Shark's Fin Melon Pork Bone Soup Recipe 鱼翅瓜猪骨汤

This is my home secret recipe. Of course, everyone can cook in different ways. Here is my absolutely favourite and comfort soup. Fortunately, my husband's Paul loves gardening and growing shark fin melons which are impossible to buy in the UK. When you pick and eat a perfectly sized shark fin melon from your own garden, it is always a happy moment and you will understand the meaning of home grown fun. 

Ingredients
Shark fin melon, cut into pieces peeled or unpeeled.
Fresh ginger, 1 pieces
Pork bone, ribs and belly
Dried squid, soaked in water  

Red dates, jujube, washed
Dried scallops, washed

Dipping sauce

Minced garlic and fresh red chillies

Light soy sauce, mix with 1/2 granulated sugar

1) Boil water in a wok, over medium high heat. Add a piece of ginger, cook the pork bone, ribs and belly until nearly done and throw out water from an initial boil. Wash under cold tap water, pat dry and then set aside.

2) Transfer the cooked pork into a large pot, add soaked squid, red dates, soaked scallops, and finally shark fin melon pieces.

3) Cover with the hot water and cook for 1-2 hours as you prefer. sprinkle a pinch of salt before serving. Take the pork belly out and cut into pieces, dip with the sweet soy sauce. Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!

Helpful tips:

1) Soak the raw frozen in cooled boiled water for about half to an hour and you can see how red the water gets, removes and throw it away. (Beware for the room temperature, especially in summer and sometimes defrost quickly compare to winter time. 

2) Never wash raw meat or poultry in tap running water, it can easilly spread bacteria.

3) Remove shark fin melon seeds, only black ones for planting.

Recipe Source:  Josephine's Recipes

Hong Kong Style Egg Waffle - Bubble Waffles Recipe 雞蛋仔

This recipe has been developed and tested. The secret for crispy waffles, perfectly crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. These are a popular Chinese street food that you can make at home with the bubble waffle maker, the result is crispy edges and soft, chewy bubbles. A comforting treat for any occasion and can be enjoyed at anytime of the day. Waffles, don't just have to be sweet fillings like ice cream, freshly whipped cream, or toppings with fruits and salted caramel and they can be savoury like avocado and scrambled egg, cheese and smoked ham and bacon or a bland plain, completely naked, the fresh warm bubble egg waffles are a wonderful treat, my absolutely favourite! 

This recipe makes about 2-3 egg waffles.

Ingredients
(A)

70g / 7 tbsp cake flour/premium plain flour

8g / 1 tbsp milk powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda  

(B)

35g / 3 tbsp granulated sugar

30g / 35ml whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 medium free range eggs, cold

(C)
Vegetable oil, for greasing waffle machine

Method:
1) In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and mix together until a smooth batter is formed. Cover with the cling firm, store your mixture in the coldest part of the fridge for 30 minutes to a few hours, until ready to use. If you hurry up, it works by just resting in the warm temperature for a few minutes.

2) Before you start, preheated of the pan for about 2 minutes, brush the bubble waffle machine with a little cooking oil.

3) Turn off the heat, pour in the batter, filling each hole evenly. keep the lid of your waffle maker closed while you wait and then set over a heat for 2 minutes, and turn it off again, rest for another 2 minutes, until golden and crispy on the outside.

4) Remove the side of the pan the finished egg waffle is clinging to, and hold it above a plate with the waffle upside down. Using a tongs or spatula, gently loosen it from the pan, starting on the top edge. Repeat with the remaining batter re-greasing pans first, remove it and cool on a rack before serving.

Recipe Source:  Josephine's Recipes

Homemade Soft Bread Buns - Anyone Can Make it 😲

One of my original soft bread recipe was created a few years ago. The most rewarding experiences as a baker and foodie can have. It roughly 72% hydration, the dough is highly hydrated. you will love the bread texture and aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through at your home. It's easy to make bread that everyone can best enjoyed fresh from the oven.

(Whole dough 325g)
Makes 12 
34g each dough

Ingredients
(A)
• 120g cold milk
• 20g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp, 3-4g dried yeast
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 170g bread flour

(B)
a tsp vegetable oil for oiled the bowl and fermentation.

(C)
1 tsp honey or golden syrup
2 tsp warm water

(D)

Cheese slices, for decoration

Method: 
1) In a bowl, add the milk, sugar, dried yeast, salt and bread flour. use a spatula to stir until combined.

2) Greased the same bowl, cover with the lid, proof in the warm oven for 30 minutes or cold fermentation overnight for the first proof.

3) Pushed all the air out and divide the dough into 12 pieces. shape into a round ball. place cheese slices in the bread top and lightly brush with milk, then place them on a prepared tray and second rise again for another 30 minutes. 

4) Bake in preheated oven 150°C for 15 minutes. before 3 minutes baking, take it out brush honey or syrup water over the crust.

Helpful Tips:
1) Yeast is best stored in the refrigerator, as the fungud in it will be killed at high temperatures. Before using yeast check the production date and storage life of your yeast. Refrigerate it as soon as possible after each use. The main cause of bread falling to rise is bad yeast.
2) Store a bread in an airtight, re-sealed bag or airtight container.
3) you can make toast straight from the freezer. just pop your frozen slice of bread straight into the toaster, there's no need to defrost it first. It will only take slightly longer to cook than fresh bread.
5) If it's a winter day, the common problem is that dough won't rise. Using a warm oven by turn your oven on and off or with boiled water on the underneath to help your dough rise perfectly.

6) It's recommended to use an oven thermometer if needed.

Did you make this recipe?
Tag @josephinerecipes on Instagram and share your pictures on below comment box.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes 

My Secret Recipe - Potstickers Made From Scatch - Pan Fried Dumplings - Crispy Prawn Gyoza 煎饺子｜煎锅贴｜冰花煎饺

Ingredients:

A. Cleaning / Cutting:

22 king prawns

B. Seasoning;

a pinch of sea salt

white peppers

dried chives

sesame oil

corn flour

C. Wrappers:

2 cups cake flour

1 cup hot water

1 tsp olive oil

D. Frying:

1 tsp cake flour

1/2 cup water and stir combined

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes

Homemade French Croissants - Step by Step Video Recipe

These freshly baked homemade Croissants are a real treat, flaky, crispy on the outside soft and buttery inside. It's well worth the wait! With this recipe, you can create this famous French pastry at home.

Makes 16 mini croissants with the highest quality butter

Ingredients:

(A)

150g bread flour

50g cake flour

5g milk powder

20g granulated sugar

1 tsp, 4g dried yeast

100g cold water

10g butter

3g sea salt

1 whole egg

(B)

To make the filling, Use a baking paper and place 100g butter, roll into a square shape about 15cm x 15cm and place in the fridge, not freezer. It should be cold and soft in touch, not hard to break out and ready to place in dough and roll.

(C)

Decorate:

(Take a half tablespoon either part of the whisked egg, put a tsp water or milk, beat them together, set aside to cool. Brush the egg wash over your bread)

Tips for Croissant success:

1) The ideal environment for making, shaping the dough for a proof is not higher than 25ºC. After kneading the dough, take it out from the bread pan immediately. Wrap in cling film and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. No need for fermentation. only needed after being shaped for one proof.

2) Fold the edges of the dough rectangle over, double the size to cover the butter. Sprinkle some flour and continue to roll to 50cm long. Brush the excess flour and fold, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Take the dough out, and roll to 50cm long again and fold again, wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes again.

- After then, roll the wide 18cm, long 40cm. It’s been chilled and folded, and place in the upper fridge for 30 minutes each time.

3) Using a ruler, make a mark every 8cm down the one of the long edges of the rectangle. then on the other side mark at 4cm. See video, cut the 2 edges can make a mini croissants, and then 7 large croissants or cut in half to make 14 and total 16 mini croissants.

