Creamy Dill Tartar Sauce


Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 5th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: makes ~1.5 cups | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 seconds

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You’ll never buy tartar sauce again after trying this recipe! Have it on fish and chips, tuna patties, crab cakes, fish fingers, chicken tenders…etc. The possibilities are endless! Just chop up some ingredients and mix it all together. Easy peasy! Add a can of tuna to this recipe and you’ve got yourself a fancy tuna salad!

I’ve recently conjured up this recipe to make a tartar sauce to go with our fried tuna patties (recipe coming soon) since we don’t usually keep any at home (I’m more of an aioli gal). After multiple taste tests, this recipe was the result and it is sooooo good! I may be jumping ship to team tartar.

The best thing about making our own tartar sauce is that we’ll never need to buy bottled sauce again and have it expire before we finish it and we can make as little or as much as we need. Also, we’ll never need to pay 50cents for a packet of tartar sauce at the fish and chips shop again (which is the real winner)!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Summarized Recipe:

Creamy Dill Tartar Sauce

Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 5th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces
Serves: makes ~1.5 cups | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 30 seconds

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (200g) mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp (30g) capers, drained and finely chopped
  • 1 cup (180g) pickles, finely chopped
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon
  • 2 Tbsps fresh dill, finely chopped (or 1 tsp dried dill)
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar (or more to taste)
  • Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Mix everything together in a bowl. Adjust salt and sugar as needed.
  2. Refrigerate for half an hour before serving for the flavours to infuse. Done!

Tip: If you want a thinner runny sauce, you can pulse everything in the food processor. To keep it thicker, chop all the ingredients finely and mix it by hand.

Abby1 Comment

Crème Caramel (Egg Custard Pudding)


Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 5th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5mins | Cook time: 50mins

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Crème caramel is a Delicious (capital D intended) dessert with a custardy delicate egg base topped with a caramel syrup. I find this dessert especially addicting because it just melts in your mouth and it’s not too sweet so you don’t feel like you’re overloading yourself by having too many (at least that’s what I tell myself). You only need a few simple ingredients to put this together and although it’s a pretty easy recipe, it can be a little finicky at times so if you’re making it for the first time so I recommend you read through the step-by-step guide with the photos to help you along. The recipe is pretty wordy because I’m trying to describe everything as best as I can to minimize room for error, but once you start making it you’ll see it’s not difficult at all! (A video tutorial is on my to-do list so keep your eyes peeled.)

There are so many different names for this dessert that I had trouble picking a title for this recipe. I settled on crème caramel which is probably the most common name it goes by. Other common names are flan, purin (Japan), caramel custard, caramel pudding…etc. This dessert has been widely adapted around the world and with so many variations of flavours, sides, toppings, and cooking methods. Some bake it, others steam it; some use condensed milk, others use cream; some prefer a higher egg content, others prefer a higher dairy content; some prefer the texture stiffer, while others aim for delicate silky smooth…etc.

I grew up in Taiwan knowing it as ‘egg pudding’ (it HAD to be the Uni-President brand) and it was one of our favourite desserts. You can buy it from any convenience store and it came packaged in a plastic cup with a foil cover and a little plastic spoon. It was always a treat when mom would buy some for us and the dark brown caramel part at the bottom was gold. It’s also widely popular in Japan and they pride themselves on having their ‘purin’ to be silky smooth and creamy (kind of like a panna cotta or silken tofu). I’m pretty sure I ate at least 1 or 2 every day when I was in Japan because it was THAT good. This recipe is based on the Japanese version (adapted from Chopstick Chronicles) and I’m using evaporated milk to achieve the creamy flavour.

You can serve this dessert hot or cold, in a cup or inverted on a dish. My favourite is to refrigerate it overnight and then eat it directly out of the cup so I can scoop up the caramel syrup with every bite! I find the texture to be silkier and the flavours to be creamier when served cold. If you’re looking to impress, it looks much prettier inverted on a small plate.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • Caramel:
    • 70g granulated sugar
    • 50ml water
  • Pudding:
    • 3 large eggs
    • 60g granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 300ml milk – whole milk is better but light will work
    • 100ml evaporated milk – can use regular milk if you don’t have it, just won’t be as creamy

Equipment:

  • 4 small ramekins (or any small bowl/cup that can withstand heat on a stove)
  • A pan with a lid (the pan should be deep enough that you can fit the ramekins in with the lid on)
  • A small saucepan for the caramel
  • Dry tea towel
  • Whisk

Directions:

Grease 4 small ramekins with either butter or any neutral oil (ie vegetable/canola oil). Set aside.

Note: you don’t need to use ramekins if you don’t have one. Any cup/bowl will do as long as it can withstand heat on the stove.

  • Start of colour change
  • As colour continues to change, the bubbles disappear
  • Deep amber caramel colour 👍🏼 (You can even go darker)

In a small saucepan (ideally one with a white base so you can see the colour changes easily – we just moved onto the farm and unfortunately there are only black base pots here for the photo), make the caramel by combining the sugar with water over MEDIUM heat and swirl the mixture around until the sugar has dissolved. Let the mixture simmer until it turns into an amber caramel colour (15-20mins). Do NOT stir during this process. Gently swirl it to even out the colour changes if needed. Stirring will cause the sugar to stick to the sides of the pot and crystallize (like in the photos above – I didn’t learn about this until it was too late!). Don’t worry if you accidentally stir the mixture and get crystals (I do it all the time. I feel like I have an impulse to stir anything that’s been on the stove for a while). Your caramel will still turn out fine.

This is the longest step and you must be patient. The mixture will first start bubbling as the water evaporates and once the colour starts changing, the bubbles will disappear and you’re left with a thick caramel – but don’t take it off the stove until you get that deep amber colour like the photo above. Once the caramel starts changing colour, the colour changes will happen faster so watch it closely so it doesn’t burn. If you take off your caramel too early, the colour will be lighter and the overall pudding will be too sweet since the caramel hasn’t caramelized enough. The darker it is, the more robust the caramel flavour (and slightly more bitter) – but be careful not to take it too far and burn it.

While you’re waiting for the caramel, you can make the pudding filling (but keep your eyes on the caramel so it doesn’t burn). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 60g sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine the milk and evaporated milk and microwave for about 1-2 mins until it’s warm (you don’t want it hot otherwise it will cook the eggs!). Add this milk mixture to the egg mixture gradually while whisking. Strain to remove any clumps.

Once the caramel is ready, quickly distribute it evenly into the 4 ramekins. The caramel hardens very quickly once it’s off the stove and will make it very difficult to pour into the ramekins if you let it cool. Try to swirl the ramekins as you pour so the caramel evenly coats the bottom of the ramekin. Don’t worry if the caramel hardens in the ramekin before you get to swirl it evenly – it’ll even out when it cooks (just try not to have a giant clump of caramel in the middle). Distribute the egg milk mixture evenly over the caramel into the ramekins.

Place your ramekins in a pan and add about 2cm of water into the pan around the molds. Turn the heat on high and when the water boils, wrap the pan lid with a dry tea towel (this avoids condensed water from dripping on your puddings) and put the lid on. Turn the heat down to LOW-MED (#3 on my induction stove) for 15mins then turn the heat off and leave it to steam for 15mins (do not open the lid during any of this process otherwise the steam will escape!)

Note on cooking time: it can differ greatly depending on what you put the pudding in (ie a glass mold will be faster to cook than a thick ceramic ramekin). These times are based on ramekins, so adjust as needed. It may be a bit of a trial and error at first. If you’re using a glass jar or a container with thin walls, check the mixture after 5 mins of cooking on low-medium heat. If it’s still very liquidy, then bring the water back up to a boil then cover with the lid and cook on low-med heat for another 5 mins and recheck. Keep doing this until the pudding looks slightly thickened, then bring it up to a boil and cover and cook for another few mins on low-medium heat and then turn heat off and let steam for 15 mins. I’ll admit figuring out the correct cooking time is the most finicky part of this whole process, but once you figure out what works best for you, it’ll be easy next time.

