Malaysian Dining at the Malay Restaurant - Flushing - NYC

The restaurant we stumbled upon while walking around in Flushing looking for a place new to eat. This place was on one block full of restaurants and it was small and busy looking. Looked very home style.

We had .....

Steamed Tilapia with Special Sauce

Sauteed bittermelon with eggs and radish 

(didn’t expect it to be like a pancake but it was tasty nonetheless)

Sauteed Chicken Gizzard and Liver ( Menu offered heart as well but they were out )

served with cucumber, cilantro and sweet soy / chili that usually comes with Hainan chicken  

And of course we had rice made with home made chicken stock

Overall very happy with our food and family atmosphere.

Restaurant 

Malay Restaurant

13517  - 40th Road 

Flushing, NY 11354

718-353-2901

*Reviewed by Biggiefood

Homemade Salted Duck and Chicken Eggs

Hello Everyone ! You may already know my love for Congee, nice thick smooth rice porridge that is really simple to make and always comforting to the body. 

There are so many ways to enjoy a bowl of hot congee. You can cook it with ingredients to flavor the porridge or have it simple with different types of side dishes like my quick minced meat and green stir fry, or ground turkey with minced watercress or kale. A nice scoop of piping hot congee in your bowl  topped off with the stir fry, a small drizzle of soy and fresh cilantro .... so good ! 

And sometimes a salted egg!

from ediblyasian

My earliest memories of these eggs was shopping with mom at the chinese markets. They would be in a large shiny black ceramic container like a large flower pot with a red cloth cover lid ( like those big wine containers in Kung Fu movies)

The container would be full of duck eggs covered with black mud or clay. 

The salting process is with a mud/clay mixture with loads of salt then add water to create a paste,

Cover each raw egg with a thick layer of the paste and add to the container, lined from bottom to top, sealed and stored in dark cool area until ready, weeks to months.

 I believe this method was the cheapest and best for transporting.

Mom would pick out a few, put into a brown paper bag , and then at home wash out the mud/clay completely before cooking. 

These days you will only find packed, precooked salted eggs at the Asian markets. I have tried a few of them, but they do not meet the quality I like. I found a place in Chinatown that sells fresh duck eggs, and that was when I realized I could make my own. 

This is my first try on making my own salted eggs.

The best part is the yolk. When the brining process is done well it will produce a golden yolk with a smooth grainy texture like a real good baked potato...with a pop of salty unami!

Golden oily semi salty yolk is what I want 

I experimented with duck and chicken eggs

Ingredients:

4 duck eggs

4 chicken eggs

4 cups of water

1 cup of sea salt

4-5 tablesoon of Shao Hsing chinese cooking wine or sherry 

Prep and set :

1. Heat water and salt until all salt dissolved. Put aside and let cool completely.

2. Eggs - wash and dry - add in container carefully

3. Pour in the cooled brine and add the wine.

4. Add water to a small sandwich bag to weigh the eggs (the eggs will tend to float from the salt) then seal. the container.

5. Make a note of the dates/day of brining. 

6. Store in cool dark area for 30 - 40 days.

* you can place the jar  on a tray or plate to avoid the salty mess  when accessing to the eggs

cooking : add egg to cold water and bring to boil for 10 minutes

Should try the eggs to see if they are ready to your taste.

I tried an egg on the 25th day - not ready.

I tried an egg on the 30th day - not ready.

Perfect on the 40th day. 

Duck (top ) and Chicken (bottom) - Both result came out perfect! 

sorry for the poor slicing of the eggies

I am happy having these eggs chopped up and mixed in my bowl of congee, love it when the yolk semi melts in, flavoring the congee.

Storing : Clean all eggs from the brine and store in fridge separate from the fresh eggs.

** Cin mentioned a very famous Cantonese dish cooked with only the salted yolk - Stir Fried Lobster coated with salted yolk.

** Popular Filipino salad - tomato , onion with slices of salted eggs 

**  Mama -Steamed Mince pork and salty egg pie

Do you know any other salty egg dishes ?? 

  

Kale! Spinach! and Flax! SMOOTHIE yummy!

