Creme Brulee ... French Custard Pudding

 Seingat saya dah lama teringin nak buat creme brulee sendiri.

 I was intimidated knowing it is a French dessert and how complicated and delicate a French cuisine can be. I wasn't sure if I could get the egg custard consistency right. And the idea of blow-torching the sugar until it burnt and caramalised sounds like nothing a home cook can handle.

I was young. But now that I'm older and much more experience in the kitchen pffftttttt... And I've seen how Ashley the contestant on Australia's My Kitchen Rules season 4 did hers, I am more confident. Infact I have this determination to conquer another French dessert.

The first thing i did was invest RM49 on a blow torch that I've been eyeing at Ace Hardware next to Jaya Grocer where I use to do my grocery shopping. I also bought 3 cylinder of butane gas at RM18. I wish they sell individual cylinder instead of 3 in one packages. But hey, its Ace Hardware what do you expect.

Once I own a blow torch, I bough all the ingredients. What are they? Well, nothing you can't find in your kitchen or fridge. Egg, sugar, vanila essence and the only thing that you don't always have ready in the fridge is whipping creme. I use non-dairy.

And you also need a good fool-proof recipe. None other than Chef Anna Olson's. 

Trust me, her recipe is perfecto!  Just follow her recipe step by step and you'll get a luscious mouth-watering creme brulee.

If don't own a blow-torch there is another way getting the sugar caramelised. Preheat you oven to 180C, only grill setting. Place your puddings on most top rack of your oven. Close the oven door and keep watching untill the sugar burnt. You don't want to leave them too long in the oven otherwise your pudding will melt away. We don't want that. We want the pudding still set and the caramelised sugar will also set once you remove from the oven. The caramelised sugar or what they refer as 'brulee' will harden and become a glass mirror like consistency. The excitement of eating or making this pudding comes when you have to knock on the brulee with the back of your spoon to break the 'glass'. If it hard enough to be broken then you know you got it right.

Mahalabiya ... Arabic Milk Custard Pudding

Mahalabiya is a Arabic/Middle Eastern milk custard pudding that is very easy to make and often eaten as a dessert for iftar. In Malaysia, Mahalabiya often found in Arabic cuisine restaurants. And if you are an avid fan of Arabic cuisine (as I am), you'd probably come across 2 different version of Mahalabiya; one without rice (custard) and another with rice. Well, I did :-).

It requires very basic ingredients, ever ready in your kitchen. Milk, sugar and cornstarch. And rosewater for authentic taste. Very basic right? Now, how do we go about making the pudding? It's not rocket science I promise you. Pejam mata pun boleh buat. It took 20 minutes the most until the custard mixture thickens while you keep stirring. Pour into cups and leave in the fridge for an hour the most. A trick to share, if you need to serve the pudding cepat atau rasa tak sabar nak makan; just chill the cups/glass in the fridge before you pour the custards in to it. (^_*)

Mahalabiya that I made the other day topped with passion fruit juices. The tartiness from the passion fruit juices balanced the sweetness of the pudding. Tapi saya boleh je makan pudding begitu saja. Takde lah manis sangat. Barangkali bau wangi dari rosewater tu yang stimulate deria kita untuk rasa lebih manis.

The other version of Mahalabiya yang ada rice itu menyerupai a famous English traditional dessert iaitu rice pudding. Beras dimasak bersama susu hingga hancur. Diberi rasa manis gula dan rosewater. Sedikit berbeza dengan English rice pudding apabila ianya diperisakan dengan serbuk kayu manis dan dipekatkan dengan penambahan telur. I've made the English rice pudding many many years back. And I like both. The English version yang sangat lemak dan manis. Serta the lighter version of Arabic rice pudding (because it adds no egg, it is lighter in taste I can eat 2 bowl at a time!!!).

I made my Mahalabiya according to the recipe here. Kalau tak ada rosewater you can substitute with a small drop of rose essence. Ingat ye, just a small drop of rose essence sebab essence lebih pekat nanti flavour dia overwhelming terasa macam telan minyak wangi!!!

Pan-Seared Tilapia in Creamy Butter Sauce

Ada kisah disebalik hidangan ikan dan pasta ini. Mari dengar saya bercerita. Lagipun dah lama tak baca celoteh saya kan. Exactly 3 bulan saya tak update status. Agak-agak ada tak orang rasa pelik? Rasa-rasanya ...bukan rasa lagi dah memang confirm TAK ADA!!! ;-). Bukan blog top rating pun kansss?

Ok whatever. Ni nak cerita. Memang banyak perkara berlaku. Tapi apa yang berlaku itu bukan sebab serta-merta saya tak update blog. Saya penat lepas balik bercuti di Terengganu penghujung Januari lalu sebenarnya. Penat itu diikuti sakit bahu yang datang semula. Makanya saya tak dapat nak mengadap PC menaip entry. Sempat buat 1 entry saja di bulan Februari. How I wish saya ada device yang boleh menukarkan percakapan saya ke bentuk tulisan. Maka tak perlulah saya menaip. Memandangkan takde device sedemikian, maka ter 'abandon' lah blog ini. Terr... OK... tak sengaja ;-).

Cuti sekolah bulan Mac kami bawa anak-anak naik puncak gunung Jerai. Balik ingat nak jadikan bahan update status. Tapi nan-ado. Balik bercuti sambung siapkan tempahan kek. Kemudiannya sakit datang semula. Datang April bulan paling mengejutkan dengan ujian bertimpa-timpa. Hanya Allah tempat mengadu dan sumber kekuatan.