  • Toothpick stands up on its own 👍🏼

After 15 mins, the pudding should be set with a good jiggle (but not liquidy!) – a toothpick should be able to stand up on its own when you poke it. Take the ramekins out of the pan and allow it to cool. Refrigerate it for at least an hour (preferably overnight), then serve. You can either serve it in the molds or cut around the edges with a butter knife and invert the molds onto a plate and serve upside down (tip: if you sit the ramekin in hot water for a few minutes before inverting, it’ll melt the caramel and you’ll get more syrup released when you invert). You can also serve this dish warm, but I find the creamy flavours more prominent when served cold.

Summarized Recipe:

Crème Caramel (Egg Custard Pudding)

Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 5th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: dessert, asian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 5mins | Cook time: 50mins

Ingredients:

  • Caramel:
    • 70g granulated sugar
    • 50ml water
  • Pudding:
    • 3 large eggs
    • 60g granulated sugar
    • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 300ml milk – whole milk is better but light will work
    • 100ml evaporated milk – can use regular milk if you don’t have it, just won’t be as creamy

Equipment:

  • 4 small ramekins (or any small bowl/cup that can withstand heat on a stove)
  • A pan with a lid (the pan should be deep enough that you can fit the ramekins in with the lid on)
  • A small saucepan for the caramel
  • Dry tea towel
  • Whisk

Directions:

  1. Grease 4 small ramekins with either butter or any neutral oil (ie vegetable/canola oil). Set aside.
    • Note: you don’t need to use ramekins if you don’t have one. Any cup/bowl will do as long as it can withstand heat on the stove.
  2. In a small saucepan (ideally one with a white base so you can see the colour changes), make the caramel by combining the sugar with water over MEDIUM heat and swirl the mixture around until the sugar has dissolved. Continue to simmer the mixture until it turns into a deep amber caramel colour (15-20mins) (see notes above for tips). Do NOT stir the mixture. Gently swirl it to even out the colour changes if needed.
  3. While you’re waiting for the caramel, you can make the pudding filling (but keep your eyes on the caramel so it doesn’t burn). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, 60g sugar, and vanilla extract until combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, combine the milk and evaporated milk and microwave for about 1-2 mins until it’s warm (you don’t want it hot!). Add this milk mixture to the egg mixture gradually while whisking. Strain this mixture to remove any clumps.
  5. Once the caramel is ready, quickly distribute it evenly into the 4 ramekins. Try to swirl the ramekins as you pour so the caramel evenly coats the bottom of the ramekin. Distribute the egg milk mixture evenly over the caramel into the ramekins.
  6. Place your ramekins in a pan and add about 2cm of water into the pan around the molds. Turn the heat on high and when the water boils, wrap the pan lid with a dry tea towel (this avoids condensed water from dripping on your puddings) and put the lid on. Turn the heat down to LOW-MED (#3 on my induction stove) for 15mins then turn the heat off and leave it to steam for 15mins (do not open the lid during any of this process otherwise the steam will escape!)
    • Note on cooking time: it can differ greatly depending on what you put the pudding in (ie a glass mold will be faster to cook than a thick ceramic ramekin). These times are based on ramekins, so adjust as needed. It may be a bit of a trial and error. If you’re using a glass jar or a container with thin walls, check the mixture after 5 mins of cooking on low-medium heat. If it’s still very liquidy, then bring the water back up to a boil then cover with the lid and cook on low-med heat for another 5 mins and recheck. Keep doing this until the pudding looks slightly thickened, then bring the water back up to a boil and then cover and cook for another few mins on low-medium heat and then turn heat off and let steam for 15 mins.
  7. After 15 mins, the pudding should be set with a good jiggle (but not liquidy!) – a toothpick should be able to stand up on its own when you poke it. Take the ramekins out of the pan and allow it to cool. Refrigerate it for at least an hour (preferably overnight), then serve.
    • You can either serve it in the molds or cut around the edges with a butter knife and invert the molds onto a plate and serve upside down. You can also serve this dish warm, but I find the creamy flavours more prominent when served cold.
    • (Tip: If you sit the ramekin in hot water for a few minutes before inverting, it’ll melt the caramel and you’ll get more syrup released when you invert)

Abby2 Comments

Thai Green Curry (Chicken, Beef, Fish or Veg)


Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, asian, < 30mins
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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I can never pass up a good curry no matter the cuisine. I just love the creaminess and the intense flavours. Thai curries hold a special place in my belly, especially the green curry. The green colour comes from the use of the milder green chilli pepper, kaffir lime, cilantro/coriander and sometimes basil. I love the aroma and the fact that I can pack it full of veggies and have it all swim around in the aromatic coconut sauce.

Although the flavours are complex, making a Thai curry is actually really straight forward and simple as long as you have the green curry paste, which is where most of the flavour (and effort) comes from. I was surprised how quickly it all came together when I made it for the first time. You can buy pretty decent packaged Thai curry pastes from pretty much any supermarket these days and for pretty cheap too, but if you’re like me and have the need to conquer seemingly complex recipes, you can make your own with the green curry paste recipe. I’ve written this recipe for the intention of using the homemade curry paste, however if you want to use the canned pastes, you’ll have to “freshen” it up by sautéing in some garlic and ginger to bring the flavours out.

This recipe is easily customizable with any veggies and protein you like and in any proportion. I’ve written it based on my favourite veg to put in this curry but feel free to change it up to your liking. The beauty of this curry is that because of its strong flavours, you can also put in whatever protein you like. I’ve colour-coded the recipes so it’s easier to follow if you want to make chicken, beef or fish. The other great thing about this recipe is that it’s all done in one pot so there’s minimal clean up!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
  • Protein of choice: (optional)
    • Chicken: 400g (~4) skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breast), diced into bite-sized pieces or sliced thinly (depending on how you like it)
    • Beef: 400g, sliced thinly. Any steak cut will be good.
    • Fish: 400g, diced into chunks. Use whatever fish you like. I tend to like using salmon or a white fish.
    • Vegetarian: no need for meat, just add more veggies!
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • Any veggies you like in your curry. I’ve written this recipe based on my favourite veg, but feel free to change it up and do you. Just keep in mind their proportions to the chicken, otherwise you may end up with a veggie curry (which is fine too if you prefer less chicken). These are what I usually add:
    • 1 1/2 cups King oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
    • 1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and snapped in halves
    • 1 cup baby corn
    • 1 1/2 cups eggplant, diced
    • 1 1/2 cups red bell peppers/capsicum, chopped
    • 10 Thai basil leaves
  • 1 cup homemade Thai green curry paste (click link for recipe)
    • Please note: this recipe was written to be used with the homemade Thai green curry paste. If you want to use canned Thai green curry paste (Maesri is the go-to brand), you’ll need to “freshen” up the paste to bring out more flavour by sautéing one can (114g) it in 3 cloves of garlic and 2 Tbsps of minced ginger. I do recommend making the curry paste yourself if you’ve got time – it’s so much more aromatic.
  • 800ml (2 cans) coconut milk
  • 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
  • Sea salt + black pepper to taste
  • Sugar to taste
  • Serve with Jasmine rice

Directions:

Prepare your protein (if using):

If using chicken:

In medium pot on MED-HIGH heat melt the coconut oil and add in the chicken pieces (you may have to do this in batches if they’re too crowded – see tip*) and cook until lightly brown on the outside. Don’t worry about it cooking all the way through – it will finish cooking in the curry.

