Pork Chop II

Made pork chop again, this time instead of Japanese curry, I made nasi lemak rice with some sides to complete the meal!

Very simple as I found out that the frozen Pork Kee shoulder butt is cut into the right size and thickness and its not hard at all, even for my 2yo to eat! He will keep say he wan ‘brown meat meat’ in chinese when eating his rice! Just simply thaw, wash and ‘chop’ them with the other side of chopper and cut into halves. Nice portion for 5 adults & 3 kids!

Without nuch ‘lor-soh-ing’, let me share the simple and fail-proof recipe here!!

 Deep Fried Pork Chop

500g Shoulder Butt (Pork Kee, cut into 6 slices)

2Tbsp Sesame Oil

2Tbsp Light Soy Sauce

2Tbsp Chinese Wine

4Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1tsp Five Spice Powder

1tsp Pepper
2tsp chopped garlic
1 pc of ginger, sliced

1 Egg

Some cornflour

Some panko crumbs (can use crushed crackers too)

1) Wash and ‘chop’ each pork chop with the blunt side of chopper to make it thinner. Then cut into halves.

2) Marinate wth above seasonings for at least 4-6hours, usually I do them night before.

3) Prepare 1 beaten egg, some cornflour and panko crumbs seperately. Heat oil in frying pan.

Dip pork chop in cornflour, eggs then panko and put in pan

4) Once the side in oil turns light brown, switch the other side. 

5) Repeat and fry til all finished. Turn on high heat and put back in to further fry each side for 10-15sec. Be careful not to burnt it. This step will help to maintain the crisp of the pork chop. Serve warm with rice or chips!

Salted Caramel Macarons

Just a impromptu post on macarons that i baked the other day. I am using the previous macaron recipe and combine with salted caramel filing from here. I am so tempted to try the macaron shells from this blog too... It looks so nice nice.... And since lately my Macarons been having a bit of 'character' in showing her feets. I am really contemplating. (ok, til next time)

Verdict (own): The salted caramel is very yummy. Very fragrance and nice. I will keep this for my future salted caramel bakes!

Salted Caramel filling (adapted from HomeCookingAdventure)

1/2Cup Sugar

50g Cream

70g Butter, in cubes

Sea Salt

1) Bring cream to almost boil, set aside.

2) Put sugar in pot, heat til caramel without stirring. Once turn caramel tone, add in cream and stir well. Bring to stove and continue stirring til smooth.

3) Off fire, add in butter cubes and stir well. Chill n refrigerate til ready to use.

Madness Macarons (Pierre Herme recipe)

I googled for Pierre Herme recipe and saw a few bloggers who attempted the Macarons. I decided to follow this cos of the visual help. Haha~ 

After reading once, twice, thrice, I was really pressurized. The method is somewhat different, it intimidates me a lot. The sugar syrup, the drizzling part blah blah blah. Ohhhh~ Sounds so difficult. But I am determined to try. And the flavour, it's so gonna be Salted Caramel. 

Why Salted Caramel? This was the Macarons that wowed both me and and my hubby during our trip to Paris in May. Oh my, I am not a sweet tooth person, but then this isn't too sweet, tinge of saltish that makes the caramel taste wonderfully yummy, and the shell, it is soft but not chewy and feels like I am eating something that doesn't belong to EARTH!! Hahah~ Ok, I think a bit exaggerating.. But it is really yummy + delicious and must-try!! 

So, I slowly sieve my ground almonds cos I don't want to fail or end up with pimple-face Macarons shells, esp since the process is so tedious. I took almost an hour as I was sieving, pulsing this time and also feeding my kids lunch and getting #1 to school. So I can run home, make #2 nap and get down to work. And somewhat, I have a good feeling about it.. 

But my good feeling didnt last long, all the shells didnt have FEETS! Sad sad sad. But luckily it taste good. Hubby tried it with my leftover Lemon Vanilla Buttercream, he says it taste good. Would have been better with salted caramel, I guess.. I would definetely attempt again. And I suspect my failing point - candy thermometer to measure the temp. Must BUY!!

Salted Caramel Macarons (adapted from Theboywhobakes)

**i did 1/3 of recipe**

Macaron Shells

37g Egg Whites

5g Coffee Emulco

5g Egg Yolk Colourings *i omit*

100g Icing Sugar

100g Ground Almond

37g Egg Whites

25g Water

100g Sugar

1) Sieve ground almonds & icing sugar. Add egg white, coffee Emulco & colourings. Do not mix and leave aside.

2) Put sugar and water to cook, reaches 118deg and off fire. *i didn't measure, I jus stopped when all sugar melted* 

At the same time, beat egg whites til soft peaks.

