Fish Trip Cafe

This bite-sized Japanese style fried chicken is called ‘karaage’. It’s crisp and juicy, and has a soy sauce based savory flavour.

Karaage makes a great appetizer or light meal, or a perfect picnic snack.
Spring is almost here.

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— Japanese Style Fried Chicken (Serves 2-3) —

400g boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine (sake)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

A pinch of black pepper

3 tablespoons potato starch or cornstarch

2 tablespoons plane flour

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Lemon wedges for garnish

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Place the soy sauce, rice wine, minced garlic, grated ginger, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and mix to coat well. Let marinate for around 30 minutes.

Heat the vegetable oil to 350F / 180C.

Mix the potato starch and flour in a shallow bowl. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and thorough coat each piece in the flour mixture and shake off excess.

Deep-fry in oil for two times (it makes the chicken crispy outside and juicy inside). First, deep-fry for 90 seconds (deep-fry the chicken pieces a few at a time), transfer them onto a wire rack to drain oil, leave them for 4 minutes. Deep-fry again for 40 seconds or until golden brown. Transfer the chicken onto a wire rack to drain excess oil.

Serve with lemon wedges.

This is a very light and refreshing courgette tart.

It’s been raining all day long today, I enjoy staying home and baking.

Nice and relaxing rainy Sunday.

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— Courgette and Feta Tart (8 inch round) —

2 courgettes, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

100ml single cream

2 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

1 tablespoon lemon zest, shredded

A pinch of black pepper

5 sheets filo pastry

2 tablespoons butter, melted

100g feta cheese, crumbled

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Place the shredded courgette in a large bowl, sprinkle the salt and toss to combine. Leave for 30 minutes. Place on a layer of paper towels and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

Preheat the oven to 340F / 170C.

Brash the 8 inch round baking dish with melted butter, layer with filo sheets (each sheet at a different angle) blushing with melted butter between each layer.

Place the eggs and single cream in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Add the dill, lemon zest, black pepper and squeezed courgette, mix everything together. Pour into the filo case and sprinkle with the crumbled feta cheese.

Gently fold the filo sheet edges to create a rustic-looking open face tart.

Bake for about 40 minutes until just set.

Rice balls called ‘onigiri‘ are one of Japan’s favourite comfort snacks.
White rice shaped into balls or triangles, usually stuffed with fish or vegetable fillings and wrapped in nori seaweed.
Portable and easy to eat, much like sandwich in the West.

This is a fusion type of onigiri, and I love them.

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— Prosciutto Wrapped Cheese Rice Balls (12 rice balls) —

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

420ml water

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

40g cheddar cheese

A handful of  wild rocket leaves

1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

12 slices prosciutto

Black pepper

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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 420ml water 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.

Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying-pan over medium-low heat until golden.

Cut the cheddar cheese into very small pieces.

Mix the cooked rice, roasted sesame seeds and cheddar cheese.

Once the rice mixture has cooled just enough, form it into 12 log-shaped rice balls.

Wrap each rice ball in a strip of prosciutto.

In a bowl, mix together the olive oil and balsamic vinegar and toss the wild rocket leaves.

Arrange the rocket leaves on top of the wrapped rice balls and sprinkle with black pepper.

This is a nice and warm breakfast on a cold day.

London was covered with snow over the weekend and there were a lot of snowmans in the town. They made me feel nice and warm too.

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— Bacon & Egg Toast Cups (6 cups) —

6 slices white sandwich bread

6 slices bacon

6 small eggs

30g shredded cheese

A pinch of salt and black pepper

Some Olive oil

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Preheat the oven to 400F/ 200C.

Cook bacon strips in a frying-pan over medium heat until almost crisp and drain excess oil on kitchen papers.

Lightly grease 6 muffin cups with olive oil.

Cut out rounds of bread slices about 3.5 inches in diameter with a cookie cutter or a wide-mouthed glass. Press the bread rounds into the muffin cups.

Curl bacon strips into the bread cups.

Sprinkle a small amount of shredded cheese to the edges of bread cups.

Crack eggs and drop into the bread cups, sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste.

Bake until egg white are just set, about 8-10 minutes.

It’s time to wrap up cosy and warm. Asparagus wrapped in bacon. Pole wrapped in pink scarf. I wrapped in a blanket.

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— Bacon Wrapped Asparagus —

Smoked streaky bacon

Asparagus

Black pepper

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Trim the asparagus of the woody ends. Cut the asparagus into 1 inch pieces.

Cut the strip of bacon in 1/2, Wrap each piece of asparagus in the bacon and thread onto skewers.

Grill the skewers for 5-6 minutes, then flip and grill for another 5 minutes until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is crisp.

Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper.

Fluffy puffy cheesy pastries to huffy puffy.

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— Gougères – Cheese Puffs (makes 24 pastries) —

200g plain flour

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

220ml water

100g butter

4 eggs

100g grated gruyere cheese

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Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Combine the flour, nutmeg, salt and black pepper in a bowl.

Place the 220ml water and butter in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. When the butter melt, turn the heat to low and add the flour mixture all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until it turns into a smooth paste.

Take the saucepan off the heat and let it cool slightly.

Beat in the eggs one at a time until a smooth and glossy dough forms. Then stir in about 2/3 of the grated cheese.

Using a piping bag or tow teaspoons, heap walnut-sized balls onto a baking sheet. Sprinkle with the rest of cheese on the top of the dough balls.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Kitchen.

I’ve been busy for a couple of weeks and didn’t have enough time to be in the kitchen.

I decided to make a homemade pizza this afternoon, in my kitchen.

Knead the dough, cut the tomatoes and bake it in the oven.

Relaxing and soothing.

Kitchen is my favourite place.

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— Prosciutto & Rocket Pizza (2 x 10 inch round pizzas) —

— ingredients for pizza dough —

200g plain flour

1/2 tablespoon dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

*****

— ingredients for the topping —

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

10 slices prosciutto

200g cherry tomatoes, halves

100g grated mozzarella cheese

60g wild rocket leaves

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

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Place the dry yeast and sugar in a bowl, mix in 120ml lukewarm water. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, salt and olive oil in a different bowl, add the yeast mixture and mix together.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board and knead for about 5 minutes.

Make the dough into a ball, place on a floured tray under a clean, dump cloth and set aside in a warm place for 40 minutes.

To make the garlic oil, place the minced garlic and olive oil in a small bowl and mix until well combined.

Divide the pizza dough into 2 balls and roll out on a floured surface board to 10 inch rounds.

Brush the baking tray with olive oil and lay the round bases on the tray.

Spread the garlic oil and top with grated mozzarella, tomatoes and prosciutto.

Bake in a preheated 220C/425F oven for about 15-20 minutes until topping is golden and the base is crispy.

Top the pizza with the wild rocket leaves and spoon over the Balsamic vinegar to serve.

Huge flowers in the night sky.

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— Wasabi Mayonnaise Chicken Skewers (8-10 skewers) —

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

400g chicken thigh

Salt and papper

Some chives, finely chopped

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Mix the wasabi paste and mayonnaise in a small bowl. Set aside.

Trim the excess skin and fat from the chicken thigh, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.

Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers, lightly season with salt and pepper.

Grill for 4-5 minutes each side until cooked through. Coat the wasabi mayonnaise mixture on top side of the chicken skewers, and then grill for another 2 minutes.

Sprinkle with the finely chopped chives.

What I like about Holland most is “FEBO” (fast-food vending machine). Open the drawer and there is a warm croquet anytime!  :)

I and my friend are very excited when we find it (well, we were a bit drunk…), and decided to eat all kind of FEBO croquettes while we are in Amsterdam.

Hanging around the town and eat FEBO, drink beers and get FEBO, give up the sightseeing and try to find FEBO… All I remember about Amsterdam is FEBO.

This blue cheese croquettes is not the FEBO style croquette, but I always remember the amazing vending machine ”FEBO” when I make croqueetes.

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— Blue Cheese Croquettes (10 croquettes) —

400g potatoes

1 tablespoon butter, melted

100ml milk

Salt and black pepper

80g blue cheese, crushed into small pieces

1 egg, beaten

140g plain flour

160g breadcrumbs

Oil for deep-flying

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Boil the potatoes with skin on until tender. Drain and let them cool down.

Peel the potatoes and place in a bowl and and mash. Add the butter, milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix them until evenly combined.

Add the crushed blue cheese in the potato mixture and mix gently.

Divide the mixture into 10 and form into chunky log shapes. Put them on a tray and refrigerate for about an hour.

Heat the deep-frying oil to 350F/180C.

Roll the croquettes in the flour first, then beaten egg and then the breadcrumbs.

Deer-fry the croquettes until golden brown all over.

The Camembert volcanic eruption!

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— Baked Camembert (serves 2) —

150g camembert in a wooden box

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced

A pinch of fresh thyme leaves

A pinch of sea salt and black pepper

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Baguette or toasted bread to serve

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Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.

Unwrap the cheese and place the cheese back in the wooden box.

Score a circle into the top of the skin, then lift it off and discard.

Lay the sliced garlic on the top, sprinkle thyme leaves and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, drizzle with olive oil.

Bake the camembert for about 25 minutes until golden and nicely melted.

Serve with baguette slices.