{san choy bao in hermie}

Oh no, I've been neglecting this blog for so long that guilt is creeping in. I have been inspired in the last few months by lots of different things but finding the time to write up my latest experiments in the kitchen has been lacking. But, now I think I have my mojo back. Why? Well, in case you haven't heard, here in Australia the launch of the new TM5 has occurred just over a week ago. Having Hermie 2.0 in the kitchen is very exciting as there are some great new features... but this is not what this post is about. That will be in a separate one in the near future.

Isn't this supposed  to be how to make san choy bao using Hermie? Yes it is and I think it fits in very well with all the different ways that people are eating these days. What I'm referring to is the latest diet craze or food allergy/intolerance. Although I have never been on any dieting bandwagon, I have experienced food intolerance and allergies myself and within my little family. These include lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, nut allergies, following the FAILSAFE diet and FODMAP. I think we've pretty much got all bases covered.

So, san choy bao is one of those dishes which is Asian flavour based (which is my favourite) and ticks lots of categories including:

- gluten free

- wheat free (check the sauces you're using)

- dairy free

- grain free

- carb free

- high protein

- and most importantly delicious.

It is easily made from the staple ingredients from an Asian Pantry as well as some fresh food items. A bonus is that it is very quick to make and the kids have fun 'making' their own little lettuce cups. Enjoy!

3-4 dried shitake mushrooms

15 grams ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small-medium carrot, peeled, roughly chopped 3-4cm

450-500 grams pork mince

20 grams vegetable oil (canola, rice bran, peanut etc)

12 baby cos lettuce leaves (your cups)

big handful of beansprouts (or to taste)

1-2 spring onions, chopped to 1cm lengths

20 grams Shao XsIng wine

10 gram light soy sauce

15 grams dark soy sauce

10 grams oyster sauce

40 grams hoisin sauce

1. Place mushrooms into bowl and pour over hot water to cover and soften mushrooms

2. Place ginger, garlic & carrot into TM bowl and chop 5secs/ speed5. Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add pork mince and oil to TM bowl and saute 6mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ speed1/ reverse. 

4. Meanwhile, drain water from mushrooms and dice (using a knife) into 0.5cm pieces and wash the 12 lettuce leaves and beansprouts and set aside for later.

5. Scrape down sides of bowl and with spatula, stir the bottom around.

6. Add wine, soy sauce, reserved mushrooms and spring onions into TM bowl and cook 4mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ stir speed/ reverse. 

7. Scrape down sides and add in dark soy, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Cook 2mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.

8. Once complete, pour into thermoserver and serve by scooping into reserved lettuce cups and topped with bean sprouts.

Bon Appetit xx

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite

Note: Great for finger food. Just need to use the tiny baby cos lettuce leaves and a teaspoon of filling.

{soya bean drink in hermie ... asian style}

I was always the soya bean drink person and my sister was the opposite with her choice being a chrysanthemum tea or the like. This was of course when my mum did the weekly grocery shop at the Asian Grocer and we asked for a yeos 'fruit box' of choice for the ride home. When you're that young, try explaining the difference in the Asian style soya bean drink and commercial western soy milk to your friends! They are very different and one mistaking the other can lead to an accidental dislike for something that is so yummy.

So, at attempt #5, I am finally able to say that I think I have mastered the making of an Asian style soya bean drink. This leads to so many things. Not only can I determine the sweetness of the drink, but if minimal or no sugar is added, using a few extra steps, we can then make tofu and also tau foo fa (the sweet Asian dessert that is soo silky and smooth). These will be hopefully my next successes but first, I'm just enjoying the yummy drink that I hope to make over and over again. Enjoy!

130 grams soya beans
water for soaking beans
60-90 grams sugar
600 grams water
400-500 grams hot water
nut bag for straining

1. Place soya beans into TM bowl. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight if possible. If for 6 hours, I use hot water. Water must cover the beans.
2. Using the TM steaming basket, strain the excess water from the soaked beans.
3. Add 600 grams water into TM bowl. Blend 20secs/ speed 9. Scrape down sides and then add sugar (I use the whole 90 grams).
4. Cook 25mins/ varoma/ speed 3. You will find that the liquid bubbles up to the MC hole. When this occurs, decrease the temperature to 100C (by pressing the 100C button) for the remainder of the cooking time.
5. Add the remaining 400-500grams hot water and mix 3secs/ speed 3.
6. Using an extra bowl that is about 1.5L in capacity, place the nutbag over and then pour the soya bean liquid into the bag to strain. You can see after I have done this, my bag is just strung up over the bowl so it can continue to drip out.

