Steamed Fish (kerapu/grouper)

This is a recipe that I haven't made since we were in Oman. This steamed fish was a 'chef suggestion' in a well-known Chinese restaurant in Muscat, Oman.

This recipe turned out very nice when I made it today. So, please try it, it's not hard to make, and I'm really happy that I still could make it.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 x 150-200 gr. grouper (kerapu)

3 cloves of garlic (coarsely sliced)

3 sticks small lemongrass (beaten and cut into 5 cm pieces)

5-7 cm fresh ginger (peeled and sliced)

5-7 cm fresh galangal (peeled and sliced)

1 bay leaf (sliced)

1 fresh red chilli (cut diagonally into 2 cm pieces)

2 tablespoons chinese soy sauce

1 beef maggie block (or fresh thick stock approximately 50 cc.)

1 lime (squeezed)

salt


To make:

1. Make a long cut on the fish, to clean the inside and to make a space to stuff the spices into.

2. Clean the fish using half of the lime juice and rinse with water, then rub and marinate the fish with the remaining lime juice and salt. Leave the marinated fish in the fridge for a few hours (if you clean and marinate the fish in the morning, you can leave them until about 30 minutes before lunch time).

3. About 30 minutes before serving time, prepare a steamer and a dish to put the fish in during steaming (aluminum foil sheet or banana leaves can also be used instead, just remember to arrange the foil or the leaves so that they sit nicely inside the steamer to contain the liquid without letting it seep through).

4. Pour about 50 cc. hot water to dissolve the maggie block, then mix it with the garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal, chilli, bay leaf and soy sauce. Give the mixture a stir.

5. Pour the mixture onto the fish and rub them for 1-2 minutes. Then stuff a little of each spice inside the fish, then place the fish in the dish/aluminum foil/banana leaves prepared.

6. Pour the remaining soy sauce onto the fish.

7. Put cover on the fish (can be with aluminum foil or banana leaf), and steam for approximately 15 minutes. Turn the fish over and continue steaming for another 5 minutes.

8. Serve while hot.

Baked Macaroni

Ingredients:

500 gr. long macaroni (half-boiled with a spoonful of olive oil or vegetable oil, then drained)

600 gr. regular minced meat

600 gr. cheddar/tasty cheese (grated), 500 gr. to be mixed and 100 gr. to sprinkle on top

2 l. full cream milk (I use UHT milk)

3 eggs

salt

pepper


To make:

1. Pre-heat the oven to medium-high heat.

2. Put the minced meat in a wok on a medium heat and stir fry until fully cooked, add a little salt and pepper.

3. Mix the milk, 500 gr. grated cheese, stirred fry meat and half-boiled macaroni together in a big bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Once you can taste the salt and pepper in the mix, add in the eggs and mix everything thoroughly.

5. Put the mixture into 1 large and 1 medium baking dish. Start by putting the macaroni first until it fills half of each baking dish, then pour in the liquid.

6. Sprinkle the 100 gr. grated cheese on top of the mixture

7. Bake for approximately 60 - 90 minutes, until the cheese topping is slightly orange-yellowish.

8. Turn the oven off, and if the bottom part of the baked macaroni still looks slightly runny, leave it in the turned off oven, with the door slightly open. Take the macaroni out once it looks set.

9. Let it cool for approximately 30 minutes. Then serve. Put the remaining (completely cooled down) baked macaroni in the refrigerator. It can stay for a few days.

Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce

I am doing this the wrong way around.. I promise just for this one time.. :-)

I was meaning to post my bolognese sauce recipe here in this blog and put a link in 'Orcalion's World' blog, but, I was rushing (I don't think clearly when I'm rushing).. so, I ended up putting the recipe in the other blog, and putting the link here..

Oh well, readers of both blogs can have access the recipe anyway, so it should be alright. Problem solved.. Enjoy the sauce!