Cooked in Confinement
The lockdown in France due to the coronavirus started from noon on Saturday 17 March 2020. Initially it was to last for two weeks only but due to the uncontrollable nature and exponential increase in the number of victims the lockdown was extended to 15 April 2020. Little did we know then that this was going to be the state of things till 19 mai 2021 when masks and the vaccination certificate enabled a semblance of normal life to be possible.
Necessity is the mother of invention, so they say. As all restaurants were completely closed for over a year I had to try my hand at cooking. Question of survival! These notes are meant for my own future reference. So they might not be intelligible to other people. Click on the dish name or photo for the recipe that I based my cooking on (for various reasons, and also being the neophyte that I am, I did not always follow correctly what the recipe says).
Pour boiling water over soft tofu already cut into cubes, add salt and leave it aside. Just add to haché for last 5 minutes. Fry haché first in 4T oil then add mapo sauce packet, garlic and ginger (leave scallions=spring onions for end). Add 1 cup of chicken stock with 1 Maggi, 2 types of soy sauce, vinegar, 2 sticks sugar, pepper. Leave boiling till sauce reduced by 1/4 then add slurry (1t maizena+2t water). Slide in the tofu cubes and sesame oil and leave 5m, sprinkle scallions on top just before serving.
Needs 250gm haché, 1 big eggplant (600gm), 1 shallot, ail and 1 piece ginger. Cook rice first Lazy man's way here: In bowl put 2T soja sauce, 1T oyster sauce, sesame oil, 1/2 buchette sugar, pepper and Shaoxing wine and mix haché to marinade. Then mince ail, shallot and ginger and cut eggplant into 6cm lengths (size of frites). In new 24cm wok fry shallot and 1/2 of ail and ginger then put in the haché and fry for 3m. Remove haché, add oil and fry rest of ail and ginger and chili oil. When smells put in the slices of eggplant. Add rest of buchette sugar, 10 cl water and cover poele for 2m in medium fire. Then add the meat to the eggplant and stir. Cover for 30 seconds in medium fire and serve. More details (with slurry to thicken sauce) here: https://youtu.be/ljcZEoLuakQ Another recipe: Kwan's recipe
6 oeufs durs and 2 potatoes. Best with 3 stalks of scallion cut into one-inch lengths. Pour 1 1/2l boiling water from bouilloire on 3-4 fat pieces pork belly. In salad bowl put 6T soja sauce (dark and light) and 6T Chinese wine. Cut bite-size pork and put in the bowl to marinate. In orange cocotte fry large slices ginger, 6-7 cloves ail entier and scallion. Add the pork belly alone and fry maxi heat. Add the rest of the sauce and 3 big pieces rock sugar, 1t five-spice powder and 2 star anis and pepper. When rock sugar melts add enough (hot) water to cover pork and eggs. Boil then leave to simmer No. 4 for minimum 1 hr. Add hardboiled eggs and potatoes at beginning but remove them halfway through in salad bowl and leave just pork belly till end.
2onions, 3 potatoes, 5 eggs. Plenty olive oil in v. hot pan. Put in onions, remove, put in potatoes. Leave 15m. Break 5 eggs in salad bowl. Put onions and potatoes in bowl. Leave for 15m. Add salt, pepper. Heat pan No. 6. Pour in from bowl. High heat 1m then off, another 3m. Flip on plate and repeat.
Chicken Tikka Masala (Butter chicken)
Butter makes the difference. Marinade cut chicken pieces (1/2 of blanc de poulet) with masala paste, 1/2 pot yaourt, vinegar, salt, pepper. Put in fridge. Chop aromatics. Cook basmati rice. Heat oil and fry chicken till brown no. 5 heat, 3m on each side. Remove. Heat butter, add chopped onion/shallots, garlic, ginger, chopped tomato remove skin, small tin tomato puree, 1T sugar, 1T vinegar, 1T of masala paste. Boil sauce esp. for tomato 15m then only add chicken and let simmer. At end add salt, pepper, creme fraiche and leave for 5m. Add coriandre.
