Fish Trip Cafe

London gets ready for the Royal Wedding and The Union Jack flags are hanging everywhere in town.

I think, that’s the reason why I wanted to make a very British dish today.

Cream tea.

This is such a lovely afternoon treat : )

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— Classic Scones with Cream and Jam (makes 10 scones) —

220g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

50g butter

150g plain yogurt

1 egg york, beaten

Some icing sugar (option)

Clotted cream

Strawberry jam

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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Place the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl and mix well and lightly rub in the butter.

Add the yogurt into the flour mixture to make the dough soft and easy to knead.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board, put the dough out to thickness of about 2cm/3/4inch, cut out the scones with 5cm/2inch round cutter and place on a baking sheet.

Brush the top of the scones with the beaten egg.

Bake for about 15 minutes until well risen and golden.

Cool on a wire rack and dust with the icing sugar, serve with some clotted cream and strawberry jam.

Broa is a Portuguese style corn bread. Thick and crackly crusts with a soft and dense interior.

I love this rustic loaf, and I added chorizo and chives in the dough this time. The chorizo gives a nice spicy kick, this savory bread is the perfect dish for a picnic.

I’m not a morning person, but I feel great to wake up a couple of hours earlier and make a fresh loaf in the morning if the weather is beautiful and sunny like today.

Happy Easter!

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— Chorizo & Chive Broa Bread —

400g plain flour

200g cornmeal

2 teaspoons easy dry yeast

1 teaspoon salt

200g chorizo

10g chives

Some flour for dusting work surface

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Place the flour, cornmeal, easy dry yeast and salt in a large bowl and stir together, mix in 350ml lukewarm water.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board and knead for about 10 minutes, cover the dough with cling film and let rise for 40 minutes in a warm place.

Punch down and knead the dough on a flour surface board about 10 minuets.

Chop the chorizo and chives into small pieces, add to the dough.

Shape the dough to a round loaf and place on a floured baking sheet, and dust the top of the loaf with flour as well.

Cover the loaf and let rise for a further 40 minutes.

Hear the oven to 220C/425F.

Place on oven-proof dish of boiling water in the oven (take the dish of the boiling water out after 15 minutes), bake the loaf for about 30-40 minutes until golden.

Pork and ginger go well together, “Ginger pork (pan-fried pork with ginger sauce)” is Japan’s national favourite home cooking dish.

This recipe is slightly different from the traditional ginger pork recipe, but I think I prefer this version more.

Apple adds fruity flavour to the ginger sauce and makes the pork tender.

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— Pan-fried Apple Ginger Pork (serves 2) —

300g pork loin or shoulder steak

1 apple (small), grated

2 tablespoon soya sauce

2 tablespoon white wine

1 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon ginger, grated

Some corn flour

Salt and pepper

Some vegetable oil for frying

Some chopped parsley for garnish

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Place the grated apple, soya sauce, white wine and honey in a bowl and mix. Set aside.

Cut the pork steak into bite sized pieces and sprinkle with salt and peper.

Lightly dust the pork with some corn flour.

Heat some oil in a frying-pan, fry the pork over medium heat until lightly browned.

Pour the apple mixture into a frying-pan, stir and cook for 1 minutes.

Add the grated ginger and mix everything.

Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley.

Green tea powder – also known as Matcha – is traditionally used in the Japanese tea ceremony and a popular sweets ingredient in Japan now.

This is a chilled dessert custard that has rich and mildly bitter green tea flavour and creamy in texture.

The beautiful natural green colour and the scent of Matcha make me calm.

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— Green Tea Crème (serves 4-5)—

1&1/2 tablespoon green tea powder

100ml milk

150ml single cream

50g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 egg york

whipped cream, to serve (optional)

green tea powder, to serve (optional)

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Preheat the oven 160C/320F.

Mix the green tea powder with 3 tablespoons of warm water until dissolved. Set aside.

Place the milk, single cream in a small saucepan oven medium heat until just comes to the boil. Add the dissolved green tea and mix.

Place the eggs, egg york and sugar in a bowl and mix until well combined. Gradually add the milk mixture, mix to combine.

Strain the mixture through a fine-meshed strainer and pour into the cups.

Place in a deep baking dish and pour in enough hot water.

Bake for about 30 minutes until set.

Remove from the baking dish and refrigerate until cool.

Serve topped with the whipped cream and green tea powder if desired.

Light up Japan recipe –No.10

One of the main reasons why I like spring is cherry blossoms.

Cherry blossoms have special meanings in Japanese culture, these are seen as a metaphor for life. A noble, beautiful blooming followed by the inevitable fall.

At this time of the year in Japan, we have a lot of ‘cherry blossom viewing party’. Drinking, eating and singing under the cherry blossom trees, appreciate and celebrate the beauty of cherry blossoms.

Japanese people are still having a very sad and hard time, but I believe that cherry blossoms lift their spirits.

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— Cherry Blossom and Green Olive Rice (Serves 2) —

8-10 salt-preserved cherry blossoms

8-10 green olives

300g rice (Japanese short grain white rice, or sushi rice)

420ml water

*****

— for salt-preserved cherry blossoms—

100g double-flowered cherry blossoms

50g sea salt

50g sea salt for preserve

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— Salt-preserved cherry blossoms —

Cut the flowers (with the short stems), wash them gently in cold water and drain.

Toss the blossoms with the salt, place the salted flowers in a plate, cover with cling film and place a weight on the top of it to force out excess water, then leave it for 2 days.

Drain the water, and pat dry the flowers with kitchen papers.

Place the flowers in a small bowl, sprinkle them with the vinegar, cover with cling film and place a weight on the top of it again, and leave it for 2 more days.