*Tip: You want to put the chicken pieces in the pot in a single layer to sear the outside. If you overcrowd the chicken or are overlapping them, you will likely have too much liquid released and end up boiling the chicken. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook it in 2 or 3 batches.

After you’ve browned all the chicken pieces, remove them from the pot and set aside.

If using beef:

In medium pot on MED-HIGH heat melt the coconut oil and add in the beef pieces and quickly cook for a few minutes until lightly brown on the outside. Don’t worry about it cooking all the way through – it will finish cooking in the curry.

After you’ve browned all the beef pieces, remove them from the pot and set aside.

If using fish:

You don’t need to do any cooking beforehand. Just have it cut up in bite-sized pieces and add it later on with the veggies.

I tend to use chicken as my protein of choice

Cook your veggies: In the same pot, cook each of your desired veggies separately and set aside.

Once all your vegetables are cooked, still in the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, discard any excess liquids and melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Add the green curry paste and stir for a few minutes to toast the paste. When the excess liquid has evaporated and you’re left with a semi-dry paste, add in the coconut milk. Let the curry come to a boil then reduce the heat to LOW and simmer for 15 minutes.

Next, add in your cooked veggies and choice of protein (if using) and continue to cook the curry without the lid for another few minutes until your protein has fully cooked through. Turn off the heat and taste. If not salty enough add more fish sauce, add sugar if not sweet enough. Done! Serve over a bed of Jasmine rice.

Tip: If you want to turn this into a soup, add in 1 extra cup (250ml) of chicken stock. Feel free to add in some noodles too!

Summarized Recipe:

Thai Green Curry (Chicken, Beef, Fish or Veg)

Date Published: August 5th, 2020 | Last Updated: Feb 15th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: mains, asian, < 30mins
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
  • Protein of choice:
    • Chicken: 400g (~4) skinless boneless chicken thighs (or breast), diced into bite-sized pieces or sliced thinly (depending on how you like it)
    • Beef: 400g, sliced thinly. Any steak cut will be good.
    • Fish: 400g, diced into chunks. Use whatever fish you like. I tend to like using salmon or a white fish.
    • Vegetarian: no need for meat, just add more veggies!
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 1 cup homemade Thai green curry paste (click link for recipe)
    • Please note: this recipe was written to be used with the homemade Thai green curry paste. If you want to use canned Thai green curry paste (Maesri is the go-to brand), you’ll need to “freshen” up the paste to bring out more flavour by sautéing one can (114g) it in 3 cloves of garlic and 2 Tbsps of minced ginger. I do recommend making the curry paste yourself if you’ve got time – it’s so much more aromatic.
  • 800ml (2 cans) coconut milk
  • Any veggies you like in your curry. I’ve written this recipe based on my favourite veg, but feel free to change it up and do you. Just keep in mind their proportions to the chicken, otherwise you may end up with a veggie curry (which is fine too if you prefer less chicken). These are what I usually add:
    • 1 1/2 cups King oyster mushrooms, roughly chopped
    • 1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and snapped in halves
    • 1 cup baby corn
    • 1 1/2 cups eggplant, diced
    • 1 1/2 cups red bell peppers/capsicum, chopped
    • 10 Thai basil leaves
  • 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more to taste)
  • Sugar to taste
  • Serve with Jasmine rice

Directions:

  1. Cook your protein (if using):
    • If using chicken:
      1. In medium pot on MED-HIGH heat melt the coconut oil and add in the chicken pieces (you may have to do this in batches if they’re too crowded – see tip*) and cook until lightly brown on the outside. Don’t worry about it cooking all the way through – it will finish cooking in the curry.
        • *Tip: You want to put the chicken pieces in the pot in a single layer to sear the outside. If you overcrowd the chicken or are overlapping them, you will likely have too much liquid released and end up boiling the chicken. Depending on the size of your pot, you may have to cook it in 2 or 3 batches.
      2. After you’ve browned all the chicken pieces, remove them from the pot and set aside.
    • If using beef:
      1. In medium pot on MED-HIGH heat melt the coconut oil and add in the beef pieces and quickly cook for a few minutes until lightly brown on the outside. Don’t worry about it cooking all the way through – it will finish cooking in the curry.
      2. After you’ve browned all the beef pieces, remove them from the pot and set aside.
    • If using fish:
      • You don’t need to do any cooking beforehand. Just have it cut up in bite-sized pieces and add it later on with the veggies.
  2. Cook your veggies: In the same pot, cook each of your desired veggies separately and set aside.
  3. Once all your vegetables are cooked, still in the same pot on MED-HIGH heat, discard any excess liquids and melt 1 Tbsp coconut oil. Add the green curry paste and stir for a few minutes to toast the paste. When the excess liquid has evaporated and you’re left with a semi-dry paste, add in the coconut milk. Let the curry come to a boil then reduce the heat to LOW and simmer for 15 minutes.
  4. Next, add in your cooked veggies and protein (if using) and continue to cook the curry without the lid for another few minutes until your protein has fully cooked through. Turn off the heat and taste. If not salty enough add more fish sauce, add sugar if not sweet enough. Done! Serve over a bed of Jasmine rice.

Tip: If you want to turn this into a soup, add in 1 extra cup (250ml) of chicken stock. Feel free to add in some noodles too!

Abby1 Comment

Sriracha Mayo


Date Published: August 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy, asian, < 15mins
Serves: 1/2 cup | Prep time: 1 minute | Cook time: 30 seconds

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If you can scoop mayonnaise out of a jar and squeeze sriracha out of a bottle, this recipe is for you. This 30 second sriracha mayo is your new go-to sauce. Think fries, burger, fish and chips, fritters, prawn toast, tuna salad, chicken salad…etc. Pretty much anywhere you use mayo you can substitute it with sriracha mayo for an extra kick!

If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Summarized Recipe:

Sriracha Mayo

Date Published: August 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces/dips, easy, asian, < 15mins
Serves: 1/2 cup | Prep time: 1 minute | Cook time: 30 seconds

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (125g) mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp sriracha chilli sauce

Directions:

  1. Mix the mayonnaise and sriracha together and serve! Easy, huh?

Abby4 Comments

Chicken Udon Stir-Fry


Date Published: August 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, asian, mains
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Japanese udon is one of my favourite type of noodles. There’s so much chew compared to regular noodles and makes it more satisfying to eat. This is a quick and easy stir-fry packed with chicken, cabbage, carrots and udon noodles. The crunchy cabbage and carrots with the chewiness of the udon cooked in a savoury sauce makes this dish so yum and healthy too!

This was actually one of the first things Toby made for me when we were in Bairnsdale together on a vet student placement. We agreed that we’d both start eating healthier and he surprised me with this dinner when I came home from my shift. It was the best thing to come home to especially after a long cold day. ❤️

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 500g udon noodles, cooked and drained
  • 1/3 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup mirin
  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 large (2.5 cups) brown onions, diced
  • 500g chicken mince (or pork mince)
  • 1/4 small green cabbage, diced to 2cm pieces
  • 2 large carrots, julienned or chopped finely
  • 2 Tbsps sesame oil, to drizzle
  • White sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Directions:

If you haven’t prepared you udon noodles yet, cook them according to package instructions, then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Set aside.

In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining: soy sauce, light soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, and sugar. Don’t worry if you have small clumps in the sauce.

Heat up a wok over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion (in that order) for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.

Add the chicken mince to the wok and use your spatula to break up any lumps and sauté it until the chicken is mostly browned. (You do not have to cook the mince all the way through. It will finish cooking as you add the other ingredients in).

Add the cabbage and carrot to the wok. Sauté for another few minutes until the cabbage is wilted.

Add in the noodles and the sauce. Mix until combined and most of the liquids have cooked off. Turn heat off, drizzle sesame oil over the noodles and mix.

Serve noodles out and sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Chicken Udon Stir-Fry

Date Published: August 4th, 2020 | Last Updated: August 4th, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: healthy, asian, mains
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

  • 500g udon noodles, cooked and drained
  • 1/3 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup mirin
  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and minced
  • 1 large (2.5 cups) brown onions, diced
  • 500g chicken mince (or pork mince)
  • 1/4 small green cabbage, diced to 2cm pieces
  • 2 large carrots, julienned or chopped finely
  • 2 Tbsps sesame oil, to drizzle
  • White sesame seeds, to sprinkle

Directions:

  1. If you haven’t prepared you udon noodles yet, cook them according to package instructions, then drain and rinse the noodles under cold water. Set aside.
  2. In a small bowl, make the sauce by combining: soy sauce, light soy sauce, mirin, ketchup, and sugar.
  3. Heat up a wok over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil and sauté the garlic, ginger and onion (in that order) for a few minutes until the onion starts to turn translucent.
  4. Add the chicken mince to the wok and use your spatula to break up any lumps and sauté it until the chicken is mostly browned. (You do not have to cook the mince all the way through. It will finish cooking as you add the other ingredients in).
  5. Add the cabbage and carrot to the wok. Sauté for another few minutes until the cabbage is wilted.
  6. Add in the noodles and the sauce (made in step 2). Mix until combined and most of the liquids have cooked off. Turn heat off, drizzle sesame oil over the noodles and mix.
  7. Serve noodles out and sprinkle sesame seeds over top. Enjoy!

AbbyLeave a comment

Legit Vietnamese Pho


Date Published: August 3rd, 2020 | Last Updated: Jan 5th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, soup
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 4-8 hours

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Pho (pronounced ‘fuh’) is a traditional Vietnamese dish. It’s a delicious flavourful beef (or chicken) broth stewed for hours and served with rice vermicelli, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and beef slices. It’s not super traditional, but I always eat pho with a HEALTHY amount of hoisin sauce. I had a friend put hoisin directly into the broth, but I like to make a perfect spoonful of broth, noodles and then dip a slice of beef in hoisin sauce and eat it all in one delicious bite. The beef slices are usually served raw and the hot broth cooks it when ladled into the bowl. [Side story: Every time I order pho, my mother would always immediately tell me to quickly dunk the beef slices and bean sprouts to the bottom of the bowl so it can cook right away before the broth cools. We’ve ordered this dish for years and she’ll still say it every time without fail – now I hear this every time I eat pho.] You can order other versions of pho served with chicken, pork balls, brisket, tripe…etc, but raw beef pho will always be my go-to.

Side story: Pho is very nostalgic for me. When my family immigrated to Canada, my parents made my siblings and I go to “Chinese school” every Saturday morning continue our Asian studies. I hated going. The school was nearly an hour drive away and we had to get up crazy early every Saturday morning for 3 hours of lessons. Class finished at 12pm and I was always SO hungry counting down the hours until lunch. The only good thing about driving so far was the food afterwards. In our hometown there wasn’t a very big Asian population, which translates to not a lot of good Asian food – but in Mississauga (the city where the classes were), the majority of the population was Asian which meant legit good Asian food EVERYWHERE. We’d most often go to this Vietnamese restaurant in a shopping mall where my mom would pick up some groceries and a free weekly Chinese newspaper. Their pho was insanely good and they had melt-in-your-mouth brisket. I’d always forget to ask for no coriander so I would spend 15 minutes picking out every little piece of finely chopped coriander before I would start eating – but it was worth it even if my soup was a little cold. A few years later a Vietnamese restaurant opened up near our home and we pretty much went there all the time – what’s even better was that there as also an Asian grocer in the mall where my mom could continue to do her shopping and get her weekly Chinese newspaper. Now that we’ve all gone our separate ways, every time I eat pho it transports me back to those days with my family.

Strap in, because this soup takes a long time to make. The majority of the work is waiting to let the soup simmer but the actual process is really quite easy. The longer you cook the soup, the stronger the flavours will be. I’d recommend even starting this recipe the evening before and let it simmer overnight so it’ll be ready for lunch the next day (warning: make this on a full stomach because the amazing aromas of this soup will make you hangry). There are lots of quick shortcut versions of this soup out there, but I feel like I won’t do this dish justice if I don’t put in the extra effort and make it legit for maximum flavour. I’ve adapted this recipe from RecipeTinEats and made some changes in regards to ingredients and cooking times, but the gist of it is similar.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Beef Mix: You’ll need a good mix of beef meat and bones to create the wonderful flavours of the broth. Each type of beef has their role:

  • 2kg beef brisket – the most important player which adds the most beef flavour to the broth (top left in the photo)
  • 1kg meaty beef bones (ie vertebrae, ox tail) – you can use any bones that have a decent amount of meat attached to them. This adds additional beefy flavours and richness (bottom left in the photo)
  • 750g marrow bones (ie femur/leg, knuckle) cut into fist-sized pieces to reveal the marrow (your butcher can do this for you) – the marrow cooks out into the broth and gives it a fatty richness (too many marrow bones will result in a greasy broth) (right side of the photo)
    • Note: the marrow bones in the top right corner of the photo are too big. I forgot to ask the butcher to cut them smaller and didn’t realize until I got home, heh. You want pieces similar to the bottom right corner with marrow exposed.

Spices, Aromatics & Seasoning: these give the broth the signature pho aroma and flavour.

  • 10 star anise
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 4 cardamon pods
  • 3 cloves
  • 1.5 Tbsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 large onions, halved and peeled
  • 150g ginger, sliced and unpeeled
  • 2 Tbsp white sugar
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more, to taste)

  • The Rest:
    • 375g (1 package) of rice sticks/vermicelli
    • 300g beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced – or any steak cut will do since it can be pricey
      • This will be plated raw in the bowl with the rest of the toppings and the heat of the soup will cook the tenderloin to a perfect med-rare to medium, therefore it’s very important to slice it as thin as you can, otherwise it won’t cook enough. Keeping it in the freezer for 30 mins before slicing will make it easier to slice. Alternatively if you’re struggling to slice it thin or prefer not the serve raw beef, you can slice it thicker and cook it in the broth for 10-20 seconds before serving it in the bowl.
    • Beansprouts, handful per bowl
    • Thai basil, 3 – 5 sprigs per bowl
    • Lime wedges
    • Hoisin sauce
    • Sriracha chilli sauce (or any chilli sauce)
    • Optional: finely sliced red chilli (for garnish)
    • Optional: chopped cilantro/coriander (for garnish) – confession: I hate coriander with such a passion that I debated whether or not I should mention it in this recipe. I decided to include it for the sake of authenticity. It’s nasty AF so every time I make this for people, I never include coriander 😜.

Directions:

Clean the meat: (two methods) Cleaning the beef and bones gives you a clear broth and rids the impurities.

You’ll be amazed how much scum comes off in just 5 minutes! Strain and wash all of this away for a clear broth.

Method 1: Place the brisket and bones in a large pot and boil them in water for 5 minutes then drain to remove all the scum/impurities. Rinse each piece of meat and bone with tap water before replacing back in a clean pot.

Method 2: Turn your oven to 220 (usually the highest it’ll go) and bake your bones for 10 minutes, then rinse each piece under running water before putting it in a clean pot.

Toast the spices: In a dry skillet over HIGH heat (no oil needed), toast your spices (cinnamon stick, coriander stick, star anise, fennel seeds, and cardamom pods) for a few minutes until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.