7. If you are using a very fine material like a nutbag, feel free to squeeze out the liquid for maximum effectiveness. If your bag is not very fine, I don't recommend doing this as you will get the pulp pushed through which is not very nice to drink!
8. Taste for sweetness and adjust if required. 

Makes ~1-1.2L

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: the nutbag that I use has been so useful and easy to clean compared to a muslin cloth. A quick rinse and all the pulp is gone. I bought this one at a health food store.

{CNY: chicken & jellyfish in hermie}

Chinese New Year is one of those celebrations that is always celebrated in my household. We may not be the most 'Chinese' of families however, I like to think that we keep a couple of the most important traditions to the celebration; the reunion dinner (a feast!) and the giving of 'hong pau' or 'red envelopes'. The reunion dinner is celebrated on the eve of Chinese New Year and we either go to a chinese restaurant or someone's house. With our families ever growing and little ones about, in recent years we have done less of the restaurant and more 'pot luck' where everyone brings 1 (or 2) traditional dishes. This year being the first year that I've got Hermie (or the Thermomix) I'm interested in seeing what I can cook in it to make this time of year easier.

The first dish that I'm trying is a Chicken and Jellyfish dish. Jellyfish you say? It sounds weird to non-Chinese people but in fact, it does not taste like much but instead provides texture to this dish. It can be found in Asian Grocers as is (usually near the green vegetables) or pre-prepared in packets sometimes with assorted flavourings. I buy the 'as is' variety as often the pre-prepared packets have MSG which I stay clear of.

When you have a look at this recipe, there's a bit of cooking and lots of mixing. However, I have found that using Hermie makes a big difference. You see, the most tedious part of this dish is the cooking and shredding of the chicken. I'm impatient and always want to shred the chicken apart as soon as it leaves the hot water and end up burning my hands. However, with Hermie, once the chicken is poached, you can literally shred the chicken in a few seconds. Time Saved! I hope you enjoy this and let me know if you try it.

1 good size handful of bunch coriander
1 chicken breast (about 350 grams)
330-350 gram uncooked jellyfish
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2/3 tablepoon sesame oil (preferably Ghee Hiang brand)
1/2 tablespoon Sriracha chilli sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1. Rinse off salt from jellyfish and soak in cold water for 2 hours. Change the water about every 30mins to reduce the amount of saltiness.
2. Meanwhile, place coriander into TM bowl and chop 2-3secs/ speed 6. Set aside in a bowl to be used for serving.
3. Place 1000 grams of water and chicken into TM bowl. Poach for 14mins/ 100C/ speed1/ reverse.
4. While the chicken is cooking, boil a kettle full of water. When done, empty the water soaking the jellyfish and give the jellyfish a final rinse. Place back in bowl and pour over hot boiled water. Once it 'shrivels' up (about 1-2minutes), drain from the water and slice thinly. Place into the serving bowl with the coriander.

Jellyfish soaking

After hot water

sliced thinly

5. When chicken has finished, drain off the water and shred 3secs/ speed 4/ reverse. We want a rough, coarse shred, one that is not too fine so be careful as 1 second can make a big difference.
6. Place chicken into serving bowl with the rest of the sauces and mix through. Put in the fridge until cool and serve as part of a banquet style meal.

Tips: This is best made the night before or morning of the dinner as the flavours develop further and should be served cold.

{mongolian lamb in hermie}

When I got married I was quite young and this meant that I had not lived outside of the family home yet. So, when I started living with Mr S all I knew how to cook were the things that my mum had made for us and showed me how to put together. 

The original recipe that this one is based on is one of the first recipes that I tried as a newlywed and it was so tasty that it made it as a regular on the turnover of dishes every fortnight or so. I don't know how it slipped off that menu but lately I'd been feeling like we were in a meal rut and when I looked over past menu plans of late, we actually were eating the same meals over and over again without much variety. 

I looked at my bookshelf full of recipe books for inspiration and found the book that this one was in. It has some tweaks done to it and has also been converted to be made in Hermie the Thermie. Enjoy!

