Chicken Broth. The Basic Ingredient

Both Thai and Chinese eat a lot of soup dishes, in India chicken or lamb is cooked in light broth. I have always liked chinese soups and broths and when I visited Malaysia and Thailand, I had the opportunity to taste many soup dishes. Chicken Broth is the basic ingredient for many dishes, both meat, fish or seafood. I often make this broth at home, specially in winter months as apart from it being very tasty, it is filling too and warms our belly. Chinese call it The Monks' Broth. All the ingredients listed below are of my own way of cooking.

In a deep pot, pour 3 litres cold water, add:
One whole leg of chicken (skinned and fat removed)
1 large Beef Rib
1 small bone (Pork/Beef)
l large onion, whole or chopped fine.
1 large tomatoe, whole or chopped fine
6 teeth of garlic, finely chopped
1 large chunk of fresh ginger finely chopped
l stalk rosemary
2 large bayleaves
1 tbl.spoon Saffron
2 stalks of fresh leek, finely chopped
1 tbl.spoon freshly crushed black pepper
1 Tbl.spoon Cumin seeds, 4 cardamams, 4 cloves, small piece of Cinnamon (In India it is called dal-chini which is the best)all grinded together.

Bring to the boil all the above ingredients and simmer on a very low heat for one hour. BUT PLEASE TAKE OUT THE CHICKEN LEG AFTER 10-15 MINUTES COOKING.
When the water is reduced, take out the beef rib, cut into small pieces and together with chicken pieces put back in the pot. Your basic chicken broth is now ready. You can add:

1. Cooked Chickpeas -Carrots- Beansprouts- Bean Curd (Tofu will do)

2.Shelled Prawns.
Shredded Pork,octopus,calamari,beansprouts,pork balls, dumplings etc(Sauted in Wok). Garnish the Soup with fresh Coriander leaves and a little Pad Thai sauce. It is delicious. A cold beer or Jasmine Tea is the best drink with these Soups.
Enjoy it.

Lobster in Wine and Ginger Sauce

This is my favorite lobster dish, I have eaten it in Chinese restaurants in Soho in London and in Hua Hin Evening Market(Thailand) and prepared it myself.

Take 2 lobsters, cut them length-wise, chop off claws (but keep them)
200gms. baby clams
200gms. giant prawns (shelled but tails left on)
4 cloves fresh thinly chopped garlic
A good slice of thinly chopped fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh Leak
1 medium size onion (chopped)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 whole dry red chilli to taste
50ml. dry white wine or 30ml dry sherry
4 tbl.spoons olive oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 egg
2 tbl.sooons Pad Thai Sauce (available from any Thai/Chinese grocer).

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, pour in chopped onion, ginger,garlic,red chilli and leak. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add pieces of lobster and giant prawns and claw pieces and cover the pot, once or twice stirring the contents slowly. Now pour in the the chicken broth and wine or sherry and cook on slow heat for 10-15 minutes so that wine is reduced and sauce thickened. If you like thicker sauce, mix one tbl.spoon cornflour with water, mix well and add to the pot. Add freshly crushed black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with fresh Corriander or mint leaves.
Good Appetite.

Lobster, Lobster, Lobster

When I started this blog about my favorite food recipes, I did not realise that there may be thousands and thousands others with the same idea who could also write about food and their favorite receipts too, put photos on their blogs, thus enticing people to read about them. So I stopped writing, I do not know from where to upload photos of food and wine, I write about the food I have enjoyed, and cook at home. But yesterday I had a look at my blog site and saw visitors who have logged in to it. So I am encouraged to see that some people are viewing my blog with interest, and have decided to update my blog.

Some time ago I stumbled upon a website selling fresh Lobsters online and thought about writing some recipes of cooking lobster. I have eaten lobster many times, in Spain, in England, in India and in Malaysia and Thailand. I too have cooked lobsters a few times.The best lobster I have had was in Thailand and in a Chinese restaurant in London. The usual way to prepare a lobster is either to boil it in water or steam it. The lobster has to be alive to boil, a frozen one will not do. China and India both export tinned lobster heads, which are quite tasty. Some time ago I bought a packet of frozen Cray Fish in Holland, which was also imported from China. It was alright in taste.

For two lobsters of 1/2 kilo each:
500gms fresh baby clams
3-4 cups of water,
50 ml Dry White wine.
1 tbl.spoon butter
2 tbl.spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 shallots, finally chopped
2 clove garlic
2 cms. fresh garlic
1/2 cup fish stock
1 tbl.spoon dry tarragon or a twig of fresh herb
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
pinch of cayanne
First chop off the heads of the lobsters, remove the coral and preserve.
Chop off the claws, break their shells. Heat olive oil and butter and add lobster pieces. Cover and simmer until you see that the lobsters have a glowing red colour. Add wine, fish stock, coral shell (to thicken the sauce) shallots, garlic and ginger and baby Clams and put it in the oven, on moderate heat, in a covered dish, for about 20 minutes. The sauce should thickened by the time otherwise add little corn flour and mix it well.

You can add a little brandy to the dish when ready and set fire to it ( a la fiambre) if you like. You can eat boiled rice which is nice with the sauce. A chilled bottle of dry white wine will do nicely too.