Char the onion & ginger: Then in the same pan on HIGH heat (still no oil needed), char the onion and ginger for a few minutes until you get black charred bits on both sides (see photo). Remove from the pan and set aside. If your char is excessively black, scrape it off so it doesn’t discolour your broth.

Make the broth: in a large clean pot, add the cleaned bones and brisket, toasted spices, charred onion and ginger, sugar and salt. Add enough water to just cover all the ingredients. With a lid on, bring the soup to a boil then let it simmer for 3 hours until the brisket is tender, flakey and falls apart easily (see video below).

When the brisket is tender, remove it from the soup and set it aside (you can slice up the brisket to be served in the pho later on or refrigerate and use it for another recipe later).

Continue to simmer the broth with the lid on for another 2-6 hours (the longer you simmer the broth, the richer the flavour – you can even simmer it overnight on low heat). Skim away any scum as they float to the top.

Slice the tenderloin: While the soup simmers, you can thinly slice your raw tenderloin. Remember, this will be plated raw in the bowl with the rest of the toppings and the heat of the soup will cook the tenderloin to a perfect med-rare to medium, therefore it’s very important to slice it as thin as you can, otherwise it won’t cook enough. Keeping it in the freezer for 30 mins before slicing will make it easier to slice. Alternatively if you’re struggling to slice it thin or prefer not the serve raw beef, you can slice it thicker and cook it in the broth for 10-20 seconds before serving it in the bowl. After slicing, keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

Cook the rice noodles: cook the rice noodles according to package instructions half an hour before you’re ready to serve then strain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.

Reduce the broth: After simmering, taste the broth. If you’re happy with the flavours, you can turn off the heat now and skim off any excess oil and scum floating on top. Don’t remove too much oil because this also adds richness to the broth. If you want it more concentrated, remove the lid and continue to simmer the soup until it reduces by 1/3 (~ another 45mins).

Strain the broth: strain the soup in a mesh strainer to remove all the bones, ginger, garlic, spices…etc. You should be left with a beautiful broth. Taste and add extra fish sauce (or salt) or sugar to taste. Put the broth back in a clean pot and bring it to a boil before you serve it. You want the broth to be really hot so that it cooks the raw beef when ladled over it.

Assemble the pho bowl: in a bowl, put in one serving of rice noodles, a few slices of the beef brisket, a few slices of the raw tenderloin, small handful of raw bean sprouts and a sprig of Thai basil (6-is 8 leaves). Make sure your soup is hot (if not, then bring to a boil over the stove) before you put it in the bowl over the ingredients. You can alternatively cook the tenderloin for 10-20 seconds in the broth first then place it in the bowl instead of serving it raw.

Serve it with a lime wedge, hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side.

Summarized Recipe:

Legit Vietnamese Pho

Date Published: August 3rd, 2020 | Last Updated: Jan 5th, 2025
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, soup
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 4-8 hours

Ingredients:

  • Beef Mix:
    • 2kg beef brisket
    • 1kg meaty beef bones (ie vertebrae, ox tail)
    • 750g marrow bones (ie femur/leg, knuckle) cut into fist-sized pieces to reveal the marrow (your butcher can do this for you)
  • Spices, Aromatics & Seasoning:
    • 10 star anise
    • 4 cinnamon sticks
    • 4 cardamon pods
    • 3 cloves
    • 1.5 Tbsp coriander seeds
    • 2 tsp fennel seeds
    • 2 large onions, halved and peeled
    • 150g ginger, sliced and unpeeled
    • 2 Tbsp white sugar
    • 1 Tbsp salt
    • 2 Tbsp fish sauce (or more, to taste)
  • The Rest:
    • 375g (1 package) of rice sticks/vermicelli
    • 300g beef tenderloin, raw, very thinly sliced – or any steak cut will do since it can be pricey
    • Beansprouts, handful per bowl
    • Thai basil, 3 – 5 sprigs per bowl
    • Lime wedges
    • Hoisin sauce
    • Sriracha chilli sauce (or any chilli sauce)
    • Optional: finely sliced red chilli (for garnish)
    • Optional: chopped cilantro/coriander (for garnish)

Directions:

  1. Clean the meat: (two methods) Cleaning the beef and bones gives you a clear broth and rids the impurities.
    • Method 1: Place the brisket and bones in a large pot and boil them in water for 5 minutes then drain to remove all the scum/impurities. Rinse each piece of meat and bone with tap water before replacing back in a clean pot.
    • Method 2: Turn your oven to 220 (usually the highest it’ll go) and bake your bones for 10 minutes, then rinse each piece under running water before putting it in a clean pot.
  2. Toast the spices: In a dry skillet over HIGH heat (no oil needed), toast your spices (cinnamon stick, coriander stick, star anise, fennel seeds, and cardamom pods) for a few minutes until lightly brown and fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Char the onion & ginger: Then in the same pan on HIGH heat (still no oil needed), char the onion and ginger for a few minutes until you get black charred bits on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. If your char is excessively black, scrape it off so it doesn’t discolour your broth.
  4. Make the broth: in a large clean pot, add the cleaned bones and brisket, toasted spices, charred onion and ginger, sugar and salt. Add enough water to just cover all the ingredients. With a lid on, bring the soup to a boil then let it simmer for 3 hours until the brisket is tender, flakey and falls apart easily.
  5. When the brisket is tender, remove it from the soup and set it aside (you can slice up the brisket to be served in the pho later on or refrigerate and use it for another recipe later).
  6. Continue to simmer the broth with the lid on for another 2-6 hours (the longer you simmer the broth, the richer the flavour – you can even simmer it overnight on low heat). Skim away any scum as they float to the top.
  7. Slice the tenderloin: While the soup simmers, you can thinly slice your raw tenderloin (tip: freeze it for 30 mins will make it easier to slice). Alternatively, you can slice it thicker and cook it in the broth for 10-20 seconds before serving it in the bowl. After slicing, keep it covered in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
  8. Cook the rice noodles: cook the rice noodles according to package instructions half an hour before you’re ready to serve then strain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
  9. Reduce the broth: After simmering, taste the broth. If you’re happy with the flavours, you can turn off the heat now and skim off any excess oil and scum floating on top. Don’t remove too much oil because this also adds richness to the broth. If you want it more concentrated, remove the lid and continue to simmer the soup until it reduces by 1/3 (~ another 45mins).
  10. Strain the broth: strain the soup in a mesh strainer to remove all the bones, ginger, garlic, spices…etc. You should be left with a beautiful broth. Taste and add extra fish sauce (or salt) or sugar to taste. Put the broth back in a clean pot and bring it to a boil before you serve it. You want the broth to be really hot so that it cooks the raw beef when ladled over it.
  11. Assemble the pho bowl: in a bowl, put in one serving of rice noodles, a few slices of the beef brisket, a few slices of the raw tenderloin, small handful of raw bean sprouts and a sprig of Thai basil (6-is 8 leaves). Make sure your soup is hot (if not, then bring to a boil over the stove) before you put it in the bowl over the ingredients. You can alternatively cook the tenderloin for 10-20 seconds in the broth first then place it in the bowl instead of serving it raw. Serve it with a lime wedge, hoisin sauce and sriracha sauce on the side.

AbbyLeave a comment

Za’atar Manakish (Lebanese Flatbread)


Date Published: August 2nd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 2nd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: breads, easy, snacks, vegetarian
Serves: 8 (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 1.5hrs (from start of dough) | Cook time: 10 mins

Jump to recipe | Watch the video

This is mine and Toby’s go-to snack. We divide a batch of basic dough and freeze them ahead of time and when we feel like snacking, we’ll defrost it for a couple hours, roll it out then spread za’atar over it and bake. It’s so quick and simple – in under 15 minutes we have freshly baked za’atar manakish. If we’re feeling a little more indulgent, we’ll sometimes use our defrosted dough to make halloumi cheese pies out – which is also super easy (click here for the recipe)!