3) Drizzle in sugar syrup at side of mixing bowl and contd to beat til it cools to 50deg *i contd to neat til stiff and glossy

4) Fold in 3 additions. Pipe onto parchment paper and rest for 30mins.

Mac Mac Mac Macarons!!

 

I am trying this again, after 2 attempts previously. My 1st, it was disaster.. No feets and super sweet.. But my kids happily ate up the empty shells, enjoying their sugar treat. My 2nd, it finally have feets. But the texture, kinda chewy, still fail for my expectations. Tastewise, it is rich and packed with chocolate fragrance. And then today, why I did it after 2 not successful attempts? I saw the Match Macarons in Anncoo's blog. I am fascinated. 

I replaced Matcha powder with Hershey Coco powder. And today I really sieve it twice. Very hard. And my KA, so difficult to beat up 1 white. (30g white is approx 1 egg white). I have to beat it, hand whisk, beat again, hand whisk to thick and glossy. Tiring. And I was pressing hard with a spoon to sieve the dry ingredients as smooth as I could. Muscle training in progress..

 

As I mix, thoughts running through my mind. What cream should I make? Should I use Nutella? Should I use Vanilla SMBC? Or perhaps Creamcheese? Creamcheese frosting does sounds appealing, at least it will even out the chocolate Macarons shells? Hahha. But I shan't be happy so soon cos I still don't know if my Macarons shells are successful. Lets wait and see.. *fingers crossed*

Yeah! The 'fingers crossing' works, the shell came out pimple free and nice. I put in my heart shapes first and remember to put middle rack. All came out nicely baked with feets. For my 2nd tray which is round shapes, I forgot and jus 1 rack above the empty rack, all cracked like crazy, some with feets and some without. And only 2 survive without cracks and with feets. Hahah~

I simply mix up 57g Butter + 1tsp Vanilla extract + 1 Tbsp Lemon juice + 1/4cup Icing sugar. Mix it smooth and well to make Lemon Vanilla buttercream. It goes well with my Chocolate shells. Yummy.. Am so gonna attempt again...

Chocolate Macarons (adapted from AnncooJournal)

37g Ground Almond
3g Matcha powder
40g Icing sugar


30g Egg white
40g Icing sugar

1)  Sieve dry ingredients twice. Leave aside.
2) Beat whites til foamy, add icing sugar. Beat to stiff peak. (thick and glossy)
4) Fold in dry ingredients in 2 additions. Pipe onto baking paper. Leave in rm temp for 30mins.
5) Bake in middle rack,  with a empty tray beneath for 10mins at 150deg. This is to prevent burnt bottom.
5) Shift empty tray above and bake for another 5-8mins. Once shell is cooked, it will be easily removed from baking paper. 
6) Leave to cool and put your preference of cream.

French Macaroons

Saw someone posted in FB with nicely baked macaroons, it makes me so tempted to make them especially after tasting very nice macaroons from Laduree from Paris. It is not too sweet like some of them selling in SG and its so fragrant & hint of almond taste too. Some of my mummy frens in my #1's Playgroup also likes macaroons. So since this Sunday we are having a gathering and my silicon macaroon mat from Taobao is here so I gonna make it into good use. Cartoon shaped macaroons as toppers for the cupcakes will be so nice and so simple. I believed the kids will be thrilled. Yeah!

So here I go, making them again..
Anyway, feed backs from the silicon mat, no good! It sticks, as compared to those I used the parchment paper. So nxt round, I will draw and use parchment paper to pipe.. =( Sad tt I won't be able to have those cartoon macaroons for the kids..
The overall taste is yummy, great for chocolate lovers, coupled with Nutella, real yummy and nt too sweet. Will attempt this again.. =)

Macaroons (adapted from Hearty Bakes)
140g  finely ground almond
250g  icing sugar
25g  cocoa powder
100g egg white (room temperature)

1. Blend ground almond, cocoa powder and icing sugar in a food processor till fine. Give it a few pulse. (I skip and used the ground almond straight)
2. Whisk egg white until foamy and slowly increase speed to high to whip until firm. It should look glossy at this stage. Try lifting up the whisk, the whites should form a peak that droops just a little. Use a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients gently into the whites in three or four additions.  When all the dry ingredients are incorporated with the whites, the mixture will look very much like cake batter, if you lift with your finger, it should form a gentle, quickly falling peak.
3. Transfer mixture into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle. Pipe into small rounds about 1" in diameter onto parchment paper, leaving about an inch between each round. Rest macaroons for about 20 mins.
4. Bake at 180C for about 10 to 12 minutes.
5. Remove macaroons from the parchment and place them on a cooling rack.
6. I sandwich them with nutella