Steamed Scallops with Vermicelli.

After a long summer and autumn, I am finally back in 'wokking' as winter comes. I have been busy settling down in Lincoln after moving from Nottingham and I am currently an employed pre-registration pharmacist! The weather has turned really cold lately. I was often freezing in the dispensary which really gets me thinking of what to cook for my dinner. Then I started to do imaginary cooking while dispensing. That's not very professional I know but eating keeps me going! Today I really wanted something warm for dinner. I always think that warm food is cooked by steaming (which is not entirely right). This dish is relatively simple to cook but it ended up being a big project for me as I had a fun time rolling the vermicelli from the pot.

It makes you think it is tasteless but it is not. You have to salute the garlic and ginger for doing a good job, not to forget a light touch of sweetness from the scallops sitting on top.

Ingredients (serve 2 but I gobbled everything)

Scallops (I used Alaska scallops)

Chopped garlics (I used 5 large cloves)

Chopped ginger

Vermicelli (You may use glass noodles)

Pak Choi

Seasonings

2 tablespoons of Chinese soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sesame oil (optional)

Pepper

1 tablespoon of Chinese wine (I omitted this because I don't have one. I must remember to get one.)

Method

1. Heat two tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Add chopped garlic and ginger. Stir until fragrant and when garlic turns light brown. Add 1 tablespoon of Chinese soy sauce and some pepper. Mix well and turn off the heat.

2. Cook vermicelli in a pot of boiling water (with a pinch of salt) for 3 minutes. Do not cook for too long to avoid vermicelli soften too much. Turn off the heat. Roll the vermicelli into a small lump just like how you roll your spaghetti with a fork. If you wish to save time you may lay the vermicelli freely on a steaming dish.

3. Place the scallops on the bed of vermicelli. Top each scallop with some fried garlic and ginger. Drizzle the extra oil and 1 tablespoon of Chinese wine on the vermicelli. Set up a boiling steamer and steam for 6 minutes. Do not steam for too long to avoid losing the perfect tenderness of the scallops.

4. While steaming the scallops, cook Pak Choi in a pot of boiling water with a pinch of salt (which gives them a perfect green colour) until they just turn green. Arrange the Pak Choi on the steaming dish.

4. Mix one tablespoon of Chinese soy sauce, one teaspoon of sesame oil, some pepper and one tablespoon of water. Drizzle on top of the scallops, vermicelli and Pak Choi. Add some pepper to taste. Serve warm.

So simple. Keep warm and hello December! =)

Malaysian Loh Mee.

The authentic Loh Mee is cooked with a thicker version of egg noodles, pretty similar to udon and generously soaked in egg gravy. My version of egg gravy is too little to sufficiently immerse the noodles in it. Surprisingly it tasted pretty good without having the noodles too soft. Crunchy bean curds are definitely a good company to this dish especially when they are soaked in the egg gravy. This time I made the egg gravy with Aunt Bessie's gravy granules for chicken, which is meant for Yorkshire puddings. I strongly recommend using this because it gives a strong chicken taste to this dish which greatly flavoured the egg noodles.

Ingredients (serve 1)

130g egg noodles (I got this thinner version of egg noodles from Marks & Spencer)

Prawns, cleaned (several)

Mussels, cleaned (several)

Dried squids, cleaned and soaked (several) (optional)

1 teaspoon of chopped garlic

1 small onion, chopped

2 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stem removed, sliced (keep the stock for egg gravy and noodles)

1 cup of chopped Chinese lettuce

2 broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces

Bean curds

Egg gravy:

1 tablespoon of Aunt Bessie's gravy granules for chicken

1 tablespoon of abalone sauce

1 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce

3 tablespoons of soaked mushroom stock

1 egg

Boiled water

Pepper

Method

The noodles

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil on a frying pan. Briefly fry the bean curds and set them aside.

2. Fry the chopped garlic and onions until fragrant. Add in the sliced Shiitake mushrooms and continue to fry for another minute.

3. Add in the egg noodles. Lightly flavour the noodles with 1/2 teaspoon of soy sauce and pepper. Continue to fry the noodles and mushrooms for another 5 minutes and add in some mushroom stocks if the noodles are too dry. Set the fried noodles aside.

The egg gravy

1. Dissolve the gravy granules in 1/2 cup of boiled water. Stir in the abalone sauce, soy sauce, mushroom stock and pepper. Set this mixture aside.

2. Heat up a pan and stir fry the prawns, mussels and dried squids for 2 minutes. Add in the cut Chinese lettuce and broccoli.

3. Pour the gravy mixture over the seafood and the vegetables. Cover the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Add in the fried bean curds and simmer for another minute. Break the egg and quickly stir the gravy mixture immediately after the fire is turned off.

5. Finally, pour the egg gravy over the fried noodles and serve hot.

* Adjust the thickness of the gravy to your preference with cornflour (for a thicker one) or the mushroom stock (for a light gravy).

* If you prefer a softer version of bean curds, you may add them in step 4 without frying them in the beginning.

Have fun slurping. =)

Food facts. Did you know?

Shiitake mushroom is an excellent source of selenium, iron, protein, dietary fiber and vitamin C. It helps to shore up the immune system and offers a good source of anti-oxidant to be protective against certain cancer types. Shiitake mushroom is very low in fat. It contains 1g of fat in every 100g of mushrooms. This means that it is roughly 99% fat-free.

Shiitake mushrooms has been found to lower blood pressure for people with hypertension. The rich nutrition value of Shiitake mushroom is also known to lower serum cholesterol levels.

It should be noted that shiitake mushroom contains purines which could cause accumulation of uric acid in the body and excessive intake should be avoided in gout patients.

When selecting shiitake mushrooms, look for those that are firm, plump and clean with no dark spots.