Rub fish with salt and pepper. Bit of flour. Fry garlic, ginger, shallot on No. 4. Cook rice. Leave fish on pan. Ready by the time rice is cooked. Add soja sauce and sesame oil at the end and sprinkle with ginger.
Cut potato, tomato, chicken pieces. Fry aromatics. Add 2T curry powder. Add chicken and fry. Cook basmati rice. Add chicken stock, bring to boil, put in potatoes and tomato. Leave to simmer. Add salt, pepper. Add coconut milk near the end. Ready when rice is cooked.
Taiwan dish (Braised pork rice)
Four hardboiled eggs. Remove after 12m and pour cold water on eggs. Cut 3 poitrine v. tiny thin pieces, in little oil fry pork till dry, add plenty chopped shallots, garlic, 5 pieces chopped mushrooms, then 1T 5-spice powder then 1/2 cup chinese wine, then 3T each of light and dark soja sauce then 3 pieces medium rock sugar, stir well and at end only add 70cl of chicken stock (1 Maggi) for sauce, when boiling add 5 whole hard-boiled eggs, bring to boil, cover 1 hour
(get everything ready before starting) Boil koayteow 2m so as not to break. Chop 3-4 ail. Big bowl for sauce: 1t sugar, 1T oyster sauce, 3 light soja sauce, 1T dark soja sauce, 1T sesame oil, pepper. Another bowl: mix 3 eggs. In plenty oil and maxi heat (No. 6 all the time) fry prawns (both sides) alone first, remove, then only put in ail and then add koayteow, toss. Add prawns. Pour bowl of sauce. Toss and add chili oil and push to half of pan. Pour bit oil on other half of pan. Pour bowl of eggs. when half-cooked put the koayteow on top of the eggs for 20 seconds. Off heat. Mix everything.
Rice porridge with pork, century eggs
Marinate minced pork. Soak rice overnight. Use big cocotte with 2l water. 2 cubes Maggi or chicken powder. With leftover of taueubak. Or chopped chicken or pork. Ginger slices, salted egg (don't try to remove shell, instead cut egg into half with your cleaver), 2 century eggs must be well cooked, sesame oil at end
Use wok. In plenty oil fry potatoes till brown. Remove potatoes and fry automatics till boiling. Add curry paste (maxi 2T) and 2 aniseed. Add chicken, salt and fry a bit. Put back potatoes. Add enough boiling water to cover potatoes. Close to simmer. Add eggs. Remove without coco milk for 3rd day (keep 1/3 of sachet). When ready add 2/3 coco milk added to boiled water. Taste and add soy sauce if needed.
Ginger Garlic Shrimp Fried Rice
Get everything ready before starting. Minced finely 1 whole ail, 1" ginger. Scramble 4 eggs in bowl. Break rice with hand. In hot oil fry shrimps till red and remove. Fry ginger No. 4 then add ail. Fry 10 mins. Turn to No. 6 and add rice. Coat rice with ginger/garlic. Add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper. Fry 5m. Pour egg evenly and fry. (Prefer to scramble eggs separately and remove). Add the shrimps.
Steamed Sea Bass (le bar/loup de mer)
Cut plenty of ginger in julienne (leave half fresh for end) and put below, inside and above fish then pour some shaoxing wine over it and add salt. In bowl put 2T water, 2T soy sauce, 1T brown sugar and pepper. Once water boils steam fish for 12-15 mins in your big casserole with steamer étage. Remove it and put it in oval plate. Heat the sauce. When hot, pour the sauce over fish then add fresh ginger slices and coriandre. Now heat 2T sesame oil and when sizzling pour on fish (watch out, might splash!) Also Jeanette's
Buy creme fraiche, small tomato puree, 1 tomato, 1 lemon (or use vinegar). Marinate prawns with vinegar and 1T tikka masala paste 15m. Chop onion, ginger, ail, tomato. Fry prawns first, 1m on each side. Remove. Fry onion, ginger, ail, add 1T tikka paste, chopped tomato. Add bit of water. Cover to simmer. Add tomato puree, 1T salt, 1T sugar. When bubble, cover for 5m. Then add creme fraiche and prawns and leave for 5m. Don't overcook prawns.
