How to Cook "Putien" Drunken Cockles

Ingredients

• 400 grams cockles
• 2 red chillies, de-seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 3/4 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 to 2 pinches sugar
• salt to taste
• some chopped spring onions 
  

Instructions

Preparation for the Sauce

1. Heat up a pan and add in the cooking oil. 
2. Add in the garlic and chilli. Stir fry it till fragrant but not burnt. 
   
   
   
3. Turn off the fire. Add in the Chinese wine, light soy sauce and sugar. 

   

   

   

   
   
4. If necessary, add some salt for taste.
5. Stir and cook well and set aside to cool. 

   

   

Preparation for the Cockles

1. Scrub the cockles clean by using a toothbrush or any type of brush with firm bristles. 
2. Next, soak the scrubbed cockles in some salted water to let it "spit" sand. 
3. Soak them for an hour in a cool place.
4. When ready, boil a pot of water enough to cover the cockles. 
5. Turn off the heat once the water is boiling. 
6. Add in all the cockles and cook for 5 minutes. 

   

   
   
7. Drain them and place them in cool water for a couple of seconds. 
8. Remove half the shells and any mud that may be inside the cockles.
9. Put the half-shelled cockles on the dish. 

   

   
   
10. Pour the sauce over all the cockles evenly or dish the sauce on the cockles one at a time. 
11. Sprinkle the chopped spring onions on top. 
12. Chill in the fridge for an hour before serving. 

    

    
    

 

How To Cook Hot Plate Egg Tofu Beancurd

 

Ingredients

• 160 grams or 1 tube egg tofu, cut into equal discs
• Oil for deep frying

Gravy 

• 1 onion or shallot, sliced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 100 grams minced beef
• 5 prawns, peeled
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 cup of water or chicken stock
• 5 baby corn
• 1/2 a carrot, sliced
• a handful of baby bok choy
• cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstach + 3 tablespoons water 
  
  
  
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Hotplate 

• 2 eggs, beaten

Instructions

1. Cut the egg tofu tube in half. Gently squeeze out the tofu. Slice the egg tofu into equal discs and lightly blot on paper towels to remove excess moisture. 
2. Fill a pan with enough oil to deep fry the egg tofu discs. Allow it to get hot over medium-high heat. Lower the egg tofu gently into the oil and fry untill golden brown.
   
   
   
3. Remove and drain it on paper towels. 

   

   

Making the gravy

1. While the egg tofu is deep frying, make the gravy. Add the oil to the wok or pan.
2. Once it is hot, add onion, garlic, ginger and stir fry it till fragrant.
3. Add minced beef next and saute it untill 80% done. 
   
   
   
4. Add the prawns next. 

   

   
   
5. Add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and stir to combine it together. 

   

   
   
6. Once fragrant, add the chicken stock or water next. Stir to incorporate.

   

   
   
7. Add the carrots and baby corn. Allow the mixture to come to a boil. 

   

   
   
8. Once the sauce is boiling, add in bok choy. 

   

   
   
9. Stir in cornstarch untill it thickens to a gravy. 

   

   
   
10. Add final touch of sesame oil and white ground pepper. Gravy is done. 

    

Hotplate Assemble

1. In a cast iron pan or skillet, add oil and allow it to get hot.
2. Once hot, add in the beaten eggs and allow it to coat the base of the skillet. Swirl the pan so that the egg lifts into the sides of it. 
   
   
   
3. Once the bottom is set, and still runny, top it with the fried egg tofu. Pour the gravy over it. 

   

   
   
4. Take it off the heat and serve it immediately. Residual heat will continue to cook the egg and heat up the dish. 

   

   
   

How To Cook Eight Treasure Fried Rice

 

Ingredients

• 3 cups of long grain rice, cooked and chilled
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 eggs beaten
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 knob ginger (thumb-sized), finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fermented chilli bean paste (substituted with black bean paste)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1 pinch of salt, to taste
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped for garnishing

Eight Treasures

• 40 grams dried shrimps (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)
• 50 grams Chinese sausage, finely sliced
• 100 grams shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced to 5mm
• 50 grams sugar snap peas (substituted with snow peas)
• 50 grams frozen peas
• 40 grams cashew nuts, roasted
• 1 handful toasted white sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Break up the cooked, chilled rice as much as possible to separate the grains. Set it aside.
2. Heat a wok over high heat. Add a tablespoon oil and then pour in the beaten eggs. Swirl it around the pan and scramble it till it is softly set and turns slightly golden brown at the edges. Transfer it to a plate and set it aside. 
   
   
   
3. Add the remaining oil to the wok along with the garlic, ginger, bean paste and drained dried shrimps. Stir fry it for 20 seconds, or untill fragrant. 

   

   
   
4. Push the ingredients to the side of the wok. Add the Chinese sliced sausages and spread them out in a thin layer. Fry it untill golden at the edges.

   

   
   
5. Add the shiitake mushrooms, peppers and snow peas. Stir fry it for 1 minute, or untill the vegetables are tender. 

   

   
   
6. Add the cooked eggs back into the wok along with the rice and frozen peas. Toss well for 1 minute untill combined thoroughly.

   

   
   
7. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and brown sugar. Stir and cook it untill each grain of rice is hot and seasoned evenly. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. 
8. Finish it with roasted cashew nuts, white sesame seeds and spring onions, giving itv a final toss to mix. 

   

   

   

   
   
9. Serve the dish immediately.