Pepper Salt Basil Chicken - 九层塔椒盐鸡

Had you heard or saw or used Basil Leaves in cooking before? There are more than 12 varieties of Basil that are cultivated for culinary use. Sweet basil (Ocimum Basilicum) and Bush basil (O. minimum) which both are annuals, at least in cool climates, both have a delicious peppery flavor invaluable in cooking. In this recipe we are using Dried Basil Leave and some Sichuan Pepper Salt(花椒盐) which is a mixture of salt and Sichuan pepper, roasted and browned in a wok and served as a condiment to accompany chicken, duck and pork dishes. It can be found in most supermarket in the herbs and spices department.


This Pepper Salt Basil Chicken is very fragrant and appetizing dish as by the mixture of dried basil leave and sichuan pepper salt. It those sort of food that you will keep popping into your mouth. Thanks Angie for sharing this wonderful dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 Chicken Breast, cut into strips
2 Tablespoon Sweet Potato Flour
1 Tablespoon Cornflour

Marinade:
3 Cloves Garlic, smash abit
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Cooking Wine
1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
A Few Dash Of White Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon cinnamon Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Five Spice Powder
Dash Of Salt

Methods:
1. Wash and cut the chicken breast into 2cm wide strips then add in the marinade and marinate for at least 30 minutes or more.
2. Coat the chicken strips with the mixture of sweet potato and cornflour and set aside for about 5 minutes before deep-frying.(this helps the meat to absorb the flour before frying)
3. Divide the chicken strips into two batches and deep-fry in medium heat until golden and crisp. Drain and set aside.
4. When completed the 2nd batch of chicken strips, switch to high heat and blanch all the chicken strips in hot oil for a few seconds in order to make it more crisp before severing.
5. Preheat a pan with 1/2 tablespoon of oil and statue the grated garlic in the seasoning until fragrant then add in the deep-fried chicken strips.
6. Stir for a few second then add in the seasoning powder mixture and stir till almost all pieces of chicken strips are coated with seasoning.
7. Sprinkler extra dried basil leaves if you prefer and serve hot.

Seasoning:
2 Cloves Garlic, finely grated
1 Teaspoon Sichuan Pepper Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 Teaspoon Dried Basil Leaves

Methods:
1. Mix all the seasoning ingredients together except the garlic and stir till well combine. Set aside for later use.

Cranberry Bean, Lotus Root & Huai Shan Soup

Since I bought a pack of Cranberry Beans & Lotus Root in the weekend. I decided to try cooking on this Cranberry Bean with Lotus Root & Huai Shan Soup. Other than this 3 main ingredients I also add in some of chicken drumstick and herbs to enhance the flavour. This soup is good as it can clear intestine and promote urine.



Ingredients:
2 Chicken Drumstick
1 Medium Lotus Root(莲藕)
1 Medium Fresh Huai Shan(淮山)
15-20 Pods Of Cranberry Bean(珍珠豆)
2 Tablespoons Fox Nuts(茨实)
4 Red Dates(红枣)
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi(枸杞子)

Methods:
1. Wash the louts root, peel and cut into thin slices.
2. Wash the fresh huai shan, peel and cut into thick sections.
3. Wash and trim the chicken drumsticks then blanch and boiling water, rinse and set aside.
4. Wash the cranberry bean pods and remove the seeds from it, rinse and set aside.
5. Bring a pot of 1.5 Litres of water to boil then rinse the rest of the herbs and add it into the water together with the louts root, huai shan and chicken drumstick.
6. Bring to boil again then transfer to slow-cooker and simmer on LOW heat for 2 hours then add in the cranberry beans and continue simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.

Notes: If you don't have fresh huai shan, can replace it with 4 slices of dried huai shan.

Zhi Ke Tang - 止咳汤

Since the Weather is changing very fast during these few months, it's good to drink this herbal drink regularly to relieve cough and strengthens functions of respiratory system. You can have this at least once or twice a week like normal herbal drinks.


