Fat Guy, Can Cook Part 2!

This fish recipe just happened. I was thinking of replicating the typical Chinese resto's Garlic Steamed Fish (around 220 at Hap Chang, last time I checked). I went online looking for the perfect mix (sound of gong banging) but instead found several different ways to flavor the fish.

In the end, I settled with the ingredients I had on hand and that was that.

Easy Steamed Fish
Ingredients
4-5 fish fillets (mahi-mahi, lapu-lapu or whatever have you)
ginger, chopped
leeks, chopped
1/2 cup rice wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt and pepper

Put the rice wine, soy sauce, ginger and leeks in your 'steamer'. If you don't have time to marinade the fish, just season it well with salt and pepper and plop it right in. Add half an onion and some lemon wedges next to your fillets. Try not to disturb the fish too much and keep that cover down to save all the flavor.
'Steam' the fish in your 'steamer' for 20 minutes, you know it's done when it flakes off easily. Let the "steamer" cool down on its own for the next 20 minutes, so that all that flavor gets trapped and your fish ends up tasty. Top it off with a dash oyster sauce and fried bawang and voila, it's a masterpiece!

Serves 3 to 5.

+++

My good friend Barry ("Pabby") is not a bad cook himself. Well ok, he's the Jedi Master, especially since he does get to cook regularly so his knack for improv is just something else. This is a recipe he shared with me which I tried to follow to the letter.

Barry's Roast Pork Shoulder

Pork Shoulder, preferably with bone in
Rosemary
Laurel leaves
Thyme
10-12 cloves of garlic, whole
Black pepper, whole
Rock Salt

Think of that one person you hate most and imagine that you got his shoulder pinned down on your chopping board. With a large knife, stab the pork shoulder ten times. Then say, "Take that, you two-bit oaf! You ugly-ass, overcompetitive blobhead! You obnoxious little sewer rat!"

Oh, where was I?

The point here is to come up with nifty little pockets. Fill each pocket with a clove of garlic, bits of laurel leaf, black pepper and rosemary. Rub the skin with rock salt. Set aside and let the flavor seep through the meat at least overnight.

If you feel like it or you got it in stock, pouring a bottle of beer isn't such a bad idea either.

Sit the shoulder in your turbo-broiler or convection oven. Cooking time would depend from oven to oven but 30 to 45 minutes would be reasonable.

Serves 4 to 6.