Bulan April juga saya dan mr hubby sakit serentak. Saya bukan sakit bahu. Entah tak tau nak kata sakit apa, tiba-tiba saja demam sejuk kejap datang kejap hilang. Diikuti selera makan langsung tiada. Bukan setakat tiada selera, paksa makan pun tak boleh telan. Terasa payah sekali. Menitis airmata bila kunyah tak boleh telan. Bila dah tak boleh makan tu berlanjutanlah sakitnya. Perut kosong masuk angin, gastrik dan segalanya. Badan susut 4kg dalam masa 5 hari. Tak bermaya jangan cakap, suara juga malu-malu keluar. Tidur juga tak lena. Perut kosong boleh kah tidur? Saya terbayangkan anak-anak pelarian di serata dunia. Tidur dalam kelaparan. Beginilah mereka rasakan. Bezanya saya tidak lapar langsung, tiada nafsu makan.

 Dalam masa yang sama mr hubby juga demam panas teramat sangat. Kami dua-dua flat. Dalam waktu kami berdua terlantar sakit di rumah itulah dua malaikat kecil saya menjadi jururawat kami berdua. Ambilkan air, tuamkan kepala dengan tuala basah, urutkan badan, siapkan ubat. Pandai-pandai mereka lah uruskan diri serta makan-minum. Memasak memang  langsung tidak. Sungguh-sungguh saya tersentuh melihat mereka bersabar makan apa saja yang ada hatta roti asal dapat alas perut dan urus segala sendiri.

Hubby's fever turned out symptoms of dengue. Dia kena hospitalised 5 hari after 5 days demam di rumah. Dengan saya yang masih sakit, dia pula di hospital. Saya rasa lega bila dia di hospital setidak-tidaknya berada dalam jagaan dan pantauan doktor. Kalau di rumah dengan saya pun tak mampu bawa diri bagaimana dapat saya menjaga dia sebaik yang saya mahukan. And oh yesss... they took great care of him. Makan minum sangattttttttt terjaga. Bukan setakat terjaga... mewah giler! Haha... dah lama tak masuk hospital, rupa-rupanya sjmc now sdmc punya meal dah revamp macam hidangan ala carte hotel! So yummms, sampai pada suatu hari saya dan Yaya jatuh jealous tengok lunch set hubby iaitu fish and pasta. 

Maka terhasillah hidangan Fillet Ikan Talapia dalam Sos Mentega bersama spaghetti olio ini.

Bila masing-masing dah sihat, selera makan juga dah kembali normal, maka gigihlah saya menggodek youtube belajar buat sos mentega yang lemak berkrim itu. Sos mentega itu adalah sejenis sos Perancis yang sangat versatil. Boleh digunakan dalam apa jua hidangan. So worth it lah the time spent depan pc mengadap youtube. I got rave reviews from the jury's in the house for this dish.

Tilapia fillet tu beli jelah yang frozen punya kat supermarket. Nak fillet sendiri tunggu ahkak belajar skill mem'fillet' dulu ye. Kot dah terer mem'fillet' bolehlah masuk Masterchef Australia ke... US ahkak tak hingin, punyalah cengeng sesama peserta, takde semangat persahabatan langsung!

Kalau nak cuba hidangan ini jom check it out resipi ye. Mulakan dengan menyediakan fillet ikan dan memasaknya terlebih dahulu ye. Sos adalah proses paling akhir.

Pan-fry Tilapia Fillet (dory, lemon sole, sea bass and snapper works fine)

4 pcs tilapia fillet or fillet of your choice- defrost

a pinch of salt

a pinch of pepper

1 cup all purpose flour (for coating)

oil for shallow fry

Method:

1. Rub salt and pepper to the fillet. Let set for 5 mins.

2. Heat just enough oil in a pan for shallow frying the fillet. Bottom side of the fillet should be in the oil while the other side submerge above the oil level.

3. Evenly coat the fillet with flour. Shake of excess and fry until the fillet turn golden. Do not overcooked as you will return the fillet for cooking in the sauce later.

4. Put aside when done.

Garlic Butter Sauce

4 clove garlic - mince

3/4 cup chicken stock - can be substitute with cubed chicken stock dilute in 3/4 cup of boil water

50gm butter cubed at room temperature

3 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup of cooking cream

2 tsp chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Use the remaining oil from frying the fish to sautee garlic until slightly golden. Add chicken stock, bring to boil.

2. Add butter and whisk non-stop to avoid the butter from separate. Add lemon juice, pepper and cream. Whisk to combine.

3. When sauce thickens, add parsley and salt to taste. At this point I return the fillet into the pan. Broil for a few seconds to coat the fish with sauce. And serve.

You can serve the fish with pasta. I made spaghetti olio here which is very easy to make. Rebus spaghetti dan tos kan airnya. Then I heat some olive oil, fry a heap of crushed garlic and chopped parsley. Heat off. Dump the spaghetti in and add a pinch of salt. I also drizzle some more olive oil for extra flavour.

A lighter version for your dinner will be serving the fish with veges sans the pasta. But heyy I will never do that. Because I love pasta! Ummm... I might so ... one day... if  I'm on diet. I also blanched some baby kailan. And pan-roast some cherry tomatoes. Masa nak makan pasta tu saya tekan tomato ceri yang sudah lembut itu dengan belakang garfu kemudian gaulkan jusnya dengan pasta. Wallahhhh... sedap. Menambah perisa sedia ada.

Give it a try. On a busy day, the most it takes to prepare this dish is 20mins. This is a perfect dinner meal for my family whenever I'm busy with baking.