MID AUTUMN FESTIVAL AND SHANGHAI STYLE STEAMED PAUS

7/9/2014
Sunday

Perfect 10 for a perfect dinner.

As usual our family celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday night.  While we have our fill of 4 Roasted Duck for the previous festival (Hungry Ghost) dinner, this time there was none... no mis-communication but just that my brother-in-law who was to get the Roasted Duck gave up buying when he saw the long queue! Anyway we have more then 10 dishes (still steaming the fish when this photo was taken)!. Great food, great family together.    

These Shanghai Style steamed paus were made for breakfast.  Recipe was adapted from The Travelling Foodies. 

Minced pork with diced leeks instead of cabbage.

The dough was simple and easy to make.  I have scaled the dough by 30 gm each and managed to get around 14 paus.  Wrap the filling and placed in a well-greased non-stick pan and cover with lid for 10-15 minutes for proofing. 

After proof, turn on medium low heat and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes to get the golden base. Meanwhile prepare 1tbsp  flour + 100 gm water solution 

Open the lid and pour the solution into pan and cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes, which by then the water should have evaporated.

Served paus with dipping sauce: black vinegar, sugar,  soya sauce, sesame oil and julienned ginger.  I like the texture of these paus, the soft dough, moist juicy meat and the crispy base (because my my paus were a bit burnt!) 

However my lunch was not so great.  During my previous visit to the Retro Kitchen it was satisfactory re the food and service.  But on Sunday,  we were not happy at all. Not only do we have to wait almost an hour for the food and also they served us one by one.  So we would be  watching while one of us eat and when mine order (the last one to be served)  for a Chicken and Mushroom pie came (an hour late and after reminders) it was one BIG disappointment.  The puff pastry covering the ramekin was flat and dull.  Upon lifting up the pastry the underside was NOT COOKED!!!! There was no apology from the person in charge who insisted that the pastry was cooked and that's the normal way they served diners!! By this time, my happy mood and appetite was spoilt and  gone.

The only saving grace was this delicious homecooked traditional Yam cake which was  full of pieces of yam!

It is Phow-Phow's turn to wear the collar this week.  We just brought her back from the Vet. She had a kidney stone removed as we found blood in her urine. 

Bebe  - and her sleeping patterns!