Butter Crab - what a delicacy

Another long time girl friend meet-up at her place on Saturday , 28years relationship...hmm , feel just like yesterday. So what does good friends do when meeting up ? What else .. FOOD !!! the ultimate joy of fellowship.

I decided the best way to impress my girl friend is to cook what she thinks I can't do.. hehe. Well, I have been wanting to cook Butter Crab for quite some time. So why not ? Here's the good refined way of dine and wine with good seafood to go along with.

If I can't beat her in Chinese, I SURE am going to beat her in cooking. :-P . She is the good one while I am the one that Huang LaoShi (Mdm Wong - Chinese teacher) got me to stand behind the class as I couldn't remember my Chinese proverbs.

I must say my girl friend's quiche is very good... oops, should have taken a photo of the food, so delicious and am going to make it one day once I get the full recipe.

What better way to top it up with dessert - colourful agar agar jelly !

Here's the recipe for the Butter Crab.

What is Required

1. 4 to 5 medium-size Mud Crabs
2. 125g butter (softened)
3. 250g cream cheese (softened)
4. 50g Mayonnaise
5. 2 tbsp lemon juice
6. 1 tsp garlic (minced)
7. 2 tbsp cooking oil
8. ½ cup water
9. 2 cup of fresh milk
10. 1 tbsp sugar

How to Do it

1. Heat the wok. Pour in the cooking oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, fry garlic for about 5 secs
3. Add crabs and fry until shells turn slight orange.
4. Add in water and cover the wok for about 5mins
5. Mix the butter, cream cheese and mayonnaise in a bowl and pour into the wok.
6. Add the fresh milk and cover the wok.
7. Let it simmer until the crabs shell is all orange.
8. Once the crabs are cooked, stir in the lemon juice.
9. Add in the sugar and taste.
10. Ready to serve.

Chawanmushi - Japanese steam egg

My elder son loves steam eggs ! He is mad about steam eggs, especially if it is the Japanese Steam Eggs. So if you happen to see a young chap gorging down Chawanmushi available at buffets, you know it's him ! And.., should anyone knows of Gorge-ALL-You-Want-Chawanmushi place, you know whom would desparately want to know as well.

Oh..Pray let there be Chawanmushi always.. it's the one way to get him to EAT. He needs all the proteins he can get. So anything to LEVEL-UP ( gaming word , how about that ! , LOL ) his palate , I am always game to try it. (note : The Mummy is ever so afraid that the elder son will "vanish" into thin air because the younger one eats much faster and at times gobbles down his brother's share...sigh).

My elder son has been asking for mummy's chawanmushi for quite a while. I had this chawanmushi recipe for months now. Ughh.. no chawanmushi cups. Well, my elder son was quick to point out during a recent shopping spree when he saw the cups ! No escape.

My many-months-kept chawanmushi recipe

What is Required - cook for 6
2 tbsp Ikan Bilis powder or 1 cube of Fish Stock
6 large eggs
3 1/2 cups of water
2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp salt
100g shitake mushrooms (sliced)
100g ham (slice square)
12 cooked peeled prawns (or equivalent of cooked crabstick, chicken, ham)


How to Do it
1. Pre-prepare the Stock. Boil the Fish stock. Leave it to cool in a fridge to bring down the temperature. Note : This is to prevent the eggs from being cooked once the stock is added.
2. Break eggs into a bowl. No stirring.
3. Add in the cooled stock into the eggs. Gently stir the eggs to mix well but not to beat the eggs.
4. Add in soy sauce and salt. Stir gently.
5. Divide and add equal portion of mushrooms, ham and prawns equally into the 6 cups. Leave some for top decoration later.
7. Use a sieve to pour the egg mixture into the cups gently.
8. Fill the wok with water (or electric steamer ) and bring to a boil.
9. Seal the cup with aluminium foil but leave a small gap for the steam to escape.
10. Put the cups into the wok (or steamer) and ensure water is hot.
11. Steam for 15mins.
12. Garnish the top and steam for another 1min and serve

My younger boy decides to give his portion of chawanmushi for his elder brother. The elder one ate 2 cups ! Too little. LOL

My undying love with Chilli Crab

Yummmmmmmmy.... ! Fresh succulent crabs cooked in sweet tomato cum chilli paste.

