Vịt Tiềm Thuốc Bắc (Duck with Chinese Medicinal Stuffing) & Cơm Gà (Hainanese Chicken Rice)

I had asked my mom to make cơm gà (Hainanese chicken rice) during my stay. It is one of my favourites; I just love the flavourful rice and the ginger dipping sauce. My mom had something else in mind. After talking about vịt tiềm thuốc bắc (duck with Chinese medicinal stuffing) for Christmas dinner, my mom decided to make it on New Year's day instead. So I came home to see TWO birds being cooked, a duck and a chicken, for five people. Yes, that is crazy!

I came home rather late on New Year's and so missed all the food preparations. So there are no recipes per se, rather descriptions. If someone is interested, I am sure I could get the details from my mom...


Whole stuffed duck.

Vịt tiềm thuốc bắc includes so many ingredients and I am having a hard time translating many of them. This dish consists of a duck with a stuffing, including rice vermicelli, wood ear mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, sticky rice, mung beans, ground pork, chestnuts and a mixture of Chinese medicinal ingredients. The duck is then cooked in a broth that also contains Chinese medicinal ingredients and some dried clementine skins. Chinese medicinal ingredients can be purchased as a dry mixture and includes lotus seeds, Chinese dates, barley, goji berry, etc. Sorry, I should taken a look at the bag.




There are three main components when eating vịt tiềm thuốc bắc: the duck itself, the stuffing and finally the soup in which the duck was cooked in. If you have never had Chinese medicinal ingredients, there is a strong and unique odour to it. However, we all enjoyed the broth and it is supposed to be good for your health!

Cơm gà (Hainanese chicken rice) has much less ingredients. A whole chicken is cooked in water to make a broth. Since the chicken is the star ingredient, it is important to get a good chicken. My mom's husband's cousin lives on a farm and raises a few chicken for personal use. She was lucky to get one, so this is definitely an organic, free range chicken! The chicken is then chopped up and served with rice.


Whole chicken cooked to make a broth.

My favourite part is the rice. Rice is stir fried in oil and garlic to flavour the rice. Then my mom cooked in a rice cooker with the chicken broth. This rice smells and tastes SO good. Nothing like plain rice. I find it even has a different texture.


Chicken Rice.

The rice is then eaten with chicken, dipped in ginger nước mắm (fish sauce). I always knew this dish as cơm gà, literally translated to rice chicken. However, it was only when I started reading food blogs that I learned that this dish is popular in Singapore. I knew it came from Hainan because my mom told me that when she left Vietnam, she and my father were stranded on the island of Hainan when their boat broke down. There, she did notice their chickens were different than others she had seen. The Gastronomer also tried this dish in Vietnam and Wandering Chopsticks' family also makes this dish.

I wish I could have some now!

New Year's 2008: Macaroni Bar

4448 St. Laurent

Montréal, Québec

514.287.0287

website

I got a call from my university friend C before Christmas asking if I had plans for New Year's. Someone cancelled and she asked if I wanted to go to a New Year party in Montréal. Having no plans, I accepted. The party was held at Macaroni Bar, a newly opened, happening bar on St. Laurent, at the corner of Mount Royal. I didn't know any of her friend but they were all very nice and we had a good time.

But what about the food? It was a set menu, with a couple of choices. At $135 a head (alcohol excluded, except for a glass of champagne at midnight), my expectations were very high. However, all New Year's parties are overpriced.

We arrived after 8 pm and service was very prompt, maybe to ensure we would finish before midnight. All the female servers were wearing sexy black sequined dresses. It made us feel bad for the guests who also wore black sequined dresses... We started with bread and a dip that I thought, in the dark, was eggplant. It turned out to be artichocke based. It was not addictive like most artichocke dips because it was not hot nor did it have any cheese!

Our choices of appetizers were beef tartar and crab cake. My friend C went for the beef tartar while I got the crab cake. C thought the beef was good. Considering the last time she had beef tartar was in Paris, I think that is a compliment. I thought the humongous crab cake was good also. I especially liked the squiggly lined sauces.

Tartare de boeuf.

Crab cake.

Next came the pasta dish: orechiette with wild mushrooms & truffle. The portion was not too big and they were actually pieces of mushrooms (and the wild mushrooms were not button mushrooms)! C and I, being big mushroom fans, really enjoyed this dish. I didn't think this dish tasted particularly truffle-y but still very yummy nonetheless.

Orechiette with wild mushrooms & truffle.

By this time, I felt very full. This might have been caused by my sister's tight dress rather than the meal itself, but I digress. The main dishes were grilled veal chop or Chilean sea bass. Knowing that Chilean sea bass is not a sustainable fish to eat, I went for the veal. C, having no qualms about the sea bass, picked the fish. My veal was GI-normous. I was only able to eat half and someone else enjoyed the other half. I did like the mashed potatoes. C enjoyed her sea bass too but preferred my mashed potatoes rather than her celery root purée. I really liked the cipollini onions that I initially thought was roasted garlic.

