#ewew cooks Fish Paste Related Dishes

For those who have read my previous post on how much I love to eat fish cake, I now also love to cook them at home.  This was after I found a good ready-made fish paste recently from my fishmonger at the wet market.

It comes conveniently packed in a tub like this and one tub costs RM20.  A small price to pay for something that's very time consuming to make from scratch.  I first learned how to make fish paste from watching my mom do it but made it only once after that...and realised it was too much work...lol! >_<

There are a few types of fish that's suitable to make fish paste (into fish cake or fish balls) such as wolf herring (ikan parang or sai dou yue), narrow-barred Spanish mackerel (tenggiri batang or kau yue) distinguished by its narrow body size with vertical bands, Spanish spotted mackerel (tenggiri papan, some call this tenggiri bunga also ) recognisable by its broader body with spots and yellowtail fusilier (which is the best fish to use according to the experts) while some even use tilapia (the first two are the more common options).  I get a whole kau yue/Spanish spotted mackerel/tenggiri papan and if you can't differentiate (like many of us) which type of mackerel to use (and if you think you can spot the difference between spots & vertical bands, good luck...lol), it's best to just ask the fishmonger for the one that's meant to make fish paste (coz the right one has a stickier flesh when done).  You then get your fishmonger to cut it lengthwise into two fillets for you (leaving the bone in the centre).  When at home, scrape the flesh off the skin (and bones), then use a big cleaver to chop/mince the fish meat finely until it forms a sticky paste.  While doing this, make some salt water (by mixing salt with water, my mom adds a bit cornflour) and season the fish as you chop.  The chopping/mincing part is tedious (I've seen my mom using two cleavers to do this).  Don't waste the unused parts like head, bones, skin and tail as you can make a good fish stock out of them by frying them first before boiling with some aromatics.

For convenience, I just rely on ready-made fish paste coz I'm not willing to go through all the work of making my own.  Of course one of the most common thing you can do with fish paste is to stuff them and make yong tau foo.  That to me also involves too much work...you have to slice up all kinds of vegetables (like eggplant, bitter gourd, ladies finger & chillies) and some are tedious to stuff before deep-frying them, so I'm more into buying ready-made yong tau foo too.  The only yong tau foo I'd consider making (coz it's the easiest) is to stuff them into a tofu puff.  You just need to cut each tofu puff into half and fill it with a bit of fish paste before shallow-frying them.

You can serve them just like this...which I do (since my son loves them this way).  The tofu puff turns out really crispy if you eat them soon after they're fried.

I'd sometimes cook them in a simple sauce of oyster + soy especially if there are leftovers (not that it happens often!).  This is because since they're leftovers and had gotten soft, so it's more ideal to let the softened puffs absorb the flavours of a sauce.

Other than making the simplest form of yong tau foo, I usually just make them into mini fish cakes.  I just shape them into small round pieces by scooping some fish paste into the palm of my hands to shape them (just make sure you wet the spoon and your hands so that the fish paste doesn't stick to your hands).  See how they puff up during the frying process.  But first, as promised in my previous post, I would share with you a little secret/tip on how and why I was served a fish cake that looked deflated.

That's because I've come to know that the fish paste I buy from the market is made with pure fish meat with probably no flour in the mix (or if there is, just very little)...and when it's fried, it puffs up looking like a proper fish cake but once cooled, it deflates and looks all wrinkly.  Those you come across which keeps its shape well (even after frying) probably have a lot of flour to keep the texture firm and the fish cake in shape...and that explains its overly springy/bouncy texture.  I actually love to eat this type of fish cake that's made purely with just fish even though they aren't that pretty to look at.  I usually fry up the whole tub and keep them for use in a stir-fry later with my vegetables of choice.

Just a simple stir-fry with cabbage, I've both protein and vegetables in one dish...which is perfect for me for a one-dish meal which I cook frequently.

You can cook them with any vegetable of your choice...just like I did here with red and green capsicum. Really delicious.

If I weren't able to get the ready-made fish paste from my fishmonger, I'd settle for the ready-made fish cake from Ah Koong whenever I happen to dine there.  Just remove from the package and pan-fry lightly when you're ready to eat them...so simple and convenient! ;)

Again, I use it in the same way...stir-fried with some greens.  I especially like it with green dragon vegetable (ching loong choy).

