Baked Scallops with Spicy Sauce

However, the consolation of the day is this perfectly baked scallops (the golden brown mayonnaise topping is strutting its stuff) with enoki mushrooms in creamy spicy sauce. If you’ve been to any Chinese/Japanese seafood buffet restaurants, I am sure you have tried the variation of this dish. Or, if you are a gourmand that frequents the likes of Matsuhisa, Nobu (and their outposts), Koi or other Japanese restaurants in Southern California, you know this is one of the must-try dishes at those eateries.

Ingredients :
• 6 sea scallops
• 1 pack of enoki mushrooms
• 6 tablespoons of creamy spicy sauce

Spicy Sauce :
• 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon of lime juice
• ½ teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of chili garlic sauce (passed through sieve)

Mix the ingredients in the spicy sauce and blend well.

Directions :
1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. Clean the scallops and cut each scallops into 4 pieces of equal size (slice horizontally).
3. Chop off the roots of the enoki mushrooms and divide them into 4 equal portions.
4. Spread the mushrooms on a plate and layer the scallop pieces over the mushrooms and bake for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Remove the scallops from the oven and top with creamy spicy sauce.
6. Put the scallops back into the oven and baked until the surface turns golden brown.
7. Sprinkle some paprika powder on top of each serving and serve hot.

For 4 servings

Char Siu (Char Siew)

Char siu (char siew) is of Cantonese origin where skewers of pork meat is marinated in a honey hoisin sauce, and then roast in oven to charred, savory, and sticky sweet perfection. If there is a pork recipe that defines Chinese cooking, I think char siu (char siew) would be it.

Ingredients :
• 1 lb pork butt (cut into 4 pieces)
• 3 clove garlic (finely chopped)
• 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil

Char Siu Sauce :
• 1 ½ tablespoons maltose
• 1 ½ tablespoons honey
• 1 ½ tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine (玫瑰露酒)
• 3 dashes white pepper powder
• 3 drops red coloring (optional)
• ½ teaspoon five-spice powder
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil

Directions :
1. Add all ingredients in the char siu sauce in a sauce pan, heat it up and stir-well until all blended and become slightly thickened and sticky. (It will yield ½ cup char siu sauce.) Transfer out and let cool.
2. Marinate the pork butt pieces with 2/3 of the char siu sauce and the chopped garlic overnight. Add 1 ½ tablespoons cooking oil into the remaining char siu sauce. Keep in the fridge.
3. The next day, preheat the oven to 375°F and roast the char siu for 15 minutes (shake off the excess char siu sauce before roasting). Transfer them out of the oven and thread the char siu pieces on metal skewers and grill them over fire (I used my stove top). Brush the remaining char siu sauce while grilling until the char siu are perfectly charred. Slice the char siu into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining char siu sauce over and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Notes :
You don’t have to roast the pork in the oven if you use an outdoor grill. As I used the stove top to char the char siu, I roasted the char siu in the oven so they were cooked. It’s impossible to cook the char siu by using the stove top alone. You can roast the char siu thoroughly for 25-30 minutes in the oven. It’s best to use the S-shape hook and hang your char siu at the top layer of the oven, with a roasting pan or aluminum foil sheet at the bottom for the drips.

Mock Zha Jiang

Simple mock Zha Jiang for noodle, congee or steamed rice! Tempeh and firm tofu is used to give the sauce a different texture as well as for its wonderful nutrients.

Preparation:    10 mins Cooking time:    8 mins

Ingredients :

°         1 can mock meat in mushroom sauce (brand: cixin vegetarian)

°         125g tempeh, cut into mini cubes

°         75g firm tofu, pat dry and scrambled

°         2½ olive oil

°         5-6 tablespoons water

°         some coriander leaves, sliced chilli and sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Directions :

1.    Heat the oil in a wok. Throw in the tempeh and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2.    Add in scrambled tofu and fry until rather dry.  Pour in mock meat in mushroom sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3.    Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli, sesame seeds and serve.  

Serves 2