  • Za’atar (Lebanese spice mix)
  • This is our favourite brand of za’atar!

If you’re unfamiliar, Za’atar is a blend of Lebanese spieces that usually include oregano, sumac, thyme, and sesame seeds. It’s packed full of earthy flavours with a lemon-y acidity from the sumac. I’ll admit when I first I tried it, I didn’t think too much of it, but Toby kept buying the manakish and after a few sneaky bites here and there over time, now I can’t get enough! Lots of shops sell za’atar but everyone has their own ratios of spices so they can taste vastly different depending on the brand. Our favourite brand is called “Za’atar extra” (pictured above) where we buy from A1 bakery in Dandenong. It’s on my to-do list to try and recreate their spice mix just incase we move and can’t find this brand anywhere else (I’ll post it if I’m ever successful).

Side story: This dish has sentimental value to me. When I first started dating Toby (my now fiancé), he took me to a small Lebanese bakery shop in Werribee called A1 bakery and ordered two cheese pies and an “oregano pizza” as he called it. Between the two of us, I’m usually the one introducing him to good restaurants and new foods. This is the first place he took me to that really impressed me. The halloumi cheese pies were to die for but the “oregano pizza” was just okay for me. As time went on, we’d keep going back to the bakery and the “oregano pizza” really grew on me (which we later learned the proper name was: za’atar manakish). After we moved out of the Werribee area, we had to drive 40mins to the closest A1 bakery in Dandenong to get the cheese pies and manakish, but it was worth it. It was magical every time. At our last trip, Toby surprised me with a packet of za’atar seasoning that the bakery sold and suggested we try making it at home during quarantine for some fun. After reading through a handful of recipes online, I made a compilation of them all and combined it into this recipe. We made it for the first time a few months ago and it came out A-MAZING! We’ve made it countless times since.

Back in 2018: Toby would take me to A1 Bakery for Za’atar Manakish and cheese pies all the time when we lived near Werribee

The recipe is a bit word-y but it’s actually super easy once you make it. The dough is made from the basic dough recipe which gives it a beautiful fluffiness if you roll it out thick and a nice crispy crunchy texture if you roll it out thin. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! If za’atar isn’t your jam, you can always turn the dough into halloumi cheese pies :D.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Directions:

Make one dough ball from the basic dough recipe and let it proof for 1 hour until doubled in size (click here for tips on how to proof your dough in the oven). Once risen, punch the dough and knead a couple times on a floured surface to get rid of any air pockets. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (or bigger if you prefer your manakish larger) and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200˚C.

In a bowl combine the za’atar with the olive oil and mix.

After the dough has rested, knead each ball a couple times on a floured surface then roll it out to 5mm thick (or to preference – the thinner you roll it, the crispier your flatbread and the thicker it is, the more fluffy it will be). Transfer the dough onto a greased baking tray. (It’s important to transfer the dough to the tray FIRST before spreading the za’atar otherwise it may get a little messy!)

I prefer mine a little crispy so I roll it out thinner here. If you want it fluffier, roll it thicker.

Mix and spread your za’atar mixture over the dough and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so the olive oil gets soaked into the bread. Enjoy!

Tip: If you don’t want to make an entire batch, you can freeze the divided dough balls by wrapping them in cling wrap and just defrost the dough a few hours before you want to use it. You don’t need to rest it, just roll it out and spread za’atar over it (use roughly 2 Tbsps of olive oil + 2 Tbsps za’atar per flatbread). This makes a quick and easy late night snack!

Did you try this recipe? I’d love your feedback or any comments on what you thought! Leave a message below and follow me on facebook and instagram (@polyphagicabby). 🙂

Watch the Video Tutorial!

Summarized Recipe:

Za’atar Manakish

Date Published: August 2nd, 2020 | Last Updated: August 2nd, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: breads, easy, snacks
Serves: 8 (or 4 large ones) | Prep time: 1.5hrs (from start of dough) | Cook time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Directions:

  1. Make one dough ball from the basic dough recipe and let it proof for 1 hour until doubled in size (click here for tips on how to proof your dough in the oven). Once risen, punch the dough and knead a couple times on a floured surface to get rid of any air pockets. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces (or bigger if you prefer your manakish larger) and let it rest for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C.
  3. In a bowl combine the za’atar with the olive oil and mix.
  4. After the dough has rested, knead each ball a couple times on a floured surface then roll it out to 5mm thick (or to preference – the thinner you roll it, the crispier your flatbread and the thicker it is, the more fluffy it will be). Transfer the dough to a greased baking tray.
  5. Mix and spread your za’atar mixture over the dough and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 7-10 minutes until the edges are golden. Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving so the olive oil gets soaked into the bread. Enjoy!

Tip: If you don’t want to make an entire batch, you can freeze the divided dough balls by wrapping them in cling wrap and just defrost the dough a few hours before you want to use it. You don’t need to rest it, just roll it out and spread za’atar over it (use roughly 2 Tbsps of olive oil + 2 Tbsps za’atar per flatbread). This makes a quick and easy late night snack!

AbbyLeave a comment

Baked Chicken Katsu


Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, low-cal
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Jump to recipe |

NOM NOM NOM I LOVE KATSU. When Toby and I head out to a Japanese restaurant, katsu is usually one of our go-to items to order (second to ramen, of course).

If you’re not familiar with katsu, it’s essentially a Japanese version of a schnitzel topped with an iconic tonkatsu sauce. A katsu is made with either chicken (breast or thigh) or a pork cutlet (called tonkatsu). The breading is made with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) rather than traditional breadcrumbs which results in a lighter, flakier, and crispier texture.

I’m not a fan of deep-frying things at home because a) you need to use so much oil, b) it pains me to waste all that oil for one dish, c) health reasons, and d) the clean up afterwards from oil splatters. Don’t get me wrong, I love having the occasional take-away fried foods, but I just really dislike deep-frying things at home. This was the reason why I never tried to make katsu at home and save it for restaurant outings until now! I stumbled across this recipe from Just One Cookbook (which is filled with amazing Japanese recipes btw and defs worth checking out) and I was skeptical if it would be as good as the real deep-fried thing. For the sake of science, experimentation, and the quest to making great food, I made both versions: one deep-fried one and one baked.

  • Top is baked, bottom is deep-fried
  • Both version served with homemade Japanese curry!

I’m VERY happy to report that the baked version was unanimously favoured over the deep-fried version. Who would’ve thought!? The baked version had a crispier texture with better crunch and was (obviously) less oily than the deep-fried version. The colour wasn’t as dark, but that’s easily solved by pre-toasting the breadcrumbs for the baked version.

Overall this recipe was surprisingly easy and quick with very minimal prep work. It’s rare that I can cook up a dish without having to do any chopping. Best of all, it’s also relatively low in calories too (under 300 calories per serving!). This recipe definitely makes the top 20 list in my books.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 4 chicken breasts, butterflied (note: one chicken breast makes a pretty large portion once you butterfly it (see finished photo) so I usually aim for 3/4 of a breast per person (unless you’ve got a big appetite) which is why I’ve written 4-6 servings for this recipe)
    • This recipe works well with chicken thighs or boneless pork loin chops as well (pound the chops to ~1.2cm thick)
  • salt & ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 2 large egg, beaten

Directions:

Rinse and pat the chicken breasts dry. If you haven’t already, butterfly your chicken breasts (see photo tutorial below on how to do this or click here for more detailed instructions). Season breasts with salt and pepper. Set aside.

