Feng – An Exotic Highlight of the X’mas Table!

The majority of Eurasians in Malaysia and Singapore are descendants of early Portuguese navigators and explorers, who arrived on these shores about 500 hundred years ago. These intrepid men braved the then uncharted waters of the world in search of wealth and glory, travelling from Lisbon to Africa, and eventually to Asia. When they reached Southeast Asia, these Europeans immediately set up an outpost in Malacca, the gateway between East and West, to monopolize the highly lucrative spice trade of the region.

The Portuguese ruled Malacca under a hostile social environment: so as not to be outnumbered by the natives, and to create harmony under colonial rule, the Portuguese promoted inter-racial marriages between themselves and the local people. They even brought women from their own country known as “Orphans of the Queen”; these women came from all castes of Portuguese society, including even the nobility. However, the local spouse would have to convert to Catholicism before the marriage could take place, in line with the missionary objectives of the conquerors.

From these marriages a new ethnicity was born, known as Eurasian -- or more accurately Cristang. With their exotic blend of European and Asian parentage, the Eurasians were accorded many rights and privileges enjoyed by the governing classes, and bequeathed a rich and fascinating legacy to our modern cultural mix, most famously, in food.

Combining western cooking methods with Eastern ingredients, the Eurasians created a cuisine with a unique identity. Like their European counterparts, Eurasians usually marinated their food with lime, lemon or vinegar, and, at the same time introduced chilies, galangal, and lemon grass into their curries. The Malaccan Eurasians also came to acquire the Peranakan and Chinese fondness for sweet-and-sour dishes, and the practice of stir-frying their ingredients. The most famous Eurasian dish in this region would probably be Devil Curry.

Christmas is an important celebration for Eurasians as it is a time for sharing joy and love among one other. Preparations would start weeks ahead. Beginning with the spring-cleaning of the house, and preparation of Christmas treats and cookies, until the eve of Christmas when the family would return from church, wish each other season’s greetings and sit down to a festive supper. Celebrations continue until Boxing Day with more food being served, feng (pronounced ‘fing’) being one of the “musts” for Christmas, and also at weddings.

It was believed that feng came about from the first Portuguese sea explorations to Asia. Animals were taken onboard the ship to be killed for meat, and because of the scarcity of food, no part of the animal was to be wasted. Feng became a dish where the innards and the poor cut, especially pig’s entrails and offal, were stewed with spices and eaten over days.

Feng

Pork belly                   300 g

Pig’s tongue               1

Pig’s intestine             150 g

Pig’s ear                      2

Pig’s heart                  1

Pig’s kidneys              2

Pig’s liver                    200 g

Water                          1½ litres

Cloves                         15

Star anise                     2

Cinnamon sticks         5

Oil                               ¼ cup

Ginger                         50 g, julienned

White vinegar             5 tbsp

Salt                              3 tsp

Brown sugar               3 tbsp

Dark soy sauce           1 tbsp

Paste (blended into fine paste):

Shallots                       500 g

Garlic                           25 g

Spices (ground):

Coriander seeds          6 tbsp

Cumin                         1½ tbsp

Fennel                         1½ tbsp

Black peppercorns     1 tbsp

Cinnamon                   2 cm

Star anise                    1

Turmeric                     20 g               

Method:

1. Boil water with 8 cloves, 1 star anise, and 3 cinnamon sticks.  Cook pork belly for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Cook pig’s tongue, ear and intestine for 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Scrape skin off the tongue and rinse thoroughly.
3. Cook kidneys and liver for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
4. Dice all cooked meat into cubes.
5. Saute ginger with oil. Add the remaining cloves, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Lower the heat when you can smell the fragrance.
6. Add blended paste and fry for 15 minutes under low heat. When the onion starts to caramelize, add the spice mixture. Increase the heat to medium and continue to stir-fry until oil is seeping through the paste.
7. Add pork belly, intestines and white vinegar. Stir-fry on low heat for about 10 minutes.
8. Add ear, tongue and 1 cup of sieved stock; simmer for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the meat and simmer for further 10 minutes.
9. Season it with sugar, salt and dark soy sauce. Cook for another 2 minutes before turning off the heat.
10. Let the dish stand for 30 minutes or keep it overnight before serving.

Note: Coriander seeds should be dry-fried until they are fragrant before grinding to yield a strong flavor. 

Bun Susie Revisited

Chef Daniel Tay, like many of us, learned life’s lessons the hard way as a go-getting young businessman. He was born and raised in the baker’s kitchen; in fact, for many years, Chef Tay’s father owned a well-known neighbourhood bakery, the Seng Choon Confectionery, at Marine Parade.

Tay Senior learned the ropes of the trade through the people he employed after setting up his shop, eventually mastering the skills and techniques required to become a baker and a businessman. Chef Tay later took over his father’s business, but lost it due to his youthful inexperience.

Apple Pies

This setback spurred him to pack his bags and head for Paris, where he honed his skills working at some of the most respected names in the business. He returned some years later to found Bakerzin, and the rest is sweet history.

