Date: Feb 10, 2018
We like to have a reunion dinner 1-2 weeks before the actual CNY eve. So that every one can attend.
This year reunion dinner clashed with my wife’s Hort Park event, and Jay’s Taekwondo grading date. So, anticipating that we have not much time to do the cooking, we outsource the cooking to Chef Eric from downstairs restaurant – Ô Boeuf à 6 Pattes.
Of course, I have to cook the traditional Pen Cai (盆菜).
Below is the highlight of the Pen Cai, the food form Chef Eric and the family photos.
This is this year recipe.
I added in some new ingredients.
Some nice Snow Kabu (Winter Roots).
Premium mushrooms.
Japanese 金针菇.
Japanese organic carrots.
Japanese Pumpkin.
Japanese Bok Choy.
Japanese Leeks.
Japanese white reddish.
All my Japanese stuff I get from Mediya.
Every year before Chinese new year, their seafood department will promote lots of nice nice seafood.
Like this big big scallops. So, you only need 5-6 min to steam or cook these scallops. So, before serving, I will put these scallops into the Pen Cai pot to simmer for 5-6 minutes.
No need to have it fully cooked. As it is sashimi grade scallops. Overcook will harden the scallops.
And the Sashimi grade Argentina big prawns.
When it defrost, you can eat it like that. Very nice.
Together with the scallops, these big prawns will be placed into the hot pot 5-6 min before serving.
Japanese Seafood ingredients.
Soft and nice.
After 1 hours slow cooking. Later we found out that the sea cucumber still in tact and taste very nice when all the juice absorbed by the sea cucumber.
Early in the morning, I went to Tiong Bahru wet market to get these.
From Hong Kong, goose sausage.
From Hong Kong also, the Duck Blood liver sausage.
Of course, I bought some normal sausage too.
Just look at the fatty goose sausage. Very fat and sinful.
The duck blood is nice too.
The dried oysters.
The siew bak.
The braised duck.
Century eggs.
Abalone.
So we cut every thing.. The fatt choy, and the dao pok and dao kee.
Thailand fish maw.
gooseberries.
The dried and sausages…
There are 27 ingredients in there.
It looks magnificent.
Now comes the hard part. Cutting is easy. It is arranging it into this iCook pot is the hard part. How do you fit so many things into small pot like this.
Let’s do it.
Really, it is testing your skills.
Feel happy cooking the Pen Cai. As always.
Very playful indeed.
Slowly one layer by one layer.
Cover with all the ingredients you have.
The sea cucumber.
The sausages.
Cover with Boh Choy.
Your job is to stuff everything in there.
Lastly, we place the prawns and scallop after 1 hour of cooking.
It looks gorgeous.
Very fresh prawns and scallops.
Give it some lights…
My mom likes the Pen Cai I cooked.
OK, let’s start the reunion party.
Some light wine.
Chef Yu Sheng
With smoke salmon.
Where are all the kids.
All are here.
Let’s prep the Yu Sheng.
Huat ah!
Huat Huat ah!
The kids also huat ah!
Happiest Yu Sheng.
2nd Dish Glaze Yam.
3rd dish – Pen Cai.
Queue up to take Pen Cai.
My mom very happy.
Let’s check out Chef Eric how is he doing.
4th dish – King prawn with Thai sauce.
Wow.. the crispy skin pork knuckle. 5th dish.
6th dish. Thai steam Garoupa.
7th dish. Crab meat brocoli.
8th dish – Chilli Crabs.
second light bottle.
3rd and 4th bottle heavy for the meat.
Check out how is my mom doing. Very happy.
Kids started to kacau chef Eric and Emma.
Chef Eric preparing Cote du Boeuf.
Dish 9. Cote du Boeuf.
Betty looking very good!
Dish #10 Iberico Pork.
Free dessert from Emma. Durian Mango Sticky rice. Very good!!!
Very nice. And at the end, we packed for 4 family on those that we cannot finish. 年年有余！
The family photo time.
Candid shot.
Huat huat money shot.
The grand daughters.
The women shot.
The grandsons shot.
The grandma shot.
Oh ya, we also have oysters.
Kids enjoying.
Playing games.
Playing games shot.
Happy Chinese New Year 2018. Have a great one. Make sure you do a lot of exercise. See a lot of greens. And stay healthy.
