It’s such a joy to attend a cooking class. No matter how much one already knows, one always learns something new. The class becomes even more interesting if the chef-teacher is jolly and willing to share a lot of cooking tips.
Such was the case when executive Chinese chef Richard Thong conducted his first cooking demonstration at the Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel Makati’s premier Chinese restaurant. A master of Cantonese cuisine, the Singaporean-born Thong has had 25 years cooking experience in top hotels and restaurants. During his class he dished out tips and techniques while cracking jokes and deftly handling the prawns, lapu-lapu, vegetables and a myriad other ingredients.
For instance, we learned that there’s no need now to go hunting in Chinatown for lotus paste. With his charm and sense of urgency, he was able to convince some suppliers to make lotus paste available in supermarkets. Now one can find this ingredient, which is used for making chilled mochi, in Landmark and SM supermarkets.
Chef Thong also taught us to add Chinese red dates when steaming fish. Moreover, he didn’t even use a conventional steamer for making the Guangzhou-style live lapu-lapu. Instead he used a clay pot.
Other tips from Chef Thong:
It’s always best to use fresh fish. To tell if fish is fresh, check the gills. They should be a bright red.
However, if you must use frozen fish, follow these steps before cooking it: 1) Thaw the fish; 2) Rub the fish with salt; 3) Rinse the fish well; 4) Drizzle with Chinese wine.
Before using a new clay pot, soak it in water overnight.
When steaming fish, the temperature should not reach boiling point. It should reach only 98ºC (just below boiling point).
After the cooking demo, the whole class enjoyed a sumptuous lunch at Shang Palace, which included the dishes Chef Thong taught us to prepare: hot prawn salad, Guangzhou-style steamed lapu-lapu and chilled mochi, as well as double-boiled fish maw with cabbage, mushrooms and red dates, sautéed scallops with wolfberries, egg whites and asparagus, Shang Palace roasted duck, braised e-fu noodles with seafood and mushrooms, and chilled sago with diced mangoes.
Here’s Chef Thong’s recipe for hot prawn salad. Not only is it delicious, it’s also very simple to do. You can serve this as a first course or as part of a dinner buffet.
For more information on Shangri-La Hotel’s cooking class, call 8138888.
Hot Prawn Salad
1 can (about 850 g) fruit cocktail
600 g large prawns (about 12 pieces)
2 large egg yolks, well-beaten
½ c cornstarch
3 c cooking oil (or use soya oil)
1/3 c mayonnaise
Shredded carrots and radish, for garnish (optional)
Pour the fruit cocktail into a large sieve to drain. Let the fruits drain for one to two hours. Pat the fruits dry with paper towels.
Remove the shells, heads and tails from the prawns. Rinse prawns well and pat dry.
Dip the prawns in the egg yolks then dredge in cornstarch. In a wok or frying pan, heat the cooking oil or soya oil to about 170ºC. Fry the prawns in the hot oil until golden brown. You may have to do this in batches. As the prawns get cooked, remove them from the hot oil and drain on trays lined with absorbent paper or paper towels. Let cool slightly.
Coat the prawns with the mayonnaise. Arrange the prawns on a serving platter. Spoon the drained fruits on top and around the prawns. If desired, garnish with shredded carrots and radish. Makes four servings.
For more tips, recipes and stories, visit the author’s blog www.normachikiamco.com and Facebook fan page www.face
book.com/normachikiamco. Follow on Twitter @NormaChiki
amco
Cook’s tips
Coat only the prawns with the mayonnaise. Do not mix the mayonnaise with the fruits so they don’t become watery.
If using a deep fryer to fry the prawns, heat the oil to around 160ºC-180ºC.
If using a wok or frying pan instead of a deep fryer, put the prawns into the hot oil with the top (head) part first so the prawns don’t stick to the frying pan.
Though the recipe is called “hot prawn salad,” this dish should be served not hot but just warm.