Now, with this project, Chef Tay pays loving tribute to his dad by bringing to life the Seng Choong Confectionery. From 1 to 12 August 2012, 11 am to 9 pm, venture down to Tanjong Pagar Railway Station, 30 Keppel Road, to experience once again Rock Bun, Apple Pie, Bun Susie, and even Kaya, the old fashioned way.

Rock Buns

And speaking of Bun Susie, it is a forgotten snack that Eurasians and Peranakans often served their guests in the time before the 70s. Sadly, these days, not many have heard of it, let alone eaten it.

Here is its recipe; though it may not be exactly the same as Chef Tay’s, it is close enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.

Bun Susie

Butter                         75 g  

Mashed potato          80 g

Castor sugar               50 g

Hi-protein flour          450 g, sifted

Salt                              ½  tsp

Yeast                           10 g

Water                          175 ml, lukewarm

Egg                              1, for glazing

Filling:

Coriander powder      5 g

Oil                               2 tbsp

Garlic                           5 cloves

Taucheo paste            ½ tbsp

Chicken/Pork              360 g, diced

Dried winter melon    110 g, finely chopped

Seasoning:

Light soy sauce           1 tbsp

Sugar                           1 tsp

Pepper                         ½ tsp

Salt                               ½ tsp

Dark soy sauce            1 tsp

Water                           120 ml

Method:

1.     Preheat oven at 190°C.

2.    Blend butter, sweet potato and sugar in a bowl until smooth and thoroughly mixed.

3.    Mix flour, salt and yeast and mix thoroughly with a dough mixer.

4.    Add blended sweet potato batter and mix into a crumbly dough. Add water and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rise for 30 minutes.

5.    Knead dough until smooth. Divide into 22 portions. Flatten the dough, spoon in the filling and shape the dough into a ball.

6.    Place the ball on a greased baking try. Brush with beaten egg and leave it to rise for another 25 minutes.

7.     Bake for 15 minutes.

Filling:

1.   Pan-fry coriander seeds until fragrant, remove from heat. Pound coriander seed until  

      powder form.

2.   Saute garlic and taucheo until fragrant. Add chicken and coriander powder. Stir well.

3.   Add seasoning and water. Simmer the gravy until it is reduced to near-dryness. Add winter 

      melon. Remove from heat and leave it to cool.

Sugee Cake – A Rare Festive Guest

When I was a kid, home visits were planned semi-formal affairs; dates would be arranged and fixed days beforehand. Quite commonly, such visits would extend over meal times; and, if the hosts happened to be relatives, the visit would even allow staying over for a game of mahjong.

Remember Singapore in the 60s? There were no expressways; buses were few and infrequent; taxis were reserved for the rich; and only a handful of Singaporeans owned cars. While you could go almost anywhere in Singapore today with just a 30-minute ride on the MRT; in those days it took hours to get from A to B!

And…it would be unthinkable to arrive empty-handed. I remember lugging bags of fruits, and containers of home-cooked food or cakes, to the home we were calling on. And if they were close relatives, we even brought expensive dried foodstuff such as mushroom and abalone.

The hosts would reciprocate of course, with loads of food to make their guests feel welcomed. And this always included home-baked cakes followed by a sumptuous dinner. Sugee cakes and butter cakes were commonly served.

I love sugee cake; it’s rich, grainy and has a unique taste. Sad to say, good sugee cakes are hard to find these days, and they seem to make an annual appearance in homes only at X’mas and Chinese New Year.

Sugee, or semolina, is in fact durum wheat, which is commonly found in Italian and Indian cooking. I’m not sure how and when sugee made its way into our Singaporean cuisine, but it has become identified with the Eurasians and the Peranakans, and every household among these seems to have its own ‘version’ or ‘recipe’ of the cake.

So, this being Christmas, I’m baking Sugee Cake to fulfill this year’s quota. : )

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Osmanthus Sugee Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Unsalted butter          114 g

Semolina                     75 g

Caster sugar                100 g

Cake flour                   28 g

Baking powder           ¼ tsp

Almond                       38 g, blanched and finely chopped

Egg whites                  1½

Egg yolks                    3

Milk                             20 ml

Rum                            1 tbsp

Osmanthus                 30 g

Salt                              ¼

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese             100 g

Butter                          55 g

Icing sugar                  150 g

Osmanthus                 3 tbsp

Method:

1.      Cream butter with 25 g of sugar till light and creamy. Add rum and semolina and mix well. Cover and let it stand in a cool place overnight.

2.      Preheat oven to 170° C.

3.         Beat egg yolks with 50 g of sugar until thick, add osmanthus flower. Fold in chopped almonds and cake flour.

4.         Beat egg whites with remaining 25 g of sugar till stiff.

5.         Add egg yolk mixture to butter mixture and finally fold in the stiff egg whites.

6.         Pour into cupcake moulds and bake 30 – 35 minutes or until golden brown.

7.         Let the cake cool on a rack before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1.         Beat butter and cheese until creamy.

2.         Add ½ of the sugar and osmanthus and beat until combined.

3.         Gradually add the remaining sugar until the consistency is achieved.

4.         Pipe the frosting on the cupcakes.