I guess being a Singaporean, we are always spoilt for seafood choices especially in terms of dining. There are so many famous Seafood restaurants to satisfy cravings for good Chilli Crabs.. Melben, Long Beach, Ban Leong Wah Hoe, No 3 Crab Delicacy... including some local neighbourhood coffee shops sells Chilli Crabs too....the list goes on. Even Singapore Tourism highlights this gourmet chilli crab dish as part of the Uniquely Singapore dish. As a foreign traveller, if you are lucky, you may get this dish on some occasions for free or at a discounted rate.

Singapore Chilli Crabs have gone so famous that many of our foreign visitors are very familiar with our version of Chilli Crab. This is one of the very first thing that we bring our visitors to savour when they visit Singapore. So, perhaps , next time I shall show-case my home version ??!! haha..

Well, I am proud to say that we have trained our future generation, my dearest boys, to acquire such fine taste as well.. And, yes not forgetting , the very refined "Finger-Licking Good" custom. Don't fret if you cannot do at a start, it's an acquired art to suck out the juices as the crabs are being eaten..and lick the fingers at the same time .. LOL (pardon me, these are stressful times !)

As always, my younger son has been craving for crabs ...whilst in the midst of his exams ! Sigh.. it looks like time to satisfy his cravings ! If it helps to get that few extra marks , I guess it's worth to satisfy him.. hehe.. actually, it's more to satisfy my craving as well, but don't tell him that ..

Let me introduce the Chilli Crab recipe , with all due respect to the supporting roles played by the many simple ingredients.

What is Required

500g mud crabs - washed and cut

3 tbsp cooking oil

8 cloves garlic minced

2 fresh red chilli, chopped finely ( add more chilli if desire more spiciness)

1 tsp lemon juice (or lime or vinegar)

1 small bunch of lettuce

2 beaten eggs

Sauce Mixture

1.5 to 2 cup of water,

8 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tbsp chilli ketchup (add more if desire more spiciness)

2 tsp cornflour

1 tsp pounded brown preserved soya beans ,

1 tsp salt
5 tbsp sugar (add more if desire sweeter taste)

If you are afraid to kill the crabs, no worries..I got these fresh crabs from Sheng Siong where they helped to kill and cut the crabs!

Look at those fabulous Crab roe ...

Heat a wok and add oil into the wok.

Add garlic and chilli and fry for 1 minute.

Add the crabs, except the shell head.

Fry the shell bodies for 2 mins, and add in the shell head.

Once the shells turns red, add in the sauce and cover with lid until the shells are all red.

Add the beaten eggs into the work and stir gently.

Add the lime juice.

Simmer till cooked.

Get a serving plate ready.

Add the lettuce to the base of the plate.

Scoop the crabs onto the serving plate.

Oohhh... yummy yummy !!

Haven't you drool enough..

Chilli crabs gravy must always be accompanied with Man-tou..

for the final lick-up of the gravies !

yummy...yum yum my elder son's neat pile of shells...

my younger son's pile is a total mess..too unsightly to even comment on...

And so, Guess what. I thought I could set aside crabs for a while.. Now, it's my elder son's turn to ask for Butter Crabs ! Why can't they both be of the same mind at one go.

Oh.. the perils of motherhood, To Be OR Not to Be ... the Cooking Mummy.. I need a successor..where's Mr H gone to ?? My Dear, where art thou ...? To Be continued.....

Fish Congee

Since it's Sunday, I thought I'll spend more time to cook some nutritious lunch for my sons and Mr H. This is what every mother would like to do so, something which as a full-time working mother, I hardly have the good fortune to do so. I am really envious of stay-home mums ! ** sigh **

Hmm.. So what's next, my sons' fav are usually noodles, however I decided rather than having noodles every weekend, I will embark on making some congee.

I love the the glu-ey smooth ones where you don't even see the rice grains. Oo.. tis so fine you can feel it melt in the mouth. I had the great fortune to have been treated to one in Hong Kong during a past business trip where my ex-boss brought me to this very popular restuarant (think was at Stanley Road, can't really recall, must ask her again). This restuarant has so many types of congee selection, even has Abalone Congee on its menu !