4) Only one proof the dough after shaped, not higher than 25ºC, they will take about 2 hours to fully proof. If it gets warm above 28ºC that temperature there is a big chance butter will begin to melt out.

5) Bake in preheated oven 150ºC, bake for 12 minutes, Leave to cool in the oven for a few minutes. (See the croissants colour as you desire) Adjust your own oven to suit.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes

Super Soft White Sandwich Bread - Poolish Method Recipe

Makes 1 ( 2lb - 450g/520g dough loaf pan with lid 21.5x12.3x11.4cm) 

Ingredients

(A) Poolish Starter
55g water, boiled and cooled

1/2 tsp dried yeast 

50g bread flour

Ferment at warm place for 3 hours or refrigerate, cold ferment for overnight. dead yeast will not produce any bubbles at all. If the temperatures too high will make the yeast completely killed off. 

(B)

220g bread flour

22g milk powder

30g sugar

1 tsp dried yeast

1 whole egg

poolish starter (A)

80g milk 

(C)

a pinch of salt

25g butter

1) In a bowl, mix all the starter ingredients and place in the fridge for the cold fermentation overnight or room temperature proof for 3 hours.

2) Use a bread maker pan, add all the ingredients (B), the machine mix and knead 

when the beep noise for middle kneading, Add soften butter and sprinkle salt continue stir until done. 

3) Press the fermentation and let the machine proof for 30 minutes and take it out the dough to shape. Greasing pan with oil or butter. 

4) Second rise in the warm oven for 1 hour. Bake in no preheated oven 150°C for 50 minutes. Let the bread sit in the oven for a few minutes before taking it out and cool in rack.  

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes

Wool Roll Bread - Water Roux Method - Japanese Milk Buns

The softest, fluffiest bread you will ever eat, free from artificial ingredients and preservatives. Bread machine is a life saver for everyday bread, honestly! Just threw everything in the bread machine, and then press ferment until the beep noise. Take it out and shaped into as many as you want the bread rolls. this would save a lot of time and of course save life too. Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked bread, it sounds like a dream to me.   

Makes 1 (7 inch, 18cm round pan)

Ingredients

(A)
• 280g, 11/4 cup water
• 56g, 4 tbsp bread flour

You'll make two batches for the water roux starter (A). 

(B)
• 120-140g water roux
• 70g cold milk
• 20g granulated sugar
• 250g bread flour
• 1 tsp, 4g allinson dried yeast

(C)
1 tbsp, mild olive oil / vegetable oil

(D)

Brush with milk or egg wash 1/2 egg yolk + 1/2 tbsp milk before baking

(E)
Syrup or honey glaze:
1 tbsp golden syrup or honey
1/2 tbsp hot or warm water

Method:

1) In a saucepan, heat water, until the water is warm to hot 65°C , then add bread flour. quickly whisk and cook until thickened and smooth paste forms. (using a whisker, will be much easier than a wooden spoon or spatula to avoid lumps. The roux can also be cooled to room temperature first, and stored in the fridge up to a 3-5 days. 

2) Place the water roux, cold milk, sugar, bread flour and yeast into the bread pan. Press the MENU button until desired program ''raw dough'' is selected. so that the machine does all the mixing and kneading. Once the process has been completed. add mild, olive or vegetable oil to the bread pan, and continue ''stir 2'' until beeps will signal. close the lid gently.

3) Press the MENU button again until you reach ''ferment''. The bread maker will allow your dough to rise for 30 minutes or until beep to signal and then you take it out of the machine.

4) Turn the dough out onto a grease surface, punch down the dough, and divide into 5 pieces. roll out each ball into a long shaped and cut into long roll. roll up the dough lengthwise and pinch the ends closed.

5) Second rise in the warm oven for 30 minutes. Brushing the top with milk. Bake in no preheated oven 150°C for 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown. Let the bread sit in the oven for a few minutes before taking it out and cool in rack. brush the bread with syrup after you bake it. (Baking time depends on the size and shape of the bread being baked).

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes