Mandu ( Korean dumpling)

Dumpling stuffing

Half moon shape dumpling

Teamed dumpling with sauce



Dumplings on the bamboo steamer



 vegetable ingredients

 

 

Luna new year is on 19th February this year, The year of Sheep. As we are the Anglo Korean house , we do celebrate Luna new year. Steamed dumplings are usually serve in the beef rib soup with thin white rice cake ( tteok guk) but we like as just steamed with dipping sauce or shallow fried .

 

Light and one mouthful soft stuffing is better than meaty one , you can serve with vegetable consommé as a starter.

Ready made dumpling skin pack is widely available now at any good orient shop now which makes so easy .

Ingredients: Minced pork ( 100g), spring onion (6-7), firm tofu ( half ), half garlic (grated, ), green and red fresh chilli. ( 1 each) finely chopped

Firstly put firm tofu has to be squeeze to take water out with tea towel , chopped spring onions fine as possible, chilli as well.
mix all together add pork  mince and mix by hand, season with salt and pepper and leave for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Ready for making Mandu, spread kitchen towel on the big tray and dust with flour, put 1 dumpling skin on the chopping board put stuffing in the middle, put water edge of skin y hand or pastry brush , fold as a half moon shape or ravioli shape and leave on the tray.

Put on to the bamboo steamer ( top of boiling water in the pan) and cover steam for 2-3 minutes until skin looks transparent .
Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce : dark soy ( 2tbsp), rice vinegar ( 3-4tsp), sugar ( 1tsp) chopped red chilli or Korean chilli flake ( 1/2tsp) chopped spring onion (2tsp).

Mine is put in the box, without steaming ( not to touch each other, and layers divided by cling film) and put in the freezer for the Luna new year .
You can steam from frozen or fry from frozen .


Hint: you can add garlic chives as well.
For vegetarian : add boiled Korean sweet noodle and chop, season with light soy, sesame oil, pepper, garlic ( grated) instead of meat.


PS; My Korean cookery date in February:  28th, do leave a messages.




 







Slow Roasting Beef

Seafood medley( starter)

Slow roasted prime rib of beef

Crunch cod ( snack)

I had a very good prime rib of beef 2 boned joint for our new year eve meal to celebrate 2015.
I was thinking how to cook, as usual 160c or low temperature for 2 hours , I pondered for a while decided to slow low temp. cooking method.
We all love medium rare, as I am cooking this small joint low temp. cooking is best.  Beef was just under 2 kg.
I heat up roasting tin very hot, put beef to brown all over and then
put my chopped fresh rosemary ( 3tsp) and grated ginger ( 2tsp) all over the skin

Set  oven 190c and put beef for 7minutes, and lower temperature 60c and covered with foil and left for 1 hour and put up oven for 80c  and roasted 40mintues.
finally took off foil, roasted 160c for 20min, and 190 for 5 min.
Rest joint for 25min.
It was just perfect medium rare.

Had  crunch roasted potatoes and beans with home made fresh horseradish source.
I reserved goose fat from our roast Goose on Christmas dinner, it was very satisfying using my
own goose fat!

Of course we all had with excellent Lebanese red wine ( it was eye opening moment to me) 

2014 Christmas Dinner

Our Christmas Tree 2014

Lobster tail and mini pickles with consomme

Our 2014 Christmas Dinner Table setting

Roast goose

Vegetables with goose



Roast potatoes & chilli & sausage wrap

I love Christmas specially planning and cooking, mostly planning the menu .
I started plan for Festive Season from November, making cranberry sauce, festive spiced nuts, stuffing, even gravy was made 1 week ahead and freeze, just in case.
Made spiced festive chocolate bark with all things we love, chilli, ginger, dried cranberry, nuts, sea salt , toasted sesame seed.

Roast goose was our chosen Christmas dinner since 2010, expensive but it is worth it specially if you do not have a huge family for the Christmas dinner.
It is nice to have rich dark meat with good stuffing and  cranberry sauce with good rich red wine.
Even I made our menu printed and roll up and put on the table.

Starter in our house is at least 1 hour before Main, because I make seafood dishes, It is nice to be like this way if you do not have any guest.

Starter: Lobster tail and scallops , mini apple and cucumber pickles with lobster skin consommé with  toasted sour dough bread.
We had white wine with this. making a good consommé is a hard job , luckily it was clear and delicious. all loved this time consuming consommé.
After finish our starter, we all can a it relax not to eat so strait after first course and gives me plenty of time to sort out rest of things, vegetables, potatoes gravy so on.

We all have too much to eat on the day , we liked to be a slowly eating, drinking and talking, taking a time.
I choose braised red cabbage with green apple which I cooked 24th, creamed leeks , asparagus, all very easy to cook, re heated my gravy and add goose liver to make rich Christmas taste.
Our goose was so good, crispy skin, moist dark meat.
Goose fat roasted potato and mini sausage stuffed green chilli, warped in bacon were my new recipe, which gives kick to our rich meal.

Our main course took nearly 2 hours with family talking and laugh. could not have planned cheese board, dessert or coffee.  we are so full and happy with food and laughing.
We just talked until late. I do love this kind of a long conversations.
Just we all feel so happy without anything after main, but we had a good Italian sweet wine and felt so satisfied and merry.

Hope, 2015 Christmas will be good as this year !