A friend of mine suggested that I try green smoothies in the morning to switch it up from juicing. I tried it and love it and it has been my breakfast for a few weeks now! This is going to be a typical cookng recipe where you can put in any variation of ingredients to make it your own. What I'll share is my favorite base shake to which you can change out the fruit or the greens. Yes, the smoothie green from green leafy veggies.  Don't worry because you won't even taste them! You get the nutrients from the fresh ingredients but also the fiber! I like using frozen fruit because it makes the shake nice and cold! I still love fresh pressed juices but have them later in the day. I've been feeling so great and even losing a little off the waistline since it is low carb!

 

Em's green smoothie

1 banana

Handful frozen blueberries

Handful frozen mangoes

1 cup almond milk

Handful spinach or kale

Teaspoon flax powder

1 ice cube

Blend all together with blender!

Have a happy healthy summer!

Gazpacho heirloom tomatoes

Embarking on our healthy summer theme, we would like to share this easy and delicious gazpacho recipe. There is nothing better on a hot day (or any day) than a big bowl of cold tomato soup! For this recipe, the quality of the ingredients really matter. Try to get juicy sweet ripe heirloom tomatoes if you can. If not, plum tomatoes are fine. San Mariano canned tomatoes will work too if fresh is impossible.  Also, use Campbell's or Hunt's tomato juice. I like the sweetness and consistency of the juice. I like to top my gazpacho off with avocado and pickled shrimp. I think crabmeat would also be a great topping! And oh, I like chopped jalapenos and tart Louisiana hot sauce to add some heat! 

I can't wait for you to try this recipe!

Gazpacho

3 large heirloom tomatoes

(or 6 plum tomatoes or one can san marzano)

one red onion

2-3 cloves garlic

one bell pepper

one cucumber

juice of one lemon

4 cups tomato juice

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

cliantro chopped

get your blender and a large bowl

cut all the veggies into small 1 inch pieces

buzz in blender one veggie at a time and pour into bowl

(pour in some tomato juice to help blending along)

do not over blend!  it should be chunky

mix together all ingredients 

salt and pepper to taste

top with favorite toppings, avocado and cilantro are musts!

If you have a food processor, follow same recipe and just pulse chop each ingredient

Comfort Food

When you were a kid feeling low or having a bad day, your mom would offer you hugs and comforting words, and then proceeded to make you something to eat that would always make you feel better.
I want to share a dish with you that still to this day makes me feel better when I'm feeling down.
Let me first start with my bad day, or should I say bad month...
A month ago the restaurant I work at went through an overhaul.  It was a month of scary events that consist of what you most likely read in chef/restauranteur memoirs.  The chef quit, the owners stepped in and starting cleaning house.  There was yelling, firing, crying, pots being thrown, people walking out, and nights where I find myself still working at an ungodly hour.  The stress level was way past the danger zone.  Everywhere I turned, someone was freaking out and yelling at me.  My boss, my co-workers, even my customers. But! Life is a test...so they say.
So I find myself in the kitchen...where most life problems are worked out.  This time it was my sister, Annie who was offering comforting words... and food.  I just sat there feeling like I went through hell, no words, too exhausted for tears.  She made me dinner and when she put out my favorite dish, I stared at it and wanted to cry, again.
It is a very simple dish made out of eggs and water - that's it.
You take equal portions of egg and water, beat it together and steam it for about 10-15 minutes.  The cool factor in this is how she portions the water perfectly.  Let's say she uses four eggs.  She cracks three into a bowl and the with the last egg, she makes a tiny hole on top and shakes out the last egg into the bowl.  She now has a perfect measuring "eggcup" for the water.  She fills the "eggcup" with water then pours it into the bowl; 4 times.  At this point, you can add water ever you like; mushrooms, scallions, etc.  She adds a little oil for a moist texture.

This is what comfort food is all about.  A simple recipe, usually from childhood and generally has an effect on you like the last scene from Ratatouille.  I scooped a very generous portion over rice, add some oyster sauce, took a bite...and voila! I felt much better.  Thank you Annie, you knew exactly what to do.