Chilean sea bass with celery root purée.


Grilled veal chop with caramelized cipollini and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

By dessert time, I felt like I could not fit any more food. The chocolate fantasy had chocolate goodness and hazelnut, always a good combo.

Chocolate fantasy.

I got to sample dishes that I wouldn't necessarily order off a menu but it was pretty good. Supposedly, Macaroni Bar makes a mean mac and cheese and interestingly sounding gnocchi poutine (C being Italian thinks that's a travesty!). Maybe I'll try it out one day if I ever move to Montréal or get a job...

Thanks C for the invite!

Happy belated New Year to everyone! Hope 2009 treats you well and you all get well fed!

Mom's Recipes: Cháo Ca (Fish Porridge)

I realize this is the third "soup" post in a row and I promise it is the last, for a little while anyway. One of my favourite soups that my mom makes is cháo ca. In English, cháo seems to be translated into rice porridge or congee, not sure of the difference between the two. Cháo is pretty much a rice based soup. It seems like most Asians have their own versions.

It's usually served in the morning and my mom would make it when my sister and I were sick. There are many versions, plain white cháo with salted duck egg or fermented tofu, cháo ga (chicken porridge), cháo with meatballs and my favourite, cháo ca (fish porridge). I think cháo ca is actually a Chinese dish since I did not see it in Vietnam and had some of the other versions.

I have never made cháo ca so it's time to learn! The key to this specific cháo is to grind the rice grains so you get a really smooth consistency. I just love the fish flavoured with sesame oil and ginger. It gets quickly cooked from the heat of the cháo itself. I like the addition of century eggs but I can understand it's not for everyone. My sister will toast some Chinese bread sticks, cut it up and mix it in the soup. Top with green onions and coriander. Perfect!

Cháo Ca (Fish Porridge)

For the fish
* 200 g white fish - we used basa
* 1-2 tbsp ginger, julienned
* white parts of 3 green onions, sliced thinly
* ½ tbsp salt
* ½ tsp pepper
* 4 tbsp sesame oil

Slice the fish thinly (it helps if it is frozen).
Mix with all the remaining ingredients and set aside.

For the porridge
* 1 cup rice
* 2 L water, or broth

Soak in water for 15 minutes.
Rinse, drain and crush the rice into pieces with your hands (alternately, you can process the rice finely).
Cook in 2 L water (or broth).
Cook on low heat for 45 min-1 hour.

Serve with
Century eggs, sliced in quarters or sixths
green onions, for garnish
coriander, for garnish

Add the eggs and fish to the cháo and mix.
Alternatively, place the raw fish at the bottom of a bowl and pour the hot cháo, cooking the fish in the process.
Tada!


Sliced fish with ginger.


Fish mixture.


Crushed rice.


There is nothing comforting than a hot bowl of cháo ca.

Mom's Recipes: Xúp Bột Bán (Tapioca and Crab Soup)

Xúp bột bán (tapioca and crab soup) is a recipe I have never encountered other than in my mom's and her family's kitchen. I remember visiting my aunt in California; she made me some with big pieces of fresh crab. How spoiled I am the rare times I get to see family! The main ingredients are tapioca pearls and crab so you have to use a lot of crab.



Xúp Bột Bán (Tapioca and Crab Soup)

Crab paste is used for added crab flavour. If you use enough crab (unlike us chintzy ones) - whole ones ideally, you can skip that ingredient. In Vietnam, they would also shrimp. Tapioca is cooked separately so not too much starch is released into the broth. If you keep it until the next day, the soup may thicken a bit; just add more water.

* oil

* ¼ onion, finely chopped

* 150 g lump crab, frozen of fresh if you're lucky

* 1 tbsp crab paste

* 1-½ L chicken broth, ideally Vietnamese flavoured one

* water

* 1 cup tapioca pearls

* green onion and coriander, for garnish

Sauté onion and crab in a bit of oil until onion is softened.

Add crab paste.

Add chicken broth.

In a separate small pot, bring water to a boil.
Lower heat and add the tapioca.

Stir the mixture so the tapioca pearls do not stick to each other.

Cook for about 5 minutes - they do not have to be fully cooked because they will continue cooking in the soup.

Drain the tapioca pearls.

Add tapioca to the soup.

Bring the soup to a boil and turn off. If you let it sit for a bit, the tapioca pearls will turn transparent, meaning they are cooked. If you want to serve the soup right away, cook until the pearls are cooked.

Tada!

Block of frozen crab.

Add tapioca pearls into boiling water.

Stir the tapioca pearls so they don't stick.

Draining the tapioca pearls.

Ready to enjoy!

Mom's Recipes: Xup Bát Bửu (Chinese 8 Treasure Soup)

Xup bát bửu (Chinese 8 treasure soup) is a Chinese soup that is supposed to bring good luck, hence the focus on 8 (the Chinese love their number 8!). There are supposed to be 8 key ingredients. I tried to search online and found one recipe using Chinese medicinal ingredients that looks nothing like what my mom does. Maybe this is a modified Vietnamese version, I don't know. A better informed reader can let me know! My mom uses 8 ingredients that friends have recommended since this was not a soup she ate growing up.

