PCL

Duh, me bad. Sea Bass and Black cod... different texture no? Especially the Chilean monster of the deep and the 'original' sea bass. I'd think that black cod has a springier mouthfeel if steamed JUST RIGHT! I think the sea bass and associated variants are better fried or grilled or baked. Not delicate or 'yau-sei' enough for steaming, but that's JUST ME. Blackfish is something we have down here that eats 'sea lettuce' or green seaweed, hangs around rocky bits and can be fished from um, the rocks. Slightly more hazardous than surf fishing.

In my opinion, and it's just that, the stuff you do a'la Keller isn't stinky enough for any of the 'traditional' dishes. A good polpete di bacala simply doesn't work without the pungency.

...big difference in texture between cod and blackfish...

Excellent Gastro-mui. The neen-goh can be orange, i've had it in that colour tone. And yaeh, fried is good, even better with some egg wash dip prior to frying.

Point taken jackal. Now, a couple ideas from the other night's experiment: - greased the belly piece with EVOO + butter - slashed skin and rubbed with 5-spice powder - rubbed powder on bottom and sides - salt and pepper all over - half onion and apple slices in pan - doused the lot with white wine when finished and resting the belly, pan deglazed with more vino, light chicken stock, added some onion confit and sauteed apples, mounted, chopped parsley... tasted it and added squeeze of lemon for acid, Mrs PCL wanted balsamic, but I said "Non!"

Ahhh, arbuclo, so proud of you!! Now you can be the official Dubai Guide. If you're craving a good steak, the grill room at the Emirates Towers Hotel does a good job. But be sure to stick the dinner on the expense account!

Thanks for your thoughts. 140F, Jackal, surely you jest, that's 60C!! But exposure to that temp for 24 hrs would kill most creepies. zeitoun, that's an interesting concept you've got there, i'm not a big fan of braised belly unless it's red-cooked, but will try your recipe. but the point is, has anyone else cooked it straight from the freezer like this??

I said "supply" never once implying them 'giving' anything away... or bringing anything out automatically...of course XO comes at a premium, unless you're friends with the low-pan. Mustard and sharks fin adds piquancy to the soup without the fire of chilli. We're talking about a measured dose here, not a dollop. If it's a dollop, then you're Chee-Seen. sharks fin i don't think has any taste, but fishiness. It's a texture thing no? Or a status thing? I stay away from the stuff (yes yes, conservation and all that), but if pressed to be polite, i'd scoff it nonetheless. edited to add the last line about sharks fin.

Grandma (poh-poh) is coming over in a month or so I think. Will call her to find out. Otherwise, this thread will set me off on a mission.

There have been numerous posts on the cold pork chop thing, and one evening, I thought, what the hell and did the following: - removed chunk of pork belly (500g) rind on from freezer, un-brined. - sat it on an onion in an oven pan - doused liberally with olive oil and white wine - salt and pepper - set oven to 140C - rotated oven pan after 1 1/2 hours, splashed more wine in - turned oven off ater 3 hours total time - fired up overhead grill (you guys call it a broiler no?) - salted skin even more and grilled to crispness, must watch as it was about to burn when i pulled it after standing on the balcony smoking. I was smoking that is, not the pork, but it had started to, but anyway, I digress... - removed pork, deglazed pan with wine, scooped in some demi, stirred in parsley, mounted and served with belly. IT WORKED. Soft smooth tender on the inside, crisp on the top. Ate it like a steak, washed it down with a lovely riesling. No side-dishes. Some bread to mop up sauce. Did I fluke it, or is this a fair preparation of the beast? I'm thinking about doing the same tonight but using the following method... 1st hour 140C, 2nd half hour 200C, grill skin, serve. Wife's not getting home till 8.30pm, it's 5.30pm now, gotta go home!!!

It's the perfect fast beef food, next to burgers. Do you marinade? We don't use oyster sauce (my wife is Vietnamese). The dipping sauce is either standard nuoc mam with lime juice, chilli, garlic and sugar, and water to thin it out, or... Maggi seasoning, chilli, garlic, or... Sriracha... Eaten with rice, broken rice if we've got it, salad, sweet basil, mint leaves, and a fried egg... Which cut of beef do you use? Flank is great, as is rump or even rib-eye.

