Rainy Days

It has been raining since yesterday, and just as much as I want to finish up this post and publish it, the rain just does not seem to want to go away. I guess it's going to be a little problem when I head to the uni later on, just like what I encountered yesterday when I went to return my stack of library books sitting on my floor space. Never the less, while I was on my way back yesterday, I suddenly remembered that I bought some marylands from Eastgardens the other day, so as the rain water was splashing on me (even with the umbrella), I was also thinking how to cook them. Then I came pass one of the grocerries store and I went in to have a look on what suporting herbs or stuff that I can use for the marylands. While I was browsing through the display on the racks and shelfs, my eyes suddenly set on some cute little containers, which labels 'maltose' outside. Ahah! That's it...

Back at home where the rain was pouring at it's might, I was busy trying to finish up a analytical written assignment that really took me some time to finish. As it got darker outsede, and my mates was not back from some meeting outside, I started to marinate the marylands, and prepare the other vegetables. It was only about 6 (I was doing assignment in between) that I started to cook yesterday, but the time to cook the chickens were just nice. The outcome was great! The marylands were so crusted with a thin coat of cruchy malt while the meat inside was sweet and juicy! Check the day's recipe out:

My Malt Chicken Maryland, don't be fooled by the dark spots, the're actually sweet and thin crusts of malt, reminds me of my childhood snacks, yum yum.

Ingredients:

750g Chicken Maryland, about 3 pieces

300g Potato, peeled and cut into wedges

Marinate:

3 tblsp of Maltose, more if you want it sweeter, dissolve with some hot water

2 tblsp dark soy sauce

2 tblsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tblsp salt

1 tblsp sugar

2 tsp pepper

1 tsp mix spice powder

That's it! simple as that! Preheat the oven to 250 degrees, prepare the potatoes, lay them at the bottom of a big bowl (or tray or something if you like) and the marylands on top. Remember to marinate the chicken for at least an hour beforehand. Place the chicken in the oven at 250 degrees for first 10 minutes, reduce to 200 degrees and let aside for 30 minutes, reduce again to 150 for the last 10 minutes. Altogether it's about 50 minutes roasting time.

The best part of this dish is the gravy that comes out later, it is sweet and has a paticular light fragrance in it. The potatoes laid on the bottom would have soaked up a lot the gravy, and imagine when u bite them, the juice just keeps flowing out!

The dinner was backed up by two vegetables (one actually) prepared in different way:

Sitr Fried Kai Lan with Chinese Wine

Ingredients

2 bunch of Kai Lan

3 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves of garlics, finely choped

1 inch of ginger, finely choped

1 tbsp oyster sauce

5 tbsp Chinese Shao Xing Cooking Wine

Salt and light soy sauce to taste

Heat up the oil in a wok, throw in the garlic and ginger when the oil is readily hot. Fry till the aroma arises, then put in the vegetables, stir in the salt and sou sauce as well. When the greens are all soaked or cooked, put in the wine. Serve hot.

HongKong style Kai Lan (Yau Choi)

1 bunch Kai Lan

1 tbsp vegetable oil

3 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Salt to taste

Heat up a pot of water, add some salt to the water, put in the greens when the water is boiled, take out immediately when it looks cook and dip into cold iced water, leave it. Heat up some oil, add light soy sauce, oyster sauce and water, bring to boil, pour over the greens on a plate. Serve hot. There you have it, simple and easy, can you imagine that they sell this dish for at least AUD6 in the Chinese restaurants.