Endulging The Beauty of Mooncake . . .

I visited the Prince Hotel & Residence Kuala Lumpur early this week for a Mooncake making demostration by Master Dim Sum Chef Loo Sai Wah of Tai Zi Heen Restaurant. . . got to tell you, it is really an honor to be able to meet the Master Chef of Dim Sum as I am truely a Dim Sum fanatic fan, my favourite Dim Sums are "Har Kau" & "Siew Mai" just like Kate Winslet & Leonardo DiCaprio both are so lovely and so desireable. Anyway my mission was to learn, understand and have my hands all over the mooncakes.

Gosh . . . . an amazing variety spread of mooncakes waiting for me to taste . . . I just felt like I was an emperor at that moment endulging the mooncakes in my beautiful dining room. Sssssssssshhhhhhhhh...... I was a bit greedy as I had also set my eyes on this delighted golden orangy dessert just sitting infront of me, refusingly to leave me alone . . . . a chilled mango puree with vanilla ice cream, sago and pamelo . . . just exactly what I had in Hong Kong last year . . . so yummy especially you are a sweetie fan.

The Chef in charge had already preprepared the chocolat whiskey with walnut ball fillings and the snow skin mixture waiting to roll on.

Firstly Chef Loo roll the snow skin.

Once the snow skin is rolled, chef divided it into a few sub rolls.

Chef then roll the individual snow skin till flat forming a round flat snow skin.

It was time to cover the chocolat whiskey and walnut ball with snow skin.

The snow skin had fully covered the chocolat ball.

Place the snow skin ball into the mold and gently press the snow skin ball into the mold to form the prints.

Once completed, hit the mold gently to release the snow skin mooncake out of the mold.

These were many variety of snow skin mooncakes such as chocolat whiskey, mango cheese cake, sweet corn lotus paste, vanilla custard & gummi bears and lavender with almond egg custard fillings.

Oh! I was so lucky . . . as I got to taste other baked mooncakes available at the Prince Hotel, Kuala Lumpur such as the pandan & pumpkin paste with single egg yolk, white lotus paste with macadamia nuts and also my favourate one, five variety nut with rum and raisins. I truely felt this trip was so worth while and so fruitful as I was educated about the varieties of mooncakes available and yet get to experience the learning from the chef himself, Chef Loo.

Chef Loo, I will definitely be back to see you again . . . but what I had in mind is to get you to teach me how to make the real Dim Sum . . . even if I need to report to the class at 5am in the morning . . . thank you Chef, SidneyK

Tai Zi Heen's Mooncake Odyssey is at:

Tai Zi Heen
Prince Hotel & Residence
Kuala Lumpur
Tel No: 03-2170 8888 ext 8200 or 03-2170 8808
(1st August to 14th September)

ISETAN KLCC
Level 3
(26th August to 25th September)

The Way to Indulge A Duck. . . . . !

AROMATIC & CRISPY DUCK

This dish is served and eaten in the same way as Peking Duck -wrapped in a pancake along with shredded spring onion, cucumber sticks and Hoi Sin sauce. I prefer to add spicy dry prawn chilli paste, very oishi delicious. In a restaurant, this dish can be much conviniently served than Peking Duck because a quantity of duck can be precooked in the marinade or cooking sauce and put aside. When required, they are simply deep-fried for 10-11minutes and served, bcause of th final deep-frying, the duck meat will invariably be crisper and without the care and precise timing required when preparing and cooking traditional Peking Duck.

Ingredient

4-5lb duck
vegetable oil for deep-frying

Cooking sauce
6cups good stock
6tablespoons sugar
6slices fresh ginger roots
a bunch of spring onion
2/3cup soy sauce
4teaspoons yellow bean paste
6tablespoons dry sherry
6pieces star anise
1/2teaspoon five spice powder
1/4teaspoon pepper

Garnish
cucumber sticks
shredded spring onion
Hoi Sin sauce
pancakes

Preparation

Mix ingredients for cooking sauce together in large saucepan. Clean duck thoroughly and cut in half down backbone. Place into liquid and submerge.

Cooking

Simmer duck gently for 2hours. Remove from cooking liquid and leave to cool. When required to serve, heat oil, place duck gently in oil and fry for 10-11minutes. Drain well.

Serving

Place duck on large heated platter. Serve by taking meat off the carcass at the table and wrapping it in pancakes together with Hoi Sin sauce, cucumber sticks and shredder spring onion.

Cooking time: 2hours 10minutes
Serves: 6-8

Gosh, I got to admit that I can have half of a duck all by myself, you must try this recipe as it is pretty awesoe, simple and yet not difficult at all. You can even prepare it a day earlier, just deep fry when need to serve. If not try at your nearest chinese restaurant or if you are in Petaling Jaya, you can drop by the CUBES . . . . . . yours SidneyK