Sunday, January 22. 2012
Chinese New Year falls on the 23rd of January this year, and it will be the year of the Dragon. In my 2011 Chinese New Year post, "I had mentioned that "fa gao" (發糕) was commonly served at this time of the year. The cake is a simple mixture of gluten, sugar, and rising agent with steam providing the necessary force to raise the cake, hence the "fa" (發) in the name, which can mean to rise, to start, or to initiate. It is the same character used in fortune or to gain wealth (發財) and explains why this cake is associated with this occasion. One of the key features of the cake is the "blooming". The steam should be strong enough to break apart the top of the cake to create the effect of a flower that has bloomed. Several steps are employed to help obtain this effect. The batter must be allowed to rest. The steaming vessel must be very hot with a strong steam. The lid must not be lifted until the very last minute; this prevents the steam from escaping. And lastly, as I learnt the hard way, the mold container must be thin enough, and preferably with holes, to ensure maximum exposure to steam and heat. With no such container on hand, I made one using aluminium foil (and a ramekin to form the shape).
I found two recipes from YTower---a fabulous Taiwanese cooking website with high-quality videos---which used part low-gluten flour and part rice flour to create a more moist and tender product. One had a 1:1 ratio between the flours and higher sugar content; the second used a 1:2.3 flour ratio and a lower sugar content. I opted for the second recipe as the ingredients suggested a tenderer and less sweet cake; but unfortunately, I did not have enough regular rice flour (I had glutinous rice flour); so instead, I found a third recipe (from the same website) using only low-gluten flour. Happily, it worked the second time! I will post the second and third recipe for you to choose depending on your preference. Happy Chinese New Year!!
Fa Gao (translated from YTower), Yields 4 substantial cakes Two versions are listed here: one using only low-gluten flour and another using part low-gluten flour, part rice flour. The procedure is the same for either recipe. Only low-gluten flour:
-
200g low-gluten flour
- 180g sugar (brown sugar will add a slight molasses flavour and golden colour)
- 210g water
- 8g baking powder
Part low-gluten flour, part rice flour:
-
60g low-gluten flour
- 140g rice flour (non-glutinous!)
- 90g sugar (brown sugar will add a slight molasses flavour and golden colour)
- 180g water
- 8g baking powder
- Combine low-gluten flour, rice flour, sugar, and
baking powder. Add water.
- Pour into molds and allow to rest for at least 10 min before steam.
- Meanwhile, prepare the steaming vessel. Make sure that the water has boiled with strong steam (i.e. steam is escaping from the lid).
- Place the molds with batter into the steaming vessel and steam for 15-20 minutes. Make sure NOT to open the lid too early or else steam will be lost and the cake will not be able to bloom properly. Doneness can be tested with a toothpick.
Nutrition (per serving, depending on selected recipe): approximately 353-371 calories, 0g fat, 0g saturated fat, 0g cholesterol, 14g sodium, 82-88g carbohydrate, 44-48g sugar, 5g protein.
Wednesday, January 18. 2012
Over the winter holiday, my grizzly cat of a husband brought back a special treat from the supermarket fishmonger---a whole salmon (on-sale). He adores---a rather severe understatement---salmon and could certainly not pass up such an offer. What to do? Well, definitely not a morsel should be wasted (except the unedible bones, of course). Head, back bone, and tail were reserved for a quick browning followed by steaming (we're Chinese...). A small section was removed from each of the two side filets for roasting with my pistou maple syrup cheese crust. The rest (and bulk) of the salmon filets were destined for curing with a treacle (a.k.a. molasses) blend that my husband first tasted in university and forever fell completely head-over-heels for. To his absolute delight, I had found a recipe for it online when we first tried to replicate it a couple years back. It didn't taste the same, but the idea of being able to make one's own treacle-cured salmon satisfied him fully. But unfortunately, I had not developed the taste for salmon (I preferred trout and white-fleshed fish) nor treacle-curing at that time, which made sharing a whole salmon rather difficult. My husband would have been joyfully content polishing off a whole salmon by himself, but it just seemed too much of an indulgence! Well, this time, either my taste buds have changed or the curing blend turned out better, but I found myself unable to stop eating the treacle-cured salmon after the first bite. It was enticingly salty, caramel-ly and robustly sweet, and palate-cleansing citrus-ly refreshing. Gravlax was similar, but treacle-curing was less herbaceous and more depth-fully sweet. My husband leaped with joy at this discovery. Two meals was all that was needed to polish the 2 large filets. I equally enjoyed cleaning off the backbones while he savoured the head. It certainly seems that we can and will be having whole salmons more often (as long as they're available and affordable, that is). =)
Nigel Haworth's Treacle-Cured Salmon (replicated from The Independent) We made a few slight changes as we didn't have the exact ingredients. For the fennel seeds, we omitted them for one filet and used cumin instead for the other filet. Both tasted wonderfully, with the cumin seeds adding extra depth to the treacle. For the mustard, we just used mustard grains (à la ancienne), and it worked out wonderfully.