Winter camping raises some interesting issues. All of which have been addressed, thanks Wayne. While we don't get extreme cold like you guys do, it can whip up sometimes. My wife is no great fan of winter camping, but I've done it a few times while chasing fish along the coast. The rougher seas bring different species close to shore in the winter, so we'd pack up the 4x4 and head out hunting. Food for me and fishing-mates during times like that might include the following: compulsory sausages on the gas grill fish over the open fire (dig a hole in the sand behind a bush, water handy) instant pasta & sauce packets and when it rains... get under the tarp and use the ingenious flame shield (aluminium sheet cold pressed for stiffness, shoved into ground to shield fire) But Wayne, isn't firewood easy to come by where you go winter camping? I always have the chainsaw in the back of the truck ready to go. Fallen trunks and branches only.

The vacuum bag product is the problem. Yes, the stuff can be bought here, but I'll only eat it if mum or grandma makes it.

Was wondering the same thing Aunty Yetti. On the topic of waxed meats... I miss the stuff badly. Nothing like steamed rice with a selection of waxed meats on top, served with a soy based sauce with flavored oil, hint of fresh chopped chilli, and the crusty burnt bits of rice from the bottom of the pot!!

For the record, in my humble experience, every dim sum place worth its name/salt/reputation will supply the following: - hot mustard - worcesteshire - XO sauce hot mustard goes with 'siu-yuk', drunken chicken/squab/pigeon, sharks fin soup, char siu. duck sauce is a plum sauce, no different in concept to any French fruit based sauce for duck or pork. love your work Ben, you little Toysanese you. Will check with grandma this weekend about our origins.

A Vietnamese 'stew' involving belly pork cubes, fresh coconut juice (as opposed to 'milk'), fish sauce, garlic, is improved with the addition of Coca-Cola. A tenderiser appaently.

Sodium bicarbonate, water. Breaks down stringy proteins I'm told. The velveting works well with pork strips in preserved egg soup.

I sympathise mate. When living in London, we attempted lamb roasts that never quite made the mark. No access to it right now, but the Webber's a great way to do lamb leg roast. Rosemary, garlic slivers all over, salt, pepper, rubbings of mixed herbs, salt, oil/butter. Cover and walk away. Come back in a bit. Voila! Tried to do the same in the oven, but messy with the pre-searing and all that. Sauce: Deglaze pan, demi and wine, mount with butter, chopped parsley and garlic sauteed mushies, more parsley, wedge of lemon to go round the table, roast potatoes in garlic and rosemary.

It was pancetta. They said so. So there, hah! As for sauces, there had to be something vaguely alcoholic in it no? I mean, the dude's all French trained and is interpreting classics for the Aussie scene no? And foie, cook the fresh stuff man, and don't do it at all if you can't get it. Demi-cuit in a brioche is about as good as it gets with the demi stuff. But hey dude, it's only ME who feels this way. But whatever... at those prices, one visit should be enough. Think of all those saving up for the one trip. One doesn't go to a place like that with compromises in mind. It's unthinkable. And to repeat one ingredient across 3 dishes?? Two, maybe, but it better be damned good, but three?? Back to consistency once again, an unfair comparison might be Macca's. If you ask for fresh fries, they're always fresh and perfect. The gastronomic group may not approve, but billions do, and with Macca's chips as the exception, I'm happy to go with the billions on this one. But to go to Mighty Bennet's and get dooshed on the first go? I will spend the rest of my life asking these questions, but hey, the truth is out there. For the record, lunch will be attempted there. And aren't we allowed to not like something? Free country last I looked, let's hope it stays that way. And also, welcome to eGullet Fat Goose.

Well done Gastro-mui! Is it going to be fried neen-goh or warm steamed slices?? Either way, it's all good. The significance of the prawns can also be linked to "Siu-Ha-Ha" which may be translated to Laughing Loudly, meaning happiness for the year ahead. Don't forget to leave a bit of fish behind on the plate, that is, don't eat it all, for the significance there is "Yow-Yue" meaning, Having Luck & Auspiciousness. Jeez, that's a bad translation, not many of these things translate well!! But it's just me I guess.

Wish I could say the same of the Vue du Monde, where for $500 for two I thought I was sitting in the dining room of the Angliss roll-out class. Amateurish and plain arrogant. To quote a Bourdain piece, "Cooked by a person who'd never been fucked good."

There's a great scene in the recent Hongkong Kung-Fu comedy, "Shaolin Soccer" where a petite lady uses Tai-Chi techniques to form the mantou dough... ... superb... Gastrodudette888, I think a martial-arts cooking thread is in order!!!!....

Making the neen-goh from scratch? You're game! For the record, I'm overloaded on the stuff already!

Bring your own in a lacquered case complete with Eazy-Wipe towellete.

I"ve tried the fly-catching, was easier to swat to stun, then pick up off table to dispose. I've also used chopsticks are throwing weapons against my younger sister. Also to get a wayward friend's attention during yum-cha (dim sum).