Chunky Avocado Toast

Hello again foodies!

Firstly, I'm SORRY. I know it's been HALF A YEAR since my last post. I am a useless, inconsiderate, irresponsible food blogger :(

By way of explanation, since my post in June 2012 it's been an incredibly busy summer of long rehearsals to dance in the London Olympics closing ceremony, after which I flew straight back to New York to launch into a busy second year. September to November were two stressful months spent juggling school with apartment hunting, followed by the slog of packing, renting a U-Haul truck, and slogging across town with heavy furniture when we finally found one. This trend of most apartments coming unfurnished in NYC? Really not a fan.

ANYWAY, now that I'm finally settled in a little cosy home in Harlem and am on winter break, hello!

Now on to the dish at hand. My fiance Ari, a self-confessed avocado hater before tasting this at the lovely Leather Lane branch of Prufrock Coffee in London, made the following for me in no time at all earlier today. 

Four ingredients, a few minutes and voila: a delectable combination of creamy avocado, crunchy buttery toast, refreshing lime juice, hints of spice and salt to bring it all together. The easiest, yummiest brunch ever!

Chunky Avocado Toast

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4 slices wholegrain bread

Butter

1 large ripe avocado (you know it's ripe if it's soft enough to yield to pressure)

Half a lime

Salt

Chilli flakes, or red pepper flakes, or torn up dried chillies

Toast and butter the bread.

Slice up the avocado and pile equally on each slice of toast. *If you are an avocado virgin, please see "Easy Twisty Way of Cutting an Avocado" below. 

Top each slice with a generous squeeze of lime juice. Sprinkle with salt and chilli flakes.

Stuffyourfacenomnomnom!

Easy Twisty Way of Cutting An Avocado

Cut lengthwise all the way around (working around the seed) and twist the two halves apart.

Tap the blade of your knife so that it's wedged into the seed, and twist to remove.

Score the avocado into strips with your knife.
Spoon the flesh out with a spoon.

Eggs in Purgatory (Uova in Purgatorio)

I first discovered this fabulous Southern Italian dish a few years ago when leafing through our copy of The Sopranos Family Cookbook, which Arivind (being a huge fan of the hit TV show) spotted in a bargain bin at a second hand book store and was compelled to buy. Since then it has become a staple in our Frequently Cooked list- essentially eggs poached in a "purgatorial" rich red tomato sauce, this classic Neapolitan concoction not only tastes good, costs nothing and takes virtually no time or effort, but packs a nutritious punch too! Perfect for those days when you haven't stocked up your cupboard but still want a quick comforting brunch.

Adapt as you wish by adding dried chillies, red pepper flakes or even olives. Non-vegetarians, I highly recommend throwing in a handful of chopped bacon at the start- it's not the done thing but I've discovered it really elevates the flavour to a whole new level.

Enjoy!

Eggs in Purgatory (Uova in Purgatorio)

Serves 2-3 (depending on how many eggs each person wants)

Heat a bit of olive oil in a deep pan. Throw in and toss over medium heat briefly until fragrant:

1 clove garlic, smashed

A few fresh basil leaves, torn (or if you don't have it, a sprinkling of dried mixed herbs)

Optional: A handful of chopped bacon, or crushed dried chillies, red pepper flakes, olives, onions...

Pour in roughly 400ml of tomato passata/puree (or however much you need to cover the base of the pan)-

I think canned chopped tomatoes are too watery, but if you only have that just use it

and add 1 tbsp tomato puree. Bring to a simmer.

Season the tomatoes well with salt, then gently break in 6 eggs.

Sprinkle with dried herbs, freshly ground black pepper and

grated parmesan/whatever cheese you feel like.

Cover and simmer over low heat for about 8-10 mins until egg whites are firm but yolk is still runny.

Serve with buttered toast or crusty bread.

Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacey Coconut and Turmeric Crepes)

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

Am really on a bit of a Malaysian cuisine show-and-tell mood at the moment, due in large part to the all-out Southeast Asian buffet a friend asked me to cater for her recently (a post on that coming up soon) :)

Roti Jala translates literally from Malay to mean "net bread", and are essentially soft savoury crepes traditionally served alongside a good chicken curry (although they are just as good for mopping up other kinds of tasty gravy too). Made out of coconut milk and coloured a natural yellow by ground turmeric, the attractive lacey pattern is created using one these funny-looking thingies:

A roti jala mould

Unfortunately whilst these moulds are dead cheap and easily available in Malaysia, they are nowhere to be found even in the largest Asian supermarkets here in London. Lucky for me my good foodie friend Marisa happily lent me hers (thank you makcik!)- if you can't get your hands on one then suggested substitutes I have heard of are using a squeezy bottle with a narrow nozzle (although you will need quick fingers to squirt out the pattern at top speed) or making your own mould by drilling holes into an empty tin can (although some say the lack of funnels means the batter ends up pouring out in big blobs). If you find an alternative that works do let me know!