To make very good congee, as I recall from my HK friends, the way to do it, is to choose small rice grain, cook it like any porridge and transfer to a Rice Cooker to cook it over-nite for at least around 6 hrs. All it takes is very little cooked porridge, about 1 bowl and add water till 3/4 of the rice cooker. This breaks down the rice grains and make them super-fine.

Anyway, for mine, I cook the porridge for around 2 hours, over a stove, at a low fire.

I begin by adding some dried scallops and sweet potatoes, right from the start. The rule of the thumb is to add water whenever the porridge is too concentrated , about 2 inch above the water. Keep stiring so that the bottom of the porridge do not get burnt.

Finally, around 1.45hrs later, since I cannot let 3 other hungry souls go wailing, I decided it's time to add some ikan bilis stock , the threadfin fish (the fish meat is more tender) and some ginger slices. Add some salt to taste. And serve...

Hmm.. as I guess it, my younger son begin to whine, "mummy, it's so hot". Then my elder boy started on "Pease Porridge hot, pease porridge cold, .. " And, the Mummy, ended with "Pease porridge in the Pot nine days' old ".

We ALL had a good laugh. You really can't always pease everyone..can you !

Char Kway Teow

I bet you, everyone at some point would have cravings for certain food at certain stage in their life.

Who Wouldn't ! ;-) Yours truly here, loves food, otherwise I wouldn't be here expounding passionately on the simple meals that bring back fond memories of one's life.

As I was reading ieatishootipost on its recent Char Kway Teow, it somehow brings me back to those early days when I was expecting my elder son. Oh my.. when they say pregnant mummy craves, the Hubby is into the real business of satisfying the mum's hunger pang whatever the cost.

Turning back the clock to 12 years ago, we were actually looking for some baby stuff at a warehouse sale when we decided to stop by some nearby food place to have tea-break around Havelock Road Blk 22 (it's still there !). Ooo.. the moment we got out of the car, we could smell the frangant aroma of Chay Kway Teow.. it was simply intoxicating!

We followed the smell towards a corner stall where a man was frying away the Chay Kway Teow... The plate of Chay Kway Teow was the wet type, filled with lots of "hum" and the dark sweet sauce was surprisingly generous. If you have taken the garlic ones in Marine Parade, this is similar except without the garlic !

I have never forgotten that Chay Kway Teow stall ! For some reasons, only when I was expecting my second son, that I remembered this stall again. Somehow the landscape around it has changed ! Poor Mr H had to drive around the estates a few times and retracing some of our steps before we could get to the exact location.. Oh .., I just couldn't leave without eating it ! ALL for my 1st LOVE of Chay Kway Teow .. I must get that wondrous taste back , and it has to be this one ! .. as you guess it, the Mummy always win !! hehehe

Now, many years later, I would like to share this feeling again, with my family. Here's tonite's dinner Chay Kway Teow recipe, put together to re-create that moment in time back then ! I added extras - the squids and prawns into my version...

What is required

400g de-shelled prawns
3 big squid (cut into slices)
300g clam cockles ("hum")
3 Chinese sausages (cut into small slices)
700g round yellow noodles
300g flat white noodles
300g bean sprout
100 ml of sweet dark sauce
5 tbsp soy dark sauce -get the premium for the thicker dark sauce
3 tbsp light soy sauce
50g chopped garlic
6 tbsp cooking oil
1 small bowl of prawn stock (boiled from the shells of prawns)
2 eggs (beaten)

White and Yellow nooldes, Bean Sprout (Tao Gia)

Cockles (shell) , Cooked Cockles for 15 secs

Peeled Prawns, Squid, Chinese sausage

How to do it

A. Pre-preparation

1. Cook chinese sauage in microwave on medium for 10mins. Cut the chinese sauages in slices.

2. Boil a pot of water. Throw the clam cockles into the pot of water for 20 secs. Once cooled, open the shells to remove the clams inside.

3. Pour hot water over the yellow and white noodles. Drain excess water

B. Frying

1. Heat the wok and add in 2 tbsp oil . Ensure oil is hot before frying.

2. Put in the garlic and quickly followed by frying the squid and prawns. Once cooked, set aside

3. Follow step 1. Cook the bean sprout for 1 min and set aside

4. Follow step 1. Add the noodles, the dark soy sauce and sweet dark sauce. Mix well until the colour is brownish.

5. Throw in the squid, prawns, chinese sausage and bean sprout and fry again. Add in the prawn stock, let it simmer for 1 min.