(If you’re using pork cutlets, score the edge where the fat and the meat meet to ensure your cutlet doesn’t curl when cooking and use a meat tenderizer mallet to pound the cutlets to about 1.2cm thick.)

  • Two chicken breasts
  • Cut off the small side piece of meat and reserve it for later use
  • Starting at the thicker side, slice the breast in half, keeping your knife parallel with the chopping board but don’t cut all the way through
  • Stop cutting when you get near the end of the breast. Open it up and done!
  • Ta-da! Two butterflied chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 200˚C.

Heat a skillet on medium heat and add olive oil.

Add in the panko breadcrumbs and stir to combine with the oil and toast the panko until golden brown. Put the crumbs in a large bowl and set aside to cool.

Note: When you bake a katsu, the colour of the breadcrumbs doesn’t change much in the oven compared to deep-frying, which is why this step is important to get that delicious toasty crumb.

Prepare three bowls: 1) Flour, 2) Beaten eggs, 3) Toasted panko

Dip your butterflied chicken breasts first in the flour on both sides and shake off any excess flour. Make sure sure you cover every crevice. Then dip it in the beaten egg and finally in the toasted panko, pressing the crumbs in slightly to help them stick.

Set your chicken breasts on wire racks placed ontop of a baking tray and bake in the oven at 200˚C for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken juices run clear or a thermometer reads 74˚C in the thickest part of the breast.

Ready to bake! We made both chicken breast (top rack) and chicken thighs (bottom rack). Both came out perfectly. The breasts were more dense and steak-like whereas the thighs were more moist and chewier. Toby liked the thighs better whereas I liked the breasts. I guess to break the debate, chicken breast is healthier 😜.

While your chicken bakes, you can make the tonkatsu sauce (click to follow link to recipe).

Once your chicken is cooked, let it cool for a couple minutes on the wire rack and serve immediately as whole cutlet or slice it into strips, drizzled with tonkatsu sauce.

Summarized Recipe:

Baked Chicken Katsu

Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains, easy, low-cal
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • 4 chicken breasts, butterflied (or chicken thighs or boneless pork loin chops (pound chops to ~1.2cm thick))
  • salt & ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  • 4 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour)
  • 2 large eggs, beaten

Directions:

  1. Rinse your chicken and pat dry. Butterfly the chicken breasts (see photo tutorial above) and season with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.
    • If you’re using pork cutlets, score the edge where the fat and the meat meet to ensure your cutlet doesn’t curl when cooking and use a meat tenderizing mallet to pound the cutlet until about 1.2cm thick. Season with salt and pepper on both sides and set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 200˚C.
  3. On a pan on medium heat, toast the panko with the olive oil. Stir to combine and toast until golden brown. Then put your panko in a large bowl and set aside to cool.
  4. Place your flour on a large plate or bowl for easy dipping and do the same with the beaten egg.
  5. Now bread your chicken:
    1. Dunk the chicken breast in the flour bowl to cover both sides. Shake off any excess flour.
    2. Next coat it in the beaten eggs.
    3. Finally coat it in the toasted panko crumbs, pressing the crumbs in slightly to help them stick.
  6. Place your katsu onto a wire rack over an oven tray.
  7. Bake for about 20-25 minutes on the middle rack until the chicken is no longer pink inside. If you have an oven thermometer, your chicken should be about 74˚C.
  8. While your chicken is baking, you can make the tonkatsu sauce (click on this link for the recipe).
  9. When your chicken is ready, serve immediately either as an entire cutlet or you can cut them into strips, drizzled with tonkatsu sauce.

Abby3 Comments

Tonkatsu Sauce


Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, asian
Serves: 1/3 cup (enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 2 mins

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Here’s a recipe for an easy peasy tonkatsu sauce so you’ll never need to buy bottled sauce again (especially if you live ages away from the nearest Asian grocer like me). As the name suggests, tonkatsu sauce is most commonly used drizzled over a tonkatsu (a pork cutlet coated with breadcrumbs and deep fried). It’s a tangy flavourful sauce that gives tonkatsu its iconic flavour and it only takes a minute to make. This recipe makes enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes. You can double or triple the recipe and store it in an airtight container for a couple of weeks in the fridge. If you’d like to learn how to make a katsu, follow the recipe here.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 3/4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
  • 2 1/4 tsp sugar

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Done!

Tip: if you fine that the sauce us a little grainy from the sugar, you can warm it up in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until the sugar melts.

Summarized Recipe:

Tonkatsu Sauce

Date Published: August 1st, 2020 | Last Updated: August 1st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: sauces, asian
Serves: 1/3 cup (enough for 4 tonkatsu dishes) | Prep time: 2 mins | Cook time: 2 mins

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tbsps ketchup
  • 1 3/4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 1/4 tsp oyster sauce
  • 2 1/4 tsp sugar

Directions:

  1. Mix all the ingredients into a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust to personal preference. Done!

To make a katsu to pair with this sauce, follow the recipe here.

Tip: if you find the sauce a little grainy from the sugar, microwave it for 20 seconds and stir until the sugar dissolves. Serve when cooled.

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Hainanese Chicken Rice 海南雞飯


Date Published: July 31st, 2020 | Last Updated: July 31st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains
Serves: 4-5 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

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I LOVE Hainanese Chicken Rice (I feel like I’m starting too many of my posts like this – I guess that’s no surprise since I only upload dishes I love to eat heh heh). I know I say this with a lot of recipes, but this dish is pretty simple and you only need 6 ingredients: chicken, ginger, spring onion, garlic, salt, and rice. These 6 ingredients make up the chicken, the rice and the soup. Add some oil and you can make the dipping sauce too! Since there are a few components to this dish, the recipe is a little lengthy, but once you start cooking you’ll realize that there’s not much difficulty at all.

If you’re unfamiliar with what this dish is, Hainanese chicken rice has many variations but the most commonly seen version is usually composed of 5 components: 1) poached chicken, 2) rice cooked in chicken fat and broth, 3) dipping sauce (like spring onion ginger oil, a soy sauce based sauce and/or a chilli paste), 4) chicken broth, and 5) sliced cucumbers as a refresher from the rich flavours. The chicken is meant to be light and let the flavours of the sauces take over accompanied by the rice.

I’ve adapted this recipe from Sarah Tiong’s (mine and Toby’s favourite Masterchef Australia 2020 contestant) new cookbook Sweet, Savoury, Spicy. I’m usually not one for buying cookbooks and also not usually a Masterchef fan, but since the pandemic started this show has been our weekly constant, 4 days a week at 7:30pm. Sarah was known for her bold Asian flavours on the show and we’d always be salivating to whatever dish she whipped up so naturally when her cookbook came out I bought it right away. The recipe is more or less the same but I’ve changed up some minor cooking methods, added photos and rewrote it to make it easier to follow for myself (and you!). I’ve also recorded a video but it’ll take me a little while to edit the footage so sit tight. I’d definitely recommend checking out her cookbook – there’s some really good recipes there like Char Kway Teow!

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Every time I look at this photo it surprises me how little you need to make this dish!
  • 1 whole chicken (~1.6kg), rinsed
  • 4cm piece of ginger, unpeeled & crushed into pieces
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
  • 8 spring onions, cut into 7cm pieces
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 chicken stock cubes
  • 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
  • Optional: 2 pandan leaves, bruised and tied into knots
  • 1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • Cucumber slices to serve (optional)
  • Chilli paste/oil to serve (optional)
  • Optional: Spring Onion and Ginger Oil
    • 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
    • 6 spring onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup (250ml) neutral oil (canola, vegetable…etc.)

