Friday 30 December 2016

POPEYE'S SPICY CHICKEN


3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce
4 cups flour
2 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon paprika
3 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 quart buttermilk (optional)
Salt, Pepper, and Garlic Powder (to taste)
1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces
Peanut Oil, for frying

1. Place cut-up chicken in a large bowl, and cover with buttermilk. Cover and chill for two hours, or overnight. This is an optional (but recommended) step.
2. In a large bowl, add eggs, water, and red pepper sauce. Whisk until combined.
3. In a large gallon freezer bag, mix flour, pepper, paprika, and cayenne.
4. Remove chicken from buttermilk (if marinated) and sprinkle lightly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
5. Place all chicken pieces in freezer bag with flour mixture. Shake until all pieces are evenly coated.
6. Remove chicken pieces one at a time, shaking excess flour. Dip each piece in the egg mixture, and return to bag of flour. After all pieces of been dipped in the egg mixture and put back in the bag, give it a second shake to coat chicken pieces again.
7. Heat oil in deep fryer or deep pan to 350 degrees. Working in batches, drop each piece of chicken into the hot oil. Fry for 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown, turning occasionally if oil does not completely cover chicken. Keep in mind that dark meat chicken takes longer to cook than white meat. Watch your wing segments, as well; these will finish cooking first.

Wednesday 14 December 2016

Eggnog


3 cups (700ml) whole milk
1 cup (240ml) heavy or double cream
3 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean pod, split and seeds removed
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish
5 eggs, separated
2/3 (130g) cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup (175ml) Bacardi Dark Rum, or bourbon

In a saucepan, combine milk, cream, cinnamon, vanilla bean, vanilla seeds, and nutmeg. Bring to the boil over a medium heat. Once boiling, remove from the heat and allow to steep.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat egg yolks and sugar until combined and thick ribbons form when the whisk is lifted. Slowly whisk in the milk and continue to mix until the mixture is combined and smooth. Add bourbon or rum, and stir. Refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.

Before serving, beat the egg whites in a large bowl or stand mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into eggnog until combined. Serve and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.

Gingerbread cheesecake


All-purpose flour, for dusting
1/4 recipe of the dough for Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
6 gingerbread men (see above)
DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap exterior of a 9-inch springform pan in 2 layers of foil.
On a generously floured piece of parchment, roll dough to a 13-by-10-inch rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush off excess flour. Slide dough and parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet on a wire rack. Break into large pieces, then pulse in a food processor until finely ground.
Combine butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and 2 cups cookie crumbs in a bowl. Press mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and one-third of the way up sides of prepared pan. Bake until set, about 10 minutes. Let cool on rack.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and the vanilla, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl as needed. Beat in molasses, salt, spices, and lemon zest. Pour filling into cooled crust.
Place cheesecake in a large, shallow roasting pan. Transfer to oven, and carefully add enough hot water to roasting pan to come about halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake until cheesecake is set but still slightly wobbly in center, 60 to 65 minutes. Carefully remove springform pan from roasting pan, and let cool on a wire rack. Refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 8 hours (preferably overnight).
Before serving, run a hot knife around edges of cheesecake to loosen, and remove sides of pan. Arrange gingerbread cookies in center of cake in a circle (with heads facing inward and arms touching, alternating light and dark

Tuesday 13 December 2016

Punch à crème

12 eggs
6 tin condense milk
2 tins carnation milk
4 tbs bitters
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
2 tsp nutmeg
2  lime
1 bottle rum/vodka/punchline  (located in Asian shops)

In a large bowl, beat eggs with 1 entire lime skin peel until frothy.  Remove lime peel from eggs and transfer to blender.  Grate 1/2 tsp lime peel into eggs and blend. Add milks, spices and rum last. You can use 1/2 bottle first then add to your peference. Blend well. Shake bottle before serving. Chill and enjoy.
(Please make sure to blend your ingredients well before adding your rum. Also, if you plan to keep for long period,  please shake bottle every week at beginning. )

It is very important to use clean and sanitised equipments and bottles. This recipe makes approximately four 750ml bottles.