I also stir-fry it regularly with romaine or cos lettuce (yau mak) or spinach (poh choy).  I like to cut the fish paste into thick slices for a good bite (you can cut them thinly too if that's what you prefer).

So, there you have it...the next time you have fish cake, if it's deflated and ugly looking, you know it's made with (almost) pure fish paste and that's all good (at least to me)...lol! ^_~  But between the two, ready-made fish paste or ready-cooked fish cake, I'd go for the former (even though there's a bit of extra work involved in frying them) since it tastes loads better.  And best of all, you don't have to worry about the seasoning, it comes already seasoned with just the right amount of salty aftertaste.  So yum, so good! ^.^

Ming Kee Cantonese @ Jalan Imbi

My husband suggested Ming Kee Cantonese @ Jalan Imbi for dinner one evening coz he has been having his meals there rather regularly of late (like twice a week) coz it offers such great value for money, he said.

Ming Kee has many branches, some are known as Ming Kee (or MK) Porridge while others are listed as Ming Kee Cantonese.  I believe they were known for their porridge when they first started out but has now expanded their menu to serve more than just porridge.  You can find them in PJ SS2, Bukit Jalil, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Kepong Menjalara and Balakong Cheras besides the one in Imbi (sometimes referred to as Ming Kee TRX).

Seeing that this is Imbi and the restaurant is located just beside the road (along the same row as the well-known Imbi Road Fried Hokkien Mee or "once used to be good but now caters mainly to tourists due to its proximity to TRX?"), parking can be challenging.  Those not afraid of getting a summon will just park next to the road, otherwise find parking along the lorong-lorong or alleyways.

Entering the air-conditioned restaurant, I found it to be bright, clean, spacious, comfortable and just aesthetically pleasing to the eye.  I noticed a staircase too, so the restaurant spans two floors.

I'm guessing their signature dish must be porridge (from their name) and roasted meats...even though only the roast ducks were on display (it was dinner time already).  I reckon you can see all the glorious roasted meats on full display earlier on in the day. ^_~

My husband wanted me to try the food here coz he feels the price vs portion is very good value.  His favourite + usual order is this Roasted Duck Rice @ RM12.20 served with braised egg and vegetables of bok choy and radish (this didn't taste like radish to me coz the texture was chewy instead of crunchy but my husband was told it's radish!).

Like me, my husband prefers duck breast.  Just look at the portion of thick slices of duck breast for the price of RM12.20 (!)...and it comes with a whole braised egg some more.  I don't think you can get a better deal elsewhere (and you get to eat this in comfort too).  It's like the price of a plate of chap fan in a coffee shop, he said.  By the way, a whole duck here costs RM70 (for those of you who can devour a whole duck *wink wink*)!

My son went for the 2-Combo Rice (with Char Siew & Siu Yuk) @ RM18.80 and it was similarly served with a braised egg and vegetables.  The colour on the hard-boiled egg is an indication that the egg has been braised beautifully.

As for the char siew, it arrived looking the part with well caramelised edges and a good ratio between fat and lean.  I taste tested one piece and thought it was well balanced between savoury and sweet with a very tender mouthfeel.

I chose the 2-Combo Noodle (with Roasted Duck & Siu Yuk) @ RM18.80 simply because char siew is something I'm trying to avoid and eat less of.  My plate was filled with 5 thick slices of duck breast that were indeed moist and super tender to the bite (but don't expect crispy skin ya) though I felt the meat could do with a bit more flavour.  Overall, an above average roasted duck and I can see why my husband is smitten with it.

The half lean, half fat siu yuk I had was decent too with crispy skin still (even though it was dinner time already).  The cut may not be the best (in my eyes) coz I like my siu yuk in shorter pieces which is the best cut I feel for that crunchy skin to meat ratio.  My husband says the one he eats in SS2 usually comes in a shorter cut unlike the one here.  If the cut is like this, I'd rather have the char siew over the siu yuk.

I enjoyed the texture of the noodles and the sauce it was tossed in was pleasant too with the fragrance of pork lard oil and some pork lard crisps.

I ordered a bowl of Shrimp Wantan Soup @ RM16.90 (to share) which came in a robust soup base that's probably flavoured with dried flounder shavings with a sprinkling of shrimp roe powder on top.  It's something like those you get at Mak's Chee.

The bowl had 5 big wantans that were filled with a sizeable whole prawn cut in two (with a bit of minced pork) which were reassuringly fresh, juicy and sweet tasting.  I thought the wantans were excellent.

