Korean beef BBQ

Using an electric Stylux 3-in-1 BBQ set.

Ingredients (serves 4):
750g sirloin steak, sliced thinly
250g shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, thickly sliced
8 spring onions, white stems only
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Bulgogi marinade:
2 tbsp garlic, minced
4 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp corn syrup
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 Chinese pear, skinned

Method:
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients, except the pear.
2. Grate the pear into the bowl and mix well.
3. Keep about 3 tbsp of marinade for the vegetables. With the rest, marinate meat for 2 hours. Vegetables can be tossed with the marinate about 30 minutes before the meal.
4. Heat grill and hot stone. Brush both with vegetable oil.
5. Cook mushrooms and vegetables on the grill first. Then, keep them warm in warming pans below the grill.
6. Sear meat briefly on the grill; transfer to the hot stone and let it cook slowly. Serve everything directly from the grill.

Tips:
The hot stone is ideal for stir frying beansprouts or cooking burger patties as these are hard to scrape off a metal grill.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (May 2007)

Low-fat prawn paste chicken

Stash the deep fryer - this local favourite tastes just as good baked.

Serving size: 260g (regular 260g)
Calories per serving: 357kcal (regular 505kcal)
Protein: 44g (regular 44g)
Fat: 18g (regular 34g)
Carbohydrate: 1g (regular 7g)

Ingredients (serves 6):
1 tbsp bottled shrimp sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1.5kg chicken parts, skin removed

Method:
1. Mix the shrimp sauce, rice wine, sugar and sesame oil. Blend well.
2. Marinate the chicken parts in the sauce and leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
3. Preheat oven to 200 deg C.
4. Bake chicken for 30 minutes until cooked.

Tips:
This dish also makes great picnic and potluck fare.

Recipe source: Simply Her magazine (May 2007)

Radish and fish soup

Ingredients (serves 4):
300g fresh fish fillet (threadfin, cod, snapper)
200g shredded radish
2 cloves garlic, peel and crush
2 pcs x 4cm long leek, julienne
4-5 stalks chrysanthemum leaves (tang orr), optional
2 fresh green chillies
Flour - corn, potato or tapioca
Sesame oil

A:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
3/4 tsp grated ginger

B:
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 tsp soya sauce
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Cut fish fillet into 1 cm thick slices. Season with ingredients (A) for at least 10 minutes.
2. Dust fish slices with your choice of flour. Drop in boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and add to simmering soup.
3. Grease a soup pot with sesame oil and heat over moderate heat. Add crushed garlic and shredded radish. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add 5 cups of water and bring a a rolling boil. Continue to boil until radish is soft.
5. Add sliced green chillies and blanched fish fillets to radish soup.
6. Add seasoning (B) and sliced leek. Turn of heat.
7. Place some clean chrysanthemum leaves (if using) in each soup bowl. Pour piping hot soup over leaves in bowls. Serve immediately.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Savoury pancake

Ingredients (makes 6 pieces):
1 cup ready-mixed savoury pancake flour (korean)
300g fresh medium prawns
150g fresh white bait
100g spring onions
1 large egg, beaten
Pinch of slivered dried chilli*
Ground pepper
Sesame oil

Dipping sauce:
1/4 cup soya sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
1 tbsp chopped pine nuts, optional

Method:
1. Combine flour and a dash of pepper with 1 cup of water and egg in a medium mixing bowl. Stir and mix gently until batter is smooth, adding more water (not more than 1/4 cup) if necessary.
2. Shell prawns completely and devein. Halve each lengthwise.
3. Trim and rinse spring onions. Cut into 8cm lengths.
4. Divide all ingredients - pancake batter, prawns, white bait and spring onions into 6 portions.
5. Grease a 20cm non-stick skillet with sesame oil and heat until moderately hot. Mix a portion of each ingredient with batter. Spread mixture on skillet and garnish top with a few chilli slivers. Cook covered for 2 minutes.
6. Carefully turn savoury pancake over to cook top side for another 1-2 minutes. Serve as a snack on its own or with a small platter of kimchi and a bowl of radish and fish soup.

Tips:
* Discard seeds of a dried chilli and use scissors to cut into needle-fine strips or into rings.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Fried dried anchovies

Ingredients (makes 2 1/2 cups):
200g good quality dried anchovies (ikan bilis), medium size
3 green chillies, cut diagonally
1 1/2 - 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp sesame oil
Cooking oil for deep frying

Method:
1. Discard head and bitter belly pouch of dried anchovies. Spread on a tray and sun for about 15 minutes.
2. Heat cooking oil for deep frying. Slide in dried anchovies and deep fry slowly over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown.
3. Leave about 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and saute the sliced green chillies* until crispy.
4. Return the fried crispy anchovies to the pan. Sprinkle sugar and sesame oil over them. Toss and mix. Turn off heat. Serve as an appetizer with drinks or as a side dish with kimchi.

Tips:
* For a sticky version, don't add green chillies. Add sugar and about 1 1/2 tbsp water and stir until bubbles appear. Return fried chillies and anchovies to pan and toss quickly. Flavour with sesame oil.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Kimchi and clam fried rice

Ingredients (serves 4-6):
6 bowls of cooked rice
3/4 cup chopped kimchi
3/4 cup steamed clams
2 green chilli, sliced
1 stalk leek, sliced
1 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
Salt to taste
1 tsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 tbsp ground chilli powder
1/3 cup hot bean paste (kochujan)

Method:
1. Heat a large fry pan over moderate heat. Add sesame oil, leek and green chilli. Fry for a few seconds to soften leek and green chilli.
2. Add rice and toss well. Spread rice on pan and make a "well" in the centre. Place shredded kimchi and clams in "well". Cover with rice and toss to mix thoroughly.
3. Season with soya sauce. Add a little salt if necessary.
4. Serve garnished with some toasted black sesame seeds.
5. Add 3 tbsp of water to hot bean paste. Stir well to form a smooth sauce. Serve sauce and ground chilli powder as table condiments.

Recipe source: Lifestyle magazine

Three cups chicken (三杯鸡)

Three cups chicken (sanbei ji) - the name of the dish comes straight from the ingredients - one cup each of wine, soya sauce and sesame oil.

This is a warming dish, and best eaten in cooling weather. It is also a popular dish for confinement for new mothers. The wine and sesame warm the blood, and the gingers will expel "wind" in the body.

Ingredients (serves 4 or more):
1 chicken, chopped into bite size pieces (skin the chicken to cut back the oiliness)
1 cup or 6 soup spoons Chinese wine (shaoxing)
1 cup or 6 soup spoons soya sauce
1 small cup or 3 soup spoons sesame oil
10 slices of old ginger
10 slices of young ginger
Chopped spring onions, to garnish

Method:
1. Heat up sesame oil in a wok. When haze rises, drop the old ginger slices in the oil and slowly fry till ginger turns a dark golden brown. Remove from heat and discard ginger.
2. Place pan on fire again, and heat to smoking, adding the chicken pieces. Sear chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Add the young ginger slices, followed by the soya sauce. Turn down heat to simmer 5 minutes.
3. Turn heat up again and when the sauce is bubbling, add the Chinese wine.
4. Cook until chicken is done and sauce has reduced.
5. Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with hot rice.

Tips:
When adding the Chinese wine, do not drizzle directly on the cooking chicken. Instead, slowly pour the wine on to the sides of the pan, allowing the heated metal to evaporate the alcohol content. This way, only the fragrance of the wine is retained.

Recipe source: Today newspaper