One other really cute tip I picked up watching a roti jala man at work at his stall was to shove a fork or skewer into half an onion and using it to grease your frying pan- this not only lightly flavours your pancakes with a delicious hint of onion, but ensures you get a very thin even layer rather than pouring in too much oil.

The cool little oily-onion trick

Lastly, whilst it takes a tad more effort Marisa and hubby insist that the roti jala must be rolled into neat long bundles as shown below to ensure the correct bite, texture and "moppability", rather than being folded into triangular quarters (half, then half again). It's entirely up to you but I am inclined to agree, plus it looks prettier to me anyway :) Happy cooking!

Roti Jala (Malaysian Lacey Coconut and Turmeric Crepes)

Makes about 20 crepes

Sift together into a large bowl:

2 cups of plain flour

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Make a well in the middle of the flour, add in and whisk to form a thin batter (I use an electric mixer briefly at the end to get rid of lumps):

2 eggs

2 cups milk/coconut milk

1 cup water

Let rest for 30 mins.

Set a heavy-based frying pan on low-medium heat and grease with an onion dipped in oil. Pour the batter in using a quick circular motion as shown in my nifty little home-video below:

Wait for the batter to set (which only takes about 20-30 seconds).

Fold over two edges towards the middle.

Roll one end all the way up towards the other. Remove and place on a plate.

Repeat all of the above until the rest of the batter is used up. Serve immediately with a good hot curry.

Fresh Popiah (Spring Rolls)

I present to you, one of my Mum's favourite foods since childhood. :)

The word popiah translates literally to mean "thin biscuit" in the Chinese dialects of Hokkien and Teochew, a reference to the soft thin wheat skins used to wrap up spring rolls. Mum has high standards for what constitutes a good popiah, so much so that she has a tendency to compare every version she eats (especially the thinness/quality of the skin) to the one she thinks is superior in her hometown of Ipoh. If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where you can get fresh handmade wraps then grr, good for you- here in London, not daring to hazard making skins of my own (which involves the rather messy and difficult art of rolling a sticky ball of dough on a hot pan then pulling it off to let the residue cook- watch it at http://bit.ly/2hVKrk) I had to resort to using frozen (shock! horror!) spring roll wraps bought from an Asian supermarket. If like me you are in a similar predicament, defrost them at about 45 mins at room temperature, separate each sheet once soft then keep under a damp tea towel to prevent them drying out.

Most people in the West are familiar with the crunchy fried spring roll often served as a starter in restaurants, but are unaware that an equally (if not more) delicious un-fried, more substantially-filled variety of it exists. Dressed in a touch of sweet Hoisin sauce and chilli oil, the healthy and flavourful popiah is loaded with everything nutritious from grated jicama/yam bean (also known as Mexican turnip, sengkuang, mengkuang or bangkuang depending on who you ask), carrots, beans and lettuce to tofu, beansprouts and cucumber, then topped with shredded omelette, crispy fried shallots and crunchy crushed peanuts before being bundled up to create a tidy little package bursting with yumminess.

Not quite the Ipoh version Mum, but it does the job :)

Fresh Popiah (Spring Rolls)

Makes 4-6 rolls

Prep all filling ingredients beforehand and lay out so your popiah can be assembled easily.

Jicama Filling:

Mince and saute 1 clove garlic and 1 shallot/half an onion in a bit of oil over low heat, without browning.

Stir in and let cook for 5 mins:

500g jicama/yam bean, peeled and grated

1 small carrot, grated

Handful green beans, chopped into bits

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Dash of white pepper

Cover and simmer for 15-20 mins until cooked. The jicama will produce a lot of water- be sure to squeeze it dry before using in the popiah.

Prepare the shredded omelette: Scramble 2 eggs with a touch of light soy sauce and white pepper in a bowl, then fry in a bit of oil in a large frying pan for a few minutes on each side. Let cool slightly before slicing into thin strips.

Prepare the peanut sugar: Chuck a handful of roasted peanuts with a teaspoon of sugar in a food processor. Blitz until it forms coarse grains.

Rinse and dry some fresh lettuce leaves.

You will also need some hoisin sauce (I recommend Koon Chun or Lee Kum Kee), Sriracha chilli sauce or chilli oil, and crispy fried shallots/onions, all of which can be bought in Asian supermarkets.

Other fillings you can also use if desired: cooked firm beancurd, blanched beansprouts, grated cucumber or seafood/meat such as pork, cooked shrimp, crab and sliced lap cheong (Chinese pork sausage).

The frozen spring roll sheets I use (found in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets)

To Assemble

Carefully peel off one popiah sheet from the stack and place on a large plate.

