Uncle Lau’s Teochew Recipes: Heritage Cookbook, #3

By Tan Lee Leng and Lau Chiap Khai

Winner, Best Chinese Cuisine Book, Singapore, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2012

Enjoy the rich culinary heritage of the Teochews with this compact cookbook, which features over 80 authentic family recipes.

Besides the usual Teochew fare of steamed fish and ngoh hiang, this book features many little-known traditional Teochew dishes—some even exclusive to the author's family, such as Ho Pung and Sio Bee.

These time-tested recipes are painstakingly compiled by Mr Lau Chiap Khai's daughter, Tan Lee Leng. A woman of many talents, Lee Leng is a food consultant, food writer, chef, food stylist, and a formally trained potter. Lee Leng was trained in the art of Teochew cuisine by her father, and holds a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu in London. Her father, affectionately known by friends and family as Uncle Lau, handed down their family's recipes to Lee Leng in the hopes that she preserve their heritage.

By compiling her father's recipes, Lee Leng has shared this Teochew culinary heirloom so that current and future generations will be able to enjoy these wonderful recipes.

Uncle Lau's Teochew Recipes is part of Epigram Books' award-winning Heritage Cookbook series, which showcases the best of Singapore's major cuisines through authentic family recipes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Epigram Books
• Release date: Dec 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9789810733377

Book preview

EVERYDAY CHICKEN STOCK

This is a clear stock and should never be boiled because it will become cloudy and the fat will melt and combine with the soup. A good chicken stock requires not only bones but also meat to give it a rich flavour.

Put the chicken bones into a heavy pot with the water. Bring to a boil then simmer gently for 1 hour. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

Add in the root vegetables, ginger, scallions and salt and pepper. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Allow stock to cool before straining through a fine mesh. Store the stock in the refrigerator.

You may remove some of the fats that will rise to the surface when the stock is cold.

Tip

Do not remove all the fat as it gives much flavour to the stock.

PORK AND CHICKEN STOCK

Put the pork and Chinese jin hua ham bones into a heavy pot and boil it together with the chicken stock. Allow the stock to simmer for 1½ hour. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.

Add the ginger, scallions, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer over low heat for another hour before draining the stock through a fine mesh. Allow stock to cool before storing in the refrigerator.

You may remove some of the fats that will rise to the surface when the stock is cold.

Tips

Pork bones are boiled with chicken stock to make a richer, tastier and sweeter soup. It is often used as a soup base, for stir-frying dishes and preparing sauces. Chinese jin hua ham bones can be added to enhance the flavour of the stock.

Do not remove all the fat as it gives much flavour to the stock.

FISH STOCK

Fish stock is made from boiling fish bones with chicken or pork bones, which are added to enhance the flavour of the stock.

Put the fish and chicken bones into a heavy pot. Fill up the pot with water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for at least 2 hours or till liquid is reduced to half the quantity. Add the root vegetables, ginger and pepper. Continue to simmer for 30 minutes then strain the stock through a fine mesh.

Tip

Boil the stock vigorously to obtain a milky stock.

SUPERIOR STOCK

Put the chicken and ham bones in a heavy pot with the water and bring to a boil. Simmer gently for 1½–2 hours. Add ginger, scallions, coriander roots and salt and simmer for further 1½ hour. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Allow stock to cool before straining through a fine mesh.

Tip

Do not remove all the fat as it gives much flavour to the stock.

TEOCHEW FISH SOUP

Marinate the fish and squid with salt and fish sauce.

Toast the pieces of dried sole fillet till crispy, or fry in 2–3 tablespoons oil over low heat and drain with kitchen paper.

Bring the chicken stock and mushroom water to a boil. Add shredded mushrooms, simmer for 5 minutes then add the celery. Add the fish slices and squid and when it boils again, sprinkle with the dried sole fillet and dash of pepper and serve.

POMFRET SOUP

Heat the peanut oil in a wok and fry dried sole pieces until crisp, over low heat. Drain and set aside. When cool, break into tiny pieces.

Bring the stock to a boil, add the shredded mushroom and gently boil for 15 minutes. Add the fish slices and when soup comes to a boil again, add celery, fish sauce, salt and adjust seasoning. To serve, spoon into a large tureen and add tang chay, crispy sole, pepper and brown shallots in oil.

Variation

For porridge version, boil 225g of cooked rice together with the shredded mushroom.

FISH BLADDER SOUP

HEE PEOW SOUP