2 gloves garlic, peeled
10 grams ginger (big thumb), peeled
450-500 grams lamb fillet, sliced
30 grams vegetable oil (canola, rice bran)
3-4 stalks spring onions, cut into 1 inch lengths
30 grams Shao Xsing Wine
20 grams soy sauce
2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
chilli sauce (optional)

1. Add garlic and ginger to TM bowl. Chop 4secs/ speed 7. Scrape down sides of bowl.
2. Add butterfly attachment. I do this as I find that the meat does not 'catch' on the blades as much and makes a better looking dish.
3. Add lamb to TM bowl and saute 8mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Take OUT butterfly.
4. Add spring onions and all other sauces (including chilli sauce if using) and cook a further 5mins/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse.
5. Serve with steamed rice and vegetables.

Serves 4 as a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Note: I know that the lamb backstrap fillet is quite an expensive cut and when used in this dish, it very tender and juice. However, if you can't bear to part with $49.95kg, then my butcher also suggested using a mini lamb roast (at just over half the price) which he cut into strips for me. This is actually what I used this time and the meat was still very tender and not chewy.

{chicken congee in hermie}

When you are sick, a bowl of steaming hot chicken noodle soup always makes you feel better. Don't get me wrong, I still love a bowl of chicken noodle soup but there is something about a bowl of Chicken Congee that is just as perfect. It may be the ginger or the fact that it is so easy to eat, but when I was sick with a cold and my mum made it for me to feel better... I felt better. She also used to make barley water which I liked but this was nicer. I have also fed this to my 2 little munchkins Miss I and Miss A since quite small as it is quite healthy and easy to eat for babies. Some people prefer theirs with more texture and other with the rice broken down and the congee smooth. I consider myself to be right in the middle. If you prefer the latter, you could either cook it for longer so that the rice breaks down by itself or, you could give it a quick blend in the Thermomix at the end.

150 grams rice
1400 grams water
250-350grams chicken meat (parts with bones will provide more flavour) This is about 3-4 chicken thighs
Big thumb of ginger (or to taste)
8-10 dried scallops (optional)
2 spring onions
handful of coriander (or to taste)
2-3 lettuce leaves, cut into thin strips
white pepper to serve
fish sauce or salt (optional)

1. Add rice, water, chicken, ginger and dried scallops into bowl and cook 20mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
2. Remove chicken and manually shred into pieces (If you are lucky enough to have 2 Thermomix bowls, then use the other bowl to shred 3-4secs/ speed 4). While shredding chicken, cook for a further 15mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse with MC removed.
3. Re-add chicken back into TM bowl. Cook further 30mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.
3. Chop spring onion and coriander into about 1cm pieces. Set aside.
4. Check consistency of congee when finished cooking. If it is not thick enough to your liking, cook a further 5-10mins and check again.
5. Serve scooped into a bowl, with spring onion, coriander, lettuce and pepper sprinkled over the top. Serve immediately.

This time I didn't have any lettuce to add but it was still delicious

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: I already serve this to my nearly 8 month old Miss A and this is why I have not added any salt to the congee. For an adult serve, add a teaspoon or more of fish sauce for the saltiness. It adds a nice flavour. If this is too strong for you, soy sauce or salt will do the job too.

{'claypot' chicken, mushroom & fu chuk in hermie}

Whenever I go overseas, I like to look in local book shops for recipe books from that country. This recipe is from one of those such books that I acquired when in Singapore from the famous Kinokuniya book shop. The book is full of claypot dishes that are overflowing with delicious, saucy dishes that are perfect served with a bowl of steamed rice. However, until now, I had only tried one of these dishes because I never got around to buying an actual claypot! 

Now with Hermie, I've decided to give a few more a go and this time round I have been really happy with the results... I'm not sure that I really need a claypot anymore. The original recipe is for a chicken and liver claypot however, I'd rather eat fu chuk (beancurd) and therefore replaced the liver.

fu chuk (beancurd) & dried chinese mushrooms

4 dried chinese mushrooms
4 fu chuk sticks (or as many as you want to taste)
good thumb of ginger, peeled
2 spring onions cut in 10 cm lengths
400-500 grams chicken thighs (5-6), cubed in 4cm

seasoning A:
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour

seasoning B:
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1. Soak mushrooms & fu chook sticks in Thermoserver with hot water.
2. Place ginger & spring onions in TM bowl. Chop 3 sec/ speed 6
3. Marinate chicken in seasoning A in a spare bowl.