Directions:

Render the chicken fat: (This is an optional step. You can alternatively buy already rendered chicken fat called Schmaltz from the shops.) The rendered chicken fat will be used for the chicken rice.

  • Before: rear view of a whole chicken placed on its back
  • After: view of chicken with the fatty bits cut out
  • Opening of the chicken, note the two fatty bits at the entrance
  • Close up view of the two fatty bits with skin
  • I’m holding the fatty bits with attached skin to cut out
  • Acquired chicken fat and skin

There are two pieces of chicken fat at the entrance of the chicken cavity. Remove this fat and the accompanying skin by pulling or cutting it out. It doesn’t need to be pretty, you’re just trying to harvest as much fat as you can from this area with the skin. Don’t worry about taking too much skin – you won’t miss it.

Chop the acquired fat and skin into small pieces and put it in a dry non-stick pan on low-medium heat until the fat melts and the pieces become crispy and brown (see photo below). Be patient. This is a slow process and can take about 20-30mins. While you’re waiting you can start on the chicken.

Finished rendered chicken fat with crispy brown pieces

Cook the chicken: Place the whole chicken in a big pot and fill the pot with cold water until it just covers the chicken. Add the ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, spring onion, salt, and chicken stock cubes to the pot. Stir.

Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes (for larger chickens, cook for 20-25mins). After 15mins, turn off the heat and leave the chicken to poach in the soup for 20 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the spring onion and ginger oil (follow the link for more thorough step-by-step instructions). (Don’t forget about the rendered fat if it’s still going!)

  • In a bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, spring onion, and salt. Set aside.
  • In a skillet, heat the oil on med-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add in the ginger, garlic, spring onion and salt and stir for 20 seconds then turn off the heat. Let the ingredients steep in the hot oil and serve when cooled.

After 20mins, carefully remove the chicken from the broth and rest it for 20mins (ideally hanging off a hook or propped up to let any juices drip off into a bowl).

I didn’t have anywhere to hang my chicken so I got creative and used a wine bottle to prop it up. You can use tin can or glass jar as well. 😂

Chicken rice: While the chicken is resting, make the rice by heating the rendered fat (or 4 Tbsps of schmaltz if you haven’t rendered your own fat) in a medium sized pot (big enough to cook the rice in) on med-high heat and add in the remaining 5 cloves of garlic and uncooked rice. Stir fry the rice in the fat and garlic for a couple minutes until it’s completely coated in the chicken fat and fragrant.

Then cook the rice as normal using the broth that was used to poach the chicken in instead of regular water. You can do this step in a rice cooker or in the same pot over the stove:

I like to add in a few spring onions from the broth to the rice for a little extra flavour, texture and colour.

How I usually cook rice on the stove by using the same pot: add 3 cups of broth to the rice (and pandan leaves if using) and cook the rice with a lid on over low-medium heat until the broth is absorbed. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, taste and if the rice is still undercooked, add in half a cup of broth at a time and continue to cook with the lid on until cooked. Once rice is ready, turn off the heat and take off the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.

Once the rice is cooked and the chicken has cooled, rub the chicken all over with sesame oil then carve it into pieces. Done! Serve with sliced cucumber, rice, chilli sauce and the spring onion ginger oil. Enjoy!

Optional: you can serve the chicken broth as a side dish to take advantage of that delicious flavour! Bring it back to a boil and adjust with salt and pepper. If it’s too salty, add boiling water to dilute it. Alternatively, you can put the bones back into the broth from the leftover carcass/bones and simmer on low heat for several hours to create a rich chicken stock that can be used in any other recipes in the future or served as a basic stock. This stock can easily be frozen by straining out all the ingredients first. It’s perfect to use next time you make Hainanese chicken rice and use this concentrated stock instead of chicken stock cubes to poach the chicken and use it to make the rice.

Summarized Recipe:

Hainanese Chicken Rice 海南雞飯

Date Published: July 31st, 2020 | Last Updated: July 31st, 2020
Author: Abby |Category: asian, mains
Serves: 4-5 | Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (~1.6kg), rinsed
  • 4cm piece of ginger, unpeeled & crushed into pieces
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled & crushed
  • 8 spring onions, cut into 7cm pieces
  • 1 Tbsp salt
  • 2 chicken stock cubes
  • 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
  • Optional: 2 pandan leaves, bruised and tied into knots
  • 1-2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • Cucumber slices to serve (optional)
  • Chilli paste/oil to serve (optional)
  • Optional: Spring Onion and Ginger Oil
    • 1 Tbsp ginger, grated
    • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
    • 6 spring onions, thinly sliced
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 1 cup (250ml) neutral oil (canola, vegetable…etc.)

Directions:

  1. Render the chicken fat (optional*): There are two pieces of chicken fat at the entrance of the chicken cavity. Remove this fat and the accompanying skin by pulling or cutting it out. Chop it up into small pieces and put it in a dry non-stick pan on low-med heat until the fat melts and you get crispy pieces (see photo above). This step can take 20-30mins.
  2. Cook the chicken: While you’re waiting for your fat to render, place the whole chicken in a big pot and fill the pot with cold water until it just covers the chicken. Add the ginger, 5 cloves of garlic, spring onion, salt, and chicken stock cubes to the pot. Stir. Put a lid on the pot and bring the water to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes (for larger chickens, cook for 20-25mins). After 15mins, turn off the heat and leave the chicken to poach in the soup for 20 minutes.
  3. While the chicken is cooking, you can prepare the spring onion and ginger oil (follow the link for more thorough step-by-step instructions). (Don’t forget about the rendered fat if it’s still going!)
    1. In a bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, spring onion, and salt. Set aside.
    2. In a skillet, heat the oil on med-high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add in the ginger, garlic, spring onion and salt and stir for 20 seconds then turn off the heat. Let the ingredients steep in the hot oil and serve when cooled.
  4. After 20mins, carefully remove the chicken from the broth and rest it for 20mins (ideally hanging off a hook or propped up to let any juices drip off into a bowl).
  5. Chicken rice: While the chicken is resting, make the rice by heating the rendered fat (or 4 Tbsps of schmaltz if you haven’t rendered your own fat) in a medium sized pot (big enough to cook the rice in) on med-high heat and add in the remaining 5 cloves of garlic and uncooked rice. Stir fry the rice in the fat and garlic for a couple minutes until it’s completely coated in the chicken fat and fragrant. Then cook the rice as normal using the broth that was used to poach the chicken instead of regular water. You can do this step in a rice cooker or in the same pot over the stove:
    • How I usually cook rice on the stove by using the same pot: add 3 cups of broth to the rice (and pandan leaves if using) and cook the rice with a lid on over low-medium heat until the broth is absorbed. Once all the liquid has been absorbed, taste and if the rice is still undercooked, add in half a cup of broth at a time and continue to cook with the lid on until cooked. Once rice is ready, turn off the heat and take off the lid and fluff up the rice with a fork.
  6. Once the rice is cooked and the chicken has cooled, rub the chicken all over with sesame oil then carve it into pieces. Done! Serve with sliced cucumber, rice, chilli sauce and the spring onion ginger oil. Enjoy!
  7. Optional: you can serve the chicken broth as a side dish to take advantage of that delicious flavour! Bring it back to a boil and adjust with salt and pepper. If it’s too salty, add boiling water to dilute it. Alternatively, you can put the bones back into the broth from the leftover carcass/bones and simmer on low heat for several hours to create a rich chicken stock that can be used in any other recipes in the future or served as a basic stock. This stock can easily be frozen by straining out all the ingredients first. It’s perfect to use next time you make Hainanese chicken rice and use this concentrated stock instead of chicken stock cubes to poach the chicken and use it to make the rice.

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