Chuan Bei Mu(川贝母)
It’s bittersweet in taste and slightly cold in nature. It clears Heat, moistens the Lungs, eases coughing, expels phlegm, cures oedema and promotes the flow of Qi and blood. It is commonly used in curing Qi-Asthenia in the Lungs, prolonged coughing, lung pain, breast pain and scrofula.

Dried Chrysanthemum(菊花)
Cool and slightly cold; sweet and bitter; attributive to lungs and liver. It can lower blood pressure; improve vision due to kidney and liver dysfunction; clear internal heat; eases swelling and inflammation; nourish blood. Also effective for vertigo, headache with fever and for eye aches or itchiness.

Dried Fig(无花果)
Makes stomach active, improves flow in the intestines, clears constipation.

Gan Cao(干草)
It’s naturally sweet and warm, no toxins which helps to circulates around 12 major blood vessels in body. It also strengthens spleen and benefits energy, moistens lungs and calms coughing, slows and cures pain forms classic medicine flavour.

Ju Bing(桔饼)
It Promote energy circulation; strengthen spleen; relieve coughing; help digestion and relieve cough.

Sweet & Bitter Almond(南北杏)
Sweet almond tastes sweet and is of neutral nature. It does not carry any toxic element, and heals coughing. Bitter almond tastes bitter and is of warm nature. It carries slight trace of toxic but heals coughing and expels sputum. Mixing the two together will make a soup that clears the Heat, moistness internal Dryness and avoid coughing.

Ingredients: (serve 3-4)
40g Sweet & Bitter Almond(南北杏)
2 Ju Bing(桔饼)
15g Chuan Bei Mu(川贝母)
10 Dried Figs(无花果)
6g Gan Gao(干草)
5-10g Dried Chrysanthemum(菊花)
1-2 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar(optional)

Methods:
1. Roughly rinse the ingredients then add in add around 1.5 litres of water and boil for 1 – 2 hours under low heat and serve.
2. Or you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and simmer on Auto Function for 2 hours.

Notes: You can get those dark brown sugar in chinese medical hall, it's good to use them in herbal drink as it had some detoxify function according to some old folk tale. If not, just add in some rock sugar if you want it to be sweeter.

Lemon Curd

Lemon curd is a delicious tart, soft, thick, spreadable cooked cream that contains eggs, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. It has more lemon juice and zest and a more buttery taste than lemon filling. Lemon curd can be served as a spread for scones or toast, and goes well with tea at any time of day. It is also wonderful as a filling in trifles, tarts, sponge and cakes.

In this recipe the lemon curd is cooked over a saucepan of simmering water to help prevent the eggs from curdling and curd getting burnt. Problems can arise (eg: curd not thickening) if the temperature of the 'simmering' water is too low. Unfortunately, on the stove we do not use exact temperatures like we do with ovens. In this recipe "simmer" is defined as the point just short of a boil which is when bubbles begin to appear.

The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Remember to cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and it can be kept refrigerate for up to 1 month. Thanks Tracy for introducing me this wonder and fragrant Lemon Curd.

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup(125ml) Lemon Juice
150g Caster Sugar
65g Butter, cubes
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 Grated Lemon Rinds

Methods:
1. Place lemon juice, lemon rinds and sugar into a small saucepan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Add butter, stir until melted then remove from the stove.
3. Slowly whisk in the beaten egg and stir the mixture together at the same time until well combined.
4. Next pour the egg mixture through a fine strainer into a big glass/stainless steel mixing bowl to remove any lumps.
5. Place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and simmer and stir often for about 25 minutes or more until the mixture thicken(like custard) and coats the back of a metal spoon.
6. Make sure that the mixture does not boil or it will curdle.
7. When the lemon curd is ready, pour it into prepared warm, sterilised jars. Seal tightly, allow it to cool then store in the refridgerator.

Notes: If you prefer a thicker curd, make a paste of 1 teaspoon cornflour and 2 teaspoons water. Blend into prepared hot curd. Transfer to a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute then pour into jars.