4. Remove mushrooms from server, chop off stems and cut in half. Remove fu chuk from server and cut into about 8cm pieces (or however long you would like to eat them). Set aside.
5. Saute spring onion & ginger 2min/ varoma/ stir speed/ reverse. Add mushroom. Cook a further 2 mins / varoma / stir speed / reverse.
6. Add chicken & seasoning B. Cook 17min/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse. Add fu chuk and stir through with spatula. Stand 5 minutes and then pour into thermoserver to keep warm until serving.
7. Serve with steamed white rice and asian greens for a complete meal.

Serves 4-5 as part of a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: Fu Chuk and dried chinese mushrooms can be found in all good Asian Grocery Stores. 

{mapo tofu in hermie}

People often say that eating tofu is boring and tasteless however, I have grown up eating it in it's many forms and have never thought this. When I married my hubs I wasn't sure what he was used to eating for dinner and when I made this for him, he thought it was 'the bomb' (his words... not mine). It has a bit of everything from texture, spiciness, silkiness and sauce. It's so yummy that Miss I loves to eat it with steamed rice soaking up all the tasty sauce.

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
10 grams vegetable oil (I use canola)
250-300 grams pork mince
400-500 grams silken tofu, cubed in 4 cm pieces
150 grams of 'char choy', soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and cut into small fat sticks (optional)
3 tablespoons chilli bean sauce
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour
75 ml cold water
300 ml hot water
2 spring onions, chopped into 1 cm pieces

1. Add garlic cloves to TM bowl, chop 3 sec / speed 7.
2. Add oil and pork mince. Saute 6 mins / varoma / stir speed.
3. While the mince is cooking, place tofu in a dish that will fit into the varoma. I use a 6 cup capacity pyrex rectangular dish. Place into varoma for later.
4. When the mince beeps, scrape down sides, add the char choy (if applicable) and saute  4 mins/ varoma/ stir speed / reverse.
5. Add chilli bean sauce to TM bowl and saute 2mins / varoma / stir speed / reverse.
6. Scrape sides of bowl. Mix cornflour with cold water in MC and add to TM bowl.
7. Add hot water to TM bowl and mix with spatula. Place varoma on top of TM bowl.
8. Cook and steam tofu for 10mins/ speed 1/ varoma / reverse.
9. Place spring onions into bottom of thermoserver. When tofu is steamed hot, add to thermoserver.
10. Check the mapo tofu sauce. If it is still a bit runny, reduce by cooking a further 5mins/ speed 1/ varoma/ reverse. Sit for 5 minutes and pour over the tofu. Mix through before serving. Serve with steamed rice.

Mapo Tofu served with steamed rice & bak choi

Serves 6 as part of a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Note: 'Char Choy' is the name of the mustard green vegetable that has been preserved using a salting method. It can be found in packets in all good Asian grocers along with the  Chilli Bean Sauce (which is also known as toban jan). I use the below brand as it does not have MSG added. 

Chilli Bean Sauce (Toban Jan)

Mustard Green Salted (Taiwanese)

Tips: This can very easily be made on the stove the traditional way and it tastes just as good. I know it's not traditional but I also sometime add cubes of eggplant at step 4 to add more vegetable to the dish.

{shanghai pancakes with red bean paste in hermie}

I first tried these pancakes not that long ago in one of our favourite restaurants (Hai Tien Lo) in Singapore and loved them. I am a bit biased though because I like anything that has red bean in it and these pancakes take it a step further with a crispy fried exterior. When looking for a recipe to try, I went to my collection of Malaysian cookbooks for reference. The recipe below is from "Cook Malaysian" by Lee Sook Ching and is super easy. I have adapted it to use the Thermomix but you can easily make it without (just a bit more mess). 

Red bean paste, enough to fill 4 pancakes

pinch of salt

1 egg

250 grams water

130 grams Plain flour

Vegetable cooking oil to fry

sesame seeds for decoration

1. Place egg, half the water and salt into TM bowl. Mix 3 sec / speed 3.

2. Add flour to bowl and mix 45 sec / speed 2. Scrape down flour from sides of the bowl, add the rest of the water and mix 1min / speed 1 / reverse.

3. Let the batter stand for 30 minutes before frying. Note, this batter is very runny so don't worry if your think it's too thin.

4. Fry pancakes in a hot, greased fry pan until they are browned on both sides. Turn pancakes out onto a plate, spread bean paste on it and fold the top and bottom over to get a long, rectangular shaped cake that completely covers the bean paste.

5. When filled and folded, heat more oil in the frypan and refry each pancake until well browned and crispy.cut each pancake into 2.5 cm pieces and server sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Makes 4 pancakes.

Bon Appetit xx

Notes: I've also seen a number of recipes that use shortening and assume that this produces a flakier pastry. I'll have to try one of those and do a comparison. The above recipe's pastry actually reminds me of the "Bing Boy" pancake that they use to wrap all their fillings in... just crispy. 

Tip: If you don't like to use commercial red bean paste, it can be made using the recipe from the "Taste of Asia" Thermomix cookbook. Lotus bean paste can be used too. Also, if you make these beforehand and want to keep the crispiness of the pancake, put them in the oven before you cut them up  for 15 minute @ 200C. They should be crispy but if not, change to the grill for 5 minute increments.

{dinner.. steamed fish with asian herbs + garlic chive omelette in hermie}

With a young family, easy, healthy and quick meals are a must. This dinner combination is one of those for me to make and is super tasty and not too 'heavy'. The fish is based on a classic steamed fish dish that you can find in most Cantonese restaurants and is usually a whole fish. As my husband and children are eating this, I'm using fillets which do not have bones and also fit easier in the Varoma.

I must admit, this meal combo is for a small family so if there are more mouths to feed, then add another dish such as plum sauce and ginger chicken drumsticks that can be done in the oven at the same time (recipe to come).

Omelette & garlic chives:
1/2 bunch of garlic chives, cut 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 tablespoon water
salt
pepper

1. Add chives and oil into TM bowl and saute for 7min/ Varoma/ reverse/ stir speed.
2. Meanwhile, beat eggs with fork in a small bowl until a little frothy. Add salt and pepper and a tablespoon of water if required.

3. Ball up a piece of baking paper and lay out over the Varoma tray steamer. Place sauteed chives over this in a thin layer.

4. Pour over eggs and set aside.

Steamed fish with ginger, coriander & spring onions:
40 grams ginger, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch (or 1/2 a large bunch) coriander, roughly chopped
3-4 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
350-400 grams white fish fillets (e.g. ling, blue grenadier, whole rainbow trout)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5-10 drops sesame oil

1. Put 1/2 of the ginger, 1/3 of coriander and 1/3 of spring onions in a flat base bowl that will fit into the Varoma.

2. Place fish fillets on top.

3. Put remaining ginger, 1/3 of spring onion and 1/3 coriander on the top. 

4. Season with fish sauce, veg oil and sesame oil. 

5. Place in Varoma bowl and put the prepared Varoma tray on top.

To cook both dishes:

1. Place water in TM bowl up to 1st marker. Heat 6min/ 100C/ stir speed.

2. Put Varoma on to of TM bowl. Steam fish and omelette 10min/ Varoma/ speed 4.

3. Check if fish and egg are cooked. If not, cook an extra 1 min and check again.
4. Drizzle a small amount of soy sauce over the omelette to taste.

Optional:

Heat up 50-75ml of veg oil on the stove until smoking. When the fish is finished, place remaining fresh coriander and spring onion on top and top with hot oil (careful… it will sizzle). This adds a nice gloss and freshness to the fish :-)

Serve with steamed rice. 

Bon Appetit xx

Serves 3.

Tips: 

If you want to be super efficient, you can cook the rice in the TM bowl while you are steaming these dishes. Follow the instructions in the "Everyday Cooking" cookbook from Thermomix and when the timer is 10 minutes from the end, place the Varoma on the top. I myself like to use an old fashioned rice cooker :-) 

Also, if you want to add even more flavour to the omelette, you can add chinese sausage (lap cheong) by slicing thinly and sautéing with the chives in step 1 above of the omelette method.

{bouncy chinese fish balls in hermie}

When I was growing up, I always wondered what other non-Asian families would have for lunch on weekends. In my house, we definitely did not have sandwiches but my mum always made something hot such as laksa, congee, fried rice, roti & rendang or fish balls with noodles. The last being one of the old time favourites that I have still enjoyed into adulthood. 

Having said that, on my journey to finding out what my food intolerances are, I have found that my love of fish balls could be no more due to nearly all commercial varieties containing MSG, other nasties and not that much fish. Hence, my quest to try and make a homemade version that was just as tasty and more importantly, 'bouncy'. Bouncy does not mean rubbery and a good test is if you squish one in your fingers and there's a little spring to the meat.