I also ordered an appetiser in the form of a Smacked Cucumber Salad @ RM8.30 (not sure why they called it smacked...lol), something refreshing to start our meal.  I thought it'd be similar to those served in Taiwanese restaurants like Din Tai Fung.

Unfortunately, though the cucumber sticks were crunchy as they should be, it was too garlicky, the minced fresh garlic was way too pungent...and there was something else that was overpowering too, I think it was either the Chinese wine or vinegar (used in the pickling of the cucumber)! >_<  I had to ask for it to be packed (coz no-one would help me eat it) but, even then, I had to throw it away as I could not stomach it either at home.

Our plate of greens for sharing was this Dry Fried Four Seasons Beans @ RM17 (such a fancy name, four seasons beans, otherwise known as green beans lah), a popular vegetable dish I find on the menu of many restaurants.  This one was aptly executed though not quite up to the standards of the one we love in Esquire Kitchen.

The only difference with this one is that they've added Chinese mushrooms (and a bit of red chillies) to the green beans fried with minced pork.  I also had to tapau the unfinished portion into my container, not because I over ordered but because I underestimated how filling the portions of our noodle/rice dishes were.

Our drinks of a rather refreshing Cantonese Fruit Tea (Cold) @ RM6 and Hot Ginger Tea @ RM4.90.  I ordered ginger tea thinking it'd probably be the less sweet option but it turned out otherwise (even though it was thickly ginger flavoured), so my husband had to finish it for me.  For those who appreciate their utensils sanitised and served immersed in hot water, they'd be happy to know you get that here.

My Personal Opinion

In the end, I thought all the roasted meats were more than decent taking into consideration the price and portion...though for once, I can't say one was better than the other.  They also offer boiled (or poached) and soya sauce chicken on their menu besides a rather interesting option for duck...black truffle duck (which can only be ordered whole or half).  Not to forget an order of soup wantans (which were especially good with whole prawns) to go with your rice or noodles.

For the price, portion and taste (as well as the comfortable dining environment), this is a good choice to include in your list of roasted meats places to eat in.  It certainly will be ours.  The next time I'm here, I'd probably want to try their porridge which is their speciality.

A word of caution, however, is that I noticed not all branches have similar good ratings...so choose the branch you want to eat in wisely...lol!  The branch we ate in happens to have the highest ratings, so I can vouch for the taste (since I tried it) and the SS2 branch that my husband has his weekday meals regularly.

Ming Kee Cantonese

No 19 Jalan Barat

Off Jalan Imbi

55100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel: 03-2110 5501

Who Loves Fish Cake.....Besides Me?

One of my most favourite things to eat is fish cake (or fish paste)...which doesn't come as a surprise since I adore eating fish!  In my food outings, I've had the privilege of coming across (and eating) some really good fish cake.

When it comes to what constitutes a good fish cake, there are divided opinions...two schools of thought, if you may.  There are those who like them with a very springy texture while others prefer a more chewy, not too bouncy texture...I'm the latter.

One of my favourite fish cake comes from this shop, Yin Kee Fish Ball Noodles @ Jalan Pudu Ulu, specialising in fish ball noodles.  They obviously make their own fish balls and fish cake, both are by-products of their own-made fish paste...and they're both really good.

This fish cake is a cross between lightly springy and slightly chewy...and it's among one of the best fish cakes for me (I'd put this at the very top of my list).  We like to order this separately as a side snack.  The same fish cake is also cut into thin slices to be used in their fish ball noodles.

Another well-loved fish cake is the one from this yong tau foo/chee cheong fun shop, Yap Hup Kee @ Pudu.  It goes without saying that one of the best ways to use own-made fish paste is to make yong tau foo with it...and the fried fish cake is one of our favourite items (and also one of their costlier items) to order here.

I'm not sure if this qualifies as a 100% fish cake though as I feel it's far too tasty to be just fish paste alone. I've long suspected that there may be some pork in there.  The texture is more dense, not bouncy at all...and we absolutely love it (my family's favourite) irrespective if it's just fish or fish+pork! ;)

Next on the shortlist is one that will satisfy lovers of firm and bouncy fish cakes and it's the one from Ah Koong Restaurant @ Pudu.  It's a bit too bouncy (for me), a sign that the fish cake probably has too much flour in the mix though I don't mind eating it too.

I especially like the convenience of their vacuum-packed, ready-made ones that I can buy for use in some of my homecooked dishes.  It's something fast and easy to use that I rely on quite regularly at home.  I usually use them in a stir-fry with vegetables.

From a chee cheong fun stall located inside Kedai Makanan Red Leaf @ Jalan Loke Yew (now known as Piau Kee Kopitiam), I discovered another worthy fish cake.  I've not included this chee cheong fun stall in my reviews coz the taste is nothing worth mentioning but found that they were willing to make a fish cake for me on the spot.

So I grabbed the opportunity one day and took up their offer (and if I remember correctly, it cost me something like RM10).  The portion might look very little for the price coz it's pure fish paste + it deflated when it was served (by the way, it tasted terrific)! :O  I actually witnessed them taking a portion of pure fish paste and frying it in the wok where it puffed up looking like a 'real' fish cake before deflating (I'll let you in on a little secret/tip in my next post why this happened).

Straying a bit further from home to find another decent fish cake is the one in Tang Pin Kitchen @ SS2 PJ though we have not been there for a long time.  I remember their fish cake has a texture quite similar to Ah Koong's, maybe not as firm but still pretty springy.

There used to be one near me which offered a pretty good fish cake which we enjoyed (at dinner time) though the place has since closed but I'd mention it nonetheless since it deserved a place in my "fish cake list"...lol.

The texture is the springy type, but only slightly and certainly not overly bouncy, something along the lines of the ones in Tang Pin Kitchen.

And finally, closer to home, I've only found two choices, not great choices, but they'll have to do if I'm thinking of having fish cake.  One is from Tasty La La Noodles and the other, HoLiao Noodles, in my neigbourhood.

Perhaps I may have eaten some other good fish cakes which I can't remember but these were the five that stood out enough for me to remember...lol!  Yap Hup Kee (which my family loves) and Ah Koong (where I also buy their ready-made ones) are now the two places I frequent most for fish cakes although (personally) I think Yin Kee yields the best fish cake I've tasted so far but it's not a place I can eat regularly at as my family is not into fish ball noodles. :'(

Cooking an Entire Western Meal in an Airfryer

Since embarking on a restrictive diet about 11 months ago, I've been doing a lot more cooking at home and a lot less eating outside...and that's a given since doing one's own cooking would mean we control what we cook and what seasonings we put in.

To control sugar means we have to control our carbs...so, what's the best dish to make if we want to omit rice or noodles?  A western meal, of course...and a western meal of roast chicken is the easiest protein to cook and nail successfully...not to mention it's also the cheapest! ^_~

Before I started on my restrictive diet, my initial reason for getting an air fryer was solely for the purpose of making snacks and small portions of food.  Oh well, the days of eating fries (or fried processed food) are obviously over!  But I've since put my air fryer to good use...and it's now the most used gadget in my kitchen.

I make roast chicken regularly...in fact, I cook an entire western meal these days in my small air fryer since this kind of meal is very agreeable with my way of eating now (to reduce carbs and cut sugar).  My favourite thing to roast is chicken wings coz they take no time to cook...only about 10 - 12 minutes at 200°C (turning once at the halfway mark or twice for a more even browning).

If you're roasting whole chicken wings, you may need a longer roasting time.  I get my chicken wings cut at the joints and discard the wing tips (makes for easier eating).  It's not easy to get just the mid wings (my favourite section) unless you buy them from a supermarket (even then I can't find it at the Aeon near me).  I used to buy many different bottles of seasoning like garlic, onion, paprika, chilli flakes, cayenne pepper, etc. but find it rather wasteful when they expire without being fully utilised.  Nowadays, I rely on just one bottle of McCormick Montreal Chicken Seasoning (that PhongHongBakes recommended) which has a bit of everything together with some additional salt, black pepper and soy sauce...and the result tastes really good).

From time to time, I would also do a roasted (deboned) chicken leg.  This will take longer, about 12 - 15 minutes.  I cook it skin side up for 5 minutes, then flip and cook the underside for another 5 minutes.  I turned it skin side up one final time and cooked it for a further 5 minutes.

The only difference I make when cooking a chicken leg is that I put it on a rack inside the air fryer.  This is to allow the oil to drip down onto the paper liner below.  Propping the chicken leg on a rack also allows better air circulation and browning (since it's a thicker cut of meat).

Of course I can't just have the chicken alone...there must be sides (at least 2 sides lah) to accompany the main protein.  The most common (and well received) side would be potatoes (yes, must have a little carbs).