6. Add the beaten eggs.

7. Stir in the previous cooked cockles.

8. Proceed to serve

Should anyone have a craving and missing Char Kway Teow, the Singapore way, try this out ! Do enjoy ....

Shrimp Dumpling Soup

Now for the 2nd part of the Exam Saga weekend. Continuing from the Chicken Rice recipe saga, with the chicken broth from the chicken rice, the next best thing is on how best to utilize the chicken broth.

The good thing is the Mummy always think ahead of time.. ** Mummy 's motto of reuse ** and bought some Dumpling wraps or the Wanton skins as well, so that the chicken broth can be used as the soup base for the dumplings.

So for the Shrimp Dumpling recipe , here it is again, not forgetting the ever-helperful son Vic. To get him away from the elder brother Vin, what better way than for him to help me ;-)

Shrimp Dumpling Soup Recipe (aka Wantan Soup)

What is required
400g of wantan wrappers
1 litre of chicken stock
300g of shelled prawns
400g of minced pork
100g of water chestnut
100g of carrot
1 stalk of chopped spring onion
1 egg

Seasoning
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp pepper
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp corn flour

How to do it

1. Add the minced pork, prawns, water chestnut, carrot, spring onion
2 Mix in the Seasonings and the egg.

3. Add 1 tsp of mixture onto the wanton wrap

4. Dip finger in water and spread edge of the wantan to wet it , in order for it to be wrapped.

5. Repeat until all the wantons are wrapped.

picture : my ever-helpful younger son !

6. Boil a pot of water and cook the wantons (about 5 to 8) each time for about 5mins . Remove and set aside on a plate.
7. Do this until all the wantons are cooked

8. Use the chicken stock and bring to a boil.
9. Put the same batch of wantons for around 2mins and serve each portion of about 5 onto each bowl.

Steam Garlic Prawn

Over the recent weekend, while doing the usual grocery shopping at Tampines Giant, there were these live prawns literally jumping around in the tray. Many of us were crowding around to pick the freshest prawn ever, gleefully picking the "jumpiest prawns" aka as "freshest prawns". You should see my face , half in awe and bewilderment.. slightly shrieking as the lively prawns jump off the tray.

Hmm... Dinner drunken prawns (nah... i wouldn't dare, not that guru yet). I settle for something less challenging. Well, I was thinking more of the Steamed Garlic Prawns that I have eaten so many times in Chinese Restuarants. Yes !! I will try that , no harm trying since my younger son, Vic, is a seafood fanatic, my ever trustworthy gourmet taster.. never fails me ..hehe

As you guess it, my younger son Vic relishes it almost all of it, my hubby came close to 2nd, while my dearest eldest son Vin is not the typical "use your hand campaign" person also tucks in the delicious prawns ** wink **

First attempt, it works ..

Here how it goes, really simple, only max 10mins preparation, 10 mins cooking time

What you need :
1) half kg of prawns
2) 1 Tbps of TsingTao Wine (or White Wine)
3) 1 Tbps of Sesame Oil
3) a pitch of salt
4) a dash of pepper
5) 3 Cloves of fresh garlic (Chopped or minced)
6) 1 egg
7) Wok of hot water

How to do :
1) Cut the prawns (hind side) using the kitchen scissors. Slid it across the back of the prawn, with a opening for the filling.
2) Mix the Garlic with the TsingTao wine, Sesame oil, salt, and pepper
3) Add the egg into the mixture.
4) Use half tps of mixture and spread it across the slid opening of the prawn. Repeat this until all the prawns are completed.
5) Place the prawns on a ceramic plate that can be used for serving.
6) Pour remaing of the mixture over the prawns
7) Place the plate over the boiled wok of hot water , cover it and Steam for 10mins

Hope you enjoy this simple and easy to cook Garlic Steamed Prawns without having to pay a huge price at a Restaurant, and what better way to suck and lick your fingers in the comfort of your own home ..

Finally, Garlic helps fight cancer, and keeps the vampire away !