I have tried making these in a food processor and some manual handling but just cannot get it right. The Thermomix has changed all this and with little effort, I can now make up a batch of bouncy fish balls that are 'nasty' free. The proof is in the eating!

550-600grams white fish (I used Spanish Mackerel as it is quite an oily fish. Any other oily fish would be good too), cubed 3-4cm, frozen for 1-2 hours
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
40-50 grams water
sprinkle of white pepper
1 spring onions (optional), cut in half
2 litres water (for cooking fish balls)

1. If using spring onion, place into TM bowl and chop 3-4 sec / speed 5. Set aside.
2. Put a pot on the stove and start boiling the water.
3. Place 1/3 or 1/2 of the fish into the bowl and close lid. Pulse closed lid position / turbo/ 4-5 times. Put aside in another bowl. Repeat with remaining fish.
4. Return all fish into TM bowl and add in all other ingredients. Blend 1min / speed 9.
5. Then, knead 1min/ interval speed. This replaces the hard manual labour part if you're making these without the Thermomix. It's what makes them 'bouncy' due to the proteins being worked (correct me if I'm wrong people). At this stage we have fish paste which will be used to fish balls but can also be used for other things like making fish cake (for fried rice, noodles etc) or in Yong Tau Foo.

6. To make the balls, put some fish paste in your hand and form balls by squeezing through the index finger and thumb and scoop off with a teaspoon into boiling water.
7. Simmer the balls until the float to the top (about 5 minutes). Note, they will expand a little.

8. Transfer to a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Serve with some seasoned egg noodles, blanched green veg (e.g. choy sum, bok choi) and chilli sauce OR, in a fish ball noodle soup.

Makes about 40 ping pong sized balls.

Bon Appetit xx

Tips: When making the balls with your hand, use a food handling glove. It may make the fish paste stick more however you won't be left with a fishy smelling hand the rest of the day. These are also suitable to freeze.

Note: the batch in the picture above does not have the spring onion in it :-)

{soya sauce chicken in hermie}

For as long as I can remember, I have been eating a version of this chicken for dinner with my family. However, it has usually come from one of those Chinese BBQ meat places in Chinatown that have other assorted meats hanging in the window. Although I have attempted to make this at home the traditional way with a pot on the stove, somehow, this Thermomix version is easier still. The hardest part is chopping the chicken up at the end 'chinese' style without hacking it to pieces.

120 g soy sauce

150 g dark soy sauce

4 tablespoons shaoxing wine

15 ginger, peeled, sliced (I like mine quite strong so even more the better)

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3 star anise

2cm cinnamon stick (I just use the whole stick)

1.5 tablespoons sugar

900g boiling water

1-1.2kg whole chicken with parson's nose removed (depending on your chicken, i also remove as much fat around the neck part)

3 spring onions, cut in 10cm lengths

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1. Place sauces, wine, ginger, garlic, star anise, cinnamon, sugar and water into bowl. Cook 10min / 100C/ stir speed.

2. Place chicken bottom end down over into bowl around the blades. Do not tear the skin.

3. Stuff spring onions into chicken cavity.

4. Top up with boiling water so that sauce covers chicken as much as possible. Cook 30min / 90C/ stir speed. Place a bowl or mug over the hole in the top as MC will not fit. Chicken will rotate in the bowl whilst cooking.

5. After 30min, leave chicken in bowl for another 30-40 minutes to continue to poach. Remove.

6. Chop 'chinese' style through bones and all to serve seasoned with sesame oil and pepper.

I like to serve this with rice and some simple green vegetables steamed and gently seasoned with a sprinkling of sesame oil and oyster sauce. This can be done in the varoma while you are chopping up the chicken. For hardier vegetables such as bok choi or gai lan (using the stock as the steaming liquid) 10-12min / varoma / speed 3 for softer vegetables (e.g. cos lettuce) 3-5min / varoma / speed 3

Note: In my experience, the soya sauce chicken from shops usually looks a bit darker and this is probably due to the brand of sauces that they use. I personally do not like using MSG in my cooking (due to a food intolerance) and find that the AYAM brand does not contain it. However, it is not as dark and strong in flavour and this is probably why my chicken is not as dark but still just as flavoursome.

* Above recipe is originally printed in the "A Taste of Asia" Thermomix cookbook available here