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! =)

Seafood Okonomiyaki (Japanese Pancake).

Okonomiyaki is a famous Japanese savoury cabbage pancake / pizza which you could easily find it in any food street. 'Okonomi' in Japanese means 'what you like' or 'what you want', and 'yaki' means 'grilled' or 'cooked'. I love this pancake because it goes with almost anything you wish to add, like how it is named. Last time I tried it with the roasted squid snack and crab sticks because I have plenty of the roasted squid. This time I am making a seafood version one with tuna, crabsticks and dried squid slices.

I personally think the key factors in making a good Okonomiyaki are the sauce and the thickness of the batter. I omitted Worcestershire sauce simply because I didn't have it. I substituted it with Teriyaki sauce instead, which I think it did a pretty good job too, except giving the thick sensation of Worcestershire sauce. I have also omitted the pork belly slices which should be the toppings for this pancake. Try substituting the seafood fillings I used with prawns, chicken slices, salmon, crab sticks, or simply anchovies. Apart from chopped cabbages, I have added finely chopped courgettes but this is optional.

Just in case you would love to have a closer view on the inner side of the pancake (picture above). You could see the chopped cabbages inside and the tuna at the bottom side of the pancake. One might expect it to be dry since I have omitted the Worcestershire sauce but the mayonnaise and tuna helped to moisten the pancake. I would describe the texture as soft and tender, much like a texture of mashed potatoes.

Ingredients (serve 2)

Savoury fillings :

1 crab stick (cut into small cubes)

A handful of dried squid slices

Half can of canned tuna chunks (pressed into flakes, remove the brine water)

Batter :

4 tablespoons of plain flour / all-purpose flour

1/2 tablespoon of baking powder

A pinch of salt

Pepper

1/2 sachet of Dashi granules (dissolved in 200ml of hot water) (You may substitute it with chicken stock/ anchovies stock/ simply hot water)

Vegetables :

2 cups of finely chopped cabbage

1/2 cup of finely chopped courgettes (optional, you may substitute it with cucumber/ carrot)

Toppings :

Japanese mayonnaise (Can be found in Asian groceries store *quite expensive*. I used low fat mayonnaise from Tesco.)

Worcestershire sauce (I omitted this and substituted with 1 tablespoon of Teriyaki sauce)

1/2 tablespoon of toasted white sesame seeds

Finely cut seaweed (optional)

Bonito flakes / Katsuobushi

Method

1. Mix well the flour and the baking powder. Add in the Dashi stock and stir well. Add in salt and pepper.

2. Add the chopped cabbages, courgettes and dried squid slices into the batter. Stir to mix but DO NOT over mix them to avoid the pancake breaks on flipping.

3. Heat up 2 tablespoon of oil on a frying pan with medium heat. Scoop the batter onto the pan and spread it evenly over the pan (you may adjust it to a personal-sized pancake or to any thickness you wish). DO NOT over press the pancake. Meanwhile, spread the tuna and crab stick cubes over the top side of the pancake. Make sure they are sufficiently inserted into the pancake to avoid dropping on flipping. Cover the pan with a lid.

4. When bubbles appear on the top side of the pancake, carefully flip the pancake. Spread/ brush the teriyaki sauce evenly on the side of the pancake facing upward. If you are using the Worcestershire sauce, DO NOT add it in this step. Cover with lid for 5 minutes.

5. Flip the pancake over again and fry it for another 5 minutes without a lid this time. If you prefer a crunchy pancake, you may flip several times over both sides to your preference.

6. Carefully remove the pancake onto a plate. Top it with some toasted white sesame seeds (optional) followed by Worcestershire sauce and mayonnaise.

7. Lastly, sprinkle the finely trimmed seaweeds and Bonito flakes onto the pancake and serve hot.

'Okonomi' your pancake today in any way you like. =)

Food facts. Did you know?

Cabbage facts for health include benefits of :

- lowers the risk of cancer, particularly of the colon

- prevents and heals ulcers

- kills bacteria and viruses

- stimulates the immune system

Proven in tests, cabbage eaten just once per week may cut the chances of colon cancer up to 66%. Cabbage kills viruses and bacteria and is known to boost the immune system as it makes the body produce antibodies.