Xup Bát Bửu (Chinese 8 Treasure Soup)
This time, my mom had 7 ingredients and counted the chicken broth as an additional one. She suggested bamboo shoots would be a good addition also. Really, you can use whatever ingredient you want, diced about the same size and added in chicken broth.

* oil
* ¼ onion, chopped very small

* shrimp, chopped

* shiitake mushroom, dried or fresh, small diced
* winter melon, small diced

* carrots, small diced

* peas

* pork (we just buy char siu - BBQ Chinese pork)

* tofu, small diced

* chicken broth, ideally Vietnamese flavoured one

* cornstarch, mixed with water

* salt and pepper, to taste

Sauté shrimp with onion in a bit of oil - you can also use precooked shrimp.

Bring the chicken broth to a boil.

Add the uncooked ingredients: winter melon, mushroom, carrots and peas.

Lower the heat and add the remaining ingredients: shrimp, tofu and pork.

Dissolve a bit of cornstarch in water and add to the broth to thicken the soup.

Season to taste.

Tada!

Shrimp stir fried with onion.

Diced winter melon and mushroom.

Char siu, diced.

Tofu, diced.

I love how colourful this soup is and the different textures.

Fried Quails

I wasn't at my mom's when she made the quails for Christmas. However, she was accommodating and took a few "before" pictures. It sounds relatively easy to make although I can't say I know from experience!

We don't eat quails often because they are a bit of a pain to eat. You have the little bones to deal with. I do like them a lot. I think their small size helps absorbs the flavours better. I have been (embarrassingly) watching a Top Chef marathon on Food TV Canada and supposedly overcooked quails are not ideal. I have no idea if my mom was perfectly cooked but they tasted delicious!

Fried Quails

* ½ tbsp salt
* 2 tbsp sugar
* 3-4 garlic cloves, minced
* ¼ tsp five-spice powder
* 1 tbsp lemongrass (we use the frozen one)
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 6 quails (about 800 g)

* oil

Cut the quails in half with scissors along the back.
Mix everything for the seasoning except the quails.

Marinate overnight (ideally).
Fry in about 1 cm of oil until golden on each side. (Alternately, you could also broil on high if you want to avoid using oil - coat the quails with a bit of oil to avoid them drying up).

Tada!

Whole quails: they kind of look cute, non?

Quails in the marinade.

Served on a bed of watercress tossed with a light vinaigrette.

Christmas Dinner 2008: Chinese Style Stuffed Duck

I had a late departure on Christmas Eve for Montréal. In addition, it rained during the whole drive which made the roads icy and slippery. So I arrived at my sister's and her boyfriend D's condo at 8:30 pm, with everyone ready to eat!



Although my sister L does not have a blog, she also does enjoy food. We (including our mom) had much discussion on what should be made. She was thinking of Asian food but she also wanted a whole bird. We came up with xôi vịt (sticky rice and duck) and vịt tiềm thuốc bắc (duck with Chinese medicinal stuffing). Not really remembering if she liked the latter, my sister asked my mom to make xôi vịt. I suggested having quails if she wanted "whole birds".

The Menu

* Fried Quails

* Chả Giò (Spring Rolls)

* Gỏi (Vietnamese salad) served with Bánh Phồng Tôm (Shrimp Crackers)
* Xup Bát Bửu (Chinese 8 Treasure Soup)

* Vịt Quay stuffed with Xôi Vịt

* Chestnut Bûche de Noël

* Black Forest Cake

Quails, on a bed of watercress, make for a great little treat!

This vegetarian gỏi comprised of cabbage, carrots, celery and topped with mint.


You cannot have gỏi without bánh phồng tôm (that I brought home from Vietnam!).

Chả giò is a classic; you never get tired of them!


My plate was full and they're only starters!


I love this soup and for no particular reason, we usually have it for the holidays.

Even though the purpose of having quails was to have "whole birds", my mom decided to get a vịt quay (Chinese BBQ'd duck). This means that she had to fight the Christmas crowds to buy two ducks, one for the vessel and the second for the stuffing. After stuffing the bird, my mom put it in the oven for another hour. My sister and I love, love, love xôi vịt, sticky rice with pieces of duck, mushroom and Chinese sausage. Yum!

Stuffed vịt quay.

Close-up of stuffing.

Pieces of duck with xôi vịt.

Finally for dessert, we couldn't just have one... My mom made a Black Forest Cake while my sister made a Chestnut Bûche de Noël, firsts for both of them.

Black Forest Cake covered with real whipped cream.

My sister did a good job with her bûche de Noël.

By this time, I was overstuffed!

My mom and my sister did a great job cooking Christmas dinner. D and my sister were also great hosts. My only contribution was eating. Thank you!