Drain the vinegar, pat dry the flower with kitchen papers, toss the flowers with the sea salt (for preserve) and store them in a small, clean jar.

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— Cherry Blossoms and Green Olive Rice —

Place 8-10 salt-preserved cherry blossoms in a bowl with 420ml water, leave the flowers for 10 minutes.

Take out the cherry blossoms from the water, wring water out of the flowers (keep the water in a bowl for cooking rice*).

Rinse the rice in a clod water, changing the water several times until the water runs almost clear.

Drain the washed rice in a sieve and place in a saucepan.

Pour the water in a bowl* in the pan and cover with tight-fitting rid.

Bring to the boil over high heat and let cook for 2 minute. Reduce the heat to the lowest and simmer (always cover the pan with a rid) 15 minute. Remove from the heat, still covered, and leave the pan for another 10 minutes.

Finely cut the cherry blossoms and green olives.

Mix the cooked rice, cherry blossoms and green olives together.

Light up Japan recipe –No.9

Spring has come and it’s a good idea to eat fresh Spring rolls and be refresh and enjoy Spring.

This is a great way to eat a lot of vegetables and herbs.

The creamy rich peanut dipping sauce is my favourite and I can eat too many spring rolls with it.

Suitable for vegans too.

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— Salad Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce (makes 6 rolls) —

6 medium size sheets dried rice paper

6 leaves lettuce

1 avocado

1 carrot

Handful of coriander leaves

Handful of mint leaves

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— For the peanut sauce —

2 tablespoons peanut butter

2/3 tablespoon miso paste

1/2 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoons soya milk

1/2 vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 small chili, finely chopped

2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, chopped (for garnish)

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— Peanut sauce —

Heat the oil in a saucepan and lightly cook the garlic and chili.

Add the peanut butter, miso paste, honey and soya milk and mix together thoroughly, cook over low heat for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the chopped peanuts.

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— Salad Spring Rolls —

Tear the lettuce leaves into large pieces, cut the carrot into thin strips, cut the avocado into wedges.

Fill a large bowl with hot water, dip one wrapper into the hot water for 3 seconds to soften and flexible.

Lay the wrapper flat, place some coriander and mint leaves in a line about 1 inch from the edge of the wrapper, add some thin stripped carrot, avocado wedges, and lettuce leaves, then tightly roll the wrapper. Cut the rolls into quarters. Repeat with all the sheets.

Light up Japan recipe –No.8

This spring onion pesto makes your pesto a little bit different.

The green part of spring onion brings a delicious bold flavour.

Simply enjoy this pesto as a pasta sauce, or it can be used in so many ways like the usual basil pesto.

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— Spring Onion Pesto  (400ml jar, serves 6-8 people) —

50g spring onion (only the green part), chopped

20g basil leaves, chopped

50g parmesan cheese, freshly grated

2 clove garlic, peels and crushed

3 tablespoons pine nuts

150 ml extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

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Heat a frying pan over medium heat and toast the pine nuts lightly for 2 minutes.

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend to a purée (don’t over blend).

Either use immediately or store in a jar in the fridge.

Light up Japan recipe –No.7

I came up with this omelette idea when I saw Easter eggs in a shop.

Egg is a symbol of the rebirth, and I believe that Japan’s rebirth.

I like eggs. They are reliable and I can cook them so many ways; sauces, savoury snacks and deserts etc. Very good friend in the kitchen.

This omelette is light, nutritious and cook in a flash.

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— Herb Omelette with Smoked Salmon (2 omelettes) —

3 eggs

1 tablespoon dill, chopped

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

100g smoked salmon

40 g rocket leaves

60g cream cheese

A pinch of salt and pepper

Some oil (for frying)

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Place the eggs and mayonnaise in a bowl and lightly whisk to combine. Add the chopped dill and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Heat a fringe-pan (about 8 inch in diameter) over medium-high heat and add a little bit of oil.

Pour the wharf amount of the egg mixture on to the pan. Tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the egg mixture coats the surface evenly.

Cook the egg mixture for about 1 minutes, flip over and cook the other side for 20 seconds.

Transfer the omelette to a plate. Repeat the process and make another omelette.

Spread the cream cheese on the omelette, arrange the rocket leaves and smoked salmon and fold the omelette in half.

Light up Japan recipe –No.6

Chocolate can boost your mood and makes you happy.

This is a sweet little treat for the weekend.

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— Chocolate Mousse (6 cups) —

200g dark chocolate, broken into pieces

25g unsalted butter

3 tablespoons dark rum

120ml double cream

3 egg whites

1 tablespoon caster sugar

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60g dark chocolate (for decoration)

18 raspberries (for decoration)

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— Chocolate cups —

Cut out baking paper 12 inch x 2 inch, 6 strips.

Roll up one strip of the paper and place inside a 2&1/2 inch pastry cutter. Open out the paper and lines the cutter.

Set a bowl on top of hot water and melt the 60g chocolate, leave the melted chocolate until a little bit harder.

Holding the cutter with one hand, spoon the chocolate and put into the cutter, brush the chocolate up the side of the paper to make the top of cup irregular edge.

Carefully lift away the cutter and repeat to make 6 cups. Chill until set and peel the baking paper.

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— Chocolate Mousse —

Set a bowl on top of hot water and melt the chocolate, then stir in the butter until melted and add the rum. Stir gently until smooth.

Whip the double cream in a bowl.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until peaking, and whisk in the sugar.

Fold the cream, then egg whites into melted chocolate mixture until evenly combined.

Pour the mousse into the chocolate cups and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Topping some raspberries.