The Food Canon

Exotic. Tasty. Spicy. Curry.

Curries, of any kind, are appetising.

A good curry needs:
Oil - you do need some of this
Spices - the fresher, the better.
Chilli of some kind
Something salty i.e., salt (!)
Thickening agent i.e. milk, coconut milk, yoghurt
and of course, meat, potatoes etc.

I will do a short blog on some simple recipes for chicken.

As with always, start with the best chicken you can find. Some of you overseas should have easy access to great free-range chicken. Here, I prefer to use the "naked-neck" chicken as the meat is firmer, sweeter and flavorful. You can find out more about this chicken from Toh Thye Sun's farm which sells this Anxin brand. You can also source this "naked neck" chicken from the wet market. Just talked with your regular chicken seller. They are often sold as "Kampung Chicken." Dr Leslie Tay has also blogged about this chicken here.

I steamed some of this Anxin chicken with garlic sauce (the recipe here). In fact, steaming is one of the best ways to retain the flavours of the chicken.

Poultry in Motion - Ultimate Hawker Fest Chickens destined for Millennial Walk this Sat

So, are you ready for the Ultimate Hawker Fest? Visit the official site here and Dr Leslie Tay's blog post here.

It is important to note that this event is not about being "atas" or "haute cuisine." It is not about turning our hawker food into "fine dining wannabes" or trying to project another image for it.

It is about exploring what our local favorites may taste like if we tell our favorite hawkers and chefs that they can use better ingredients. It will be experimental in some ways and this event may well encourage some hawkers to improve their fare or offer more options.

This is a simple update post on soft-boiled eggs, a morning breakfast favorite of mine. I don't eat it very often but it is always a treat when I can spare the 45 minutes to do it well.

I have posted about the various methods used to produce a 45 minutes 62C egg. I have yet to add that the humble rice cooker on its own can also do it for you, albeit with some added attention needed.

Editorial: I have done a major rewrite of the recipe.

Si Yau Kai. This is a well-loved Cantonese dish. It's a traditional recipe which has been passed down through many generations.

Someone in your line of grandmas or aunties must have their own version of this. It is not difficult to make and the end-result is satisfying. Accompanied by the right condiments, it can be a complete meal in itself.

When my Malaysian relatives visit me here, they are a very difficult lot to please when it comes to our street food.

However, there is one dish which leaves them stumped in silence and reluctant, quiet praise: Singapore's famous Hainanese Chicken Rice (HCR).

Poached to perfection, the best versions in the world are found here on this little island.