Taiwan Pork Chop Bento Box
- 2 pork chops
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tablespoon five spice
- 4 tablespoons cornflour
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine (mi chiu)
- A dash of sesame oil
1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, five spice, sesame oil and stir well. Add the pork chops to marinate, ensuring most is covered.
2. In a heated pan, add a tablespoon of vegetable oil.
3. In a bowl with the cornflour, take a pork chop and coat completely with the cornflour, transferring straight to the hot pan. Repeat for other chop.
4. Fry the chop for 5-10 minutes on each side, ensuring it is thoroughly cooked.
5. Serve immediately with rice, tea eggs and vegetables.
Sweet Rice Cake (Mo chi)
Cooking time:30 mins
Ingredients:
500 gram rice flour
500 ml coconut milk
200 gm sugar
Desiccated coconut
100 gram red bean paste
100 gram smooth peanut butter
20 gram sugar
2. Slowly add the coconut milk and mix until it forms a mixture.
3. In a ban-marie, slowly cook the mixture until it turns clear (approx 30 mins). Set aside to cool.
4. In a bowl, mix peanut butter and 20 gram sugar together and a dash of hot water to loosen the mixture.
5. Using a well floured hand, grab a small ball of the cooled dough mixture and roll smoothly.
6. Flatten and take a spoon of either red bean paste or peanut butter paste and put in the middle of the dough.
7. Slowly wrap the dough around the mixture and pinch to enclose well. Roll to smooth.
8. Dip the ball around either rice flour or desiccated coconut.
9. Put aside to set.
Stir Fried Vermicelli (Tsa bi hoon)
Stir Fried Vermicelli (Tsa bi hoon) is a loved favourite in my household, real easy to knock up and real tasty. It is as common, if not more common than fried rice across Taiwan and has a lighter texture, leaving you feeling satisfied and not guilty!
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves 2
Ingredients:
200 gram chicken breast
2 carrots
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic
300 gram vermicelli
2 sprigs spring onion
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine (mi chiu)
2 teaspoons raw sugar
Basil for decoration (optional)
1. In a bowl of boiling water, add the vermicelli to soften. Ensure it is covered entirely and leave for 10 minutes.
2. Shred the carrots, garlic and thinly slice the chicken. Slice the spring onion into long strips.
3. In a heated pan, roughly scramble the eggs. Remove from heat.
4. In a heated wok, add a dash of cooking oil and the chicken and brown for 5 minutes.
5. Add the spring onion, carrots and garlic and stir for a few minutes.
6. Drain the vermicelli and add to the wok.
7. Add the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar and stir until well combined.
8. Add more soy sauce/sugar to taste.
9. Add the eggs and combine well.
10. Serve immediately with the basil for decoration.
Congee (Xi fan)
Congee, growing up meant traditionally a family breakfast meal or whenever someone fell ill. My mother always used to say it would cleanse our bodies and make us feel a lot better. To me, its a great winter warmer and so simple to make, I encourage every household to give it a go!
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 2 cups of white rice
- 20 cups of water
- 1 tablet chicken stock
- ¼ ginger
Garnishes
- Pork floss (rou song)
- Chilli bamboo shoots
- Gluten
- Preserved cucumber
- Century egg (not for the faint hearted!)
- Fried egg
- Yo tiao (Chinese cruller)
Directions
1. Wash the rice until the water goes clear. Peel & slice ginger into small strips.
2. Using a cast-iron pot (I use le creuset pot which is a staple in my kitchen as it conducts heat evenly), add the water and bring to the boil on high heat.
3. Add the rice and bring again to the boil. Turn the heat down to low.
4. Add the ginger and chicken stock. Ensure stock is evenly dissolved.
5. Stir on a regular basis to avoid the rice sticking to the pot.
6. Serve hot with the garnishes separate on the table to allow everyone to choose and mix themselves.
Tip: For even softer congee, use day old steamed rice instead of cooking rice from scratch.
Read MoreStir Fried Pork, Onion & Egg
Stir Fried Pork,Onion & Egg is a typical dish found in many lunchtime takeaways in Taiwan where you will find rows and rows of food and accompaniments to choose from and fill in your lunchbox. The problem I had was that my eyes are bigger than my stomach and I wanted to try everything! This dish was one of my favourites, best served on rice.
Preparation time: 30 mins
Cooking time: 30mins
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 300 grams pork chop
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon rice wine (mi chiu)
- 3 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 30 gram cornflour
- 1 large onion sliced
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 2 eggs
Directions
1. Slice the pork chop into strips and place into a bowl.
2. Add the soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice wine, half the chopped garlic and 2 teaspoons sugar in the bowl and mix well. Marinate for 20 minutes.
3. In a heated pan, add the onion and remaining garlic. Add a dash of water to soften and steam the onion.
4. Add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and stir well.
5. In a bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and add to the pan with the onion. Let the eggs fry for a few minutes before stirring.
6. Once the eggs have lightly cooked, remove all egg and onion from heat.
7. Remove the pork from marinate and in a separate bowl, add the cornflour and mix with pork well.
8. Add the pork to a lightly oiled and heated pan and brown the sides.
9. Return the egg and onion and stir for 5 minutes.
10. Serve immediately with rice.
Read MoreThree Cup Chicken (San be ji)
Three Cup Chicken is one of the most well known dishes from Taiwan and its key ingredients as it suggests forms from three parts – soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. This is a very fragrant and flavoursome dish, perfect for dinner parties or family get togethers. Its so quick and easy to make, you’ll have it ready in no time when your guests arrive!
Preparation time: 5 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 500 gram chicken drumsticks
- ¼ cup rice wine (mi chiu)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons raw sugar
- 5 cloves roughly chopped garlic
- 200 gram basil
Directions
1. Using a strong knife (I use a butchers knife), cut the chicken drumsticks in half.
2. In a heated pan, add the sesame oil and garlic and saute for a minute.
3. Add the chicken and fry on medium heat.
4. Once the chicken has slightly browned on both sides, add the soy sauce, rice wine and sugar.
5. Mix well, turn the heat down and simmer for 15 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.
6. Add the basil and stir gently for 2 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with rice.
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