This is a favourite Taiwan dish. Needs chinese wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, rock sugar and (basil leaves). In 1T olive oil fry ginger (big slices), garlic (entier), chili oil, then push aside so not burnt, put chicken pieces (both boned and deboned) till brown. In bowl put 2T sesame oil, 4T soy (2T light, 2T dark), 3T chinese wine, 4-5 pieces rock sugar, little water and mix. Pour bowl in and simmer covered for 40m. Can add oeufs durs but remove at end. Practically no sauce as sauce must be very concentrated. Add basilic and remove after not more than 30 secs so not burnt.
(With packet of kung pao sauce) Cut chicken into bitesize pieces and marinate with 1T soy sauce, pepper and 1Tmaizena. Slice poivron, ginger, ail and shallots. Stir-fry chicken for 5-7m till brown then add poivron and aromatics and cook for another 4m, stirring and cover no. 4. Add the packet of kung pao sauce, some water, cacahuetes for another 2m.
(To try with no packet of kung pao sauce) Cut chicken and into bitesize pieces and marinate with 1T soy sauce, pepper, 1Tmaizena. In bowl pour 20cl water, 1T each of light and dark soy sauce, 2T oyster sauce and 1T sugar. Slice poivron, ginger, ail and shallots. Fry the aromatics, add chili oil and poivron till smell good. Then add in bowl of sauce. When boils add in chicken. Cover for 5m. Add 1T sesame oil, 2T vinegar and 1T chinese wine and small plate of cacahuetes. And serve. Make more of the rice.
Soak mushrooms. Marinate chicken with Ch rice wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch. Chop ginger, garlic and spring onions, slice lapcheong and mushrooms. Fry aromatics, add chicken till brown, add lapcheong, mushrooms and stir. Add cups of rice and stir till not white. Add water to rice cooker and Maggi cube. Add pan content. Add spring onions.
Clean rice. Tie 2 stalks of scallion in knot (remove white stem for frying). 3 ail leave entier, big slabs of ginger. Rub chicken with 1t salt, pepper, 2T Ch wine, lt maizena and 1T sesame oil. Press all together even scallions and leave 1/2 hr. In small pan fry 1T sesame oil with ail, ginger, scallions stems till fragrant. Dissolve 1 Maggi cube or chicken powder and 2T soy sauce. Put wet rice in pan and mix well before transferring all to rice cooker. Then add 2-3 cups of water. Pour lT Ch wine and turn cooker On. 5m later put in chicken pieces on top to steam. Usually chicken not cooked enough because rice sticks to bottom.
200gm filet de porc (tenderloin) and small bottle tomato sauce. Can add poivron, onion, carrot, pineapple. Tenderize pork. Marinate strips of pork with 1 egg, salt, 1t maizena and 2t soy sauce. Fry pork strips till brown. Remove. In pan put oil, aromatics, plenty ketchup and 2 buchettes sugar. When mixed add little water. When hot put in pork strips. Check if pork tender.
Fried rice with lapcheong, eggs
Mix rice with 1T soy sauce first. Scramble 2 eggs, salt, pepper and slice half a lapcheong or charsiu. Fry onion, 1/2 of scalllions, ail, ginger, add lapcheong. Push to side. Fry eggs. When 80% cooked add rice. Add oyster sauce, chili oil, 1 buchette sugar. Add rest of scallion, stir and serve.
