“Marine” Bak Kut Teh, a Childhood Taste

~ Seafood Bak Kut Teh ~

Bak Kut Teh literally means “meat bone tea”. It is typically meat ribs boiled and simmered in a complex broth base with herbs and spices found mainly in Singapore and Malaysia. There are many different versions of soup base for “Bak Kut Teh”, mainly from 3 dialects, Hokkien, Teo Chew and Cantonese. The version that I am used to is the Cantonese style one from Sandakan, a place I was born.

As I am the lazy cook, I have taken a short cut in preparing my Bak Kut Teh. I used pre-packed Bak Kut Teh mix bought over the shelf at one of the main supermarket in Kota Kinabalu when I went on holiday back in Sabah. I discovered this “Sandakan Bak Kut Teh” brand, which is rare. Whenever I see something “Sandakan”, I am immediately sold to it as it has my childhood taste of hometown. Sandakan is known to be a food haven in Sabah. So, that also explains why I picked this brand over the many other brands on the shelf.

I cooked my Bak Kut Teh with neither pork nor chicken. Instead of the meat, I cooked a seafood version. The meal with mild soup taste from the pre-packed Bak Kut Teh mix coupled with a few types of seafood was light and great for my 3 years old toddler too. She loved the Scallops Bak Kut Teh the most while she enjoyed the mushrooms and fried tofu puffs, which have been soaked in the soup base for almost an hour long.

We had 3 different types of seafood, boiled and simmered with the same Bak Kut Teh soup base with the smallest AMC Pots and Pans possible as I am cooking small portion in each type of the seafood. So, it produces 3 different unique tastes, although they are all made from the same soup base. The flavour of the seafood freshness in each pot simply made an awesome family meal.

Seafood Bak Kut Teh Recipe (Serves 2) :

1. 1 35 grams pack Sandakan Bak Kut Teh
2. 10 Chinese Mushrooms (soaked & halved)
3. 2 Garlic Bulbs
4. 1 65 grams pack Fried Tofu Puff (rinsed with hot water to remove oil and cut into 1 cm wide strips)
5. 1 White Pomfret (approximately 300gm)
6. 6 Tiger Prawns (deveined & leave shell on)
7. 12 Scallops
8. Salt and Black Pepper to Taste
9. 1 1/2 liter Water

AMC Healthy Cooking Method :

A. Bak Kut Teh Soup Base

1. Rinse to clean and soak Chinese mushrooms in water until soft. Cut into half. Discard water.
2. In an AMC 24cm 5.0 liter Pot Unit, add 1.5 liter of water, Bak Kut Teh packets, soaked & cut Chinese mushrooms and garlic bulbs in whole. Cover the pot with Classic lid.
3. Switch on Navigenio to automatic mode, “A”. Turn on Audiotherm and set 45 minutes to 1 hour to boil and simmer Bak Kut Teh soup base. Activate Audiotherm by attaching it on the lid knob and indicate 80°C or “Carrot Window”.
4. When Audiotherm beeps, turn off both Navigenio & Audiotherm.

B. Scallops Bak Kut Teh

1. Rinse the frozen scallops.
2. In an AMC 20cm 2.3 liter Pot Unit, add frozen scallops and 30ml Water. Cover the pot with the Classic lid.
3. Switch on Navigenio to automatic mode, “A”. Turn on Audiotherm and set 1 minute to cook the frozen scallops. Activate Audiotherm by attaching it on the lid knob and indicate 80°C or “Carrot” setting.
4. When Audiotherm beeps, turn off both Navigenio & Audiotherm.
5. When pot depressurised, remove lid, add Bak Kut Teh soup base to the scallops and it is ready to be served warm.

 C. White Pomfret Bak Kut Teh

1. Rinse and clean White Pomfret.
2. In an AMC 20cm 1.3 liter Pan Unit, add uncooked fish and Bak Kut Teh soup base to the pan. Cover the pan with lid.
3. Switch on Navigenio to automatic mode, “A”. Turn on Audiotherm and set 4 minute to cook the fish. Activate Audiotherm by attaching it on the lid knob and indicate “Carrot” window.
4. When Audiotherm beeps, turn off both Navigenio & Audiotherm.
5. Serve immediately.

D. Prawns Bak Kut Teh

1. Rinse and devein Tiger Prawns.
2. In an AMC 16cm 1.3 liter Benjamin Pot Unit, add uncooked prawns and Bak Kut Teh soup base to the pot. Cover the pot with lid.
3. Switch on Navigenio to automatic mode, “A”. Turn on Audiotherm and set 1 minute to cook the prawns. Activate Audiotherm by attaching it on the lid knob and indicate “Carrot” window.
4. When Audiotherm beeps, turn off both Navigenio & Audiotherm.
5. Serve immediately.

Tips : The littlest pots and pans are not just cute to the eyes, they are handy for cooking and serving small portions of specialty cuisine like Bak Kut Teh. Just to name a few, these small pots/pans are great for simmering sauces and deep-frying garlic & shallots oil too. So, do not underestimate small things!