Thursday, December 30, 2010

Thomas Keller's Creamed Corn

For Christmas this year I chocked up a lot of cooking time. Half of the cooking was really planning. The planning is a fun process of reading through my cookbooks and flagging recipes and then running through the list of shortlisted recipes to see what is really feasible in the cooking time. One of the real winning recipes that I found this Christmas was Thomas Keller’s creamed corn from Ad Hoc at Home.

This recipe is really good. It is very simple and the flavours are divine. The cream and butter makes the creamed corn luscious and the pinch of cayenne pepper makes the dish pop with a gentle at the end. I loved it and the people I served it too loved it too – I’ve made this three times in five days! I’ve also made a ‘variation’ of it out of necessity, substituting calamansi for lime and I prefer it with latter.



Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home Creamed Corn Recipe
6 corn, shucked
1 large lime or 6 to 8 calamansi
2-3 tablespoons butter, unsalted
Salt
¾ to 1 cup heavy cream
A pinch of cayenne
Finely chopped chives

Directions
1. With a sharp knife, cut vertically down each ear of corn to slice off the kernels. Put the kernels in a large bowl, then hold each cop over the bowl and use a spoon or the back of a knife to scrape any remaining corn and the milk from the cob.
2. Grate the zest of the lime, preferably with a microplane grater; set aside. Cut the lime in half.
3. Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the corn, squeeze about 1 tablespoon of the lime juice, or to taste, over the corn, and season with salt.
4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until all of the liquid has evaporated, concentrating the flavour, and the corn is beginning to sizzle, 15 to 17 minutes.
5. Stir in ¾ cup cream, the cayenne, and lime zest. Continue to cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cream is absorbed by the corn. Add up to ¼ cup more cream if desired for a creamier texture. Add salt to taste and stir in the chives.

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Saturday, December 11, 2010

Breakfast at Wulumuqi Lu, Shanghai

Exploring the street for breakfast eats.







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Yang's Sheng Jian Bao, Shanghai



This was one of the best things I ate in Shanghai – Yang’s Shen Jian Bao. The lines are annoying but the buns are worth the wait. Made and fried to order, since the lines ensure that the buns are hot and fresh, these juicy soup pork wrapped in a duo textured bun that are sprinkled with sesame seeds and spring onions are really comforting and delicious. The first one I bit into unfortunately exploded and I lost half of the soup and even after finishing the last one, I still wanted another plate of those buns!

*several outlets but we went to -
Yang’s Fried Dumpling
97 Huanghe Lu
Shanghai, China

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Friday, December 03, 2010

Rocking Pork Roll, Kimberly Restaurant HK



The crackling sound of the cleaver chopping through the roast pig stuffed with glutinous rice is delightful. It is a distinct sound that you will hear periodically throughout the restaurant, softly announcing that their pig has arrived and that their feast on the pig will begin shortly.

The roasted pig skin is super crisp and the fat under the skin kept the meat moist and succulent through the slow roasting period. The flavours are simple but the roasting technique to achieve that even crisp skin is a craft with the timing and fire.



Everyone at the table gets a ‘roll’ of the pig – a disc of glutinous rice that is enveloped by crackling. Together, the bite of the crisp skin, the chewy glutinous rice stuffing and tender pork is a tasty experience.

Kimberley Chinese Restaurant
Kimberley Hotel, 28 Kimberley Road
Tsimshatsui, Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2723 3888

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Drunken Crab at Jesse, Shanghai



RAW CRAB. It sounds a little frightening even for someone like me who consumes a large amount of raw fish, uni and shrimp. But there are these horror stories of crab handlers who have died from a flesh eating disease, so the idea of raw crab scares me a little.

Here at Jesse, the drunken crab, is a Shanghainese favourite. The spotted sea crab is marinated in a shao xing wine marinade, (alcohol kills germs right?), served cold is insanely delicious, and it doesn't look that scary.

Jesse
41 Tianping Road
Xuhui, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-021-62829260

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