- 1 salmon fillet, 750g-1kg, skin on, boned and trimmed
- 1tsp fennel seeds (can be omitted---tastes just as lovely; or replaced with cumin---adds further depth to the treacle)
- Grated zest of 1 lemon
- 50g sea salt
- 1tbsp English mustard (or mustard grains, which was what we used)
- 80g black treacle
- 2tsp coarsely ground black pepper
- Put the salmon fillet, skin side down on a sheet of clingfilm. Mix
the fennel seeds (if using), lemon zest, salt, mustard, pepper and treacle together
and spread evenly over the flesh of the salmon fillet, not the skin.
Wrap well in more clingfilm, place on a tray (skin side down) and leave
at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 48 hours.
- Remove the clingfilm and scrape away any excess liquid and marinade
and pat the salmon dry with kitchen paper.
Saturday, January 7. 2012
In Christianity, Epiphany (6th January) marks the end of the Christmas season when the three wise kings supposedly found the baby Jesus. For Roman pagans, late December honoured the god Saturn (Saturnalia). One tradition inverted the role of master and slave, when slaves would give the orders and do as willed for one day. A cake (French: galette (or gateau) des rois) was served with a bean (French: féve) hidden inside to determine which slave would be the "king of the day". Once Christianity became the dominant religion of the Holy Roman Empire, this pagan tradition came to be associated with Epiphany.
Friday, January 6. 2012
Foie gras is a rare treat for the French, reserved only for special occasions, be it a holiday, a celebratory event, or even a visit from an old friend. It is not typical fare as it can be quite expensive and very heavy (not to mention, unhealthy). Come Christmas---one of the most common occasions for foie gras---the supermarkets display a special cold section of foie gras, duck breasts, duck confit, smoked quail, etc. Confitures of fruit or onion are often served with the foie gras to cut through the heaviness, and a knife should never be used---only a fork to separate, spread over bread, and add the condiments. The exact reason is not known, but it is the tradition. An equally special treat for the Christmas season is oysters and mussels. Why winter, you might wonder?? Well, it's most likely due to the history of transportation. In the past before refrigerated trucks were invented, such seafood could only be safely transported to the inlands during the cold months to prevent spoilage. Despite modernisation, the association of oysters and mussels with winter remains. I found it rather odd and amusing when I recently saw a well-established seafood restaurant only open its doors for serving shellfish when we had brought out our winter coats from the wardrobe. To me, seafood means warmer months; but here, it's perfectly normal to see people eating raw oysters and other shellfish out in the cold, sheltered by portable terrace heaters, and possibly still wearing their winter coats! This Christmas season, we were kindly invited by our French neighbours to a fairly traditional French Provençal Christmas lunch. The occasion opened with a sip of proper Champagne Brut. Starter was foie gras with fig and onion confitures. Main was duck confit served with salsify cooked with onion and chestnuts. Cheese course followed with Comté, Mont d'Or, and Beaufort. The meal ended with a small selection of the Provençal 13 desserts---the pompe de l'huile, raisins, dates, figs, black nougat, and clementines. Simple as it may have seemed, it was still sumptuous, plentiful, and VERY filling. A short promenade through the neighbourhood quickly ensued. Despite being away from our homes and family, we were very blessed to be "adopted" by our neighbours to celebrate the holiday and partake in the local tradition. Bonne année à tous!
Thursday, December 15. 2011
The Provençal Christmas meal begins with the Great Supper (gros souper) on Christmas Eve before the midnight mass. The table is traditionally laid with the motif of 3 to represent the Holy Trinity: 3 white tablecloths one atop of the other, 3 saucers holding the wheat of Saint Barbara (blés de Sante Barbe), and 3 candles. The served bread is broken into 3 parts for the same reason. A holly branch is placed on the table for good luck, and an extra table setting is arranged for the "poor" (signifying those who passed away or the actual poor). The supper includes no meat but is lavished instead with decadent fish and vegetable dishes. Seven dishes, symbolising the 7 sorrows of Mary or the 7 wounds of Jesus, are served at the same time; seven different wines may also be served. At the end of the meal, the table is cleared, and the 13 desserts (treize desserts) are presented.
The items of the 13 desserts vary with each region, canton, or family; but certain items are always included: four mediants to represent the 4 monastic orders---dried figs (Franciscan), almonds (Carmelites), raisins (Dominicans), and walnuts or hazelnuts (Augustines); and nougats---white (soft candy with sugar, egg white, honey, pistachios, almonds/nuts) for good and black (hard candy with honey and almonds/nuts) for evil. Depending on the region, a sweetened (sometimes savoury) bread---pompe à l'huile or la fougassette---is served. This bread is always broken (rather than cut) and served with mulled wine (vin cuit) or muscat wine. Other items include the calissons and biscotins of Aix, Savoie bugnes biscuits, marzipan, chocolates, quince or other dried fruit paste, oreilletes, spiced bread (pain d'épices), and fresh fruits. The tradition of serving a "Yule Log" (bûche de Noël) is a relatively recent addition.
The Provençal tradition of the 13 desserts may very well be a modern concept as no official record citing the tradition was found prior to
the 1920s. Various earlier documents do cite the various components (pompe de l'huile bread, fresh and dried fruits, desserts, etc), but not as the unified tradition that it is today. It was only in 1925, in the journal La Pignato, that an author created the idea of the "13 desserts", the number 13 to represent the 12 apostles and Jesus. The tradition remains popular today with commercial stores arranging their own selections of the 13 desserts as well as annual markets (Marche du 13 Desserts) where people can "assemble" their own selection from visiting representative regional vendors.
