Articles for the Month of April 2024

Makes 6 cubes

1. Drain your tofu and wrap it a clean tea towel. Place between two plates. Place a couple of cans on top to draw out excess moisture from the tofu. Leave for 15mins.

2. Heat water and dashi powder in a small pot. Stir to dissolve the powder then add soy and mirin when the liquid starts to bubble. Turn off the heat and set aside.

3. Place oil in a med pot or wok. The depth of the oil needs to cover your tofu when you are deep frying it. Heat the oil on med-high heat.

4. Place potato starch in a medium sized bowl. When the oil is ready, remove the tofu from the tea towel. Coat a cube of tofu in the potato starch then deep fry until crispy. Do not overcrowd the pot as they may stick to each other. Coat and deep fry the cubes in batches. Remove and drain on a wire rack.

5. Place tofu in serving bowls. Gently pour the warm broth into the bowls around the bottom of the cubes.

6. Garnish with spring onions and katsuobushi.

 

1. Add the pork to a pot of water and fill to cover by 5cm. Bring to the boil. Allow to boil for 1 min then remove and drain. Rinse impurities off the pork pieces in fresh tap water and set aside.

2. Add sugar and water to a clean wok or medium sized pot. Heat on med-high heat to create the caramel. Let it bubble away until a rich, dark caramel forms (not burnt). Swirl the pan as you do this to distribute the heat in the pan.

3. Add in 1T oil and swirl through. Add ginger and onion and saute until the onion has softened.

4. Add prepared pork pieces and cook for about 5 mins.

5. Add Shaoxing wine, soy sauces and fish sauce. Stir to mix and heat through.

6. Add coconut water. Stir through then bring to the boil.

7. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for one hour.

8. After one hour, remove the lid, add in the eggs and turn the heat up to medium. Allow the braising liquid to evaporate and thicken into a sauce. Gently rotate your eggs from time to time to allow it to absorb and take on a darker hue. Turn of the heat when the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if required.

1. Add garlic, coriander and sugar into a mortar. Using a pestle, pound until the garlic and coriander are crushed.

2. Add in chilli and basil leaves and continue to pound until you reach your desired consistency.

3. Add in fish sauce and lime juice and mix through. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serves 4

1. Add the pork bones and spare ribs into a large pot. Fill with water and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 mins then strain pork into a colander. Clean the pot, then rinse and strain pork to remove the physical impurities. Return the pork to the cleaned pot. Add dried shrimp, lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, garlic, chilli, 3L water and soup seasoning cubes. Bring to the boil then remove any surface scum. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Simmer for 60mins or until the ribs are tender.
2. Meanwhile, make the crispy garlic oil by adding the chopped garlic and oil into a small pot. Heat until the oil starts to sizzle and the garlic starts to fry and turn lightly golden. The garlic will continue to cook in the oil so turn off the heat when the garlic starts to colour. Set aside.
3. Remove the pork bones and aromats in the pot, leaving only the spare ribs and broth in the pot. Add in half of the prepared crispy garlic oil, sugar, lime juice and fish sauce. Bring to the boil then taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Prep Everything Else

4. Slice egg wonton wrappers into strips. Deep fry until crispy then drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.
5. Slice gai lan to separate the leaves from the stems. Slice stems to create discs. Blanch leaves and stems in a pot of salted water with a dash oil. Remove and set aside.
6. Warm through fish and pork balls to packet instructions.
7. Prepare noodles to packet instructions.

Serve Up

8. Add a bundle of noodles to each bowl. Add in gai lan, a couple of fish balls and pork balls, a few slices of cha Hue and spare ribs. Ladle in soup. Garnish with crispy garlic oil, dried chilli flakes, coriander, spring onion and fried wonton strips.