Pour boiling water on thick beehoon. after 10m run cold water over it. In bowl 1T soy sauce, 1 oyster sauce, some water, 1 buchette sugar, 1T ch wine, chili oil. Scramble 2 eggs, salt, pepper and slice half a lapcheong, etc. Fry onion, 1/2 of scalllions, ail, ginger, poivron, add lapcheong. Push to side. Fry eggs. When 80% cooked add beehoon. Stir and add bowl sauce.
Crack eggs in bowl and add pepper, 1t of ch wine and 1T soy sauce. Beat it up. Heat oil in pan to maxi heat. Put in julienned carrots, char siu and chopped shrimps and stir fry. Pour in bowl of eggs and reduce to no. 4 heat. Scrape bottom a bit. When 80% cooked add in scallions and turn round corner so don't stick. Flip to other side. Remove and prepare sauce by heating one cup (33cl) of 1 Maggi cube, 1t of sugar, 1t dark soy sauce for color, taste to see, bit pepper, bit slurry till bubbling and consistent then 1t of sesame oil. Pour sauce equally over the egg in plate and add scallions on top.
Pour 1 1/2l boiling water on egg noodles. Prepare bowl of sauce: soy both types, oyster sauce, ch wine, sugar, chili oil, some water. Fry prawns and remove. Fry aromatics ail, shallot and vegetables carrot en julienne, poivron, half of scallions, towgay. Put back prawns and stir fry. Add pepper. Push half and other half fry two eggs. When 80% cooked add the egg noodles. Stir then pour bowl of sauce. Add slurry. Before serving add sesame oil and rest of scallions.
In bowl half cup honey or 2T sugar, 3T rice vinegar, 3T soy sauce, 1T oyster sauce, 3T tomato ketchup, pineapple juice from barquette, 15cl of Maggi. Shrimps in with salt, pepper. Dry with Sopalin. Fry shrimps in v. hot oil 5m plus 1T sesame oil. Remove shrimps. Fry carrots, ail, ginger, onion, poivron, zucchini (courgette) then add small pieces of pineapple. Pour in bowl of sauce and wait 3m till simmering. Add shrimps for 2m more. Add slurry at end to thicken sauce. Garnish with scallions.
400gm beef, one broccoli, one poivron, one carrot very thin. Boil broccoli. Stir fry beef, remove, fry vegie. Put back beef. Add plenty of oyster sauce. Put in broccoli. Add Lee Kum Seng beef broccoli sauce.
Boil water to soak tomatoes for easy peeling. In plenty olive oil fry chopped onions (3 small), chopped poivron (one entier) and ail (5-6 cloves). Add plenty salt. Fry 5m and push aside. Add chicken pieces and salt and pepper. In very strong fire fry for 5m. Then add chopped, peeled tomatoes and mix for 5m. Add 3 cups rice and mix in medium heat. After 1m add two times as much water (6 cups) as broth with 2 Maggi cubes. (your own) add curry powder for color and small tin purée tomates. When boiling leave to simmer for 25m till quite dry. Stir halfway.
Season chicken with 1T water, it oil, 1t soy sauce, 1t maizena. Soak mushrooms. Slice chicken, slice mushrooms, chop garlic. On maximum heat sear chicken both sides and remove. Fry mushrooms and ail. Add towgay and fry. Add Chinese wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, pepper. Put back chicken. Add slurry (1t maizena to 2t water).
Marinate beef in bowl with maïzena and 1T oil, soy sauce, Ch wine, cup of Maggi, salt, pepper. Remove basil leaves, slice thinly 1 onion, carotte, poivron. In very strong fire, fry beef first before 5 cloves ail, plenty shallots and vegies. Add 2T chili oil, sugar. Put beef in. For sauce add 2T oyster sauce, 2T soy sauce, 3T sugar and add basilic at very end.
Chop 2 onions and 4 tomatoes, fry and add ail, ginger and 2T curry powder. Add fish pieces, salt and pepper. Leave for 20m then add 40cl coconut milk and finally coriander leaves.
