Friday, March 14, 2008

Dish most cruel

What is the most cruel dish? Rice in a small pot - 煲仔飯 - of course. 煲仔 - get it? 煲仔 means small pot. But it can also mean “cook your son”. That’s what my daughters call a 爛 gag.

Jokes aside, this is one of the best ways to eat rice. Put rice and water in a 砂煲 and start cooking. When the rice is almost done, add your favourite meat: spare ribs, preserved sausages, preserved duck, chicken, salted fish, ... Then continue to cook until the rice at the bottom is slightly crispy brown. The oil and the juice from the meat seeps into and permeates the rice. Take the pot off the fire and let it ripen for a few minutes. It ensures that the rice is fully and evenly cooked. More importantly, the rice at the bottom dries up slightly and separates from the pot easily - it does not stick to the pot. Hmm ... it smells and tastes SO good. It costs perhaps 30 dollars, but is no less enjoyable than something 10 times more expensive.

At some of these small restaurants, the cooking of 煲仔飯 is done outside, right on the side walk. So you can watch your pot of rice being cooked authentically from scratch. It is an art. Watch out for the periodic turning of the pot to ensure that the rice is cooked evenly.


No comments: