hawker foodie central: singapore

We have been gone a while, trekking and eating through South East Asia. Over our stop in Singapore, we have found some really great Hainan chicken rice, Indian curries and Katong laksa. The components of a good Hainan chicken rice are the tender meat that is expertly cooked, fragrant chicken broth infused rice and perfectly concocted ginger & chili sauces.

Heng Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice at the Maxwell hawker food center.

Little India, where colorful temples and mosques, shophouses stocked with spices, gold and incense lined the streets. We found a small, unpretentious corner food stall mobbed by locals.  Despite the heat, loud street noise and wobbly plastic stools, the food had our undivided attention. It was simple, spicy and straightforwardly good.

Last but not least, Katong laksa–made with slightly sweet coconut curry and strong aromatics. The noodles are cut up in small pieces so the soup can be eaten with the only utensil provided, the spoon. The version we had eaten had shrimp, strips of fish cake, bean sprouts and garnished with laksa leaves and sambal chili paste that was available on each dining table.

texas chili

This is Jesse’s chili competition recipe that won over many chefs at the Shanghai 2011 Chili Cook-Off. There are two different types of chilies. One is the competition type and the other is the homestyle. The competition type doesn’t have any fresh ingredients other than the beef itself. And no beans. The reason why they do this is because there could be fluctuation with the taste of onions, the sweetness of the tomatoes and etc. So the competition chili is directly made from dry ingredients to keep it as consistent as possible. Jesse has scaled down his recipe for you to make it at home. What are dumps you ask? Dumps are chili powder mixture going in at different times within the cooking cycle. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. Enjoy!

4 pounds ground tri-tip
2 tablespoons canola oil
4 cups beef stock
1 1/2 cups tomato paste

Dump 1:
3 dried pablanos
2 dried chipotles
2 tablespoons mild chili powder
2 tablespoons medium spicy chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika

Dump 2:
2 tablespoons cumin powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons white vinegar

Cut the tri-tip into 3/8″ cubes.

In a spice grinder, grind the pablanos and chipotle peppers to fine powders.

In a medium stock pot, heat the canola oil on medium-high heat. Pour dump one in and stir around to open up the flavors of the dry ingredients. Throw in the cubed beef, brown then deglaze with the beef stock.

Turn the heat down low, add the tomato paste and simmer the chili for 2 hours.

Add dump two. Cover and simmer for two hours. Reduce the chili if you like a thicker consistency. Total of 4 hours cooking time.

chili glazed chicken

Do you crave boneless, chunky chicken pieces with savory, sweet and sour glaze like Chinese restaurants serve in the states? Tired of ordering Chinese chicken with bones, skin on and tiny bite portions? We came up with this recipe as we couldn’t find anything like it in Shanghai. Large boneless and skinless chicken breasts are available from Pine’s or Jiashan Market on Jianguo lu. Enjoy!

2 large chicken breasts
4 red chilis, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 scallion, finely minced
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons rice wine
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chili sauce
1 teaspoon toasted black sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch, plus 1 cup for dredging
Peanut oil for frying
Kosher salt

Cut the chicken breasts in large chunks. Marinade with 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 egg whites and a pinch of kosher salt for 15 minutes.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together rest of the 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 2 teaspoons tomato paste, rice vinegar, chili sauce, sesame oil, sugar, water and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Set aside.

Dust chicken pieces in cornstarch, shake off excess. In batches, deep fry the chicken in peanut oil until lightly golden brown and just cooked through. You don’t want to overcook chicken breasts. Take the chicken pieces out and drain on paper towel.

In a saute pan, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil on high heat, throw in the garlic, scallions and chili peppers (you want to hear the sizzle) and saute until fragrant. Stir the sauce to incorporate the cornstarch and liquid together. Pour the sauce into the pan and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook and stir constantly until the sauce forms a glaze, about 2 minutes.

Throw in the chicken pieces, toss vigorously to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately.

texas chili in china

Jesse, Matt, Brendan and Henry cooked at the Bubba’s 6th annual chili cook-off in Shanghai this year. It was an all day event from 7:00am to 7:00pm. One of our friends flew in the night before from Texas and brought us genuine Texas dried chilies. In this homemade chili mix, there were chipotles, Mexican chili, ancho chili, smoked poblanos, cayenne pepper, Mexican oregano and roasted cumin.

Jesse & Matt’s Chili Ingredients:

New York strip, cubed
Homemade chili powders
Onions
Garlic
Roasted tomatoes
Cilantro
Maple Syrup
Homemade beef stock
Homemade chicken stock
Salt

The amount of each ingredient can be adjusted to your own liking. Great winning chilies always have 2 to 3 dumps (dumps being chili powder mixture going in at different times within the cooking cycle). The longer it cooks, the better it tastes. That’s why you have to use a dense piece of beef like a sirloin or tri tip. Jesse & Matt smoked part of the strip to add a great smoky flavor to the chili. For the homemade beef stock, Jesse browned beef bones, beef short ribs and aromatics then slowly simmered for hours.

Matt, Jesse and Henry behind their Joe Dirt themed chili booth.