Cooking can keep you occupied and free your mind of anxiety in these trying times.
Here’s Hong Kong-style wonton noodles to get you started.
INGREDIENTS FOR WONTON
(MAKES 26) 1 egg (65g)
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
¼ tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cornflour
300g double-minced pork collar
10g coriander stem, finely sliced
5g spring onion, use 7cm of root end, finely sliced
250g square wonton wrappers
METHOD
1. In a bowl, add the egg, fish sauce, light soya sauce, sesame oil, ground white pepper, salt, sugar and cornflour. Mix well.
2. Add the minced pork and mix well.
3. Add the coriander stem and spring onion.
4. Cover the bowl in clingwrap. Place in the fridge to marinate for an hour.
5. Take a piece of wonton wrapper and place a flat teaspoon of the marinated minced pork in the middle.
6. Fold over the wonton wrapper. Using your index fingers and thumb, lightly pinch and gather the sides of the wrapper towards the centre. Press lightly to keep the folds in place. Place the wonton in a sealable box lined with baking paper.
7. Place them in the fridge overnight, which enables them to firm up and retain their shape during the boiling process.
8. To cook the wonton, bring 1 litre of water to boil.
9. Place them in the boiling water for 6 minutes. For frozen wonton, cook for 71/2 minutes.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHAR SIEW
960g pork collar
2 tsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1½ tbsp oyster sauce
1½ tbsp fermented soya bean paste
2 tbsp Chinese rice wine
70g sugar1 tsp salt
120g maltose
3 garlic cloves, minced
METHOD
1. Place the pork collar in a bowl. Use a thin skewer to pierce the meat.
2. In another bowl, add the light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce, fermented soya bean paste, Chinese rice wine, sugar, salt, maltose and minced garlic. Mix well and pour over the pork.
3. Put on gloves and massage the marinade into the meat.
4. Cover the bowl with clingwrap and place in the fridge to marinate for three hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 200 deg C for 10 minutes.
6. Place the marinated pork on a wire rack on the baking tray and place in the oven. Roast for 20 minutes at 180 deg C.
7. Turn over the meat, baste and continue to roast for 20 minutes. Repeat this step.
8. Turn over the meat, baste one final time and roast for 15 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat. Let the meat rest for 20 minutes before slicing.
10. Let leftover char siew cool completely, wrap in baking paper and place in a freezer-friendly sealable container. To eat, defrost and heat up in toaster oven. The wonton and char siew can be stored in the freezer for up to a month.
INGREDIENTS FOR NOODLES
(ONE SERVING) 1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
½ tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
Pinch of sugar
1 piece of 66g dried egg noodles
METHOD
Cook the noodles for 3 minutes in 1 litre of boiling water. Rinse briefly in tap water. Place the noodles in a bowl with the light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and sugar, and toss.
Add the wontons and sliced char siew and serve.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