I've had it with all kinds of potatoes...the most common being the regular white potatoes I often get from the market (like Yukon Gold or Russet...I prefer Yukon Gold).  I roast them in the air fryer for about 15 - 18 minutes at 200°C depending how charred you like your potatoes.

I've had it with Japanese sweet potatoes.  These are the ones where the skin is reddish/purplish and the inside flesh is yellow.  They're ridiculously good in the form of kushiyaki in Japanese restaurants. Occasionally, I steam or boil them (which is an even healthier choice).  I steam them (whole) for at least 30 minutes but if you like it extra soft until you can scoop the flesh with a spoon, you'll need to steam it for longer.

Besides Japanese sweet potatoes, there's also the more common orange (or purple-coloured) sweet potatoes.  You roast them the same way as any potatoes although I find the texture a little bit harder than the regular potatoes when roasted for the same time but they taste better definitely.

I've not had honey sweet potatoes before and got some to try when I saw them being sold on Shopee.  Their flesh is whiter and when you press them, you get this little bit of sticky liquid oozing out.  These honey potatoes cook a little faster (only needs 12 - 15 minutes) and they taste really good.

Although roasting potatoes in the air fryer directly is the simplest and least time consuming method, I found that the roasted potatoes can be a little dry and not as fluffy.  So now I take the time to do an extra step (coz it's worth it) by steaming it first (you can also boil them) for about 10 - 15 minutes until soft.  Make sure you drain out any water (collected at the bottom of the plate) before tossing them with olive oil, salt and black pepper.

The tossing will fluff up the sides of the potato wedges and this will make them extra crispy around the edges.  The result of the steaming (or boiling) to soften them will turn the potatoes really fluffy on the inside.  This is now my default way of making roast potatoes (similar to what I first learned from Jamie Oliver except I steam them instead of boilng).

With potatoes making up one side, the other obvious side would be vegetables...and you've a great variety to choose from...starting with broccoli (which happens to be my son's most favoured roasted vegetable).  It takes about 8 - 10 minutes depending how charred and soft you want your broccoli (and my son likes it well charred).

My favourite is not broccoli (I find them a little dry especially the frizzy tops) but capsicum instead as they turn out really soft and juicy after roasting and charring.  They also cook very fast, you need just about 5 - 8 minutes.  I've cooked all 3 colours of capsicum (red, green & yellow) and find that red is the tastiest as they become sweeter when roasted compared to the other two + they're incredibly juicy and even ooze out a little chilli oil if you will.

Recently, I tried roasting green beans too.  They cook super fast, only need about 5 minutes to wilt and char (you can add 1 - 2 more minutes if you need extra charring and softness).  I now even cook them this way when I want to stir-fry french beans with minced meat coz they char a lot faster this way than the conventional way over a wok or pan.

Due to the fast cooking and encouraging results of the earlier green beans, I've also started to cook my eggplant this way (only takes about 10 minutes) since it softens much quicker and uses a lot less oil than the conventional pan-frying method.  Even when I fry it in a non-stick pan, the eggplant dries out and I keep having to add a little bit more oil + it takes forever for them to soften.  And no, this eggplant is not for my western meal...lol.

I once supplemented the vegetable component with sweet white corn, a vegetable that requires no cooking! Even better...and was pleased to know my blood sugar reading was alright after eating it (I had 1/2 a corn). If vegetables aren't available (more like when I'm too lazy to cook them), I sometimes substitute with fruits that aren't too sweet like guava, rose apple (jambu air) and mandarins.

I now use my air fryer more frequently than I do my convection oven as it can cook food efficiently and much quicker too...even though the capacity is small and I've to cook it in a few rounds (I also enjoy the perk of no washing up to do).  So, what are the 3 things I cook most often in my air fryer, you ask?  Well, it's definitely chicken, potatoes and vegetables! ;)  I even cooked a batch of roast chicken wings (for potluck) using my air fryer.

Since a western meal of chicken, potatoes and vegetables is agreeable with my way of eating less carbs, I cook and eat this regularly.  Even though I may include some carbs in my western meal in the form of potatoes (and the occasional bread), I find that my blood sugar readings are fine if I keep to one potato or a small bun (I try lah....kekeke).  The reading tends to be a little lower with sweet potatoes compared to regular white potatoes...but you will still need to control your portions! >_<