Spread 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce and 1/2 tsp Sriracha or chilli oil in a thin layer over the entire sheet.

Place 1 lettuce leaf in the centre of the sheet.

Spoon over 2-3 tbsp of the prepared jicama filling, squeezing off excess liquid before doing so.

Top with shredded omelette.

Sprinkle generously with peanut sugar.

Sprinkle generously with fried shallots.

Fold one end of the wrap over tightly to enclose the fillings.

Fold in the edges.

Flip the wrap over to seal.

Slice firmly all the way through with a sharp knife (easiest on a flat chopping board and using
a non-serrated blade) into 4-5 pieces. Garnish with fried shallots and serve immediately.

Brick Lane Beigel Bake- Hot Salt Beef Beigel

Brick Lane Beigel Bake
159 Brick Lane

London E1 6SB

Phone: Hmm. 0171 729 0616 on the sign, 0207 729 0616 on the card. Tell me which works!

FINALLY got to try this after living in London for 5 years!

First of all, some necessary beigel/bagel clarification so you get your expectations right. What's on sale here is NOT a New York bagel- moist, malty and generally large, puffy and doughy- nor is it a Montreal version- sweet, thin with a large hole, crunchy and usually topped with seeds. Beigel Bake produces daily on-site the traditional London-style beigel- chewy, dense and tasty, with a coarser air-bubbled texture and a slightly harder bite.

3 ingredients is all- aforementioned beigel, lots of mustard (a bit too much in fact, I'll ask them to be less generous in future for the sake of my nasal passages) and a toppling stack of hot salt beef. But Oh My Heavens. The BEEF!

I present to you, huge succulent hulks of ultra moist melt-in-your-mouth perfectly fatty-but-not-greasy deliciously tender mouthwateringly salty juicy mmm mmm yum ooooh woah...

All for £3.30. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in this little kosher East End institution. So good I have crazy Malaysian friends who buy slabs of the meat by the kilo to take home!

70p slab of cheesecake (sorry I took a bit before I remembered to photograph it)- yum!

The smoked salmon and cream cheese bagel is excellent too. Maybe next time- tonight it's all about the BEEF.

Creamy Mash with Sauteed Bacon & Onions

I always buy potatoes in huge bags because they're cheaper that way, but more often than not I end up with a lot of leftover sprouting ones and suddenly need to find a use for them straightaway. For the record, there is nothing wrong with a sprouting potato as long as you remove the sprouts and eyes thoroughly- I've eaten them for years and have yet to be poisoned:)

Surprisingly, and this has never happened before, today I discovered a sprouting onion too-one random large brown one in the store-bought bag had a bunch of tall green shoots growing out of its top! They looked and smelt like spring onions so I did some Googling and found out that you could indeed use them as such. The new things you learn everyday hey? :)

So there you have it, two perfectly safe-to-eat sprouting vegetables that combined to result in a delicious version of a classic comforting British dish.

Creamy Mash with Sauteed Bacon & Onions

Serves 3-4 as a side

The Mash:

Wash and roughly peel 6 medium white potatoes (I love to leave bits of skin on for a rustic bite). Cut into chunks, boil until tender and drain.

Heat 100ml double cream and 50g butter briefly in a microwave for about 30 seconds until butter is melted and cream is warm (or you can do it in a pan over the stove if you prefer). Add to the cooked potatoes and mash until creamy.

Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Bacon and Onion Topping:

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a small skillet. Add and saute over high heat until charred:

1 or 2 stalks spring onions (scallions), finely chopped

1 medium onion, sliced into strips

Some bacon, cut into bits

Spoon generously over mash. Serve immediately.

Sticky Hoisin Roast Chicken Wings

SAM TAN'S KITCHEN HAS MOVED! Please visit the new website/online store at www.samtanskitchen.com. You can also follow Sam on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!

Extremely simple but so delicious- my Mum's recipe originally called for minced garlic (I eventually got too lazy) and actual chicken pieces, but I've found that wings absorb the flavour best. Be sure to use only Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce- no other brand tastes as good.

Cut 1 kg chicken wings into two parts, separating at the joints between the drummets and the wings.

Coat each piece well and refrigerate overnight with:
4 tbsp Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking rice wine (or dry sherry)

When ready to cook, arrange the pieces on a baking tray lined with foil and baste with marinade. Drizzle generously with lots of honey.

Roast at about 200C (395 F) for about 25 mins or until a nice caramelised reddish brown. Flip wings over, glaze again with lots of honey and any leftover marinade and continue roasting until golden and sticky.

*If your wings are cooked but look too pale for your liking, drizzle with honey and place it on the top rack of your oven under the grill/broil function for a few mins until it bubbles and turns deep red. This is a quick cheat to get the honey to caramelise faster.

Let it cool a little so you don't burn your fingers. Then devour!