Cook with Ken: Grilled Fish & Others

Date:  Apr 3, 2012

Today, when I reach home, 6:30pm.  My wife and kids has not come back yet.  I see so late already, aiya, let's cook la.  I asked my domestic helper what has my wife asked her to prepare.  A salmon, some veggie, and clams.  So, let's quicky quicky cook a few dishes with these.

A.  Clam + Egg + Onions + Veggies

I love to eat eggs.  So, I will always cook a lot of omlette with lots of different ingredients.. This times, I added in the clams...

1.  Needs Onion.

2.  Need Clams.  The clams is from Setiawan.  My mother in law processed it, and frozen it and ship it to Singapore.

3.  Some Veggies.  Not sure what is it, we always buy this from the farm shop beside Hays Goat Farm.

4.  Some eggs.  Pinch some sea salt.  Grind some white pepper.

5.  Beat the egg.

6.  Heat the wok.  Add cooking oil.  Once heat up, added the Onions, then, stir fry the clams with the veggies with the onions.  Then, add the eggs.

7.  Then, turn the egg to cook the other side.  Yes, you may break the eggs if you are in the hurry, like me.  hahaha  The egg will have some special seafood sweetness from the clams, yet, it is juicy inside (don't over cook the egg, leave some juicy feeling between the top and bottom.)

 

B.  Clams + Veggies + Garlics

1.  Again, use the clams.  During the defrosting process, it has this white color water.  Don't throw away the water.  It is the water came out from the clam.  And if you dip a finger in there and taste it (relax, just taste and then spit out and rinse your tongue la), you find it very sweet juicy seafood taste.  So, you need to add these water back into the veffie later.

2.  Garlics and some veggies.  Let's use the same veggie (I think is called Jiu Chai).

3.  Heat the wok, add in oil, then, fry the garlic, add in the veggies, and the clams, and stir fry.  Then, add in the juice from the clams.  stir fry.  And then, cover it to simmer for 30 secs to 1 min.  Then, finish touch it by some 绍兴酒 (Chinese Cooking Wine).  There you go... A very sweet and salty (from the clam) taste of veggie.  Scope this on your white rice, and you love it!

 

C.  Grill Salmon

1.  We need a salmon.  When I get home, the salmon has already 50% defrosted.  I was too late.  But let's cook it anyway.  Normally, you will grill the salmon while it is still FROZEN.  Put some Olive oil on it.

2.  Pinch some salt.  Grind some black pepper on both side.

3.  I bought a new sauce this week from Firefly Farm @ Lim Chu Kang.  Let's use it.

4.  Marinate the fish, i.e cover the fish with this thick black bean soya sauce.  This sauce taste like Unagi sauce.  Hmmmm... I got a funny feeling that I am going to use this sauce a lot.  I will use it for my next party.

5.  Heat the grill pan.  And put the fish on top.  ALAMAK.  I put the wrong side of the fish.  :(  Should put the skin first.  Anyway, I think the end result is going to be the same as I am grilling a defrosted fish.

6.  You see the meat change color.  When it change to white color (cooked color) at the half mark, turn the fish.

7.  It looks very nice already.  But too bad.... because the fish is defrosted.  so, the skin does not stick on the fish well.  So, instead, it got stucked on the pan. ahhahaha

8.  OK.  It's time for rescue mission.  Take out a aluminium foil, and then, place the fish on it.  Then use some thing to peal the skin out.  Place the skin ontop of the fish.  The fish is still uncooked inside.  So, we need to wrap the fish in the aluminium foil and find ways to heat it some more.

9.  Don't forget the "unagi sauce".  Pour it ontop of the fish.

10.  Hmm... somethings goes wrong again.. After wrapping the aluminium foil, I felt the bottom is a bit cold.  Not warm or hot.  So, I concluded that a certain part of the fish may still be uncook.  Aiya... Just use another Aluminium wrapper, and wrap it, and throw the fish back to the grill pan!

11.  After 5 minutes later.

Not bad at all.  Although the look is awful.  But it has some Unagi taste.  My son and wife finish a lot of it.  And my son says, "PaPa, your fish is better than mommy one." HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAA I am so happy.

Cooking is fun.

Always have fun to cook.

Cook for a reason.

Cook for your kids and wife.

Use your heart to cook.

And even if you failed, there is always another chance to make it better.

One day, you can become a good cook, and can always rescue your food.

It is real fun!

And when your kids making comments like that.  You felt happy, and you will cook again too!