Chicken in black beans sauce
Use packet of black beans sauce. Fry 1 poivron and ail and 6 mushrooms. Fry slices of chicken. Add packet of black beans sauce.
600gm haché, 4 big tomatoes, concentré de tomates, persil, 1 onion, 1 egg. Chop onion, ail, 1/2 of persil tiny. Add half of aromatics to mix with haché, add salt, pepper, 1 egg, maizena. Make pingpong sized meatballs and set aside. Put tomatoes in boiling water for 10 secs then pass under cold water to remove skin. Chop tomatoes into cubes. Heat orange cocotte, add 2T olive oil, fry other half of onions, ail, 1 cube sugar, 1 Maggi cube, chopped tomatoes, salt, pepper. Heat pan No. 5, add 2T olive oil and put in meatballs. When browned, transfer meatballs to orange cocotte. Check if enough salt. Add persil leaves.
Packet of lemon chicken sauce. Buy lemon and 1 entier blanc poulet (500-600gm). Marinade chicken 2hr beforehand or overnight and in fridge. Cut bitesize, mix with sauce soja, pepper, ch wine, 1 egg, maizena to coat. Just before deep frying only coat it entirely with flour this time so prevents it from turning dry and hard. Plenty oil very hot. Fry 5m till brown. Don't cook chicken in sauce but just put in pan to coat with the sauce so remains crispy. Cook sauce after removing chicken and much of the remaining oil with sopalin. (yr own) fry half poivron, 1 carrot, 1 onion, ail. Add honey, vinegar, sugar. Add packet sauce only when veggies cooked. Add chicken to wok only before serving so chicken crispy.
Soy-Glazed Chicken (caramelized)
Buy 1 1/2 blanc poulet and slice to flatten. Use big fat poele. In bowl: 3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder, 1 1/2 tablespoon Chinese rice wine, 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, 3 tablespoons sugar, honey, mix all. In poele: 2 1/2 tablespoons oil fry 4 cloves garlic minced till brown then add chicken and pour bowl of sauce to coat well.
Mince garlic. In high heat fry garlic then add spinach and 1/2 cup water. Cover 4-5m. Add some salt. Cover 4-5m. Add sugar and some sasame oil and serve.
Marinate chicken (turkey here) with Chinese wine, oyster sauce and maizena. Fry garlic and chicken. Fry carrot, poivron, onion, courgette and other veggies. Add 1/2 pct towgay at end. Add 1/2 cup of Maggi and 2T oyster sauce, pepper and sugar. Add little slurry.
Pork with white cabbage (steam 10m)
In bowl marinate meat with soy sauce, sesame oil, chinese wine, pepper, sugar, oyster sauce, 1 egg, maizena and leave in fridge. For sauce add one cup water with 1 Maggi cube then slurry at end. Can always add green poivron and carrots for color.
And for the dessert...
3-4 bowls to contain. One 50cl bottle of milk. Beat 4 eggs in bowl. Weigh 140gm (rock) sugar. Dissolve the rock sugar (too long, use brown sugar) in 12.5cl (half a cup) of water in medium heat. Remove and pour milk in the casserole. Then add the bowl of eggs. Stir well then strain the mixture through a sieve into each of the bowls. Cover bowls tightly with aluminium foil. Steam for 15m.
Soak red beans overnight. At least one hour to boil. Press beans against side. Add sugar and coconut milk before serving.
Too much. First 250gm flour and 90gm sugar in bowl. Then 7.5cl water and 25gm melted butter, some salt and mix. Then 2 eggs, one by one as you fouette. Add 50cl milk bit by bit while fouetting. Always stir in middle of bowl till later press at the sides to remove the lumps. Cover bowl with towel and leave pate to rest for one hour. Poele must be very hot so just 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side enough. Grease pan with some butter (once every 2 crepes) then put one ladle on the v. hot poele. Add butter and sugar and fold it like in the stall.