily.

If you cook, you'll make your home an important place in your life.

If you cook, you'll make others happy.

If you cook, people will remember you."

                                                              ~Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs

Clay Pot Rice with Chinese Sausages 臘味煲仔飯

I know we are blessed to live in Los Angeles, especially during the wintertime. Winter in Southern California is mild compared to the rest of the country. The normal daytime highs are in the 60's and nighttime lows are around the 40's. Although we don't usually get below freezing temperatures, it is still considered to be cold by many of us.

Focaccia with Cherry Tomatoes and Rosemary 意大利麵包

This Italian flatbread is similar to pizza, except it doesn't have any sauce on top. I've tried making it before a few times and it came out well. Recently Los Angeles Times published a recipe by Nancy Silverton, owner of La Brea Bakery. It calls for baking the bread in a cake pan instead of a baking sheet.

Hot Dog Bun with Tong Zhong 腸仔包

According to a statistic, Los Angeles is the top hot dog comsuming city in America. During the peak season (between Memorial Day and Labor Day) a total of 7 billion hot dogs are consumed. The number is amazing. My household obviously is way under average in terms of hot dog consumption. We try to avoid processed food as a whole. But nowadays there are beef franks that are made without nitrates or nitrites (Oscar Mayer). Sounds good, right?

Baked Chicken in Salt 鹽焗雞

Don't be misled by the name of this dish. This is not a salty chicken. The coarse salt used in this dish is used to provide flavor but not to add the amount of salt to marinate the chicken. Only 1 teaspoon of salt is used for the marinate. The rest of the salt is put in between the parchment paper and the aluminum foil.

Baked Char Siu Bao 焗叉燒包

Baked Char Siu Bao

Every time I make char siu, usually I make more so that there will be leftover for char siu bao. My hubby likes savory bao more than sweet bun. It is very good to have it for breakfast or afternoon snack. I made whole wheat tang zhong with flax seed as the dough to add more nutritional values.

Stuffed Mushrooms with Ground Pork 焗釀磨菇

This is a very simple and easy to do dish. It is a great appetizer to any dinner. You can also use different ingredients for the stuffing. For this one I used ground pork, but ground beef or sausages(without casings) can be used as well. Chopped onions and green onions will be great additions as well ( I did not include them because of one of my picky eaters does not like them).

Meat Lasagna

I like to cook. Cooking is fun and it is especially fulfilling when others enjoy the food. But to decide what to cook is another story. If you are like me, the main chef of the house, you must know what I mean. I rarely repeat what I cook day after day. Variety is important to me and my family. No one likes to eat the same food day after day.